FitBit or HRM?

mk834
mk834 Posts: 17 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just looked up the FitBit, and man, it looks cool. I bought a Polar FT4 recently, but have yet to actually use it (it's intimidating to me for some reason!). Does anyone have experience using both? If so, which is preferable? I'm really intrigued by the FitBit's sleep tracker as well. Pros? Cons? Thanks!
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Replies

  • rensife
    rensife Posts: 18 Member
    Luv my fitbit - I had problems and they replaced it twice - FAST customer service - can't live without it - teams up well with MFP - worth every $$$ :laugh:
  • Nautigirl55
    Nautigirl55 Posts: 5 Member
    I have both fitbit and HRM. I love the fitbit. I always want I to add steps so I'm moving all the time. I only use the HRM. when I do a specific work out. I wear my fitbit all day & all night.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Absolutely love my Fitbit. It's proven itself accurate over the past month, and it's extremely unobtrusive. It's just.... so cool.
  • hedwardsb
    hedwardsb Posts: 201 Member
    I don't have a HRM, but I've been using my fitbit since early January. I love it! I recently upped my step goal to 12,000 a day instead of 10,000. It really keeps me moving!
  • aaariel00
    aaariel00 Posts: 2 Member
    I have the fitbit and a HRM and I love both! It's fun using the fitbit and trying to hit your daily goals. It's easy to wear and use, and I only need to charge it once a week. I wear my fitbit constantly and use the HRM during my workouts. The fitbit is good for running/walking, but if you're doing more dynamic workouts with a lot of arm movement it's not very accurate. Overall I love using the fitbit, it's great motivation! :happy:
  • KaitDW
    KaitDW Posts: 21 Member
    I have had both. And it kinda depends what you are after. I love my HRM because I do lots of different types of workouts (crossfit, yoga etc) the hrm allows me to see how hard my work out was . The fitbit was great for getting me to take more steps during a day.
  • syrklc
    syrklc Posts: 172 Member
    Personally think both are needed.. I started with fitbit. Its great for counting steps (running, walking, climbing stairs) I am going to get the an HRM for specific workouts.. .
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Depends...fitbit is great for tracking overall calories...not so great for managing fitness goals. You need a HRM to manage fitness goals...i.e. workout zones to avoid over train or under train.
  • msstuard
    msstuard Posts: 131 Member
    used fit bit last year, I loved it really motivates you. Warning they are small. I lost mine twice wearing them at work and never found them again. after second I did not replace and i am super bumbed about it.
  • Pricanma13
    Pricanma13 Posts: 33 Member
    I love my Fitbit, the sleep tracking is awesome and accurate, I wouldn't change it for the world. When mine was washed a couple of times and died, i even bought a new one!
  • laurenk08
    laurenk08 Posts: 89 Member
    I lovvveee my fitbit!! Its great motivation :]
    I had a couple HRMs actually any neither tracked my activity as well as fitbit does
  • mk834
    mk834 Posts: 17 Member
    Thanks for the replies! I think I'm definitely going to get one. It seems worth the $100!
  • sjanes9
    sjanes9 Posts: 19 Member
    We just got my wife a FitBit and were thinking she might need a HRM for specific, cycling, workouts. What I am curious about. Do you continue to wear the FitBit when you are wearing the HRM? Or do you take the FitBit off while you are doing the workouts?
  • MandyMarie01
    MandyMarie01 Posts: 448 Member
    I just looked up the FitBit, and man, it looks cool. I bought a Polar FT4 recently, but have yet to actually use it (it's intimidating to me for some reason!). Does anyone have experience using both? If so, which is preferable? I'm really intrigued by the FitBit's sleep tracker as well. Pros? Cons? Thanks!

    you'll need a HRM if you have a fitbit to track exercise calories correctly. And with the sleep tracker make sure you don't put your wristband on too tight, i've been waking up as i'm removing the wrist band a couple times this week, i think it was cutting off circulation to my hand haha so yeah I fix it and fall back to sleep again with no problems.
  • kpierce169
    kpierce169 Posts: 54 Member
    I use both and love them both!
  • slimcakelady
    slimcakelady Posts: 81 Member
    Luv my fitbit - I had problems and they replaced it twice - FAST customer service - can't live without it - teams up well with MFP - worth every $$$ :laugh:
    I agree wholeheartedly. Just based on the customer service, I would highly recommend it. I just recently lost mine, and they responded within the same day of my email and are replacing it for FREE. I love it as a fitness tool, and it is very compatible with MFP.
  • bzmommy34
    bzmommy34 Posts: 229 Member
    I have the fitbit and a HRM and I love both! It's fun using the fitbit and trying to hit your daily goals. It's easy to wear and use, and I only need to charge it once a week. I wear my fitbit constantly and use the HRM during my workouts. The fitbit is good for running/walking, but if you're doing more dynamic workouts with a lot of arm movement it's not very accurate. Overall I love using the fitbit, it's great motivation! :happy:

    This exactly :)
  • healthyme_2013
    healthyme_2013 Posts: 25
    I have had my fitbit for almost a year now. LOVE it! Lost it twice and thankfully found it both times. Dropped it in the toilet once too, dried out and works perfectly. The clip broke once when I got it caught and they replaced it for free. Customer service is awesome. I have never had an HRM , cuirious about one but I think for the money I shall stick solely to my fitbit. I LOVE IT! did I mention that already :)
  • wvgirlnfl
    wvgirlnfl Posts: 30
    I just started using the Fitbit in January. I have a heart rate monitor also. The heart rate monitor is more accurate for workouts, the Fitbit is a little like a pedometer with blue tooth. The way you work them together on MFP is that you keep track of what time you start the exercise with the heart rate monitor and the calories burned and you enter that in and I assume it deducts the calories that your Fitbit counts during that time. It tells you on here how to do it. I really like having both of them because the Fitbit does make you aware of how much you are moving and how many steps you take and the HRM shows how good of a workout that you have had.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Here's a little graphic I made of my Fitbit's recorded calorie expenditure, along with my MFP calorie intake, as compared to my weight over time for the past two weeks.

    haox.jpg
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    We just got my wife a FitBit and were thinking she might need a HRM for specific, cycling, workouts. What I am curious about. Do you continue to wear the FitBit when you are wearing the HRM? Or do you take the FitBit off while you are doing the workouts?

    Leave the FitBit on.
  • hilldiggity
    hilldiggity Posts: 166 Member
    the HRM shows how good of a workout that you have had.

    ^this

    I like to know exactly how many calories I have burned during a workout, so I use my Polar HRM. I don't know anything about the FitBit, but I do know I'd rather know how many calories I burned over how many steps I took. That's just my personal preference based on ignorance! :tongue:
  • marinegirl92
    marinegirl92 Posts: 184 Member
    I pondered this same question for awhile and then just treated myself one day.

    I have both and I'm a science nerd. I've had my F4 Polar HRM for years and my fitbit for about a month. They're two different animals... I use my F4 for tracking my burn from cardio exercises (which the fitbit doesn't do all that well cause it's a pedometer) and I use my fitbit to ensure I get at least 10,000 steps per day (F4 doesn't do this).

    FOR ME - the fitbit is basically a digital pedometer that syncs with your computer (bells and whistles) when compared to a regular pedometer- that's cool!

    Fitbit Ultra Pros:
    * Its small and I like wearing it on my sports bra
    * The clip grippers are awesome - so it's not necessary to have a leash
    * I use it as a bonus piece of workout gear - I like to ensure I step 10,000 steps a day - so this is a fun way to do it.
    * Cute design
    * Great usability!
    * Has sleep monitoring.

    Fitbit Ultra Cons:
    * It's alot smaller than what you imagine in your head it will look like - the photos on the website did not prepare me for how tiny this gadget is (but after using it - thats a cool thing too)
    * The stride is statistically figured out by similar height people. So you can't set your stride length in there. How does one know if you longer legs/longer stride vs someone who has a longer torso/shorter legs/shorter stride. So miles may be overstated or understated. But again no workout exercise monitoring device is 100% accurate.
    * It's small so if you do laundry and your fitbit is attached to your clothing item - it will get washed - this ALMOST happened on the very first night (mercifully I had already taken the fitbit off my clothing - btw that was a huge scene to stop a front loader, frantically pulling clothes, water splashing everywhere... good times!) Now I have a sign on the washer!
    * I use MFP exclusively - so why bother with fitbit's website.
    * THe flower that grows based on activity level (10 petals being the max) - is cute for the 1st week.
    * The stairs - registers stairs only - not all that great for stepping exercise workouts
    * Sleep monitoring - great for one or two nights for sleep thru the night people; I think would be useful for insomniacs or sleep apnea folks to start the ball rolling with your dr as far as solutions

    FOR ME - I loved a low tech digiwalker pedometer that they no longer make.. I loved that thing.. wore it everyday for the past 3 years - small profile, could set your stride, ht and weight into it (so it was a bit more accurate that the fitbit). Wore it everyday...sadly it broke and so I did need a pedometer replacement.

    Not sure the cost of the fitbit ultra warranted my splurge (sorry to say) - but now that I have it - I like it and use it.

    If I could wave a magic wand - I'd probably buy the fitzip over the ultra - it's cheaper and I'd take the extra $40 and go buy a cute workout top (thats just me).

    Being honest, Hope this helps.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    the HRM shows how good of a workout that you have had.

    ^this

    I like to know exactly how many calories I have burned during a workout, so I use my Polar HRM. I don't know anything about the FitBit, but I do know I'd rather know how many calories I burned over how many steps I took. That's just my personal preference based on ignorance! :tongue:

    The Fitbit calculates how many calories you've burned by recording your actual movements in 3D space and determining how much energy it took to move that way. It's really pretty good.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I pondered this same question for awhile and then just treated myself one day.

    I have both and I'm a science nerd. I've had my F4 Polar HRM for years and my fitbit for about a month. They're two different animals... I use my F4 for tracking my burn from cardio exercises (which the fitbit doesn't do all that well cause it's a pedometer) and I use my fitbit to ensure I get at least 10,000 steps per day (F4 doesn't do this).

    FOR ME - the fitbit is basically a digital pedometer that syncs with your computer (bells and whistles) when compared to a regular pedometer- that's cool!

    Fitbit Ultra Pros:
    * Its small and I like wearing it on my sports bra
    * The clip grippers are awesome - so it's not necessary to have a leash
    * I use it as a bonus piece of workout gear - I like to ensure I step 10,000 steps a day - so this is a fun way to do it.
    * Cute design
    * Great usability!
    * Has sleep monitoring.

    Fitbit Ultra Cons:
    * It's alot smaller than what you imagine in your head it will look like - the photos on the website did not prepare me for how tiny this gadget is (but after using it - thats a cool thing too)
    * The stride is statistically figured out by similar height people. So you can't set your stride length in there. How does one know if you longer legs/longer stride vs someone who has a longer torso/shorter legs/shorter stride. So miles may be overstated or understated. But again no workout exercise monitoring device is 100% accurate.
    * It's small so if you do laundry and your fitbit is attached to your clothing item - it will get washed - this ALMOST happened on the very first night (mercifully I had already taken the fitbit off my clothing - btw that was a huge scene to stop a front loader, frantically pulling clothes, water splashing everywhere... good times!) Now I have a sign on the washer!
    * I use MFP exclusively - so why bother with fitbit's website.
    * THe flower that grows based on activity level (10 petals being the max) - is cute for the 1st week.
    * The stairs - registers stairs only - not all that great for stepping exercise workouts
    * Sleep monitoring - great for one or two nights for sleep thru the night people; I think would be useful for insomniacs or sleep apnea folks to start the ball rolling with your dr as far as solutions

    FOR ME - I loved a low tech digiwalker pedometer that they no longer make.. I loved that thing.. wore it everyday for the past 3 years - small profile, could set your stride, ht and weight into it (so it was a bit more accurate that the fitbit). Wore it everyday...sadly it broke and so I did need a pedometer replacement.

    Not sure the cost of the fitbit ultra warranted my splurge (sorry to say) - but now that I have it - I like it and use it.

    If I could wave a magic wand - I'd probably buy the fitzip over the ultra - it's cheaper and I'd take the extra $40 and go buy a cute workout top (thats just me).

    Being honest, Hope this helps.

    Nitpick: Fitbit allows you to set walking and running stride lengths.
  • photojunkie28
    photojunkie28 Posts: 292
    Check out the BodyMedia Fit LINK! It is like the fitbit. very closely related and it is amazing. I have a polar f7 hrm as well , but I like that my bodymedia tracks me ALL day. Not just for workouts. I can also track my sleep habits and several other things. I found out through my BodyMedia that I was WAY undereating. It is very helpful especially if your day to day activities vary in order to get an accurate TDEE to make your cut from. My low days are 2750 TDEE and high at 3500 TDEE. Thats quite a difference.

    The more information the better in my opinion and the BodyMedia Fit is full of it!
  • donyellemoniquex3
    donyellemoniquex3 Posts: 2,384 Member
    I want the new fitbit flex
  • tegantheaverage
    tegantheaverage Posts: 142 Member
    I LOVE my Fitbit but I have a HRM which I also love and use for specific workouts (like roller skating!). I think the sleep tracker is nifty but I don't find it particular accurate which I would assume is because if I'm awake and trying to get back to sleep I'll be lying still and so it thinks I'm asleep. There is a setting on the dashboard to make the sleep tracker more sensitive but I found that it was then too sensitive (kept saying I was having 2-3 hours sleep a night).

    They are small and easy to lose but the customer service is amazing; My boyfriend lost his and they sent out a new one straight away (all they needed was an emailed copy of the receipt).
    We just got my wife a FitBit and were thinking she might need a HRM for specific, cycling, workouts. What I am curious about. Do you continue to wear the FitBit when you are wearing the HRM? Or do you take the FitBit off while you are doing the workouts?

    I leave mine on and press the button to start/stop the timer at the beginning and end of my workout so that when I get online and add the workout info from my HRM I can see exactly what time I started. I don't think it would make much difference seeing as you override the info for that time period anyway but I do get a certain satisfaction out of seeing what Fitbit thinks I burned and correcting it.
  • gal_amy
    gal_amy Posts: 47
    I have had both. And it kinda depends what you are after. I love my HRM because I do lots of different types of workouts (crossfit, yoga etc) the hrm allows me to see how hard my work out was . The fitbit was great for getting me to take more steps during a day.

    Does the HRM track weight machines at the gym? I don't know if my hear rate goes up or not?:smile:

    ~*~*~*Amy ~*~*~

    Save a Tree, Save our Planet, Recycle, Think Organic
    ________________________________
    Humorous Thought of the day:
    Definition...COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL...agree with wife
  • determined_erin
    determined_erin Posts: 571 Member
    I use BodyMedia, which is similiar to FitBit. I like BodyMedia more because it is more accurate.

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