Fitbit or Apple Watch?

Christismylife

Hi, I currently have a Fitbit Charge 2. I am looking into possibly getting a used Apple Watch series 3 w/ cellular. I would like the option of leaving my phone home when I go for a run or walk. Other than cost (up front and monthly cellular cost), can anyone speak to pros or cons of the Apple Watch compared to a Fitbit? One con of the Apple Watch that I know would be battery life. Others you can share from experience would be helpful. I am wondering which one is truly better for fitness, heart rate, and tracking daily exercise calories to import to MyFitnessPal.

heybales

Regarding the last point.

Apple by itself doesn't sync correct info to MFP. Other users have an app read it from device and sync it correctly though.

MFP is expecting a time stamp total daily calorie burn. total means total - everything.
Optional sync is time stamp workouts.

Apple figures a base calorie burn which is close to how MFP figures Sedentary is.
Apple adds on any calorie burn over that amount as Active.
Apple also tracks workouts separately from that extra activity.

So Apple by itself syncs a daily burn that is actually just sedentary base burn.
It then syncs workouts.
It does not send the extra activity calories.

All that causes screwed up math on MFP's part for what it was expecting.

fuzzylop72

It's a better smartwatch, it supports running a bit better than the fitbit (as of watchos5), and the series 4's hrm is probably a bit better. Other than that, I personally think the fitbit is better. I left my series 3 apple watch for a forerunner 935, though.

AnvilHead

fuzzylop72 wrote: »

It's a better smartwatch, it supports running a bit better than the fitbit (as of watchos5), and the series 4's hrm is probably a bit better. Other than that, I personally think the fitbit is better. I left my series 3 apple watch for a forerunner 935, though.

I left my Series 1 Apple Watch for a Forerunner 935 also, after using the Apple Watch for a year. The Apple is a much better smart watch, the Garmin is a much better fitness watch. Battery life is far better on the Garmin, and I also don't like the wonky way Apple syncs info with MFP, as detailed above by heybales. Garmin Connect (their app which interfaces with the device) imports the data to MFP in a usable form, and also offers a lot more workout-related data and stores/organizes it more efficiently than the Apple Health/Apple Watch apps. I also don't like that the workout data from the Apple Watch is only available on the watch itself or your phone - no web-based interface, which Garmin has.

The Apple Watch has all the hardware it needs to be a great fitness watch. Where they're woefully lacking is on the firmware/software side of things. Whenever Apple finally gets that end of it together, it will be a much better fitness device.

(And all this is coming from a big fan of Apple products - basically everything else I have is Apple. iPhones, iPods, Macbooks, iMac, iPad, etc.)

MelanieCN77

You actually don't need the cellular if you're just tracking your workouts without the phone, you only need that if you want the full functionality of getting your mail and texts and stuff. The 2 and on watches have GPS on board and will just pass everything off to the phone once they reconnect.

Christismylife

MelanieCN77 wrote: »

You actually don't need the cellular if you're just tracking your workouts without the phone, you only need that if you want the full functionality of getting your mail and texts and stuff. The 2 and on watches have GPS on board and will just pass everything off to the phone once they reconnect.

I am interested in the cellular so I can leave my phone home and be able to call someone if I have an emergency.

aricphillips

Apple watches are cool @Christismylife right?

AnvilHead

Christismylife wrote: »

MelanieCN77 wrote: »

You actually don't need the cellular if you're just tracking your workouts without the phone, you only need that if you want the full functionality of getting your mail and texts and stuff. The 2 and on watches have GPS on board and will just pass everything off to the phone once they reconnect.

I am interested in the cellular so I can leave my phone home and be able to call someone if I have an emergency.

That makes your decision pretty easy. Apple Watch is the only one which has that functionality, regardless of any other pros/cons as a fitness tracker.