Wearable Trackers

bethhile81
bethhile81 Posts: 11 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Which wearable tracker (watch, pedometer, fitbit...)is the best; for a reasonable price that links to MFP?

Replies

  • tmoneyag99
    tmoneyag99 Posts: 481 Member
    I am absolutely loving my Vivosmart HR. I've some good reviews on Fitbit Blaze and Surge HR as well.
  • NewMeSM75
    NewMeSM75 Posts: 971 Member
    I have the fitbit blaze.. I love it!
  • JDMac82
    JDMac82 Posts: 3,192 Member
    been using fitbit trackers since 2014 and very pleased with them. Started with the Flex 1 and now have a Charge HR.
  • Grammytryingtogetfit
    Grammytryingtogetfit Posts: 672 Member
    Good question! I was also wondering. Asking my hubby for a fit bit, but maybe that's not the best, maybe something else...
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    beth17202mvp wrote: »
    Which wearable tracker (watch, pedometer, fitbit...)is the best; for a reasonable price that links to MFP?

    Best at what...?
  • NewMeSM75
    NewMeSM75 Posts: 971 Member
    I think the best thing is to research different ones and their capabilities. You may or may not want a heart rate monitor. Same for gps. I didn't go with surge because I didn't need the gps. Depending on what you want to spend and what you're look will help with your choice. Fitbit may have made improvements but my best friend has sent her fitbit charge back twice. Once because it quit syncing and once because the button broke but she got replacements very quick.
  • bethhile81
    bethhile81 Posts: 11 Member
    Basically I don't want to wear my phone on me every time i take a step somewhere. So I'd like something that is going to track my steps, calories burned, distance, and I'd like one to monitor my sleep. I bought something similar to the fit bit however it was not compatible with my phone version. With that said, do all the suggestions that are being made link to MFP for your daily exercise log?
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    beth17202mvp wrote: »
    Basically I don't want to wear my phone on me every time i take a step somewhere. So I'd like something that is going to track my steps, calories burned, distance, and I'd like one to monitor my sleep. I bought something similar to the fit bit however it was not compatible with my phone version. With that said, do all the suggestions that are being made link to MFP for your daily exercise log?

    You can look in the APP section here on MFP and see all apps and devices that pair with MFP and see if anything fits your budget, and they have the functionality you want..

    However I had a fitbit charge dang thing tore up 3 times (will not go into details but I ditched fitbit) and I have used Garmin ever since. the vivosmart HR sounds like a good fit for what you are wanting it to do. I do not use the vivosmart any more as I am using a forerunner now, but it could be an option worth looking into and if it fits your budget.. You can use it for planned exercise as well.
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    I always recommend Fitbit One. It's cheaper than the wrist ones, clips to you instead of you having to wear it on your wrist (which I love because it doesn't count false steps from arm movement and no one has to see it, mine is clipped to my bra every day and I forget about it), the battery lasts literally weeks, tracks steps + distance + calories + floors climbed + sleep, and it syncs with MFP.
  • Sarahb29
    Sarahb29 Posts: 952 Member
    edited October 2016
    I just got the fitbit flex 2 because you can wear it on your wrist or in a necklace. My arms are not always swinging so a lot of the time my steps weren't counted. Anytime I pushed a cart, stroller, held my daughters hand or held my coffee, nothing counted! I really like fitbit products because they play nice with MFP and automatically enter in your calories burned for you in your log. My Samsung Gear S2 didn't do that and both parties refused to integrate so it's just a watch now.

    Whatever you choose, the important things to consider are:
    1) What apps you'll be using the tracker with
    2) what apps SUPPORT your tracker, and if so, how (automatic logging, or are you expected to do everything manually?)
    3) Does it do everything you want? Track sleep, HR, GPS, pedometer, etc etc.
    4) Battery life - do you have to charge it every night?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    beth17202mvp wrote: »
    Basically I don't want to wear my phone on me every time i take a step somewhere. So I'd like something that is going to track my steps, calories burned, distance, and I'd like one to monitor my sleep. I bought something similar to the fit bit however it was not compatible with my phone version. With that said, do all the suggestions that are being made link to MFP for your daily exercise log?

    What is your daily activity like, and what is your workouts, and how much time?

    They can all be decent, then again you could have usage type that makes some a whole lot better and some much worse for calorie estimates.

    Most do not sync exercise from that account over to MFP - they sync daily calorie burn, MFP then does math with that to decide how much more you burned then it expected you to - then you get an increase.

    You merely make a wall post about your workout to tell your friend's list.


    For workouts, if you did mainly lifting and non-steady state aerobic type (intervals) - then HR-based calorie burn would be inflated.
    Then again, if you only did that 3 x 30 min weekly and are very active daily - no big whoop.
    If 6 x 45 min - perhaps big deal if your day is very sedentary.

    If you do a job with lots of standing and no steps, badly underinflated.
    If lots of hand motions in job or daily that are seen as light steps because on wrist, then inaccurate steps, and possibly short distance seen for small extra calorie burn.
    If lots of walking with wrist unit but you are pushing a cart, then inaccurate steps and badly underestimated.

    If HR is not read accurately, and you do intense cardio for hours weekly, then may get underestimated calorie burn because your higher HR is missed.

    If lower HR is read correctly, but you have some medical reason or perhaps just HR goes up doing easy daily stuff - then inflated calorie burn.

    Daily easy activity is better measured by steps.

    So for potentially average person, semi-active through day, desk job, workouts decent amount of time and right type - most will be accurate.

    But some people can hit all those things above wrong and get some bad estimates because of extremes from average they are counting on.
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