Fitbit Alta HR Versus Striiv Fusion

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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.

About the Author

Jeff Hindenach

Jeff Hindenach is the co-founder of Versus Reviews. He graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He has a long history of journalism, with a background writing for newspapers such as the San Jose Mercury News and San Francisco Examiner, as well as writing for The Huffington Post, New York Times, Business Insider, CNBC, Newsday and The Street. He believes in giving readers the tools they need to get out of debt.

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.

About the Author

Jeff Hindenach

Jeff Hindenach is the co-founder of Versus Reviews. He graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He has a long history of journalism, with a background writing for newspapers such as the San Jose Mercury News and San Francisco Examiner, as well as writing for The Huffington Post, New York Times, Business Insider, CNBC, Newsday and The Street. He believes in giving readers the tools they need to get out of debt.