Activity trackers...help

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lisah180
lisah180 Posts: 69 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
hi I am looking into purchasing a activity tracker..bit so many to choose from!! Fitbit, jawbone, vivofit etc!! How do you choose?? Pros/cons for any of these?? Thanks!!

Replies

  • BethanyFrerichs
    BethanyFrerichs Posts: 14 Member
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    Not a pro, but I took my Fitbit charge back because unless you are moving your arms, nothing comes up. I loved the look of the Charge and ease of use but I didn't want to look funny swinging my arms and it was driving me nuts. I also didn't want to shove it in my pocket while grocery shopping as it wasn't picking up steps. A couple of days later I had an allergic reaction to the strap and had to return it back to Best Buy.

    Most of the wrist based trackers are based on arm movements. None of them are bad and some do more things than others. I think the Polar Loop is completely waterproof. With the Garmin products I think you can use a strap HRM. Same with the Polar Loop if I remember correctly. I haven't used Garmin Connect so I don't know how good the software is. Polar software is okay.

    I just bought a Fitbit One today and love it. No wrist movements and it doesn't look like I have a plastic strap on my wrist. I can just clip it to my bra or in my jeans/pants. Fitbit also integrates directly with MFP which is another plus. I've heard that the One can fall out of the holder so I'll keep it strapped to the inside of my pocket.

    I also think it depends on if you need notifications of phone calls/texts as well. Fitbit Charge was cool because of that. I noticed that Jawbone Up had a 3 version at Best Buy today.

    Hope this helps.
  • GlassRocks
    GlassRocks Posts: 18 Member
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    Most are similar. I've had mine since 2013 pre jawbone and fitbit era and I think it out preforms a lot them compared to the newer models, but it's no longer made nor supported. Ive aquired a new jawbone one but seems to lack a lot. My recommendation is get one that has an active heart rate monitor function. Based on my personal experiences it will give you the best results.

    Good luck,

    GR
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Depends on your goal

    To track general activity across the day I use a fitbit zip

    To track steady state cardio I use a polar FT4 HRM...for calisthenics I take a percentage of the read out

    I don't think the new generation of wrist-band HRM activity monitors are worth anything unless you have a heart condition and need to track your heart rate ...they certainly don't give any more accurate a calorie TDEE estimate than the more basic models
  • sarahwillams0
    sarahwillams0 Posts: 13 Member
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    I have a Fitbit one. I love it. I can wear it to work, it's really accurate aswell, you get badges when you complete steps and things, and you can complete challenges with people from around the world which is really fun and compare steps with them. You can track your sleep aswell but I don't usually bother with that
  • RedRockChic
    RedRockChic Posts: 69 Member
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    Love my Charge HR... and I don't have to swing my arms all exaggerated-like. My recommendation is pick one. Any one. Wear it for a week or two without any changes to lifestyle or habit. This is to establish your baseline. Then when there are changes it will be based on your baseline rather than some preconceived formula of what you think it should be.

    I say this because you will find that things are not fixed numbers... for example, I don't have a 30 inch step, unless I am trying to keep up with TALL people. So when I walk 10,000 steps it isn't quite 5 miles. It is more like 4.5 miles. When I skip steps on the flight up, sometimes it doesn't record the flight of stairs as a complete set. Etc.

    What is pretty accurate is my heart-rate monitoring, and I love that part!

    Feel free to message me or friend me, I am happy to answer any questions I can.

    I have both the Flex and the Charge HR, and yes, I use both. I am pretty pleased with both products!

    Good luck with it!


  • Nige_Gsy
    Nige_Gsy Posts: 163 Member
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    BethanyFrerichs wrote: »
    Not a pro, but I took my Fitbit charge back because unless you are moving your arms, nothing comes up. I loved the look of the Charge and ease of use but I didn't want to look funny swinging my arms and it was driving me nuts. I also didn't want to shove it in my pocket while grocery shopping as it wasn't picking up steps. A couple of days later I had an allergic reaction to the strap and had to return it back to Best Buy.

    Most of the wrist based trackers are based on arm movements. None of them are bad and some do more things than others. I think the Polar Loop is completely waterproof. With the Garmin products I think you can use a strap HRM. Same with the Polar Loop if I remember correctly. I haven't used Garmin Connect so I don't know how good the software is. Polar software is okay.

    I just bought a Fitbit One today and love it. No wrist movements and it doesn't look like I have a plastic strap on my wrist. I can just clip it to my bra or in my jeans/pants. Fitbit also integrates directly with MFP which is another plus. I've heard that the One can fall out of the holder so I'll keep it strapped to the inside of my pocket.

    I also think it depends on if you need notifications of phone calls/texts as well. Fitbit Charge was cool because of that. I noticed that Jawbone Up had a 3 version at Best Buy today.

    Hope this helps.

    Actually, Fitbit does not work on arm movement. See the article here: http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/How-accurate-is-my-Charge

    Have used both the One clipped to my belt and the Charge on my wrist (at the same time) and the difference in a daily total is less than double digits for me.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I have a Jawbone UP..not 24 nor the new 3...the old non bluetooth one. Love it.

    It looks good imo and yes it's on my wrist so it won't count steps if you aren't moving your arm but no it doesn't count driving or typing at a computer...otherwise I would be at 50k everyday.

    It has a silent alarm which wakes me with a vibration at light sleep close to when I have it set so I don't wake up groggy.

    It has a reminder to move which I have set at 15mins so it vibrates on my arm every 15mins if i haven't moved.

    It syncs to mapmyfitness and MFP and it's not that expensive...

    Has a power nap function and reminders. The dashboard is easy to read. You can add team members etc.

    I have a fitbit one (clips on belt or bra)...hated it. Didn't track that accurately. I was shovelling snow this winter for 90mins and it gave me 6 active minutes for that ...really?

    I also prefer the look of my Jawbone over the others as well as it does look more like a bangle than a cheap plastic watch.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    Nige_Gsy wrote: »
    BethanyFrerichs wrote: »
    Not a pro, but I took my Fitbit charge back because unless you are moving your arms, nothing comes up. I loved the look of the Charge and ease of use but I didn't want to look funny swinging my arms and it was driving me nuts. I also didn't want to shove it in my pocket while grocery shopping as it wasn't picking up steps. A couple of days later I had an allergic reaction to the strap and had to return it back to Best Buy.

    Most of the wrist based trackers are based on arm movements. None of them are bad and some do more things than others. I think the Polar Loop is completely waterproof. With the Garmin products I think you can use a strap HRM. Same with the Polar Loop if I remember correctly. I haven't used Garmin Connect so I don't know how good the software is. Polar software is okay.

    I just bought a Fitbit One today and love it. No wrist movements and it doesn't look like I have a plastic strap on my wrist. I can just clip it to my bra or in my jeans/pants. Fitbit also integrates directly with MFP which is another plus. I've heard that the One can fall out of the holder so I'll keep it strapped to the inside of my pocket.

    I also think it depends on if you need notifications of phone calls/texts as well. Fitbit Charge was cool because of that. I noticed that Jawbone Up had a 3 version at Best Buy today.

    Hope this helps.

    Actually, Fitbit does not work on arm movement. See the article here: http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/How-accurate-is-my-Charge

    Have used both the One clipped to my belt and the Charge on my wrist (at the same time) and the difference in a daily total is less than double digits for me.

    From the link you provided ... "That said, because your hands are not moving, your step count may be lower during this activity." "Charge is a motion sensor on your wrist. There are many instances where your hands may be moving, but your body may not be, such as playing the drums, cooking, or even burping a baby. Charge may count some extra steps here and there to give you credit when it thinks you are active"

    Fitbit concedes that if your arms are still, the device will undercount steps and if your arms are moving while not walking that it will overcount.
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
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    I have the UP24 since xmas and love it. Tracks steps accurately. Have not had issues. I think the calorie burn for activities is accurate as well. I've compared it to other on line calculators for stuff like running and lifting. I prefer the look compared to the other trackers.

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