Battle of the Fitbits (and other such devices)

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ghouli
ghouli Posts: 207 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi folks! I don't have any kind of activity tracker thing and am looking to invest in one when I have the money. I've mainly been looking at Fitbits, but eyeing over some of the cheaper alternatives as well.

Right now I'm heavily considering the Fitbit Charge HR because I do want something that monitors heart rate and I like the other features it has.

So basically I'm wondering what device you have, how well you like it, if you wish you would have gotten a different one/are looking to get a different one sometime, etc. All input is appreciated! I'm so indecisive with stuff like this so I like hearing everyone's opinions on the different things out there.

Thank you!
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Replies

  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
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    I have the Garmin Vivosmart and I really like it. I bought my boyfriend the Charge HR and he has no complaints about it. I wanted a chest strap option which is why I chose the Vivosmart versus the Fitbit.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I have a Fitbit Charge HR and have been using it since July. I love it. One thing about Fitbit: their customer service is awesome. My first one developed a crack, I sent them an email, and they sent me a new one within a couple of days. I hadn't even bought it directly from them, but I couldn't have asked for better service.

    You will hear different things about the accuracy of the tracking. I will say that I have been maintaining eating the calories calculated by the Fitbit and it has gone exactly as I expected it to.
  • idioblast
    idioblast Posts: 114 Member
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    I've used a fitbit for the last three years. Started with the One, then the Flex, back to the One and now have a Zip. The Flex was my least favorite model, it just didn't seem as accurate as the One or Zip. I've also tried out the Misfit Shine and the Garmin VivoSmart. The Misfit was pretty, but doesn't have the social aspect of Fitbit and I think Fitbit and MFP work really well together. I still wear my Garmin, but it's mostly for notifications from my phone and GPS during runs/hikes.

    I guess the bottom line is it will take a pretty special device to part me from my Fitbit.
  • laurrpratt
    laurrpratt Posts: 2 Member
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    I love my FitBit! I have the Zip, and my mom has the Charge HR. She loves that, I would have gotten that one but I already wear a Polar HR watch and chest strap when I work out so I only wanted the step aspect. I like FitBit the most because you can also download the app to track, and compete in step challenges with other people that have it, such as friends, family, etc. It's motivating, especially if you're the least bit competitive! I don't use it for the calorie tracking, but it does have other options and you can set it for # of steps you would like to hit per day, or miles, etc. I will also second the comment on the great customer service. I accidentally put my Zip through the washer and it started malfunctioning even after replacing the battery, and they sent me a brand new one! They are definitely the best.
  • Mrsrobinsoncl
    Mrsrobinsoncl Posts: 123 Member
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    I also have the Garmin Vivosmart!! I really like it, I love having the display and leave it on "time" most of the day and use it like a watch, then I can check my steps whenever I want. I got the chest strap heart rate monitor, since I believe they are more accurate than the writst HR monitor. I have the app on my phone and its really easy to sync, it also syncs with MFP so I can track everything in one place !
  • brb2008
    brb2008 Posts: 406 Member
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    I have had my Charge HR for a little less than a year. My only wish is that I had waited to buy it, because now there's a ton of color options! I find the numbers to be a little high (for calorie burn) but honestly I think I just forget how big I am sometimes. I love it, love using it. Just having it on makes me move more!
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
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    I've read that the heartrate function is pretty much only useful for steady-state cardio so that wasn't a big draw for me - I can figure that out in other ways on my runs and it won't be useful for any other gym activity for me. I ended up getting the Fitbit One because I can clip it to my bra and don't have to wear it on my wrist for everyone to see/ruin my work outfits, lol.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    peleroja wrote: »
    I've read that the heartrate function is pretty much only useful for steady-state cardio so that wasn't a big draw for me

    Indeed, all day heart rat tracking is a bit of a gimmick, meaningless for most people, most of the time. But hey it means they sell more units so that's a good thing isn't it...

    Marketeers, third up against the wall come the time of the glorious revolution :)

    Anyway, I don't see a huge utility in a tracker myself, but then I run and cycle a lot so it's of limited value for those.

    I use a Garmin Forerunner to track my running and cycling, and a Vivosmart for all day tracking. I'm not convinced that the Vivosmart tells me anything I didn't know already. If anything it gives me more cals per day than I'd been working on anyway.
  • sheermomentum
    sheermomentum Posts: 827 Member
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    What do you want it to do? Do you want to mainly track steps? Cardio exercise? Indoor? Outdoor? The functionality you want will determine the best choice....
  • jeepinshawn
    jeepinshawn Posts: 642 Member
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    Fitbit charge here, non HR, and I really like it. It keeps me motivated and honest about my activity level, and I just switched to maintenance mode a few weeks ago and have been using the TDEE it calculates as my calorie goal. Seems to be working great and it syncs up with MFP perfectly. I basically use MFP for the food data base and to track my weight and daily calorie input and ocmpare those numbers to my fitbit burn.
  • darcus_kirby
    darcus_kirby Posts: 21 Member
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    I love my Fitbit flex! I'd be lost without it :)
  • ebouchie
    ebouchie Posts: 124 Member
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    Apple Watch Sport since June. Very happy with all of the functionality including the heart rate monitor, Activity and Workout apps. And it keeps pretty good time too.
  • OldAssDude
    OldAssDude Posts: 1,436 Member
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    I started with the Jawbone UP24 and Now have the Garmin fenix3. The fenix3 is the top of the line device for fitness. I needed something that I could create custom activities on, in stead of having a limited number of activities like the other devices do.

    In between the Jawbone and the Garmin I have had several other devices...

    Garmin vivoactive, Fitbit Charge HR, Fitbit Surge, Polar M400, Polar V800, and Basis Peak.

    I think the Garmin, Polar, and Fitbit devices are good, but as I expanded the types of activities I do, I needed something that was more customizable than just a handful of preset activities.

    my advice is to think exactly what you want to use it for, do some research on all the devices that have those features you want, and find videos. You can also download the users guides from the website's which can be helpful.

    If heart rate is important to you, the chest strap monitors are by far the most accurate.
  • RetroPolkaDot
    RetroPolkaDot Posts: 83 Member
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    I got a Misfit Flash last month. I didn't want to spend a lot of money in case the novelty of it wore off. I figured if I used it a lot I could upgrade to something else later. I've been really pleased with it. I only need something that would track steps and general activity.
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
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    I have heard that the wrist wearing Fitbits calculate arm movements as steps. Is that true? I wanted to ask for one for Xmas or my birthday, but I don't want something that will be really inaccurate
  • Protranser
    Protranser Posts: 517 Member
    edited November 2015
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    I am a fitbit charge hr cult member :-) one of the things i do now, in maintenance, is make sure I'm getting a certain amount of cardio done in a week. The charge hr has the ability to track when your heart rate is elevated from exercise.

    So, each week i try to get around 2-3 hours total of cardio heart rate exercise, and upwards of 3.5 hours of "fat burn" heart rate exercise a week.
  • jeepinshawn
    jeepinshawn Posts: 642 Member
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    Kimegatron wrote: »
    I have heard that the wrist wearing Fitbits calculate arm movements as steps. Is that true? I wanted to ask for one for Xmas or my birthday, but I don't want something that will be really inaccurate

    I haven't found that to be accurate with the exception of very fast, hard movements like in exercise. All of the non HR models figure your burn out as if you are sleeping, if you aren't moving of course, so they have a tendency to rate your burn low, after all sitting up and typing or simply standing still burns more calories then laying down right? So I have found that the few "false" steps I have gotten credit for simply make up the difference for the times Im standing still...
  • juliebowman4
    juliebowman4 Posts: 784 Member
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    ghouli wrote: »
    Hi folks! I don't have any kind of activity tracker thing and am looking to invest in one when I have the money. I've mainly been looking at Fitbits, but eyeing over some of the cheaper alternatives as well.

    Right now I'm heavily considering the Fitbit Charge HR because I do want something that monitors heart rate and I like the other features it has.

    So basically I'm wondering what device you have, how well you like it, if you wish you would have gotten a different one/are looking to get a different one sometime, etc. All input is appreciated! I'm so indecisive with stuff like this so I like hearing everyone's opinions on the different things out there.

    Thank you!

    I just got the charge hr.
    I love it!
    I used to have the little clip on Fitbit (the cheapest one that takes a watch battery) but I finally upgraded last week.
    I love all the app features and so many of my friends and family have Fitbit......so we can compete and encourage each other.

  • thunder1982
    thunder1982 Posts: 280 Member
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    As a runner, I love my surge. I had a flex and a force (and burn marks to prove it from the force). I use the GPS functionality with the surge. If you dont want/need GPS the I would get a HR. I bought my step mom one. You still get call/text notifications (which is a big plus for me as my phone is always on silent and or stolen by my kids so I still know when someone is calling).
  • Kimegatron
    Kimegatron Posts: 772 Member
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    jeepinshawn wrote: »
    Kimegatron wrote: »
    I have heard that the wrist wearing Fitbits calculate arm movements as steps. Is that true? I wanted to ask for one for Xmas or my birthday, but I don't want something that will be really inaccurate

    I haven't found that to be accurate with the exception of very fast, hard movements like in exercise. All of the non HR models figure your burn out as if you are sleeping, if you aren't moving of course, so they have a tendency to rate your burn low, after all sitting up and typing or simply standing still burns more calories then laying down right? So I have found that the few "false" steps I have gotten credit for simply make up the difference for the times Im standing still...

    Ah, good to know, because I was wanting the HR for Xmas :D

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