Fitbit vs. BodyMedia Fit

knk1553

Hi Everyone!

So I'm looking at purchasing either a fitbit one (the newest one) or a body media fit. I want to hear any pros/cons that people may have about each and why you picked one over the other. If you've had both I definitely want to hear your opinion on which one you prefer. Thanks so much!

mcpjan

I have both and I prefer the fitbit. The arm band irritates my arm after wearing it few days in a row. The fitbit is smaller and does everything I need. Both are good but fitbit website is free and body media website you have to pay.

evileen99

I have the BodyMedia Fit and just love it. A couple of things it tells you that the FitBit doesn't is minutes of moderate and vigorous activity. The only negative thing my friend with a FitBit says about it is the "stairs climbed" function. Apparently it uses and altimeter to calculate that, and she's noticed that when she travels over a river bridge every day to work (that rises up to cross the river) it counts that as stairs climbed based on altitude change, not activity.

knk1553

thanks for the feedback! I'm concerned about the armband, I work in a psychiatric hospital and am pretty limited on what I can wear and feel like that would be something that could cause problems/wouldn't fit under my clothes that well. I am really turned off by the idea of having to pay each month for services with the body media fit as well. However, i do want to hear feedback on both since both of their websites say they're the best haha

blonde20fan

I got the Body Media Armband for Christmas. So far I love it. I have been on what I thought was a plateau for months and the Body Media informed me that my BMR was not as high as I thought it was and I am over estimating my calories burned. This has helped me a lot! Now I can adjust my eating and workouts to get the weight loss I want. I also like that it shows me how much I move around at night and it has reports to help me keep track of my calories, workouts and food for months or a whole year. I don't even remember that I am wearing the band most of the time. I am still in my 3 months of my free account but I definitely plan to renew and pay for the subscription.

knk1553

awesome, thanks for your feedback!

JessRaddatz

I have both and I prefer the BodyMedia Fit over the Fitbit. I actually stopped using my Fitbit because I felt that the BodyMedia was more accurate and has helped me more, but that is just my personal preferance. I don't even notice that I have it on anymore (the first week or so it did bother my arm after a little while of wearing it, but it doesn't anymore). The only thing about the BodyMedia that I don't like is that it doesn't count my exersise on the recumbent bike as activity since my arms aren't moving. Other than that, I have no complaints. So far, it has helped me lose 18 pounds! I have also noticed the stair thing with my Fitbit. I also really like the BodyMedia website and I can synch it to my phone, which in turn synchs it to MFP.

corneredbycorn

A couple of things it tells you that the FitBit doesn't is minutes of moderate and vigorous activity.

The only negative thing my friend with a FitBit says about it is the "stairs climbed" function. Apparently it uses and altimeter to calculate that, and she's noticed that when she travels over a river bridge every day to work (that rises up to cross the river) it counts that as stairs climbed based on altitude change, not activity.

The fitbit tracks light, moderate, and very active periods.

If your friend logs in driving, it will adjust inflated step and stair counts.

corneredbycorn

I have a fitbit and I absolutely love it. I hook it to my bra and forget about it. Since I wear a lot of tanks and cap sleeves, an armband would be totally unacceptable. I love that it tracks different types of activities based on the intensity of your steps, as well as stairs climbed. The sleep tracking thing is nifty as well. It's also great that the service is free.

As for being unreliable? I've not encountered that at all, but the fitbit has built in fixes for this. You can make adjustments to your device for things like stride length and you can log activities to adjust arbitrary inflation (like I mentioned above with the driving).

knk1553

A couple of things it tells you that the FitBit doesn't is minutes of moderate and vigorous activity.

The only negative thing my friend with a FitBit says about it is the "stairs climbed" function. Apparently it uses and altimeter to calculate that, and she's noticed that when she travels over a river bridge every day to work (that rises up to cross the river) it counts that as stairs climbed based on altitude change, not activity.

The fitbit tracks light, moderate, and very active periods.

If your friend logs in driving, it will adjust inflated step and stair counts.

I'm assuming it tells you how to log in driving? I commute an hour (40 miles) each way for work, so I will definitely need to do this!

corneredbycorn

A couple of things it tells you that the FitBit doesn't is minutes of moderate and vigorous activity.

The only negative thing my friend with a FitBit says about it is the "stairs climbed" function. Apparently it uses and altimeter to calculate that, and she's noticed that when she travels over a river bridge every day to work (that rises up to cross the river) it counts that as stairs climbed based on altitude change, not activity.

The fitbit tracks light, moderate, and very active periods.

If your friend logs in driving, it will adjust inflated step and stair counts.

I'm assuming it tells you how to log in driving? I commute an hour (40 miles) each way for work, so I will definitely need to do this!

Once you get to the dashboard, there is a section to log activities. Within it, there is an option for transportation, then driving (as the driver or as the passenger). You plug in the times you were driving and it adjusts it from there. I've had to do it quite often recently because of traveling for holidays (and a funeral). It's super easy.

knk1553

Once you get to the dashboard, there is a section to log activities. Within it, there is an option for transportation, then driving (as the driver or as the passenger). You plug in the times you were driving and it adjusts it from there. I've had to do it quite often recently because of traveling for holidays (and a funeral). It's super easy.

Awesome, thats really helpful to know, I was always wondering how it works with travel time.

I'm thinking I'm going to be going with the fitbit, just because its more hidden than the BMF.

One last question for fitbit people - do you wear it while you exercise? or do you wear a HRM for that? I have a HRM that I use for exercise right now

Matilda444WECHANGED

There is an "Activity" journal within FitBit. There you can record your activity and manually enter the calories your HRM has reported you burned.

I've tried both and like the FitBit One the best. It's so much smaller and easier to wear.

corneredbycorn

Once you get to the dashboard, there is a section to log activities. Within it, there is an option for transportation, then driving (as the driver or as the passenger). You plug in the times you were driving and it adjusts it from there. I've had to do it quite often recently because of traveling for holidays (and a funeral). It's super easy.

Awesome, thats really helpful to know, I was always wondering how it works with travel time.

I'm thinking I'm going to be going with the fitbit, just because its more hidden than the BMF.

One last question for fitbit people - do you wear it while you exercise? or do you wear a HRM for that? I have a HRM that I use for exercise right now

I just always keep it clipped to my bra, except at night when it goes in it's little wrist band for sleep. If had an HRM as well, I would probably use it in conjunction with the fitbit.