Fitbit Flex vs HRM

PaulaDBailey

I know this discussion has been brought up several times, but alas, I feel the need to talk about it.

I'm really torn on which to buy: the fitbit flex/force or a HRM. Which is better for my weightloss needs? I would a product that combines both.

What have you found has helped you to meet your weightloss and health goals?

BattleTaxi

I use both.

I wear my fitbit all day (hooked in my bra), and I wear an HRM when I'm working out sans the fitbit.

Rerun201

Depends, really.

If you are interested in accurate measurement of your calorie expenditure during exercise, you're better off buying the HRM but make sure the model you choose will compute calories burned.

If you feel you are more in need of motivation to get you moving a minimum amount on a regular basis, then the FitBit is probably more what you're looking for.

Soufre

I have a Fitbit but I'm going to get an HRM too. Fitbit's nice because you can set goals for yourself like walk 10,000 steps per day or have 60 active minutes. And when you accomplish said goal, the Fitbit buzzes. So to me, Fitbit makes exercising a game and it motivates me.
Fitbit can be worn all day.

HRMs however are good for cardio and monitor your heart rate. They give a more accurate calorie burn than the machine can or what MFP can calculate.
HRMs are worn during workouts (usually cardio).

So it really depends on what you want to accomplish...

Edited for typos.

hearthemelody

I have a Fitbit Flex and love it!

Though it makes me sad when it takes away my calories :sad:

WalkingAlong

What have you found has helped you to meet your weightloss and health goals?

I lost weight with a Fitbit. A HRM was nice for interval workouts but I never use it anymore. Once you know roughly what you burn, why bother? You can also get that info from an activity database, too.

freyaheart

I have a Force and a HRM, wahoo blue hr. I use both! My force is for all day and I use my HRM at the gym.

dhogan72

Bump...I am having the same dilemma as to which is the best investment for me.

brianpperkins

I have and use both along with GPS.

The Flex is useful for tracking overall daily activity such as sleep, daily steps, tracking periods of the day when you are active vs sedentary.

The HRM is good for tracking expenditure during periods of deliberate cardio activity. If you walk briskly enough to elevate your heart rate, jog, run, zumba, elliptical, stairmaster, bike (indoor or outdoor) ... a HRM can help you track that activity and your body's adaptation to effort and recovery after exertion.

The app I use also includes GPS functionality enabling me to track the effect of terrain on my heart rate, average speed, distance etc.

Which device is right for you depends on what information you want to track.

brayla1

I have both a Fitbit Flex (until recently had a Fitbit Ultra) and a BodyMedia device. I have to say they each perform a separate function, however, both are extremely useful. I have really kicked in my committment level and am motivated by both devices. I am working at increasing steps on a weekly basis. Also, since BodyMedia links with MFP it nicely complements my weight release journey. I would highly advise at least getting one of these devices to get moving towards your goal. Hope this helps! Cheers!

aekaya

I've used both and like the fitbit better, honestly. The HRM is good because it can measure a larger range of activity (the fitbit won't take bike riding into account, for example), but I've been losing weight by getting to my 10k steps per day, thanks to the fitbit's motivation.

airangel59

I had a Flex (got in July) but now have the Force (since Nov).
I also have a Polar FT7 HRM

They are both for different purposes. You don't wear the HRM 24/7 like you would the Fitbit.

For motivation, hands down the Fitbit.

When I walk I use both the HRM to keep my HR in the zone and track other stats etc, I can see the amount of steps I'm taking on the Force and I use RunKeeper for GPS (avg mile pace etc).

daweez04

Get both if you can.

I use my Fitbit One all day, helps me get a good idea of my daily activity (TDEE)

Then when I got really serious about losing weight I got the HRM. I have a bluetooth one that syncs with my cell phone, pair it to my Endomondo app.

With Fitbit and Endomondo connected to MFP it really helps get a good snap shot of my day. It s amazing how much I was "winging it" before I got these tools. They have really helped me.

BTW, If you can only get one, and you don't eat back your exercise, I would go with the fitbit (if you aren't eating back you exercise, a rough estimate of calories burned is all you really need.)

WakkoW

My understanding is that HRMs are only useful for steady state cardio.

I rarely run at a steady state. I love intervals.

I lift weights four times a week, and from what I have read, it is not accurate for lifting.

I have a fitbit, which I love. I considered a HRM, but from what I have read, they are not accurate for my activities.


What are you looking for? What do you need? They are not equal.

kmoore02

It depends on your activity. I use a HRM (Garmin 410) because I run and I train and run by heart rate. It to me gives a more accurate account of calories burned and distanced traveled. You can also upload your activity to the Garmin database and run reports, analyze data and so much more. It also can be used for cycling and other activity.

brianpperkins

HRMs work fine for interval training. The programs associated with them do not calculate caloric burn well for things such as lifting.

PaulaDBailey

Thanks for all the advice. I think for what I want to track, I may need both.

susanrechter

going to get a fitbit.

BokBagok

I did a pretty thorough write-up on fitbits vs hrms over here;

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1168915-can-t-decide-on-a-fitbit-or-an-hrm-read-this

PinkNinjaLaura

I use both too. Have had a Fitbit since May 2012 (the Ultra, then the One, then the Flex). This fall I bought a Garmin GPS watch & HRM chest strap.

CanadianRunaway

I think the FitBit is great if you are looking to analyze your day to day. If you are looking for data FitBit is the way to go. You will be able to locate correlations that possibly exist and perhaps make changes to see better data outputs. For example, you may see a correlation between certain foods and sleep and know to stay away from certain ones, or others help you sleep, of course this example is based on you tracking your diet. So if you would like to see if any patterns exist, which can be useful information for anyone than that's a great route to go. It's also great if you are just getting started and want to start with working on just being more active by taking more steps.

The HRM on the other hand in my personal opinion is the route to take if you are trying to lose weight. The reason being the monitors on the machines are junk (if you are hitting the gym, or have at home machines) and are not going to give you an accurate reading. So why a HRM when it comes to weight loss goals? Because your body burns fat in certain zones, and even more fat if you know your own personal zones. One you hit a certain HR you move into cardiovascular zone which is great for your heart, but isn't going to give you the results you are looking for (as much). The idea is to get your heart rate into that sweet spot and watch the pounds melt.

So quick answer - FitBit if you are trying to get moving period and/or you love data and are looking to find correlations in your daily life. A HRM if you are looking to work out and loose lbs.

creativerick

I don't use anything to guesstimate calories.

I use my HRM to track my heart rate and time spent in different ranges... Part of improving my cardiovascular fitness

ninerbuff

I know this discussion has been brought up several times, but alas, I feel the need to talk about it.

I'm really torn on which to buy: the fitbit flex/force or a HRM. Which is better for my weightloss needs? I would a product that combines both.

What have you found has helped you to meet your weightloss and health goals?

I just got a Fitbit flex and really like it. I've had a Bodybugg in the past too and like it better than an HRM, but wearing that damn armband after awhile got tedious. Not to mention you had to pay a monthly fee to track with it.
With Fitbit you don't and it's very comfortable.
HRM's aren't good for ACCURATELY reading any anaerobic activity (weight lifting or even yoga) and though Fitbit isn't as accurate at cycling or stepmill work, it does read anaerobic activity more accurately.
Also you shouldn't wear an HRM (the one's with chest straps are the most accurate) all day, whereas a Fitbit is just a band on your wrist, or clipped to your garment.
All in all you need to figure out what type of physical activity you're going to engage in more. If it's cycling or spin, I'd get an HRM. If it's kickboxing, step aerobics, or lifting, I'd get a Fitbit.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

04ward

I've had a Fitbit One for over a year and wear it daily. I like being able to look at where I am for the day. Motivational! And it works great with MFP. I have both apps on my phone and they are great! I also have a HRM that I use when I exercise but I'm not sure about it. Today I did 11 miles in 33 min /avg speed 24 mph on my Spinner. The Spinner said I burned 611 calories which I thought seemed high. The Fitbit said I burned 553 which I thought might be about right. (I really worked up a sweat!) BUT my HRM said I burned 131! Shoot, I burn that much with just 25 min of low impact exercises! When I entered the info into Map My Ride, it said I burned 1100 calories! I think the Fitbit was the closest and that's what I went with.

GeneaCindy

I am currently loving the Polar Loop. I have both the wrist thing (the Loop) and a bluetooth HRM that goes with it. I like it because I wear the Loop all day and the HRM chest strap when exercising. I like the combination because I do alot of strength training and core which includes activity that is not picked up on the Loop alone. It also picks up activity on the stationary bike.

Be warned, however. The setup is not as easy as advertised. It took a couple of days to pair the Loop with my phone. I am not sure why, but all of a sudden one day I got it to work. Once my phone was paired, the chest strap HRM was a breeze.

Since pairing everything, it has been working like a charm and I am really enjoying it.

Good luck.

PS - I love the bluetooth function - no interference with other HRM's in the gym!

debbie7373

Bump....to read later. Thanks guys!