Is a Fitbit worth the money?

Jodiekate

Hi, I keep seeing lots of posts singing the praises of the Fitbit. Having had a look at the website it seems very expensive for what it is.

I would love to hear peoples views on this as if it is genuinely worth it I am willing to invest in it.

Thanks

laurels12

I'd be interested too! I'm like you, keep hearing all these great things but when I look on Amazon, I wobble when I see the price!! I'm terrible for buying fitness things and then only using them once!

jmeyer1198

I love mine...better yet. Last week while hiking I lost mine. I knew about where I lost it but couldn't locate. I sent an e mail to fitbit asking if there was any magic to finding a lost fitbit....they sent me a new one at no charge! Not saying this is their policy for all but I was impressed. Thank you fitbit team if your reading this!

vim_n_vigor

My fitbit hasn't left my body for more than showers or swimming since I got it in February. I use it to keep me motivated and challenged - can I walk more steps, more distance, more calories per minute, more flights of stairs. My youngest also likes to see the activity indicator get big, so he is always asking me tomove so he can see the flower get bigger!

arewethereyet

I have wasted money on the less expensive pedometers and they never worked right. Fitbit was given to me as a gift and I LOVE it.

Of course, I am visually motivated. When I can SEE I walked 5679 steps, I just have to make it 6000!! The same thing with my HRM-I see I burned 322 and I have to make it an even 350. Problem is, I make it a 388 and have to go to 400!! :laugh:

To me it is a fun motivator!!

Jeebs71

I too wobbled about the price, but decided to take the plunge and have now been wearing mine for 3 days constantly (apart from showers) and I have to say I think it is the best thing! I definitely find it is a huge incentive to beat the steps, flights climbed, etc each day. it is a lot of money but all you have to do is keep it clipped onto your clothing and let the fitbit do the rest. I also find it fascinating to find out how much I've moved about when sleeping!

piebird79

No, not really. I've had mine since January and don't find it particularly useful or motivating.

luvdogz

Look around for sales and coupons. I had a coupon for Best Buy and a couple of gift cards, made it much more reasonable. I have had mine for a couple of weeks and am in love! It never leaves me except to shower. It is soooo motivating to look and see how you have done, and you compete against to yourself to do more! It has been very eye opening for how much I sit, and I have realized that all those little things, like parking farther away, or taking the stairs really DO add up! I have not been sorry for one minute that I spent the money. That's been my experience so far, hope that helps.

daisyhougan

Love, love, love mine. Wasn't sure if I would because I've used other pedometer-type things before and would either fall apart or just would taper off.
Here's what Ilike.....it's super comfortable to wear and stays on really well. I often foget that it's there and don't worry about it falling off, even if I'm playing soccer or running. I've been using it since January and February and it still works like a charm (so the cost evens out if you spread the cost overseveral months). I like the way it tracks my exercise on the computer. I can analyze which days I did well and which days I didn't get as much exercise in. It actually encourages me to exercise more because I want to get above a certain level of steps or exercise----I might set a goal of a certain number of steps or flights of stairs each day or a cumulative level of each week. I also like the way it links to MFP.

Brinasacat

Love mine! I'm now disturbed if I'm not making my 10,000 steps or 10 flights daily. I just need them to read 100%. I will pace in my house if neccessary in the evening to get it up there, lol! I like how it tells me what I've burned already in the day, so I can better calorie count based on my activity done, or what I know I will do for the remainder of the day. I try to have a 1000 calorie deficit per day, so I up my activity to give me that allowance because I am a very good eater (which is why I need to be here.)

tabulator32

The following is simply my opinion and, if you disagree, that's fine...

You have to weigh cost against value. Would it be worth $100 if it is the inspiration you needed to reach your weight loss goals?

If you are the type of person who is motivated by the information provided by Fitbit, it can help you lose weight. If you catch yourself going the extra mile (or extra kilometer, block, whatever) to make the 10,000 steps (or whatever your step goal is) each day, then its going to help you burn more calories, and that MAY be worth it to you.

If you get sick and tired of trying to log your cardio exercise or you're worried you may not be tracking all of your movement, this MAY be well worth it for you.

The first week I used my Fitbit, I was ready to toss it in a box and return it. After I learned how to use it, it is a valuable part of my diet/exercise program. I forgot to bring it with me yesterday and actually caught myself getting upset at myself for forgetting to bring it.

I like it because it motivates me.

I like it because it shows my peak times and slow times throughout each day on the charts.

I like it because I don't have to track my cardio manually.

To me, as an ongoing venture, it's worth it.

Heaven71

I would be under eating if not for my FITBIT I love it!!!!

Altruista75

I love my fitbit!! It actually has motivated me to take the stairs now anytime that I can and to keep moving until I reach the goals that I have set for myself!

Heaven71

Love mine! I'm now disturbed if I'm not making my 10,000 steps or 10 flights daily. I just need them to read 100%. I will pace in my house if neccessary in the evening to get it up there, lol! I like how it tells me what I've burned already in the day, so I can better calorie count based on my activity done, or what I know I will do for the remainder of the day. I try to have a 1000 calorie deficit per day, so I up my activity to give me that allowance because I am a very good eater (which is why I need to be here.)

Yep, motivation to do more and top your fitbit friends with stairs and steps.

RisiM

yes, get one it's fun to get those numbers up. Get money for your birthday and treat yourself. Worn mine every day since 5 Jan, only forgot to put it on once and then remembered after an hour. Consider it on a level with my mobile phone - luxury but necessary!

f1ctional

I returned mine the next day. Seems a bit hyped, but to each his/her own.

tenunderfour

I love mine also! I'm thinking of getting one as a gift for my very sedentary boyfriend. As others said, it's a great motivator and is just fun to see how active you really are. I was shocked at how few steps I took in a normal day. I do not have a sedentary job. I see patients in a medical office - but turns out I was not walking as much as I thought. When you are trying to maintain a deficit - it's good to know how much you actually are burning on a daily basis. The other nice things is - unlike Bodymedia Fit you do not need a monthly subscription for the thing to work.

Whisperinghorse

I would be under eating if not for my FITBIT I love it!!!!

I've had mine for about 10 days and its shown that I am undereating!! So trying to get up to decent calories even though I already feel like I'm stuffing all day anyway...

I love mine wear it all the time well worth the money...

peace_pigeon

I love mine. I hike, so it is fantastic to be able to compare trails for flights of stairs, distance and steps. It is so motivating- I can't stand having a day where I don't meet my goals and will push myself to avoid that feeling, lol. Great tool and well worth the price!

lcphipps

just wondering? has anyone ever compared the bodymedia monitor to the fitbit?

tryinghard71

I use a heart rate monitor with a chest strap. I just don't get how fitbit could give accurate readings on calories burned. Does anyone use both? Do they match up?

marathon64

This is my exact question!!! How accurate can it be on calorie burn with no chest strap? I love the idea of it but how does it compare to using an HRM? Do you use only one or the other?

tarnbop

I'm also having the same worry... I love the idea and I'm a real gadget type person... It's just the price that puts me off. Other than syncing, what's so good about this over other pedometers?!

Saying that, I have just added it as a treat when I reach my first target, which I am nearly half way towards!!

MrsPigz

It depends on the person really.. I am a very competitive person. So I compete with myself to do better then the day before. Sometimes it works... other times not so much. But over all it's FANTASTIC!

mandalu292

I've had mine a little over a week now and LOVE it! I've found that it's much more accurate when figuring out my activity for the day. MFP was actually overestimating on my workouts at the gym by about 100 calories. Plus I get to see what I burn normally throughout the day. Personally I put mine on my bra, right in the middle part by your chest. Works like a charm and you forget it is there. The website with all your info is free and links to MFP which I also love (and didn't even know until a friend told me!) All in all, totally worth it in my opinion. And I too have ran around my kitchen island just to get my 10,000th step! It's motivating.

RobinvdM

Worth the money- your call. It was worth my money, every penny.

Here is why:

Competitive types will try and beat their own "all time best" steps taken, floors climbed, miles walked, calories burned.

You can specifically log activities to see how many steps/miles (estimated) you walked during that time frame, all by pushing 1 button.You can even log your sleep cycle and get an idea if you are a restless sleeper or not.

Once said activities are saved in your device, your FitBit stores it until it sends the data to the receiver/docking "station" attached to your PC, where it will then sync to your FitBit website account. It can store more than 1 saved activity, so you don't have to revolve around your receiving station/PC.

FitBit tracks your steps, and can tell (somehow, haven't figured this part out yet) if you are running or walking and automatically adjusts between your walking stride and your running stride- so make sure you fill in both fields when you make your profile. Also, one small thing I don't like about the website (not the fitbit) is that it asks for your "stride" but really expects your step. The difference is (I didn't know back then) stride is left toe to left heel, and step is left toe to right heel.

FitBit also comes with a built in altimeter which tracks your elevation as you move up or down (which is how it counts you climbing floors- every 10 feet is a floor for this.)

You can link MFP and FitBit so that they share information, making it a heck of lot easier to work with on both fronts. The FitBit website is a lot like MFP in the logging food, weight, body measurements, tracking the chances you've made in each of those, etc. It can be very overwhelming initially until you get the hang of it then it's pretty easy.

Plus you get virtual badges for accomplishments like lifetime miles walked, lifetime steps climbed, etc. Corny but fun.

The single button on the device cycles through displaying steps, distance, calories burned, stairs climbed, and activity flower.

You can place it anywhere thanks to its "old fashioned clothespin" design., but play with it for step accuracy. I wear mine on my bra, easier to not lose for me, heh!

It uses the computer power to charge its battery (or a USB wall plugin if you have one.) I have charged it on my laptop's sleep mode. It holds a charge for 3 weeks (my experience so far.) though I have not ever run it completely out of power so it could be longer.

Cons:
I won't say the step count is 100% accurate, but most pedometers aren't 100% accurate either.
Getting it set up is a small hassle, but quickly becomes easier than using a traditional pedometer.
The receiving station is a pain in my butt since I have it constantly plugged into my laptop. It is compact, and no you do not have to keep it plugged in. I'd almost recommend plugging it in once a night just to sync or recharge your FitBit.
The device itself does not alert you to low battery, however it is displayed on your FitBit web account.

As for HRM comparison:
I have a HRM (Zephyr) and FitBit underestimates my calories burned- but that works for me. (yesterday walk HRM: 560, FitBit:530)

If something ever happened to mine, I would replace it in a second with another FitBit. I have tried out the cheaper range of pedometers and dislike them heartily.

jonski1968

No, not really. I've had mine since January and don't find it particularly useful or motivating.

Then i`ll give you a tenner for it...:bigsmile:

Might as well cut your losses...

go2grrl

just wondering? has anyone ever compared the bodymedia monitor to the fitbit?

I've had a Fitbit for over a year and have been wearing a BodyMedia for a few months. The total daily numbers they both give me are wildly different. The BodyMedia is much more generous than the Fitbit to the tune of about 300 calories a day. Yet it measures nearly 1000 steps less than the Fitbit which you calibrate according to your stride length.

I'm still not sure which one I like "better." I prefer the BM interface and the way it reports the information (there is a 7 dollar a month fee), but I like that I can sync my Fitbit to MFP. Both products have abysmal food databases, esp if you do most of your own cooking and/or don't shop at large chain "brand name" grocery stores.

I don't find either device particularly motivating. I leave that to the way my clothes fit. I've been logging calories in and out for over ten years so I've kind of figured out how to crunch the numbers on my own, but I do enjoy the feedback in terms of knowing I'm on track as far as movement goes. But after a while you can sort of spot your own patterns and figure things out. I'm giving both devices until the end of the year, but I suspect I'll keep the Fitbit if only for the fact that it is less conspicuous as I can wear it clipped to my bra. The BodyMedia doesn't go with everything

Cheers,
Cynthia

i_miss_donuts

It is not a gadget-y gadget. It is really simple and straightforward. It provides tons of feedback that is all relevant to weight loss and physical activity goals. It is also innocuous - it doesn't look dopey like pedometers and doesn't scream "hey, I am trying to lose weight!" like the bodybug did (does?). In fact, I think my fitbit is cute and don't mind it showing! I also like that I can clip it to my bra and wear it under a dress or blouse to meetings.

I wear it all the time and when I realized I was hitting 10,000 every day - I bumped my goal up to 12,000. Most days I exceed that now - which makes my dog pretty happy (he's overweight so the fitbit is helping him indirectly too). I am not sure if I regularly hit 10-12k steps before, but like others have stated, I am very committed now to keeping my steps up.

You can also (but don't have to) have a "leader board" where you compete against fiends (and frenemies?) to see who gets most steps, who is most active for longest periods of time (which it differentiates). It also tells you how many calories you are burning, so it better tracks TDEE than a simple calculation would because it is measuring your actual physical activity.

Having spent money on weight watchers, e-diets, 24 hr fitness, Jillian Michaels website etc., in the past (sometimes with minimal results) the cost did initially give me pause. However, with all it does, now I think the price is a bargain and I recommend it to anyone!

time2runnn

I love, love my fitbit. I find it very motivating and helpful since my schedule varies day to day (I'm a sub). What I have discovered is I am WAY more active than I expected. I had previously set myself as "sedentary" not knowing what days I would work. Turns out there are few days I am under 10,000 steps-- even when I am having a "lazier" day hanging around the house. The days I sub I hit 15,000 to 20,000+ steps most often... which explains why on those days I would feel extra hungry even though I "didn't workout". All in all, I think it's a fun lil gadget and it's just the thing I need to encourage extra movement.

jonski1968

I use a heart rate monitor with a chest strap. I just don't get how fitbit could give accurate readings on calories burned. Does anyone use both? Do they match up?

I use both...and to be honest...NO they do not match up...But in saying that, i don`t think that anything matches up to a HRM...This is why although my deficit to hit 1000 cals a day i try and hit at least 1300 deficit, because i know that the fitbit is a bit too genourous.

End of the day it has got me more motivated than any other fitness gizmo i`ve ever bought. If i don`t hit my daily targets i`m miserable.

So to me if it gets you moving...its worth every pound/dollar you spend on it..