The fitbit alta hr got a much needed upgrade that included a new heart rate monitor. but with the new upgrade, the fitbit alta also got a price increase to $149.95. in my initial review i said that although the fitbit alta hr is a good fitness tracker, i still think the fitbit charge 2 is better since they both cost the same. and naturally a lot of people were asking exactly why i think the fitbit charge 2 is better the fitbit alta hr. so lets compare the two, and hopefully help you with your purchase decision. 

First lets talk about the pricing. for those who don't know, the previous fitbit alta, the one without the heart monitor retails for $129.95 while the new fitbit alta hr currently retails for $149.95. the older, but slightly more robust fitbit charge 2 retails for the same $149.95. I just think that fitbit will slash the price of the fitbit alta hr down to $129.95 once they run out of their fitbit alta stock. if you’re interested in picking up either one of these i’ll have links below with the best deals. Amazon routinely puts the Fitbit Charge 2 on sale. 

For the most part, both the fitbit alta hr and charge 2 do pretty much the same things. they both connect to the same fitbit mobile app. they both track your steps, distance walked, calories burned, minutes active, floors climbed, will automatically log your exercise, track your sleep quality, and measure your heart rate. and for the most part they are both fairly accurate and calculate the same readings. They also share the same design. they both have the same textured silicon wrist bands. that are also interchangeable so you can swap out bands if you'd like. and the main units are made of the same materials, stainless steel and hard plastic.   

The biggest difference between the alta hr and charge 2 is the screen. although they are both OLD screens with similar tap interfaces, the screen size, quality, and user interface is slightly different. obviously, the screen on the fitbit charge 2 is slightly larger but its also much brighter, making it much easier to see in sun light. the fitbit charge 2 also has a button on its side allowing you to do more from your wrist than you could with the alta hr. the alta hr can only show you your stats. where as the charge 2allows you to manually start tracking a workout, use a stop watch, and start guided breathing sessions. are the guided breathing sessions a must, ehhh i mean it works but its really just a gimmick. but in general the larger screen on the charge 2 allows you to do a little more than the alta hr. the charge 2 also has connected gps which allows the Charge 2 to connect to the GPS on your phone to see real-time stats like pace and distance on display and record a map of your route. 

Being able to control your fitbit, having a bigger and brighter screen, and connected gps make me think that the charge 2 is a better value than the fitbit alta hr. but the smaller form factor of the alta hr might be beneficial for certain people. first, the smaller screen on the fitbit alta hr does mean alta hr has a longer battery life than the charge 2. the fitbit alta hr might also be better for people with smaller wrists. 

Although fitbit has the best fitness tracking app on the market, and arguably the best hardware on the market as well, if fitbit wants to stay competitive they need to make their higher end products water proof so people can swim with them. as of today both the fitbit alta hr and charge2 arre only sweat and splash proof, but if you were to swim with either one of these fitness trackers they will probably get damaged. 

But if youre not the swimming type, then either fitbit will suit you fine. like i said, i still prefer the fitbit charge 2 over the alta hr because its a little more capable. since they both retail for the same price you do want to get the most bang for your buck. but for some people deciding the between the fitbit alta hr and charge 2 will ultimately come down to design and form factor.