HRM or FitBit?

crazyola26
crazyola26 Posts: 109 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone,

I would like to invest in something that will help guide me along and help me burn the most fat... is it better to invest in a HRM or a FitBit? What are the differences and the pros/cons?

Edited to explain the type of "exerciser" I am: I predominately walk/jog (but not running hard right now) and I also enjoy dancing (I have Dance Central for Kinect to dance along to). I walk/jog on a treadmill and range between 3.0mph and 4.5.

Thanks for your help!

Replies

  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    For what you're doing, a HRM would be most useful.

    Dancing doesn't really register correctly with the fitbit and the HRM will give you a much more accurate projection for calorie burn on your runs/walks.

    The FitBit is a better tool for motivating you to get up and move around during the normal course of the day. The HRM is more useful for people who are already active but are looking for an accurate measurement of calories burned through activity.
  • naeswirl
    naeswirl Posts: 56
    I have a Polar HRM and I love it. But I've also heard really good things about FitBit as well..... Good luck!
  • cajungirltx
    cajungirltx Posts: 147 Member
    Just got my fitbit yesterday. Already this morning, I've been thinking I need to move around more. It's neat that I can look at my progress on the computer as well and it sync's with MFP.
  • sarbar71
    sarbar71 Posts: 191 Member
    I was torn between a Fitbit and an HRM too - I decided on the Polar FT7 (really reasonable on Amazon). I noticed that people in the forums were having problems with theirs and having to send back for new ones - water damage from sweat, etc. or that they were falling off and getting lost. For me, I really just wanted to be able to accurately determine how many calories I was burning - and MAN I was shocked by how high MFP was estimating calorie burn! Last night by almost 200 calories for 60 min on the elliptical!! I love, love, love my HRM and am so glad with my choice!!
  • crazyola26
    crazyola26 Posts: 109 Member
    I was torn between a Fitbit and an HRM too - I decided on the Polar FT7 (really reasonable on Amazon). I noticed that people in the forums were having problems with theirs and having to send back for new ones - water damage from sweat, etc. or that they were falling off and getting lost. For me, I really just wanted to be able to accurately determine how many calories I was burning - and MAN I was shocked by how high MFP was estimating calorie burn! Last night by almost 200 calories for 60 min on the elliptical!! I love, love, love my HRM and am so glad with my choice!!

    Do you mean MFP was telling you you were burning more than you actually were?? I have been going by my treadmill's calorie burn, but it doesn't have an option to set my weight so I'm sure it's off. Or maybe I set it when I first set up the machine, but if I did, my weight is different now than then! Have you had any problems with your FT7? How long have you been using it?
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    HRM for sure. I have both, but the HRM is the one I can't live without. I like the FitBit for the days I don't actually exercise, but might be more active due to shopping, taking the stairs, etc. But for actual exercise, the HRM hands down.

    When I first got my HRM, I was in much worse shape than I am now. I would say I was probably 35 to 40 lbs. heavier than I am currently, even though I had already lost about 35 lbs. at that point. I learned that MFP and my treadmill were drastically UNDERestimating my calorie burn. I think that's pretty common - the bigger you are, the more likely the calorie burn is actually underestimated. I started going solely by the calorie burn on my HRM and was still losing weight the same, or more as I started running more, as before.

    Now that I'm much more fit and much lower weight, things have changed. Both MFP and my treadmill are now overestimating my calorie burn compared to what my HRM says. The treadmill by a considerable amount (just this week I compared and it was high by about 33%). MFP is very close to my HRM now - off by less than 5% usually I think.

    ETA: I had an FT7 and had ZERO problems with it. I think the poster above was referencing problems people were having with FitBits - they are not waterproof (the new ones are sweat resistant though) and they do fall off sometimes. I've had my FT7 for about 10 months and it does need battery replacement. I just got an FT60 for my birthday though and am giving the FT7 to my husband.
  • SleepySin
    SleepySin Posts: 168 Member
    My Suunto M4 HRM is on its way for the holidays and I'm uber excited!!

    I choose a HRM because I already am rather active and don't need something to motivate me to just take more steps in a day. I needed the accuracy of something measuring my own actual HR rather than the averages on MFP or the treadmills at the gym. I'm trying to fine tune my fitness routines so I feel more accountability for the figures I'm recording! Especially when getting more fit, as a previous poster mentioned, the rate at which you get your burn changes!

    Note: I opted away from the Polar HRM because they look so "sportsy" - I wanted something I can wear during the day and not look like a complete fitness freak. I'd prefer to have it on me since I already know my gym days rather than packing it in my gym bag separately (more chance of losing it somewhere, somehow).
  • sarbar71
    sarbar71 Posts: 191 Member
    I was torn between a Fitbit and an HRM too - I decided on the Polar FT7 (really reasonable on Amazon). I noticed that people in the forums were having problems with theirs and having to send back for new ones - water damage from sweat, etc. or that they were falling off and getting lost. For me, I really just wanted to be able to accurately determine how many calories I was burning - and MAN I was shocked by how high MFP was estimating calorie burn! Last night by almost 200 calories for 60 min on the elliptical!! I love, love, love my HRM and am so glad with my choice!!

    Do you mean MFP was telling you you were burning more than you actually were?? I have been going by my treadmill's calorie burn, but it doesn't have an option to set my weight so I'm sure it's off. Or maybe I set it when I first set up the machine, but if I did, my weight is different now than then! Have you had any problems with your FT7? How long have you been using it?

    MFP is high AND my elliptical is high compared to what I am actually burning. Last night my elliptical said that I burned around 700+ calories and I only burned around 550!! MFP said that I burned closer to 750! My elliptical is usually a little lower than MFP's, but both are always way off! It's great to finally be able to eat back my calories without having to worry about whether I am over-doing it.

    I have been using my FT7 since August with no problems or issues at all. It's very simple to operate, change settings on, etc. I truly love it!
  • sarbar71
    sarbar71 Posts: 191 Member


    ETA: I had an FT7 and had ZERO problems with it. I think the poster above was referencing problems people were having with FitBits - they are not waterproof (the new ones are sweat resistant though) and they do fall off sometimes. I've had my FT7 for about 10 months and it does need battery replacement. I just got an FT60 for my birthday though and am giving the FT7 to my husband.

    ^^^ YES!! ^^^

    Sorry - I should have been more clear - people report some of those issues with Fitbit. No problems with the Polar HRM's that I have ever heard of.

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