Talk to me about fitbits

The kind you want depends on what you want out of it. The charge hr is a nice choice because it does the heart rate and displays important information. A flex doesn't do heart rate, but is slimmer. An Alta will do what the flex does, but have a nicer display. A surge is more for running, since it has built in GPS. The new Blaze has hr and a nicer display. They all measure steps and estimate calorie burn. Best buy will often have a display set up so you can try on the different models and see what you feel like fitd the best ( some think the Blaze or surge are too bulky and uncomfortable).

It depends on you and your lifestyle and what you want the tracker for. I have the Charge HR. It's nice to see my daily activity and it keeps me motivated to get up and get those last few hundred steps, or to take the stairs instead of the elevator so that I can reach 10 floors for the day, etc. I also like that I can look at my relative HR during cardio and such. Disclaimer, it's not the best for any cardio or exercise that isn't steady state. It'll give wacky readings. All HRM Fitbits will.

The One is good if you don't want to wear a big ole wristband all around. It's easy to hide. The Flex is nice because it's thin and has lots of colorful band choices. The screen doesn't show anything but dots (one for each 2000 steps until you reach the 10,000, I believe). Flex also doesn't have an altimeter so it won't track stairs. Charge is like the Charge HR but without HR. Tracks steps, stairs, sleep, exercise, calories, etc. Charge HR, of course, adds in HR monitoring, and also tracks resting HR. Surge does everything the Charge HR does but adds in GPS. It's more for runners. Blaze does everything the HR does and has a fancy screen. Blaze and Surge are both huge. The Blaze seems more like it was Fitbit's stab at a smart watch. Alta does everything the Flex does and is just as small, but has nice bands (bracelet-like, more professional looking), and the screen actually shows stats such as the number of steps and all that (not just dots). All Fitbits except the One (and Zip if they still have that) become super sketch when pushing things (like a basket at the grocery store or a baby stroller or something) because they go off of stride and that messes with the stride. One is much better equipped to handle that. One and Flex might have to be hooked up to update as far as the app and site go, even though the screen or dots will reflect daily activity. That's a maybe. I know my mom always has to plug up hers (she had a One and now has a Flex) for it to show on her phone and whatnot. The others all do Bluetooth for sure. Charge and Charge HR cannot change bands. The color and size you get is what you get. Flex and Alta have a plethora of bands for any mood. Not sure about Surge or Blaze.

Also, visit Fitbit.com to find their comparison chart. It'll tell you more, though I understand that you wanted some personal experiences as well

maxit wrote: »

I use the One - I don't like things on my wrist, have no need for HR, and it has worked consistently for 2 years. I don't have to plug it in anywhere to sync - my phone app works fine, as does the blue tooth app for my computer.

Oh cool! I wasn't too sure on that one. For some reason, my mom always had/has to plug hers into some dongle thing on her laptop, and she has an iPhone 6+.

Then again, she may just be charging it and I thought she was updating ...

I think @BeYouTiful94 has summed it up pretty well for you in terms of what does what.

I have the surge (cause I wanted built in GPS) but it is bulky and the rubber band has worn in some areas and split underneath. Works fine though and I got an extended warranty so I am not too worried about it. Love that I can read a short text without going & getting my phone which make sup for some of the bulkiness.

One other thing to keep in mind some people still get reactions to the rubber. I actually have 'burn' marks from the old force which doesnt exist now. If I dont regularly wash the strap of my surge I get a small rash near the strap holder where skin & other gunk collects. I think because of the rubber the skin etc sticks to the rubber in the crevices. A quick wash and its gone overnight. Mind you I also live in a tropical environment so more sweating than other locations.

I_Will_End_You wrote: »

I have a Fitbit One. I like it because it's small and I can clip it on my body, or just put it in my pocket. I don't like the ones you have a wear on your wrist all of the time. With the One, I can almost always find a way to wear it and don't have to worry how it looks with clothes. It seems pretty accurate, and is definitely a motivator for me to be more active.

Same here. I've only had the One and for the most part I've been satisfied with it.

I have the Surge, love the extra features like reading my text messages.

I just wanted the steps and heart rate so I got the Charge HR and it's great for my needs. I just enjoy looking at all my stats, and seeing where I can improve or go faster/longer during my workout sessions. Everyone here has good advice. Hope you find what works!

https://www.fitbit.com/user/3HWMYN

Feel free to add me.

Brian

forthemovies wrote: »

I got the Alta, simply because it's more stylish than the Flex. Have really increased my activity since getting it and love that it calculates my TDEE as the day goes on!

I keep the Bluetooth off a majority of the time since I have no use for getting text/call notifications on my wrist. I sync it a few times a day to let it update my step count.

I can't sync on my phone without turning bluetooth on my phone even though I have the text/call notifications turned off.

I got the Fitbit Flex.

Simply having it on reminds me to move more.

I am also super competitive and compete with my friends often for getting the most steps... I went from normally 2000-4000 steps a day to averaging 15,000 a day and sometimes going as far as 25,000 a day. HUGE difference for me.

I have a Flex but I keep it in my pocket because it wasn't tracking well on my wrist. Maybe I move my arms weird but when I was running it would miss half of my steps, and was iffy when pushing the stroller. Had I known that would be the case I would have just gotten the Zip. I've had it for a couple of years now and the calorie burn has proven accurate for me but I don't do a lot of high-impact exercise.

I've got the charge HR and I LOVE it!!! I did a lot of research for what I wanted and read tons of reviews for them all. I know I wanted one that has a heart rate feature and I love the app I use with it on my phone and that it syncs with MFP. So happy with it! I do have my eye on the Blaze but I love gadgets and have started running, so someday.

Have you considered getting a Jawbone Up instead? I was looking at getting either a Fitbit or a Jawbone. I narrowed it down to a Charge HR or an UP3 and went for a Jawbone UP3 in the end. I was mainly interested in the sleep function which is apparently better than the Fitbit version.
A comparison review of the two is here; http://www.wareable.com/jawbone/jawbone-up3-v-fitbit-charge-hr-best-fitness-tracker-2015

All depends what you want in the end, but I definitely recommend getting a tracker of some sort. Mine has kept me motivated and doing step duels with friends is fun (can you step dual on Fitbit?). The UP3 also just looks like a bracelet and isn't too bulky.

ajc1309 wrote: »

Thanks everyone. I want one for a lot of reasons. I need to lose the extra lbs I've put on and I feel like having one will make me want to watch what I'm eating more. Also at work I'm on my feet for about 10 hours, 5-6 days a week so it'll be cool to see how active I really am. Has anyone noticed that it's helped the with losing weight? My problem is I can't really fit exercising into my day anymore as I'm working all the time and am so tired when I get home.

Mine has definitely kept me more active and motivated. I'll go for longer walks and create ways to have more activity. Parking at the far end of the lot may only be an extra hundred steps...but it adds up over time! The TDEE calculation is great because I know exactly how much I can eat based on my activity.

Not sure how much I lost before getting it (I purchased a scale at the same time and did my first weigh in after almost a month of using MFP), but today's weigh in tells me I've lost 4.6 lbs since March 15! Right on track with my 1lb/week goal

I have the One--it's great, but I've washed and dried it twice. I can't believe it still works, but it does! So overall I prefer my Charge HR and my Alta; since I wear them on my wrist, I'm never going to accidentally wash them. The Charge HR is my everyday Fitbit, the Alta is for when I'm dressed up.

Maybe also consider a Misfit (Flash)
Same as the Fitbit but water proof and much much cheaper ($29.99)

Nice app
steps
syncs with MFP
calorie burn
sleep
you can choose what kind o exercise you did
etc etc

I like mine a lot