Fitness trackers

Options
2»

Replies

  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    Options
    kinkyslinky16 wrote: »
    DX2JX2 wrote: »
    Most consumer units will have the same heart rate monitoring sensors/functions. Some of the newer consumer models use a three-light system which is supposed to be more accurate than a two-light system (it looks like the BMF product uses a two light).

    Likewise 3-way accelerometers. This is fairly standard and some consumer models will couple this with GPS capabilities for movement/mapping/step functions.

    I don't believe I've seen any other consumer units that track skin or body temperature. Same with skin moisture. These features will pop up on a device occasionally but they're not generally part of the market 'standard'. My Garmin doesn't include them and I can't think of a case where the data would be really helpful given how I use my watch.

    In terms of accuracy, I don't think I can call any consumer unit truly accurate (though I don't know if they're less accurate than the product you've been using). That said, they tend to be accurate enough to get the job done given user needs.

    Agreed. BMF was probably the most accurate you can get in an over the counter fitness tracker. I've found that traditional fitness trackers won't catch even a step of me using my treadmill desk because I'm not swinging my arms but the BMF would have picked it up. I also have an elliptical machine at home that I use and can't get a traditional fitness tracker to pick up most of the work out... BMF, though, was accurate down to the minute of when I started on the elliptical. Even lifting weights, I could see burns on my BMF. Fitbit? Never!

    I guess what I'm looking for is a tracker that can monitor more stationary events. Something that doesn't require arm movement alone to register any burns. What cardio I do just isn't being registered.

    Like @VintageFeline I am now a Garmin devotee. I have a Vivoactive HR (2nd generation). I use it for the elliptical, yoga and for lifting (gasp!) using exercise settings I customized for time and HR, but no distance. It has standard ones and you can make your own.

    I like the Bluetooth notifications (texts, etc.), water resistance, fast charging and the way it holds a charge. I had a bad reaction to the band that came with it when I started to wear sun screen this summer, so o bought an aluminum one off Amazon. The customizable watch faces and additional apps are awesome. And more are being added ever day.

    I used to use the BMArmband and have been so happy with my Garmin. It does a lot of things the BMA didn’t do, like heart rate and the ability to set a custom stride length—I’m short and that makes a difference. The apps and watch faces really expand the functionality.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    Options
    Pic of my favorite watch face

  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    Options
    I'm still playing around with watch faces, haven't settled on one yet.

    The great thing about the newest iteration is the native workout apps, there's loads. I particularly appreciate the cardio one as that was an app I had to add before. Then there's strength, yoga, golf, swimming, paddle boarding (!), run indoor, outdoor and track, elliptical, loads!

    I'll stop selling it now. I should be on commision.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    Options
    @VintageFeline I'm really interested to hear your thoughts once you've had it for a couple of months. I may want to upgrade in a bit and can't imagine moving away from Garmin at this point.

    Keep on sellin'! :smiley:
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    edited October 2017
    Options
    Psychgrrl wrote: »
    @VintageFeline I'm really interested to hear your thoughts once you've had it for a couple of months. I may want to upgrade in a bit and can't imagine moving away from Garmin at this point.

    Keep on sellin'! :smiley:

    I'll chime in as an enabler, lol - here's DCRainmaker's in-depth review of the VivoActive 3, just posted today: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2017/10/garmin-vivoactive-3-in-depth-review.html
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited October 2017
    Options
    For me I proved out all kinds of ways those BMF sensors were not useful in actual practice when you put in exercise - actually even it's ability to estimate your BMR through skin temp for that 1 square centimeter of back of arm - could be thrown off.
    I did find some tweaks though to improve its potential.

    And some of the sensors had barely any influence on the calories count.

    If it worked accurately enough for you - great.

    And it was likely due to just a few sensors having an important bearing on calories - same or equally useful sensors that are on other activity trackers that will likely have just as much success for you.

    Couple questions I saw mentioned above I'd ditto - what types of workouts and duration, along with how active for rest of the day?

    Because say 3 x 20 min lifting workouts could be inaccurate for calorie burn by HR calculations - but if pretty active otherwise it's a mere blip of inaccuracy in the scheme of things.

    But if you do 5 x 60 min weekly of some sort of intervals, and are otherwise super sedentary - now that inaccuracy has a bigger impact.

    I have to imagine most that have HR are like the Fitbit (Garmin is) - trying to determine that line where exercise starts and HR-based calculations are decent estimate, and below which daily life is more accurate by steps-based calculations.

    Ease of entering a variety of workout Descriptions could be important via just the device, but if mainly a few are done - not as big a deal for diary review.

Categories