Fitbit or HRM?

petejjcharlton
petejjcharlton Posts: 20 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm thinking of getting a fitbit or HRM for Christmas, any thoughts or suggestions on which is better or what brand of HRM?

Replies

  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Depends on what you're doing

    need an expensive pedometer iwth data tracking? Get the fitbit
    Want something you have to wear around your chest while doing cardio? Get the heart rate monitor
  • iluminadaonix
    iluminadaonix Posts: 79 Member
    HRM it's better.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    They're 2 completely different things with 2 totally different uses so it depends on what you're looking for. It's like asking should I get a puppy or a boat?

    The FitBit is a super fancy pedometer. You use it to track all-day, motivate yourself to walk more, etc. It only tracks step based activity - so running but not weight lifting.

    An HRM will track during a workout, but not all day. So for example you want to know how many calories you burn doing your Richard Simmons Sweating to the Oldies (:laugh: ) video you'd want a HRM - WITH a chest strap. Don't cheap out and just get the watch one that is completely useless anyway.

    I have both - FitBit Ultra and Polar ft4 HRM - I love them both and wouldn't give either up, but they both have their very separate uses.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    I'd get a heart rate monitor, specifically polar ft4 or ft7!
    I've looked into the fitbit and I just don't know if I'd trust it enough for it to be worth all the money.
  • Surisaddai
    Surisaddai Posts: 142 Member
    I vote for a good HRM. I have the body media band and both the HRM and the band vary a bit in calorie burn.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    Ready2Rock206 summed them both up pretty well. I have both a Fitbit and an HRM (Polar FT7) - I like them both for their specific purposes, but if I were forced to give one up, I'd ditch the Fitbit and keep the HRM. As others have said, it depends upon your personal habits and goals, though. If you're more interested in tracking your activity (i.e., steps) throughout the day and receiving motivation to get up off your butt and be more active, the Fitbit is great for that purpose. If you're interested in keeping your heart rate in a specific zone while training, getting a more accurate picture of how many calories you're burning during workouts and/or tracking your cardiovascular improvement, the HRM would be the choice.
  • petejjcharlton
    petejjcharlton Posts: 20 Member
    Thanks for all the advice, Christmas present sorted!!

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