Fitbit Flex

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suebisy
suebisy Posts: 2
in Fitness and Exercise

Hi am trying to work out if this is a good thing to buy, lots of reviews very positive, then really negative ones!!! Am going round in circles, does anyone have advice? Thanks

Replies

  • angelb1983
    angelb1983 Posts: 160 Member
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    I have one. I guess it depends on what you are wanting it for. I like that it keeps me accountable in my daily exercise. I realized that I generally, if I do not watch, only get in 3000 steps a day. Fitbit recommends 10000 so it increases my activity. So far so good for me. I lost 2 pounds this week by syncing it with mfp
  • doin_it
    doin_it Posts: 414 Member
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    I like my flex. I like that it keeps me accountable in my exercise, also. I always push myself to get the 10,000 steps in. If I wasn't using the flex I wouldn't get near that. Now that I have one I can't imagine going without one. I would highly recommend it!
  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
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    I love that mine keeps me moving, but I have one of the bad chargers that won't seat the Flex properly anymore without a hair elastic and a lot of frustration. I am hoping to upgrade to one of the new wrist fitbits, either the Charge HR or the Surge, because I want a heart monitor and a display.
  • Sassburger
    Sassburger Posts: 1
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    I think its brilliant! It helps me balance my calorie intake with the amount of activity i've done that day. Otherwise you're just guessing and you don't realise how much you activity you are or aren't doing. I've had days where i've felt like i've had a busy active day and then i've looked at my activity and its not as much as I thought.
  • Butrovich
    Butrovich Posts: 410 Member
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    I like mine. It motivates me to get more steps in a day, and also monitors how well I sleep at night. Those are the two features I like the most.
  • Mudler
    Mudler Posts: 45 Member
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    I have one and I have mixed feelings. it's not cheap and to be honest, all the things it does you can do without buying it with a small amount of effort. having said that, like the above posters say, it does keep an eye on you and it's kind of fit and forget.
    I do have problems with learning what all the lights mean but then I'm a bloke and can't bring myself to read the instructions :)
  • KristinaB83
    KristinaB83 Posts: 440 Member
    edited October 2014
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    I love mine. That being said, I don't know if I would like it better than any other FitBit. It does count arm movements as steps sometimes so you get some extra numbers from time to time (but if you're being active I don't think it really matters that much). It does not count stairs like some of the other FitBits do, so if that's something that's important to you I'd go with another type.
    As with any FitBit, it pretty much guilts me into being more active (which is exactly what I need). If I look at it at the end of the day and it only says 300 steps, I get off my *kitten* and go for a walk.
    I also have friends with FitBits so it's always fun to try to beat their steps per week numbers. I like the competition.


    **Edit: Really?? *kitten* gets censored?
  • Wheelhouse15
    Wheelhouse15 Posts: 5,575 Member
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    Depends on what you want and if you think you need the bells and whistles that are part of the higher cost of Fitbit compared to other pedometers. I find most pedometers these days to be rediculously priced for what you get especially since you can just use a regular pedometer with MFP. I don't even really use the software for my Flex much any more since getting to know MFP better because it has a larger database for food and works very well.

    In the end you will have to decide what the software is worth to you because the device is just a pedometer and I don't find it any more accurate than anything else.
  • novalh42
    novalh42 Posts: 102 Member
    edited October 2014
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    I love mine! I have had the Flex for about 6 months or so and and had the Ultra since 2012. The Flex charger is finicky but I place it where it seems to work for me. You may have to play with it. That is really my only complaint. I love how I can compete online with my friends and the mobile app has challenges too where you can compete with friends on short term goals. If you have to take it off and on a lot I am not sure. I have had mine for about 6 months or so and never once had it fall off. My daughter, who is a swimmer, would be taking it off and on several times a day so I would not get her one because I am afraid doing that would stretch the holes where you attach it and she would lose it. There is actually a little belt thing you can order (can't remember who sells it, maybe google bit belt) that helps to keep it from coming off. But, like I said, I have never had mine come off.
  • andymcclure
    andymcclure Posts: 40 Member
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    I'm finding it a bit disappointing overall.

    1) MFP offers better calorie/food tracking. Sure, I can still use the Fitbit with MFP, but for $100, I'd think their software would be better. I left MFP for about a month to use the Fitbit website, but found it gave me WAY too many calories and wouldn't let me adjust at all.

    2) The Android app is not great. I haven't used the iPhone app; I hear it's better. Again, the free app from MFP is much better. It doesn't sync with my Android phone; it turns out it only syncs with a handful of the newest Android phones. (Yes, I could have researched that better.)

    3) It's touchy. If I shake the water off my hands when I wash them, Fitbit goes into sleep mode. If I use a hammer, it goes into sleep mode. If I get a little crazy playing with the kids, it goes into sleep mode. If I play air drums in the car with Rush, it goes into sleep mode. I find myself checking it way too often just to make sure it's still tracking my steps, not sleeping.

    4) It doesn't sync with Linux or older Macs. I ended up digging an old Windows laptop out of the closet that now serves no purpose other than to sync with my Fitbit.

    I do like that it updates my calorie count throughout the day. If it worked with my phone, that would be cool, as my steps would be continually updated. But, for the amount of effort I'm putting in to actually use this thing, a $15 pedometer probably would have been a better choice.
  • suebisy
    suebisy Posts: 2
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    Thank you everyone, I think I'll not bother! My omron pedometer is really good, and it doesn't look like for the £80 you get too much more out of it.

  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    If you want to spend $100+ on a device that counts steps, go ahead. The calorie burn it ESTIMATES is wildly off.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    Do your research, think about what features you want in a fitness tracker. I have the Fitbit One and am a big fan. Hubby has the Polar Loop and its also a good device.

    Key details: wear on wrist, or clip to body somewhere? Waterproof, water-resistant or neither? What info do you want it to track, to display? Is it compatible with your smart phone? What other apps/sites does it sync to?
  • myfatass78
    myfatass78 Posts: 411 Member
    edited February 2015
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    andymcclure wrote: »
    I'm finding it a bit disappointing overall.

    1) MFP offers better calorie/food tracking. Sure, I can still use the Fitbit with MFP, but for $100, I'd think their software would be better. I left MFP for about a month to use the Fitbit website, but found it gave me WAY too many calories and wouldn't let me adjust at all.

    2) The Android app is not great. I haven't used the iPhone app; I hear it's better. Again, the free app from MFP is much better. It doesn't sync with my Android phone; it turns out it only syncs with a handful of the newest Android phones. (Yes, I could have researched that better.)

    3) It's touchy. If I shake the water off my hands when I wash them, Fitbit goes into sleep mode. If I use a hammer, it goes into sleep mode. If I get a little crazy playing with the kids, it goes into sleep mode. If I play air drums in the car with Rush, it goes into sleep mode. I find myself checking it way too often just to make sure it's still tracking my steps, not sleeping.

    4) It doesn't sync with Linux or older Macs. I ended up digging an old Windows laptop out of the closet that now serves no purpose other than to sync with my Fitbit.

    I do like that it updates my calorie count throughout the day. If it worked with my phone, that would be cool, as my steps would be continually updated. But, for the amount of effort I'm putting in to actually use this thing, a $15 pedometer probably would have been a better choice.

    I will just clarify that it does indeed work in Linux but using a Virtual Machine running Windows.

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