The Fitbit Charge, Surge and Charge HR have wristbands made of a durable and flexible elastomer material that is similar to that used to make sports watches. While the material is generally safe, people who have allergic reactions to other wearable devices and jewelry such as watches, bangles and activity trackers should make a point of consulting their doctor prior to purchasing any Fitbit device. The Fitbit app is compatible with a variety of devices running on Android, iOS and Windows Phone operating systems. Here are the most commonly asked questions about this device.
Is Fitbit Surge Waterproof?
This answer is very important given that many people’s daily acidities involve contact with water. It’s water resistant but not completely waterproof. The Fitbit Surge is rain-proof and splash-proof. Even the sweatiest workout won’t damage the device. However, the device won’t survive a swimming session. It is recommended that you remove the tracker whenever you want to take a shower or jump into the pool. It is also important to remember that wearing the tracker 24/7 is not healthy for your skin. It is best to remove it when you’re not using it to give your skin time to breathe.
Any time you get your Fitbit Surge wet, try to dry it completely before using it again.
FAQs About Fitbit Surge
Other than the question – is Fitbit Surge waterproof, there are plenty of other questions users ask about this device.
1. How to Wear Fitbit Surge
You should wear the Fitbit Surge on your wrist as is the case with many other activity trackers. While you can always place it in your backpack or pocket where it will still track the steps you have taken and floors you have climbed during the day, it’s most accurate when worn on the wrist. For heart rate monitoring, the tracker can be worn on the wrist or as a chest strap. Either way, the accuracy of the device will depend on the type of movement, personal physiology and location of wear.
Pro Tip: If you want to improve the heart rate signal, you should move the tracker a couple of inches further up your arm. This is because blood flow increases as you go higher up the arm. This also comes in handy when you’re doing exercises that require you to bend your wrist.
You should avoid wearing the Fitbit Surge tracker too tight as it might restrict blood flow. Just make sure it’s a bit tighter when you’re working out than when you’re wearing it during normal activity.
2. How Des Heart Rate Monitoring Work?
As you heart beats, the capillaries contract and expand depending on the blood volume changes. The LED lights at the back of your Surge tracker reflect onto your skin to identify changes in blood volume. From this information, complex algorithms are applied to measure your heart rate throughout the day.
3. What’s the GPS Feature?
The Fitbit Surge tracker comes with a GPS feature that allows it to track your route during various activities. These include Free Run, Walk, Lap Run, and Hike. GPS data appears on your dashboard in a map view. It includes stats tracked during the activity. Whenever you select an activity that uses GPS, Surge starts searching for a GPS signal. GPS normally works better in the outdoors standing still than when you’re holed up in your house.
4. How to Track All-Day Stats
You can track the following all sorts of day stats with Surge. The following are displayed on screen – current heart rate, calories burned, distance covered and floors climbed. To view them, choose the Clock display and swipe left or right. You can view the following all-day stats on your dashboard – detailed heart rate history, hours slept, active minutes and hours and quality of sleep.
5. How Does It Track Sleep?
To better understand your sleep patterns, the Fitbit Surge tracker keeps track of the number of hours you sleep and your movements as you sleep. Fitbit Surge has an autodetect feature that enables it to start tracking your sleep automatically. All you need to do is wear it to bed. You could also opt to start tracking sleep manually by turning on sleep mode. To view your sleep data, sync the tracker and access your dashboard.
6. How to Set Up the Silent Alarm
Surge has a silent alarm feature that vibrates gently to alert or wake you. It is possible to set up to eight silent alarms that recur on a daily basis or on particular days during the week. To add or delete alarms, you have to use the Fitbit app or log into your dashboard. Here’s how to set up a silent alarm on your device:
- Log in to your dashboard
- Click the gear icon at the top of the page and select settings
- Locate silent alarms
- Click the add alarm option
- Enter the preferred time
- Choose when you want the alarm to go off
- Sync your device with Fitbit Connect
When the alarm goes off, the Surge screen will flash as the device vibrates. You can opt to dismiss or snooze the silent alarm.
7. How to Take Care of Fitbit Surge
Despite Fitbit surge waterproof feature mentioned above, it is important to keep the device dry. You should also make sure your skin is dry before putting it on. It is also important to keep your Fitbit Surge clean at all times. Make a point of cleaning your device after working out, using soap or lotion on your hands and sweating. Use soapless cleanser to clean the device and dry it well with a soft towel.
If you start to experience an adverse reaction such as skin irritation after wearing the device, you should take it off. If the symptoms persist for more than 3 days, you might want to see your doctor.