Is fitbit worth it to buy?

I have the fitbit ultra and it is small and not at all bulky. I have no idea if it is accurate or not but I have lost 50lbs in 8 months by using it and going off the figures it gives me.

I love mine. It motivates me to move more and eat less. I would be lost without it.

Edited to say I also have an HRM which I wore for about a week and it is in a drawer now. I suppose it depends what type of exercise you do.

I don't know. I got one last Christmas. It wasn't bulky, I never noticed it really. It was fun for a while tracking my sleep and everything like others mentioned, but it seemed like more of a novelty to me. I probably didn't use it how I was supposed to. It stays in a drawer now. I say if you're going to be diligent about wearing it and using the info it gives you, it's probably a good buy. If you're wishy washy and inconsistent like me, don't bother.

I bought a Fitbit 1 and after using it for a month, I bought a Fitbit Zip for my wife. She had been using an Active Sync (Weight Watchers' product) but after using the Fitibt for 3 days, she is sold on it and will probably discontinue the Active Sync. She has it clipped to her bra. I have my clipped to my belt with a Pedometer Leash (6 for $4 at Amazon) so that it will be harder to lose.

My goal is to walk 10,000 steps a day; both Fitbit models will track this. Is it absolutely accurate? I don't know, but it doesn't really matter. It's close enough to measure my activity. And I like the way it syncs with MyFitnessPal. I can see my progress in different ways on the two websites (MFP & FB).

I don't pay attention to the calories burned. I am watching my carbs and love the way MyFitnessPal tracks them for me. By walking 10,000 steps a day, keeping my carbs under 100g / day and being aware that I don't want to load up on low-carb calories, I've lost 30 pounds in 2 months without feeling hungry.

If you don't want to measure your sleep or count the stairs you have climbed, save $40 and buy a Zip. Some people have complained about the battery compartment being difficult to open, but the Zip comes with a little plastic tool that made it really easy for me to install the battery.

Love my Fitbit (Ultra). Very small, I clip it to the centre of my bra and don't even know its there! I think it's accurate when I compare it to other devices, but it counts steps/floors while you're driving, which means you have to log the drives (start time and length) so that it can override those steps - a bit of a pain. I'm now looking at the BodyMedia tracker, which looks much better, but I haven't done enough research.

I have both a HRM and a FitBit Zip. My company has a wellness program and I get points for uploading workout info. I started with the HRM but the chest strap started getting unreliable after only 2 months and, after seeing how easy DH's FitBit was to use, I got myself one as a backup. (I get full credit for either 10,000 steps on the FitBit or 30 minutes at 60% of maximum heart rate on my HRM.) I bought a new strap for the HRM and it's behaving a lot better (and works while swimming, unlike the FitBit), but sometimes at the end of the day I'll run in place because I'm at, say, 9,000 steps! It's definitely a motivator- DH, age 74, is now walking more and gets 5,000 steps (good for half credit) a few days a week.

So, it's definitely a motivator, and VERY simple to use. I deliberately left the HRM behind on a business trip to London and got over 15,000 steps on the FitBit a couple of times. I also found myself motivated to walk around the airports during long layovers instead of vegetating with a book, with the result that I accumulated points every single day, even the days I was traveling.

I move the Fitbit into a sock when I'm bicycling to make sure it picks up the motion, especially on a stationary bike.

I love my Ultra, and I'm totally getting the Flex when it is available. It keeps track of all the steps I'm taking in a given day, it tracks my sleep and lets me know if I'm actually sleeping all night, and I love having access to all the data. I wear it in the middle of my bra in between the cups, with the clip. You can't see it under my clothes. When I workout, I wear it on the strap of my sports bra or on the outer pocket of my shirt.

I killed my first one (pre-Ultra) with sweat, and the company sent me an Ultra to replace it, no questions. Awesome customer service. If you are getting one now, get the One (sweatproof). If you can wait, get the Flex.

I just got a fitbit one this week. So far I am really enjoying it. Here is what I have learned in my limited use of it:

1.Yes it tracks steps-seems far more accurate than any pedometer I have ever had.
2. It keeps track of my sleep- found out last night It took me about 6 min. to fall asleep after telling it I was going to sleep, and that I woke up 10 times. It also tracked that of the over 7 hours I spent in bed I slept only about 6 of those hours due to restlessness, and waking. I plan to keep track of this information to try to sleep better. Asking what are the triggers for restlessness.
3. It keeps track of your total daily calories burned. Meaning in a 24 hour period, how active were you?...
4. It seems to sync nicely with this program if you track your calories here.
5. It is very small and fits hidden in the center of my bra. Can't even tell it is there. All I have to do is give a quick look in my shirt to see if the flower icon is growing or wilting. That gives me indication to get moving.

Now I will tell you that I plan also investing in a heart rate monitor. Though this is great to track and increase regular activity. Like encouraging you to park further away to get in those few extra steps, or go for a quick jog to get your flower growing, I also want to specifically know how many calories my workout is worth. Just for other competitive reasons. All of which are self motivating. I want to look at my kettlebell workout and know if I truly am burning the calories at 20 per min. Is my intensity what I feel it is etc. So I know many people who use both. I can see how they both serve a purpose.

I guess It comes down to this, if you are looking to keep track of your daily activity level then it is great. If you work behind a desk and wearing it encourages you to take a spontaneous walk around the office, then great. But if all you want is to track your extra exercise routines then go with the HRM. If you are an overachiever :laugh: like me then try both.

I love my fitbit one, I am a runner and the one is accurate to the .1 mile even after a 10 mile run! It tracks the hills I run as flights of stairs too, so I can tell just how intense my run was. I love that it will add or subtract calories from my diary based on my activity levels all day.

I have done a lot of reading about different activity trackers and comparisons. Based on my needs, I decided the FitBit One would be the best one for me.

I have not purchased one yet but I added a step & sleep tracking app to my iPhone to see if I'd use it consistently & if it would make a difference. I was surprised but it has motivated me to be more active during the day & it also resulted in my pushing myself harder during cardio workouts. My endurance is improving & that means more calories burned. It is kind of annoying to have to keep my iPhone in my pocket all the time but it is worth it & I know I'll get a FitBit one of these days.

I think the calories burned for activity trackers are probably in the ballpark but I don't really think 100% accuracy is important. Numbers like this really just need to be guidelines. As long as we use them to increase our activity levels and eat close to the suggestions we should be able to improve our results.

My Fitbit One is the best thing I have ever, ever been given as a Christmas present. It motivates me, makes me WANT to take the stairs and makes me feel bad if I lounge around too much. Perhaps if you are a hardcore athlete then a fancy HRM would be more up your street, but for me, the lazy lady trying to change that then it is totally PERFECT. So much so that I was at a show today and Fitbit were selling their Aria scales with 1/3 off and I couldn't resist!

Everyone keeps going on about the Flex. I saw it in the flesh today and I still don't see the hype. I even asked one of the Fitbit reps why people are going so crazy for it and she didn't know either. Some may prefer a bracelet rather than a clip but functionality wise the One is waaay better. Hell, if I am taking the stairs rather than the lift then I want it to recognise that lol!

I feel as naked if I forget my Fitbit as I do if I forget my phone, which, is pretty naked I can tell you!!

After reading through the posts I think what I really need is a HRM. I'm looking at the MIO Active watch now. Does heart rate monitor (without chest strap), pedometer and calories burned. Thanks for all the info everyone!