The Wall Street Journal is out with the first review we’ve seen of the Fitbit Blaze, and it’s pretty meh.
Reviewer Joanna Stern said the Blaze, a full-face fitness watch announced last month at CES, is kind of big, kind of ugly, and kind of expensive for what it delivers. Its fitness functions are still better than anyone else’s, she said, but not enough better to move her away from her Apple Watch.
Her argument is a little disjointed, and seems to come down to design. The Blaze uses a core hardware module that snaps into a bezel that has the watch bands attached; Stern didn’t like the straps or the fit and finish of the bezel. She loved the 3.5-day battery life, the heart rate monitor, and tracking functions, but thought the $200 price compared badly to the apple Watch at $350 (discounted at Best Buy) and Fitbit’s own Charge HR at $150.
The Blaze goes on sale March 1.