Fitbit Flex or Jawbone Up?
jc4mee
Posts: 40 Member
I am considering purchasing either a Fitbit Flex or Jawbone Up and would like to know if anyone has experience with both of these? I've read reviews and it seems that they are about a toss up as far as I have seen. I have a Body Media Fit Link that I love, but it started breaking me out so I had to stop using it. I would prefer to have a device that does not have a subscription service associated with it and I have not been able to determine if either of these products require a subscription.
What I love about the Body Media is that I don't have to log sleep or exercise because it does it automatically. I like that it syncs to my phone via Bluetooth, but having to plug it in would not be a deal breaker for me.
So, what advice do you have? Thanks in advance for your help!
What I love about the Body Media is that I don't have to log sleep or exercise because it does it automatically. I like that it syncs to my phone via Bluetooth, but having to plug it in would not be a deal breaker for me.
So, what advice do you have? Thanks in advance for your help!
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Replies
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I won a Jawbone UP at a work event, otherwise I don't know I would have paid $130 for it. However I do like challenging myself to up my steps daily and seeing how much I sleep light vs deep.
Pros:
- No Nickle: so you don't run the risk of breaking out which I've heard can be an issue with some of the Fitbits.
- Comfortable: I barely notice I'm wearing it
- Easy tracking: You can click the button in different patterns to track sleep/activity/power naps
- Idle Alarm: best feature and the only one that has it. I set mine at 30 minutes so it reminds me to get up from my desk.
Cons:
- My Idle Alarm has gone off twice during an intense Elliptical workout (I found cliping it to my hip works better).
- You have to plug it in to your phone to sync and a USB port to charge.
- Calorie Estimation: I use my Polar FT4 during workouts but the UP doesn't allow me to enter calories burned
Using with MFP.
Calorie Burn: MFP estimates I would burn @1650 calories a day if I am Sedentary. On non-gym days I hit @10,000 steps and UP estimates my burn as @1600 calories. So once they sync I end up with -50 exercise calories. I am on the fence about this, I know I can turn off negative calories but part of me feels that is defeating the point. The other part feels I was doing fine losing before the UP so it is a matter of which app you think calculates correctly.
Exercise: I workout hard using my Polar FT4. I time my activity on my UP with a simple click pattern. Once I sync my band I can enter the actual exertion/activity. If I pick "difficult" it generally is 50-100 calories less then what the Polar says. If I pick "gut buster" it is generally 50-100 calories over what the Polar says. You can play around with time and exertion to get it to match the Polar but then I would think it throws other things out of whack. I've been thinking about either taking it off during my workout and just entering my workout into MFP - or wearing it and subtracting the calories it says I burned if I leave it on "easy" from the Polar estimate and entering that into MFP. For now I'm just rolling withi it and leaving it 50-100 calories less then what the Polar says as I feel it is always better to underestimate burn.
If you have any specific questions feel free to PM me
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Thank you so much! I am still trying to decide and really want to sell my Body Media before I buy something else. This does help!0
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I have a Fitbit One. Not exactly the same as the Flex - but no subscription required. There is an optional premium service, with a 7 day free trial. I've never had reason to use the trial. It syncs w/ MyFitnessPal which is nice - MFP has a larger nutritional database.
The Flex is worn on the wrist - my One is clipped on. I generally wear it around my waste/hip area. The One logs flights of stairs, Flex does not. Flex I think is water resistant, One is not. Both sync by bluetooth. The Flex does not have a display, so you can't look at it to see how many steps you're at for the day. The One does have a display. The Flex has lights that show you progression toward your goal. So all lit = 100% of goal and I think it vibrates when you hit it.0 -
PS-The Fitbit Force was the one with the skin reactions and its been recalled. You can't buy it now...0
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i have the fitbit flex and quite like it...i couple it with my wireless HRM i bought last week as well. the motivation for me is GINORMOUS...0
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I have the jawbone up, and really don't use it like I thought I would. I hate that I have to plug it into my phone to sync the data, and find it annoying to sleep in.
I intended to use it to try and find the average of how much activity I need on my rest days to get a good night's sleep. Other than that, the data doesn't seem to hold much value to me.0 -
Sadly the best Fitbit .. the Force is no longer available. But I do have one and love it. I also have a Flex .. and well hate it. It honestly .. just did not have at all the nice features of the Force and was a ***** to get into sleep mode.
Of the Fitbit products .. of all the ones they have, I would probably choose the One. Not ideal ... but it is what it is.
But the good thing is that the fitness tracker market has blossomed, and there are many options. Samsung has some very promising model .. as well as Garmin.0 -
Jawbone took over Body Media0
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Personally, I would look into neither of those, but rather the Garmin vivofit.0
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I don't have feedback on the Jawbone, but I absolutely love my flex.0
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I had the FitBit Force and loved it. Sent it back when they were recalled. Decided to go with the Jawbone Up24 (the one that syncs wirelessly to your phone), and I'm so happy I did. Both have pros and cons, but the Jawbone app is so much better! Syncs with Runkeeper, MFP, Withings,,etc. and all the info in on your timeline. I can see everything in one place. 0
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Wait. You need a subscription for Fitbit?0
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Another thought: these are both just motivational tools IMO. You should really get a HRM for when you workout if you're looking for calories burned.0
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I had to sign up on the site but no subscription. There is $50 fee if you want the premium data option. I used the 7 day free trial and didnt see the need to pay.Wait. You need a subscription for Fitbit?0 -
No you don't. There is an optional premium membership that has a 7 day trial option. I've not bothered with the trial.
You need to create a profile, kind of like how you do here at MyFitnessPal. Enter your stats, etc.Wait. You need a subscription for Fitbit?0 -
I love my fitbit flex. I wear it every day. I do wish it had a display to tell you how close you are to your goal tho. Mine does sync with my Ipad when I come in my house each day so it is easy to see where I am at. I have had no problems getting it to go into sleep mode. I do love the sleep mode feature....explains why I am so tired when I wake up 19 times a night! I also like that it is lightweight, comfortable, and easy to use.0
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I cant live without my flex went out walking and lost it a few weeks ago and fitbit replaced it free of charge.
When I first got it in January I couldn't even get my steps to 10000 a day now I get over 15000 a day my highest is 18000 would really like to hit 20000 so I get the next badge so it does make me move more0 -
I have a flex. I also debated for a long time about which device to get. I really wanted the UP24 but it was not available on Android yet. Jawbone and BodyMedia are now the same company. I also had a body media Fit link and loved it - but didn't love the tan line... I was returning my second armband and selling the replacement on ebay when I decided to switch though - primarily b/c I didn't like the tan line or how obvious it was. People always asked about it.
I debated for a long long time... what finally convinced me to go with Flex as opposed to UP is the track record for happy customers that FitBit had.
I preferred UP's software, but didn't love that the wrist band was the device - meaning if the band broke, I was out a device too... same with the fitbit Force. Flex has replaceable bands so if I got tired of wearing pink, I could switch to purple. Flex's software is fine. It tells me what I need it to tell me.
I sold my flex at one point and got a Garmin VivoFit... I used the vivo for a week and sent it back to the store and repurchased a flex... I like the sleep analysis of flex (although it's not as good and easy to capture as BodyMedia). I like that it knows the difference between regular walking and actual exercise. I don't like that it doesn't capture steps while I'm grocery shopping (I clip it to my belt loop or put it in my pocket for these activities).
Overall, I like my flex. But I think i'd equally like the UP24 if it was available on Android...
Check Amazon before you buy... I got my Flex for $78 instead of the usual $99. And if you're a member of RoadRunnerSports.com, you can get 10% off.0 -
Neither. Go for a FitBit One for better accuracy and the ability to wear it discreetly. You want to be measuring whole body movement by preference rather than having it on your wrist.0
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My husband loves his FitBit Flex, but in my opinion it way overestimates his activity sometimes. I mean, get out of bed, brush your teeth, and it thinks you've gone 200+ steps already? Nuh-uh. Although maybe they could have occurred after midnight before going to bed, but if he's up late at night it's to play Xbox, so... yeah. Plus it's annoying that he keeps it plugged into MY laptop and has to check it obsessively every freaking 10 minutes sometimes.0
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I had the fitbit force and was VERY depressed to have to send it back. Tried the Garmin vivofit and sent it back after a week (like an above poster mentioned--simply awful). Right now, I'm actually using the Fitbit flex in conjunction with a Polar F4 heart rate monitor to track my workouts. So far, it has been a very effective combination. After tons of research and trial and error, I honestly believe that fitbit products are the easiest, simplest, and most useful activity trackers currently on the market.
Just my two cents.0 -
Thank you all for the input. I am leaning toward the Fitbit Flex. In the meantime I will continue to wear my pedometer. I do have a HRM but have not worn it in awhile....might need to get that back out for workouts.0
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I sent an email to Body Media asking if they have any type of a return program since I am no longer able to wear the product. The response was that they do not at this time, but then they said this:
"Keep your eye on your email over the next few weeks as we may have an announcement concerning this type of request!".
If you have had problems with developing a rash due to the product, you might want to contact Body Media so that HOPEFULLY they will at least provide a discount on a Jawbone product.0 -
Out of curiosity, what was the difference between the flex and the force band?0
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Broke down today and bought the Jawbone UP at Best Buy since they had them for $79.99. Figured that if/when Body Media makes any offer that it probably wouldn't be for more than $50 off the price so now I have both of them and just maybe I can get the BM sold. I'm anxious to see how it compares to the BM. I can already tell that the data available is not as detailed with the Jawbone as it was with the BM, but it is still much better than simply using my pedometer!!0
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MFP has a Jawbone UP Bracelet group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/13370-jawbone-up-bracelet
Your UP total burn is your TDEE—way more accurate than any online calculator. I wasn't losing much weight at all until I got an UP. I have a desk job, so I'd set my MFP activity level at sedentary. But it turns out I get way more steps than I ever imagined. Now I eat back my UP calorie adjustments, and I lost weight.
Connect your accounts: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/apps/show/97
Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
Log non-step activity in the UP app (not MFP), and follow your MFP calorie goal, eating back your UP adjustments. Easy peasy!0
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