The Winner: Fitbit Blaze
The Fitbit Blaze takes everything the Charge 2 did right and makes it better and fixes most of the things it did wrong as well. If you are deciding between the Fitbit Blaze or the Charge 2, you should choose the Blaze without hesitation
If you’re the type of person who loves to exercise, or you need a way to find the motivation to get off your bottom, a Fitbit might the right choice for you. These fitness trackers have a variety of ways to track your exercise and progress, along with ways to connect with friends or family and challenge one another. If you’re considering a high-quality fitness tracker, then you need to take a look at the Fitbit Charge 2 vs. Blaze.
One of, if not the biggest player in the smart fitness industry is Fitbit. The company develops and offers some of the best fitness wearable techs on the market, and provide fun and engaging ways for its users to interact with technology. Fitbit’s Blaze and Charge 2 are some of the better and more popular devices Fitbit has to offer.
Like many Fitbit models, Blaze vs. Fitbit Charge 2 has many of the same features. That being said, the devices are not identical and have enough differences that you may wind up preferring one over the other. No matter which device you select, you’ll likely be pleased with its performance, durability, and features.
Comparison
Since the same company makes the Fitbit Charge 2 and the Blaze, they share many of the same features. They also have several features that are unique to their product line. Let’s take a look at how the Blaze and the Fitbit Charge 2 compare to one another.
|
Comparison |
Fitbit Charge 2 |
Fitbit Blaze |
|---|---|---|
|
Colors |
5 |
6 |
|
Time Readout |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Steps, Distance, Calories |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Sleep Tracking |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Workouts On-Screen |
No |
Yes |
|
Heart Rate Monitor |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Floors Climbed |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Music Controls |
No |
Yes |
|
Built-In GPS |
No |
No |
|
Move Reminder |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Multi-Sport |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Phone and Text Notification |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Price |
Related:
– Fitbit Blaze Vs Versa: Which One Is The Best Fitbit Smartwatch?
Fitbit Charge 2 vs. Blaze: Review
Now that you’ve seen a high-level view of what these two devices have to offer let’s dig a little deeper into the details. We’ll take a look at the design, features, and additional options each device provides. Hopefully, you’ll discover which wearable is right for you and your fitness needs.
Design
When looking at these two wearables, the first difference you’ll notice between the Fitbit Blaze and the Charge 2 is their design. The Blaze, according to Fitbit, is a fitness watch first and foremost. This means the device has a modified form factor from the typical Fitbit tracker. With its thin and sleek design, at first glance, you might think you’re looking at an Apple Watch.
The modules on the Blaze can be pushed out and popped back into different straps or casing combinations. This allows you to you customize your Blaze to your preferences. The band is made of rubber; however, if the rubber isn’t your thing, there are also leather and stainless steel options.
You’ll notice that the Charge 2 looks and feels more like a typical Fitbit. It’s a sleek and sturdy device that takes a lot from the previous iteration, using much of the same design. The screen, which is now a black and white OLED, is four times as big as the older Charge wearables. Unfortunately, the Fitbit Blaze wins in this department, as its 1.25-inch display is a nice feature to have on your wrist.
Neither the Fitbit Blaze nor the Fitbit Charge 2 are going to blow you away in the design department. Of course, you’ll want to select the wearable tech that makes the most sense for you. The Fitbit Blaze is the device for those that want something in the smartwatch department. If you want something more streamlined, then the Fitbit Charge 2 is the device for you.
Now let’s take a look at some of the features each wearable offers.
Features
You’ll discover that both the Fitbit Charge 2 and Fitbit Blaze have many of the same features. Both wearables provide feedback such as sleep quality, resting heart rate, number of steps, stairs climbed, active time, and calories burned. Additionally, the Fitbit Blaze and the Fitbit Charge 2 offer various sports modes, which will monitor specific activities by using the heart rate feature.
Neither the Fitbit Charge 2 or the Fitbit Blaze has GPS capabilities, but when connected to a smartphone, they can use it to determine your location. However, both wearables utilize Fitbit’s SmartTrack technology. This technology detects when you start an exercise automatically and begins tracking it in the mobile application. It doesn’t matter if you’re taking a walk around the block or starting a 10k, Fitbit tracks it, so you have that information.
Both the Fitbit Blaze and the Fitbit Charge 2 will track your sleeping patterns to ensure your resting heart is where it should be. They also include breathing exercises, which uses your heart rate information to determine the best rhythm for you. Additionally, you can do a session for a few minutes to relax and cool down after your workouts.
The Fitbit Blaze also provides its Fitbit Coach feature. Fitbit Coach offers three guided workout sessions: warm up/cool down 10 Minute Abs, and a Seven Minute Workout. It’s not the type of functionality that will knock your socks off, but it’s a nice added feature if you need the additional motivation.
You’ll also find that both devices offer the same sleep functionality. The Fitbit Blaze and Charge 2 provide Sleep Stages, which is a feature that gathers data based on your heart rate and other vital signs to determine how long you spent in REM, deep, and light sleep throughout the night.
Each morning you have the opportunity to review your sleep information through the Fitbit app. The application will provide insight into how well you slept, your sleeping habits, and offer tips and tricks on how to get a better night’s sleep.
Battery
While neither the Fitbit Charge 2 or the Fitbit Blaze will win any awards for longest lasting battery, both provide plenty of time on a single charge. Both devices offer approximately five days worth of battery. Even if you workout every day, you can expect to be somewhere in the neighborhood of four to five days before you need to charge your device.
Notifications
You’ll receive the same types of notification you get on your smartphone on your Blaze or Charge 2. This is pretty standard for fitness trackers and allows you to see what’s going on simply by looking at your wrist. One difference you’ll find between the Fitbit Charge 2 and the Fitbit Blaze, is that the Blaze has a bigger screen. This means you’ll have a better experience with richer alerts than with you would with a Charge 2.
Each device will show your texts, calls, and calendar notifications. You can use applications from either the iOS or Android marketplaces, however, keep in mind that only the Blaze provides support for third-party apps. The Blaze also offers the ability to read full messages, while the Charge 2 only provides a small snippet of the message.
Heart Rate
When comparing your Fitbit Charge 2 vs. Blaze, you’ll notice that both wearables have heart-rate tracking features that utilize Fitbit’s PurePulse sensor. You won’t see much of a difference between the two devices, as they both do a great job of accurately capturing your heart rate during light to moderate activities.
It’s when you try to use the heart rate functionality during intense and heavy workouts that you’ll notice some problems. Both the Fitbit Charge 2 and the Fitbit Blaze had trouble keeping up with the beats per minute during these types of workouts.
If you want to use the heart rate monitor during gym sessions or less intense workouts, you’ll get the feedback you need without a problem. However, it’s when you get into the more intense workouts that you’ll notice a lag, which makes it difficult for either wearable to give you accurate feedback in ensuring your heart is in good working order.
Fitbit Charge 2 vs. Blaze: Verdict
Trying to decide between the Fitbit Blaze vs. Charge 2 is no easy task. You can’t go wrong with either choice as both are fully loaded with your standard fitness tracking features, plus a few additional options to boot.
The Charge 2 is a better option if you are more interested in fitness features. It provides an additional layer of heart rate monitoring with guided breathing sessions and a Cardio Fitness Score provided by Fitbit. It’s also the sleeker option if you prefer not to have a large watch on your wrist.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a fitness tracker that behaves like a smartwatch, the Blaze may be the wearable for you. It has a larger interactive display and music controls which allow you to change the music while you workout easily..
IF you still unsure which one to get check other option like, Garmin Fenix 5 or the Plus or Charge 2 or Garmin Vivosmart hr+.
