NEED HELP! HRM, FitBit, Fuelband, something else?

joconnor09

I've been thinking for quite a while now about getting something to help keep track of my calorie burn throughout the day. I need something accurate! Unfortunately, I know nothing will ever be really accurate and that every different brand has its flaws. But I still want to find the best one for me!

I've been looking at the FitBit and Nike+ Fuelband and they both seem good enough, but I also noticed that neither acts as a HRM. I also saw that both have problems with counting non-activity as activity (ie burning calories while eating or driving). Are these just flukes, or do they happen a lot with these products? Should I just get a HRM and stop there? Should I even bother with a HRM?

And once I've figured all these things out, which one is the best? If anyone can offer up any experience from owning one or more of these items, it would be so helpful. I'm really lost here. I'm mostly sedentary, but I try to get to the gym a few days a week. Preferably, I'd like something that's waterproof, but it's by no means a deal-breaker if it's not. I just need something easy to use, reliable, and as accurate as possible. Keep in mind, I would like to monitor my HR (but again, not a deal-breaker). I'm also not made of money, so if I'm going to invest in something like this, I want it to last a good long time!

Thanks so much for all your help!!

ambitious01

My fitbit seems accurate and I paid 99 dollars for it. I want a polar hrm tho seems how it works for everything as fitbit misses on strenuous exercise. I personally aso seem somewhat fascinated by body media and body bugg, but don't have that kind of money. Fitbit is a one time pay of 99 dollars, no added usage charges. I vote for fitbit so you can wear it all day long.

mcarter99

Do you want to estimate your calories burned during workouts that are not steps-based (not walking, running, dancing, aerobics, kickboxing, housework, yard work)? So you want to est. burn from weights or cycling or maybe the elliptical with resistance? If so, you probably want a HRM. It will do that better than the other tools. It will not estimate your overall burn for the day, outside your workouts.

For an estimate of your overall burn for the day, the Fitbit is terrific. It will do ok estimating your 'workout' burn if it's steps-based activity.

So a HRM estimates your 1-hour workout well. A Fitbit estimates your other 23 hours well (or all 24 if you run, walk, dance, etc.)

I don't know about the Nike Fuel.

Hope that helps!

joconnor09

bump!

BertieGotSkill

Bump so I can read this later. I'm also interested in getting a calorie monitoring device.

meerkat70

An HRM like a polar won't enable you to measure burn through the day, but it will give you the most accurate measure of accurate workouts.

Depends what you want from the devise, really.

Destanie_Robyn

Hi and good luck with your journey! I recently got a fitbit a few weeks ago and LOVE it! Like others mention in previous posts it does not have heart monitor to accurately monitor exercise calories, but is does monitor daily activity and works well with myfitnesspal. Since you said you're mostly sedentary fitbit is nice because it allows you to set daily step goals and helps you to acheive those goals. Also I like using the sleep tracker to see how much I move throughout the night and see how well I sleep. I hope this helps! The most important thing OS to find something that will encourage you and something you can stick with!

shorty35565

I have a Polar HRM & I love it! Take not that a HRM is only accurate during cardio workouts tho. I still use it for my weight training, but never take it seriously. Idk if there is a way to accurately measure what u burn when ur lifting. My coach has a fitbit & doesn't really like it. I think she even quit using it. Idk a whole about it tho. Idek what a fuelband is.

Jesi0725

I know I'm a little late responding to this, but here's my $.02 worth. I have a Polar HRM that I wear at the gym and I absolutely LOVE it. I feel like it's very reliable and the numbers are accurate...wouldn't trade it for anything.

I have been on a mission to find a pedometer/activity monitor to wear to track my daily activity outside of the gym. I bought a Fitbit, which I subsequently returned due to persistent issues syncing it to their website. I also found the numbers to be confusing (the "Fitbit adjustment"), and honestly I just needed something a little more straightforward. One thing I did really like about the Fitbit was the size. It was easy to wear and discreet.

After returning the Fitbit, I tried the Striiv pedometer. It was very easy to use and intuitive, and I had no problems syncing it to the Striiv website. I had a horrible time, however, with it adding extra steps while I was driving. It was also a relatively large device, and it was difficult to find a place to hook it to me, especially if I was wearing a dress or something without a waistband/pocket. Striiv says that you can hook it to a purse, but I don't carry my purse around with me all day at work. Just sayin'. So the Striiv also got returned.

Which brings me to the Nike FuelBand, my third and (hopefully) final attempt at finding the best option for me. The FuelBand is worn around your wrist. It's not exactly discreet, but it's not huge and overly noticeable either. It tracks overall activity for the day, plus steps and calories. The steps counted while walking are very accurate. Since it's worn on your wrist, however, it also counts steps if you make large motions with your arms. The FuelBand does not rack up additional steps while you are driving (and I was in the car for four hours yesterday to prove this). It's basically a way to challenge yourself to up your activity from the days/weeks before. And I LOVE it.

So in a nutshell, I really enjoy my Polar HRM and wouldn't trade it for anything while I'm at the gym. Outside of the gym, however, my preference is the Nike FuelBand. At least so far. I will update this post after I've worn it for a couple of weeks, if anyone is interested.