Tell me about Fitbits
kschramm7
Posts: 72 Member
I currently have a Samsung Gear Fit. The screen is large enough (rectangular) so it shows the time, date & steps on the home screen. It includes a timer, a stop watch, sleep monitor, heart rate monitor (although it doesn't work very well). If I turn on bluetooth, I can get text, email and phone call notifications (I don't do this) and it syncs with my phone....but ONLY my phone....that there is the problem.
I like my gear fit. I've had it since February 2015 and it's worked flawlessly. Battery life is about 2 days, it's easy to charge, but there's no way to transfer the data anywhere useful. Oh...and I can easily change the band to match what I'm wearing (yeah...girly, I know).
So I'm looking for a comparable Fitbit. It's a watch...I want it to function as a watch, at least indoors, and a smaller profile. My gear fit is just under an inch wide, and I find that comfortable.
Fit Bit has so many models it's confusing. The Blaze & Surge are too big....I'm thinking the Alta is probably the closest to what I have now.
Anyone have one? Opinions?
I like my gear fit. I've had it since February 2015 and it's worked flawlessly. Battery life is about 2 days, it's easy to charge, but there's no way to transfer the data anywhere useful. Oh...and I can easily change the band to match what I'm wearing (yeah...girly, I know).
So I'm looking for a comparable Fitbit. It's a watch...I want it to function as a watch, at least indoors, and a smaller profile. My gear fit is just under an inch wide, and I find that comfortable.
Fit Bit has so many models it's confusing. The Blaze & Surge are too big....I'm thinking the Alta is probably the closest to what I have now.
Anyone have one? Opinions?
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Replies
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I have the Alta. It's nice for me because it does not track floors, which I do not need. I dont have stairs in my house. I like that it vibrates ten minutes before the hour is up if you did not take 250 steps. You can turn that feature off. It also can be used for alarms.
I miss the button that the Charge had but double tapping the screen to see stats is easy enough.1 -
Alta, Charge or ChargeHR sound like they would fit your size and watch like wants. Then just pick the features you want. Want it to have an activity notification every hour you don't get 250 steps in? Alta. Want the HRM? ChargeHR. Want to be able to change the bands? Alta.1
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I'm very happy with my Alta. My main source of daily exercise is walking, so I don't really care about the HRM feature that others have. If I do weight/stationary exercises, I don't count the calories burned, anyway. If I did more strength training consistently and wanted to track that better, I would want a ChargeHR. The hourly reminder is nice, and you can also set alarms for it to vibrate at that time.1
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How easy/hard is it to change the bands on the Alta? The gear fit just pops out of 1 band and into another....takes about 45 seconds. If it's cumbersome, it's not part of the equation. My main cardio at home is a stationary bike and I take spin classes at the gym 2-3 times a week, plus work out with a trainer once a week, so I can see the benefit of the ChargeHR since some of that would be stationary.-2
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For the Alta, all you do is unhook the band from the inside. You press on the metal, that's it.2
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I love my Alta too! Band is VERY easy to change. I like how small it is yet has great features like screen, call/text preview, silent alarms and reminders. Doesn't have HR or stairs - but I didn't need those.
Mine has definitely encouraged me to walk more and park further away from store, etc.1 -
Do you need to wear fitbits all day to get the most out of them?
Is there anyway you can get the most out of them without wearing them on your wrist?
I only ask because I'd like to invset in one bit I wear a watch, even if the fitbit does tell the time I'm not a fan of digital watches.
It's not like I am desperate for one but that is the one thing rightly or wrongly that puts me off getting one0 -
Don't buy the Charge HR or the Charge. If yo wear this everyday you will disappointed at some point in the months you have the device that the hardware (band it self tears up).. the actual "brains of the watch" will fall out (it actually will break away from the watch band) and the side button will eventually fall off.
I moved to garmin, but my husband moved to the Alta, and this is a much much better device!0 -
I have the Charge, I like that for my other friends who have one we set up challenges between us and it tracks the competition on a app on our phones. Knowing you are being held accountable by others makes it easier to get your steps in.1
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Don't buy the Charge HR or the Charge. If yo wear this everyday you will disappointed at some point in the months you have the device that the hardware (band it self tears up).. the actual "brains of the watch" will fall out (it actually will break away from the watch band) and the side button will eventually fall off.
I moved to garmin, but my husband moved to the Alta, and this is a much much better device!
Yup. My Charge got torn up and completely broke apart within a couple of months. That's why I switched to the Alta. I didn't want another Charge, even though it was warrantied.0 -
Do you need to wear fitbits all day to get the most out of them?
Is there anyway you can get the most out of them without wearing them on your wrist?
I only ask because I'd like to invset in one bit I wear a watch, even if the fitbit does tell the time I'm not a fan of digital watches.
It's not like I am desperate for one but that is the one thing rightly or wrongly that puts me off getting one
The One and Zip are clip ons. If you plan on syncing it to MFP or have the data on the Fitbit be accurate then you should be wearing it all day.0 -
I have the fitbit blaze because I normally enjoy the actual look of a watch..but you guys have now gotten me interested in the alta lol it looks nice! Do you guys think the calories burned seem pretty reliable?0
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Colorscheme wrote: »Don't buy the Charge HR or the Charge. If yo wear this everyday you will disappointed at some point in the months you have the device that the hardware (band it self tears up).. the actual "brains of the watch" will fall out (it actually will break away from the watch band) and the side button will eventually fall off.
I moved to garmin, but my husband moved to the Alta, and this is a much much better device!
Yup. My Charge got torn up and completely broke apart within a couple of months. That's why I switched to the Alta. I didn't want another Charge, even though it was warrantied.
That makes me sad. I absolutely love mine, I feel I'm completely dependent on it, specifically for the HR monitor. I would be crushed if this happens to me
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I have a FitBit Flex and love mine1
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wouldnt like one of the watches, do they not vibrate when your targets reached?
ive got a zipbit clipped on to my top every day, part from when i go to sleep
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msalicia116 wrote: »Colorscheme wrote: »Don't buy the Charge HR or the Charge. If yo wear this everyday you will disappointed at some point in the months you have the device that the hardware (band it self tears up).. the actual "brains of the watch" will fall out (it actually will break away from the watch band) and the side button will eventually fall off.
I moved to garmin, but my husband moved to the Alta, and this is a much much better device!
Yup. My Charge got torn up and completely broke apart within a couple of months. That's why I switched to the Alta. I didn't want another Charge, even though it was warrantied.
That makes me sad. I absolutely love mine, I feel I'm completely dependent on it, specifically for the HR monitor. I would be crushed if this happens to me
Don't be. Within the year that I've had it, it's happened to me twice because I'm very active. The first time it broke and I taped it. It still worked, but Fitbit overnighted me a new one. The second time I noticed some detaching going on and wanted to get to the problem before it broke. Fitbit sent me a device again, but this time it took a few days to arrive. I didn't pay for anything either time and they asked minimal questions before sending replacement devices. They have really good customer service.5 -
msalicia116 wrote: »Colorscheme wrote: »Don't buy the Charge HR or the Charge. If yo wear this everyday you will disappointed at some point in the months you have the device that the hardware (band it self tears up).. the actual "brains of the watch" will fall out (it actually will break away from the watch band) and the side button will eventually fall off.
I moved to garmin, but my husband moved to the Alta, and this is a much much better device!
Yup. My Charge got torn up and completely broke apart within a couple of months. That's why I switched to the Alta. I didn't want another Charge, even though it was warrantied.
That makes me sad. I absolutely love mine, I feel I'm completely dependent on it, specifically for the HR monitor. I would be crushed if this happens to me
Give it some time.. LOL Go to the fitbit forums and you will see where others have had this issue as well.
We did not wear ours to shower, wash dishes, do yard work or anything what would cause the devices to go through abnormal wear and tear. We did get replacements, but the third time around for me was enough!2 -
Do you need to wear fitbits all day to get the most out of them?
Is there anyway you can get the most out of them without wearing them on your wrist?
I only ask because I'd like to invset in one bit I wear a watch, even if the fitbit does tell the time I'm not a fan of digital watches.
It's not like I am desperate for one but that is the one thing rightly or wrongly that puts me off getting one
I have the FitBit One, which is meant to go in a pocket or clip on to your clothes. It doesn't have a heart rate monitor, but what encouraged me to get it was reviews of products with HRMs saying they got steps while driving and had otherwise found the One more accurate for tracking steps. I was also concerned about the reviews for FitBit Charges saying that the bands broke and that people had allergic reactions to them.
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The Alta's great for me. I put it in my pants pocket when I don't want to wear it. It still picks up my steps. The watch feature is nice too. When I turn my wrist to see the time, the display lights up. This is a problem when I sleep. I toss and turn and the display keeps lighting up so I usually leave it on the night stand.0
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I use a One & love it, because I wear a watch and am not allowed to have a smartwatch at my current job.
But I have broken 2 of them by leaving them clipped to my bra and sending them through the washer & dryer.0 -
I use a One & love it, because I wear a watch and am not allowed to have a smartwatch at my current job.
But I have broken 2 of them by leaving them clipped to my bra and sending them through the washer & dryer.
I have been fearful of this happening but have managed to avoid that particular disaster for 3.5 years. I always wear mine in a wristband when I sleep and then put it back in the holder and onto whichever bra I'm wearing when I get dressed. That has helped because it's always on me and can't possibly be in the laundry when it comes time to wash the lingerie.
Now I have had it fall off and the dog chewed on it a bit before I noticed. I have a little toothmark on the face of it and I had to buy a new holder (Amazon carries knockoffs that are cheaper and come in different colors) but it survived the experience just fine.
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heyaliwood458 wrote: »I have the fitbit blaze because I normally enjoy the actual look of a watch..but you guys have now gotten me interested in the alta lol it looks nice! Do you guys think the calories burned seem pretty reliable?
It will most likely report that you don't burn as many calories as the Blaze reports. The reason for this is the HRM that is in the Blaze. I know for a fact that the models without HRM's underestimate for me and it's looking like the Blaze underestimates a tiny bit too.1 -
I just upgraded from a flex to an Alta. I love the look and feel. My only complaint is that it is a lot less sensitive then the flex and often misses steps. I found it is a lot harder to get to 10,000 with the Alta then the flex! I found this frustrating at first and considered going back to the flex...but really like the Alta features. Long story short working a little harder is only going to benefit me in the long run, so I decided to keep it. The only other downfall with the Alta is that I have to remove it before showering / bathing; whereas the flex, i could leave on, even swim or go in the hot tub with no worries. 0
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I love the Charge HR. I've had it for about 6 weeks and it really has made a difference in my motivation to get out and walk. I've also been interested in my sleep pattern and this verified what I suspected...that I don't get enough sleep! I really like how it links to MFP (except lately MFP has been having some technical problems...hope it gets fixed soon.) A bunch of my co-workers have them and we have a bit of a competition to get in our steps - lol.0
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msalicia116 wrote: »Colorscheme wrote: »Don't buy the Charge HR or the Charge. If yo wear this everyday you will disappointed at some point in the months you have the device that the hardware (band it self tears up).. the actual "brains of the watch" will fall out (it actually will break away from the watch band) and the side button will eventually fall off.
I moved to garmin, but my husband moved to the Alta, and this is a much much better device!
Yup. My Charge got torn up and completely broke apart within a couple of months. That's why I switched to the Alta. I didn't want another Charge, even though it was warrantied.
That makes me sad. I absolutely love mine, I feel I'm completely dependent on it, specifically for the HR monitor. I would be crushed if this happens to me
Give it some time.. LOL Go to the fitbit forums and you will see where others have had this issue as well.
We did not wear ours to shower, wash dishes, do yard work or anything what would cause the devices to go through abnormal wear and tear. We did get replacements, but the third time around for me was enough!
Strange, I've had my Charge HR since Christmas wear it pretty much 23 hours a day and it's fine and still in perfect condition, maybe you had it on too tight or something1 -
Unfortunately the band issues happen on a lot of fitness band. They're just easier to fix on the Alta since bands are easy to switch on them. My Soleus GO's bands were falling off as well, which prompted me to get a Fitbit Charge.1
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There are many,many posts on the fitbit forums complaining about the HR strap falling apart.
I started with the fitbit zip which was basic but worked well. I never washed it accidentally as i was always aware to not take (m)any steps if it wasn't attached to me lol
I've got the Alta now and i love it! My main exercise is walking, so i don't need a HR monitor or stair clumbing thing.1 -
How does the Alta deal with tracking exercise on a stationary bike? Can it measure it or do you have to manually track it?0
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How does the Alta deal with tracking exercise on a stationary bike? Can it measure it or do you have to manually track it?
Curious about that too... One of the reasons I don't really bother with a fitbit anymore, as I do so much stationary bike.
I had the One, it gave really weird and illogical numbers and I stopped using it because I didn't know what to do with it in the Summer when I started wearing dresses (I don't understand how it can be comfortable/discreet to wear it on a bra!).0 -
How does the Alta deal with tracking exercise on a stationary bike? Can it measure it or do you have to manually track it?
Alta has auto track features, which you can adjust. it can tell when I am on my regular bike, maybe it also works for stationary bikes as well.
https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Alta/Alta-Cycling-and-Steps-for-Challenges/td-p/11739390
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