Despite many throughout the years, Fitbit remains the and arguably the most popular brand of on the market. However its range of trackers haven't been the most stylish of models. The company's solution? The Fitbit Alta. After first unveiling its fitness watch, the wearable tech company then came out with this rival, providing custom wristband accessories and even satin and silver finish bangles from designer names Tory Burch and Public School. Wareable verdict: These partnerships show that Fitbit is clearly gunning for -esque high-end accessories, which makes sense since fashionable fitness trackers that resemble jewellery appeal to a much wider demographic of women – though the Alta remains a unisex device for men as well who are looking for simple, discrete fitness trackers. Price when reviewed: $125.95 Opting for style has made the Alta far less sophisticated functionally than its predecessors the and, but it obviously wasn't made to take the place of the sportier trackers.
Rather, it's the chic-looking device that still provides the bare bones of fitness tracking. Read on to find out whether the pretty little Alta is worth your time. Fitbit Alta: Design and comfort The basic Alta looks every bit like your typical fitness tracker. A small 128-by-36-pixel, 1.4-inch OLED screen sits in the middle of a quick-release band. The concept is similar to the Blaze, though it's really the removable band that will probably draw users to the Alta since it means that you can swap in fancier accessories. The Classic models are what you'll get at the lower end of the price spectrum and look sporty in black, blue, plum and teal. Additional Classic bands are $29.95.
Then you have the $59.95 Luxe models in blush pink leather, graphite leather and a $99.95 stainless steel option plus the aforementioned designer brands coming soon. Read this: Alta bands come in three sizes to fit wrists of 14–17cm, 17–20.6cm and 20.6–23.6cm. The band itself is 15mm wide, which is far slimmer than the Charge devices. Switching out the bands is really easy. Simply push and slide the quick-release then mix and match to your heart's content.
The clasp works slightly better than other Fitbits I've used – I hated the one on the Flex – but it's the same two button configuration. It seems like the company's made it easier to push into place though. All in all, the Alta is actually a pretty sleek looking tracker despite its vanilla design. The Jawbone and are similar in looks but without the notification screen, which is where the Alta wins out a little bit. The Alta's display isn't much but in the end, it simply provides a bit more functionality. Comfort-wise, the Alta has been rash free on my wrist, and I've worn it non-stop – except for showering since it's not waterproof.
Fitbit notes that while the Alta is resistant to splashes, rain and sweat, it's best to take off before hopping into the pool or shower. Additionally, Alta's thin form factor means it doesn't get in the way of long sleeves and fits really well on my tiny wrists. In fact, I hardly notice it's there because it's so lightweight and unobtrusive. Fitbit Alta: Features Like your run of the mill trackers, the Fitbit Alta tracks your steps, distance, active time and calories burned in minutes using a three-axis accelerometer. Certain activities are auto detected, using Fitbit's SmartTrack tech, and are added as workouts within the Fitbit app, as usual.
Solved: My fit it is counting more steps than I am actually walking. Number of steps that it's tracking when you drum, I'd recommend taking your tracker off. My Fitbit Alta HR shows 10,656 steps on the main page but the odd thing is that if I. The Alta HR should last at least a few years if properly cared for. Fitbit is generally good about updating old products, sometimes going so far as to bring new features to older models.
It automatically tracks sleep, too. Essential reading: You can check your progress from your wrist by tapping the screen, though I found this to be frustrating as it's not very responsive. It would take a few hard raps on the tracker to show and got to a point where I felt like punching the thing. Other times it would work just fine, leaving the whole experience of checking stats annoyingly inconsistent. However, you can tell the time easily enough as it's able to register the turn of your wrist quite well.
To customize the face, you can choose from five vertical or five horizontal clock options. I found vertical worked best on top of my wrist and horizontal on bottom as it's easier to read. Runners and those looking for more intense tracking will have to search elsewhere. There's no extra features such as GPS, optical heart rate monitor or stair climbing. After wearing it alongside the Jawbone UP2, I noticed it'd be a 80 to a few hundred steps ahead. On one day, it was about a thousand steps ahead.
More time is needed with the Alta to test out running, biking and other activities. Sleep was finicky as well.
For some reason, the first night I wore the Alta, it thought I woke up in the middle of the night and didn't really track properly. It tracked fine the next day but stopped tracking at 5am on Saturday, thinking I had woken up – which I definitely did not do on a weekend. One other thing that should be automatic is turning the display off at night. While tossing and turning the screen would randomly turn on and boy, that thing is bright. The sleep charts aren't as refined as Jawbone's since they only show sleep, restlessness and wake. In comparison, Jawbone shows estimates of deep sleep, light sleep and REM. Still, that doesn't mean it's a completely accurate picture of your night since fitness trackers are only monitoring movement and can't always tell what various movements mean.
Fitbit Alta: Notifications The notifications aren't as robust as other devices. You get three basic call, text and calendar notifications displayed on the Alta's screen accompanied by a short buzz. Longer texts get cut off and you'll have to pull out your phone to read the whole message though. Unfortunately, you don't get third-party app alerts. Reminders to move also pop up every hour with 250 step mini goals. Throughout the day, the numbers change to reflect how many steps you've taken.
If you don't want to be constantly bothered, you can customize the reminders to start and end at specific times, and even days. This is actually an entertaining, whimsical aspect of Alta that I didn't expect.
I'm used to my Apple Watch yelling at me to stand, but Fitbit took a different approach. When the time comes, the Alta will vibrate once quickly then show a little character with a different message like 'Feed me steps!' Or 'Still 145 more to go!'
It's a small thing but appreciated nonetheless, and actually motivates me to take a break to walk around. After completing your goal, the Alta freaks out in congratulatory bursts of buzzing and on-screen 'fireworks'. Alta will show an image of a dead battery when it's running low on juice, which isn't the most helpful notification considering it tells you as it's dying. It makes more sense to let you know in percentages over time, or to even have an option to display it with the clock face. There's a battery indicator in the app, but seeing it on the Alta would be more useful.
Fitbit Alta: The app If you've used a Fitbit before, the Alta app will look familiar since it's basically the same interface. It's a fine ecosystem, full of social challenges with badges to earn, all clearly laid out and easy to use.
You can also log food and water, and track your weight loss with a plan as well. Each day is presented on the main screen, and you tap a metric to get a broader look at your performance. For example, tap on the sleep score for the day and you can take a look at your sleep over time, and filter by day, week or month. Overall, Fitbit's app is one of its strong points. Easy to use and clear, it offers enough data without feeling overwhelming.
Initial setup however, is a crapshoot. I've experienced connection issues with two Fitbit devices now, including the Alta. It requires a bit of finagling for it to sync and work, sometimes requiring restarting the phone after deleting your other Fitbit devices. After that, syncing works perfectly fine.
Fitbit Alta: Battery life Fitbit notes that the battery life of the Alta should span five days depending on usage (a week is pretty standard for screen-less fitness trackers). I was able to get a whopping eight days from the gadget after only charging it once. That includes time spent at SXSW, where I hit 13,000–15,000 steps over four days, then a few days covering GDC. The Alta also tracked my sleep and buzzed reminders to move when I was on planes or in sessions. During the conference madness, I was barraged with text and calendar notifications as well though I didn't have email notifications turned on. I did take it off for showers since it's only splash, sweat and rain resistant but that was about it. The proprietary charger is again, different from the other Fitbit chargers.
The Alta one is a clamp that connects to the back of the module. It's definitely more secure than other magnetic chargers. Managing to make it a full week and a day on just one charge is quite impressive in my eyes, especially since I'm used to refueling smartwatches every couple of nights. The Alta screen is always off and it's not exactly a battery eater but my usage of smart devices during travel usually require lots of recharge time.
I'm curious to find out whether the Alta can repeat this feat and will definitely wear it during my next bout of travel. The Fitbit Alta doesn't break new ground but it remains one of the most stylish fitness trackers around – especially for women looking for both form and functionality.
It's also geared towards the casual lifestyle opposed to hardcore gym nuts and athletes. The Alta sits right below high-end trackers and right above budget devices, making it a tantalising purchase for those who want a customisable, sleek fitness tracker without breaking the bank, while maintaining general activity tracking abilities. I found that the Alta's leather band worked easier but the classic one was more difficult to put on. That said, perhaps try placing the strap with the pins on top of the strap with holes, then grabbing the bottom strap and pushing into the pins with your index and middle finger on either side. It shouldn't be this irritating to put a wearable on but I've found it's a problem with several Fitbits (except the Surge which seems to work fine).
Other trackers with pins seem to have this issue too though. Hope this helps/makes sense. Don't know if you'll get this, but I have found a way to get the damn band on.
I hook it where I need it on my wrist before I put it on. Then, I push the release button like I'm changing the band, but only one side. Turn your arm with the inside of your wrist up and place the Alta under, like you're putting any bracelet on.
Now bring the band up and snap it down on the latch thing till it is snapped into place. I hate this band. I have 61 year-old hands and can't push the pins in. Hope this helps! Although the Alta is a big leap forward for Fitbit in terms of design, in terms of functionality it is fair to say that Fitbit is styling up what it already has on offer. This means that at its core, the Alta is not much different from other Fitbits – there is no ground-breaking new technology on board.
The Alta, however, shows that Fitbit has learned enough about design to compete with more stylish rivals. Automatic activity tracking is a huge plus. Just put the fitness tracker on, without worrying about pressing buttons or logging any activity. While it's comfortable and easy to use, the Alta doesn't go far beyond the basic capabilities of a fitness tracker.
If, however, you're looking for a stylish fitness tracker from a recognised brand that does the essentials well, then this could be the device for you. I do not know the model I have (one of the basics) but an returning it as it is not going to fit my needs while reading paperwork for how to sync it which I never did find (glad to read that you need to download the app for better instructions) I saw the band has NICKEL in it. This is a common allergic metal for many in jewelry especially earrings but I would not have thought with this type of band there would be a reason for putting nickel in them!
Perhaps it has to do with regulations where they are manufactured no restrictions & maybe it is cheaper for added strength & durability (just a guess)! I recently purchased my first FitBit to track my exercise. I do a good mixture of cardio and strength so really wanted to target what was most beneficial. I purchased an Alta, being the newest product on the market so thought it would have the most advanced technology. I have to say I am majorly disappointed.
I am yet to understand why this product is more expensive than some of the other products however it does not track heart rate? It is impossible to get an accurate reading of calories without heart rate monitor as it does not detect strength training. All this is, is a very expensive step counter, and not what I expected at all! Very disappointed with the $200 I spent on this product!! We bought 3 Altas so my husband, my son and I could all 'compete' and track our steps. Pretty disappointed.
One unit will not sync at all. Two units will not get texts at all. Step count is horrible off. I love the idea and would not mind steps being off some but not for this price. I love the idea of an app we can all check. Pro: It can tell when we are at the park walking and calculates correct activity timer. Same for when my husband cut the lawn, it knew he was having a continuous activity.
My son loves it, In the end, I think I will be returning them. Too high for what you get. And worst feature - the clasp!
Stupid difficult! I have had a fitbit Charge for a year and quickly found myself motivated to move more - life changing! I received an Alta as a gift, and was very impressed with the design and the features, however, the step count is WAY off (20%).
I contacted Fitbit-support who suggested I restart the device- which we did 3 times- and this morning I rechecked, comparing it to my iPhone and charge, and unfortunately it is still off by 20-25%. The Charge, though less attractive, is more accurate- the Alta is an inferior product, and if Fitbit were smart they would recall the device, issue a refund to all their consumers, and go back to the drawing board.
READ ALL THE REVIEWS AND MESSAGE BOARDS BEFORE BUYING THIS PRODUCT. I bought my first FitBit Charge over a year ago. In less than 6 months, the band came off and they sent a replacement. Same thing happened to my replacement 9 months later (this was with regular use.hadn't even been working out). I contacted FitBit and they were gonna make me buy a replacement. After complaining they said they will send me an Alta for free.
I will receive it in a couple days. Based on all the reviews I read, it sounds like I'm not gonna like this.
Can someone say Apple iWatch. I was on phone 40 min with help and could not sync it to my samsung.s4.kept having bluetooth problems.but the rep. Got it to sync with my computor.i ask him how am i going to use it on my phone?his response was.you dont need to check it all day just check it on computor when you get home.what an idiot.needless to say i went back to my jawbone up.gave my daughter the funky alta.hope it syncs on her phone.but i couldnt beleive the reps.
Response for not using my cell phone.sigh. I had my Fitbit Alta for less than a month, I lost it in the middle of the day due to the dodgy clasp. Wrote to Fitbit about this and looked on the forums. They had offered other people replacements in my situation, which clearly indicates that they recognise it is an issue. All they offered me was a 25% discount, which I can say with certainty I will never use. This is my second Fitbit after having the Fitbit HR, which like my friends who both had the same model, disfigured and ended up breaking.
Unfortunately by the time my partner found the receipt I had lost it (because I moved house) so I couldn't return it. So in total I have wasted close to $400 on Fitbits poorly designed products. I have been wearing a Garmin Vivosmart watch for the last year and a half and the pixels are starting to die out making it hard to read it.
So, this has sparked my interest in the Fitbit Alta. They are pretty identical in size which is great because I have freakishly small wrists. The Garmin watch has smart notifications like text, incoming calls, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram. I tell it when I am going to sleep and it tracks my sleep until I turn off the setting.
It will also automatically track my sleep if I forget to set it but, if I get a notification on my phone the watch notify's me unlike when I set it and it does not disturb my sleep. With the activity tracker, It will record times for me which is great because I am a runner. Although I find it's not the most accurate thing in the world considering I ran a half marathon and it said I ran 16 miles instead.I I guess I was expecting the same kind of features or better ones for the Alta and am extremely disappointed that it lacks a lot of what I have with my Vivosmart.
I love the style of the Alta much more and the interchangeable bands is a great feature, it just lacks so much. Does anyone know if there will eventually be an update for the Alta that will give it more notification settings then just the basics (text, calling, calendar)? I feel the exact same way.
I had the garmin vivid smart also and loved it. It was very comfortable and battery life was great. I loved many of the option you had on them like the dimming, able to set what you want your notifications to come such as where it vibrates and lights up to display who and the message, have it vibrate and just show you have a notification or just imports the message privately with no vibration which is nice if you are in a quiet room for a meeting, and there was its own notification spot on the garmin display unlike what I am seeing on the Alta. I bought this because the display looked very crisp and easy to read compared to how my garmin was. Also a big selling factor was how it seemed much like the Garmin vivosmart but it's not! Fitbit needs to upgrade there features!
Only 3 things I have found better is the reading of the display, how it doesn't have to light up every time you do get a notification but just when you turn the wrist or double tap the screen, and then how you can change out the bands is very nice. I hope that Fitbit does a better update to there notification and adding adjustable lighting features would be great. This Fitbit Alta is very poorly designed. That stupid band with those stupid push pins.Who in the heck thought of that? What a stupid design!
After my Fitbit literally fell off of my arm without me realizing it, and then having to spend two hours finding it (and spending $$ on an app to do so), I got a bread twist-tie and jimmy-rigged it on my band so that the stupid thing will stay on until the clips that I have ordered from Amazon arrive. Yet more $$ that I have had to spend on this stupid Fitbit. So not only does my Fitbit not look stylish, IT LOOKS STUPID!!!
Have you noticed that Stupid is the key word here???!!! So my fiance got me the alta for my birthday 3 weeks ago, Absolutely loved it.
It pretty much did everything I need as someone who is not heavy into fitness but like to stay in shape and visit the gym 3+times per week Anyway, after going for a jog I arrived home to realize that the band was missing. Of course tried to retrace my steps but to no avail. I had my doubts about the band when I first put it on as the hole and clicker seemed very small and easily opened, but I figured if it wasn't secure then fitbit would have known about it and made the proper adjustments. How wrong I was. I have contacted customer support but it seems because I bought the fitbit in Hong Kong they cannot help me (not sure why?) I did go into the shop to enquire about purchasing another one and the shop owner said that he has peolpe coming in every day for replacements, the exact same problem as mine. It seems Alta has a major flaw with the band and when doing physical exercise you will need to constantly check your wrist to make sure the thing hasn't slipped off. I understand that losing a product is kind of the customers fault but surely the customer should not have to worry about her fitness tracker faling off when they partake in fitness based activities.
Fitbit should take some responsibility for that as I'm sure they know of the Alta's issues. Well anyway, my phone tells me that the fitbit is registering 2000 steps per day so at least someone is getting some use out of it. Perhaps when he/she loses it then it will somehow find it's way crossing my path again. I'll hold off buying a new fitbit for now.
Bought my Alta in March and one month later I felt a burning on my wrist and realized it was the Alta which was so hot that I pulled it off. After a few more heated minutes it cooled down and there was no more battery life - would not charge was just dead. Fortunately, it was replaced immediately but my second Alta after two months needs recharging almost every day. I have doubts about the batteries on these devices and am thinking that mayber Garmin is a better product.
This is too expensive for all of these issues. Maybe it came out before all of the kinks were worked out. We bought the Fitbit Alta recently for our young son. The slim design is key for him as being young he has a very small wrist. He's also a tween who's very fashion conscious and he has sensory sensitivities i.e. He won't wear long sleeves or long pants cos they feel funny ( also his friends won't wear them either.
It's a peer thing) and he used to refuse to wear a watch so the Alta is perfect for him. Other kids like them too.
Parents like them to track their kids poor sleep in a general way precision is not so critical. we do the band up for him. IM thinking of asking for one for myself for Christmas.
I am really disappointed with the Fitbit products. First I bought an Alta, enticed by its relatively attractive design and that it was presumably the newest and therefore most advanced item in the product line (I was naive). I found it pretty useless as a watch - it is not responsive to taps but pops on when I am in bed trying to sleep - and I hate having to charge it every 5 days. Next within a couple of months the unit is scratched and so messy looking I don't even want to wear it.
Finally this hulking bulky piece of metal and rubber does not have basic fitness features! It does not measure heart rate or even track floors climbed. I did not realize my cell phone tracks steps, floors and distance automatically. If I had know about the cell phone app I already had I would not have wasted my money on a fitbit. I also bought a scale - I always have my guest weights on my profile. Try measuing the weight of other things like suitcases is not easy.
Who is this fat person??? Never mind just show me the wieght!
I am so disappointed with my Fitbit Alta. It was a gift so asking for the receipt for refund is awkward or it would have gone back by now It looks okay, works as a watch, but the stats for Active Minutes' and even steps taken are so unreliable as to be not worth having. Eg I walked briskly for 45 minutes the last time I wore it, it showed 45 active minutes then went to 6 minutes when I synced with the app. It does it every day. Every time you sync your stats at best show at lower than you've done, at worse disappear altogether.
If you write down what you've done you get a good idea of how many minutes you've been active. And you don't need a $200 gizmo to do that, just a pencil! I've been on the fitbit forum regarding this issue, I am one of the contributors of the 19 PAGES of comments re the same thing dating back to March. Clearly Fitbit don't care that they are serving up this rubbish. As I've said there, I have a $200 watch with a plastic strap - if that's what you want buy a Fitbit Alta, if you want something that actually TRACKS your FITNESS get something else. I actually am VERY disappointed with my Fitbit. It never stays on.
Do NOT get the FitBit charge because the wrist strap does not stay strapped. It has fallen off and Iv lose it MANY times. One time at work I literally sat on the train, walked to work, sat at my desk all day, and went to leave the office to walk to the train and it was gone. It falls off when you: 075 a backpack on, take a shirt off, I don't know maybe just sit there and do nothing and you'll be lucky to still have it on by the end of the day.
Worst $115 purchase ever. Avoid fitbit! I bought a fitbit charge for my wife at dick smith. The first one did not work straight out of the box, would not charge at all. Dick smith replaced immediately, same day as purchase.
A few months later the new one stopped charging. Again, Dick Smith replaced with a brand new item. Now, 9 months later, this 3rd fitbit charge will not charge, the battery will not charge.
Subsequently, Dick Smith has closed down in my area so I can not return for a refund. I contacted Fitbit, who are saying the original purchase is out of warranty but they will replace with the same model, but will not refund. They don't have enough faith in their own product to give a warranty on the brand new replacement fitbit charge thats only 9 months old!!
I asked if the replacement they are willing to send will have a warranty but they didi not reply. They also will not allow me to pay the difference to upgrade to a better model!! Well, if you ask me thats pretty poor, they should write a book on how to lose customers because thats what they've done in this situation. Not only me but everyone I know I tell how bad the product is and the lack of faith they have in their product.
Fitbit Alta Hr On Sale
I strongly recommend buying a more reputable brand. Fitbit is a waste of money and you will more than likely be disappointed. I got the FitBit Alta as a replacement for my Charge that broke while under warranty (well, just the button broke off, the tracker still worked). Apparently they only make the Charge HR now and not the regular Charge I had, so they offered me the Alta instead. I liked the sleeker appearance and the ability to swap bands, making it much more fashionable. At first I was a little disappointed that it did not track floors climbed like the Charge did, but honestly, that part of the tracking had been way off - often telling me I'd climbed more than 200 flights in a day! The sleep tracking seems way off, but I found that true of the Charge as well.
Fitbit Alta Sale
(Jawbone UP tracked sleep really well in my opinion - but I had too many other issues with their bands) My main complaint about the Alta is that the first time I dropped it, it broke! I was putting it on my wrist and my hand slipped and it fell to the wood floor - probably about a 3-4 foot drop. It did not crack or scratch or anything, it just quit working. They are replacing it for me under the warranty, but that still seems crazy to me. I am only 5'6' tall - a fall to the floor from my wrist should not break it! My daughter is a teenage athlete. She originally got a fitbit Charge and was very happy with it but over time the wristband broke.
I called Fitbit and discussed the issue with them. Since they were no longer making the Charge, they talked me into getting her an Alta. The Alta was a piece of junk. Initially, we had an issue with it syncing properly to measure steps - which is why you get them in the first place. The screen was harder to read on the product AND the device does not have a stopwatch which is a critical element for teenage athletes when in training. When I called Fitbit regarding several issues including a broken screen (which happened within two weeks of receiving it and NOT physical abuse to the product), they told me they would only replace it with another Alta - a far inferior product than the Charge. They only offered me a discount if I wanted to upgrade to a Charge 2 and that discount could not be used with the sales prices so in essence, they gave me NOTHING.
I would not recommend the ALTA to anyone due to its limited features. I am disappointed in the way the problem was resolved by Fitbit. I really enjoy my fit bit Alta. However, has anyone felt like it restricts there breathing, for example when I remove it from my wrist it feels like a breath of fresh air or like I can breath better. You will not notice sometimes until you remove at night. Sometimes I feel restricted when its on, I don't put it on tight. It just feels a little weird with a change of breathing, I been feeling this for quite sometime.
I have had a Fit bit for over 3 years. I truly enjoy the motivation of loosing weight and continuing healthy habits each day. Overall the fit bit is great. Just concerned.
Had a new Alta HR since Christmas, to replace a Flex. Since then I’ve been struggling to meet steps target despite following routine walks and activity. Eventually ran some tests and found that the Alta frequently fails to record steps, especially after periods of inactivity. Have followed advice gleaned from forum, including several restarts, deleting and re-installing apps on Windows 10, iPad and Android phone, changing wrists, changing indicated wrist and so on, all without making any difference.
Fitbit Alta Instructions
I reckon the Alta HR is proving to be at least 10% inaccurate on average with peaks of 100% when it sometimes fails to record any steps at all. On its own I could live with the 10% except that it seems so unreliable and unpredictable. I am NOT impressed.
Can anybody suggest anything other than sending it back – which could be embarrassing as it was a gift?