Fitbits?

HaleCry

Are they worth the money?
Are the accurate?
Which one do you prefer?

I've heard lots of good things about the Charge Hr and the flex.
I need something to keep me motivated, but I don't want to spend that amount of money on something that has bad reviews. I don't really trust internet reviews and I want real opinions so I've turned to MFP. What do you think? Yay or nay?

Ammey68

I just recently bought my first Fitbit, a Fitbit Alta, and I LOVE it! I've used several other smart watches before to track exercise, and the Fitbit is far superior for this. I think it tracks my regular activity pretty well (steps throughout the day), and I've found that it has done a good job of recognizing my exercise (runs, aerobic workouts, etc), and it's tracking those well too. I've been using the calorie measurements from my Fitbit as far as how many exercise calories I can eat back, and I've been losing weight pretty consistently as expected.

I'm a little disappointed that the Alta doesn't have a heart rate monitor, but I chose it anyways because I liked how it looked a lot better than the other ones, so it was still the bet option for me. If I didn't like how it looked, I wouldn't wear it, and it would defeat the whole purpose anyways.

abitofbliss

I got a Fitbit and returned it the next day. Personally, I found it a bit phony to track my steps for everyday movement like going to the bathroom or walking to the kitchen. I did really like the HRM on the charge but it wasn't worth it for me, personally. If you are not currently active and you're looking to start moving more then I do highly recommend it. I know it has helped a lot of people.

Ammey68

Oh, and also. I'm the kind of person that generally has a very hard time getting off the couch and keeping up with exercise. The Fitbit has been a huge motivational tool for me, and I've increased my daily steps from about 3,000/day to an average of 8,000/day. If I'm not moving enough, it will vibrate and give me little messages every hour telling me to get up, and I almost always do!

cinnag4225

I was just talking to somebody IRL yesterday about Fitbits. I didn't ask which model she had, but she said she's really happy with it, especially the sleep monitor function. The more I read up on it--even the so-so and negative reviews--the more I'm sold on the idea. Maybe start with a more basic model to get a feel for whether or not it's right for you, and then upgrade later if you feel you'd benefit from the extra features.

AFruit99

I just recently bought a Fitbit Alta (used to have the Charge) and I must say that I love the Alta! Aside from the fact that it reminds you to move, counts steps accurately, and looks best to wear, you can even switch out the bands you wear with it! So far it's done great in tracking my daily activities and it honestly motivates me to move. Just like Ammey68, I've gone from getting 3k steps while at work, to getting 5k before noon. It's a motivator!

marisa1232001

I have the Alta.....I love it! Have only had it a couple of months but as someone said above it kind of makes you want to walk more and stay fit as you are always trying to outdo previous steps. Plus if you are slacking s bit it reminds you to get off your bum and move more. The Alta is dainty and is nice to wear. I've definitely benefitted from having one!

HaleCry

Thanks for all the great replies! I think I'm edging more towards a alta though I do wish it had the HR feature. Also, I live in a small village and only have internet at my house (no 3G/data outside of my house). If I were to take my dogs out, would it still track everything when I got home?

JustMissTracy

I received a Flex for Christmas, and I LOVE mine! You won't regret it!

shadow2soul

HaleCry wrote: »

Thanks for all the great replies! I think I'm edging more towards a alta though I do wish it had the HR feature. Also, I live in a small village and only have internet at my house (no 3G/data outside of my house). If I were to take my dogs out, would it still track everything when I got home?

It only needs internet to sync the data it collects to your account. Fitbit devices hold detailed data for 7 days I believe. So if for any reason you can't sync for 6 days or so, your Fitbit will still have all the information for those days.

irchrismm

I have the Charge HR. i love the 24hr/day heart rate monitor. Plus since my major exercise is walking, it works perfectly for my needs.
I did get mine at best Buy, and got the 2 year replacement plan. I've used it 2 times now. The band De-laminated, and bubbled up. Lasted about 6 months of normal wear. Since the replacements don't cost me anything, I really can't complain.

wwkwag

I use the Garmin Vivofit. I really like it. It's cheaper than the Fitbit, I believe, but it does what I need it to do. Like you, I needed something to keep me motivated to get my 10,000 steps in a day. Also, I don't need to recharge or change the batteries as they last up to a year. It's also water resistant so I can keep it on all the time. Good luck with whatever you choose!

CincyNeid

I'm going to charm in on the Garmin Train as well. Esp the VivoSmart HR, on two facts alone. Water Resistant up to 5 ATMs and full notifications.

SueInAz

I've had a One for 3.5 years and I really love it. It goes nearly 2 weeks between charges and is extremely accurate. There have been several studies done testing different step counting devices including phones and every one I've seen has shown the One to be one of the most, if not the most, accurate. Its display is limited but it syncs up with your phone or computer and you can deep dive on the data there.

My Garmin GPS watch was dying earlier this year and I debated getting one of the Fitbits with the HRM built in but I really like that I can wear my One discretely clipped on my bra instead of my wrist. I ended up buying a new Garmin for my runs and still use my One for everything else.

Krizzle4Rizzle

I have a Fitbit charge HR. I love it. I might upgrade to the Garmin at some point because it's waterproof and I want to start swimming.

heatherheyns

I've had a lot of them. I've had a One, Zip, Flex, Charge Hr, and now have a Blaze. Clearly I like them and feel they are a good investment. It helps me be honest about how active I really am. Before I had one, I didn't realize how sedentary I actually was! Having had data helps me .

As far as accuracy, that depends on the person. You'd have to test t for yourself. Some find it accurate, others not so much. Of course, the only way to know is to log perfectly and check weight loss over a period of time like 6 weeks, to mask fluctuations, and few do that.

rsclause

I started with the Force and now have the blaze. I first got it for motivation but also liked that it would sync to allow more calories if I move around more. Now I just crave that buzz I get at 10K steps.

yesimpson

I have the Flex and really like it. Most of my exercise is running/walking, and you can log other workouts into it to account for the calories burnt. I find these are accurate for me because, over time and through trial and error, I have a good idea of how many calories I can burn during a certain activity, and that I need to sometimes reduce the calories a gym machine tells me I have burnt (this may trip people up who aren't as familiar with MFP over-estimations). It does work well together with MFP to allocate you more calories if and when you exceed the activity level you have set for yourself on here to determine your calorie goal, and takes calories away if you move less than expected, so I think it actually works well as an eye-opener to how sedentary or active you are.

MinnieMay9

I got a FitBit One for my birthday. I like that it can clip on but I usuallu keep it in the tiny pocket of my pants.
The sleep function doesn't work too well for me. However, I do love that you can challenge your friends and it gets me to move more.

HardyGirl4Ever

I have the Flex and the Charge HR and I love them. But now reading these comments I kinda want the Alta! I would love to have something that nudges me to be more active. Plus, I think I read something about automatic exercise tracking. That would be really cool. I was using the Flex and loved it, and loved the fact that it was waterproof and I could wear it in the shower and while swimming. The only thing about it that bothered me is that it didn't display the number of steps I had taken, just the number of dots. I got the Charge HR because of that, and because I wanted the heart rate tracker. Before those I had the Fitbit Classic, and the Fitbit One. I have loved them all.

nuttyfamily

I have had a few of the models. If interested in just steps, the zip is find and accurate. You can wear it on your hip, in a pocket or on your bra.

I also have the Blaze now and like it but it doesn't always pick up all my steps. I must swing my arms too smoothly as it short changes me on my walks but not on my runs (arms swing harder when I run), or when pushing a cart when shopping. The zip never fails me in those instances.

If you want HR, etc, the blaze is good. I had the Charge HR but the band wasn't comfy and the face is small. I like the blaze better for those two things.

trina1049

I have a Charge HR and a Blaze and love them. For me, they're great for motivation, sleep tracking, and calorie burn, and resting heart rate. I found my Charge HR very accurate; my Blaze is still getting to know me (they become more accurate the longer amount of time you wear them) and mine's relatively new. I've lost 52 lbs and have maintained for over a year now. I was using a Polar FT 7 for gym workouts (steady state cardio) and hated the chest strap. When I converted over to the Fitbits I found that they were very close to my Polar burns. I love the all day calorie counts with the Fitbits and heart rate monitors do not work for all day wear.

The biggest problem with trackers is that MFP can't handle all the data traffic so the data transfer from Fitbits and other trackers is often slow or stops for periods of time. Come on, MFP, get you "kitten" together!

Ammey68

HardyGirl4Ever wrote: »

I have the Flex and the Charge HR and I love them. But now reading these comments I kinda want the Alta! I would love to have something that nudges me to be more active. Plus, I think I read something about automatic exercise tracking. That would be really cool. I was using the Flex and loved it, and loved the fact that it was waterproof and I could wear it in the shower and while swimming. The only thing about it that bothered me is that it didn't display the number of steps I had taken, just the number of dots. I got the Charge HR because of that, and because I wanted the heart rate tracker. Before those I had the Fitbit Classic, and the Fitbit One. I have loved them all.

Yes! My FitBit Alta auto tracks my exercise. Every time I'm active for 10 or more consecutive minutes (you can change this to whatever you want), it will make a separate log for that activity and then it gives you goals for how many active minutes you should have in a day, how many times you should be exercising per week, etc. I have found that it's pretty good at deciphering what type of activity it is, too, such as running, walking, aerobics, etc. Definitely one of my favorite features.

oxxobribri

Just a heads up, I bought the Fitbit Charge HR back in November. Now I do like it, but there's an issue with the band bubbling and separating from the device. Still works and everything, but it's still an issue. I was able to get a free replacement through Fitbit, but had I known about the issue, it may have changed my mind a bit about getting one. I love the sleep recording, but I can track steps on my phone and my main exercise is biking anyway, and I use Map My Fitness to track that.

carmexaldewin87

I had the charge hr and loved it, but love my Blaze! I like that the bands are replaceable and the battery charge tends to last me about 4 days. I just charge it while in the shower as necessary. It's been great with exercise, step, and hr tracking. Notifications are great but can be a bit buggy at times. However, I wouldn't go back.

Over50ToBeFit

3 years ago I was reading the community here and found a topic about Fitbits. What the heck is that I thought! So I had to get one. Started with the Zip. Went from a 4 min maximum walk to 10,000 steps in no time. Graduated to the One for the stair counts. Really wanted the Alta but it doesn't do the stair counts. The "one" has lots of accessories available, can even put on a watch band and on Etsy there is some really cool jewelry inserts that some have made. Necklaces etc I wouldn't trade my One for anything now. Can discreetly hide it if I want and still get my counts. The motivation that a fitbit provides is invaluable!