I can't decide what Fitbit to buy!

Pam_1965
Pam_1965 Posts: 137 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have the Flex and love it, but want to upgrade. I can't decide between the Alta and the Charge HR. Is the heart monitor really accurate and worth having? Is the Charge too big on the wrist? Dilemma. Dilemma. Dilemma.
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Replies

  • laconsentida408
    laconsentida408 Posts: 5 Member
    i used to have a flex and i've had the alta for a few weeks- totally worth the upgrade. it looks way better and it's nice to be able to see the time and your texts (although it only shows the first 40 characters or something). i didn't get the charge because of it's size and because of some articles i saw about the heart rate monitor not being accurate. costco sells them at a discount. HTH!
  • Pam_1965
    Pam_1965 Posts: 137 Member
    Thank you, @laconsentida408. The size thing is the issue for me, and I really like how the Alta looks. The Flex has been a lifesaver, but I am looking forward to a digital read out.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    I can't live without my Fitbit Charge HR. It is slightly larger than I prefer but if you go on Amazon and type in "Fitbit Jewelry" you'll find a lot of really pretty covers for it :smile: I can't live without the HR monitor... how would I know how many calories I'm actually burning without it?
  • Pam_1965
    Pam_1965 Posts: 137 Member
    @cushman5279
    How does the Charge HR even keep track of your heart rate?
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    @Pam_1965
    There is a sensor under the face that continually detects your heart beat via your wrist when you're wearing it. After a while it picks up the trend and becomes more accurate as you go. It's pretty cool technology. Is it 100% accurate? Most likely not but it's pretty close. I've tested it against a strap monitor and against various equipment at the gym (elliptical / tread mill / cross-trainer / ARC) The gym equipment tends to give me a slightly lower reading. Actually I was at the Dr. last month and while she took my HR with her medical equipment I checked on it with my Fitbit. Her equipment was a couple of points lower than my Fitbit.
  • Pam_1965
    Pam_1965 Posts: 137 Member
    @cushman5279

    One more dumb question...
    Normally when we check our pulse it is on the underside of the wrist. The Charge HR must detect it from the top of the wrist, right? That's why I wonder about the accuracy because it doesn't sit on a nice big vein.
  • sohifirefly
    sohifirefly Posts: 55 Member
    I had a Flex and loved it but switched to the Garmin Vivoactive Smart HR. I love the heart monitor and it's only a little bigger than the Flex. Either way, I think the heart monitor is worth it.
  • BoxerBrawler
    BoxerBrawler Posts: 2,032 Member
    @Pam_1965
    Not a stupid question at all, a logical one. There are tons of places on the body to get a heart beat (I used to be an EMT) lol! You don't necessarily need a big vein for a heart beat, only for an injection :smiley: Plus the more intense your exercise the stronger your heart beat. There are exceptions of course in terms of the positioning of the Fitbit. Some people where it further up on their forearm where there's a stronger heart beat reading. Also, if your spinning and your wrist is bent for a while that will make the numbers vary a bit. Consumer Reports had a good write-up about the accuracy of the Fitbit HR after someone tried to file a lawsuit stating that it was inaccurate. They ran dozens of tests against dozens of devices and found the Fitbit to be spot-on accurate about 99% of the time. If you're serious about your exercise and the # of calories your're burning a HR monitor device is an absolute must!
  • akoivisto
    akoivisto Posts: 141 Member
    I owned the Charge and then Blaze, my wife owns the Charge HR. I've had a friend who wears the Alta. I'd ask this question:

    "Do you like, or can handle, wearing a watch?"

    No. - Alta
    Yes. - Charge HR

    I had a Charge for a long time and updated to the Blaze; and that is a size difference!

    *Regarding the Heart Monitor; my wife loves hers, and to be honest, the HR monitor can be off, you need to slide it up your wrist a bit (like a finger or two width above the wrist bone for really accurate tracking) Everyone has their preference; but I'd wager you'd enjoy the Charge HR, and another metric (HR) for kicks? Why not!?
  • NurseKristi81
    NurseKristi81 Posts: 90 Member
    I have the charge HR and want to upgrade to the Blaze, But I kinda want to wait till black Friday because they may have good deals! :)
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    I love Fitbit, but from what I've read the wrist worn HR are not nearly as accurate as the chest strap...
    Pam_1965 wrote: »
    I have the Flex and love it, but want to upgrade. I can't decide between the Alta and the Charge HR. Is the heart monitor really accurate and worth having? Is the Charge too big on the wrist? Dilemma. Dilemma. Dilemma.

  • Pam_1965
    Pam_1965 Posts: 137 Member
    Thank you for all the "expert" opinions! I will probably go with the Charge HR! I am not a watch wearer, but can adjust to the size, I am sure. :smile:
  • newheavensearth
    newheavensearth Posts: 870 Member
    I don't like my Alta!

    It does not give me full time or caloric credit for most of my activities. For example, 1 hr of interval training or circuit training will read as a 20 minute or less "sport" and tell me I only burned less than 100 calories. Since when? The only time it works properly is if I'm doing continuous movement, like walking, running, or the elliptical. But anything stop and start, forget about it.

    So if things like calorie burn, intensity level, and time matter, you might be better off with something with a HR monitor. I'm going to get a Blaze.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    Pam_1965 wrote: »
    I have the Flex and love it, but want to upgrade. I can't decide between the Alta and the Charge HR. Is the heart monitor really accurate and worth having? Is the Charge too big on the wrist? Dilemma. Dilemma. Dilemma.

    It depends what you're doing. Walking doesn't get most peoples' heart rate elevated enough for it to matter. When I run, I try to keep my HR a few beats under 165 because that's my lactate threshold heart rate. When I ride a bike I don't look at my HR but I record it to analyze later.

    Your heart rate is affected by a lot of things (caffeine, stress, heat, hydration status, etc) that have nothing to do with whether or how hard you're exercising.
  • Pam_1965
    Pam_1965 Posts: 137 Member
    I bought the Fitbit Charge HR. My only concern, so far, is that when I am out in the sun I can't see the display. I have searched for a way to make it brighter but no luck. Does anyone else have this problem?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I love my Alta. The only exercise I do is walking, so a HR monitor would be a waste of time for me.
  • corsayre8
    corsayre8 Posts: 551 Member
    Love my Alta as well, and have found it to be surprisingly accurate. Even without a heart rate monitor. When I look back over my weekly reports and compare it with my losses, they are very consistent.
  • corsayre8
    corsayre8 Posts: 551 Member
    newheavensearth wrote: »
    I don't like my Alta!

    It does not give me full time or caloric credit for most of my activities. For example, 1 hr of interval training or circuit training will read as a 20 minute or less "sport" and tell me I only burned less than 100 calories. Since when? The only time it works properly is if I'm doing continuous movement, like walking, running, or the elliptical. But anything stop and start, forget about it.

    So if things like calorie burn, intensity level, and time matter, you might be better off with something with a HR monitor. I'm going to get a Blaze.

    Have you tried logging your activity?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Personally I dislike the 24 hour wearable HR monitors, I think they are irrelevant and a marketers dream

    I started with a flex and actually downgraded to a zip because it's a clip which I can wear in my bra, waistband or pocket and allows me to wear bracelets

    I have a polar Ft 4 heart rate monitor with chest strap which I wear when working out ...eg when it is appropriate to monitor my HR for training purposes

    I actually believe that the HR monitor wearables are less accurate than the base pedometers
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Pam_1965 wrote: »
    I bought the Fitbit Charge HR. My only concern, so far, is that when I am out in the sun I can't see the display. I have searched for a way to make it brighter but no luck. Does anyone else have this problem?

    I have the Charge HR.

    I've seen somewhere you can edit the display to make it larger font, or show different data.

    I've had mine since October 2015, and I love it. I find it really accurate at estimating calorie burns. I've reached goal weight and am maintaining weight now and eating all my exercise calories back.
  • Tineeeeeka
    Tineeeeeka Posts: 12 Member
    I have the Alta and I love it!
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    Pam_1965 wrote: »
    @cushman5279

    One more dumb question...
    Normally when we check our pulse it is on the underside of the wrist. The Charge HR must detect it from the top of the wrist, right? That's why I wonder about the accuracy because it doesn't sit on a nice big vein.

    @Pam-1965 I actually wear my Charge HR with the monitor on the underside of my wrist. It's how it's most comfortable for me as that's how I always wore my watches too.

    I don't find it all that large. My last watch was larger. I usually make the strap a bit looser when I go to bed as its more comfortable when I'm sleeping.
  • Salex579
    Salex579 Posts: 9 Member
    capaul42 wrote: »
    Pam_1965 wrote: »
    @cushman5279

    One more dumb question...
    Normally when we check our pulse it is on the underside of the wrist. The Charge HR must detect it from the top of the wrist, right? That's why I wonder about the accuracy because it doesn't sit on a nice big vein.

    @Pam-1965 I actually wear my Charge HR with the monitor on the underside of my wrist. It's how it's most comfortable for me as that's how I always wore my watches too.

    I don't find it all that large. My last watch was larger. I usually make the strap a bit looser when I go to bed as its more comfortable when I'm sleeping.

    Do you find that it's still pretty accurate when you flip the Fitbit over to the underside of your wrist? I hate how far the the charge hr sticks up on the top of my wrist. It just feels huge.
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    Salex579 wrote: »
    capaul42 wrote: »
    Pam_1965 wrote: »
    @cushman5279

    One more dumb question...
    Normally when we check our pulse it is on the underside of the wrist. The Charge HR must detect it from the top of the wrist, right? That's why I wonder about the accuracy because it doesn't sit on a nice big vein.

    @Pam-1965 I actually wear my Charge HR with the monitor on the underside of my wrist. It's how it's most comfortable for me as that's how I always wore my watches too.

    I don't find it all that large. My last watch was larger. I usually make the strap a bit looser when I go to bed as its more comfortable when I'm sleeping.

    Do you find that it's still pretty accurate when you flip the Fitbit over to the underside of your wrist? I hate how far the the charge hr sticks up on the top of my wrist. It just feels huge.

    I've found it to be very accurate. I routinely check my HR manually (on neck) during my workouts as I have vaso-vagal syncope (along with low BP) and it can drop quite quickly in certain circumstances. I've found it to be off no more than 4 beats per minute (which my Dr says could just be that it's tracking my wrist and I'm tracking by neck). Now if they could make a fitbit that checks BP as well, I'd be happy :)
  • Pam_1965
    Pam_1965 Posts: 137 Member
    edited July 2016
    @capaul42

    I was thinking of doing that very thing! Wear it under my wrist. I have become curiouser and curiouser with my heart rate as I move into my newly fit persona. I feel my resting heart rate is pretty low (Didn't use to be), so I am wondering if that is because of my accomplishments. It is at 48 when I wake up. 54 when sitting.
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  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    filbo132 wrote: »
    I was also thinking of buying the fitbit charge HR, I was wondering how does it work with mfp??? Does it calculate all the calories I burn throughout the day and then loads the data onto mfp automatically?

    Yes. You will see an adjustment under exercise that has your step count. But the calorie adjustment isnt based on the steps reported. It brings over your current total calorie burn then extrapolates what it will be by end of day then subtracts MFP'S number for your maintenance calories. This is the number it gives you for exercise
  • karinabree
    karinabree Posts: 18 Member
    I love my Alta because it is small so looks good at work. I don't mind that it doesn't have HR or steps, as really I just use it as an indicator and for motivation (contests!) have been wearing it daily for 4 months, lost 18lbs
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  • Erfw7471
    Erfw7471 Posts: 242 Member
    edited July 2016
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    Personally I dislike the 24 hour wearable HR monitors, I think they are irrelevant and a marketers dream

    I started with a flex and actually downgraded to a zip because it's a clip which I can wear in my bra, waistband or pocket and allows me to wear bracelets

    I have a polar Ft 4 heart rate monitor with chest strap which I wear when working out ...eg when it is appropriate to monitor my HR for training purposes

    I actually believe that the HR monitor wearables are less accurate than the base pedometers

    I totally agree with this.

    I had a Charge HR but because my dog runs with me & I swap her leash in my hands the step count was wildly inaccurate.

    Then when comparing the hr from the Charge HR to my chest strap Polar H7 the heart rate was off, so I got a Zip. Steps seem accurate with the Zip so I'm sticking with that for total step counts while using my H7 for heart rates.

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