fitbit, polor loop, vivofit

debrag12
debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
edited November 19 in Fitness and Exercise
Which one do you prefer?

I have had a fitbit (zip then one) since August 2013 but I lost it last month. I have been using my garmin f15 watch as it has an activity tracker (built in vivofit) and I kind of like it. I have also seen the polor loop but don't know much about it.

I don't care for the HR function as I'm not about to wear a chest strip 24/7, only for exercise and I can do that with my garmin f15.

I like the fitbit app but also the garmin app. I do have an aria scale synced to my fitbit account & mfp and my garmin is synced to mfp also.

My issue is that my garmin f15 feels bulky and I've yet to wear to to work. Currently my fitbit app is used just to check my weight.

Replies

  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
    I can only speak for fitbit haha.

    If you are looking for the HR function the Charge HR and the Surge both offer it. No chest strap required. I have the Charge- non HR. I like it. It holds its battery life pretty well and I find it pretty accurate. I don't find it bulky at all. I also have the aria scale, so everything syncing in one place is nice.
  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
    Well what features are you looking at? You like the interaction of the media evidently. But you also have a scale that only works with fitbit and for the money you paid on that if you want something wgere everything syncs together...

    so I have a vivofit2. I don't really use the nedia aspect so much but it is really nice the garmin connect app however is not compatible with my android (for syncing etc.) But I can still connect with other peeps.

    I like my vivofit2 I chose it over the loop bc it has a removable pod and tracks distance.

    vivofit2 features: easier syncing than vivofit
    Backlight (none on vivofit)
    Has a vibration alert on inactivity (not on vivo fit)
    Sleep tracker
    Steps
    Cal burn
    Timer
    Hrm with a chest strap hrm pairing
    Water proof 50 meters
    Daily goals
    Removable pod
    Battery last one year
    polar loop: pairs with chest strap hrm
    Water proof to 20 meters
    Steps
    Cal burn
    Led display
    Can be used for cycling
    Sleep tracker
    Has to be charged and synced often
    may have a couple more features I dont remember

    fitbit as I know is water resistant not water proof. The bands are mixed in reviews most being complaint is the sync fuctions with mfp, stopped working after a few months, bands fell off etc.
  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
    Oh dc rainmaker does great detailed reviews on all fitness trackers. Helped me make my final choice.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    edited June 2015
    I have the Vivofit 2 with the HRM and love it. It's water proof so I don't have to take it off in the shower or when I swim. The battery lasts a whole year so basically I have not removed it since I got it except for yesterday when I changed to a new colored band. The calorie count while running is great thanks to the chest strap which has been very accurate so far. Also, after the latest update my Vivofit 2 syncs automatically with the Garmin Connect App. It also puts itself into sleep mode after a period of no activity. I also like that you can lock the band so I never worry about it falling off. My Fitbit Charge fell off three times during my short time with it.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    Well what features are you looking at? You like the interaction of the media evidently. But you also have a scale that only works with fitbit and for the money you paid on that if you want something wgere everything syncs together...

    so I have a vivofit2. I don't really use the nedia aspect so much but it is really nice the garmin connect app however is not compatible with my android (for syncing etc.) But I can still connect with other peeps.

    I like my vivofit2 I chose it over the loop bc it has a removable pod and tracks distance.

    vivofit2 features: easier syncing than vivofit
    Backlight (none on vivofit)
    Has a vibration alert on inactivity (not on vivo fit)
    Sleep tracker
    Steps
    Cal burn
    Timer
    Hrm with a chest strap hrm pairing
    Water proof 50 meters
    Daily goals
    Removable pod
    Battery last one year
    polar loop: pairs with chest strap hrm
    Water proof to 20 meters
    Steps
    Cal burn
    Led display
    Can be used for cycling
    Sleep tracker
    Has to be charged and synced often
    may have a couple more features I dont remember

    fitbit as I know is water resistant not water proof. The bands are mixed in reviews most being complaint is the sync fuctions with mfp, stopped working after a few months, bands fell off etc.

    Did you do the update for the Vivofit 2 yet? Reason I ask is that after I did it I noticed that it is now Syncing automatically with my iPhone 6 Plus. Maybe Android is different but it shouldn't be.
  • CricketClover
    CricketClover Posts: 388 Member
    I have a polar loop. I liked it until I got tired of it having to charge all the time. I also have a Polar FT4, a general heart rate monitor watch and I love it it just doesn't do the activity tracking. I am thinking about getting the polar a300 so that I have the same type of user interface as the FT4 but with the same capabilities of the loop plus the battery is supposed to last longer than the loop. With either you only wear the HRM strap while doing dedicated exercise, not all day long. It still tracks your calories from you normal daily activity like the other activity trackers.

    Oh, and I also bought a Misfit Flash really cheap to try it out, I really, really love it but it doesn't have HR capabilities so I have been wearing it with my FT4 during exercise.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I also have a Fitbit Aria wi-fi scale, which I sync to both MFP and TrendWeight. I lost the weight & maintained for eight months with a Fitbit Flex. Then I upgraded to the Charge HR because it has a secure buckle (like a watch). It's only a little more expensive than the Charge, which has a clasp & no heart rate monitor.

    Bottom line, it's entirely a matter of personal preference which you choose. I love Fitbit challenges—they're great motivation + fun.
  • djscavone
    djscavone Posts: 133 Member
    Do you mean if you had to pick just one device? I never found just one that would do all I wanted and look good and be practical money-wise. I don't need a lot of bells and whistles.

    I like my fitbit one as it is small and I toss it in my pocket. does my steps fine. I only use my garmin for running as it is not the best looking watch for all occasions (dress or casual). Does my pace, distance, time, and easy to move screen to screen.

    Fitbit app is easy and has many "friends" for my competitive nature. Garmin site is good for the running courses and tracking my progress for race events.

    I think each has its purpose and I never saw them doing the same thing well. I think fitbit should stick to the "step" business and Garmin is great at the broader athletics.
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
    I don't need sleep, floors or HR functions (I'll track HR while exercising only). I'm just trying to decide if I should stick to my garmin f15 or payout for a new fitbit. Ideally it would be something I could just put in my pocket, will the garmin still track while in my pocket?

    I'm really just after my calorie burns. My garmin currently doesn't sync over wifi/bluetooth so I have to connect it via usb to sync, this means I only do it once a day on a work day.

    I think I'll stick with the garmin for June and see how I get on with my calories etc and go from there.
  • 130down
    130down Posts: 21 Member
    Love my Garmin Vivoactive. Had it about a week and it is working great. I use it for daily tracking and road biking
  • CricketClover
    CricketClover Posts: 388 Member
    debrag12 wrote: »
    I don't need sleep, floors or HR functions (I'll track HR while exercising only). I'm just trying to decide if I should stick to my garmin f15 or payout for a new fitbit. Ideally it would be something I could just put in my pocket, will the garmin still track while in my pocket?

    I'm really just after my calorie burns. My garmin currently doesn't sync over wifi/bluetooth so I have to connect it via usb to sync, this means I only do it once a day on a work day.

    I think I'll stick with the garmin for June and see how I get on with my calories etc and go from there.

    If your garmin does everything you need it to do, and you are happy with it, then I would just stick with it.
  • Cronniss
    Cronniss Posts: 108 Member
    For a while I was thinking about getting the Polar Loop. I went with the A300 instead. I'm glad I went with that decision!

    As has already been said, you only need to wear the HRM strap when you're working out. It only needs to be charged once every 26 days on average. You can wear the HRM strap while swimming to get your heartrate while in water...you can't do that with most other fitness trackers. There are also multiple profiles to track the different types of activities that you do. And it also tracks your sleep automatically. As a plus, you can perform a fitness test with the A300 (as well as the rest of this series of trackers).
  • NowIsForMe
    NowIsForMe Posts: 12 Member
    Love my Vivofit. Too tight to buy the Vivofit2 LOL
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
    edited June 2015
    I'm sticking with my garmin f15 for now :) I can't wear anything on my wrist at work so I experimented with it in my pocket last Saturday and it appears to be tracking fine and doe so for work. I also like that I only have one gadget and can just put on the chest strip when I go for a run or to the gym,

    One thing I have found is that it double logs in mfp. I get the adjustment but then the exercise twice. Today I had 2 logs for my walk & 2 for my gym time. Is this an issue I can sort out or do I just need to delete the double entry?

    If I do decided to later on get a polar watch I'm thinking of the v800 or m400 as it has gps but then again they won't have activity tracking
  • CricketClover
    CricketClover Posts: 388 Member
    debrag12 wrote: »
    I'm sticking with my garmin f15 for now :) I can't wear anything on my wrist at work so I experimented with it in my pocket last Saturday and it appears to be tracking fine and doe so for work. I also like that I only have one gadget and can just put on the chest strip when I go for a run or to the gym,

    One thing I have found is that it double logs in mfp. I get the adjustment but then the exercise twice. Today I had 2 logs for my walk & 2 for my gym time. Is this an issue I can sort out or do I just need to delete the double entry?

    If I do decided to later on get a polar watch I'm thinking of the v800 or m400 as it has gps but then again they won't have activity tracking

    I could be mistaken but I think the Polar M400 does have activity tracking. I haven't looked into the V800 at all since it was way out of my price point. I was looking at the A300 and M400 and decided on the A300 as I do water aerobics and wanted to be able to track my calories in the pool. The A300 is a little bit smaller than the M400 but it is still really bulky, it is going to take some getting used to on my wrist!
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    mkwrose wrote: »
    debrag12 wrote: »
    I'm sticking with my garmin f15 for now :) I can't wear anything on my wrist at work so I experimented with it in my pocket last Saturday and it appears to be tracking fine and doe so for work. I also like that I only have one gadget and can just put on the chest strip when I go for a run or to the gym,

    One thing I have found is that it double logs in mfp. I get the adjustment but then the exercise twice. Today I had 2 logs for my walk & 2 for my gym time. Is this an issue I can sort out or do I just need to delete the double entry?

    If I do decided to later on get a polar watch I'm thinking of the v800 or m400 as it has gps but then again they won't have activity tracking

    I could be mistaken but I think the Polar M400 does have activity tracking. I haven't looked into the V800 at all since it was way out of my price point. I was looking at the A300 and M400 and decided on the A300 as I do water aerobics and wanted to be able to track my calories in the pool. The A300 is a little bit smaller than the M400 but it is still really bulky, it is going to take some getting used to on my wrist!

    You are correct. The Polar M400 does include activity tracking as well.
  • ScubaSteve1962
    ScubaSteve1962 Posts: 609 Member
    debrag12 wrote: »
    I'm sticking with my garmin f15 for now :) I can't wear anything on my wrist at work so I experimented with it in my pocket last Saturday and it appears to be tracking fine and doe so for work. I also like that I only have one gadget and can just put on the chest strip when I go for a run or to the gym,

    One thing I have found is that it double logs in mfp. I get the adjustment but then the exercise twice. Today I had 2 logs for my walk & 2 for my gym time. Is this an issue I can sort out or do I just need to delete the double entry?

    If I do decided to later on get a polar watch I'm thinking of the v800 or m400 as it has gps but then again they won't have activity tracking

    Polar has great activity tracking, I have the from the loop to the V800, love the training profiles.
  • emilykate4
    emilykate4 Posts: 7 Member
    Do you think that the Aria is worth the money? I want one but I don't know if I can justify spending $150 on a scale. Also, do you think that the FitBit One is better than the Zip? I am considering upgrading but I don't know if it is really worth the money.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    edited June 2015
    emilykate4 wrote: »
    Do you think that the Aria is worth the money? I want one but I don't know if I can justify spending $150 on a scale. Also, do you think that the FitBit One is better than the Zip? I am considering upgrading but I don't know if it is really worth the money.

    I have the Fitbit Aria wi-fi scale. I love never having to log my weight any more. I step on the scale every morning, and it sends my weight to Fitbit, MFP, and Trendweight for me. But the body fat % is absolutely rubbish. It works by sending a pulse up one leg & down the other, then guesstimating your upper body.

    All Fitbits measure your TDEE and sync with MFP. Which one you choose is entirely a matter of personal preference. As I said above, I upgraded from the Flex to the Charge HR because it has a secure buckle (like a watch), it has a heart rate monitor, and it comes in purple.

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
  • Cronniss
    Cronniss Posts: 108 Member
    mkwrose wrote: »
    debrag12 wrote: »
    I'm sticking with my garmin f15 for now :) I can't wear anything on my wrist at work so I experimented with it in my pocket last Saturday and it appears to be tracking fine and doe so for work. I also like that I only have one gadget and can just put on the chest strip when I go for a run or to the gym,

    One thing I have found is that it double logs in mfp. I get the adjustment but then the exercise twice. Today I had 2 logs for my walk & 2 for my gym time. Is this an issue I can sort out or do I just need to delete the double entry?

    If I do decided to later on get a polar watch I'm thinking of the v800 or m400 as it has gps but then again they won't have activity tracking

    I could be mistaken but I think the Polar M400 does have activity tracking. I haven't looked into the V800 at all since it was way out of my price point. I was looking at the A300 and M400 and decided on the A300 as I do water aerobics and wanted to be able to track my calories in the pool. The A300 is a little bit smaller than the M400 but it is still really bulky, it is going to take some getting used to on my wrist!


    As was stated above, the A300, M400 and V800 all track activity. On the "main screen" there is an Activity Bar that will show you your progress throughout the day. This is what it looks like on the A300:
    33u3h3d.jpg

    The M400 looks pretty much exactly the same. Visually, the difference between the two is that the M400 comes in two colors, whereas the A300 can have its strap switched out for one of 6 colors. (I believe the V800 has a similar display, but I did not research that one as it is out of my price range. But it is in the same product line as these two.)

    I have a couple more pictures and a touch more information about the A300 & M400 posted in another thread: Polar A300 Activity Tracker and Monitor if you want to take a look.

    89019335.png
    (Quote from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams.)
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