Have you tried GLP1 medications and found it didn't work for you? We'd like to hear about your experiences, what you tried, why it didn't work and how you're doing now. Click here to tell us your story
Fitness/activity trackers
Replies
-
After some tinkering I got my fitbit zip working again. I do need a new clip for it tho. But I can find that easily on ebay or Amazon. Thank you all so much. I love my fitbit. I feel it's just as accurate as anything else out there. I did find that there is a wrist band for the zip available too.
Congratulations on Your success. Mine was dead and even tech support could not get it going so they just replaced it and I did not have return the old one. The New one came with a short note to Dispose of the old one in a electronics recycling location.
Good Luck
Roger0 -
Redbeard333 wrote: »I really enjoy using my Fitbit Charge HR, but have been giving SERIOUS consideration to a Garmin Vivoactive HR, so it could replace both my regular watch and my Fitbit. What's stopping me is 1) my watch still works despite being ~6 years old, and has a lot of features I like (solar powered, barometer, atomic time), 2) My Charge HR works fine. I was thinking about "rewarding" myself when I complete my first 5k in a couple weeks, but it's a $250 reward... #firstworldproblems
I have the Garmin Vivofit 2 and love it. No charging and waterproof. I use the HRM chest strap when I want to get readings for my cardio.1 -
In the fitness tracker world, there's fitbit, then there's everything else.
Is not that other fitness trackers are bad, in fact it wouldn't take you long to find a tracker that lasts longer, has more features and is cheaper than a fitbit. It's just that most of their *software* is way undercooked. Fitbit took the time to make their ecosystem a complete one, and gave almost everyone under the sun the ability to contribute and share data with it (with varying degrees of success, mind you).
There's a REASON a bunch of lawyers funded a study with the sole purpose of generating a lawsuit against fitbit's heart rate technology (which is NOT exclusive to fitbit, yet they are the only ones named in the lawsuit). They want to knock fitbit down a few notches because they are absolutely destroying their competitors.
Fitbit trackers are the trackers by which all others are judged, and it's not just because of marketing hype. More sophisticated and accurate trackers exist, but people love the fitbit software even if it doesn't cater to the most hardcore fitness enthusiast. If every other fitness tracker adopted the same software goals for their own trackers, the industry world look very, very different.
0 -
In the fitness tracker world, there's fitbit, then there's everything else.
Is not that other fitness trackers are bad, in fact it wouldn't take you long to find a tracker that lasts longer, has more features and is cheaper than a fitbit. It's just that most of their *software* is way undercooked. Fitbit took the time to make their ecosystem a complete one, and gave almost everyone under the sun the ability to contribute and share data with it (with varying degrees of success, mind you).
There's a REASON a bunch of lawyers funded a study with the sole purpose of generating a lawsuit against fitbit's heart rate technology (which is NOT exclusive to fitbit, yet they are the only ones named in the lawsuit). They want to knock fitbit down a few notches because they are absolutely destroying their competitors.
Fitbit trackers are the trackers by which all others are judged, and it's not just because of marketing hype. More sophisticated and accurate trackers exist, but people love the fitbit software even if it doesn't cater to the most hardcore fitness enthusiast. If every other fitness tracker adopted the same software goals for their own trackers, the industry world look very, very different.
I don't agree.
I have a fitbit as well as my Jawbone.
I did a comparison while shovelling my driveway a couple winters ago. 45mins of hard shovelling and fitbit gave me 6 active mins....seriously? 6 active mins...BS...45mins of shovelling and my Jawbone gave me 38mins...more reasonable if you ask me.
Fitbit is no better than any others...and actually might be worse considering my experience and the current lawsuit.0 -
You don't have to agree. The numbers speak for themselves.
Play with the jawbone software for a week, then do the same with fitbit's software. You'll see why jawbone is throwing in the towel and giving up on fitness trackers.
As for the lawsuit - that's limited to heart rate accuracy and nothing else - and when Consumer Reports themselves find fitbit's technology as being reasonably accurate, I can't help but think that lawsuit will ultimately fall apart.0 -
I am a fitbit one fan. I have had mine for probably about 3 years. I chose that particular tracker because I don't like having stuff on my wrist. Personally, I found that when I put in the effort to count calories accurately my weight loss perfectly mirrored my fitbit projection, so for me I found it to be very accurate.
A few thought to help you if you're shopping: Most of my activity is step based, so this was a good choice for me; as some people mentioned it may not catch non step based activity well. One thing I do have an issue with is I ride horses, and it will track that as me walking/running, so I take it off before I mount up, otherwise it will think I am running around and will calculate my doing much harder work than I am. One of my concerns when buying this was if the clip was sound. I keep mine clipped to my jeans pocket on a normal day and have never had it fall off under normal circumstances. I did lose one once when I was cutting up a tree, I imaging while moving branches I managed to snag it and pull if off, so when I do any heavy yard work like that I clip it under a layer of clothes to prevent that, it hooks well to bras, underwear, or jeans in my experience. That's the only time I ever had one come off.0 -
You don't have to agree. The numbers speak for themselves.
Play with the jawbone software for a week, then do the same with fitbit's software. You'll see why jawbone is throwing in the towel and giving up on fitness trackers.
you are correct the numbers speak for themselves.
Fitbit 6 active minutes for 45mins of snow shovelling
Jawbone 38 active minutes for 45 mins of snow shovelling
Jawbone isn't throwing in the towel on Fitness trackers.
http://www.wired.com/2015/04/jawbone-up4/
http://www.wareable.com/fitness-trackers/the-best-fitness-tracker where Jawbone nailed 3 of the "best" types...
I think Jawbone is doing just fine.
I am not saying fitbit is not a decent tracker...but in my experience not as good as Jawbone and others.2 -
Well I will throw in my 2 cents and say Fitbit is not the best. There really is not a best out there. Everything has flaws rather it is the device hardware itself, the app or website features and functions, GPS software, Heart monitors in wrist or strap (hard and/or soft), their customer service, etc..
So you will not get 100% accuracy in data input or data output.. You simply have to buy the device according to your budget, what you want the device to do, how much you are willing to accept what the device will or will not do for you in terms of price, durability and longevity..
I have been through 3 fitbits and 2 garmins and even some off brands in the beginning of my tracker experiences and nothing is perfect..
I do not know if this is a debate or not since it was put in the debate forums, but anyone looking for a device, simply read the reviews and make your best judgement before buying.
1 -
you are correct the numbers speak for themselves.
Fitbit 6 active minutes for 45mins of snow shovelling
Jawbone 38 active minutes for 45 mins of snow shovelling
Jawbone isn't throwing in the towel on Fitness trackers.
http://www.wired.com/2015/04/jawbone-up4/
http://www.wareable.com/fitness-trackers/the-best-fitness-tracker where Jawbone nailed 3 of the "best" types...
I think Jawbone is doing just fine.
I am not saying fitbit is not a decent tracker...but in my experience not as good as Jawbone and others.
I can't speak to your SINGLE instance of how Fitbit interpreted your snow shoveling. I don't think the engineers at fitbit sat around a table thinking "..what can we do to make sure the fine people who shovel snow in their driveways are being accurately represented by their fitness band?" I mean, hey, congratulations, your jawbone is great at detecting snow shoveling activity while my fitbit thinks i'm riding a bike when I'm actually mowing my lawn.
If you think that's what makes a fitness band "better" than another, then you're really not aiming high enough.
Again, the problem has nothing to do with the tracker itself. You can EASILY find a more accurate and long-lasting feature rich tracker than a fitbit. The problem is the *software* you have to load on your phone/tablet/pc. That's the part that sucks, and the part that Fitbit absolutely got "more right" than anyone else.
Also, I don't think Jawbone is doing fine. I think they are struggling, or the industry rumors about them shopping for buyers of their existing inventories and other business wouldn't be posted just about everywhere. Do a google search for "Jawbone discontinued" and you'll see plenty of articles about how "fine" they are doing. I'm sure Jawbone isn't alone in this. Fitbit, all incidents of SnowShovelGate besides, is absolutely killing their competition in this field, whether you want to agree with the numbers or not. And this isn't likely to change until another competitor decides to hire some better software developers.
Seriously, I want a competitor to actually compete against fitbit instead of this "there's fitbit and then there's everything else" situation we're living in now. Competition is what drives innovation and lowers prices, and we could all use a little of that.1 -
I do not know if this is a debate or not since it was put in the debate forums, but anyone looking for a device, simply read the reviews and make your best judgement before buying.
It's the internet. Everything is a debate
But you're 100% correct. Personally, I think the fitbit "ecosystem" is the most complete - despite their devices NOT being the best in class. You can find a better Garmin wrist-based tracker than a Fitbit Surge or Blaze. You can find a better Withings scale than a Fitbit Aria. You can get way more accurate heart rate tracking with something that uses a chest strap. But none of those devices tie everything together as nicely as fitbit's own software, and that's the reason I think fitbit is so successful.
I seriously hope these other companies wise up to this and instead will put their efforts into fixing their ecosystems rather than trying to sue Fitbit out of the top spot.
1 -
you are correct the numbers speak for themselves.
Fitbit 6 active minutes for 45mins of snow shovelling
Jawbone 38 active minutes for 45 mins of snow shovelling
Jawbone isn't throwing in the towel on Fitness trackers.
http://www.wired.com/2015/04/jawbone-up4/
http://www.wareable.com/fitness-trackers/the-best-fitness-tracker where Jawbone nailed 3 of the "best" types...
I think Jawbone is doing just fine.
I am not saying fitbit is not a decent tracker...but in my experience not as good as Jawbone and others.
I can't speak to your SINGLE instance of how Fitbit interpreted your snow shoveling. I don't think the engineers at fitbit sat around a table thinking "..what can we do to make sure the fine people who shovel snow in their driveways are being accurately represented by their fitness band?" I mean, hey, congratulations, your jawbone is great at detecting snow shoveling activity while my fitbit thinks i'm riding a bike when I'm actually mowing my lawn.
If you think that's what makes a fitness band "better" than another, then you're really not aiming high enough.
Again, the problem has nothing to do with the tracker itself. You can EASILY find a more accurate and long-lasting feature rich tracker than a fitbit. The problem is the *software* you have to load on your phone/tablet/pc. That's the part that sucks, and the part that Fitbit absolutely got "more right" than anyone else.
Also, I don't think Jawbone is doing fine. I think they are struggling, or the industry rumors about them shopping for buyers of their existing inventories and other business wouldn't be posted just about everywhere. Do a google search for "Jawbone discontinued" and you'll see plenty of articles about how "fine" they are doing. I'm sure Jawbone isn't alone in this. Fitbit, all incidents of SnowShovelGate besides, is absolutely killing their competition in this field, whether you want to agree with the numbers or not. And this isn't likely to change until another competitor decides to hire some better software developers.
Seriously, I want a competitor to actually compete against fitbit instead of this "there's fitbit and then there's everything else" situation we're living in now. Competition is what drives innovation and lowers prices, and we could all use a little of that.
The snow shovelling was the final straw actually....I wore the two together for months...and the fitbit always under reported.
As for the apps...I like the jawbone app just fine...the fitbit app is good too...apps are apps.
and I did google and here was the rebuttal
"Update, 5/31/16, 3PM ET: Despite offering us a "no comment" last week, Jawbone has now refuted last week's report. "Speculation that Jawbone is exiting the wearables business or going out of business altogether is false," the company said in a statement. "Jawbone remains wholly committed to innovating in and building great wearables products. The company has never been more excited about its pipeline of technology and products and looks forward to sharing them when ready."
https://www.engadget.com/2016/05/27/jawbone-up-fitness-trackers-discontinued-rumor/0 -
Garmin VivoActive here. I enjoy it. That being said I have lots of Garmin stuff as that's what I prefer. I enjoy the interface.0
-
There's a REASON a bunch of lawyers funded a study with the sole purpose of generating a lawsuit against fitbit's heart rate technology
From personal experience after spending $150 on a Fitbit Charge HR and successfully getting it refunded, I'm going to say that reason is because the HRM does not work reliably and is unfit for its purpose. It was no better than rolling dice to see what your pulse is during exercise. It's really not a conspiracy.0 -
NorthCascades wrote: »There's a REASON a bunch of lawyers funded a study with the sole purpose of generating a lawsuit against fitbit's heart rate technology
From personal experience after spending $150 on a Fitbit Charge HR and successfully getting it refunded, I'm going to say that reason is because the HRM does not work reliably and is unfit for its purpose. It was no better than rolling dice to see what your pulse is during exercise. It's really not a conspiracy.
The jury is still out. Give 'em their day in court. They already have consumer reports on their side, and they retested after news of the suit (to the same positive result).
Conspiracy or not, I trust consumer reports. Not some study funded by lawyers.0 -
Regardless of what somebody at a magazine thinks, I know from experience that the Charge HR is worthless as an HRM. Step counting seemed fine but the heart rate function was so disappointing it had no value. We replaced it with a simple chest strap and have no more problems. The chest strap cost a little less than 1/3 the Fitbit's price.0
-
In the fitness tracker world, there's fitbit, then there's everything else.
This is the only thing Fitbit does do right. Advertising.
As far as the number speak for themselves. McDonald's sells more burgers than anyone else. Does that make the the best burgers. Budweiser sells more beer than anyone else. Does that make them better than anyone else?
That's a resounding NO .
Fitbit does a fantastic job at advertising and targeting people who think they need that said fitness tracker.But you're 100% correct. Personally, I think the fitbit "ecosystem" is the most complete - despite their devices NOT being the best in class. You can find a better Garmin wrist-based tracker than a Fitbit Surge or Blaze. You can find a better Withings scale than a Fitbit Aria. You can get way more accurate heart rate tracking with something that uses a chest strap. But none of those devices tie everything together as nicely as fitbit's own software, and that's the reason I think fitbit is so successful.
My Garmin 520, Forefunner 220, and VivoActive HR all play nicely with every app I could want them to. They sync two ways with MyFitnessPal. They sync two ways with Strava and TrainingPeaks. At the moment Fitbit doesn't directly sync with Training Peaks, nor does it sync with RideWithGPS. Two sites that cyclist kind of rely on. So in your own words. I hope Fitbit gets their act together and starts putting efforts into syncing with sites people use, rather that spend money advertising during Soccer mom shows.....2 -
Garmin Forerunner 220. 0 complaints! Been going for 7 months. Excellent, solid product. Used chest strap HR but I rarely use this.1
-
I have a Misfit Flash. I've had it since October and have been really happy with it. I got it because of the price. Mine was priced under $30. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on something that might have ended up on a drawer once the novelty wore off. It's not fancy but it does what I need it to do which is track my general activity and gives me a goal to work for.0
-
NorthCascades wrote: »There's a REASON a bunch of lawyers funded a study with the sole purpose of generating a lawsuit against fitbit's heart rate technology
From personal experience after spending $150 on a Fitbit Charge HR and successfully getting it refunded, I'm going to say that reason is because the HRM does not work reliably and is unfit for its purpose. It was no better than rolling dice to see what your pulse is during exercise. It's really not a conspiracy.
The jury is still out. Give 'em their day in court. They already have consumer reports on their side, and they retested after news of the suit (to the same positive result).
Conspiracy or not, I trust consumer reports. Not some study funded by lawyers.
what about the study done at Ball state university in Indiana which showed it was off by 14%...that was an independent study.
I don't agree with the lawsuit...why because most active people know HRM with a chest strap is the only way to go and that is only for steady state cardio....but Fitbit shouldn't be advertising their HRM is "amazing" and provides good data when it doesn't.1 -
what about the study done at Ball state university in Indiana which showed it was off by 14%...that was an independent study.
I don't agree with the lawsuit...why because most active people know HRM with a chest strap is the only way to go and that is only for steady state cardio....but Fitbit shouldn't be advertising their HRM is "amazing" and provides good data when it doesn't.
I'm curious to know if that's why Fitbit doesn't allow their products to connect to ANT+ HRMs to people cannot see how off they are.1
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392.8K Introduce Yourself
- 43.7K Getting Started
- 260.1K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.8K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 413 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.9K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.6K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.5K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions