Fitbit which one?

cyberblonde

Hi all,

Thinking of getting one for my Birthday. Which one would you advise getting? Is it worse paying extra to get the Surge? Does it intergrate with myfittnesspal?

Cheers

mattster414

Personally I like the garmin's vivosmart but I wish it had the Fitbit app although garmin's isn't bad

StaciMarie1974

I have a Fitbit One and love it. BUT I'd say to first take some time and research the features of the various trackers - get an idea of what suits you best.

• Wear on the wrist or clip to the body? Do you have a job that limits what you can wear on your wrist?
• Water resistant, waterproof, or neither?
• Heart rate function built in, pairable with a heart rate monitor, or neither?
• Do you want the info to display on the unit, or is it sufficient to check the app or website for stats? Do you have a compatible phone?

That's just a few things I could think of off the top of my head.

simplydelish2

I HAD a fitbit flex. It is now in the trash. I found it to be inaccurate in every way - from measuring steps to tracking sleep to estimating calories burned. Just not worth what you pay for it.

Good luck on finding what works for you - without spending a fortune!

SmartAlec03211988

I have had the Surge for a few days so far, and it is right on target with my previous tracker, the BodyMedia FIT, which was the most accurate tracker on the market before Jawbone bought them out and got rid of the product line...

In other words, I fully endorse the Surge and think its worth it.

djscavone

StaciMarie1974 wrote: »

I have a Fitbit One and love it. BUT I'd say to first take some time and research the features of the various trackers - get an idea of what suits you best.

• Wear on the wrist or clip to the body? Do you have a job that limits what you can wear on your wrist?
• Water resistant, waterproof, or neither?
• Heart rate function built in, pairable with a heart rate monitor, or neither?
• Do you want the info to display on the unit, or is it sufficient to check the app or website for stats? Do you have a compatible phone?

That's just a few things I could think of off the top of my head.

I agree. I was cheap and had very little demands so I started with the ZIP. Worked great for steps and had the display not just the lights like a flex and I kept it in my pocket. But it used batteries quickly and if I forgot to have a spare I lost a day or two until I got one at the store. Went to a ONE as it had the USB charger and also the display of the steps. The added feature of the START/STOP activity timer was nice. My first ONE was a bust as inaccurate in every way possible but I was able to get a free replacement from FITBIT.

So for $50 a ZIP or $99 a ONE. I don't need a heart monitor or any of the other expensive features.

_runnerbean_

I've got the fitbit zip- it syncs with MFP and seems to be accurate (have checked it on races and with mapmyrun). It clips to my bra and it's very small. I think it's the cheapest fitbit. It doesn't log sleep patterns but from what I have read some people have problems with the wrist ones logging motion such as driving as steps which makes it less accurate.

jmckennon68

Had fitbits and can't stand having to charge every few days and having to go to phone to see results. Got Garmin vivofit and battery lasts 1 to 2 years and you can check steps on device without phone. Love it and would never use anything else again.

1_meatball

I bought the Surge last Friday and I am loving it.
I have just started walking everywhere so it's great to see how inactive I was and how active I am now.
.
The display gives you a quick update of where you are but I prefer the app to analyse properly.
I didn't think I needed the heart rate monitor but thought I would splash out now for when I do lose enough weight to start toning up. The HRM tells you how long you have been in the fat burn zone or the cardio zone in your workout.£120 is a lot of money but I consider a superb investment.
Good luck with your choice.

1_meatball

Charge HR not surge
Apologies

ryanbrowning115

I have a fitbit and love it.

skylark94

I started with Ultra when they first came out and am now using a One. I have no complaints.

I personally think the bracelet or watch types are ugly, so I like that the One can be clipped to my bra or waistband and go unnoticed. I charge it every Saturday night and wear it 23.5 hours per day (it's not waterproof, so it has to come off for showers).

pixelatedsun

I have a Flex, and I find it to be accurate and lovely. It really motivates me to get up and move throughout the day. That said, I don't eat back calories I burn from exercise so I pay no mind to the calories I "earn" over the course of the day.

rtrels

I have the flex. Works a treat. I have it linked with MFP and it updates regularly during the day and I have negative adjustments on. I find it motivating so far. I was very sedentary and I am aiming for 10K steps a day for the next 4 weeks with the view to steadily increase there after and move into running after I get a good walking base going.
Anyhoo.... the flex gets my vote and its relatively inexpensive compared to some of the others.

DeEtteN

I have the Fitbit charge HR and though I enjoy it, I find it to not be very accurate. I can't wear it if I am using my arms a lot, like blow drying my hair. Plus when I'm on the treadmill it seems the only thing accurate is the time of my work out, which is based on the heart rate monitor. It does keep me motivated to move but I am disappointed because I always thought they were much more accurate.

ibamosaserreinas

I got a fitbit flex a week ago. It is super inaccurate. When on the treadmill or running in the park I tend to hold my arms at about a 90 degree angle at my sides and it only registers about half of my steps. So as a distance tracker it totally sucks.

It is fairly accurate for normal walking as long as you are not carrying anything in your hands and your arms are swinging at your sides.

staceyycaddy

I got a Fitbit Flex for Christmas. I find it reasonable. Like with any pedometer type device, it's never going to be 100% accurate. My biggest gripe is that it doesn't have a UK Food Database and I can't get My Fitness Pal to successfully sync with the Fitbit App.
But for it's worth, I would shop around and read reviews. The Fitbit Charge is the next up from the Flex.
I did look at Fitbits, Jawbones, Misfits, Garmins etc But like it's mentioned above by someone, it boils down to needs and preferences. If you like to swim, Misfits are waterproof, Fitbits, not so much.
Oh and the clasp on the flex does have a habit of coming loose.

:-)

bimpski

I started with the ultra. now I have the one. love it. you clip it to your clothes or put it in your pocket. you charge it on your computer and the charge lasts for over a week. you can see all your totals on the device at any time as well as on the fitbit website. I got my mom a flex for Christmas. you wear it on your wrist. you also charge it on the computer but the charge doesn't last as long as the one. the flex doesn't count floors like the one does and you can't see any of your progress on the device. syncing with mfp is frustrating. sometimes it works great, other times not so much. but it's easy to fix. you just disconnect the app then reconnect it.

NancyN795

I had a One until I washed it on New Year's Eve. I loved it. I'd been thinking that I would upgrade to a Charge HR after it had been out for a few months, so washing my One pushed up my schedule for buying the HR to ASAP. (On Jan. 10, two days before my HR arrived, my One came back to life.) I really hated not having an activity tracker for those 10 days that my One was dead.

I originally bought the One (in Nov. 2013) because I didn't have to wear it on my wrist, but I have to admit that it is nice to not have to remember to move my FitBit when I change clothes. I like the heart rate function although it really isn't essential - my One seemed to estimate about the same calorie burn each day. The display on the Charge HR seems to be fairly easily scratched, which wasn't the case with the One.

Another reason I chose the One over the Flex is that I wanted the display. Especially since the phone I had at the time wasn't compatible with the FitBit, so if I'd gotten a Flex the only way to see my data would have been to be at my computer.

I didn't want a Surge because I thought it was just too big. I couldn't imagine having that on my wrist. The Charge HR is much smaller. I also don't need the extra features of the Surge.

StaciMarie1974 had a pretty good list of things to consider.

cmalc1982

I just got the surge last week and it pretty much ticks all the boxes for a fitness and lifestyle tracker;

- Design: comfortable whilst also stylish enough that I can wear it as a day 'watch' (with different face options available as part of the software) a large will fit most adult wrists with a generous amount of punches for variance in size/comfort
- Features: the heart rate monitor so far has been excellent, as has the gps tracker - all encompassed in the watch itself
- Application(s): possibly could do with some upgrades on the tablet model for Fitbit app itself (some of the charting is a bit simplistic) but still gives a reasonable breakdown of activity while the integration with apps like my lifestyle and map my run is pretty decent for the calorie tracking, route planning etc

The only thing I haven't got working much is the text/phone call notifications as I have an iPhone 4 (never seen/had any need to upgrade) so I'm not sure the Bluetooth hooks support it - still under a week using it though so might just need a fiddle

Overall I'd say it's worth the extra cash - and still comes in under most of the garmin forerunner watches as the alternative gps watches I was considering (who would require a chest/polar hrm)

down_ell_beez

I recently got the Fitbit Surge. I both like it and have some reservations with it.

What I like:

• Heart Rate Monitor built in the wrist. I've used chest straps that pair with a watch, but I didn't like the inconvenience of having to wear the strap. I love being able to see my Heart Rate tracked through the entire day. I didn't realize when I worked out my heart rate stays elevated for a couple hours afterwards. I recently played 90 minutes of racquetball with an average HR of 146, it then to about 3 hours for my HR to get back to my resting HR of 50-60. It is also nice to see what your resting HR is, which they take from your sleep/early morning HR. So far the HR seems accurate, as it matches my Blood Pressure monitor within a few points. I will say, (and the online reviews do as well) that it is a lagging monitor, so if you jump down and rip out 50 push-ups and stand back up, you probably won't see much of a difference, then about 15-30 seconds later it will move up to your actual hr. I think this has something to do with the LED technology as well as the wrist placement versus a strap on your heart.
• GPS built in. This is why I bought the Surge and not the Charge HR (which I bought for my wife). I like hiking, running, biking so it is nice to have a GPS on your wrist so that I don't have to carry my phone and use Strava. If you don't want or need GPS, I'd go with the Charge HR.
• I like the way it looks. I can't lie, the other HR monitor watches looks really 80's. Something that your Dad would be wearing in an old family pic. The Surge has a nice modern look, and I don't feel weird at all to wear it to work or in public. (I do work as a professional in the Tech world, so I guess these gadgets are probably more accepted.)
• Ease of use. The touch screen and simple buttons make the usage very simple. You can quick flip through your stats (HR, Cals Burned, Floors, Steps, etc) and jump into exercising tracking mode.
• Calories burned during an activity (run, lift weights, etc) jive with calculators online and seem to be accurate. It's nice because my intense workouts show that I burned more calories, while easy workouts show less burn. Therefore, I feel like I can moderate my calorie intake better.
• Link with your phone. I like that watch alerts me when I receive a text or call. I'm bad about leaving my phone on silent, then missing important calls. With the Surge, I can leave my phone on silent permanently and when I get a call, my Surge will vibrate allowing me to see if I need to answer or not.
• Water Resistant. While I wish it were water proof!! it is only resistant, I did fall into a river while fishing the other day (fully submerged the watch) and jumped out and dried it off immediately. It has not had any issues, so it is fairly resistant.
• Sleep tracking is.

What I wish was better:

• Water Proof - I can't swim with it on.
• Calories burned throughout the day seem ridiculously high. The activity burn seems great, but just working, walking and normal daily activity adds calories to my BMR to the Tune of 1000-1500 calories, which seems crazy. I want to lose 2 lbs a week, 1000 cal deficit, with those extra calories I would be eating 3000 calories a day. Hopefully they can adjust their algorithms in the future to adjust these. If you look at any BMR calculator that adds in guess calories from daily activity (think sedentary, moderate, physical) most only add about 1000 calories if you work a very physically demanding job.
• They don't currently have a Biking exercise mode! Why have a GPS that can't track your biking... LAME. Support page says this feature is coming, and it will be able to link to your strava account.
• The MFP link works great. It's automated, and adjusts your calories according to your cals burned. However, I wish there were more options. The only setup they have is that your Food logs push to Fitbit app, and your Calories Burned push from FitBit to MFP. Theoretically this is good, but because I don't believe the calories burned through normal activities is correct, it ends up offsetting my daily MFP allowance to be wayyyy to high. If they let you only sync logged Fitbit activities that would be awesome. Which is what I do manually. After a few days having my accounts synced, I disconnected them, and just add work out calories from FitBit and track food and calories left from MFP.
• I wish that the activity summaries had more

Overall, I would buy the Surge again.

FatFreeFrolicking

Flex

coffeebrown83

ryanbrowning115 wrote: »

I have a fitbit and love it.

Ditto. I want the HR one, but I'll let them perfect it before I dive in. I currently have a flex. I also had a Fitbit one, but I wanted a wrist tracker.

stitterrell

I have a Fitbit Flex and the Fitbit scales. I found that once I had set up the Fitbit properly (stride etc) it was okay from an accuracy perspective (these devices are never 100%). The app is okay, although I think it could be far slicker.. But it does what you need and give you main stats on the homescreen (which you can edit and reorder). What let the device down for me was how quickly the wristbands started looking tatty and not suitable for work (maybe 6 weeks before I was quite conscious of it). Unfortunately the replacement bands weren't on sale in NZ at the time, and not was I prepared to spend money on replacement bands every couple of months.

I decided to spend up and buy the Jawbone UP Wireless a year ago and have never looked back. The app is slick, the battery takes 1 hour to charge and lasts a massive 2 weeks(!), the accuracy is probably on par with Fitbit. The bands aren't replaceable but I have worn mine all day everyday for 1 year and it still looks great and perfectly fine for work. The only draw back is that it's only splash proof so I have to take off when showering.

I still use the Fitbit scales and app and am really happy with the scales. But when it comes to the wearable device I found the Jawbone to be a superior product. You could always wait for the Apple watch though if you're an Apple user. It'll cost quite a bit more but the user ability sound be great.

cjbrummet

I use the vivofit. I like it. It is waterproof and you don't have to recharge it. Batteries last about a year. I like it because I have the forerunner 15 GPS watch and I have all my activities together. They both sync with MFP.

The only down side is the Vivofit does not do HR. It counts your steps, it warns you when you have been sitting too long, it is waterproof, it logs your sleep activity (I don't use because I work nights and don't like wearing it while I sleep) and it also functions as a watch. You can press a button to see how many steps or how far in miles you have walked from the device as opposed to waiting until you sync with the computer.

Price is anywhere between $99-$129. 129 is the regular price but I have seen them on sale lately. Also the band can be interchanged so you can have alternate colors to wear.

tracydaniels5074

rtrels wrote: »

I have the flex. Works a treat. I have it linked with MFP and it updates regularly during the day and I have negative adjustments on. I find it motivating so far. I was very sedentary and I am aiming for 10K steps a day for the next 4 weeks with the view to steadily increase there after and move into running after I get a good walking base going.
Anyhoo.... the flex gets my vote and its relatively inexpensive compared to some of the others.

I agree. I have a flex and I love it. That paired with MFP have given me a whole new insight to weight loss. It holds you accountable, pushes you to achieve your goals. Plus I have a few friends with it now and we challenge each other every week. It's fun, accurate, and was worth the money .

walruslike

One week of Charge HR and I love it.

I keep seeing accuracy complaints but mine seems pretty good. The position on arm is critical if exercising.... Pushed up arm it's been pretty right every time I crossed checked with manual pulse count for ten secs. But I don't get over about 128 because I'm a fat old fart so maybe in higher ranges it's different??

Normal usage anywhere on wrist seems fine 99% time. During exercise any wrist optical will be inaccurate unless pushed up arm where blood flow is more reliable. Sleep tracking is aotomatic and seems accurate. Very informative.

I wish it was waterproof but since it needs to come off for a shower, that's the perfect time to give it a daily 15 minute charge which seems to be all it needs. I want it on 24 hours for sleep tracking so the daily shower thing works out beaut.

The Fitbit ecosystem is fantastic.... The stats displays and friendly steps competition is very motivating.

Can't speak to long term reliability but it seems to a great purchase.

lynder64

I've been using a Fitbit One since November of 2012 (well... I'm on my 3rd Fitbit BUT I now know how NOT to lose it ;-)) I it and it's very accurate!

dougpconnell219

I love my fitbit charge hr, but now I can't find the Damn cord and its dead!

cyberblonde

blueporker wrote: »

I bought the Surge last Friday and I am loving it.
I have just started walking everywhere so it's great to see how inactive I was and how active I am now.
.
The display gives you a quick update of where you are but I prefer the app to analyse properly.
I didn't think I needed the heart rate monitor but thought I would splash out now for when I do lose enough weight to start toning up. The HRM tells you how long you have been in the fat burn zone or the cardio zone in your workout.£120 is a lot of money but I consider a superb investment.
Good luck with your choice.

This is the one I was thinking of getting, it's saying £199 online. Where did you get it for £120?

cyberblonde

NancyN795 wrote: »

I had a One until I washed it on New Year's Eve. I loved it. I'd been thinking that I would upgrade to a Charge HR after it had been out for a few months, so washing my One pushed up my schedule for buying the HR to ASAP. (On Jan. 10, two days before my HR arrived, my One came back to life.) I really hated not having an activity tracker for those 10 days that my One was dead.

I originally bought the One (in Nov. 2013) because I didn't have to wear it on my wrist, but I have to admit that it is nice to not have to remember to move my FitBit when I change clothes. I like the heart rate function although it really isn't essential - my One seemed to estimate about the same calorie burn each day. The display on the Charge HR seems to be fairly easily scratched, which wasn't the case with the One.

Another reason I chose the One over the Flex is that I wanted the display. Especially since the phone I had at the time wasn't compatible with the FitBit, so if I'd gotten a Flex the only way to see my data would have been to be at my computer.

I didn't want a Surge because I thought it was just too big. I couldn't imagine having that on my wrist. The Charge HR is much smaller. I also don't need the extra features of the Surge.

StaciMarie1974 had a pretty good list of things to consider.

I did not realise the surge was much bigger, hard to tell online