Question about BodyMedia Armband

Otherwise adding to the OP question. If you've used both, which do you find is better, and why?

I have both the Fitbit and the Body Media Core. I LOVE the fitbit community but was ALWAYS worried about losing my fitbit, I even did the rubber band thing to help hang on to it...but I ultimately stopped using it for fear of losing it. I now use the Body Media Armband and do sleep with it on the side I sleep on, no problems..but it does NOT have community support...feel all alone on my journey. Trying to get my Armband to link up to MFP....maybe that will help!

Here's a copy of a brief review I did for a group of friends in a weight loss support group a few weeks ago when we were discussing the BFM:

" Here's my personal review: I definitely think its worth the price (especially if you can get in NIB off Ebay or somewhere cheaper than their website.) I've had mine for a few years now, so I know that they've done some upgrades with the newer models, like bluetooth features, smartphone access, etc, but mine is the core. It's super easy to use, and you can download whenever is convenient. I'm now looking into the display just so I can see where Im at during the day without having to download. Overall it is comfortable. I don't even notice when I've been wearing it. Wearing it at night I can take it or leave it, but it is super interesting to see how much you're sleeping and how your sleep affects how you feel, etc. If you take it off, you can edit and add any calories burned "off-body". The one thing that I think they can improve on is their calorie tracker. You enter your food just like MFP. Their food database isn't the greatest, so I prefer using MFPl and entering my total number of calories consumed. It really does give you motivation to exercise, because the key to losing weight is calories in < calories out."

Now obviously I wrote this before finding out about the integration, so as you can see I'm super stoked about it!! I linked the two together this morning, and I really think it's going to help me stay on track. I would never use the tracking feature on BMF, only on MFP, so having the two all in one is going to make visualizing what I'm doing all the easier.

The BMF records calories burned regardless of type of activity (okay, all non-water related activities) and is more accurate for certain activities over others ( like running over elliptical in terms of steps, etc.) WIth the integration, I won't have to add in specific exercises unless I want to, because the calories burned will automatically show up in MFP account, and my food I enter will show in the BMF account.

I have a Fitbit and BodyMedia. In my opinion, the BodyMedia is far better in determining calorie burn for a wider range of activities. I bike and kayak a lot, these activities are not captured well with the Fitbit and would have to be logged in MFP. I have actually stopped using the Fitbit.

However, I think the sleep function on the Fitbit may be more accurate. I really don't know, but the BodyMedia shows my sleep efficiency very low, like 55%. I also often have gaps where the arm band may be not sitting right on my arm. The BodyMedia doesn't have to be set when you sleep....it knows you are laying down. I liked this because I would always forget to set the Fitbit.

Doesn't bother me at all. I thought when my bodymedia was gifted to me that it was going to drive me nuts-I was wrong! I will suggest that you slip it on and off like the directions say without adjusting the band every time.

I find the sleep unbelievably accurate.

I find the bodymedia more accurate than the fitbit I was using and my weight loss shows it.

Hi! I work for BodyMedia. Thanks for considering our product! As others have pointed out here, you can sleep with the BodyMedia FIT on.! In fact, it’ is designed to be worn overnight so that your sleep quality and calorie burn can be monitored. Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to fitness and weight loss, so as long as your armband is adjusted correctly, you should be able to capture your sleep cycle and maybe learn a little bit more about your habits! If you’d like to hear about more of our users’ experiences, check us out on Facebook.

Hope this helps!

- Laurie