Fitbit alternative?

nic041mccoy
nic041mccoy Posts: 74 Member
edited November 30 in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone know of an alternative to the fitbit? From what I've seen online they are pretty pricey, so I'm wondering if there is a "generic" version with the same benefits as the fitbit?

Replies

  • holly_roman
    holly_roman Posts: 116 Member
    hi, I have the pumpkin Bluetooth v4.0 and I love it. It has steps, distance, and sleep tracker. I just have an app on my phone to track it with and it automatically syncs and updates. the only thing it doesn't have is you know those challenges to connect with friends but I can totally live without it. It was under $30. I think it was well worth it. I wear it all the time.
  • nic041mccoy
    nic041mccoy Posts: 74 Member
    holly_roman wrote: »
    hi, I have the pumpkin Bluetooth v4.0 and I love it. It has steps, distance, and sleep tracker. I just have an app on my phone to track it with and it automatically syncs and updates. the only thing it doesn't have is you know those challenges to connect with friends but I can totally live without it. It was under $30. I think it was well worth it. I wear it all the time.
    Awesome! Does it track calories burned?
  • mommazach
    mommazach Posts: 384 Member
    I tried fitband. Generic off of Amazon. I never could get it to sync the app EVER and had lots of issues with it. Make sure with whatever you choose that you read the reviews. The ones I read sucked, but I didn't read them until after I got it.
  • nic041mccoy
    nic041mccoy Posts: 74 Member
    mommazach wrote: »
    I tried fitband. Generic off of Amazon. I never could get it to sync the app EVER and had lots of issues with it. Make sure with whatever you choose that you read the reviews. The ones I read sucked, but I didn't read them until after I got it.

    Right that's what I'm scared of! I figured there's gotta be SOMETHING out there comparable to fitbit without paying 100 dollars! Yeah I'll just check out a bunch of reviews.
  • brightsideofpink
    brightsideofpink Posts: 1,018 Member
    If you monitor sales, you can find a pretty good deal on the Fitbit Zip. I paid $35 for mine. It did everything I needed it to. I only replaced it with the One when it broke because I disliked changing the battery.
  • 42firm03
    42firm03 Posts: 115 Member
    The $50 zip is an awesome Fitbit choice. I started with it and loved it. My DH upgraded me to a One after a year for Christmas. I wouldn't spend the $100 but he would!

    I never wanted the wrist kind so that helped my happiness level with the zip. There are other devoted zip users around here. It's a great budget option. And it actually works.
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
    What exactly are you looking for it to track? I wear a FitBit Charge HR most of the time, but when I'm working my party time job I wear a FitBit Zip which just tracks steps, distance, calories burned & active minutes. I got mine for $50 on Amazon.
  • JaneyB311
    JaneyB311 Posts: 80 Member
    I use the Jawbone Up2 and love it. It tracks steps, food (by syncing to MFP), other workouts and sleep plus offers daily motivational tips. I was recommended this by my coach from the gym, after trying to figure out which Fitbit to get, and I wouldn't swap it now.
  • nic041mccoy
    nic041mccoy Posts: 74 Member
    michelle172415 wrote: »
    What exactly are you looking for it to track? I wear a FitBit Charge HR most of the time, but when I'm working my party time job I wear a FitBit Zip which just tracks steps, distance, calories burned & active minutes. I got mine for $50 on Amazon.

    The main thing I want is something to track my calories burned during my workouts. The fitbit zip seems pretty good!
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
    nic041mccoy wrote: »
    michelle172415 wrote: »
    What exactly are you looking for it to track? I wear a FitBit Charge HR most of the time, but when I'm working my party time job I wear a FitBit Zip which just tracks steps, distance, calories burned & active minutes. I got mine for $50 on Amazon.

    The main thing I want is something to track my calories burned during my workouts. The fitbit zip seems pretty good!

    What are your workouts? If I'm doing anything other than walking, I actually wear a HR monitor with a chest strap as that is the most accurate.

    http://www.amazon.com/Polar-USA-Unisex-Green-Watch/dp/B00EKPXJTU/ref=sr_1_5?s=exercise-and-fitness&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1458575694&sr=1-5&keywords=polar+hr&refinements=p_85:2470955011
  • nic041mccoy
    nic041mccoy Posts: 74 Member
    michelle172415 wrote: »
    nic041mccoy wrote: »
    michelle172415 wrote: »
    What exactly are you looking for it to track? I wear a FitBit Charge HR most of the time, but when I'm working my party time job I wear a FitBit Zip which just tracks steps, distance, calories burned & active minutes. I got mine for $50 on Amazon.

    The main thing I want is something to track my calories burned during my workouts. The fitbit zip seems pretty good!

    What are your workouts? If I'm doing anything other than walking, I actually wear a HR monitor with a chest strap as that is the most accurate.

    http://www.amazon.com/Polar-USA-Unisex-Green-Watch/dp/B00EKPXJTU/ref=sr_1_5?s=exercise-and-fitness&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1458575694&sr=1-5&keywords=polar+hr&refinements=p_85:2470955011

    I do a bunch of cardio and a small amount of weight training
  • TarahByte
    TarahByte Posts: 125 Member
    I have a Charge HR now but before I used my Polar FT4. It has a chest band that tracks heart rate and is actually more accurate than this Charge HR. It tells calories burned based on the heart rate. If you're only looking to use it during workouts, it's nice and accurate and it's only like $50 on Amazon now. Anything that doesn't measure heart rate isn't going to really give you a very accurate calorie count.
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
    nic041mccoy wrote: »
    michelle172415 wrote: »
    nic041mccoy wrote: »
    michelle172415 wrote: »
    What exactly are you looking for it to track? I wear a FitBit Charge HR most of the time, but when I'm working my party time job I wear a FitBit Zip which just tracks steps, distance, calories burned & active minutes. I got mine for $50 on Amazon.

    The main thing I want is something to track my calories burned during my workouts. The fitbit zip seems pretty good!

    What are your workouts? If I'm doing anything other than walking, I actually wear a HR monitor with a chest strap as that is the most accurate.

    http://www.amazon.com/Polar-USA-Unisex-Green-Watch/dp/B00EKPXJTU/ref=sr_1_5?s=exercise-and-fitness&rps=1&ie=UTF8&qid=1458575694&sr=1-5&keywords=polar+hr&refinements=p_85:2470955011

    I do a bunch of cardio and a small amount of weight training

    If you are mainly just looking to calculate calories burned during a workout, you are probably better off with a HR then. You can always add a FitBit or the like somewhere down the road if you want to start keeping track of your daily steps. I started with the HR monitor but now I don't make it to the gym often so the FitBit is better for me.

  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    You could get the zip on ebay pretty cheaply, or get the Misfit Flash ($19 on amazon), Jawbone UP Move ($23.5) or the Xiaomi Mi ($18, has a heart rate monitor). Heck, you could even get a quality tri-axis regular pedometer for under $15.
  • judydj1220
    judydj1220 Posts: 79 Member
    I still use my trusty Polar FT4 heart rate monitor to track my cardio. :) I use an old school pedometer (before digital age!) to track my steps. :/
  • AlisonH729
    AlisonH729 Posts: 558 Member
    I have a Xiaomi Mi Band. They are out of stock right now, but listed at $14.99. Xiaomi launched a second gen Mi Band with a heart rate montior, but they're not shipping to the US yet. (Although you could probably find it online.) I've seen the first generation listed on Amazon, but the reviews are rife with people saying they got counterfeits, so it depends on the seller. I got mine from Xiaomi. It tracks my steps, sleep and USED TO HAVE a smart alarm where it vibrated in the morning but someone decided it was a good idea to disable that feature with the newest app update. So I hope they get enough angry feedback to fix that asap.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    judydj1220 wrote: »
    I still use my trusty Polar FT4 heart rate monitor to track my cardio. :) I use an old school pedometer (before digital age!) to track my steps. :/

    In my opinion, this is more than enough. I got the fitbit zip for $30 on ebay because auto syncing is so convenient and don't mind paying for convenience, then got the fitbit HR as a birthday present and love the mere "gadget-ness" of it because I like gadgets. No gadget is really necessary for weight loss, but it's fun and can be motivating, that's all.
  • sarahkanzalone
    sarahkanzalone Posts: 192 Member
    I really like my Garmin and it has the option to sync with HR monitor for tracking during workouts. It tracks steps, miles, calories, sleep and it alerts you when you have been inactive for an hour.which I have found helpful... I got mine used on Amazon for a decent price
  • wayneh73
    wayneh73 Posts: 39 Member
    I use the Garmin Vivosmart which has a built in HR monitor, I went for this mainly because I use a Garmin forerunner running watch and an Edge cycling computer but it seems on par with a Fitbit. It pairs with my phone and auto syncs when you open the Garmin Connect app and links to Myfitnesspal.
  • alyssa0061
    alyssa0061 Posts: 652 Member
    Groupon has refurbished Fitbits and Jawbones for super cheap. Plus they have great customer service if you have any issues.
  • hazleyes81
    hazleyes81 Posts: 296 Member
    Bestbuy has a good sale going on right now on non-Fitbit trackers (misfit, jawbone). I really like misfit and the point system they use, though the other aspects of the app are lacking. They are good devices (hooray for waterproof). The iFit vue is a good looking (feature wise) device, as well. The Xiomi Mi Band is supposed to be good too.
  • misitic99
    misitic99 Posts: 1 Member
    I really like my misfit ($20 on amazon) but I have to wear it on my hip because it doesn't seem very accurate when I wear it on my wrist, though ymmv.
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