Which Activity Band?

wolf39us
wolf39us Posts: 163 Member
edited November 18 in Motivation and Support
Okay so I'm looking at all the options here. I mostly want an intuitive fitness tracker which will work with my heart rate for more accurate calorie burns.

Many reviewers say that the Fitbit Charge HR is a great 24hr fitness band, but the optical sensors for heart rate monitoring are too susceptible to sweat, light etc and provide readings that are way off from true.

There are chest straps I can buy but I'm not sure if that's what I should strive for? I don't want to buy the fitbit if the heart readings are too far off.

Then there's the Garmin Vivo Smart which utilizes a chest strap instead of the optical sensors, but of course this would only be handy when working out and I almost feel that I could just simply buy a chest strap by itself and sync up with MFP.

What is everyone using? Thoughts?

Replies

  • FishyK
    FishyK Posts: 147 Member
    edited May 2015
    No matter what tracker you get, it will be superseded by a better one eventually, probably within a year. The tech isn't perfect. I love my Charge HR, but I am not doing high level training where I'd need an exact, perfectly simultaneous HR readout. My CHR, however, is great for my needs and moderate exercise level. And it's so easy! I just wear it and it does the rest.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    All day HR does not result in more accurate caloric estimates. The formulas are based upon steady state cardio where HR is used as a proxy for effort during a specified activity ... plugging a number from sitting at a desk into a formula based on running or cycling produces an erroneous number.

    Which, if any, tracker is right for you comes down to what activities you do during the day and what data you want to track. For just walking around and wanting to be more active, your choices start with a basic pedometer. If you want one that tracks your movement during sleep, that's a different subset of devices. If you run or ride, a GPS equipped device might be worth looking into. If you want HR during exercise, there are those with built in optical sensors at the wrist which have their set of inherent flaws ( http://www.cnet.com/news/how-accurate-are-wristband-heart-rate-monitors/ ) one that connects to an external HR strap. If you want to track swimming, that is a very small subset of the tracker market.

    Once you match activities and data desires, the pool of devices narrows quickly.
  • MaryCS62
    MaryCS62 Posts: 266 Member
    I just got a Charge HR (early bday gift from my brother & sister -- they know I'm trying to improve my fitness!!), but am just learning about it (literally --am charging it now & have just added the app & synced it to my phone). I have no idea what to expect, but I'm a very light exerciser, hoping to improve.
  • wolf39us
    wolf39us Posts: 163 Member
    All I'm looking for is mostly accurate (within 5%) heart rate monitoring coupled with the social aspect. I'm currently research the scosche rhythm+ heart rate monitor. Apparently it works with MFP and is about as accurate as wrist worn products come for HR.

    My activities are going to be mostly fat burning / cardio zones at the gym or walking. I'm not much for running. The MFP app can utilize my phone GPS and frankly I'm never far from my phone so I'm not sure GPS is totally necessary on my device.
  • wolf39us
    wolf39us Posts: 163 Member
    Bought the Fitbit Surge. Seems to be working pretty great so far!
  • jharris1378
    jharris1378 Posts: 88 Member
    I've had my charge hr for most of this year now. I absolutely love it. I've had no issues with the heart rate monitor. I would recommend it to anybody. My only regret is that I didn't buy it a year ago when I started my weight loss journey
  • jmsifter
    jmsifter Posts: 1 Member
    Hello. I was having the same dilemma trying to decide on a heart rate monitor. I had been using a chest strap but it was irritating my skin and I was getting jumpy readings possibly from interference. So I did some research and ended up purchasing the Mio Fuse. I've only had it for a couple of days but so far I like it, although it did take a little getting used to wearing something snug on my upper wrist (I am a female and have tiny wrists, so even though I got the small/medium I have to wear it higher on my wrist than you would normally wear a watch or bracelet). The monitor seems to be quite accurate, but I do have to say that the MioGo app that you have to use on your phone to sync and store your workout (check mioglobal.com website for device compatibility) is really terrible and needs a lot of work. Because of that I have my Mio linked to Wahoo Fitness which stores my information and I have that linked to MyFitnessPal. Anyway, I wish you luck on your search, but it does seem that they all have their pros and cons.
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