Really disappointed in fitbit

MyChocolateDiet

i'm curious about the pendant one. Do you think it dangling on the neck would cause any of these movement issues people are mentioning?

earlnabby

Mine records steps on the treadmill. Where did you hear that it wouldn't?

tanyaslosingit

Tracking sleep is important for those who aren't getting an average of 7.5 - 8.0 hours of sleep a night. There is a correlation between sleep and weight loss, so if you aren't getting enough sleep, you can see by the log where the issues may lie and address them. If you've got the sleep thing down (90+% efficiency, you can opt for the Zip which doesn't track sleep and is less expensive than the Ultra or the One.

I'm not sure why your FitBit isn't tracking steps on a treadmill. If it's a Flex or Force, it could be that your hands are remaining stationary or not matching your stride as you walk/run. If it's a Ultra, Force or Zip, it should track just fine.

If you want to add the treadmill as an exercise, then no, it won't sync with the treadmill, but the interface to add exercise to your FitBit log is *very* easy (but I believe that adding in treadmill as an exercise will factor in calories burned, but not the steps on the treadmill.)

As for accuracy of the steps, once I adjusted the step length, it came to within 10 steps (out of 10,000) when I ran a comparison with a couple of other pedometers.

I haven't had an issue with sweat making it icky. Maybe because I wear an all-cotton sports bra and it absorbs excess sweat?

So, what do I love about the FitBit? Actually, everything except that it can't withstand more than 4 or 5 rounds in the washer & dryer! Ha!

skylark94

Why on earth would it not work on a treadmill? It's a pedometer, not a GPS. Mine picks up treadmills, ellipticals, horseback riding...all movement.

I love mine, I've been a Fitbit user for about 3 years now. The sync with MFP is accurate (500 calorie deficit), and the app is great for manually logging strength training.

WalkingAlong

i'm curious about the pendant one. Do you think it dangling on the neck would cause any of these movement issues people are mentioning?

I've worn my One on a chain but I keep it under my shirt so it's not really flapping around. If you ran with one dangling loose I think it would think you're moving more than you are.

I have no idea how or if they tweaked the Flex to work on the Tory Burch pendant, since it's a wrist model. I don't know anyone who's sprung for those expensive holders.

http://help.fitbit.com/customer/portal/articles/1276472-how-does-my-tracker-count-steps-

I think that explains how some treadmills/walkers could miss steps. Though holding the rail is probably way more common.

I think the sleep thing was clear without the Oxford comma. :happy:

LiftAllThePizzas

In Soviet Russia, fitbit disappointed in YOU!

younginaz

I am on the fence with mine. Some of the information helps, like all others who posted, it helps keep you motivated and really shows how sedentary I am at work. However, it doesn't seem to track as well on the elliptical or rowing machine, but loves it when I walk. I am trying to use it as a tool for motivation and not rely to heavily on calories burned or steps taken (although that is what I intended when I bought it)

I don't log any exercise except for swimming because I can't wear it in the pool. Otherwise, it should be giving you credit for activity calories.

Good luck.

MrsUptonOgood

my friend suggested I hook it on my shoe lace for the treadmill, so that recorded. So it's better.

Yes ^ this! Even during the day when not on the treadmill.....that way it is not counting all your arm movements as steps. Did you know it count's steps when brushing your teeth and doing dishes etc. I don't want that counted, I want just my steps counted.

Fitbit says it doesn't count steps when your driving in a car, but that it Does count them when you are pushing a stroller or shopping cart........HOW DOES IT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE? It doesn't know the difference.....they just want you to buy it.

So, I think wearing it on your left ankle (secured with that strectchy wrap stuff) or hooked on your shoe laces would give you a TRUE step count.

They should really come up with one that you wear on your ankle that can measure your stride and speed as well.....that would be innovative!

Now being able to sync it with mfp is awesome....it does some really neat things....just needs some major improvement to be worth the 99 bucks they are charging for it.

Just my 2 cents

upnorthtim

I love mine too. I don't worry if it is entirely accurate in terms of steps/distance because it still indexes my daily activity....high steps = higher activity level and vice-versa. I take it off when I drive, however, as a one hour drive can give me several thousand steps! I shower with it everyday with no problems. I do log the sleep but I don't pay much attention to it. The best part for me is setting an activity goal to reach which I find highly motivating.

SherryTeach

I've worn my fitbit Ultra (predecessor to the One) daily for over two years. Besides continuing to keep an accurate food log, my fitbit it the key to maintenance. I pay attention to my steps during the day and am aware of low days and the need to move more. It works fine on my treadmill. I use an HRM for biking and rebounding.

Fitbit does not recommend putting the fitbit on your shoe. The clip on ones like mine are most accurate when worn somewhere on the torso. I usually put mine on my pocket. If I'm wearing something without pockets or a waistband, I put it on my bra.

WalkingAlong

my friend suggested I hook it on my shoe lace for the treadmill, so that recorded. So it's better.

Yes ^ this! Even during the day when not on the treadmill.....that way it is not counting all your arm movements as steps. Did you know it count's steps when brushing your teeth and doing dishes etc. I don't want that counted, I want just my steps counted.

Fitbit says it doesn't count steps when your driving in a car, but that it Does count them when you are pushing a stroller or shopping cart........HOW DOES IT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE? It doesn't know the difference.....they just want you to buy it.

So, I think wearing it on your left ankle (secured with that strectchy wrap stuff) or hooked on your shoe laces would give you a TRUE step count.

They should really come up with one that you wear on your ankle that can measure your stride and speed as well.....that would be innovative!

Now being able to sync it with mfp is awesome....it does some really neat things....just needs some major improvement to be worth the 99 bucks they are charging for it.

Just my 2 cents

Put yours on your shoe and walk around the block then back on your wrist or torso (wherever your model was designed to be worn) and walk around the block. You'll notice that your calorie burn for the walk with it on your shoe is 2-3 times what it is when worn as designed. If all you care about is number of steps, that's fine. But if the calorie count matters to you, wear it where it's supposed to be worn.

It doesn't count most driving as steps because most driving doesn't generate a step-like motion in the driver. It counts most stroller pushing as steps because it does.

We burn calories from all activities, including brushing teeth and washing dishes. Its designed to estimate calorie burn from activity, not literally provide you a count of just your actual steps taken while walking.

expoduck

I love my fitbit.

Also, their customer service is amazing.

I lost my fitbit flex and was heartbroken. I became furious when I realised someone else had found it and started using it (when it became suddenly unpaired from my account).

I contacted support, hoping they could block it - they couldn't, but what they did do was replace it free of charge!

Free. Of. Charge.

Without me even asking. Customer for life.

MrsUptonOgood

my friend suggested I hook it on my shoe lace for the treadmill, so that recorded. So it's better.

Yes ^ this! Even during the day when not on the treadmill.....that way it is not counting all your arm movements as steps. Did you know it count's steps when brushing your teeth and doing dishes etc. I don't want that counted, I want just my steps counted.

Fitbit says it doesn't count steps when your driving in a car, but that it Does count them when you are pushing a stroller or shopping cart........HOW DOES IT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE? It doesn't know the difference.....they just want you to buy it.

So, I think wearing it on your left ankle (secured with that strectchy wrap stuff) or hooked on your shoe laces would give you a TRUE step count.

They should really come up with one that you wear on your ankle that can measure your stride and speed as well.....that would be innovative!

Now being able to sync it with mfp is awesome....it does some really neat things....just needs some major improvement to be worth the 99 bucks they are charging for it.

Just my 2 cents

Put yours on your shoe and walk around the block then back on your wrist or torso (wherever your model was designed to be worn) and walk around the block. You'll notice that your calorie burn for the walk with it on your shoe is 2-3 times what it is when worn as designed. If all you care about is number of steps, that's fine. But if the calorie count matters to you, wear it where it's supposed to be worn.

It doesn't count most driving as steps because most driving doesn't generate a step-like motion in the driver. It counts most stroller pushing as steps because it does.

We burn calories from all activities, including brushing teeth and washing dishes. Its designed to estimate calorie burn from activity, not literally provide you a count of just your actual steps taken while walking.

Ok, to be fair, I just performed a test. I walked with it on my arm and used normal arm movements and it did count those steps Perfect. Then I walked the exact same number of steps holding my arm still and guess what...it counted ZERO!!!! So I'm only burning calories if my arms are swinging?

WalkingAlong

Yeah, the Flex assumes your arm moves in a natural motion while walking. If accuracy is important to you (or you walk with a stroller or cart a lot), the Zip or One are a much better option.

d3mon4ngel

I've had the Fitbit One for just over a year now. It has helped me to see how sedentary I really am and helped to realign my calorie goals. I've not had any problems with it counting my steps on the treadmill, or just walking and running in general, but it definitely doesn't pick up how active I am during my Krav Maga classes. I just log that in MFP the usual way and let them sort it out between themselves.

I'm not quite ready to replace my fitbit just yet, but this is currently looking like the main contender for if / when I finally do: https://amiigo.com/

MrsUptonOgood

Yeah, the Flex assumes your arm moves in a natural motion while walking. If accuracy is important to you (or you walk with a stroller or cart a lot), the Zip or One are a much better option.

Wish I would have gotten the One....It has better reviews.

Just did try the flex on my wrist then on my shoe (for ****s and giggles) for the exact same number of steps to see if any difference in calorie burn.....calorie burn was exactly the same worn either way (as long as my arms were swinging). If I would have held my arm still while wearing it on my wrist and walking, it wouldn't have counted any steps (as proven in previous test) and therefore would not have burned any calories? That's my next test....cause I do want to be fair....I already bought the thing so I want it to be the most accurate for me. I WILL make this thing work to the best of it's abilities

cwolfman13

I've never been able to really see any great purpose to these. These calculators are pretty good estimates to start with so long as you are being honest with what you're inputting. From there you can just up or down as necessary...it's pretty easy IMHO to dial things in without some device giving you yet another estimate (which is all it is). I'm pretty active...I don't need some device to tell me that.

MrsUptonOgood

And how do you get "friends" on your fitbit list....none of my facebook friends have one apparently..... I think that would help me with motivation and make me more satisfied with my flex also. I really want to be happy with it, I'm just so danged pessimistic about some things

amusedmonkey

This is curious. Mine works perfectly on a treadmill (but then again it's just a zip)

WalkingAlong

And how do you get "friends" on your fitbit list....none of my facebook friends have one apparently..... I think that would help me with motivation and make me more satisfied with my flex also. I really want to be happy with it, I'm just so danged pessimistic about some things

You can announce here or on the Fitbit forums that you want Fitbit friends, or just go there and randomly (or not) send out Friend requests.

Did you buys yours from an authorized seller within the last year? If so, Fitbit will probably exchange it for a One if you tell them you're unhappy with the accuracy of the Flex.

That's good to know that the Flex assigns calories on the foot the same as the wrist. I tested my One and the burn was almost 3 times higher on my foot, for a 15 minute walk. I know Fitbit does (or did, before the Tory Burch accessories) advise against wearing a Flex on your ankle.

If you have to keep your Flex, try to consider it a useful tool for trend analysis. Even if it has your steps wrong, you can compare to see if you're moving more over time because it probably has about the same error rate day to day, assuming your days aren't really varied in activity, like some days you're a drummer.

cwolfman- I think where these add value is mainly in motivating people to move more because they see their inactivity in black and white on screen, if they don't. And in letting you know when some days you've had so much activity that you really can skip the workout, if you want. And many find the competitive aspect fun, and peg themselves against friends and family.

Indygirl_81

I love my fitbit. I use it for regular daily stuff and for sleep. I use a Polar FT4 watch for exercise though as I want to monitor my heart rate at all times during exercise.

Sharon_C

I could never figure out what my daily calorie burn was through MFP or any other site. I work in retail and walk 8 hours a day. I got my Fitbit and discovered I was burning way more calories than I thought. It's more accurate than what MFP tells me I burn. Also, it works great on the treadmill and the elliptical. Not sure where you're wearing yours but I have a Fitbit One and I clip it to my bra. I've had no problem with it.

My daughter has a Flex and she doesn't have any problems with it tracking her running on the treadmill. She does have to watch her arm movements though.

77tes

I don't have a Fitbit, but many of my MFP friends have them. I have noticed that at first they all complain about the device ; however, after a few weeks they are in love with it.

Since it seems like there is a period of adjustment before users figure it out, give it a few weeks.

Good luck.

scrapjen

I'm a huge Fitbit fan - I use mine on the treadmill and it tracks just fine (I also wear another pedometer and a HRM to compare). I also elliptical, zumba, tennis, soccer and I don't ever enter anything myself... I will input a bike ride manually (manual entries are easy, but I generally just go with what the Fitbit estimates).

I talk about the Fitbit a ton on my personal blog ...
http://jenbsjourney.blogspot.com/search/label/Fitbit

My entire family has them now (hubs, the kids, my parents, my siblings) and it creates a fun family competition (I'm usually winning of course!) and the Fitbit syncs to so many services (MFP, Pact, Achievemint, FitStudio, Walgreens, EveryMove) and it's actually paid for itself (yes, I've received cash $$ for my activity I would be doing anyway)!

BOC57

Go buy yourself a Garmin, it'll make all other devices look like the toys they are.

I also have a Garmin.

It is useless for tracking my steps, recording my sleep and syncing with MFP to sort out my daily calories

It's awesome for recording my runs and bike rides though.

Ahh. I've been looking at these. Counting on Santa this December but also want a watch that will track swimming distance......talk about being addicted to electronic feedback!!