Anyone recommend a fitbit?

BigMamaLynsey
BigMamaLynsey Posts: 390 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Thinking of getting myself one so I can track calories burned and count steps etc. I heard ones that monitor heart rate is good? :)

Replies

  • happytree923
    happytree923 Posts: 463 Member
    I have the Charge 2, I find it slightly overestimates calorie burn based on my actual rate of weight loss but obviously it's set to give me flattering results. I really like the iOS app, it's simple to understand and gives you all your goal information on one page. My only real complaint is the new "female health tracking" feature (period tracker), it's super poorly designed. Hoping that will change.
  • BigMamaLynsey
    BigMamaLynsey Posts: 390 Member
    That's the one I was looking at. It's alot of money for me so i want to be certain before I make my mind up. Thanks for replying :)
  • brightresolve
    brightresolve Posts: 1,024 Member
    Charge2 here also, 6 months into use. Love it.
    1. calorie burn seems to work for me perfectly, as long as my MFP setting is sedentary.
    2. mile counter underestimates about 10% if I'm striding out walking, but seems fine when I am running. Long legs, short running stride.
    3. wrist based HR calculator drops out or is unreliable during pushups, rowing, or hard pulls on the elliptical. They all do, I believe
    4. love the floor counter and it seems accurate for flights of steps inside, but somewhat exaggerates I feel on hikes with 500-800 foot elevation gain
    5. size small fits my unusually small wrists, use last or next to last hole.
    6. Sleep tracker is really nice, resting HR tracker works nicely, dashboard informative, reminders to move great, selectable list exercise types helpful, even the relax feature is not as cheesy as it sounds
  • BigMamaLynsey
    BigMamaLynsey Posts: 390 Member
    When you use the app do you need to to have internet access? I always only use wifi in my house. Also I have a Samsung galaxy 6 is that compatible :)@happytree923

    Thank you @brightresolve it's not too bad then by the sounds of it. :)
  • happytree923
    happytree923 Posts: 463 Member
    You can use the app without internet but it won't have all features without connecting to the internet or using data. The wifi in your house will be fine. The app syncs to the device via bluetooth.

    And I have no idea about the phone, you'd have to check the Android app store or Fitbit website.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,222 Member
    While not "ideal" you are able to only synchronise when you're at your house or once a day or once every few days.

    Of course your Dashboard, MFP and challenges won't be updated until you do so.

    I too used the app well before I got a device. The app is free and available. In fact for the longest time I was ticked off in that the automatically recorded walks on the watch contain less information than the GPS assisted walk recordings using the phone app. <-- not sure if the gps assisted recording requires data/wi-fi to start/stop the recording session.

    I have to caution you that for every few of 'me' who have found the fitbit fairly accurate when it comes to their calories (0% to 5% error over any two month period over 3 years), there are people who have found it to be much further off.

    Charge 2 has been solid for me given that I killed *5* charge HR's in a 2.5 year period. I've got a screen shield on it and I have killed one strap so far. Coming up to 10+ months.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Here's a thorough review of the Charge 2 which should answer all of your questions (he does great reviews of many fitness devices): https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/11/fitbit-charge2-review.html
  • Leannep2201
    Leannep2201 Posts: 441 Member
    I have a Charge 2 HR and love it! Love the step counter, the reminders to move, the way it tracks my sleep, the ability to do step challenges with other people.
    It motivates me to move more, which is the main reason I bought it. Definitely a worthwhile purchase for me!
  • Suuzanne37
    Suuzanne37 Posts: 114 Member
    I’ve had The Fitbit Alta for two (2) years and I find it fairly accurate. Mine is without HR; the Fitbit Alta HR is $199 CDN which is approximately $155 USD✨
  • eleanorhawkins
    eleanorhawkins Posts: 1,659 Member
    brightresolve wrote: »
    Charge2 here also, 6 months into use. Love it.
    1. calorie burn seems to work for me perfectly, as long as my MFP setting is sedentary.
    2. mile counter underestimates about 10% if I'm striding out walking, but seems fine when I am running. Long legs, short running stride.
    3. wrist based HR calculator drops out or is unreliable during pushups, rowing, or hard pulls on the elliptical. They all do, I believe
    4. love the floor counter and it seems accurate for flights of steps inside, but somewhat exaggerates I feel on hikes with 500-800 foot elevation gain
    5. size small fits my unusually small wrists, use last or next to last hole.
    6. Sleep tracker is really nice, resting HR tracker works nicely, dashboard informative, reminders to move great, selectable list exercise types helpful, even the relax feature is not as cheesy as it sounds

    All of what she said here, I've had mine just over 2 months and I think I love it more than love my husband! Only complaint about it, which seems common to all bracelet-watch types, is not all steps get counting while pushing trolleys so you have to try and do it one handed or look for an alternative :D that's where the husbands come in handy :p
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    LynseyJane90 wrote: »
    Thinking of getting myself one so I can track calories burned and count steps etc. I heard ones that monitor heart rate is good? :)

    Personally I wouldn't recommend a FitBit. However, I would support the suggestion above about looking at the DCRainmaker site for reviews.

    Different activities are best tracked in different ways, so rather than picking a device, work out what you want to measure and then pick one that does that.

    Personally I run, swim and cycle, so have a device that suits that.
  • Nativestar56
    Nativestar56 Posts: 112 Member
    I've been using the Charge 2 for just over two months now and I really like it. It was a fair bit of money for me, so I did a lot of reading reviews to decide what I wanted from a tracker and which one would fit my needs best. I don't regret buying it, I'm very happy!

    I found the Fitbit app had the best reviews of all the tracker apps. Techradar has good reviews of a variety of trackers.

    I bought mine from John Lewis as they have a two year warranty on wearables. I read a few reviews where things had gone wrong just outside the manufactuers one year warranty so I figured it would be worth having an extra year. It wasn't more expensive as no one else was selling the Charge 2 for less anyway at the time. Worth considering if you're in the UK.
  • Avidkeo
    Avidkeo Posts: 3,201 Member
    I have the alts hr, and I adore it. The only real difference between the alta hr and charge 2 is floors climbing d (alta hr doesn't do it, i dont care about that) and battery life. For me the cost was almost identical but I get almost 8 days out of my alta hr, where the charge was about 4-5 days I believe. I preferred fewer specs and charging less often. Had it almost a year and its still going strong.
  • Avidkeo
    Avidkeo Posts: 3,201 Member
    Oh fitbit have a great service on their website where you answer a few questions and they show you the device most suited to your goals
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
    happytree923 wrote: »
    I have the Charge 2, I find it slightly overestimates calorie burn based on my actual rate of weight loss but obviously it's set to give me flattering results. I really like the iOS app, it's simple to understand and gives you all your goal information on one page. My only real complaint is the new "female health tracking" feature (period tracker), it's super poorly designed. Hoping that will change.

    That's interesting. I find the female health tracking uselss because I am menopausal. If it reminded me to do a breast self-examination, I might turn it back on.
  • xoxorainie
    xoxorainie Posts: 10 Member
    I've had a fitbit of one form or another for several years. Starting with the one that was just a clip. I had the first generation Charge and now I have the Alta HR. I am thinking about trying the Charge 2. Anyway, I really like it as it motivates me to keep moving. I have found the company to have great customer service. When my Alta HR stopped tracking the heart rate, they sent me a replacement. Best of luck no matter what you decide!

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