The dawning of a new year often means the start of new resolutions, whether that be to eat healthier, read more, or become fitter - and all of which can be aided with the help of technology.
Fitbit has long been one of the leading fitness technology firms on the market, with its wearable devices offering a full range of tracking and measuring services.
The company raised eyebrows last year with the launch of the Fitbit Blaze, its first smartwatch to actually look like an everyday watch.
But can the Fitbit Blaze help you get fit in 2017?
DESIGNWhen designing and wearing a fitness wearable, you need comfort and functionality as well as style - and luckily the Fitbit Blaze fully delivers on all of these.
Coming in at slightly bigger than a typical Swatch watch, the angular design of the Blaze’s watch face is certainly eye-catching, but never seems overly vulgar.
As for the device itself, the Blaze comes with a 0.82in LCD touchscreen, which is both bright and responsive, even if you’re out and about on a run or in the gym.
The strap itself is comfortable to wear, with none of the irritating rubbing sensation that normally accompanies a new smartwatch - I felt comfortable wearing it all day, although I did take it off to sleep.
The Blaze is not completely waterproof (so no taking it swimming) but can easily deal with sweat and rain, as you’d probably hope from a fitness device.
But overall, the Blaze is comfortable to wear and looks good - so how does it actually perform?
As you’d expect from a fitness-focused device, where the Blaze comes into its own is when you take it outside.
The watch offers the full range of health tracking functions, with calories, steps, pace, heart rate and sleep tracking all included.
There’s even a specific option to track a particular type of exercise, whether that be running, cycling, or even a gym session, with full feedback provided at the end.
However, for those of us that are running or cycling fans, there’s no GPS included within the FitBit Blaze, so if you want accurate tracking, you’ll need to keep your smartphone with you whilst you’re out.
The Blaze is compatible with a huge range of devices, however, running on all recent iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices.
In order to get the most out of the Blaze, you’ll need to download the companion app, which will allow you to sync your progress and activate several other features.
Doing so is remarkably easy, and syncing your Blaze is very straightforward thanks to its Bluetooth 4.0 compatibility.
Alongside its fitness features, the Blaze also bundles some smartwatch functionality – including the ability to change your music track, as well as see call, text and calendar notifications.
Battery life is typically good, with Fitbit claiming five days worth of juice per charge. This did seem to be about right when I first started testing the device, but strenuous use (especially with GPS tracking) drains the battery far quicker, necessitating more frequent charging.
However recharging is fast and straightforward, with the device popping out of the strap and into a neat little holder than connects via USB, and provides enough juice with an hour or so of charging.
PRICE & AVAILABILITYAs mentioned above, the Fitbit Blaze was launched last year, and has been widely available for some time in the UK.
The Blaze, which comes in one of three colours (black, plum and blue) is on sale from Fitbit’s online store now starting from £159.99, with our research also finding it available at several UK high street stores for a similar price.
This puts it near the bottom of the smartwatch price scale, far below the likes of the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier (£349) and the Apple Watch Series 2 (£369) - although both of these offer far more in terms of apps and services.
If you are looking to personalise your device, Fitbit also has a range of bands and straps on offer, including a £89.99 metal link band, a £59.99 leather strap and a cheaper £19.99 sport-focused elastomer band.
Fitbit describes the Blaze as ‘the ultimate smart fitness watch’ - and for the most part, it’s hard to argue with this.
The watch is smartly designed and comfortable to wear, and (most of the time) offers enough battery life to make it a useful accessory for fitness fans.
It may not boast the hyper-detailed displays of the Apple Watch or Samsung Gear S3, but if you’re looking for a smart and functional fitness-based smartwatch, the Fitbit Blaze should be your answer.
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