Do you go new Fitbit or stick with cheaper Charge HR?
Whatever you do, don’t call the Fitbit Blaze a smartwatch. According to the makers of the best selling wearable company, it’s a smart fitness watch.
It sits alongside the Fitbit Charge HR as part of the company’s Active range, so it’s inevitable that for those looking to buy a Fitbit, that does a bit more than count steps, these are two that will draw your attention.
Essential reading: Fitbit Blaze review | Fitbit Charge HR review
We’ve thoroughly reviewed the Charge HR and continue to get to know the Blaze a bit better after giving our full verdict on our current holder of the best fitness tracker crown.
So if you’re trying to pick between the Charge HR and the Blaze, we’ve compared the specs, designs and the features (or lack of features) that might sway your decision.
Fitbit Blaze v Fitbit Charge HR: Design
This is going to be a decisive factor in choosing between these two trackers. How it’s going to look on your wrist.
If you want the best looking device Fitbit has come up with so far, then go for the Blaze. It’s more smartwatch than fitness tracker in stature and while it’s not a timeless design, we definitely want to see more of this from Fitbit.
Read this: Fitbit Blaze v Fitbit Surge
The Charge HR offers a slimmer profile so it’s more a discreet way of tracking but there’s no disguising that elastomer strap. The same one that for some users, has apparently been causing skin irritation issues. We can’t say that we’ve had issues with it though.
You get the same strap on the Blaze, but the difference here is that you do have the option to swap them out. There’s a collection of more luxurious looking straps you can pick up on the Fitbit website with plenty of third party straps available as well. The Charge HR does win 6 to 3 on colour options so it does have something on the more expensive Fitbit in the way of customisation.
Both do have screens, so you can review progress without looking at your phone. They are two entirely different prospects in terms of display technology and what you can view on the screen. On the Charge HR, there’s a significantly smaller OLED screen that’s easy to read but restricts the amount of information to glance at. The Blaze packs in a 1.25-inch 16 colour letterbox-style display. The screen is definitely losing the battle with the bezel.
The Blaze has the three physical buttons to compliment the touchscreen display while you just get the single button on the Charge HR to flick through the different data screens.
As far as waterproofing goes, you’re out of luck here. Both are water resistant so should be suitable for fending off sweat and a run in the rain, but going swimming with either is off limits.
Fitbit Blaze v Fitbit Charge HR: Tracking
