Accuracy...Fit Bit Flex or Jawbone Up?

Angeloftheshore

So I have been using the Body Media Fit Link for quite a while now and have been happy with accuracy and ease of operation. But, I am really uncomfortable with this on my upper arm all the time so I am considering in the near future to change up and get a system for my wrist even if it's not quite as accurate as the Body Media. The Body Media strap is constantly slipping down my arm when I workout and I find that distracting. To get it to stay I have to wear it uncomfortably tight. So I know these questions get asked a zillion times, but I would like the current feedback all in one spot to see Both my husband and I are considering switching, so it's not a cheap contemplation when we already have what we have.

Please give some feedback on which wrist system you have had and preferred, especially for accuracy. But any feedback would be helpful! Even if a different system than the two I mentioned in the subject.

:flowerforyou: Thank you!!

tizzypic

I used to use the Body Media and like you, I was quite uncomfortable with wearing it on my upper arm. I use the Fitbit One and am quite happy with it. It's discreet - you can clip it to your pants or your bra, or you can put it in your pocket. It is super accurate in terms of counting steps, number of stairs taken, etc. Its bluetooth also allows you to sync to your Fitbit account via wifi.

For a comparison of the different trackers, refer to this article. It helped me make a decision in selecting the right tracker for me.

http://www.getgrok.com/2013/01/a-comparative-review-28-days-with-the-fitbit-one-jawbone-up-nike-fuelband-and-bodymedia-link/

Hope this helps.

Angeloftheshore

Thank you for the input and the link I will check out the link info!

Helen_Luvnlife

I do not about the jawbone up but I have heard the fitbit flex is not accurate. It counts your Arm movements as a step. And if you are doing something like pushing a stroller that keeps your arms from swinging, it won't count the step. I am pals with somebody who got one and returned it after 3 days.

Angeloftheshore

I do not about the jawbone up but I have heard the fitbit flex is not accurate. It counts your Arm movements as a step. And if you are doing something like pushing a stroller that keeps your arms from swinging, it won't count the step. I am pals with somebody who got one and returned it after 3 days.

Thanks for that info, that would be a problem for me since I actually take my disabled (blind) Chihuahua for a whole lot of stroller walks. She even enjoys my 5k training wind in her face

schnarfo

I have a flex - I like it, no one has asked me what it is even tho I've worn it for weeks now. Accuracy - I'd say it was as accurate as anything else- I've looked at the graphs and compared against what I was doing at the time and it seems to be fairly consistent! Even when I'm driving or sat talking and moving my hands it's not given huge numbers so it seems ok. I particularly like how it links to your phone iPad and apps like Mfp and measures sleep!

Angeloftheshore

Thanks for the info. I like the more discreet look and comfort when working out aspect of a wrist monitor.

lunglady

I don't know anything about the jawbone. but I do LOVE my Fitbit Flex. It is quite accurate and syncs with my S3 and my iPad.

Angeloftheshore

Thanks for the feedback! How long have you had it?

Reevsie123

I have been wearing the flex for 2 weeks, seems pretty accurate although today I painted my decking and logged 5000 steps - note to self put it on the wrist holding the tin not the one holding the brush apart from that I find it inconspicuous, the dashboard is excellent. Not sure what people expect for £79
Wifey has the fitbit one and when we go out for a walk they both register the same, it's not perfect, but neither are all the rest. Be careful with negative adjustments, if you have a busy morning it gives you extra calories, if you then do nothing all evening they slowly dissapear - not good if you have already rewarded yourself with a cake !
I looked at lots of reviews and the flex scored higher than the jawbone, although not by much. I like the fact it syncs with MFP and all in all gives a more accurate figure.

Angeloftheshore

Anyone else have any input on this ? :flowerforyou:

maQmIgh

I chose the Jawbone over the Fitbit flex due to the reviews (a lot of people lost their fitbit flex due to the design of the strap).

I was more interested in the sleep monitoring that the calorie burn (Ive always had trouble sleeping)

As a few other posted have already stated, the calorie accuracy is probably up there with any other... it says I walk on average about 10,000 steps per day, which is supposedly average.

Read as many reviews as you can before you make your decision

Angeloftheshore

Thank you Yeah I am trying to get as much input as I can so I can weigh pro's and cons. Since I already have the Body Media I am not in a rush at all, it's mainly a comfort issue. That and I live in Virginia Beach and am sleeveless much of the year, so something for my writs would work better for me. Thanks again for your feedback, I really appreciate all the differing viewpoints I can get

phyllisgehrke

A lot of my friends have the FitBit One and love it.

I decided against the Fitbit Flex. As they said any movement of arms counts as steps such as Cooking.
I also Crochet and Knit so I am getting the Fitbit One.

SJCon

I had a Fitbit and the accuracy was very poor, if you are used to the BMF than you will probably be disappointed, but I fully understand the arm band thing and I don't think the new version in a month or so will change that much. I you want flexibility of location AND have a smart phone you may want to check out the "Misfit Shine". O think it will soon lead the pack of the Fitbit types. I want more heart rate focus as I find it more accurate than steppers.

aliciadwhite

I have both of them and the results are almost the same! Every now and then they are off but not often.

Angeloftheshore

Thanks for the input! I did not know the Flex counted arm movement as steps :frown:

Angeloftheshore

Heart rate focus is one of my important points, I will look into "Misfit Shine"

Angeloftheshore

Thanks for the input aliciadwhite

jaz050465

Looks like the shine is just an accelerometer like the Fitbit so again, not as accurate as the BMF. It supposed to be better for cycling though.

Angeloftheshore

Looks like the shine is just an accelerometer like the Fitbit so again, not as accurate as the BMF. It supposed to be better for cycling though.

Yeah that is what I just read. Not quite what I am looking for, but maybe useful when I decide to start triathlon training...thanks for checking :flowerforyou:

SJCon

Only mentioned it as an alternative becase it looks more flexible on location and may be more accurate for some exercises because of that.

Angeloftheshore

Only mentioned it as an alternative becase it looks more flexible on location and may be more accurate for some exercises because of that.

I am going to look into it because I am going to start biking soon quite a bit and it may be helpful for triathlon training. I don't mind using multiple technologies if I can get better readings :flowerforyou:

SJCon

I am going to look into it because I am going to start biking soon quite a bit and it may be helpful for triathlon training. I don't mind using multiple technologies if I can get better readings :flowerforyou:

If you are triathlon training than you probably have a HRM and if you do I highly recomend the Polar website to track your load, I use a FT60 and the site is:
www.polarpersonaltrainer.com

Angeloftheshore

I am going to look into it because I am going to start biking soon quite a bit and it may be helpful for triathlon training. I don't mind using multiple technologies if I can get better readings :flowerforyou:

If you are triathlon training than you probably have a HRM and if you do I highly recomend the Polar website to track your load, I use a FT60 and the site is:
www.polarpersonaltrainer.com

Thank you :flowerforyou:

scrapjen

We are a Fitbit family (me, my 14-year old, my parents) all have the Fitbit One. I started with the Ultra and had it for over three years before upgrading to the One. I could not imagine a day without my Fitbit feedback.

My 17-year expressed interest in the Flex, but it was hard to locate (sold out everywhere and on backorder) and impatient as he was, he ended up getting the Jawbone Up. He liked it, but I always wished it was a Fitbit (as then I could see his steps as "Fitbit Friends" rather than having to ask him about it). He actually lost his Up after just a couple weeks. He does now have the Flex. I like it better, he says they are quite similar.

I have heard many people not quite happy with the Flex, switching to the One ... I think it is even MORE discreet, it usually can't be seen at all (depending on where you put it). My 14-year old plays basketball and he can wear the One in games, where he would not be allowed to wear the Flex. Of course the One is easier to lose. I'm really surprised we haven't lost one yet!

ladyn05

I have the Jawbone Up and the withings Pulse. To be honesty I really like both of them. The jawbone (which I have had longer) has become my BFF. I like how it's not heavy, and doesn't slide up and down my arm when I run/workout. With the Up you can set an alarm to wake you up, an idle alarm to kept you moving, and the stop watch is a plus. I got it mostly to track my sleep which has show me a lot about my sleeping pattern. I also love the app set for the jawbone Up. The withings pulse I got mostly to track my heart rate (doctors orders). It has really come in handy when pair with my withings scale.

rosswillsimpson

Recently got my fitbit flex and it's pretty accurate, I've been looking into the shine but I dont see any connectivity between that and MFP which sucks because thats the main reason I use the flex to co-inside with my MFP tracking. I tend to input all data into MFP and it syncs up with the Fitbit dashboard, everything seems pretty accurate and I don't tend to get that many false steps when moving my arms when i'm stationary. I love it but if I the shine got support to sync with MFP i'd change to that, just for the sleekness of the design. Even though the fitbit flex is comfortable, light and easy to use .

Angeloftheshore

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

Scott_Mahan

I am using both the Jawbone Up and Fitbit Flex right now. I also tested out the Withings Pulse. Right now the Up is my favorite. Reasons: The iPhone app rocks. Tracks everything in a great format, teammates cheer you on and comment on your log entries in the app, it tracks sleep MUCH better than the Fitbit Flex, integrates better with running apps (it merges the steps and calorie burn to not double count) AND calculates calorie burn better. All 3 were within a small tolerance for step counting, but calorie burn is what was the biggest difference. At the end of the day, the Fitbit Flex has said that I burned 400 to 800 calories extra than the other 2 devices. If you're trying to lose weight and linking your device to MFP, that can make a big difference. 500 calories less a day is 1 pound of weight a week. While the Jawbone Up does have a significant disadvantage in not being wireless, overall, it works better, at least for me.

Just a quick note about the calories burned. I just researched a bit more and from what I've read, the Fitbit One was extremely accurate when compared to an HRM. I'm not sure if that translates to the Fitbit Flex.