Considering buying a Fitbit. Help?

I have the Zip. After comparing the various models, I decided this was the best for me because I don't need the sleep or floor tracking (I'm rarely around stairs). I also wanted one that didn't go on the wrist - I didn't want it visible, and had read reviews where people had issues with them not tracking accurately, having the clasp come undone and losing them, etc. Read a lot of cases of the One being lost as well.

So the Zip was my choice - it clips tightly to my bra so it's out of sight and very unlikely to be lost. Even on my longer runs it's never come loose. And it seems to be pretty accurate - being on the torso rather than a swinging arm might make a difference.

I like the motivation it gives me to move more and try to hit my step, distance, active minutes and calorie goals for the day. Plus having other Fitbit friends on my list adds a competitive level to it. And I enjoy the ability to cheer (or taunt ) friends or leave them comments within the app.

We got one for my mother-in-law for Mother's Day - hoping she uses it and that it motivates her to move more too!

In to follow recommendations. I have been thinking I might like one but haven't done any research yet, so just glomming on to your post, OP. My only current gadget is a polar hrm. Seeing numbers gets to be a game for me, so I think it would be motivating.

I really like the fitbit line. I've had pretty much all of them (except for the flex, and I returned the force when they did the recall since it didn't work well for me), but I love my One to bits.

For me:

Zip - Basic tracker worked well, bit of a pain to remember to change the battery, but not a big deal. I used to clip it to the bra I was going to wear the next day when I went to bed so I wouldn't forget it. But I missed the extra tracking of the one (I had an ultra and a one I had lost the two previous years - don't clip those to your waist. And girl pockets are too damn shallow!)

Force - My problems with this were many. It was a pain to fasten, then didn't feel secure when I finally got it on. If you have a job where you move your hands a lot, you'll rack up 'steps' without actually walking, and that felt like cheating to me. The only really good thing about it was the clock on it. I don't like the idea of wearing something on my wrist that can't tell the time (I'm looking at YOU, Flex!

One - My current Fitbit and I'm very happy with it. To keep from losing THIS one, I keep it clipped onto my bra or in the sleep band. Thanks to the app for my phone I can check my stats without having to dig into my shirt and fish it out so it stays secure. It may be a bit pricey, but I think it's definitely worth it.

Aria - I know you didn't ask about the scale, but I just got it and love it! Though it was a PAIN to set up. So if you get it, make sure you're sufficiently tech-savvy or know someone who is.

I originally bought the zip, and loved it. I loved it so much I wanted more! I took it back and "upgraded" to the One. Yup, love that one too. The sleep function for me is merely interesting, not necessary. But I like the tracking stairs function of the One, cause I generally treadmill on an incline, and it's interesting to see what happens on longer hikes.

As a motivational tool, not going to lie, it's the thing that has gotten me out of the house every day for the past 3 weeks. I cannot go to sleep until I've hit those 10 000 steps!

I stick mine in my bra, and it's just part of my habit now.

Bumping for later. :flowerforyou:

I bought the One last month and have been very happy with it. I haven't forgotten to wear it since as soon as I get up it goes from the sleep band into its case thing, and it's pretty easy to put in my pocket or clip on to my pants. I even was able to wear it when I wore a dress to work (just clipped it to my bra strap). I like that I can check the display throughout the day. The sleep tracking is interesting to me because I'm a restless sleeper.

Bumping to see more replies.

Okay, I have a question about the Fitbit Zip. I saw a review on Walmart saying it needed a $39 a year subscription to loseit.com? Is this accurate, or can it be bypassed and just used here and on my iPhone?

No need for a subscription at all! Fitbit.com has it's own 'premium' service but its free services work just fine.

I have tried several of the fitbit line devices.
I started with a one and was perfectly happy with it although I found I would forget to move it to my workout pants and back, and losing credit for those steps ticked me off!
So...I had to have the latest thing and bought a flex. I loved the idea of wearing it 24/7 and only removing it to charge. In that respect it works as promised. I didn't miss the stair counter as I just have almost no stairs in my life. I found the sleep tracker interesting but not necessarily useful as I pretty much know when I sleep poorly. The biggest downside for me was that it has no way of tracking steps when you are pushing something, reaching for something or carrying something. Anything that doesn't allow your arms to swing doesn't get picked up. I spend probably too much time at Target, Costco etc and found the step count to be inaccurate (I wore my husbands zip in my pocket and compared the two). I found I was just putting it in my pocket a lot of the time when shopping.
Anyway, after a year or so I found it wasn't holding a charge well and I was just ready for a new one. I decided to replace it with a Zip. I'm glad I did. It's got all the info I need, seems more reliable than the Flex for my particular use.
That being said, I think you'll love whatever you choose. It's a great tool and a great motivator. Pick the one that fits the best for your activity and needs. Enjoy it!

I got the Flex because I am notorious for leaving things and losing things. My flex I take off only to charge and to shower. (You can leave it on in the shower, but for me the water that gets trapped under the band irritates me.) I got all of the ladies at work wearing one, and we encourage each other. I also love the fact that it syncs automatically with MFP, so I never have to guess how much exercise I did simply by walking at work. I am a teacher's aide and work with 75% of the teachers on our huge campus, so I average 4 miles a day just doing my job.

For me the best features are the very active minute calculation and the sleep. It is important to me to make sure I am getting enough sleep at night and RESTFUL sleep.

I think you can change the flex to count stairs or floors, but I have not done it because I am usually just concerned with hitting my step goal. There is a little box on the dashboard which has floors, it is right after steps.....you can always sign up for a free account at Fitbit.com, and see what the features are and compare models before you buy.

I previously had a fitbit ultra, which is similar to the One, and I absolutely loved it!! It was VERY accurate! I now have a Flex and I find that it's not nearly as accurate as the Ultra was. I don't know if it's because it's on my wrist so it doesn't sense the steps as well as when I wore the Ultra on my waist or what. I do love how I can keep it on 24/7 (except for when it needs to be charged) even in the shower. In my opinion, I would go with the One. Just for the accuracy and the fact that you can see your stats from the device and don't have to sync it with your phone to know how many steps you've taken, etc. Good luck!

There isn't really a one size fits all answer to this one.

I personally went with the FitBit One. I wear it in my pants pocket so it's with me all the time. I really don't use the screen on it though as I sync it with my phone and use that display instead.

I did specifically want the feature that counts floors because I do quite a lot of walking up and down stairs. The sleep function works, but it turns out I actually sleep very well and very consistently so it's not really giving me much useful information.

I have a Zip and I love it. I had bought a One right after Christmas and used it for three months until I knocked it out of my pocket while I was out and lost it. In the debate between buying a new One or going back to my Zip (the Flex is not an option for me as I'm using my hands so much at work it would more than likely throw the count way off), I realized the extras that come with the One weren't really necessary, so I just went back to my Zip.

I have a Fitbit Flex and I love it! It doesn't get in my way and is a visible reminder to move more. I never considered the others because I'm not going to clip something to my bra (I don't want to to start a discussion, but I have pre-cancerous growths in my breast and, because of all the reports linking cell phones stored in bras to breast cancer, I'm not putting anything in my bra but my boobs) and I don't have pockets in most of my work clothes. That being said, sometimes I'd really like to have the option of counting stairs because I like to run the stairs at work for cardio. I, too, miss out on steps when I'm shopping, but those aren't very vigorous steps anyway and I've also learned to push the cart one-handed to pick up at least part of them! :bigsmile: Enjoy whichever you choose!

I am glad to be reading all of these reviews on the different fitbits, though I am still not too sure which one I would eventually pick. I have used the body media and I liked it ok, it just started making my arm hurt when I wore it and it was loose too, I'm thinking electrical but who knows, the only think I hated about it was it didn't count my steps if my arms weren't moving and looked like I wasn't even wearing it. My son had a dr appt and we were there almost 2 hours and for half of that time I was holding him walking back and forth in the hallway and when i checked that night to see what my steps and calorie burn was for the day it didn't even count it, looked as though I took it off, I was ticked cause walking around with a 30lb little boy for an hour was good exercise lol.