FITBIT - FLEX OR CHARGE?

julesderamos

Which one between FLEX and CHARGE would you suggest and why? Thank you.

PinkPixiexox

I have a flex and it 'does the job' for me
I use it to keep an eye on what my daily maintenance calories are. It's been really useful for me. I would like a Charge HR as it is more accurate with exercise etc - however it's a little too bulky on my small wrists so I'm sticking with the flex for now!

Stefie_G

I had a Flex for years, and then upgraded to the Charge last December. I find it very motivating to see my step count right there on my wrist. I definitely prefer the Charge. The only downfall to the Charge, for me, is that it doesn't seem as durable as the Flex. I have a physical job, and I've already broken the button on the side and part of the screen - it still works though!

Maxematics

I had a Flex in 2013 and I have a Charge HR now. I liked the Flex when I had it, but I love the Charge HR even more. I love seeing my exact step count instead of a dot for every 2,000 steps. I love having a heart rate monitor built in, as well as calorie burn displayed, floors climbed, etc. It has been such a useful tool in my progress. It looks bulky in photos but I wear a small and it really does not stick out on my wrist at all. It's barely noticeable and my shirt sleeves go over it easily. Amazon is selling the Charge HR for $119 right now and the Flex for $99. To get all of those extras for $20 more is a no brainer.

Stefie_G wrote: »

I had a Flex for years, and then upgraded to the Charge last December. I find it very motivating to see my step count right there on my wrist. I definitely prefer the Charge. The only downfall to the Charge, for me, is that it doesn't seem as durable as the Flex. I have a physical job, and I've already broken the button on the side and part of the screen - it still works though!

Did you contact Fitbit Customer Service about this? I've had my Charge HR since July and my button broke and the back piece cracked when I removed it from the charger last week. I contacted Fitbit, spoke to a rep and, within five minutes and a little bit of information, they sent a new Charge HR to me for free. It came in two days and now everything is all good again. This was much easier than the hassle they gave me back in 2013 when my Flex stopped working after two months.

Stefie_G

synacious wrote: »

Did you contact Fitbit Customer Service about this? I've had my Charge HR since July and my button broke and the back piece cracked when I removed it from the charger last week. I contacted Fitbit, spoke to a rep and, within five minutes and a little bit of information, they sent a new Charge HR to me for free. It came in two days and now everything is all good again. This was much easier than the hassle they gave me back in 2013 when my Flex stopped working after two months.

I didn't even think to contact customer service. I may have had it for too long now, but I will call them and see what they say. Thanks for the tip!

julesderamos

Did any of you have experienced at some point issues with syncing, either with The Fitbit platform and/or MFP?

Stefie_G

julesderamos wrote: »

Did any of you have experienced at some point issues with syncing, either with The Fitbit platform and/or MFP?

I haven't had any syncing issues with either (Flex or Charge).

trina1049

Hi, I have a Fitbit Charge HR and love it. It's helped me become way more active overall and I love tracking my sleep because I used to have issues with getting a full night's sleep. I use it to track everything, including my gym exercise -- I checked it against my Polar FT 7 heart rate monitor and they were pretty much the same so big plus marks for accuracy in my opinion. I quit using the heart rate monitor to track cardio and just went with the Fitbit.

Additionally, any problems that have come up with my Charge HR were taken care of immediately by Customer Service (through online contact). The only issue I find with all these trackers is that you have to charge them frequently. When my Charge HR wouldn't hold a charge Fitbit replaced it for free.

Syncing is only a problem when either MFP or Fitbit have an issue and that's only happened once since April of this year. It was corrected by MFP. I frequently force sync to track my calorie burns and the longer you wear it the more accurate it becomes. Honestly, I am so glad that I spent the money on the darn thing. I've lost 51 lbs and have only 4-5 lbs left to go til maintenance. Best thing I ever did. I love balancing my calories in and calories out with that sucker.

CooCooPuff

julesderamos wrote: »

Did any of you have experienced at some point issues with syncing, either with The Fitbit platform and/or MFP?

I had an issue with syncing to the app yesterday, probably because of the updates to exercise tracking. There have also been times where Fitbit doesn't sync with MFP to change the adjustments, but it's not the norm.
There are ways to fix it and customer support is pretty great if there's an issue with your device:
https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/My-tracker-is-not-syncing-with-the-Fitbit-app-for-iOS
http://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1427466-what-if-data-doesn-t-appear-to-be-syncing-from-fitbit-to-myfitnesspal

As for which Fitbit, I don't have any experience with a Flex, but I do prefer being able to see my data on the device. There are also the Zip and the One to consider. I had a One before I moved onto the ChargeHR and would recommend both. My only issue with the Zip is the fact that it needs batteries!

TheBeachgod

I've had a Flex for almost a year and I like it. I wear it all the time so I don't really notice it. I've never had any issues with it. I recently started logging onto the Fitbit site again and synching MFP & my Flex as well as getting a TrendWeight account. Fun stuff to see the numbers move around. I was 900 steps away from my goal before I went to bed last night so I went outside for a quick walk and knocked the rest of it out. You'll be surprised how many steps you take just doing day-to-day stuff.

Misspinklift

Get the one that has the heart monitor. It is perfect to tell you how your HR is during work out

Ready2Rock206

I have the Charge - not the one with the HR monitor - I prefer it over the flex because you can see your steps without having to look at your phone. And it has a watch built in. It also has caller ID so if the phone rings while I'm working out I can see who it is and if I need to stop or not without having to run over to my phone.

LeeMay63

Just got the charge and love it...check out HSN if you want monthly payments.

julesderamos

Thank you everyone for taking the time to answer my questions. I am now the proud owner of a Charge HR.

takingcareofus

Congrats. Hope it's motivational in your journey!

julesderamos

takingcareofus wrote: »

Congrats. Hope it's motivational in your journey!

Thanks ;-) Takingcareofus:-)

fidangul

This has helped me loads too. Thanks.

Nikkei74

Good choice! The data is much more interesting, plus the Flex falls off so easily that I lost two before getting my Charge HR.

cindytw

I got the Flex after having a One, because the Charge and Charge HR look really big to me. I had not worn anything on my wrist in a very long time due to scar tissue from a wall scraper incident. I had to get used to having anything on me at all, let alone something large. I also do like that you can change Flex bands with your outfit, although I am sure I would like the Charge HR features.

melody812

Good to read all your comments. I have been thinking about to get a Fitbit too.