Fitbit or Polar HRM? Please help me decide!!

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  • Compudad
    Compudad Posts: 54 Member
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    I wear the fitbit all the time and I love it. It syncs well with MyFitnessPal. As far as non step type activities gi, I can log them manually on the web site or use one of the free smartphone apps.
  • salpalb
    salpalb Posts: 1 Member
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    I have a fitbit and LOVE IT. I use an app on my iPhone called Endomondo (also available on Droids too). I paid $4.99 for it and it tracks my workouts. There is a free version ,but I'm not sure what all it includes It also syncs with MFP as my fitbit does so I'm all convenient.. LOL I love that fitbit auto adjusts my calories for me at the end of the day.

    Hope this helps!
  • kikih64
    kikih64 Posts: 349 Member
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    I have a Fitbit and a Polar FT4. The Fitbit is great for tracking steps and stairs. It estimates your calorie burn throughout the day based on that info plus the stats you enter during set up. The HRM is used for workouts (I take the Fitbit off when I work out) and it uses your heartrate and other stats to estimate your calorie burn. Put the 2 together and it's pretty snazzy!

    If you want to log more accurate workout burns, I'd go with an HRM; if you want some idea of your activity level during the entire day, get the Fitbit - or use both.
  • kimmieyr1
    kimmieyr1 Posts: 189
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    Really depends on what you want it for. I got a FItbit this past summer and love it. My major exercise is walking so it worked well as well as adding up all my steps through out the day. I decided to splurge and get an HRM just after Christmas as everyone said it was the only way to get the correct burn of calories. It registers almost identical t my Fitbit and MapMyWalk. I rarely use the HRM but am faithful to my Fitbit as it gives me an overall movement of my day. If you do serious workouts an HRM is probably the right one but if you are trying to improve you overall movement every day and Fitbit might me better. Hope this helps.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    It really depends on what you want to use them for. The Fitbit and Boddybug are basically fancy pedometers...they will track your steps, give you a calorie burn, etc. They will not help you with training/fitness goals though. I love my HRM because I can set my HR zone goals and train at whatever level I'm intending to train at for that particular session. They will give you a pretty darned accurate account of your calorie burn as well during the workout session.

    For myself, I've found the calorie calculators to be fairly accurate in what I burn on a daily basis so I've only ever found the need to track my actual workouts to know how many calories to log and eat back. I don't do that anymore though as I now have a good idea of what I burn in a given week and just use the TDEE method now and just use my HRM to meet my zone goals.
  • islandnutshel
    islandnutshel Posts: 1,143 Member
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    It depends on the type of exercise you do. I have the fitbit because most of my exercise is climbing mountains. It tracks my steps and also has an altimeter that knows when I slow down it still counts because I am going straight up.

    I don't do the gym. If I did, a HRM would be much better than fitbit.

    I use the activity calculator for other activities such as swimming. Also on the Treadmill (for the torrential downpour days) the fitbit doesnt recognise the incline so you might want to adjust the workout manually. (I don't bother, it just adds to the deficit)

    Why I love the fitbit. I clip it on the bra, and it's small, discreet and keeps me motivated to take the little extra steps and stairs all day long and at work, or on days off........
  • grillingirl
    grillingirl Posts: 81 Member
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    I have a Jawbone UP. Does anyone else have one of these or am I the only one? It's like the Fitbit only it's a bracelet that you wear all of the time. It tracks steps taken and sleep, and you can also enter your food and exercise. But I mainly bought it for the sleep tracking.
  • bambi_woodward
    bambi_woodward Posts: 30
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    I have the Polar FT4 and love it! I had a fitbit, but decided to go with a hrm so that I could get a good idea how many calories I was burning at the gym. The fitbit just can't do that.
  • fatfrost
    fatfrost Posts: 365 Member
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    I got fitbit for xmas and I've been pretty happy with it to date. Don't know much about the other one. Hope that helps.
  • chrissylovescj
    chrissylovescj Posts: 117 Member
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    You guys rock!!! Thank you all so very much for your responses!! You have definitely helped me decide that I want BOTH. :blushing:

    Now, I just have to decide which one I want to purchase first!!
  • eskiadas
    eskiadas Posts: 45 Member
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    I recently bought the Polar FT7 and i'm in love with it. I use it only for workouts. Its super easy to set up and the chest strap does not bother me at all. Here is the one i got from Amazon :)

    http://www.amazon.ca/Polar-Womens-Heart-Monitor-Silver/dp/B004KMP0TU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1360178145&sr=8-2
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
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    apples and oranges.

    That is like asking which is best, a motorcycle or a car?

    I use both, but for different things.
  • simon_rider
    simon_rider Posts: 14 Member
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    Have had a fitbit one for a week now and it's great, the scales are excellent too and it syncs perfectly with mfp and iPhone
  • HypersonicFitNess
    HypersonicFitNess Posts: 1,219 Member
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    Bump to read later...I'm still trying to figure out which HRM I want...cause I want all the bells & whistles but don't want to pay the >$400 required for the Garmen 610 (plus it doesn't work in water and I want to be able to wear it swimming too)
  • WAHMto5
    WAHMto5 Posts: 375 Member
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    If you are looking into a Fitbit, you may want to wait until Spring when the new one comes out! I am planning on getting one ASAP the come out;)
  • rezn8
    rezn8 Posts: 263 Member
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    I tried a fitbit and took it back 2 days later. As another posted here, it is a glorified pedometer. Not worth it. A HRM will help you calculate your exercise calories which is a much better tool. People who use the pedometer to calculate there walking throughout the day tend to use it as an excuse not to do a real workout. Getting up from the desk to go get coffee is hardly helping you get fit or lose weight.
    Also, if you have a smart phone, you can download step counters free. Striv works fairly well for that purpose.
  • abullock1
    abullock1 Posts: 3 Member
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    I have an Oregon scientific HRM. (It was my 10 year anniversary gift at work). So far I like it. Finally got it set up and used it today for the first time. If I were spending my own money for it, I would have gotten the polar so I could have it in pink :) this one seems like it will suffice until I can convince my husband he needs one too so I can get a pink one. Lol!!!

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