Are fitbits worth the money?

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chloeealicee
chloeealicee Posts: 204 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I consider myself lightly active, i exercise regularly, walk to walk and so on and i was wondering if fitbits are useful for everybody.
I would be very interested in learning how many steps i take daily and tracking my activity more accurately but for £70 i'm not really sure if i need to THAT much.

Does anyone have any cheaper alternatives?
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Replies

  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Personally I don't see much point if one trains anyway, they're fine if the motivation is to build in activity to daily life and don't want to supplement that with actual phys.

    There'll be loads of people along with "i've got one and it's greeeaaatttt", but as you're already running and doing yoga it probably won't add much.
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
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    I have one. I am very active (run 25+ miles a week, yoga a few times a week, strength train 3 days/week), but I don't think it adds much to my overall knowledge of my activity. I like that it gives me a number (I'm a numbers person), but I wouldn't be lost without it. I like seeing days I hit 10k, 15k, 20k, or more steps. If you are active, FitBits are nice but not necessary. If you want it so you can see how many steps you actually take, get it. If you feel confident that you are active, I would pass on it.
  • dancingj2
    dancingj2 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    I prefer a simple step counter. It is not too expensive and it keeps me moving. And when I loose, damage or drown it, I am not too concerned about the cost
  • CleanUpWhatIMessedUp
    CleanUpWhatIMessedUp Posts: 206 Member
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    If you just want to see how many steps you take, you could get a pedometer. I think they are much cheaper than $70. If you want to see how many calories you burn, you could get a heart rate monitor, but I think the good ones are usually more than $70
  • chloeealicee
    chloeealicee Posts: 204 Member
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    Thank you guys, these answers are extremely helpful. I think i will just get a pedometer instead now.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    Actually if you have a smartphone there are several apps that can act as a pedometer.

    I tried out Striiv, the MFP iPhone app on iPhone 5 can do it, Samsung has a baked in app.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    For simply counting your steps, I recommend a plain ole pedometer. The bells and whistles (and $$$) of a fitbit just sync it to other devices/the internet.

    A quick search of amazon found this. It's $16 with 4 stars and 21 reviews. : http://www.amazon.com/Oregon-Scientific-Digital-Pedometer-Calorie/dp/B000UVA69O/ref=sr_1_5?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1403092966&sr=1-5&keywords=digital+pedometer
  • adozenunholyowls
    adozenunholyowls Posts: 13 Member
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    Aw man, I just ordered one of these - the zip version that is only £49. I was interested in synching it with MFP and seeing what kind of reports you get.
  • chloeealicee
    chloeealicee Posts: 204 Member
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    Actually if you have a smartphone there are several apps that can act as a pedometer.

    ooh even better! thank you!
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    I agree with the others (and I have a fitbit and love it!). If you just want to count steps, use a pedometer or app or whatever. If you need motivation to up your activity level and/or want some additional information like how well you sleep, etc. or just like high tech gadgets, get a fitbit or jawbone or a different type. So much depends on what you want to get out of it. I have used a pedometer for years and it gave me what I needed until recently when I decided I wanted more.
  • beautifulwarrior18
    beautifulwarrior18 Posts: 914 Member
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    Not in my opinion. I gave mine to my sister.
  • asm121
    asm121 Posts: 50 Member
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    I like mine, but I agree with the others that posted before me. If you are already active and are just looking to count steps, you can get a pedometer for much less.
  • beckyjeanleemaddox
    beckyjeanleemaddox Posts: 154 Member
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    I have a fitbit one, paid over 80 dollars and don't think it's worth it. I bought my son in law a fitbit zip... much cheaper version. I think it was 59.00 I do wear mine every day. You can get a pedometer much cheaper and some of them have the calorie burn too. I'd like to have a heartrate monitor myself. But they're expensive too. Syncing on MFP is confusing also.
  • WelshPhil1975
    WelshPhil1975 Posts: 138 Member
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    I am addicted to my Fitbit One (I am a stats man) but you really need to buy into the whole experience to make it worh the high cost, and by that I mean if you are already active I really couldn't see much point in buying something to tel lyou what you already know, but if you don't do much and you intend to it's fantastic motivation (it has been for me, anyway).
  • nentecular
    nentecular Posts: 101 Member
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    Worth every penny. Mine has given me the motivation I needed.

    Plus it syncs to MFP automatically which just makes life so much easier.

    Without it, I wouldn't be where I am now, it's as simple as that.
  • chrisdell21
    chrisdell21 Posts: 54 Member
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    I absolutely love mine! I have an office job so it's been a great motivator to get me up to walk around instead of sending an email. Plus it's nice that I can monitor my sleeping habits. I think so far it's been worth every penny I have paid. The online dashboard is perfect for noticing trends. Plus it's app syncs up with the MFP app. That way you can see how much of your basic activity has impacted your day. I wear it everywhere.
  • Tab122377
    Tab122377 Posts: 81 Member
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    I just got mine yesterday still trying to figure it out. My though is if it motivates me it is worth it. I have had step counters that clip on my pants but they dont work for me as office job dress or kid on my hip they go crashing down. We will see. love how connects with MFP.
  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
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    I have a Fit bit and I like it.

    However, like others have said sounds like you're just in need of a pedometer.

    I did learn some things from my Fit Bit -

    I'm getting better sleep quality than I had thought
    I take fewer steps than I thought
    I don't burn as many calories as I thought or estimated
  • Eric_DeCastro
    Eric_DeCastro Posts: 767 Member
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    I have a polar loop which for the last two months sat on the floor of my passenger seat in my car. I walk 2.4 miles a day and run at least 6 miles a day (average) so I didn't find it useful. if you live a sedentary life then it would help to know you haven't been active enough. but if you are active it will just tell you that you are active but you know that because you are already doing it.

    i think the fitbit is cool to compete with friends to see who is living a more active lifestyle but I had no friends on polar flow so there was no one to compete with so I just took it off. I wear too much on my wrist already (garmin and my ipod nano and road ID braclet)
  • pyrowill
    pyrowill Posts: 1,163 Member
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    Everything is worth the money if you use it and it serves a purpose. Fitbit was fun for me, but I realise after a while that it was a bit of a gimmick for me. Made me move more though.

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