FITBIT or heart rate monitor ...

I have both...... I have a Fitbit One (the one below the Flex) that you can clip on to your bra/pants. I love it. I wear a watch all the time and didn't want something else on my wrist. It is awesome!! The Fitbit tracks steps you take, staircases, distance, calories burned (based on steps), and quality of sleep (which is eye opening). I wear it all the time - attached to my underwear band. I never even feel it. Love the Fitbit App to my iPhone. It has driven me to walk more and be more active....always trying to beat the goals and myself. I have lost 9 lbs in the last 5 months that I have had it.

I also purchased a Polar FT7 Heart Rate Monitor (on Amazon)... because I have an Ellptical machine and a Bowflex Treadclimber and the amount of calories the machines tell you that you burn is never correct.... and the amount of calories that this MyFitnessPal app tells you is way off also. I love it. You wear a watch which shows you the data: time exercised, calories burned, max heart rate, average heart rate, and how long you exercise in the "fitness" zone or "fatburn" zone. Then you wear a very comfy belt with a transmitter around your chest. You don't ever feel it. I love it. I just wish the Polar would sync with MyFitness Pal !!!

I recommend both... they were both a bit pricy but very worth it! Hope that helps- Angela

I like the FitBit just because it easily clips onto whatever clothes I'm wearing- gym shorts, jeans, uniforms, etc. So it's a very convenient way to monitor step-based activity because I just put it on the nightstand next to my wallet.

Heart rate monitors, on the other hand, can be a VERY big help when trying to measure activity that isn't step-based, such as weight lifting, calisthenics, rowing, etc.

I've got both, I'll break it down for you:

If all you do is walk, then I doubt your heart rate gets very high. Therefore, most heart rate monitors won't be a good/accurate representation of the burn you get.

HRM (heart rate monitors) are most suitable for short-term (2 hours or less) workouts, and they work wonders for runners/cyclist/dancers etc...Keep in mind that most heart rate monitors require a chest strap, meaning if you want to log exercise you need to wear the strap. I only wear my heart rate monitor when I'm running or doing a high intensity workout like Zumba.


The fitbit is NOT a heart rate monitor, it's a pedometer. It is great for monitoring how often you move through the day. If you aren't doing strenuous cardio, a pedometer is much more appropriate and cost efficient. I wear my fitbit all the time! So when I'm walking to work, around work, at the grocery, around the block, and hiking...I can keep track of my steps to get an estimate of my total daily expenditure.

What I like about the FitBit is how it encourages you to make little changes throughout the day. Park at the far end of the parking lot, take the stairs when visiting the doctor on the 3rd floor, walk to the restaurant for lunch with coworkers instead of driving. Plus since several of my coworkers have them we have great fun taunting and cheering each other about our position on the leaderboard. That's a great motivation to not skip your morning walk at 5 am because the cubicle mates will KNOW.

Last night I found myself at 4.9 miles and so close to that 5 mile per day mark for the green smiley face on the FitBit app. I went up and down the stairs in my house while my son took his bath until I hit 5 miles.

I ended up with a FitBit and I'm very happy with it.

Its not perfect though, sometimes while driving over pot holes it will start adding steps AND flights. Just the other day the atmospheric pressure dropped so suddenly, as I was walking around work that it 'read' that I went 20 flights of stairs.

I've also been so close to my 5 mile mark so I did a few laps around the house just to get my green smily:blushing: