Mio - Fuse Wireless Activity Tracker - Crimson

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• Rated 4 out of 5 stars

  Mio Fuse vs. Charge HR

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  I have been looking for a comparative review of these two products. Since I couldn’t find one, I decided to do it myself. I put each through a meticulous week of training and will display my findings as simply as possible. I have a lot of information that I am condensing so if you have any further questions, please ask. For my test, I did a range of different exercises including HIIT, SMIT, medium intensity steady state cardio, jogging, and weight training. Though neither device can truly give a comprehensive measurement for weight training, my lifting style fluctuates my heart rate enough to quantify a decent calorie burn, so I included it. Also, please note that I tried various adjustments including alternate arms, wrist spacing and tightness. I literally ran the gambit, and in some cases, it made a major difference. I have pretty large wrists/forearms, so regardless of position, both devices had little trouble finding a baseline pulse. I used the Samsung Galaxy S5 as my control since it was rated as top notch against EKG machines. So, let’s begin with the meat of these new devices: heart rate tracking. Fitbit Charge HR does not do well with spikes, on either arm. In fact, the display would often display “- -“ and not find a suitable rate for at least 30 seconds. When doing HIIT/SMIIT, 30 seconds can be an eternity in documenting measurements. When it did come through, it was still 10-15 beats slower than the Mio and the S5. I had little issue with the Mio Fuse. It wasn’t perfect, but I usually had a solid reading within 3-5 seconds, and I would say 90% of the time, it was in line with the S5. During anything steady state, the Charge HR and the Mio Fuse kept consistent readings with both the Precor 100i and the S5, but when the Charge HR was on the non-dominant hand, it was typically 5-10 beats behind. When I went jogging, both devices kept the pace, but just for kicks, I let my heart rate drop and pushed out a full on sprint. Mio caught up within 5 seconds, Charge HR was blank for at least 25 seconds. Reiterating that the Charge HR doesn’t like spikes. One other point to note is that during weight lifting, the Charge HR had 2,000 more documented steps than the Mio Fuse. The manual stated that may happen with activities involving rapid arm movement, but just noting I didn’t have that issue with the Mio Fuse. I can’t pinpoint why the Charge HR is inconsistent on my non-dominant hand. If it uses capillary enlargement, I can only guess it’s because they are more evident in my dominant hand. Either way, their inequality should be noted. The interface is where Fitbit excels. As a longtime fan of my Flex, I love the improvements they have added. The heart rate chart and the time zone measurements are great. But it is far less enjoyable when the information (heart rate) is inaccurate. The Mio Go app is truly bare bones. It has very basic tracking and gives you basic stats on your daily workout and overall activity. I also had a few sync fails when connecting to the app and lost my workouts, which was really frustrating. It still shows up in my daily caloric burn, but when you want specifics, this is very disappointing. There is also no PC counterpart, so it’s all mobile. Mio has stated the app will be growing based on feedback. I hope so, because the device deserves a better interface. I, personally, do not care for all the bells and whistles of each, so I didn’t spend much time here, but I can offer a few distinct differences. The Charge HR has 24 hour heart rate tracking, while the Mio Fuse has to be activated in workout mode. Since the Mio Fuse was much more accurate in my tests, I would rather have the accuracy during my workouts than be able to see my heart rate during my daily routines, so this is a wash. The Charge HR is sleeker, and the “action” button is harder to accidentally trigger. With the Mio Fuse, it is pressure based touch screen, so when using the TRX, I have to check after sets to make sure I don’t stop my timer on accident. The “lock” feature needs to be able to be turned on for workout mode. The Mio Fuse is waterproof for 30 feet, while the Charge HR is not recommended for showering or swimming. Both devices caused some irritation after long periods of usage, but it usually disappeared within a few minutes of removing the devices. I really wanted to focus on what these devices were boasting about…strapless HR tracking. So, upon these tests, I must bid adieu to my Fitbit family for now. I can see the Mio Go app getting better before the Charge HR becomes more accurate. I have read that the Surge has better accuracy, but I am not looking for anything more than a solid hr activity tracker and the extras of the Surge are not worth the premium in my opinion. For standard daily activity, both devices are great for comprehensive readouts and steady state tracking, but if you are a fitness enthusiast who constantly pushes your limits and capabilities, I recommend the Mio Fuse.

  Posted 10 years ago by JKhan

• Rated 3 out of 5 stars

  Nifty & comfortable but not ideal for 24/7 use

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  I previously owned a Fitbit Surge and wanted something smaller and more accurate. I watched videos and read reviews before purchasing this watch. Overall, the watch wasn't horrible - the band was comfortable, the lettering was modern and easy to read in all conditions. The things I personally didn't like - everything stuck to the material on the band (pet hair, shirt fibers, etc.) so it was hard to keep looking clean; sometimes I just wanted to know the time and the screen was impossible to turn on; my step count was significantly lower than my previous watches (I teach fitness and walk around at work all day and my average daily steps were 7K)

  Posted 9 years ago by FitFan

• Rated 4 out of 5 stars

  First impression: Favorable

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  I just received my Mio Fuse. I wore it around the house today and tracked my weekly housecleaning as a workout. I like how it works so far. The documentation is the weakest feature so far. Using the device is not particularly intuitive, and the Quick Start guide is not very clear. Still, I got it to work. The real test will be when I wear it to my fitness club and monitor an intense workout.

  Posted 10 years ago by Spkrikava