Fitbit Alta HR Versus Striiv Fusion
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- The Good
- Sleep stage tracking
- Silent alarm
- Activity recognition
- Sends reminders to move during times of idleness
- The Bad
- Touch screen is small
- No altimeter
- No GPS location
- Not water-resistant
Fitbit offers an array of fitness trackers, but if you’re looking for one that you may actually wear 24/7, the Fitbit Alta HR will probably fit the bill. This slender wristband lets you monitor your health from your wrist. The Fitbit Alta HR offers a large selection of wristband colors, which are available separately. This incarnation of the Fitbit follows the company’s trend of going smaller but better.
- The Good
- Real-time access to personal data
- Shows caller ID, text message or incoming calls
- Calendar pop-ups
- The Bad
- Battery life is "so-so"
- Can be difficult to "wake" it up at times
- Water-resistant but not waterproof
Billed as an activity tracker plus smartwatch, the Striiv Fusion is a handy device designed to you up your game when it comes to your personal wellness. Not only can it help you track your physical activities and your sleep patterns, it can sync up with your smartphone to help you manage appointments, organize texts and handle calls throughout the day. Battery life is “so-so,” and there have been some difficulties immediately after the unit automatically updates itself.
- Price
- $128.95 to $149.95
The consistency in pricing across various vendors is refreshing. The Fitbit Alta HR is on the high end for similarly sized fitness trackers while coming in as an economical choice from a technological viewpoint. Included with purchase are a charging cable and wireless sync dongle. If you want to shop the selection of interchangeable band colors, you’ll pay a variety of prices for them, ranging from $5.99 to $19.99 each.
- Price
- $49.99 to $132.60
When you purchase the Striiv Fusion, you receive the tracker module, along with three color bands and three color band clasps, as well as a micro USB cable for charging the unit and a quick-start guide. When weighed against other comparable units on the market, the Striiv Fusion’s price range is slightly higher than some of the other lesser-known brands available. On the opposite end, the price for the Fusion is less (by approximately 25 percent) when compared to similar high-end Bluetooth smartphone wrist tracking devices.
- Tracking
- Steps
- Distance
- Calories burned
- Sleep time in stages: light, deep and REM
- Heart rate
The Fitbit Alta HR is up to speed with the standard features that any fitness tracker worth its weight in sweat includes. However, it goes further in displaying notifications for incoming calls, text messages and calendar events. For all its good features, the Fitbit Alta HR comes up lacking if you’re looking to track the number of floors climbed. And the Alta HR doesn’t have a “relax” mode for times when you’re just vegging out.
- Tracking
- Steps
- Distance
- Calories burned
- Sleep stage tracking
The Striiv Fusion is comparable to other fitness trackers in that it records the basic physical activity of the user. Fusion goes a step further by offering the calories burned calculation, something not offered in some other trackers. Its sleep monitoring options are standard for trackers that include a sleep monitor feature. In giving you a comparison of time slept vs. tracking of times awakened, the Fusion gives you the ability to investigate any patterns of sleep interruption. This gives you the opportunity to address any discovered issues.
- Features
- Automatically recognizes your activity
- Syncs to Apple, Android and Windows devices
- Customizable features allow you to set goals and track your progress
- Connects with friends to share information
- Fitbit app gives you access to personalized fitness coaching
- Continuous, automatic heart rate tracking
The Fitbit Alta HR lacks the GPS of previous versions of Fitbit trackers and can’t check you out at the coffee shop with mobile pay features. But it does deliver a powerful fitness tracker in a sleek, compact design. The Alta HR incarnation of the popular Fitbit is prettier than its predecessors. And the wide selection of interchangeable bands makes it even more appealing.
- Features
- Vibrating alarm
- Music control
- Weather app
- Bands resist sweat and scratches
- Upgradable smartwatch apps
- Bluetooth interface
- Touchscreen is ion-hardened glass that resists sweat
The extra features available on the Striiv Fusion give it that extra “something” that sets it apart from the rest. The upgradable smartwatch apps ensure that you’re always on the cutting edge of the current activity tracker technology.
- Specs
- Weight
- 0.8 ounces
- Dimensions
- 1.6 inches x 0.6 inches x 1.3 inches
- Battery
- 7-day battery life
- Wrist measurements
- 5.5 inches to 6.7 inches in circumference
- Display
- OLED display
- Warranty
- One-year warranty on parts
The Fitbit Alta HR is lightweight and compact. It maintains its sleek, compact design without sacrificing the necessary features that keep it competitive in today’s market. The lack of water-resistance is a disappointment for some, but the overall quality tends to offset that.
- Specs
- Weight
- 2.4 ounces
- Dimensions
- 7.5 x 2.8 x 2.8 inches
- Screen
- Hi-res; 1 x 0.56 inches
- Circumference
- 8 inches
- Warranty
- One-year
- Battery
- 5-day battery life
The Striiv Fusion, while a good option, is heavier and has a smaller screen than most of its main competitors. It also only have a 5-day battery life, where fitness trackers like the FitBit Alta HR has a 7-day battery life. The Striiv Fusion does offer a one-year warranty on the fitness tracker, which is similar to other fitness trackers around the same price.
Fitbit Alta HR: User Reviews
Striiv Fusion: User Reviews
Fitbit Alta HR: Comments
Striiv Fusion: Comments
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With its Alta HR, Fitbit has incorporated a continuous heart rate sensor into a compact, slim, stylish fitness tracker. The design looks less like a computer and more like a fashion accessory. The touchscreen turns on and off based on wrist movements, so you’ll need to learn not to accidentally activate your screen. The slightly curved screen sits comfortably on the wrist, and the automated activation means you aren’t constantly hitting buttons.
You can see your activity stats and the time on the screen, and personalize other information displays using portrait or landscape clock face options. It is missing some of the features of other fitness trackers, but if you can get through the day without them, the Fitbit Alta HR is a good choice.
How Does Fitbit Alta HR Work?
The Fitbit Alta HR uses SmartTrack™ technology to log your activities automatically. The heart rate sensor tracks your heart rate in peak, cardio and “fat burn” zones. The device allows you to see this information in real time on the display.
If you prefer, you can go about your life during the day, then sync the band with your phone to look at your Fitbit dashboard. The Fitbit app will chart your activities so you can see how you’re doing.
What Makes Fitbit Alta HR Stand Out?
While it may not appeal to everyone, the sleep monitoring feature of the Fitbit Alta HR could be a boon for an insomniac. It uses the Alta’s continuous monitoring of the heart rate to track sleep cycles. It’s like Santa Claus – it sees you when you’re sleeping and knows when you’re awake. It can even determine what stage of sleep you’re in, based on your heart rate.
When you sync the data, the Fitbit app will graph your sleep stages on your dashboard. It will display diagrams with percentages for each type of sleep you experienced. The app will also provide you information on what these percentages mean. It will tell you how your daily activities impact your sleep patterns.
Common Reviews of Fitbit Alta HR
The availability of various swappable bands is a popular feature with the Fitbit Alta HR. There are even stylish leather and metal options available. The Alta HR allows you to create fitness goals, such as boosting your daily step count or drinking more water. However, some users found it was less than reliable when it came to delivering the reminders to push them toward these goals.
The lack of an altimeter to track the number of stairs you take is a disappointment. The Alta HR is not water-resistant, presenting a problem for swimmers and those who sweat heavily when working out. Because it doesn’t recognize the difference in workout type, you’ll have to manually enter whether you’re doing a biking class or Zumba.
Is Fitbit Alta HR for Me?
Unless you’ve just got your heart set on tracking the floors you’ve climbed and a GPS locator when you’re running, the Fitbit Alta HR is a solid piece of fitness tracker technology that should take care of any health tracking needs you have. It is a stylish design that works well for men and women alike.
The Striiv Fusion offers more than the average fitness tracker and brings with it some of the difficulties that come with emerging or new technology. It is an easy device to set up, but several have reported some difficulty getting their smartphone notifications to come through in a timely manner. The company’s customer support is better than many customer support teams out there.
How Does Striiv Fusion Work?
Overall day-to-day functioning of the Striiv Fusion is above many of the other brands with comparable features. The accuracy seems to be more dependable than many products on the market. It seems that most reported problems have appeared after an automatic update completes installation. More recent updates, however, seem to be implementing with fewer glitches and interruptions in device function. Setup isn’t difficult, and the learning curve for operating seamlessly is low. Interface with Bluetooth devices seems to go off without a hitch.
What Makes Striiv Fusion Stand Out?
The Striiv Fusion stands out from the others for several reasons: the interchangeable colored wristbands, the sleep pattern tracking and accuracy of information tracked. It seems to count steps with accuracy and calculates the number of calories burned by the physical activity. The range of functions that it monitors and tracks is on the upper end of the spectrum of features for fitness trackers of comparable design and quality.
Common Reviews of Striiv Fusion
When perusing multiple reviews of the Striiv Fusion, there is no one feature that is overwhelmingly mentioned as either a positive or a negative feature of the product. There are several mentions of problems developing after upgrades install, but these are not mentioned religiously in consumer reviews. The ease of setup is frequently mentioned as a positive, as is the Bluetooth interface with smartphones for notifications and music control.
Is Striiv Fusion for Me?
If you are a person who is active or would like to become more active, the Striiv Fusion could be a welcome addition to your fitness regimen. It performs the normal functions of a watch, displaying time and date, and then offers up so much more. You can pair it with your Bluetooth for seamless interface with your smartphone. This makes it easy to manage incoming calls, texts and other notifications when you’re involved in physical activity without fumbling with your phone.
If you’re going for the whole wellness package, the sleep tracking features should catch your attention. If you suspect you’re having problems with your sleep patterns, this little wrist tracker can help you nail down the problem.
The interchangeable bands in varying colors are also appealing to those who have a flare for fashion as well as a healthy lifestyle.
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