FitBit or similar?

schaele

OK so if you have one, which and why do you like it? I intend to get one after I get this baby out of me but I'm stumped about which one I should get.

Or if you have something similar that you like, please tell me all about it.

Kawaichik84

I had a Fitbit Flex for about 16 months. Worked fairly well. I went through 3 bands because they break having to take the tracker out to charge it every 4-5 days. At 16 months it just stopped working and wouldn't accept a charge and I couldn't reset it.

So I switched to Jawbone up24 about 2 months ago. Steps seem more accurate, app is much nicer, battery life is 2 weeks, and has a built-in alarm to remind you to move if you haven't moved recently. Unfortunately only splash resistant so no swimming or showering with it. Also, they just phased it out for the Jawbone 2 which is a different band style.

Both tie in to MFP.

ithinkitsrigged

I recently got into running, so I bought a Garmin Forerunner 15--it's a running watch that also keeps track of your daily steps and sleep like a fitbit would do. It syncs to Garmin Connect, which in turn connects to MFP. It makes keeping track of daily calories much easier/more accurate for me, I think. It's also waterproof, so I don't have to take it off to shower or anything which is nice. I forget it less.

I did a lot of research before buying an activity tracker and the consensus seemed to be that FitBit hands-down has the best software and community of any tracker out there. However, their bands can be a bit flimsy in comparison to others, and the heart rate monitors on the models that have them are not super accurate (but maybe accurate enough if you're not a serious athlete). There are a lot of helpful articles and lists online about how to pick the right activity tracker for you and your needs, whether you are just trying to get more steps every day or you're trying to train for a marathon or triathlon. I would check some of those out before making a decision.

spunkychelsea

I had the fitbit zip. It is a good gateway fitbit. My mom and I switched from that to the fitbit charge hr. I love it. I feel like it's more accurate than the zip. I don't mind wearing it and some I keep it on all the time I can't forget it in my pants like the zip. It has a watch clasp so it's less likely to come off accidentally (I read some other types of bands fall off). I only charge it when I'm in the shower and that's enough to keep it going.

Kristineknits

I have the fitbit charge hr. It has a watch style clasp, but also had continuous HR monitoring which is an interesting metric. If you are super serious into ultra accurate metrics, the reviews suggest more expensive trackers and chest HR bands, but for average cost, it has lots of Bells and whistles- including a buzz notification when you get a call- super nice feature for during a work out.

I also tried the garmin one, it is super light and comfy, but reviews on syncing were not consistent.

phiguru

I have had a fitbit one for over 2 years. I like that I can just clip it on my bra - I have a watch and a bracelet already on my wrist - I couldn't take another thing.

It's been useful to me, but not in the way you might expect. My fitbit helped me to figure out that while I might not walk the same distance as others, I sure do climb a lot of stairs. I had several knee surgeries about 20 years ago and will probably need another. My fitbit can clue me in as to when to take an advil before bed so that I don't wake up in the night in pain. My fitbit can also clue me in to when I'm sick before I really feel it because my activity drops to nearly nothing. I wasn't very clued in - you may not need this kind of feedback, but I did.

RainSerana

Does anyone have a Galaxy S5? I'm using the S Health app that came with it right now, but I have no idea how accurate it is for steps. I work in food service and I feel I'm burning a lot more calories and moving a lot more than S Health reports (usually under 200 calories a day) probably because I slide or sway sideways instead of taking actual steps. Having something clip to clothing would be helpful too since I can't wear a bracelet.

heavncentt

I had a fitbit flex and upgraded to a fitbit charge. I love my charge. The features I use most are: the steps counter, the clock/date on the actual device, the sleep duration counter, the water intake counter, but my all time favorite is the call notifier that comes up on the device screen letting you know who is calling your cell phone. We also got rid of our actual alarm clocks in the bedroom and use our flex's for wake times. So many other great features beside a step counter. And all of it syncs to the fitbit app you can put on our phone.

scubahana

I've got an UP2, bought it in September. I used to have a Withings tracker but it was a bit of a pain and then disappeared (it was so small it was too easy to lose). I did a comparison of bands before buying this one because I wanted something that could track both steps and sleep and had a good charge time.

I wouldn't mind having a few UP friends so I can finally try out the challenge thing!

Star_of_Oryan

I just got a Garmin Vivosmart. So far I like it. Steps seem pretty accurate and it works well with running. It also show you incoming calls and texts which was a selling point for me.

The sleep tracking is great. It's helping me figure out how to sleep better. Apparently my husband keeps me from getting into that deep sleep. The one night he was gone for work, I slept like a rock!

I do wish I could put work outs on it like CT5K, but I just use my phone for that. I also wish it had more alarms than just the one.

I think it's a good starting band and I really like the Garmin Connect app. I know I can do most everything it does on my phone, but it's just not as convenient and seeing it on my wrist motivates me. I may upgrade in a few months, but I might not. For just starting back getting into shape it's working great.