Fitbit Alta HR review

£129.99, fitbit.com

Category

: Wearable tech

Our rating:

Four out of five

Key features:

-Built-in heart rate monitor
-Displays smartphone notifications
-Long battery life

In a nutshell:

A sleek all-day activity and sleep tracker that also monitors your heart rate. Track steps, calories burned, distance travelled and sleep stages, as well as view text messages on the tap screen.

Why we like it:

For a fitness tracker that does so much, the design of the Fitbit Alta HR is pretty inoffensive. It comes in a range of colours, and you can change the straps as and when you like. The data is incredibly extensive and having it all mapped out on easy-to-read graphs is really useful for anyone with specific concerns, like why they feel tired on some days more than others. The sleep information was insightful to say the least, tracking when you’re in different sleep stages and what these stages are useful for.

The heart rate monitoring gave me a lot of feedback about my cardio fitness, too. Everything can be tracked in detail on the app, but for more instant information, just tap the screen (which could be a little more sensitive, but didn’t cause any issues). The text and call notifications are handy – although it’d be great to see the Alta HR sync up to messaging apps like What’s App and Facebook Messenger, too, since these are so commonly used now. Impressive battery life.

The details:

-Slim, non-offensive and subtle design
-Extensive data viewed on the app that’s easy to comprehend
-Syncs wireless to the smartphone app through Bluetooth

Our rating:

Four out of five

Find out how fit tech could change your workout and check out our ultimate guide to fitness for expert tips.