Not Your Father’s Fitbit Alta Review

Ah, the Fitbit Alta, what a fantastic piece of technology. Don’t you think? Maybe you’re familiar with the brand, but not so much with the model. Perhaps you’re here because you would like to know more about this great gadget.

If so, you’re in luck! We’re going to show you the best Fitbit Alta review the world has ever seen. At least those are my intentions.

If you’re up on wearable technology, chances are you know Fitbit is a hot brand, and you are correct. Fitbit is undeniably one of the best brands for wearable technology and has been since 2008. In 2016, the Alta made its ultimate debut as a surprisingly fashionable, yet highly functional, must-have activity tracker. In the Fitbit 2016 Super Bowl commercial, the Alta watch hit the stage. It boasted being slim, stylish, and prepared. 

A fitness wristband that tracked pretty much everything, letting you find your motivation to make the most of your routine. So, what does this mean for you?

Let’s take a gander at this quintessential fitness tracker.

• Type: Wristband
• Display: OLED, tap display
• Sensors: 3-axis accelerometer, vibration motor
• Color: black/stainless steel or black/22k gold plated. Black, Plum, or Blue
• Material: surgical-grade steel, flexible elastomer
• Weight: 29g
• Width: 1.5cm
• Water-resistance: Sweat-, rain-, and shower-proof
• Notifications: call, text, calendar, and achievement alerts, silent alarm
• Battery: Lithium-polymer, up to 5-day battery life, charge time is about 1-2 hours
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0
• Compatibility: Apple, Android, and Windows devices
• Warranty: 2-year limited

PS – It wouldn’t be right for an excellent Fitbit Alta review not to describe the warranty a little.

The Alta comes with a standard 1-year warranty, which covers your typical product defect (the warranty doesn’t cover pet or car casualties, Karen). An additional 2- or 3-year protection plan is optional through Amazon.

For whom is this fitness tracker designed?

This wearable might be for you if you’re looking for:

• Customizable options – the tracker itself comes in silver or gold and 3 band colors (plus more aftermarket alternatives).
• A slim, fashionable design – at a little over .5″ wide, the Alta is pretty discrete.
• Real-time notifications – making it so that you don’t have to have your phone in your hand to see who’s calling or texting.

However, this tracker might not be for you if you want:

• Heart monitor – unfortunately, it doesn’t have this feature. If that’s the only thing this version is missing, you might want to check out the Fitbit Alta HR (same look, just with a few more functions).
• Waterproof – you can’t go swimming with this puppy, but I am telling you from experience that it can get pretty saturated and still keep on ticking.
• Notification availability or quick replies – the Alta gives you real-time notifications, but are dismissed soon after they happen.

How We Tested

Even though there are no ways of knowing for sure, there are ways of knowing for pretty sure.

Lemony Snicket

Can you believe that we have been testing the Fitbit Alta for 3 years?! You heard that right. We’ve been evaluating its every angle since it debuted in 2016. That’s a long time for a fitness tracker when you think about the average lifespan of modern technology.

I must admit that I have been brutal on this activity tracker, just ruthless. This tracker has been through pet-attacks, drops, kicks, stepped on, thrown around, in the dirt, rain, sweat, showers, and even the wash (which was an accident, something we do not recommend doing). I’m not saying you should do the worst things possible to this wearable to test it, just disclosing to you that it’s a reliable product.

Design & Build

This fitness tracker might seem dainty due to its size and weight, but that’s far from the truth. The flexible, elastomer band is exceptionally hardy! It initially feels stiff but softens with wear. Mine lasted for roughly 2 years before one of the locking mechanisms wore out. The face is scratch-resistant and encased in a steel (featured below) or a 22k plated gold backing.

Display

This device is one of the first of its kind to present an OLED, tap screen display. The clock and functions can be customized using the available presets and changed via the Fitbit app. Clock and features can be brought up on the device by tapping the face. nitially it was quite responsive but has since been on a slow decline in the last year and a half. That said, the Fitbit Alta display is quite impressive.

Bands & Accessories

The Alta exhibits Fitbit’s notorious interchangeable design – allowing the standard elastomer band (black, blue, or plum) to be swapped out with other options. The wristband shown in the image above is an aftermarket, magnetic wristband in black. Without a doubt found on Amazon for around €10.74, and it also comes in a few colors. The Fitbit Alta comes with its special charging cable.

Side note, I had lost my original charging cable but was able to find a replacement charger through Amazon.

Size

As mentioned in the specs list earlier, the width is 1.5cm and comes in 3 sizes through Amazon – Small (14 – 17cm), Large (17 – 20.6cm), and XL (20.6 – 23.6cm). Weighing roughly 29 grams. I am a big person at 6’2″ (188cm), and the small was just right for me (or maybe I have small wrists).

Features & Performance

Activity tracking

The Fitbit Alta uses an internal 3-axis accelerometer to measure gravity, vibration, and movement, which in turn calculates your steps and activity.

In addition to tracking steps, Fitbit Alta traces:

• Distance
• Calories burned
• Active Minutes
• Hourly activity
• Stationary time
• Automatically recognizes certain activities and records them as an exercise

This device doesn’t explicitly recognize stairs but instead perceives and documents them as regular steps.

Heart Rate & Sleep Tracking

Alta is capable of tracking sleep but does not have a heart monitor. This is the one big difference between the two models. ote that the Alta HR does have an advanced sleep tracker compared to that of its predecessor, because of its heart monitor feature. The two elements work together to allow for a more comprehensive system – tracking not just how long you sleep, but how long you spend in each sleep cycle.

While I think this detail is nifty-gifty, I didn’t believe it was important or necessary at the time. Nowadays, most wearable tech comes standard with a heart monitor.

Compatibility & Apps

To connect to the Alta, you need to have equipment that meets the following criteria: Mac OS X 10.6 & up, iPhone 4S & later, iPad gen. 3 & later, Android 4.3 & later, or Windows 10.

Although you can access your information through the Fitbit.com Dashboard, I highly recommend using their handy app. The app allows you to sync wirelessly with your phone so that you can have your stats, motivation, and food logging at your fingertips. The Fitbit app can pairwith the official Fitbit applications, plus 33 more 3rd party apps. That should keep you on the straight and narrow!

Comfort to wear

As with anything, there are pros and cons, and the Fitbit Alta is no different. The elastomer band is lightweight, snaps securely in place, and easy to clean. Most of the time, I could comfortably wear it day and night. However, some may not care for the predetermined settings and/or feel of the material (might drag on the skin or arm hair, especially when wet).

I previously mentioned having a stainless steel band. As you can see in the image below, it attaches to the tracker using the same latching mechanism as the elastomer band. The differences here are that it’s heavier (it’s steel) and it gives the Alta a more rugged” look.

The benefits of this style are that the magnetic clasp allows you to get a more calculated fit around your wrist and it doesn’t pull on your skin the way the sport band does (at least I haven’t had any issues with this, and I’m pretty hairy).

Note that the magnetic piece sticks to other magnetic objects, such as bobby pins.

Battery Life

The lithium battery in the Alta is built-in, and you cannot replace it. Fully charged in 1-2 hours, it should last for roughly 5 days, depending upon how much it’s used. Charging is straightforward and pretty intuitive. Which is why I won’t go into a technology rant. There is a small USB charging cable that connects through a 3-prong system.

On a side note, relative to user wear and battery life, the Fitbit website mentions giving your wrist some rest by taking the band off for cleaning and charging. What a great plan, right?

Value for Money

When I purchased the Fitbit Alta back in 2016, the cost was €116.32. Honestly, I received a satisfactory discount from my employer at the time, which put the price around €80.

Given the current cost of the Alta, especially in comparison to what it was in 2016, it’s a little spendy for what you are getting. It would be worth the effort to compare the prices of other fitness trackers or smartwatches.

Take, for instance, the Fitbit Inspire HR. It’s loaded with sweet features and extra accessories, priced at €90 (not much more than the Alta), making it worth the little extra dinero.

Price & Availability

The Alta is no longer available for purchase on the actual Fitbit website, but you can buy it brand new from Amazon.

Costs start at €63.66 for the large, silver/black model and range up to €125.30 for the small, silver/blue version. As you can see from the price table below, it all depends upon the color and size. The price according to size sounds backward to me, but what do I know?

Fitbit Alta Alternatives

We wouldn’t leave you hanging without providing a few excellent options:

• For a newer version of the Fitbit Alta, we recommend the Fitbit Inspire or the Fitbit Versa**
• For an all-around great fitness tracker, we recommend the Fitbit Charge 3  
• For an outstanding Smartwatch, we recommend the Apple Watch Series 4

The Fitbit Inspire HR has one of the best heart monitors and is a perfect option if you’re on a budget.

Is Fitbit Alta Worth It?

Our final verdict for the Fitbit Alta is that it’s worth the small investment. Functioning as both a watch and fitness tracker, the Alta is prized for being a versatile device. I have owned and tested various trackers over the years, but this is my all-time, most-reliable fitness purchase.

The Alta watch has served its purpose for motivating me to get up and go running. If you’ve ever used an activity tracker, you know the gross feeling you get when you realize it’s not on your arm. Cause what’s the point in being active without it.

While the Alta watch proves to be a smart entry-level fitness tracker, it feels a little behind the curve when compared to Fitbit’s latest additions. So I say if you can raise your budget a bit more, go get yourself some bells and whistles.