"Fitbit Flex" Worth the hype?

KalixRedd

I don't know if this has been discussed before but I'm curious. I'm trying to compare the "Fitbit Flex" to the "UP 24 by Jawbone" . I've seen a few reviews on YouTube but let's be honest some of those are sponsored so I can't really go by what they say

My husband is letting me splurge on one of these surprisingly so I might as well take the chance while I have it. Some of the reviews I've read on Amazon about Fitbit are saying that it's inconsistent, choppy and is basically just a pedometer with a vibrating alarm clock.

While the reviews on the Jawbone are saying that if you were to buy this $100 fitness band that you would also have to buy warranty because it breaks down within months. It's "Bulky" and has trouble syncing.

So the real question or questions is/are, Do you own one of these? What's your opinion ? Which Fitness band is worth the money?

Psychgrrl

Consumer Reports and Tech Crunch have rated them. So has Women's Health, I think. I'd take a look at those sites--they typically do a great job of comparing features so you really know what you're getting.

KalixRedd

Psychgrrl wrote: »

Consumer Reports and Tech Crunch have rated them. So has Women's Health, I think. I'd take a look at those sites--they typically do a great job of comparing features so you really know what you're getting.

Thank you! I'll have to give it a look

Qskim

I've had the flex since Mother's Day and no probs yet. The one recurring negative in the reviews I saw was that users had to hold the battery in the charger to charge it. I've not had that. Most of the reviews I read on any brand said overall, on balance, the flex was the best at that price. The predominant positive was that the app interface was the friendliest for the user in comparison to other brands. I have found that and God knows I need user friendly! Also, the company itself has great customer service..I've rarely heard a complaint about them since I've had the One and the flex. There can be syncing issues with Mfp but usually temporary and not exclusive to fitbit either.

At that price most of them are a glorified pedometer I guess so it depends on your intent and exactly what you want out of any device. Certain activities are not tracked well but MFP database can take up the slack...like lifting, cycling, rowing. However users report satisfaction with steps taken for aerobics, walking and running for example - that they are consistant with mfp database and other tracking devices. There is a fitbit group ...if you go to groups it has been one of the first groups listed...don't know if this is still the case as search is non existant ATM. Can get better feedback there. A lot of users have different devices for different activities so they can give you a better comparison.

In the beginning it definitely motivated me to move more. Not so much now though. I guess I've got a better idea of knowing roughly where I sit without even looking at it. I still get "tetchy" if I'm not wearing it though!

Snow3y

I don't see why anyone would spend so much money on something so simple to be honest.

Sued0nim

TyronnePanaino wrote: »

I don't see why anyone would spend so much money on something so simple to be honest.

I credit my fitbit with a lot of my commitment ...I'm a data and tech geek and love apps and graphs ...it motivates me to move more when not working out and helps widen my diet

I used the flex for 5 months no problem and then downgraded to a zip because I wanted one I could clip in my bra and start to wear bracelets again

I wear mine every single day and I still love it ...I have an HRM too for workouts

Kevalicious99

The Flex sucks (just being honest) ... there are much better (even Fitbit) units out there. It is extremely basic .. not even a real usable display. You are much better off to buy a Charge / Charge HR.

Qskim

Kevalicious99 wrote: »

The Flex sucks (just being honest) ... there are much better (even Fitbit) units out there. It is extremely basic .. not even a real usable display. You are much better off to buy a Charge / Charge HR.

Actually, the last of display I agree with. It's what I miss about the One. I like that I can wear the flex in shower and not think about it. The One went through the wash (clipped onto bra).

Having said that though, where I am, so too is my phone n app and flex. So I can look at the numbers whenever.

MeanderingMammal

TyronnePanaino wrote: »

I don't see why anyone would spend so much money on something so simple to be honest.

I have a similar view, but for lots of people who don't do much training these toys seem to be very motivating.

That said, there is a lot of nonsense talked about just how useful they are. As with any tool they need to be used appropriately, they're not some kind of magic bullet.

Velum_cado

I haven't used either, but I'm holding out for the Jawbone Up 3. Seems like it will have more relevant features than the 24 or Flex

JustSomeEm

I have an UP (NOT a 24), and they do tend to break. I'm on my third one. HOWEVER, their customer service is fantastic. I bought one, it started having issues, I contacted customer service and it was replaced with little hassle. That one broke, and was again replaced. I believe they come with a warranty (or they did when I bought mine). I love it so much that I fully intend to get another one when/if this one stops working - especially since they have such fantastic customer service.

I also had a fitbit (force?) the one that caused rashes on some folks, but had to return it as I was one of the lucky ones to get a rash. I liked it as well. It had the ability to tell you how many flights of stairs you walked in addition to sleep and steps, but I noticed that it often missed them (I live in a 2 story house with a basement - I do flights of stairs ALL the time).

Both of them sync with MFP, but of the two of them, I prefer the Up since it does everything I need it to do, and it actually looks sorta like a fashion accessory rather than a watch. AND I love their customer service.

Good luck, and have fun picking out your new gadget!

SimonCypher

I'm waiting for the FitBit Charge HR to be released here in the UK. I've purchased FitBit Aria which will track my weight and log automatically. I admit these may not help me reach my goal but I'm hoping they will.

Sued0nim

I like my "toys"

I also train hard and regularly (one of my favourite "toys" is my PT but I think he might object to being called a toy )

People do what works for them

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

TyronnePanaino wrote: »

I don't see why anyone would spend so much money on something so simple to be honest.

I have a similar view, but for lots of people who don't do much training these toys seem to be very motivating.

That said, there is a lot of nonsense talked about just how useful they are. As with any tool they need to be used appropriately, they're not some kind of magic bullet.

FaylinaMeir

my two cents:

I bought one and it's uncomfortable to wear if you aren't used to watches or something. I hurt my skin and the sleep thing didn't work right. but most importantly the "step counter" or exercise thing is WAY WAY off. I was sitting in one spot and it was counting me as moving. Me using the mouse or keyboard doesn't count as a "step" . Also I found when I did count steps it was also double or triple what I really did. It gives you a false sense of "calories burned".

If you need something to hold you accountable, might I just suggest a piece of string? It basically works just as good.

I'm considering the charge hr when it comes out, but I dunno. I returned my flex.

LivingtheLeanDream

My Fitbit Flex is currently not working but I have to say I wouldn't be without it and am waiting on a replacement. I did however look into alternatives, if the Flex hadn't been covered under warranty , the Jawbone UP was almost half the price! I have MFP friends who love the UP and I know if I were to have to buy another tracker I would look seriously into it. They all seem to work very similarly.

My tracker certainly motivates me to get moving, I've went from being a typically 8000 steps a day kinda gal to a 17000 steps a day and whats even better, I'm being rewarded in more ways than just fitness - I'm earning shopping vouchers via it linking with bounts.it app - what more incentive does a gal need eh

HaibaneReki

"Fitbit Flex" Worth the hype? - Yup.

Though I would much prefer being handed the Surge, obviously

MeanderingMammal

rabbitjb wrote: »

I like my "toys"

I also train hard and regularly (one of my favourite "toys" is my PT but I think he might object to being called a toy )

People do what works for them

They seem to be a bit cultish as well. People seem to challenge any contrary view

sheepotato

I have a fitbit ultra, it's much less useful to me today than it was in 2012 when I picked it up. That's mostly because my habits have improved and I have different things to motivate me now.

I can credit the fitbit to helping me become more incidentally active during the day (since I work a desk job) and having an easier time at first with calorie restriction because it gave me the option to eat more or less by adjusting my daily calories. I still think MFP played a much bigger role in my initial success, but motivation was a big part of it so I still think fitness trackers are good for people who are just starting out. When I first got the fitbit I would walk around the block at night if I was close to reaching a different step plateau for the day. Or I would go out of my way to take the stairs because it counted flights of stairs and there were not any stairs involved in my normal day. I stopped caring about the stair count when it gave me 14 flights while out hiking.


Fitbits and their equivalent are nice if you;

• have a desk job or a sedimentary daily life and want something to motivate you to take extra steps in the day
• set your activity level to sedimentary and want to see your daily calories adjusted based on how much activity you actually do
• Are okay with your cardio (walking, treadmills, elliptical etc) being estimated by steps instead of with using a HRM (it's not a huge difference in their estimates but for people who own both most people take off their step trackers in favor of wearing a HRM)
• Don't mind spending more money on something for the sake of convenience (You can get a pedometer for less than $10, or a free step counting app on your phone or you can get one that syncs up for $50-$600)
• You enjoy being able to look back and see a record of your activity and progress. The more active you already are the less this will be useful.

I like fitness gadgets because I like to see data, I find it motivating to see progress. When I first bought my fitbit I used money I would have spent on at Starbucks for it so I saved myself a lot of liquid calories that month by getting one.

Peacefulhooligan

I have to admit, I got one for Christmas from my wife as i had mentioned buying one several times but never got around to it.And boy was I surprised by the motivation it has given me, it is tremendous, the first thing I do when I get up in the morning is check my sleep,or when I get back from walking the dogs, exercising etc is check how I am doing, if I have not hit my target, I then plan activities so that I do. I would highly recommend this as a motivational tool for those starting out on the fitness trail for the first time or getting back into fitness after a long break

yogsothoth

My wife has a Flex. She has only used it for about a month but it is working OK. It was $100 at Costco.

I have decided to try the next one from Jawbone, the Up 3. It uses a different kind of sensor, and it is also smaller than the Up 24 and completely waterproof. It won't be out for a month or two though.

I have read that the $50 Up Move is OK if all you want is a very basic tracker.

Before buying anything you need to decide what features you really want. Activity monitoring, sleep monitoring, alarm, HR tracking, HR tracking during exercise, GPS...? The bands that do it all cost more and are bigger. The fewer features you need, the more options you will have.

williams969

I have the Zip, since I could see no need to pay double to wear a fugly (IMO) rubber bracelet, and I could care less about something monitoring my sleep. As far as I can tell, the Fitbit software and website (and phone app) interface is identical across all models. The exceptions are only if your model doesn't track sleep or stairs.

Works fine, does what I want it to do, which is track my steps and make pretty charts. Sure, I can make my own charts and enter data manually into a spreadsheet from data collected from my free phone pedometer app. I did exactly that for 3 months before my Fitbit. But I do feel $50 is money well spent to have Fitbit software do it for me automatically.