Fitness Tracker Recommendations
vanillainfused
Posts: 11 Member
I am a beginner runner. I'm only on the first week of C25K. Coming soon, I will have a bit of a boon to the tune of a couple hundred extra bucks to spend. I've been thinking about getting a fitness tracker. Right now I'm looking at the Withings Activite Pop and the Garmin Forerunner 225.
Pros of the Activite Pop:
Cons of the Activite Pop:
Pros of the Garmin Forerunner 225:
Cons of the Garmin Forerunner 225:
Which would be better? Or is there a better device that you swear by? Have you used either of these products and could give me advice?
Pros of the Activite Pop:
- Way cheaper at $150
- It will look a lot better on my tiny wrist (5'2'' woman) and it's in a color I like
- It doesn't scream "FITNESS TRACKER!" which is an up side for me, because I don't want to exactly advertise that I'm losing weight and have people initiate conversations with me about it (just a personal preference.)
- It has a battery that lasts around 8 months, so I won't have to take it off and tether it to my laptop every 5 days
- It's more appropriate for my current level of fitness
- If I upgrade I can hand it down to my partner without any problems
Cons of the Activite Pop:
- Not many features for the price
- Offers absolutely no information on the watch besides the time (which I prefer digital and this is analog) and a relative meter of your steps
- The one Withings thing I bought lasted 6 months before it broke (the scale)
- Not a huge fan of the app or online interface-- you kind of need to use all their products for it to be useful
- I don't want to buy it and then be wanting for more 6 months or a year later and having to pay 500 total rather than 350 for the Garmin now
- Have to buy it at Best Buy for the color I like
Pros of the Garmin Forerunner 225:
- Has a lot more tech I could use once I become a serious runner (GPS, HRM. Almost makes the Activite look like a toy)
- More data, and I'm a data fanatic
- I still believe I could use it at the level I'm at right now
- I trust the brand (have had a Garmin product for years now-- and it was refurbished, meaning someone had it for years before me)
- I like the app/online interface better
- It seems expensive now but it's cheaper than eventually buying both if I outgrow the Activite Pop
Cons of the Garmin Forerunner 225:
- I'm just assuming I'll become a serious runner in the future, if I don't, it's going to have a lot of technology I just don't need
- I'm not sure how accurate wrist HRMs are-- I've done my research and this one seems to be very accurate according to a lot of reviews vs a chest strap, but I'm not sure
- Might not actually ever need the GPS feature considering I just run around my tiny town
- It's going to be the width of my whole wrist and it's not super attractive
- It screams FITNESS TRACKER
- Have to charge it more often
- Pretty huge initial investment.
Which would be better? Or is there a better device that you swear by? Have you used either of these products and could give me advice?
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Replies
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What about a Polar watch? I never heard of a garmin forunner.. Amazon has plenty devices to compare.0
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sunandmoons wrote: »What about a Polar watch? I never heard of a garmin forunner.. Amazon has plenty devices check there.
I've poured through amazon and a bunch of review sites and the forerunner seems to be the best with regards to HRM accuracy etc.0 -
What are your minimum features?
I wear my FitBit 24/7(ish) and have recently bought a GPS watch (w/o wrist-based HRM) to wear when running to reward myself for my first race.0 -
I have had the Fitbit Charge HR(with the heart rate monitor) for about 6/7 months now and I can honestly swear by it. I lost my last 10 pounds with it and I have now maintained my weight for about 2 months.
I'm 5'1, with small wrists as well and the watch looks like a watch! Everyone always says how cool my bracelet is and then on closer inspection theyre like, "Oh! Its a watch!". So it is really small and light.
Also it tracks your workouts and accurately tells you how many calories you burned based on your heart rate.
On your wrist it It tracks:
-Steps taken
-Miles walked
-Floors climbed
-Heart rate
-Calories burned
-Time
Of course on the app, you can keep tabs on how much water youve drank, how many calories youve consumed and how many calories you need to reach your daily intake goal. Also, if worn to bed, it tracks your sleep pattern, your restlessness and how many times you woke up. And you can also set up goals on the app and compete with others to see who takes the most steps in a day & week.
Long term, you will be able to see and monitor your average heart rate, and average exercise level & calories needed to maintain. And because you see your heart rate your able to understand and change the things in your life that stress you/cause a spike in your heart beat. (alcohol, drugs etc)
~For example, because I wear my fitbit 24/7, I was able to predict when I was going to get the flu, when Ive had too much sugar etc . I once had a very scary episode where I spasmned and my heart rate spiked from its resting state: 59 all the way up to 129 all within 30 seconds. It turns out that Aspartame gives me seizures and Ive concluded that I have a sensitivity to it. (Although honestly who wouldnt that stuff is poison but thats just my opinion. )
Honestly, this little gadget is so powerful and I love having control and being aware of my body and health. I need to have this on when I leave the house or else I'm so lost lol. Its really fun to take it to the theme park like Disney or 6 Flags because it shows you your steps and your crazy adrenaline rush xD
If you have any more questions on it I would be happy to answer them! I hoped I helped a bunch
BTW: This retails for $149.99 but on ebay you can find brand new ones for as cheap as $80.00. I bought mine, brand new for 100$.0 -
What are your minimum features?
I wear my FitBit 24/7(ish) and have recently bought a GPS watch (w/o wrist-based HRM) to wear when running to reward myself for my first race.
I value a HRM more than a GPS because so far I'm just running around in circles and my town is pretty tiny, so I don't do much exploring hahaha. But absolute minimum features are a step tracker, something that doesn't look super obvious like a fitness tracker, and something I can wear 24/7 minus the charging time.
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MeiannaLee wrote: »I have had the Fitbit Charge HR(with the heart rate monitor) for about 6/7 months now and I can honestly swear by it. I lost my last 10 pounds with it and I have now maintained my weight for about 2 months.
I'm 5'1, with small wrists as well and the watch looks like a watch! Everyone always says how cool my bracelet is and then on closer inspection theyre like, "Oh! Its a watch!". So it is really small and light.
Also it tracks your workouts and accurately tells you how many calories you burned based on your heart rate.
On your wrist it It tracks:
-Steps taken
-Miles walked
-Floors climbed
-Heart rate
-Calories burned
-Time
Of course on the app, you can keep tabs on how much water youve drank, how many calories youve consumed and how many calories you need to reach your daily intake goal. Also, if worn to bed, it tracks your sleep pattern, your restlessness and how many times you woke up. And you can also set up goals on the app and compete with others to see who takes the most steps in a day & week.
Long term, you will be able to see and monitor your average heart rate, and average exercise level & calories needed to maintain. And because you see your heart rate your able to understand and change the things in your life that stress you/cause a spike in your heart beat. (alcohol, drugs etc)
~For example, because I wear my fitbit 24/7, I was able to predict when I was going to get the flu, when Ive had too much sugar etc . I once had a very scary episode where I spasmned and my heart rate spiked from its resting state: 59 all the way up to 129 all within 30 seconds. It turns out that Aspartame gives me seizures and Ive concluded that I have a sensitivity to it. (Although honestly who wouldnt that stuff is poison but thats just my opinion. )
Honestly, this little gadget is so powerful and I love having control and being aware of my body and health. I need to have this on when I leave the house or else I'm so lost lol. Its really fun to take it to the theme park like Disney or 6 Flags because it shows you your steps and your crazy adrenaline rush xD
If you have any more questions on it I would be happy to answer them! I hoped I helped a bunch
BTW: This retails for $149.99 but on ebay you can find brand new ones for as cheap as $80.00. I bought mine, brand new for 100$.
Thank you for your in depth review! Wow I have another one to consider, because honestly this has a good amount of the features that I like about the Forerunner and also features I like about the Activite. Of course it doesn't have the fancy features of the Forerunner like telling you what heart rate zone you need to be in, but that's pretty simple math anyway and just a few numbers to remember.
it sounds like it's really done a lot for you! I have a question: how long does the battery usually last for you? The site says 5 days but I'm not entirely sure I trust the site considering it's trying to get me to buy it lol.
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I have found that serious runners tend towards Garmin products. I am not a serious runner and I do not have one. However, I did start off with a Polar HRM back in the day. It worked for what I needed it for. It all depends on your goals and what metrics you want to track. I now have a BodymediaFIT, which I love (unfortunately, they no longer make them).
HRMs are for tracking steady state cardio only. It is important to note that HRMs are not accurate for weight lifting and will not give you an accurate burn. They are also not meant for HIIT. Temperature extremes and daily burn tracking (e.g. I wear it all day to find out what I should be taking in) are also inaccurate. HRMs are for steady state aerobic exercise only!
This is a helpful blog post for understanding HRMs:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472
HRMs are not 100% accurate even when they are used for their intended purpose (steady state cardio). They still have a margin of error. That being said, when HRMs are used for purposes they are not intended for they can become grossly inaccurate. It really isn't much better than pulling a number out of nowhere if the device is being used for things it was never designed to handle.
I personally have both a Bodymedia Fit (for daily activity tracking) and a HRM (for my steady state cardio). I love them both! However, it is important to know what these devices are actually designed to track. They are very helpful when they are used correctly!
Garmin tends to give the distance, pace, etc. data that runners find extremely important. The GPS isn’t just to locate you in a large run area, it is to track your metrics (even if you just run around the same block 50 times, it will still provide useful information).
I wish you luck in your decision! 0 -
vanillainfused wrote: »MeiannaLee wrote: »I have had the Fitbit Charge HR(with the heart rate monitor) for about 6/7 months now and I can honestly swear by it. I lost my last 10 pounds with it and I have now maintained my weight for about 2 months.
I'm 5'1, with small wrists as well and the watch looks like a watch! Everyone always says how cool my bracelet is and then on closer inspection theyre like, "Oh! Its a watch!". So it is really small and light.
Also it tracks your workouts and accurately tells you how many calories you burned based on your heart rate.
On your wrist it It tracks:
-Steps taken
-Miles walked
-Floors climbed
-Heart rate
-Calories burned
-Time
Of course on the app, you can keep tabs on how much water youve drank, how many calories youve consumed and how many calories you need to reach your daily intake goal. Also, if worn to bed, it tracks your sleep pattern, your restlessness and how many times you woke up. And you can also set up goals on the app and compete with others to see who takes the most steps in a day & week.
Long term, you will be able to see and monitor your average heart rate, and average exercise level & calories needed to maintain. And because you see your heart rate your able to understand and change the things in your life that stress you/cause a spike in your heart beat. (alcohol, drugs etc)
~For example, because I wear my fitbit 24/7, I was able to predict when I was going to get the flu, when Ive had too much sugar etc . I once had a very scary episode where I spasmned and my heart rate spiked from its resting state: 59 all the way up to 129 all within 30 seconds. It turns out that Aspartame gives me seizures and Ive concluded that I have a sensitivity to it. (Although honestly who wouldnt that stuff is poison but thats just my opinion. )
Honestly, this little gadget is so powerful and I love having control and being aware of my body and health. I need to have this on when I leave the house or else I'm so lost lol. Its really fun to take it to the theme park like Disney or 6 Flags because it shows you your steps and your crazy adrenaline rush xD
If you have any more questions on it I would be happy to answer them! I hoped I helped a bunch
BTW: This retails for $149.99 but on ebay you can find brand new ones for as cheap as $80.00. I bought mine, brand new for 100$.
Thank you for your in depth review! Wow I have another one to consider, because honestly this has a good amount of the features that I like about the Forerunner and also features I like about the Activite. Of course it doesn't have the fancy features of the Forerunner like telling you what heart rate zone you need to be in, but that's pretty simple math anyway and just a few numbers to remember.
it sounds like it's really done a lot for you! I have a question: how long does the battery usually last for you? The site says 5 days but I'm not entirely sure I trust the site considering it's trying to get me to buy it lol.
Well actually when you have the exercise tracker activated(like when your running) the app does tell you what zone your in: fat burning, peak, resting etc!
And the battery longevity of it depends on a few things. For example if you have it synced to your phone 24/7 via Bluetooth. If you have it synced then the battery life is 3 days. Give or take. If you do not have it synced and only sync it at the end of the day/mornings the battery life is longer than 5 days. 0 -
MeiannaLee wrote: »I have had the Fitbit Charge HR(with the heart rate monitor) for about 6/7 months now and I can honestly swear by it. I lost my last 10 pounds with it and I have now maintained my weight for about 2 months.
I'm 5'1, with small wrists as well and the watch looks like a watch! Everyone always says how cool my bracelet is and then on closer inspection theyre like, "Oh! Its a watch!". So it is really small and light.
Also it tracks your workouts and accurately tells you how many calories you burned based on your heart rate.
On your wrist it It tracks:
-Steps taken
-Miles walked
-Floors climbed
-Heart rate
-Calories burned
-Time
Of course on the app, you can keep tabs on how much water youve drank, how many calories youve consumed and how many calories you need to reach your daily intake goal. Also, if worn to bed, it tracks your sleep pattern, your restlessness and how many times you woke up. And you can also set up goals on the app and compete with others to see who takes the most steps in a day & week.
Long term, you will be able to see and monitor your average heart rate, and average exercise level & calories needed to maintain. And because you see your heart rate your able to understand and change the things in your life that stress you/cause a spike in your heart beat. (alcohol, drugs etc)
~For example, because I wear my fitbit 24/7, I was able to predict when I was going to get the flu, when Ive had too much sugar etc . I once had a very scary episode where I spasmned and my heart rate spiked from its resting state: 59 all the way up to 129 all within 30 seconds. It turns out that Aspartame gives me seizures and Ive concluded that I have a sensitivity to it. (Although honestly who wouldnt that stuff is poison but thats just my opinion. )
Honestly, this little gadget is so powerful and I love having control and being aware of my body and health. I need to have this on when I leave the house or else I'm so lost lol. Its really fun to take it to the theme park like Disney or 6 Flags because it shows you your steps and your crazy adrenaline rush xD
If you have any more questions on it I would be happy to answer them! I hoped I helped a bunch
BTW: This retails for $149.99 but on ebay you can find brand new ones for as cheap as $80.00. I bought mine, brand new for 100$.
It can predict when your getting the flu? How so?
I have a fitbit too except I cant sleep with it on. Too annoying. Cats bite it and when its hot it sticks on your arm. It does work very accurately I will say. I do recommend them. They even have a necklace piece for some models and I am concidering that as well.
Christmas time they are alway on sale.0 -
morkiemama wrote: »I have found that serious runners tend towards Garmin products. I am not a serious runner and I do not have one. However, I did start off with a Polar HRM back in the day. It worked for what I needed it for. It all depends on your goals and what metrics you want to track. I now have a BodymediaFIT, which I love (unfortunately, they no longer make them).
HRMs are for tracking steady state cardio only. It is important to note that HRMs are not accurate for weight lifting and will not give you an accurate burn. They are also not meant for HIIT. Temperature extremes and daily burn tracking (e.g. I wear it all day to find out what I should be taking in) are also inaccurate. HRMs are for steady state aerobic exercise only!
This is a helpful blog post for understanding HRMs:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472
HRMs are not 100% accurate even when they are used for their intended purpose (steady state cardio). They still have a margin of error. That being said, when HRMs are used for purposes they are not intended for they can become grossly inaccurate. It really isn't much better than pulling a number out of nowhere if the device is being used for things it was never designed to handle.
I personally have both a Bodymedia Fit (for daily activity tracking) and a HRM (for my steady state cardio). I love them both! However, it is important to know what these devices are actually designed to track. They are very helpful when they are used correctly!
Garmin tends to give the distance, pace, etc. data that runners find extremely important. The GPS isn’t just to locate you in a large run area, it is to track your metrics (even if you just run around the same block 50 times, it will still provide useful information).
I wish you luck in your decision!
Thank you for the in depth information. Once I graduate from C25K I plan to run every other day steady state, so they should be okay for me. I'm going to go ahead and read the blog post you linked, because I'm a sucker for more information.
Makes sense that it wouldn't really work for weight lifting or HIIT!
Yeah, honestly you telling me this makes me feel like Garmin is going to be overkill for me for... probably a year, and by that time I can afford to grab up the more expensive one if I need it. Thank you so much again!0 -
MeiannaLee wrote: »Well actually when you have the exercise tracker activated(like when your running) the app does tell you what zone your in: fat burning, peak, resting etc!
And the battery longevity of it depends on a few things. For example if you have it synced to your phone 24/7 via Bluetooth. If you have it synced then the battery life is 3 days. Give or take. If you do not have it synced and only sync it at the end of the day/mornings the battery life is longer than 5 days.
Oh it even has that feature? That's awesome, that's exactly what I needed it for. I can live without it being in pink and without it having a GPS-- it looks like this one has exactly the information I'm going to need. I'm sold!
And so long as I'm not having to charge it every day I'm okay with it.
Thank you so much again!0 -
Can I recommend Fitbit, too? I love using my Charge, and am giving serious consideration to a new Charge HR. It serves as a "dashboard" on your progress, etc. Not that it's 100% responsible, but using my Charge and MFP I'm down 72 pounds since mid-January.0
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vanillainfused wrote: »morkiemama wrote: »I have found that serious runners tend towards Garmin products. I am not a serious runner and I do not have one. However, I did start off with a Polar HRM back in the day. It worked for what I needed it for. It all depends on your goals and what metrics you want to track. I now have a BodymediaFIT, which I love (unfortunately, they no longer make them).
HRMs are for tracking steady state cardio only. It is important to note that HRMs are not accurate for weight lifting and will not give you an accurate burn. They are also not meant for HIIT. Temperature extremes and daily burn tracking (e.g. I wear it all day to find out what I should be taking in) are also inaccurate. HRMs are for steady state aerobic exercise only!
This is a helpful blog post for understanding HRMs:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472
HRMs are not 100% accurate even when they are used for their intended purpose (steady state cardio). They still have a margin of error. That being said, when HRMs are used for purposes they are not intended for they can become grossly inaccurate. It really isn't much better than pulling a number out of nowhere if the device is being used for things it was never designed to handle.
I personally have both a Bodymedia Fit (for daily activity tracking) and a HRM (for my steady state cardio). I love them both! However, it is important to know what these devices are actually designed to track. They are very helpful when they are used correctly!
Garmin tends to give the distance, pace, etc. data that runners find extremely important. The GPS isn’t just to locate you in a large run area, it is to track your metrics (even if you just run around the same block 50 times, it will still provide useful information).
I wish you luck in your decision!
Thank you for the in depth information. Once I graduate from C25K I plan to run every other day steady state, so they should be okay for me. I'm going to go ahead and read the blog post you linked, because I'm a sucker for more information.
Makes sense that it wouldn't really work for weight lifting or HIIT!
Yeah, honestly you telling me this makes me feel like Garmin is going to be overkill for me for... probably a year, and by that time I can afford to grab up the more expensive one if I need it. Thank you so much again!
No problem! I love information and did a lot of looking into this stuff before I purchased as well.
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sunandmoons wrote: »MeiannaLee wrote: »I have had the Fitbit Charge HR(with the heart rate monitor) for about 6/7 months now and I can honestly swear by it. I lost my last 10 pounds with it and I have now maintained my weight for about 2 months.
I'm 5'1, with small wrists as well and the watch looks like a watch! Everyone always says how cool my bracelet is and then on closer inspection theyre like, "Oh! Its a watch!". So it is really small and light.
Also it tracks your workouts and accurately tells you how many calories you burned based on your heart rate.
On your wrist it It tracks:
-Steps taken
-Miles walked
-Floors climbed
-Heart rate
-Calories burned
-Time
Of course on the app, you can keep tabs on how much water youve drank, how many calories youve consumed and how many calories you need to reach your daily intake goal. Also, if worn to bed, it tracks your sleep pattern, your restlessness and how many times you woke up. And you can also set up goals on the app and compete with others to see who takes the most steps in a day & week.
Long term, you will be able to see and monitor your average heart rate, and average exercise level & calories needed to maintain. And because you see your heart rate your able to understand and change the things in your life that stress you/cause a spike in your heart beat. (alcohol, drugs etc)
~For example, because I wear my fitbit 24/7, I was able to predict when I was going to get the flu, when Ive had too much sugar etc . I once had a very scary episode where I spasmned and my heart rate spiked from its resting state: 59 all the way up to 129 all within 30 seconds. It turns out that Aspartame gives me seizures and Ive concluded that I have a sensitivity to it. (Although honestly who wouldnt that stuff is poison but thats just my opinion. )
Honestly, this little gadget is so powerful and I love having control and being aware of my body and health. I need to have this on when I leave the house or else I'm so lost lol. Its really fun to take it to the theme park like Disney or 6 Flags because it shows you your steps and your crazy adrenaline rush xD
If you have any more questions on it I would be happy to answer them! I hoped I helped a bunch
BTW: This retails for $149.99 but on ebay you can find brand new ones for as cheap as $80.00. I bought mine, brand new for 100$.
It can predict when your getting the flu? How so?
I have a fitbit too except I cant sleep with it on. Too annoying. Cats bite it and when its hot it sticks on your arm. It does work very accurately I will say. I do recommend them. They even have a necklace piece for some models and I am concidering that as well.
Christmas time they are alway on sale.
The flu comes with a fever and chills, as a result, prior to having a full blown flu, your resting heart rate increases daily. For example a week leading up to a fever, my rhr would go from 59 to 67. After that came the headaches, sore throat, wheezing and coughing chills etc.
I mean some people might take that increase of heart rate with a grain of salt, but I took it eriously and ever since I keep a close look at my heart rate
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I love my Garmin vivofit. No charging...just replace the battery once a year and Amazon has cute bands that you can get for it.0
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NOT the new up2. Dang thing does NOT sync with android and they call it a "trending issue". SPIT0
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You can get GPS and step-counting apps for free or just a couple dollars. The best, most exact way to get your heart rate is to use your fingers.
You cannot get a 100% accurate heart rate all day long with your fingers, but you can do it frequently. You can never get a 100% accurate heart rate with those bands. Both ways are giving you estimates.
I'm only mentioning this because it sounds like your money is important to you and you can get what you want for a lot less money. If the money can be used elsewhere, you might consider skipping the fitness gadgets. But if you really like them and want one, of course you should get one! I have a friend who bought an Apple Watch last week. It seems fun and works with the Health app that comes with the iPhone, which is an app I like. The phone counts my steps and transfers them automatically without the watch, but the watch looks fun. I get why people do this stuff and am not slamming it. 0
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