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Add to SafariWhen comparing Fitbit Charge HR vs Fitbit Surge, the Slant community recommends Fitbit Charge HR for most people. In the question“What are the best fitness trackers that pair with iPhones?” Fitbit Charge HR is ranked 9th while Fitbit Surge is ranked 18th. The most important reason people chose Fitbit Charge HR is:
Throughout the day (and night), the Charge HR fitness tracker continuously measures your heart rate. On the app, graphs show your heart rate throughout the day, providing stats such as time spent in the different zones (peak, cardio, and fat burn) as well as your average resting heart rate for that day.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Continuously measures your heart rate and intensity level to give you 24 hour stats
Throughout the day (and night), the Charge HR fitness tracker continuously measures your heart rate.
On the app, graphs show your heart rate throughout the day, providing stats such as time spent in the different zones (peak, cardio, and fat burn) as well as your average resting heart rate for that day.
Pro Can track your elevation so you know how high you've hiked
When connected to the GPS on your phone, the Charge HR is able to keep track of elevation. This is a great feature for hikers who often like to know how much elevation was gained over the course of the hike.
Pro The app and web platform do an excellent job of keeping you motivated
The Fitbit app lets you set goals and milestones which reward you with badges and trophies when reached.
You can also challenge friends and family, competing against them for top spot on the leader board.
Pro Compatible with nearly every smartphone
In addition to Android and iPhone support, the Charge HR fitness tracker also supports Windows Phone which is fairly rare.
While not an issue most of the time, when upgrading your phone you won't have to worry if your fitness tracker will work with it or not.
Pro Continuous heart rate tracking eliminates risk of forgetting to activate the feature
The Fitbit Surge fitness tracker has automatic, continuous, wrist based heart rate tracking. Heart rate data is stored at one second intervals during exercise, and at five second intervals during non-exercise activities.
Pro LCD screen that can display multiple stats without the need of using the app
Similar fitness trackers depend on Bluetooth in order to relay info to a smartphone. Fitbit Surge can display information locally on the display which is far more convenient.
Pro Lets users log meals by voice
Users can tell Surge what was eaten, and a database will be used to match the entry with nutritional information.
Pro Does not need to be recharged frequently
The battery lasts 5-7 days which is one of the longer lasting options for rechargeable fitness trackers.
Pro Easy to operate compared to display-less options
While Surge easily syncs with iOS, Android, and Windows phones, it does not depend on them for functionality. The touch screen and physical buttons are a huge step up from display-less models.
Cons
Con Band is poorly made and tends to fall apart
Usually after a few months of wear, people start having issues with the band falling apart. Bubbles will appear under the top layer of the band and then the layers start separating.
The Fitbit Charge HR does not have a replaceable band, so you have to replace the whole device if it is no longer wearable.
Con Notifications are easily missed
While the Charge HR fitness tracker will vibrate to notify you of incoming messages on your phone, the vibration is subtle and short. Sometimes you won't notice the buzz and you'll miss the notification.
Con Stats aren't always accurate
While good enough for most users, the data can be skewed because of physical limits of the fitness tracker. For example, an elevated pulse may just be because you chugged back a coffee, but the Charge HR may interpret this as physical activity. Also, measuring a pulse and steps from the wrist can only be so accurate.
Con Might cause skin irritation for some
A number of people are reporting the Surge causes skin irritation. According to the company it's a very small percentage of customers.
Con Screen prone to inadvertent touches
It's really easy to accidentally brush up against the fitness tracker's watch and end up on screens that the user wasn't intending to navigate to. This forces you to swipe back to the correct screen.
Con Fairly big investment
While it's one of the most advanced trackers that Fitbit offers, it comes with a hefty price tag.
