More people now than ever are turning to heart rate monitors to make sure they get the most out of their workouts. The Fitbit Charge 2 focuses on your heart rate to get a better idea of calories burnt and how to maximise your workout without the hassle of wearing a chest strap.

Firstly, the aesthetics, the Charge 2 looks stylish with a clean simple design, the straps are interchangeable to so you can match them to your unique style and fasten with a good old-fashioned buckle, due to the heart rate monitor it is quite thick and it stuck out quite far on my little wrists. The large LCD screen will clearly display your latest information with a tap and uses cute little icons for a quick reference, it also has a multi-sport tracking & connected GPS, sadly no built in GPS, I still need to cram my phone into that ridiculously small pocket on my running tights.

There are notifications for call, texts & calendar alerts and guided breathing sessions to help you take a moment of rest then there’s all the original features we have come to expect from Fitbit like, sleep tracking, step counter, automatic exercise recognition and reminders to move every hour (you will be surprised how often you don’t). The new Fitbit Cardio Fitness Level function is a cool little touch that helps you think of your achievements in a different way, often people put too much emphasis on what the scales say when they are trying to get healthier and that can be misleading and disheartening as muscle gain and water retention can often lead you to put on weight. The Cardio Fitness level gives you a cardio fitness score which is an estimation of your VO2 Max (the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use when you’re working out at your hardest) which is widely accepted as the gold standard measurement of cardiovascular fitness, this way you will see the direct effect of every smarter dinner choice or increased daily step goal.

 Without a chest strap the Charge 2 doesn’t provide the most accurate heart rate results, not suitable for serious athletes but it is enough to provide the average jo with a good idea of their overall health. All things considered, the Fitbit Charge 2 is everything we have come to love about the Fitbit products, it’s not perfect but it’s fun, informative and motivating, a great little addition to your fitness gear.  RRP £139.99

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4 out of 5

Pros

Heart rate monitor

New Cardio Fitness Level

Interchangeable straps

Automatically recognises exercise

Large LCD display

Guided breathing sessions

Hourly movement reminders

5day battery life

Cons

Only water resistant not waterproof unlike Fitbit Flex 2 (doesn’t track swimming)

Bulky on smaller wrists

Readings aren’t 100% accurate