Help me find the right step tracker

amandaeve

I want to give a pedometer to a friend who just started walking on a treadmill. This is her first fitness program. Her treadmill doesn't have any distance features. I'd like to give her a pedometer as a Christmas gift. It should be able to customize stride length. It should be slim and feminine and preferably worn on the wrist. It doesn't need any other bells or whistles, no heart rate monitor, no sleep tracker, nothing else. Maybe a clock, but it should be simple and not intimidating. Any suggestions?

seska422

Does your friend hold the treadmill when she walks? A wrist pedometer counts arm swings as steps when on a treadmill so her pedometer-wearing arm would need to swing.

bowdlill

I would suggest a Fitbit. However it does track a few different things depending on the model. Personally I have a Garmin Forerunner 35 (I think that’s it) and it tracks my steps but also can track walks (on or off the treadmill), runs ect. There are different Garmins you can get and they are very reliable so if you are thinking for a device a little more out there I would suggest that as common pedometers can often be mistaken and incorrectly measure distance.

twatson4936

Check out this one KARSEEN Fitness Tracker

twatson4936

or a misfit ray fitness bracelet.

lilithsrose

Honestly, I'd suggest the Fitbit Flex 2. They're fairly cheap (as far as smart trackers go). Its waterproof, tracks steps, miles, est. calorie burn, and sleep habits all on its own. You can customize stride length in the app during setup. You can also have it track a few other things by using the app, such as food & exercise. I've had mine for almost 2 years now and I'm very happy with it.

EL9104

I love the fitbit line - the fitbit flex 2 is good for swimming also! I have a Charge 2, but I've also had the Flex 2, the Charge, and the original Force.

Though - the GPS kicks on in the Gym, so my fitbit tends to mess up my recorded pace. I record my activity afterwards when I'm on a treadmill or stationary bike, so it picks up the HR zones, and I just put in the time and distance

EL9104

Also - Thank you for being a supportive friend. I bet she really appreciates it.

cheryldumais

This is the one I have and it's cheap. I've had mine for 3 years with no problems. They have newer models but for $40 it's a heck of a deal and the battery lasts a year or more.

https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Vívofit-Activity-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B015E9Z87Q/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1544635019&sr=8-5&keywords=vivofit+2

chris_in_cal

A very prolific reporter on all-aspects of fitness tracking technology had this to say: "the most important thing is to get in the ecosystem of your nearby friends and family" If this is going to work for her, get her the entry level model for whichever brand YOU use....or ask her if she knows of any of her friends or family who use one regularly, then get that brand. By "eco-system" that is mainly Garmin, Apple Watch, Fitbit, Polar. There are others but those are the biggies. All of them have entry-level models that are inexpensive (maybe not Apple though)

amandaeve

@twatson4936 the Karseen is the right price, and would work with her Android. The Misfit has the "stylish" look I was hoping for. Do you know people who use either devices? They don't seem very mainstream. Are they reliable, accurate? Again, just steps/distance is all she needs.

I like the idea of the Fitbit Flex. They seem to be the leader in the market, good track record for accuracy. It's just a hair more money than I want to spend, though. And has a lot of features that will just overwhelm her.

I'm trying to avoid Garmin for a silly reason. She has a son who works for Garmin, so he gets a great discount. I kinda want to avoid Garmin because I want the gift to be distinctively from me, and she associates it with techy/athlete people like me and him. I am worried she'd be intimidated just by knowing it's a "Garmin".

mbaker566

i would go to dcrainmaker and look at his reviews.