Is a fitbit worth it?
laurenpjokl
Posts: 118 Member
My birthday is coming up soon and I'm thinking of asking for a fitbit.
I quite like the look of the fitbit charge. I'm willing to pay the extra money almost just for the clock feature, as I don't want to wear a watch and a fitbit at the same time.
At the moment I track my walking to and from places using MFP, but I also do quite a bit of walking around campus etc. which is difficult to track.
I also like the idea of the sleep tracking features and alarm.
The only issues are:
It's a lot of money for something I might get bored of. On the other hand, even though I've been on and off MFP for the past two years, exercising regularly and getting fitter is something that has stuck as a habit even when control of my diet has slipped.
The other issue is that I start work in September where I'll probably be in a factory at some point everyday and I'll have to take the fitbit off. However, I'll still be able to use it the rest of the time and I know people in the same situation who still like their fitbit.
I quite like the look of the fitbit charge. I'm willing to pay the extra money almost just for the clock feature, as I don't want to wear a watch and a fitbit at the same time.
At the moment I track my walking to and from places using MFP, but I also do quite a bit of walking around campus etc. which is difficult to track.
I also like the idea of the sleep tracking features and alarm.
The only issues are:
It's a lot of money for something I might get bored of. On the other hand, even though I've been on and off MFP for the past two years, exercising regularly and getting fitter is something that has stuck as a habit even when control of my diet has slipped.
The other issue is that I start work in September where I'll probably be in a factory at some point everyday and I'll have to take the fitbit off. However, I'll still be able to use it the rest of the time and I know people in the same situation who still like their fitbit.
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Replies
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The good thing with the fitbit line? They hold their resale value pretty well. So, if you get bored after a month, you can probably sell it at a $10 loss.0
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coreyreichle wrote: »The good thing with the fitbit line? They hold their resale value pretty well. So, if you get bored after a month, you can probably sell it at a $10 loss.
I was originally thinking of buying my sister's Jawbone, which she has never used, but it turns out she couldn't get it to charge. The reviews aren't so good, but I probably would have been able to buy it for only £20.
Buying second hand might not be a terrible idea. I was a bit weirded out by the thought of having something that had been worn by someone else all day and all night, but it's nothing a clean won't fix.0 -
laurenpjokl wrote: »coreyreichle wrote: »The good thing with the fitbit line? They hold their resale value pretty well. So, if you get bored after a month, you can probably sell it at a $10 loss.
I was originally thinking of buying my sister's Jawbone, which she has never used, but it turns out she couldn't get it to charge. The reviews aren't so good, but I probably would have been able to buy it for only £20.
Buying second hand might not be a terrible idea. I was a bit weirded out by the thought of having something that had been worn by someone else all day and all night, but it's nothing a clean won't fix.
If you're cool with buying second-hand, then I'd go that route. Since you don't really know how it'll fit into your lifestyle, buying a very basic, second hand version shouldn't set you back too much, and it'll also be a great "starter device" to help you figure out what sucked about the model you got, and what you actually want/need.
For example, I needed something that tracked my runs, had GPS, was water/sweatproof, and a decent smart watch. Wanted something that would track steps and had an always-on display. Ended up with the Vivoactive, and am very happy with it, but after 6 months, already have my eye on the Fenix 3.0 -
I got the Fitbit One because I do not want to wear a watch. Any kind of watch or jewelry annoys me. The One I can clip onto my pants pocket or on my bra and not even notice I have it.
It does motivate me to move more. Yesterday after walking the dog I was at just over 8,000 steps - so I pushed myself to get over 10,000 and I ended up doing 13,000 steps. Wouldn't have done that if I didn't already see how many steps I'd taken.
I like challenging my friends too although this past weekend after I challenged them to all do more than 10,000 on sat and sun, I got sick and only did about 5,000 steps the whole weekend, lol.
I am a numbers driven person so I like seeing my steps add up. Until I got the Fitbit I was just using an app on my phone which is fine but I don't carry my phone with me everywhere, and I was getting annoyed if I went upstairs at the office and realized I left my phone downstairs...all those steps not counted! LOL.
It's a tool like anything else. Only you will know if you will be motivated by it or use it. My friend has one and after about 3 weeks she stopped wearing it and doesn't even know where it is in her house now.
I think the sleep monitor on the One is useless...it really doesn't tell me much that I don't already know when I wake up in the morning - either I slept well and feel good, or I slept like $#%& and feel like $#%& when I wake up. LOL0 -
I love my Fitbit. It motivates me to move more. You can also challenge your friends that have Fitbits. My competitive side helps me be active.0
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I've been wearing a Fitbit for just about a year; originally started with a used Charge for $80, then moved to a new Charge HR in November, and now I'm eyeing the Blaze when my regular wristwatch dies. To be honest, I wear the watch on my left wrist, and the Charge HR on the other, and it doesn't really bug me.
They are awesome little devices, with little quirks like anything else technology-based. I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone who wants a bit of a "dashboard" on their daily activity levels. It certainly has helped me lose 87 pounds (with syncing to MFP, of course!).
Best of luck!!0 -
I love my Fitbit. It motivates me to move more. You can also challenge your friends that have Fitbits. My competitive side helps me be active.
Yeah, I know someone who had a fitbit and apparantly everyone in her office had one. In the end they all got so competitive, they used to stand in the lift and jump up and down to try and beat each other's "floors climbed" score.
I think she was joking about that last bit. I hope.0 -
laurenpjokl wrote: »I love my Fitbit. It motivates me to move more. You can also challenge your friends that have Fitbits. My competitive side helps me be active.
Yeah, I know someone who had a fitbit and apparantly everyone in her office had one. In the end they all got so competitive, they used to stand in the lift and jump up and down to try and beat each other's "floors climbed" score.
I think she was joking about that last bit. I hope.
Welllll, it can get pretty competitive. I've had a couple week-long "challenges" with some coworkers, and some are cut-throat!!0 -
Loooove my Fitbit. I have about all of them. I have the Blaze now and it is my favorite0
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I seriously considering spending the cash, but honestly besides sleep tracking I don't get the major difference between Fitbit and my pedometer? Thanks! I know it syncs... Is there more?0
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I have had my fitbit HR now for about 3 weeks and I LOVE it! My cousins do too and we are on weekly and weekend challenges. It's fun competition to get us moving, but we don't take it too seriously. Really, it's got us all being more active which is the point! I do recommend it, hands down. Or is it hands up? Maybe that'll count for some activity too. lol0
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My charge HR has been my biggest motivator, I've had since mid Jan and even on rest days from the gym it makes me want to get out and go for a long walk or a bike ride to get extra calories burned (mostly so I can eat more!)0
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laurenpjokl wrote: »I love my Fitbit. It motivates me to move more. You can also challenge your friends that have Fitbits. My competitive side helps me be active.
Yeah, I know someone who had a fitbit and apparantly everyone in her office had one. In the end they all got so competitive, they used to stand in the lift and jump up and down to try and beat each other's "floors climbed" score.
I think she was joking about that last bit. I hope.
That is one of the good things about the fitbit line, specifically: Social motivation works great for some people. Others find "losing challenges" to be demotivating.
So, if you've got a competitive drive already, this can be a real key driver for you. Garmin Connect has nothing on Fitbit in this regard as of yet, although they are trying to work on it.
I can't speak to other vendors in this regard, however.0 -
I do love how Fitbit motivates me to keep moving. The Fitbit One is more discreet and clips inside our pocket/bra so noone knows you have it on.0
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My fitbit ensures that I keep moving. I meet my 10,000 step goal 95% of the time. I have the One because I don't like to wear anything on my wrists. I've had mine for over 2 years!0
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Hubby surprised me with the fitbit flex a week or two ago and I love it. Its really shown me how lazy I was being and it keeps me motivated to move more.0
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Love my Fitbit One, as mentioned don't like things on my wrist. Motivates me to get in my 10,000+ each day, and fun to compete with friends. Got mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond and used my 20% coupon. Best0
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Yeah love mine. Wish I had invested in one 2 years ago when I started my weight loss instead of on,y discovering it 4 weeks ago. I've the Charge HR.0
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laurenpjokl wrote: »My birthday is coming up soon and I'm thinking of asking for a fitbit.
I quite like the look of the fitbit charge. I'm willing to pay the extra money almost just for the clock feature, as I don't want to wear a watch and a fitbit at the same time.
At the moment I track my walking to and from places using MFP, but I also do quite a bit of walking around campus etc. which is difficult to track.
I also like the idea of the sleep tracking features and alarm.
The only issues are:
It's a lot of money for something I might get bored of. On the other hand, even though I've been on and off MFP for the past two years, exercising regularly and getting fitter is something that has stuck as a habit even when control of my diet has slipped.
The other issue is that I start work in September where I'll probably be in a factory at some point everyday and I'll have to take the fitbit off. However, I'll still be able to use it the rest of the time and I know people in the same situation who still like their fitbit.
I say no, didn't like it much. I would say that Apple Watch is worth it if you have an I Phone. I have one and love it, I had a fitbit and it only counts steps ... so doesn't really do much IMO. Apple watch is a HRM so it's more accurate in the world of inaccuracies0 -
I have the fitbit Zip, which like the One is tiny and just clips onto belt or bra. I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "getting bored with it." As others have said, it's a tool. The games/challenges are there for if that sort of thing motivates you and can be ignored if they don't. The same can be said for most trackers. I like how it integrates with MFP so that I have a more accurate activity level on a day to day basis.0
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Depends on what you are tracking/what you do.
For me, tracking my every step was NO GOOD. I already was working out a lot and I was starting to get crazy tracking all my movements throughout the day. So then I was trying to even more and I was exhausted and burnt out and was more focused on steps instead of the quality of my workouts.
So that's something to keep in mind before purchasing.
That being said, it works really well for a lot of people. So I may be the outlier here.
Also - I got mine from Target and was able to return it and get a full refund after two weeks of use.0 -
I'd get a second hand one. I had the Zip, and yes, I got bored with it. However, it is what really got me moving because I realized how few steps I was taking each day (I've heard that teachers walk an average of 5 miles a day-ha! I was walking about 1.5 on a good day.) I started out using it to reach 10,000 steps/day with a walk or run. Eventually, I was used to moving that much, and I'd forget to use the Fitbit, and then months went by when I was exercising regularly, but not tracking steps. That's when I realized that I didn't need it anymore. I have maintained an active lifestyle, incorporating lots of other activities that can't be tracked (mostly in the pool), so it doesn't work for me anymore.
Try one that you don't have to pay full price for. And what's the sleep feature going to do for you? It's interesting information, but can you change the results? It might not be worth paying extra for. (By the way, even my tiny Zip that clips on the pocket had a clock.)
P.S. my colleague gets "steps" for petting her cat... (?) Get the Zip because only steps are counted as steps.0 -
coreyreichle wrote: »
That is one of the good things about the fitbit line, specifically: Social motivation works great for some people. Others find "losing challenges" to be demotivating.
So, if you've got a competitive drive already, this can be a real key driver for you. Garmin Connect has nothing on Fitbit in this regard as of yet, although they are trying to work on it.
I can't speak to other vendors in this regard, however.
Yeah, it's just a shame I don't really know many others with a fitbit, but I think it would be great to set myself step challenges.
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Tedebearduff wrote: »laurenpjokl wrote: »My birthday is coming up soon and I'm thinking of asking for a fitbit.
I quite like the look of the fitbit charge. I'm willing to pay the extra money almost just for the clock feature, as I don't want to wear a watch and a fitbit at the same time.
At the moment I track my walking to and from places using MFP, but I also do quite a bit of walking around campus etc. which is difficult to track.
I also like the idea of the sleep tracking features and alarm.
The only issues are:
It's a lot of money for something I might get bored of. On the other hand, even though I've been on and off MFP for the past two years, exercising regularly and getting fitter is something that has stuck as a habit even when control of my diet has slipped.
The other issue is that I start work in September where I'll probably be in a factory at some point everyday and I'll have to take the fitbit off. However, I'll still be able to use it the rest of the time and I know people in the same situation who still like their fitbit.
I say no, didn't like it much. I would say that Apple Watch is worth it if you have an I Phone. I have one and love it, I had a fitbit and it only counts steps ... so doesn't really do much IMO. Apple watch is a HRM so it's more accurate in the world of inaccuracies
I know the second most expensive fitbit has a HRM. Apple watch is really out of my price range, unfortunately.0 -
I like it for the convenience of entering exercise calories into mfp and some of my other apps. It is made to just wear with whatever you are doing. So you don't have to worry about finding out how much you burn for say a aerobic kickboxing class, or a 20 minute jog. It's not perfect, and I think it underestimates some of the activities that I do, but I would rather it do that than overestimate.
ETA: To clarify, it enters in your activity calories to mfp automatically. So I don't have to worry about tracking that.0 -
laurenpjokl wrote: »coreyreichle wrote: »
That is one of the good things about the fitbit line, specifically: Social motivation works great for some people. Others find "losing challenges" to be demotivating.
So, if you've got a competitive drive already, this can be a real key driver for you. Garmin Connect has nothing on Fitbit in this regard as of yet, although they are trying to work on it.
I can't speak to other vendors in this regard, however.
Yeah, it's just a shame I don't really know many others with a fitbit, but I think it would be great to set myself step challenges.
There are groups on fitbit and there is a big group here on mfp as well. You can also let it find friends using your facebook, I think, although I don't do that kind of thing. The challenges are fun though.0 -
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I've had the One, the Flex, and I just got the new Alta. If you want something with a clock face, I like the Alta very much so far. I wouldn't waste the money on one with a HR monitor. HR monitors are really only useful when determining exercise zones and then using a HR monitor with a strap is the way to go.
But I love the Fitbits.0 -
For those of you that have had the Alta, are you noticing a significant drain on your battery with the bluetooth connect? Do you have to have BT connected at all times to use the call, text, calendar alerts?0
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