Do you guys suggest getting a Fitbit HR or an Iwatch?

noelani716
noelani716 Posts: 56 Member
edited December 1 in Fitness and Exercise
I would really love to track my steps and heart rate. I tend to leave my phone everywhere so I never get an accurate tracking of my steps. Also the heart rate sensor on the machines at the gym don't always work. I can sometimes tel my heart rate by getting my pulse but it's not as accurate. What do you guys prefer?

Replies

  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    You'll probably get 100 different answers.
    For me, the answer is neither. But that is because my major exercise is swimming and there as not a tracker made yet that works well enough in a pool. All, even those made for swimmers, require a lot of manual editing and correcting of the information they log.
    So I just keep moving and use the basic MFP log. Saves me a lot of time trying to fix the 'automated' logging.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    I have neither. A lady co-worker has an Iphone and proudly showed me her new FitBit. Her explanation is also that she doesn't carry her phone with her everywhere. I think you answered your question when you asked it.
  • leslie_mooney
    leslie_mooney Posts: 1 Member
    I just recently bought the Polar A360 after having the Fitbit. It is like comparing an apple to an orange. The app, along with the built in heart rate monitor is great. This has taken my exercise to a new level. The A360 is also waterproof.
  • CandissAurea1
    CandissAurea1 Posts: 8 Member
    I have the Garmin HR and I love it. It knocks the Fitbit out the water. I charge once a week for an hour. It lasts for 5-6 days and it syncs with mfp. I love it. I would highly recommend it. The phone app is awesome as well.
  • patrickcervantes
    patrickcervantes Posts: 5 Member
    What did you decide on?
  • noelani716
    noelani716 Posts: 56 Member
    patrickcervantes wrote: »
    What did you decide on?

    Not sure yet! But I'll definitely check out the garmon.
  • heatherarcia
    heatherarcia Posts: 3 Member
    To echo most responses... It depends on what you want to use it for. I have had an Apple Watch since Christmas and husband has just gotten a Fitbit.

    Apple Watch has its own internal pedometer so it does NOT have to be in range of your phone in order to track your activity. (That's a common misconception...) I have found some discrepancies with exact mileage when doing indoor walks or runs... And I feel like I must be burning more calories than it tracks during "open workouts" (weight training) but I am not a stickler for exact calories burned and it has not posed a problem for me. Others complain about it though. I also love the lifestyle apps that remind me to stretch, walk, drink water, etc. i use the couch to 5k app on it and love that it's easier to track now. I like having the activity ring to monitor my daily activity... Etc. I also like having a less-invasive form of communication on my wrist. I.e. It's easier to have a conversation with someone and glance at a text and tap to send a pre-set response from the watch than it is to pull out the phone, read, type, etc. it has other nice features like flight updates or gps navigation updates (buzzes your wrist before a turn.) - all features you can customize or turn off.

    I believe the Fitbit just tracks activity and there may be a version that tracks daily activity or nudges you to stretch but I'll update with feedback from my husband in a few days!

    Also, I saw someone suggested garmin, my sis in law has that one and loves it for running.

    Let me know what you decide on!!
  • ScubaSteve1962
    ScubaSteve1962 Posts: 609 Member
    If using your heart rate with the machines is important to you, the Polar H7 sensor syncs up with them to display your HR and control the incline/resistance. It works with all their activity monitors to keep up with your steps during the day. If you're going to buy one, Amazon has better prices.
    http://www.polar.com/us-en
  • mystgrl28
    mystgrl28 Posts: 43 Member
    Im looking for a fitness watch with heart rate monitor as well! Let me know what you get!
  • fattothinmum
    fattothinmum Posts: 218 Member
    I use an Apple Watch, more by accident than design, as I simply wanted a way to track steps and check messages on the fly. I love it, but it depends what you're willing to live with. I think it underestimates which isn't a bad thing, as the Fitbit I trialed seemed to overestimate steps and calorie burn. I haven't tried the Fitbit heart monitor version. I'm happy with my choice as a multi-function gadget. It does what I need it to, but if you want more exact results, I suspect a dedicated device would suit you better. For me, the Apple Watch is perfect, but it isn't for everyone.
  • sharmrp
    sharmrp Posts: 18 Member
    I have a Fitbit surge watch- it tracks my exercise (either auto or I can start manually), it logs my heart rate (both whilst exercising and resting), logs my sleep, calories burned..yadda yadda. I don't hold it as an exact number and work to that, but it helps me understand my workouts etc better than if I estimated myself.
  • RosieRose7673
    RosieRose7673 Posts: 438 Member
    fattothinmum wrote: »
    I use an Apple Watch, more by accident than design, as I simply wanted a way to track steps and check messages on the fly. I love it, but it depends what you're willing to live with. I think it underestimates which isn't a bad thing, as the Fitbit I trialed seemed to overestimate steps and calorie burn. I haven't tried the Fitbit heart monitor version. I'm happy with my choice as a multi-function gadget. It does what I need it to, but if you want more exact results, I suspect a dedicated device would suit you better. For me, the Apple Watch is perfect, but it isn't for everyone.

    I also have an Apple Watch. Didn't intentionally get it for myself, it was a Christmas gift. I love it though. It also MAY underestimate calories burned but who knows. I don't weigh my food, but do log and I'm maintaining/slowly losing occasionally.

    Anyways, you do have to charge it every night. That doesn't bother me at all. I couldn't care less about monitoring my sleep.

    It does have the "other" option so you can track your strength training but I don't do that. I've always heard that heart rate monitors aren't accurate for lifting. So I don't worry about that. I just use it for running and other cardio.

    I'm not entirely sure how the Fitbit works, but what I gather is that it estimates your entire day based on how active you are at the moment (Fitbit users, correct me if I'm wrong!). So if you work out and are super active during the day, you will get high adjustments, but if your activity dwindles during the day, you'll get negative adjustments towards the end of the day. I don't think I'd like that aspect at all, I think it would confuse me. With the Apple Watch, it tracks your active calories and it adds them when they come into MFP. It doesn't try to guess you're entire day based on some activity in the morning. So if I'm a couch potato in the evening, I won't be shocked by a negative adjustment later in the day. I like that much better.

    Overall, I love my Apple Watch. It's very motivating!


  • bringing_sasha_back
    bringing_sasha_back Posts: 36 Member
    I started with a Garmin Vivofit 2 and I recently got the Fitbit HR and I'm absolutely in love. The design alone is super nice and chic. Plus it's tracking and the Fitbit app presentation make everything so nice.
  • annaskiski
    annaskiski Posts: 1,212 Member
    Can't live without my apple watch. Love getting my texts and phone calls on it. (BTW, I left my phone at home one day, and still got my texts as the watch started talking to my phone over one of the insecure wireless networks at work). I love the reminders to stand every hour. I love the exercise/movement goals.

    I really don't think the watch underestimates the calores. I think a lot of other apps overestimate....
    The watch reports how many 'active' calories you earned. (i.e. it subtracts the number of calories you would have burned just sitting at your desk anyway)

    A HRM cannot give accurate cal burns for strength training. HRM formulas are for steady state aerobics..
  • Gizziemoto
    Gizziemoto Posts: 430 Member
    in 18 months been through 5 Garmins. 3 vivosmart and 2 vivo HR. Was trying to decide between Fitbit Blaze and iWatch. I went with the iWatch. I loved Garmin but got tired of replacing it every few months. No I was not hard on it just did not have very good luck. Last one said my HR was 171 while brushing my teeth and the on the treadmill it was 64! The watch one because of the HR sensors, use LED & infrared. I have to watch my HR very carefully and due to a medical condition cannot get it over 140 so this made it the best choice for me. Just wished it had longer battery life but my heart is more important.
  • 2011rocket3touring
    2011rocket3touring Posts: 1,346 Member
    I passed on the fitbit for Apple Watch. I figured with the Apple product I would have nearly absolute compatibility, I've also enjoyed the added functionality, while cooking my food I'd get a phone call and could do a Dick Tracy and answer from my wrist!
    I think I worry about damaging it more than I would with a fitbit. I did get a clear cover for it, but I can see trapped humidity after my treadmill session, so have to remove it, clean and reinstall.
  • Meganthedogmom
    Meganthedogmom Posts: 1,639 Member
    I've lost 90lb without a Fitbit, so it's definitely not necessary.
    I just recently (within the last 6-9 months) started tracking my steps with my iPhone and that's just kind of a fun thing for me - try too get in 10k steps a day. It has made me more active throughout the day, I think.
  • extra_medium
    extra_medium Posts: 1,525 Member
    I think all the devices are pretty similar, but FitBits are nice because there's a really large community for challenges etc. Similar to MFP in that way, if you consider that a good thing
  • rldeclercq4
    rldeclercq4 Posts: 269 Member
    candisscervantes wrote: »
    I have the Garmin HR and I love it. It knocks the Fitbit out the water. I charge once a week for an hour. It lasts for 5-6 days and it syncs with mfp. I love it. I would highly recommend it. The phone app is awesome as well.

    I was actually doing a bunch of research myself on this topic yesterday and decided on getting this Garmin HR, primarily because it rated well for swim use
  • cechazabal
    cechazabal Posts: 5 Member
    I have the Microsoft band 2. I purchased it around Christmas 2015, and I was around 250LBS at the time. However, I didn't really start using it until February. Since then It has helped me lose over 40 lbs. The main thing about this wearable for me was it made me accountable for what I did, or did not do in the day. I know that the majority of these wearable will do the same, but for me, it just fit better with the way I use it. I love how it has the website "Microsoft Health" to go along with it, and the amount of information I get from it is outstanding.
    As I said, I know that most of these wearable's, in the same price range will offer similar results, but this one I can truly recommend. Good Luck!
  • mndimichele
    mndimichele Posts: 17 Member
    cechazabal wrote: »
    I have the Microsoft band 2. I purchased it around Christmas 2015, and I was around 250LBS at the time. However, I didn't really start using it until February. Since then It has helped me lose over 40 lbs. The main thing about this wearable for me was it made me accountable for what I did, or did not do in the day. I know that the majority of these wearable will do the same, but for me, it just fit better with the way I use it. I love how it has the website "Microsoft Health" to go along with it, and the amount of information I get from it is outstanding.
    As I said, I know that most of these wearable's, in the same price range will offer similar results, but this one I can truly recommend. Good Luck!

    I also have the Band 2. I agree that it helps make you accountable. I also like the fact that it fits comfortably around the wrist. Not too bulky. The app is very helpful and keeps you on track with reminders.
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