Tracking gadget help and info, please!

FeraFilia

I currently have a Polar FT4 heart rate monitor (which was purchased after getting feedback from here, so thanks!) and have used it in the past to track my workouts. I really like it, and am using it again after replacing the battery and battery cover, but I'm also curious about other gadgets that track activity other than intentional workouts. Fitbit, Bodymedia Fit, Polar Loop, etc.

I want one that monitors sleep. I suspect I'm not staying asleep all night because I rarely feel rested in the morning and it leads me to staying in bed much longer than I probably should to attempt to feel rested.

I'm wondering which gadgets y'all have, your impressions, pros & cons, ease of use, how the interface operates and other such things. I'm looking to purchase one in the next few months when my funds aren't so tight. I've looked at some tech review sites and am leaning toward the Fitbit One, but I want to get some real-time feedback.

Thanks!

zoeysasha37

Bump to read responses later

caranais

Hi, I have the fitbit one and am happy with it. It does monitor sleep, you just press it in just before you go to sleep and then the same again when you wake up in the morning. I often forget to press the button, but just enter the times I went to sleep and woke up and it shows a graph of this time. I think all it really does is show how restless you are during the night, although the thicker lines show how long you were "awake" for, not just turning over etc. It's quite surprising how long I'm awake for every night (I knew I didn't sleep very well, but was quite surprised at how little I do sleep). I find it generally a great tracker. I woke up a couple of weeks ago and it had just stopped working. After trying the troubleshoot recommendations, it still didn't work, so I contacted fitbit and they sent me a replacement free of charge almost straight away. The last time I had bother with mine (the old Ultra), they did the same and upgraded me to the "one" free of charge. Great customer service. I hope this helps a bit. xx

cadaver0usb0nes

I have a fitbit one it is good for tracking sleep and step exercises (walking, running etc) you can clip it onto a wrist band when you're sleeping. The fitbit flex is a bracelet type tracker that you can wear all the time and is supposed to be water proof but honestly i don't need to track stuff when I'm in the shower or swimming I just log that separately.

Savemyshannon

I have a Fitbit One, upgraded from an Ultra, and I love it. The only problem I have is sometimes it's a little sensitive when I'm driving, giving me credit for steps or stairs climbed when I'm driving around. I hear the problem is more noticeable in smaller cars that are lower to the ground, though (I drive a small, European coupe, so I'm pretty screwed when it comes to this! haha). You can manually enter the time you spent driving so that it doesn't give you extra credit, but it can be a pain in the butt.

The dashboard/app are very nice, clean and simple. Easy to follow and organize so you can put your more important stats where you'll see them first. The customer service for Fitbit is great, as well, but you have to buy it from their site rather than a retailer to get all of the perks.

I haven't tried the Jawbone or the Flex/Force, but personally I like the idea of the One better, as I worry that keeping things on my wrist would count more steps than I actually take, since I use my hands a lot while I talk.

WhiteCloud9

Bump also to read later.

helenarriaza

I have a Fitbit One and a Fitbit Flex.

For workouts I love my One since it can easily be tucked away and I can monitor my steps on the spot, for its practical use I love my Flex (water resistant makes it even better).

Sleep tracking is a great feature and the silent alarms are my next fave thing.

As to the driving steps, I've negated them on the Log page and I'm set.

My partner has a Fitbit Zip, she loves the tiny screen and the funky color.

helenarriaza

The fitbit flex is a bracelet type tracker that you can wear all the time and is supposed to be water proof but honestly i don't need to track stuff when I'm in the shower

Dancing in the shower gives me steps lol

DnTeegen

I have a Body Media Fit. I like quite a bit. It monitors steps, sleep, calorie burn, and physical activity. I like the fact that I wear it on my upper left arm. It does take some time getting use to the arm band though. The website interface is easy to use. The only thing I really didn't care for, is when I worked night shift, it logged my sleep all wonky. Anything after 12pm would be counted for the next days sleep.

FeraFilia

Bumped for more replies, please.