Fitbit to buy or not to buy?

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  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    edited February 2016
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    I had a handmedown Jawbone Up (original) for some months, before it went psychotic. I see some are available on
    Amazon for $20. The charge lasts about a week, charges by USB, synchs through the headphone jack on your smart.

    They replaced it with a Jawbone Up Move, and I like it.
    The Move can be a wrist band or clipped on your belt, the battery lasts up to 6 months, says it's "splash-resistant"
    (shower, caught in the rain) but don't take it swimming.
    I like it not only for the step counter, but the sleep tracker. I can show my doctor a graphic of how poorly I sleep,
    when I wake up, the deep/light sleep cycles. And I found out that even if I don't tell it "I'm going to bed now", it
    will track sleep anyway!
    It does have a workout tracker, so it counts how many minutes you go, and can do an estimate of calories burned.
    You do need a smart phone (or at least a smart) with bluetooth & fairly up to date Android.
    Costs about $50.
  • coreyreichle
    coreyreichle Posts: 1,039 Member
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    I'd say yes, it is worth it.

    However, depending on the focus of your activity, there might be something better. I'm largely a runner, with a healthy dose of walking. The Garmin Vivoactive is great, as it's also a top-notch smart watch. It's a far better running watch than anything Fitbit has in it's lineup.

    However, if you're largely a walker, or don't need the details a running watch would give you, a Fitbit Charge HR is a great buy.
  • mkleesp
    mkleesp Posts: 15 Member
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    I've had the Fitbit flex for about a year and absolutely love it. It syncs very well with MFP and I'm planning to upgrade to the Charge HR soon.
  • jeepinshawn
    jeepinshawn Posts: 642 Member
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    I agree with what the majority have said, the fitbit is great. I have the charge, and love it. Perhaps the best thing about it is that it gives you your TDEE for that day, and for me anyway it is surprising how much that can vary from day to day. It helps keep me motivated to keep moving through out the day.
  • darrinotoole
    darrinotoole Posts: 24 Member
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    Got one last month and it's been a great motivator to my overall fitness.
  • bailey3199
    bailey3199 Posts: 7 Member
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    mmteixeira wrote: »
    I have a Charge HR - I use it for "timed sessions" - when doing P90x3, 21 Day Fix or just running on the treadmill I start a timed session. This tracks my heart rate among other things during the session. Once done, I stop the session. When I sync it, I have an approximate count of calories based on my heart rate during the session. I can then add the session to MyFitnessPal with a reasonably approximate calorie count.

    I plan to start running this Spring (once the weather breaks) and I might consider a Surge (for the GPS). I have only had Fitbits so I can't compare but the HR does exactly what I want from it...

    I considered getting a fit bit for a more accurate calorie burn tracker on elliptical... Right now I use MFP to determine.. If I only want a fit bit for that reason would you recommend?
  • DjRichP06
    DjRichP06 Posts: 5 Member
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    I had the Fitbit charge HR, but returned it for a Polar m400 with the included heart rate monitor. I couldn't be happier
  • kuranda10
    kuranda10 Posts: 593 Member
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    ^^ I can't figure out how to quote two at once, but the two above me ...

    This is where it comes down to HOW you want to use the monitor and WHAT you want it for.

    For ONLY the elliptical and you don't care about the rest of the day, I'd go a HR strap.
    For me, I want my full TDEE and all my steps. Not just specific runs, lifting sessions etc. I can't wear a HR strap 24/7.
  • Kapoten
    Kapoten Posts: 327 Member
    edited February 2016
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    @bailey3199, I got a Fitbit Charge HR for exactly that purpose. I work out on the elliptical machine 5-6 days per week, and the heart rate monitor is great for gauging the intensity of my workouts. I also have a Fitbit Flex, but it just counts the number of "steps" in your elliptical workout, which I didn't find to be especially accurate or helpful. I love my Charge HR and have worn it nearly every day for a few months now.

    Edited to add: With the Charge HR, you push a button on the device at the beginning and end of your workout, and it tallies up your calorie burn and average heart rate for you. If you engage in steady cardio for 15+ minutes (I believe the time threshold is adjustable), it will also automatically create a workout entry for you.
  • bailey3199
    bailey3199 Posts: 7 Member
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    @kapoten thank you so much! Very helpful.

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