Review: Waterproof Fitbit Charge 3 is perfect for those on the go
I’ve been a fan of Fitbit since I started using the Charge 2 a few years ago. Upon first looks, the Charge 3 has a more refined design, and the band is thinner, so it looks lighter around your wrist. Unlike its predecessor, the now improved Charge 3 has many cool new elements we should talk about, if you’re looking for a new fitness tracker that covers it all.
Bigger screen
It has a bigger screen compared to the previous Charge 2, and it is now features a touchscreen format you’ll get used to. Only one button on the left of the screen is made for you to turn on the screen and it vibrates to show you it’s working. However, most function is made on a swipe left, up and down motion to check your notifications.
You can swim and shower with it
As a frequent gym goer, I find that elastic bands tug my skin when I’m sweaty and can leave a bit of irritation – the new special Charge 3 edition comes with a woven fabric strap and an additional black classic band in case I’d like to switch it up. Perfect! Not only that, the Charge 3 is now waterproof, which means you could wear it in the shower, under the rain and in the pool. A cool tip is you’re able to set your pool length on your wrist, track your time with Swim Mode and sync it to you Fitbit app to compare your laps, distance and pace.
Longer battery life
I realised I’ve also gone on a week without charging my Fitbit – this despite tinkering on one of the many goal exercises you can set on the app, like bike, swim, run, yoga. Big plus for me.
Sleep tracking
Very important for me to clock in at least 8 hours of sleep, so the Charge 3 is able to record details up to REM, light and even deep sleep. You could see the chart when you turn on the app, to give you a better detailed insight. There is a silent alarm mode, that vibrates your wrist so you don’t wake your partner beside you but I find that not particularly helpful especially if you’re a heavy sleeper.
Female health tracking review
This is especially second most important to me, besides tracking my sleep, heart rate and daily steps. When in discussion with my doctor, it’s so easy to flip up the calendar on the Fitbit app to check when was my last menstrual cycle, and this allows me to track my period cycle by identifying the dates. By keying in these data, the app can then provide predictions on when I’m likely to be having my next period. And it’s been accurate so far!
There is a deeper level to just keying your period cycle – you could also add other data like cervical fluids, flow intensity and even sex. Sure this is a lot to track for someone who isn’t too bothered, but the data trends collected is actually good for your gynae to help have a better understanding of your average ovulation day, cycle and even period length. One day I was feeling slightly down and when I checked my app, I noticed my period cycle was approaching in 2 days’ time – so that gave me an ‘ah’ moment. Pretty nifty!
Lack of music storage
There is no space for storing music for your workout – which is a downside for me as I do need some fast-paced tunes for my circuit training. While it has Pandora and Deezer apps, I’m only a paying subscriber of Spotify so I don’t see the need to sign up.
Overall, the new Charge 3 packs more features and is value for money. Fitbit has proven to upgrade the Charge version with more friendly features to suit those with a healthy active lifestyle. On the plus side, as a female, I resonate well with the new health tracking system and its thin design makes it comfortable to wear from day to night.
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