Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I was provided Fitbit Surge from REI at no cost to test 6 months ago. Here are my thoughts after 6 months of use: I have been using it every day along with the Fitbit app on my iPhone 6 and the Fitbit Dashboard on my Macbook Pro. Here are my observations: ░░░░░PRO'S░░░░░ ❖ The app on my iPhone allows me to easily enter the type of food I am eating and the amount of calories, and calories from fat. The app is synched up with a HUGE database and allows you to scan a barcode on a package and it automatically shows you the pertinent nutritional information. I have used this feature on about 40 items so far, and about 70-80% of these items were in the database. The others I added manually, but then you can pull the up easily the next time you eat that food item. You can also type in the name of a restaurant and it will pull up items on their menu. It has worked on 100% of the these with 95% of the items listed. ❖ Setting my weight loss and gain goal is wonderful! It asks your current weight, your target weight and how long you want to take to get there (It shows you the date you should achieve your target weight in 3-4 categories ranging from Easy to Difficult). I have lost 5lbs in the last 6 days. I have been rather ambitious! Other goals can be set and tracked! ❖ It's a great motivator to get in shape. If you're the type of person that likes to track data and finds that seeing your progress helps you to get going, then this is a GREAT product. This tracker has greatly enhanced my motivation by allowing me to see my progress in multiple areas. The app and dashboard not only show you your workouts (so you can compare and see your progress), but they also allow your to track your calories in and calories out. You can also record your water intake. These elements have been literally life-changing for me. ❖ The dashboard gives you badges and motivational "splashes". Fitbit also will send you a weekly email showing your weekly stats and progress "at a glance". All very helpful and encouraging. ❖ The tracker itself is VERY comfortable. The sleep tracking has been helpful in showing how many times I am "restless" during the night. ❖ The tracker charges very quickly. I have docked it while taking a shower with half battery life and after my shower (10-15 mins) it looks fully charged. I have had no issues with better life whatsoever, and considering all that it does - the battery last longer then I would expect. ❖ The workout variety is great and it allows you to customize your workouts, so the tracking possibilities are endless. The dashboard gives you very detailed information on multiple areas including (for a walk): Elevation, Pace, Heart Rate, Heart Rate Zones, Calorie Burn and Impact on Your day. The GPS works flawlessly, and as long as I'm outside, does not take long at all to hook up (5-10 secs). I have used the Exercise area for: Running and Weight Lifting ❖ The face of the tracker is very nice, the displays are less then "dazzling", but I realize this is probably part of the reason for the long battery life. I don't mind not having the "glitzy" face of the MS product. This is much more effective from what I have read. The build of the device is strong and I expect it to last a long time. No issues with inadvertently swiping the face, it does so easily but not often accidentally. The back light works really well. I have left mine set to "auto" and it seems to come on just at the right time. ░░░░░CON'S░░░░░ ❖ The HR Monitor does drop during high intensity workouts. I usually start my workouts with cardio so if I am on an elliptical it works just fine. I literally can grab the HR monitor on the gym elliptical and watch my Surge and they almost always change simultaneously! I would say that 90% of the time they are matching perfectly or 1 beat off. That's pretty amazing! So, after my cardio I move quickly to weight training on "selecterized" equipment. This is where the HR tracking can go haywire. Because of the rapid arm movements, and possibly the level of sweat that is being generated - the tracker can go from 130 BPM to 98 BPM in a second. Now, I know that my HR is not doing that. I tried all the suggested fixes: sliding up my arm further, making sure it was loose enough, tight enough, etc. and nothing seemed to work. I even called fitbit. They recommended I try it on my other arm. I did, really no difference. In this area, it just seems like the technology has limits. They also have their limitations and if the area that reads becomes dry - it also will drop out or get irregular readings. I don't' think Fitbit is going to be able to change this inconsistency through firmware or software updates due to the "anatomical limits" of the technology. The good news is, if you take a min or two and reposition the device it can go back to an accurate reading and overall, your workout should be close to the correct amount of calories burned. ❖ The only other gripe I have is that the device can record "faulty" steps. Now, if I am out on a walk or "walking" it does just fine. BUT, I can sit (just did) and wave my arm around and steps will be recorded. I just logged 5 steps sitting and writing this review by waving my arm around. If you're a person that talks with your hands, this can problematic. The floors climbed is also cool and seems to be very accurate. ░░░░░BOTTOM LINE░░░░░ I give the Surge 4 stars. I really would like to see more consistent readings of the HR monitor during intense workouts and find a way to not have the device pick up "false" steps, but I realize that the technology is still young. The many pluses that come with the Surge (to me) outweigh the negatives, so I am happy overall with it. ***If you like this review, please mark this review as helpful! Also, feel free to ask me questions Thank you for reading***