Fitbit kind of has a special place in my heart because the Fitbit Flex 2 is the first product i reviewed on this channel. It’s a pretty bad video so don’t watch it. But today i got the fitbit Alta HR in the mail. and the biggest upgrade for the new Alta is the Heart Rate monitor on the back. So, should you go with the fitbit Alta HR or just pick up the Fitbit Charge 2?

First, i want to talk about the price cause its a little strange at the time of this recording. The original fitbit alta without the heart rate monitor currently retails for the same $129.95. The fitbit Alta HR is currently selling for 149.95 or 179.95 depending on the color. The Alta HR also comes in a total of 6 color ways. The fitbit Charge 2 currently also retails for $149.95 or $179.95 depending on the color. why would fitbit price the new Alta HR the same as the Fitbit Charge 2 when the charge 2 is all around better than the Alta HR. I can see fitbit cutting the price of the Alta HR to $129.95 and discontinuing the original Alta once their stock runs out in the coming months. If you’re interested in picking up any of these wearables i’ll have a link in the description with the best deal on either one of these. Amazon routinely puts the Charge 2 on sale. 

Now lets jump into the unboxing. packaging is practically identical to the fitbit alta. In true fitbit fashion the packaging feels very premium. when you open the lid you'll see the Alta HR it self. you only get one wrist band so make sure you select the right size for when ordering yours. inside the box you will also find a quick start guide that tells you to download the fitbit app to your phone and warranty information. below that you will find the charging cradle for the fitbit alta HR. 

The Alta HR is very similar to the original alta, but there are two major differences that stand out. first up is the heart rate monitor. duh, thats why its called the Alta HR. But the other difference here is the clasp. the original alta has this 2 button set up thats always a pain in the butt to put on, but this new Alta HR has a proper clasp on it. something that i am very happy to see. The addition of the heart rate monitor did increase the thickness of the Alta HR slightly but its not really that noticeable. just like other fitbit products the fitbit Alta HR feels very premium. the wrist band is that soft touch silicon material that we’ve come to know and love from fitbit. the casing itself is made out of stainless steel. I'm not entirely sure what covers the screen, i don't know if its hard plastic or gorilla glass. but over all the main unit is very well put together. the Alta HR also has the same interchangeable wrist bands as the original with the same quick release mechanism. and if you want to buy extra wrist band you can get them directly from fitbit or from some third parties. 

The screen on the fitbit alta HR is not a traditional touch screen, instead it responds to the force of your taps. which is good because this type of screen respondsaccurately when you try to use it even when you’re sweaty. You can change the style and layout of your watch face in fitbit’s mobile app but for the most part the Alta HR will show you the time, your steps taken, calories burned, distance walked, and your active minutes. The fitbit Alta HR is a really simple yet elegant fitness tracker that will show you your stats in a very simple and stream lined manner. spec wise the Alta HR connects to your phone via blue tooth, it has a 7 day battery life with normal use but its really more like a 5 day battery life. You charge the Alta HR by placing it in its cradle that really reminds me of a predator. The Alta HR is splash proof but not water proof, which means you better not try swimming with it. Also the alta HR will show you notifications for incoming calls and text messages. you cant really do much like reaspond to a text or answer a call, all the Alta HR does its notify you that someone is trying to reach you. 

I’ve said this before, but when buying a fitness tracker youre not just buying the hardware, you’re also buying into the software. and fitbit hands down still has the best fitness tracking app on the market. its super easy to use but still very in-depth. inside the app you can get detailed views of your calories burned, steps taken, distance walked, active minutes, floors climbed, track your exercise, track your sleep quality, track your completed move reminders, and now also track your heart rate readings. Fitbit also has challenges you can complete and medals you can earn to help you stayed motivated. fitbit also now has guided workout routines through their new app Fitstar. 

Overall the new Fitbit Alta HR is what the original Fitbit Alta from last year should have been. the heart rate sensor is a very welcomed feature that finally makes the Alta whole as a product. the design is elegant, but skews more towards women. But at a $149.95 its a little hard to recommend over the equally priced and superior fitbit charge 2. if fitbit ends up selling the Alta HR for $129.95 and manages to make it swim proof then its a knock out.