Fitbit verus polar? Go.....

I need opinions please,what is better.. and can you tell me why? The Fitbit or the polar?

Replies

  • vorgas
    vorgas Posts: 741 Member
    Two different things and it depends on you.

    The fitbit is for general use during day to day living. Some people find it helps motivate them to take the stairs instead of the elevator, etc.

    The HRM is for targeting a workout more precisely and helping you to analyze what's going on with aerobic workouts.

    If you like aerobics and want to push yourself, HRM.
    If you exercise lightly and want to increase your daily activity, fitbit.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    See, one of the best things I learned wearing my FitBit was that on my lazy days, I'm VERY VERY LAZY. But on my "normal" days, I actually burn more calories than I think I do. And my "hectic" days can be 1000 calories more than my lazy days, and all of that is without any structured exercise. I feel that my day-to-day activities and walking/hiking I do make a bigger impact on my overall calorie burn throughout the week. Whether I burn 400 calories or 350 on the treadmill seems to mean less to me calorie-counting-wise for weightloss purposes.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I'm assuming you mean a Polar HRM right?

    neither is better than the other...they are completely different tools and used for completely different things. a hammer is not inherently better than a screwdriver...it just depends on what you want to do with the tool as to which one is more useful.
  • The ONLY reason I chose fitbit over Polar is because of the ability to track everything I've done and set goals that sync with my fitbit devices (I have the scale, or Aria as well as the One and the Force) with my phone, iPad and the website. I use those religiously, and they also sync with MFP, which is awesome.

    Honestly, though, ideally I would like to have both. I'm just broke from college and can't afford both right now. The second I can, though, I will be investing in a Polar. I want it for tracking my workouts to get a more accurate calories burned account. But it's true, they're completely different products for completely different things.
  • nopeekiepeekie
    nopeekiepeekie Posts: 338 Member
    I have both. I've had my Polar F11 a lot longer than my FitBit Force, but I find my FitBit tends to make me get off my butt more because I can wear it all the time. The Polar isn't for extended use and is good for when I'm exercising.
  • asdowe13
    asdowe13 Posts: 1,951 Member
    I'm assuming you mean a Polar HRM right?

    neither is better than the other...they are completely different tools and used for completely different things. a hammer is not inherently better than a screwdriver...it just depends on what you want to do with the tool as to which one is more useful.

    ^^ this pretty much sums it up!

    ETA - I have both and love them, they have both played a role for me the past few months.
  • As others have posted, it depends on what you want to get out of it.

    I love my Fitbit. I bought the Zip two weeks ago. I am much more aware of my activity (or lack thereof on a lazy day) than I ever was before, and in the past 14 days I've only had one day that I didn't meet my goal (10K steps/4 miles). It's definitely encouraged me to be more active during the day, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator and using the bathroom on another floor.

    I was surprised at how much I walked during the course of a normal workday. I average 1.75-2.0 miles, which was a lot more than I would have guessed. I'll go to the track after work or walk on the treadmill to meet my steps/miles goals for the day.
  • DymonNdaRgh40
    DymonNdaRgh40 Posts: 661 Member
    I'm assuming you mean a Polar HRM right?

    neither is better than the other...they are completely different tools and used for completely different things. a hammer is not inherently better than a screwdriver...it just depends on what you want to do with the tool as to which one is more useful.

    Indeed!

    I use my Polar HRM for my workouts and wear my Fitbitzip just for the heck of it. It was a gift. I like how the fitbit gives you sort of a daily TDEE by telling you your calorie burn via your daily steps/movement.
  • playfultippy
    playfultippy Posts: 6 Member
    If you are referring to the Polar Loop, go for that! It is completely waterproof, unlike all of the others. I have had mine since October and I LOVE IT!! It tells you all of your stats on it, and also acts as a watch. It can sync up with a heart band as well. i had the fitbit for a couple weeks before this, and returned it because I didn't feel it provided enough to me to be worth my money.
    I use the Loop mostly for the watch and the daily steps. It definitely helps me to be more active than normal when I see I have a low step count that day.

    I hope this helps, and good luck!
  • skierxjes
    skierxjes Posts: 926 Member
    I wear my Fitbit Flex all day, every day.

    I wear my Polar F4 only when doing extra exercise IE skiing, snowshoeing, running, biking, etc.