Fitbit Alta HR Review

Quick Take

Sleek design meets high-tech components in the Fitbit Alta. There are several upgrades to this model from its predecessor—the Alta. The most notable upgrade is the addition of heart-rate monitoring. Highlights include continuous heart-rate tracking, SmartTrack™ to automatically recognize specific activities, and in-depth sleep tracking to help you to better understand your sleep quality. Learn more about the Fitbit Alta HR below.

What To Know About the Alta HR

The Alta HR is a Fitbit activity tracker with a wide range of features. Its crisp OLED tap screen displays all the stats you would want to see from a tracker including calories burned, steps, distance and heart rate. Then you can head to the app for more in-depth information. Prefer customize which screens you see when you tap through? Head to the app to reorganize the order of the data so you can tap through the screens on your Alta HR and get the data you need the most first. The tracker will give you reminders to move throughout the day so it’s a good option for desk dwellers who need a reminder to get up and have a walk around every hour or so. Like to keep on track of how well you are sleeping? You can monitor this data in the app too. Here are some of the Alta HR’s key features:

Other Fitbit Alta HR Key Features and Specs:

• PurePulse® heart-rate monitoring
• All-day activity monitoring
• Movement reminders
• Smartphone notifications
• Auto sleep tracking and silent alarms
• Sleep stages monitoring
• SmartTrack™
• Interchangeable accessory bands
• Long battery life
• Clear tap display
• Wireless syncing

Design

The Fitbit Alta HR has a sleek, lightweight design. Its narrow elastomer band is both comfortable and durable. The tracker itself is made from surgical-grade stainless steel, and the buckle is made from aluminum. The OLED screen is just as noteworthy, with a clear, bright display that is easy to read in any light. The display can be customized to meet your needs. You can set what stats or apps you want to show and in what order (just head to the app to change this), for easy and instant access. And you can navigate through the various stats with a simple tap. There are no annoying buttons to press, just tap to see your heart rate or an incoming call.

Sensors & Components

The Fitbit Alta HR features the following sensors and components:

• Optical heart-rate tracker
• 3-axis accelerometer
• Vibration motor

Functionality

One of the features that sets the Alta HR apart from the original Alta model is the addition of heart-rate monitoring. Using wrist-based sensors, PurePulse monitors your heart rate 24/7 for a complete view of your health. It will tell you how hard you’re exercising, how well you’re resting, and everything in between. Tracking your heart is important for several reasons. To start, it lets you know if you are doing too much or too little when exercising; knowing this can help you fix what doesn’t work. Secondly, heart activity can tell you if something is wrong in your body. It can alert you to a potential issue and ensure you exercise safely.

Another highlight of the Alta HR is the sleep tracking feature. Instead of just tracking sleep, the Alta HR monitors your heart rate as well. Using your heart rate, the device can show how long you stay in each sleep stage, for better analysis through the mobile app for iOS and Android. It can pinpoint when you’re restless and how well-rested you are, to improve your sleep quality. A good night’s sleep helps your body repair itself, so this data can be very useful.

Like to keep on top of your emails and calls while you’re on the go? The Alta HR allows you to get calls, emails, and text alerts, right on your screen. You can even read parts of your messages, allowing you to stay in contact with family and employers as you exercise. This is a convenient feature, eliminating worry about missing a call. The Alta can also sync your data automatically to computers and over 200 mobile devices.

Verdict

The Fitbit Alta HR is a solid activity tracker. The addition of heart-rate monitoring opens the doors to more detailed activity monitoring, allowing you to gain deeper insights into your overall health and wellness. Although it won’t cut it for hardcore athletes, the heart-rate monitoring, sleep tracking and smartphone notification features make it a solid ‘all-rounder’ activity tracker for the everyday shopper looking to keep closer tabs on their health and wellness.