Fitbit and similar info required

roxylola

Hello
Hope the good folks (or bad ones I am not fussy) of mfp can help me out here.
A friend wants to get his partner something like a fitbit type device for her birthday (she has been hinting). There are a wide variety of things out there and it is hard to know what is best for her needs,
What does the top of the range do that a cheap one won't?
Will anything sync with an iphone?
She is not a gym goer but does a reasonable amount of walking and does sort of keep some eye on what she eats.
Please nothing saying it's a waste of money (my private opinion) she really wants one!

myfatass78

Its not a waste of money at all. I'm using a Fitbit Flex and lost 3kg in the first month. It sets goals for exercise and eating, tracks sleep and keeps me motivated. So if she is just walking lots, that would be suitable. If you wanted to go further and get a higher model Fitbit, they tracks things like heart rate, can warn you about incoming calls on your phone (not sure how that works), and tracks how many calories you have burned on the fitbit screen (the fitbit flex doesn't do that). Most of them sync with Iphone but do your research first.

MeanderingMammal

I'm in the meh, waste of money camp, however I guess the key question is around what the budget is, and what she hopes to get from it.

I'm a Garmin user, so from a personal perspective I'd probably veer towards the vivofit, but I think the main advantage that it has is the visual alert/ move prompt. The vivofit learns activity levels, so increases/ decreases the step challenge based on achievement, rather than an arbitrary 10k steps target.

The next generation dvices with embedded HRMs are of little value if she's not doing any other CV activities. The HRM function is gimmicky at the best of times.

Other than that I wouldn't say there was much in it.

As she's walking the Forerunner 15 might be of interest, that's a GPS tracker with a pedometer built in, rather than a pedometer with gimmicky functionality.

Ruthhc1

Hello. Ive had a fitbit flex since last May. Im very happy with it. Its easy to use and does everything I need. Ive paired it with MFP and Map My Run. I had no problems syncing it with my Samsung Galaxy phone. It logs my sleep and steps but I use MFP to log my food as it has a bigger database. You can also set a vibrating alarm on it as a reminder or to wake you up. You can even buy different coloured wristbands. My son and his girlfriend both have the Jawbone which is synced to their iPhones but it was more expensive and I can't see that it does anymore than mine. Hope this helps.

KarenJanine

I love my Fitbit One and don't consider it a waste of money.

I like that it motivates me to get off my a** more during the day.
I like the vibrating alarm - wakes me up without a startling noise.
I like that it syncs with my iPhone (in syncs wirelessly to all models from 4s onwards)
I like that it syncs with MFP

I am definitely tempted to upgrade to one of the newer models. Whether it's worth getting a top of the range ones depends on your friend's preferred exercise activities. The Charge HR (mid-range) includes a heart rate monitor to give a better estimation of calorie burns for non-stepping activities (e.g. cycling, aerobics, etc). The Surge (currently only pre-order in UK and top of range) also has a GPS which she may like if she does lots of hiking, running or cycling.

Quasita

I use a BodyMedia Link. It tracks:
24/7 by the second calorie burn based on body temperature and sweat, as well as steps and activity intensity
Sleep, monitored by motion and body temperature, and differentiates between "laying down" and full on sleeping.
Syncs with iPhone and Android through free app and Bluetooth.
Syncs with Windows and Mac via USB
Has an activity manager that provides very detailed graphical analysis of sleep and activity cycles, steps, has multiple tools and can provide training suggestions, hints for improving food, etc.
Syncs very well with MFP, auto-adjusts intake and output amounts reliably. It collects data from MFP to get your intake numbers if you don't want to enter it in both places.
Can track bicycle riding and lifting burns (this is something fitbit cannot do)

Lots of valuable information, based on your own vitals, rather than a standard calculation.

Anymore, it is financially equal really. The only money difference is really just that BML has a low subscription fee. It can be canceled anytime though, and I found it a very worthwhile investment.

I tried working with tools like Fitbit before, but the numbers were always off. I gave this a try, and followed the personalized numbers religiously, and ended up losing a lot of weight right off. Love it! I can also probably get a coupon code for referral if anyone needs it.

Anything is better than nothing, in my opinion. Many people on this site swear by some device or another. I just chose this one because it would accurately track sedentary minutes (since I work at a desk).

roxylola

Thanks, interesting stuff already!

roxylola

Bumping for more opinions and info

Sls2bhealthy

I have had my Fitbit Flex for well over a year...close to two actually. I love it. I am actually going to be getting a Fitbit Charge HR for my birthday next month....I can't wait! It is far from a waste of money. It keeps me motivated and that is worth it's weight in gold.

emalethmoon

I've got a fitbit zip. It's the cheapest model they offer, but I like it. I don't have to wear it as a bracelet; I clip it to my bra or my waistband. It will sync with iphone, android, and (my beloved) Windows phone. It doesn't measure sleep, heart rate, or stairs climbed, but it measures enough for me.

Raynne413

If her main form of activity is walking, take a look at the FitBit Charge HR. The heart rate sensor works great for lighter activities, just not so great for anything with intervals or really high heart rates (HIIT, kickboxing, etc). It also tracks sleep automatically, has silent alarm options, works with the iPhone, and will notify you of incoming calls.

Unfortunately for me, I do interval style workouts, so I use a separate heart rate monitor for workouts and then the HR for the rest of the day.