fitbit flex or garmin vivofit

strds
strds Posts: 70 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I would like ot get one of these devices and have read alittle bit about them. Has anyone tried both of them?? Whats your prefrence and did it sync well with MFP?

Replies

  • my_2_cents
    my_2_cents Posts: 109 Member
    I have a fitbit one, and I love it. It syncs perfectly to MFP. I haven't had the garmin, so can't comment on that, but when I was doing my research up front, the Fitbit One had better reviews than the garmin, which is why I chose fitbit if that helps.
  • ShadeyC
    ShadeyC Posts: 315 Member
    As above...I have a fitbit one as well. Same thing I read reviews and the fitbit one was the overall winner when I took in to account the things that were said. There are actually a couple of threads on here about this....have a search through and see if you can find them...
    Otherwise, I found this helpful. Though this is old now, so maybe google the flex vs garmin?

    http://www.getgrok.com/2013/01/a-comparative-review-28-days-with-the-fitbit-one-jawbone-up-nike-fuelband-and-bodymedia-link/
  • brisingr86
    brisingr86 Posts: 1,789 Member
    bump for later, but fairly certain vivofit does not sync to MFP.
    I think key differentiation is vivofit has associated HRM vs. flex is just activity tracker/pedometer type device
  • kellypence
    kellypence Posts: 123 Member
    I had the fitbit Force before it was recalled, now have a vivofit. The only thing I liked better about the Force (flex is very similar, but no visible time) was that I could set a silent alarm to wake up. Like the vivofit's HRM (and it does now sync to MFP), gives me a better idea of calorie burn.
    The thing I like about the vivofit that the fitbit doesn't have is that the activity reminder stays there until you walk enough steps. With the fitbit, it vibrates to remind you to move and then doesn't do anything, even if you don't move. Doesn't continually remind you if you ignore it. The vivofit stays red, so if I'm in the middle of treating a patient when I hit 30 min of inactivity, it's still there when my patient is done, so I remember to walk around a bit.
    Bottom line, vivofit is more expensive, so if you're doing a lot of cardio and want a slightly better calorie burn estimation, go with it. If you just need motivation to take a couple extra steps, Fitbit is just fine.
  • nell257
    nell257 Posts: 2
    fitbit, everytime!!
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    Bodymedia. Much more accurate, syncs with a Garmin chest band if you want to add HRM, and measures more than just steps.
  • strds
    strds Posts: 70 Member
    Thanks everyone, I am trying to include more cardio (walking) into my everyday, I also road ride. For both of these I am currently using endomondo but find the calories burnt differ when it syncs with MFP. And of course it sucks the juice from my phone, this weekend I rode 40km but my phone died at 29km. So have decided I need to get some thing better. I would like a HRM which is leaning me towards the Garmin, but would like to know what others have experienced with these two gadgets before I make my mind up.
  • cwrig
    cwrig Posts: 190 Member
    Thanks everyone, I am trying to include more cardio (walking) into my everyday, I also road ride. For both of these I am currently using endomondo but find the calories burnt differ when it syncs with MFP. And of course it sucks the juice from my phone, this weekend I rode 40km but my phone died at 29km. So have decided I need to get some thing better. I would like a HRM which is leaning me towards the Garmin, but would like to know what others have experienced with these two gadgets before I make my mind up.

    The fit bit will not help if you want to track bike rides. There are a few garmin gps watches that would be better for tracking running, walking, riding that require no phone connection.

    Fitbit apparently has an app that will use the gps on your phone to track distance but this is no different than using any other phone gps app.

    If you are biking, go with a gps watch that you can use for walking, running and biking. Check the garmin website for the options.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    If you're biking, you can just download MapMyRide for free. It tracks through GPS on your phone. You don't need to spend money on a watch for that.
  • alexapatel
    alexapatel Posts: 87 Member
    Vivofit syncs to MFP!

    I've had mine for about a month and LOVE it. I don't know too much about any of the fitbits, but here's why I love my vivofit. It is a watch. At any given time I can view time, date, steps I've taken, steps needed to goal, and cals burned, oh and miles walked. It will tweak your step goal daily as to how you did the previous day. You put it on sleep mode and it tracks all your movement for quality of sleep.

    My husband did the research (it was a bday gift) and the vivofit seemed to track steps most accurately which is why he went with the vivofit instead of the fitbit which I had originally wanted.

    Uses standard watch battery, so it does not need to be charged. I also read it can be used with a chest strap HRM but have not tried that yet.
  • gviens
    gviens Posts: 18 Member
    I have the Vivofit, my wife has the Flex. She has commented several times she wishes she had gone with the Vivofit.
    The Vivofit pluses are a display that shows time, date, steps total, steps remaining (or over goal), miles walked & calories burned so far. (When using the HRM it also shows Heart rate and heart rate zone, the zones can be customized). the other big plus is the battery in the vivofit is good for one year, no need to recharge every few days.
    The Vivofit integration with MFP was non existent a month ago, but now works and is being actively improved by Garmin. Same for the Garmin software, you will read lots of older information telling you this does not work on MFP, but this is no longer correct. (anything older than a week is out of date on this)
    I also like the HRM I was concerned MFP was overestimating the calories burned on my walks and find I can see a real difference based on how hard I am working using the HRM

    All that said the fitbit works very well, I just like being able to see how I am doing without having to sync with my phone and I really like not having to recharge every few days.

    Whichever one you go with, as long as it drives you to do more (walking, running, whatever...), it will help your journey, good luck. :-)
  • Monkey_Business
    Monkey_Business Posts: 1,800 Member
    I have the Vivofit, my wife has the Flex. She has commented several times she wishes she had gone with the Vivofit.
    The Vivofit pluses are a display that shows time, date, steps total, steps remaining (or over goal), miles walked & calories burned so far. (When using the HRM it also shows Heart rate and heart rate zone, the zones can be customized). the other big plus is the battery in the vivofit is good for one year, no need to recharge every few days.
    The Vivofit integration with MFP was non existent a month ago, but now works and is being actively improved by Garmin. Same for the Garmin software, you will read lots of older information telling you this does not work on MFP, but this is no longer correct. (anything older than a week is out of date on this)
    I also like the HRM I was concerned MFP was overestimating the calories burned on my walks and find I can see a real difference based on how hard I am working using the HRM

    All that said the fitbit works very well, I just like being able to see how I am doing without having to sync with my phone and I really like not having to recharge every few days.

    Whichever one you go with, as long as it drives you to do more (walking, running, whatever...), it will help your journey, good luck. :-)

    I have the FitBit Flex Love it.

    I second Gviens remark, it pushes you to strive to do more.

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