Fitbit with chest strap

Care76
Care76 Posts: 556 Member
edited December 1 in Fitness and Exercise
I searched but couldn't find what I was looking for.

Do any of you know if you buy a cheap Fitbit flex can you use a chest strap HR monitor with it? I was thinking of the Fitbit charge but I've read that walking and running is really the only kind of accurate reading, if you lift or do heavy cardio it's way off.

I was also thinking of the Garmin Vivofit with the chest HR monitor. I know they have the smart one with a wrist HR monitor but again not sure how accurate it would be.

I do want to track my sleep as well since I'm pretty tired all the time.

TIA.

Replies

  • Care76
    Care76 Posts: 556 Member
    FYI the reason I thought of the flex is because I have a gift certificate I can use for it. Also, the charge I borrowed is dead and it was full last night and it was dead by noon. I don't want to spend a lot when I hear about the battery issues.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    Pretty sure the Fitbit will not talk to a chest strap. I have a Garmin (Fenix 3) that has a wrist HRM but it's not as accurate as a chest strap; when I wear a chest strap, my Garmin will use that instead. It even came bundled with one, the wrist HR is only for when I don't have the chest strap on, it's better than nothing.
  • Care76
    Care76 Posts: 556 Member
    Thanks. Garmin has pretty good reviews. So far this Fitbit has to be charged twice a day and I've read a lot on here how people have the same issues with battery. I'm just going to get something cheap I think so if I have to keep replacing it I'm not out too much.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Care76 wrote: »
    I searched but couldn't find what I was looking for.

    Do any of you know if you buy a cheap Fitbit flex can you use a chest strap HR monitor with it? I was thinking of the Fitbit charge but I've read that walking and running is really the only kind of accurate reading, if you lift or do heavy cardio it's way off.

    I was also thinking of the Garmin Vivofit with the chest HR monitor. I know they have the smart one with a wrist HR monitor but again not sure how accurate it would be.

    I do want to track my sleep as well since I'm pretty tired all the time.

    TIA.

    Heart rate monitors are designed for steady state cardio. No heart rate monitor (brand or style) will be of much help for calorie burns outside this parameter.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    fitbit doesn't connect with a HRM.

    The only all day trackers that accept a HRM are garmin and polar.

    I have used both but now have a garmin forerunner 230.
  • no_day_but_2day
    no_day_but_2day Posts: 222 Member
    I was searching for one of those too. I hope Fitbit comes out with something like that soon. That would be awesome. I just have to switch it up. If I'm swimming, weightlifting or biking/spinning I use a chest strap HRM. If I'm running/walking I just keep my fitbit on.
  • no_day_but_2day
    no_day_but_2day Posts: 222 Member
    Care76 wrote: »
    Thanks. Garmin has pretty good reviews. So far this Fitbit has to be charged twice a day and I've read a lot on here how people have the same issues with battery. I'm just going to get something cheap I think so if I have to keep replacing it I'm not out too much.

    My fitbit I only have to charge once every 4ish days. You may just need to get a new fitbit. If it's under warranty, I would call them.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    What type of exercise is this for? You can get a Polar H7 chest strap on Amazon for around $40, pair it with your phone, and use that to track most common types of exercise. You'd need something more advanced for swimming though.
  • singletrackmtbr
    singletrackmtbr Posts: 644 Member
    edited May 2016
    TeaBea wrote: »

    Heart rate monitors are designed for steady state cardio. No heart rate monitor (brand or style) will be of much help for calorie burns outside this parameter.

    I don't want to derail this thread, but I don't agree with this statement. For wrist based HR monitors this is true.

    I use a Fenix 3 HR with a chest strap monitor during strength training, mountain biking, and Insanity workouts. None of this qualifies as steady state cardio. I have found my setup to be very reliable in this regard.

    By the way, I typically charge once every 5-7 days depending on how much I use the GPS. And it's waterproof!



  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    I'm with Single Track on this. Nobody in their right mind would call most of the cycling I do "steady state" and the HRM estimates very well when power isn't available. Definitely I get more accurate numbers with an HRM than I would without one for things like mountain biking and road cycling in rolling hill terrain.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    singletrackmtbr wrote: »
    TeaBea wrote: »

    Heart rate monitors are designed for steady state cardio. No heart rate monitor (brand or style) will be of much help for calorie burns outside this parameter.

    I don't want to derail this thread, but I don't agree with this statement. For wrist based HR monitors this is true.

    I use a Fenix 3 HR with a chest strap monitor during strength training, mountain biking, and Insanity workouts. None of this qualifies as steady state cardio. I have found my setup to be very reliable in this regard.

    By the way, I typically charge once every 5-7 days depending on how much I use the GPS. And it's waterproof!



    This is the exact one my boyfriend has (the sapphire one) and i'd agree with this. Hell, i'd even say his wrist one is pretty damn accurate (unless wet or weight lifting).
  • Care76
    Care76 Posts: 556 Member
    Well I ended up getting a Jawbone Up 3 because I read that they were good for tracking sleep and resting heart rate. But it's not tracking my sleep or any heart rate. If I can't figure it out I'll return it but hopefully I can.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    https://help.jawbone.com/contact
  • Care76
    Care76 Posts: 556 Member
    I did contact them but I was hoping I could find the info myself. I was using the Fitbit charge and it was very easy. I am not a newbie to tech so I don't know why I am having such a hard time with this.
  • Care76
    Care76 Posts: 556 Member
    They actually called me which was nice. Think we figured it out, the app dropped sync with the band. Because it was tracking some stuff we didn't realize it at first.
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