Best Fitness Tracker?? Fitbit? Jawbone? Others??

pendii
pendii Posts: 26 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone,

So I haven't really used any fitness trackers to this point, but I am thinking about getting one to help motivate me to lose these last 20 pounds.

I do have a Garmin watch that tracks distance and pace (no HR sadly), but I am really starting to like the idea of a Fitbit or Jawbone or something in that family.

So what do you guys and gals use? What do you like best? Which one has the best app? I haven't tried any of them yet.

I'm think I'm looking at the Fitbit Charge HR and the Jawbone Up3, but I open to any and all suggestions. I really have been wanting something that tracks HR, so I like that the Charge HR has that on display, but I read some reviews that said it's not always a good measure of heart rate? I'm actually a little confused about whether the Up3 tracks HR. It's definitely prettier than the Charge, but I would love to have the HR on the display.

Advice?

(The Fitbit Surge seems cool, but it's pricey. And not the prettiest either... I figure I can always put on my Garmin watch when I need to track distance.)

Replies

  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
    I've had jawbone since Dec and love it. I like the size and look as well. It's not bulky like some other ones. I had read an article that step count was more accurate with jawbone than Fitbit. Fitbit over calculates if you shake your wrist or other movements.
  • PAYNEMAKER
    PAYNEMAKER Posts: 40 Member
    I was about to by the fitbit but a friend told me she had both and the jawbone is way better and in may theu have a new waterproof ( you can go swimming in it)one coming out...im waiting for that one
  • EricLFC1892
    EricLFC1892 Posts: 85 Member
    I use the garmin vivofit with heart rate monitor i find it very accurate when you use the hrm during my workouts
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    PAYNEMAKER wrote: »
    I was about to by the fitbit but a friend told me she had both and the jawbone is way better and in may theu have a new waterproof ( you can go swimming in it)one coming out...im waiting for that one

    That would be the Up3 which also is an HRM. They keep pushing back the release date so I am thinking they are having problems with it. I am a fan of Fitbit but need something that is water resistant so I wear the Flex. I would love to upgrade and am looking at the Up3 but not too sure right now because of the issues. If the Charge Hr were water resistant, I would definitely choose that one.

  • cahelwig
    cahelwig Posts: 2 Member
    I have the Withings Pulse O2 (now called the Pulse Ox). I do not recommend it. As a step counter, it's great, but it likes to restart on its own and their support isn't that great. That said, I love the Withings app. It tracks weight, blood pressure, pulse rate, steps, sleep, integrates well with MFP, and allows me to e-mail stats to my doctor with just 3 or so clicks.
  • jwalworth
    jwalworth Posts: 32 Member
    Big fan of the Runtastic Orbit. Syncs very nicely with the Runtastic Apps (nice second screen on my runs). Also waterproof (very important if swim is part of your routine) and under $100. Lastly it acts as a watch (i.e. it actually has the time displayed) so it can be worn as a watch during the day (keeps track of steps).
  • kab789
    kab789 Posts: 110 Member
    I am starting to consider a fit bit but I am not sure. My problem is that I can't wear a watch because the battery dies with in a week or two of putting it on. So I am worried about killing the battery if I have the watch style. So I need to find a clip one that works as well.
  • wwillnow
    wwillnow Posts: 5 Member
    edited April 2015
    I've had the Charge HR for 3 weeks now or so and I love it. The app is easy to understand and navigate. The website is even more useful. I like to play with it a lot so I have to charge it every 3-1/2 to 4 days. Charge time is max of 2 hours. If I'm planning on watching a movie or doing something that requires an hour or so of sitting, I put it on the charger if it's low. I'm checking with my doctor to see if the health portal will sync with fitbit.
  • chazjosephs
    chazjosephs Posts: 6 Member
    I love my fitbit charge, but I think i'll upgrade to something with HR when I have the money.
  • nlmillervt
    nlmillervt Posts: 242 Member
    I planned on going with the Jawbone Up3 with heart rate, because I've used a BodyMedia Link for a couple of years, and Jawbone recently bought BodyMedia out. I originally went with BodyMedia because it seemed to be the most accurate available at the time, so I figured Jawbone was the way to go if I wanted to add heart rate to my data collection.

    However, as someone mentioned earlier, the Up3 isn't out yet, and there are rumors that Jawbone is having financial problems. A few weeks ago I ended up buying the Fitbit Charge HR, with the thought that I could sell it if the Up3 finally comes out and looks like the better product.

    I'm pretty happy with the Charge HR so far, although the steps are overestimated and the calories underestimated when compared to the BodyMedia Link. More importantly for me, though, it seems to do a better job of motivating me to get active, which is largely the point.

    Also, for heavy cardio, the Charge HR tends to underestimate the heart rate, so I still use my heart rate monitor for running, etc. The Charge HR's accuracy for daily activities and rest seems pretty good, though.

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