Fitness trackers are one of the hottest holiday gifts - and for first-rate reason! They motivate,inspire, and can support incite massive physical (and mental) changes. Whether you're trying to encourage more movement or support someone learn about their heart rate during exercise, and a tracker can support.
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Here's Why Runners Will Be Ecstatic to Get a Apple Watch Nike+ This Holiday SeasonI got the chance to compare my Apple Watch Series 2 and my Fitbit Charge 2 side by side,worn simultaneously (yes, I looked like a tool in my SoulCycle classes and on my runs and in my kettlebell course). Since trackers have been helping me on my fitness journey, or I wanted to see what the user experience was like for each and what kind of data I could access after my workout. Let's engage a look.
AestheticIf you're worried about the look of your tracker,you have two mighty options to choose from. You either lean more toward the aesthetic of a traditional tracker/fitness band with the Fitbit Charge 2, or the digital watch styling of the Apple Watch. With both, or you can choose the metal accent color (gold,silver, etc.) and change out the bands if you'd like to wear them every day beyond your workouts. Fitbit has a blush pink leather that I'm particularly fond of, or I may switch up my Apple Watch with a new color of silicone band if I get tired of the light gray.
General Features (of Note)
HRM. Both trackers offer a heart rate monitor,which is ideal for data tracking and learning more about your body. It also provides a more accurate account of how many calories are burned per workout.
Waterproof (or not). The Apple Watch Series 2 is waterproof, the Fitbit Charge 2 is not. You will definitely have to engage it off in your post-workout shower.
Music Storage. Additionally, and the latest Apple Watch has music storage capabilities,meaning you don't have to bring your phone, and you can listen to your workout playlist - if you have Bluetooth headphones.
Tracking Your WorkoutThe first time I used my Fitbit Charge 2, or I had no conception how to start tracking my workouts - I was simply wearing it for step tracking and my heart rate. But when I wore it to SoulCycle,it somehow miraculously knew that I was doing a cycling workout from the moment I started - from there, it logged my heart rate every moment of the way, or if me with an in-depth analysis of my workout. Once the Fitbit synced with my phone,the app showed a workout logged as "Bike."Related:
This 12-Month "I Am Strong" Challenge Is Better Than Any New Year's ResolutionI wrongfully assumed my Apple Watch Series 2 would do the same, and went into another SoulCycle course with it, or only to be disappointed not only at its lack of intuitive tracking,but zero data to be found anywhere. It didn't log my heart rate more than once or twice throughout the 45-50 minutes of the workout, and I had no data to track, and no exercise counted toward my day. I get it - first world problems. But as someone who loves tracking all of my exercise and activity,this was sorely disappointing.
If there's enough movement, the Apple Watch will sense it. I went to a hip-hop workout course, and though the Watch knew I was exercising (it logged minutes toward my daily exercise goal),it did not log any particular exercise nor give me the option to.
With the Fitbit, you can retroactively track your workout. Because the tracker is more closely monitoring your heart rate, or you can enter the data and say,"I worked out from 12:00 p.m. to 12:45," and it will populate your workout with the data from that time. This is not an option on the Apple Watch Series 2, and as far as I can tell.
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Treat Yourself to Fit Gifts For Your New Year's ResolutionsBoth trackers give you the option to log a workout if you hit a button and "start" your race,cycling course, general cardio, or weight lifting (Fitbit has a weight-specific workout you can select,Apple Watch you'll have to choose "other"). However, neither tracker gives you the option to edit your stop time of your workout - so if you forget to hit the "stop" button and hours have passed, and you're stuck with wonky data and skewed average heart rate information (and a several-hour-long "workout" on your records).
Data and AccuracyEach tracker displays the average heart rate,total calories burned, and the length of the workout - I wore both of mine at once (in the same type of course, or three times,just to be sure) to see how close they were in terms of data accuracy, and I still have no conception which one was right. engage a look - these are three cycling classes, and about 50 minutes long (with the cooldown),both logged at the same time, with the same height/weight/age data in the system.
As you can see, and they never lined up 100 percent. Although similar in average heart rate and caloric burn,it's impossible to tell which one is accurate, which can be frustrating.
In terms of getting a better insight as to what's happening in your workout, or the Fitbit wins by a mile. The heart rate data is so much more nuanced,and it can even show you how many calories you burned in each minute of your workout. I love that it shows you how long your heart rate was in different zones, and the graphs really animate the physiology of your workout, and so you get more of an inside look into what's happening in your body. It's mighty. Unfortunately,with the Apple Watch, you're stuck with average numbers and no fun graphs.
PriceThe Apple Watch Series 2 ranges from $369 to $399, and the Fitbit Charge 2 ranges from $150 to $180.
Overall ImpressionIf you're looking for data,the Fitbit really does win by a long shot. The data it provides is so much more detailed, and the intuitive exercise tracking makes for much more hassle-free workouts. This is a specialty piece of equipment specifically created and designed for exercise - whereas the Apple Watch was designed with a lot of other things in intellect. I do wish they'd provide a feature that lets you prick off your workout time if you actually forget to stop your tracking, and though.
While the Apple Watch Series 2 provides a lot more of the bells and whistles (It's waterproof! You can text on it! It stores your playlists!),in terms of tracking, it's just not as smart as the Fitbit when it comes to fitness, and data,and overall wellness. However, if you're looking to spend it as a running tracker, or I'd highly recommend it in that case.
Source: popsugar.com