Fitbit? To get or not to get?

I got one for Valentine's Day (haha, I know, but it is what I asked for!) I personally love it. It not only keeps me accountable to get up and move, but I think of it as a reminder. Even though my exercise mostly comes from weightlifting, which it isn't that accurate in calculating, I am still very glad I have it and have used it daily since Feb.

And their customer support is awesome. My clip broke on my Fitbit one and they shipped me a new one that day for free.

I am a gadget queen. I have a HRM that I use religiously when I workout, I have a body media fit and I have a fitbit. (don't get me started on my golf gadgets!). For me, the HRM is the most important fitness related gadget I have. Gives me a much better idea of my calorie burns than MFP or the machines at the gym (which I hate anyway). The body media was an awesome tool for determining what my true TDEE was and getting MFP set up correctly with my activity level. But I got tired of wearing the armband and answering all the questions about it (plus the stupid tan line and my husband hated it) so I got a fitbit for my birthday. I'm not loving it. I don't like the way it syncs with MFP during the day and had to disable negative adjustments because it was so demotivating to enter a big workout from my HRM (that was similar to what I would burn with my body media) and have the fitbit sync remove half the calories. I usually end up at the end of the day really close between MFP and my fitbit but I hate the way it does it. I'm just using it now as a fancy pedometer and an encouragement to get moving on my more sluggish days.

But I got tired of wearing the armband and answering all the questions about it (plus the stupid tan line and my husband hated it)

Part of the reason I swap which arm it is on each day or so. But I imagine it would be more of an issue if it was waterproof and I could wear it while kayaking and swimming.

I have a FitBit flex. If you want a good tracker for steps and mileage - this works. If you are looking for total calorie burn - get a HRM.

Pros - it motivates me to move, not drive around for a close parking spot at the market, and make sure I get my 5,000 step badge everyday.

Cons - only really measures steps and distance well. The sleep tracker IMO - useless.

I love my fitbit one, that I've been using April.

I agree with what others have said - if you are looking for an accurate record of your calorie burn, then you are looking for a heart rate monitor.

Where the fitbit has a plus - as far as I am concerned - is all keeping track of all those incidental activities you might do. For example, choosing to park further away, or when you decide to walk to a different bus stop, or even dancing around your family room because there's a fun song on the radio.

Knowing that I wear it all day, means I am getting better to start to actively look for those moments where I can be more active in my day. For instance, today I plan to go the library, but I've decided I will walk the 25 minutes as opposed to the drive 8 minutes. I have the time today, so I can do that, and I'm getting myself fitter as I do.

So, you do need to consider what you are planning to get from it. For me, it's a reminder to not stand or sit or the time, but look for moments to be active.

I have the fitbit zip. Its not very accurate. If you don't mind it reading 15% off and not consistently in either direction sometimes over estimates sometime underestimates. Can't even come close if I'm running. Its sort of fun but not at all accurate.