Struggling to choose a device that is right for me...

bethkeysear · February 2014

So I really want to get a fitness device like a Body Media or a Fit Bit or something like that. I am strongly motivated by numbers and competition even against myself, but if i see a lack of accuracy or consistency I tend to not believe in the "system" and that does not assist in my success.

I keep reading and reading but feel an internal struggle over what will be best for me. I really like the way the body media works in that it is really tracking temperature and heart rate but I am not sure I can deal with wearing that thing around my upper arm. I like the way the fitbit looks but do not really feel it is accurate after doing some reading about experiences on a stationary bike, treadmill, and elliptical.

I have looked at a few others too but would love to hear your thoughts. What do you use? What did and didn't you like about your device.

Someone mentioned one to me yesterday that I need to look up….

4legsRbetterthan2 · February 2014

I have a fitbit one and it is great for all day movement tracking (walking, running, and mine is accurate on the treadmill too) If I spin or lift weights it will not be able to track those activities correctly (I am not sure about the elliptical but probably not) so I log them into MFP seperately, usually based off of a HRM.

If you want all day tracking then you need to get something similar to a fitbit

If you are just concerned with your exercise burns then get a HRM

jillyrobb · February 2014

I like my FitBit Flex much better now that I have it synced with MFP. I log my serious exercise sessions with MFP, but FitBit calculates my "lifestyle" exercise. (You could get a simple HRM as well, to get a better idea of your calorie burn in your exercise sessions.)

I set goals in a few different areas of the FitBit app, not just a step goal. On days I log a lot of un-trackable exercise like swimming, it still shows up on the FitBit app as "active minutes"; so even though I might be under my "steps" goal for those days, I'll still hit my "active minutes" and "calories burned" goals. As long as I hit one green bar on the FitBit and I'm under my MFP calorie target, I call it a good day!

Jade0529 · February 2014

I've been looking too. I want something simple that I can read easily and a watch style because I am sure to lose a clip on! I have been eyeballing this one

http://www.polar.com/ca-en/products/get_active/fitness_crosstraining/FT4

and I've seen a few ones from Skechers online, but I can't find it in Canada

_Calypso_ · February 2014

I have the Fit Bit One and love it. Its small so you need to be careful, but I cllp mine to my bra and have not had one worry!! I think it tracks better than the Force b/c some arm movement gets calculated as steps. The One tracks all walking, running, stairs and mine did calculate the Eliptical. I highly recommend it.

JustT1m · February 2014

If you are looking at Body media and Fitbit checkout polar loop.

_MG_ · February 2014

I'm addicted to my FitBit One.

Having it on me is a constant reminder to get up and move and make better choices when I eat.

Lmsciera22 · February 2014

I was debating this same thing recently and I decided to purchase the Polar FT4 and I love it so far. I've used it for working out at home when I don't have the gym equipment to tell me how many calories I have burned. I plan to run on the treadmill later to determine how accurate the treadmill is.

Like someone said earlier.. its based on what you want.... I don't see how the fitbit can be accurate when it is not able to calculate your heart rate, but thats just my opinion. Figure out what you want... HRM for exercises or basic everyday movement tracking and go from there.

bethkeysear · February 2014

I've been looking too. I want something simple that I can read easily and a watch style because I am sure to lose a clip on! I have been eyeballing this one

http://www.polar.com/ca-en/products/get_active/fitness_crosstraining/FT4

and I've seen a few ones from Skechers online, but I can't find it in Canada

Polar….that is the one someone told me to look at!!! I will check it out!!!

Stitch_down_carbs · February 2014

I love my fitbitflex, although I've only had it five days... it's a little soon to judge

Before that I had a nike fuel band which really motivated me, I owned it for a year and lost about a stone using it. Nike also has running crews you can join and has its own points system. It was a bit costly and I'd got mine for free so once it broke I wasnt replaceing it.

Maybe give fitbits a try as it does sync with this website.

becujo · February 2014

I have a Body media Fit and understand the concern about the arm band. You do get used to it, kind of like wearing a bra - you stop noticing you have it on eventually. I selected this for myself because I liked the 24hr accountability and the motivation it gave me to push harder or sneak in mini workouts, such as parking farther or doing lunges while on phone. Also I felt if I was going to wear any tracker at all, best to wear the one supposedly most accurate. I'm 8 lbs away from my goal now thanks to this device and it's been worth it. Hope this helps.

dempseymom4 · February 2014

I have a BodyMedia and love it. You really dont remember you are wearing it after a while and it is nice that it tracks everything. You can also log workout on it (ie I set it for the time I will work out at the gym and then what music I want from my phone and it plays the music and gives me my steps and calorie burn for the time) I highley recommend it.

bethkeysear · February 2014

I think I like the FT 7 Polar! I am so happy I asked! Thanks. Going to do a little more homework on the product but I am excited to find something that fits what I am searching for.

AlyssaJoJo · February 2014

I have my fitbit and love it. I've had it over a year now and not once have I regretted the purchase. And not only is it a great device but their customer service is just amazing. My dog chewed up my fitbit when I was showering a few months ago and due to it still being on warrenty they sent me a brand new one even though my original one worked. I have the fitbit one and I love it because I can easily hide it when need me. It's so small that it doesn't mess with my look when I have a reason to get dressed up. When this one dies, which I hope isn't any time soon, I will continue to buy their activity trackers just from the good experiances I've had so far.

But I also have a HRM. I feel like there's no comparing activity trackers vs HRMs. I feel like both have importances that make owning both of them completely worth while. The HRM I go though was 30 dollars and I've never once had an issue with it.

TheyCallMeMISTERChace · February 2014

I have had a Jawbone Up and a Withings Pulse and now use a Basis B1.
The Basis is just plain awesome.
The data it collects far exceeds anything else on the market and the software will just improve because of the additional sensors that other wearable tech don't have on board.
Also, you don't have to put it in sleep mode or any other mode, it just knows, which is great,
The heart rate is spot on based on my using simultaneous monitoring.
It's also a decent watch. It's vastly superior to the previous two I mentioned.

beertrollruss · February 2014

I have a Polar heart rate monitor that I've used from time to time. Unless the chest strap is moistened just right, it can give false readings. I'm a bit shy about lifting my shirt in the gym locker room to put the chest strap on, so that's another drawback for me. Once I get a good sweat going, the readings seems to be accurate.

My favorite exercise is weight lifting and I've heard the fit bits don't track weight lifting very well.

A_Warrior_Princess · February 2014

I have had a bodybugg for several years and I love it. I have no problem wearing it on my upper arm and in the summer I get people asking me what it is and I love to explain how it has helped me. Now my sister bought a bodymedia FIT band (just like a bodybugg) and could not wear it it made her arm breakout in a rash but I have never had a problem with it. My huband went with a fitbit and he likes it but I can tell you it is not super accurate. We both also have Polar heart monitor/watches and I love them too but they do not work well when lifting. The only thing I wish about the bodybugg is that is was able to go in the water. Other than that I feel it is very accurate, has helped me lose 80+ pounds and keep it off over several years and it syncs with MFP which is a big deal for me to enter my food compared to what I burn.

Hope it helps!

ifaber · February 2014

Firstly a HRM and an Activity Device are definitely not in the same category as far as comparisons go. HRMs are great for tracking workout calories but not all day calories burned. Activity trackers are great for an all day calorie burn because most online calorie calculators use a standard formula for everyone BUT everyone has different lifestyles that may require more activity than your average person.

I have a polar ft4 and I loved it in terms of estimating my calories burned in my workout. However, you always have to wet the chest strap and put on the sensor and then strap on the watch. Not a big huge deal by no stretch of the imagination, but still it got tiresome after a while. Plus the figures for me weren't far off from the MFP estimations anyway...and really EVERYTHING is an estimation...MFP, HRM, Tracking devices, they are all based on estimations, not accurate facts.

Now I have a fitbit force. I love it because I wear it all the time and it shows me how many calories I've burned so far in terms of my daily lifestyle roamings about, walking to and fro, etc. I wear it when I lift and do workout videos but I just let what it calculates be what I go by. I will say that the force has made me get up and do more because I am 'So Close' to my step goal/ active minutes/ stairs climbed, etc. I have found myself even MORE active because of having the tracker...I park farther from whatever I am going to, I actually go to the cafe to fill up my water bottle now because its 'extra' steps. I'll run up and down the stairs in my house to hit my goal. So I am all for a fitbit, but that's the only brand I have had.

WaterBunnie · February 2014

Firstly, you need to accept that no system is 100% accurate, they all use algorithms to make a best estimate of your energy burn. If you can't work with that then there is no point buying any of them.

I have a FitBit One and absolutely love it. I did a half hour session in the gym before aqua aerobics the other day and the Precor machines there gave me a calorie burn just 7 calories away from what my FitBit gave me for that period, and that was using 3 different cardio machines! That's close enough to be relied upon in my book.

lisatrish · February 2014

I have both. Fit Bit One and Body Media. They are very comparable the only major difference is on the Fit Bit One you have to log any exercise that is not walking/running related separately into MFP (but this syncs up with the Fit Bit so you can see accurate calorie burn on the unit). Fit Bit does register elliptical use and counts those steps - I've used it this way several times without issue. I currently choose to use the Fit Bit One because:
1. No monthly charge
2. I like the fact I can clip to the front of my bra and no one knows I am wearing it.
3. No chaffed/dry skin at point of contact on my bicep (I found this very uncomfortable and itchy)
4. I like the vibrating alarm

If you have any questions on either unit let me know.

AHASRADA · February 2014

I have a Fitbit Zip, a HRM and a BodyMedia Fit link band. I wear both the Fitbit and BodyMedia 24/7, and the HRM during dedicated exercise. I keep a spreadsheet to compare data from all three.

I have come to the conclusion that there is no perfect activity tracker. Wrist-worn trackers are convenient to check throughout the day and somewhat stylish, but aren't as accurate as ones worn on the torso. The torso ones (like my Zip) are cheaper and track steps more accurately, but you have to lift your clothing to check it and be careful not to lose it. None of them track non-step based exercise well. The BodyMedia does a better job of tracking all activity, but it is larger and has to be worn on the upper arm, which some don't like. The HRM is likely the most accurate, but requires a chest strap that is not practical or designed to wear all the time.

I love my Zip because it is unobtrusive, easy to use, I don't have to think about it or charge it (I change the battery once every 4 months). I wear my HRM during exercise and enter those calories into MFP which overrides my Fitbit calories for that time period. This combination has been very accurate for me (over 4 months, it has been accurate based on my actual weight loss to within 50 calories per day!)

I started wearing the BodyMedia band because I was tired to dealing with the HRM and wanted something I could just wear and forget about that I knew would track all my activity. It is annoying that it doesn't have a display, I have to sync it to my phone to read the data, but that's not a big deal. The biggest issue is that the calorie burn it is giving me is consistently 250-400 higher than my Fitbit/HRM combo. This makes sense, since it is measuring all of my activity, not just the step-based ones, but the number doesn't reflect my weight loss. This could be because I'm within 10 pounds of my goal and losing more slowly, I don't know. I will be able to gauge its accuracy better once I hit maintenance. Still, it is very convenient, and since I know about the accuracy range, I can just adjust my expectations based on that.

My advice? Choose something that will fit your lifestyle and your needs, and stick to it. Even if the system you choose is not entirely accurate (and nothing is) the inaccuracy will be fairly consistent over time and you can figure that into your plan (increase or decrease your deficit or burn goal accordingly).

Good luck!

jenn8278 · February 2014

I got the Polar FT7 for valentine's Day (at my request...he's not in the dog house!), and I love it! It's a watch-style one, and you use it with a band that your wear around your chest when you work out. You can't feel the band, but taking care of it can sometimes be annoying. However, I find the benefits outweigh the irritations.
MFP way over-calculates calories burned (at least in my case it did). The Polar seems to be more accurate. I haven't figured out EVERYTHING about it yet, except how to do the basics...I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to keep accurate count of the calories burned!

LiftAllThePizzas · February 2014

I have the fitbit one and have been using it for over a year now. When I'd go biking last summer I would stick it on my sock, and use the calories it calculated without any manual adjustment. (The only things I haven't used it for are swimming and kayaking, although I've been tempted to put it in a ziploc bag. :laugh: )

I've always eaten back 100% of my exercise calories, and over the last year I have been able to bulk, maintain, and cut by eating over/at/under the number given me by my fitbit.

There's not much point being worried about complete accuracy because the calorie values given for food are also not insanely accurate.

kathym1122 · February 2014

Be careful with body media. Formed a rash with blisters on my arm. After doing some research I found out that I was not the only one. The company has warning in very fine print

Struggling to choose a device that is right for me...

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