At a Glance: Quick Ratings
Heart Rate Functions
Fitness / Sport Features
Ease of Use
Battery Life
Where To Get It
A Deep Dive Into Fitbit Alta HR
The Fitbit Alta HR adds Fitbit’s PURE PULSE wrist based heart rate sensors to the popular Fitbit Alta. Designed to track your activity throughout the day including 24/7 heart rate monitoring.
Automatic recognition of exercise means all your activities are tracked. When connected to your smartphone the Alta HR provides notification alerts for incoming emails & texts and upcoming calendar events. The Alta HR also gives feedback on to the duration and quality of your sleep. This review of the Fitbit Alta HR has been prepared by Tristan Haskins aka CardioCritic.
I have awarded the Alta HR a 4/5 star review. It may have been higher but the display is quite hard to see in bright outdoor sunny conditions.
This criticism is not exclusive to Fitbit, most units with the same OLED displays suffers in the same way. I’m also not a great fan of the need to FLICK the unit, rather than swipe, to change from one screen to another.
If you’re looking for a discrete, competent fitness tracker with built-in heart rate sensor it’s a good option.
Video Review
The Fitbit Alta HR is for the customer seeking a discrete, stylish, adaptable fitness tracker with wrist based Heart Rate. Featuring time of day, movement reminders, step, calorie and distance tracking plus smartphone connectivity and incoming call / text notifications. The Alta HR, like the non-HR Alta, has automatic exercise detection. No need to activate exercise mode each time you train, the Alta HR will detect it automatically.
Main Features and Functions
- Off the Wrist Heart Rate sensor
- 7 Day Battery Life (maximum) – however, expect 5 days if used regularly for exercise (1 hour per day)
- All-Day Activity tracking including 24/7 heart rate monitoring
- Auto Sleep Tracking – monitors duration and quality of your sleep
- Reminders to Move with the aim of achieving 250 steps per hour.
- Time of Day Clock – with silent wake up alarm
- SmartTrack™ – Auto Exercise Recognition
- Tap Display
- Smarthphone Connectivity – Call, Text & Calendar Alerts
- Water Resistant (sweat, rain and splashproof – not swim proof)
- Accessory Bands – Sold Separately
- Compare – Alta HR versus the Charge 2 & Surge
- Compare – Alta HR versus the Blaze & Surge
- Images – stock photos of the Alta HR
- REVIEW Conclusion
- Price Check
Top Alternatives
Next Model UP
The next model up is the Charge 2 with floors climbed, connected GPS (sharing your phone’s GPS) and cardio fitness level tests.
Next Model DOWN
The model below the Alta HR is the basic Alta. Same fitness tracker really with the omission of the wrist based heart rate.
Closest Competitors
The nearest product in functionality and price to the Alta HR are the Vivosmart HR and Polar A360. Both are high quality fitness trackers with wrist based heart rate, smartphone connectivity and 24/7 activity tracking.
- Polar A360 with full colour display
- Garmin Vivosmart HR features a clearer display and floors climbed
Garmin have just released their new Garmin Vivosport fitness tracker. Replacing the Vivosmart HR+, the Garmin Vivosport features built-in GPS, wrist based heart rate, dedicated running functions (auto-lap, pace alerts etc) a full colour display, VO2 max, Stress tests and much more. CardioCritic have awarded the Garmin Vivosport Best on Test in the Fitness Tracker category and expect it to be one of the best selling fitness trackers of 2021.
- Garmin Vivosport Best on Test – a sleek, discrete fitness tracker with GPS and wrist based heart rate
There is also the innovative Mio Slice. The Mio Slice is the world’s first fitness band to incorporate PAI (Personal Activity Intelligence). More advanced than simply counting daily steps the Slice wants to see elevated heart rates for extended periods throughout the day.
- Mio Slice the world’s first fitness band with PAI score
Review Summary
The Fitbit Alta HR is great for those looking to keep track of daily activity, exercise intensity (with heart rate off the wrist) and sleep quality / duration.
One of it’s key appealing features is it’s sleek and discrete styling. Not everyone wants their fitness tracker to shout out from their wrist.
The Alta HR is a low profile unit suitable for both men and women. The changeable wrists bands mean it can be customised to adapt to your style and mood. If the features and functionality of the Alta HR meet with your requirements it comes highly recommended.
My only criticism are the TAP display features (to change screens) and the OLED display when in bright sunlight. I have awarded the Alta HR a review rating of 4/5 stars.
