Is the Fitbit worth it?

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Replies

  • EllaLynn24
    EllaLynn24 Posts: 14 Member
    I have the fitbit blaze, I really love it. Although, I hate how uncomfortable the wristband is, so I'm thinking about getting a zip to wear on days that I don't feel like dealing with the wristband bothering me, at least until I can find a better wristband for it. I've noticed the fitbit counts steps if I'm laying in bed or sitting in the chair moving my arm around, so I have to remember that when figuring out how many steps I did. I love the features that it has though, like the heart rate, sleep tracking, alerts and reminders, and whatnot. It's a pretty cool device and I don't regret having one.
  • gailsy619
    gailsy619 Posts: 5 Member
    Love my fitbit Blaze...
  • erockem
    erockem Posts: 278 Member
    HaleCry wrote: »
    I've got the Alta, and I absolutely love it. I love seeing how my sleep pattern is, I love text and call buzzes (I have my phone constantly on silent so it's helpful), I love being in challenges and being motivated to get more steps in to beat people. I love the feeling I get when I reach my step goal. I love my fitbit. It cost me about £100 but to me, it was 110% worth it.

    This, except I have the flex, going on 3 years.
  • kelleykelcox
    kelleykelcox Posts: 14 Member
    I have the Charge HR, and LOVE it for the reasons that others have said, and I love the challenges between FitBit friends-this always pushes me to be more active. I have to have the heart rate feature-it's what I love most about FitBit.
  • Ming1951
    Ming1951 Posts: 514 Member
    Just so people know, if your looking basic the zip, which is the one that clips to you is $59. full price. That is what I paid. As for customer service there is no better than fitbit in my opinion. While I ,mostly like Apple products..once their warranty is over they really have no interest in you. Fitbit helps you.
  • Richie2shoes
    Richie2shoes Posts: 411 Member
    I felt the same way as you. However this past summer I had cardiac bypass surgery and it's important that I monitor my HR when exercising so I bought a Garmin Vivosmart HR. The HR monitor is great, but the step/activity tracking has really motivated me to push myself harder. Like others have said, I was surprised at how little I was walking. There are other brands other than Fitbit and other price points. The Garmin Vivofit is $49 on Amazon, the fitbit clip on model is $59. I tried using regular pedometers in the past, but would always lose them or they would end up going through the washing machine.
  • ibboykin
    ibboykin Posts: 97 Member
    If it weren't for being enrolled in the Humana Vitality program thru my work, I probably never would have purchased one. However, hindsight being 20/20, I would say it is great because it helps keep me from being sedentary. I am competitive by nature so the challenges and daily step goals keep me rolling.
  • norah1414
    norah1414 Posts: 3 Member
    I love my fitbit and the company is great. I have damaged mine twice and company replaced them with no problem. (Different types, one was a flex and the other a charge) One time they accidentally sent me they wrong one. It was an upgrade to what I had. They honored their mistake and sent all of the needed charging cables too. I also damaged the charge hr and decided that I might give up using a fitbit. I went about a month and could stand it. So now I have a charge 2 and am back on track. I love to know my steps for a day and the competitive side of me want to keep up or beat my friends. For me it is great motivation. It is an investment up front though.
  • oalharbi
    oalharbi Posts: 4 Member
    I had a FitBit Flex, and it overcounts your daily steps, not to mention the cheap quality. Try swinging your arm while sitting and you'll see the proof. Now I own a Polar M400 with a HRM belt and I love it.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    I love my fitbit and pretty much depend on it for eat back calories since all of my exercises are step based. It may or may not be accurate right off the bat, but you could tweak the calorie burn by eating all your extra calories then playing with the stride length until your actual weight loss matches your predicted weight loss.

    It's also very helpful for spotting activity trends. For example, on days where my exercise is higher in intensity I tend to move less during the rest of the day. (average 6000 steps on no activity days and high intensity days vs 10,000 steps on low-moderate intensity days). Fitbit helped me recognize this and somewhat mitigate it by doing any high intensity work in the evening. Apparently, I also take more work breaks when I'm stressed.

    Before buying it I was of the opinion that any old $2 mechanical pedometer would do for simple step tracking, or just a step counting phone app. I was wrong. For a data junkie this is information heaven and sky's the limit for what you can do with that data. The convenience of automatic sync and device size is also a plus. I'm usually wary of gimmicks and mindless wasting of money, but this is a gimmick I can get behind. Can you lose weight without one? Absolutely! Would it contribute to your weight loss enough to be worth the price? That's harder to answer, it depends on how much you personally get out of using it. Could be worth it, could be not.
  • ClosetBayesian
    ClosetBayesian Posts: 836 Member
    I got a Jawbone3 about two months ago. Best thing I ever did. I had no idea how sedentary I actually was (just over 4,000 steps per day on average at the time I got it). It was a huge wake-up call. Now that I'm making a conscious effort to move more, I notice the difference - I sleep better, and I'm losing weight again. The Jawbone 3 also attempts to track sleep (it does so by monitoring how much you move at night, combined with your heart rate). Jawbone still needs to work the kinks out of this feature: it's not wonderfully accurate, but again, it gave me a clue. One of the things I noticed was on the nights where I drink - even just two glasses of wine - my heart rate during sleep was much higher than my normal heart rate, which could have been affecting the quality of my sleep (which is lousy to begin with). It definitely led to some lifestyle changes, which have led to me being much healthier overall.
  • not_my_first_rodeo
    not_my_first_rodeo Posts: 311 Member
    I've been a Fitbit user for a couple of years now. I started with the Zip, but after having issues with battery drain, got their customer service to prorate the cost of the Zip toward the Fitbit One. It's fairly basic, but it works really well for me. I sync it with the app on my phone.

    As far as accuracy, I was having an issue, but found the instructions for adjusting stride length and it's worked great ever since.

    I think you could probably just buy a pedometer if that's what you want. There are also apps for smartphones. But if you decide on a fitibit,before you buy from a big box store, I would check your options online. Quite often they're cheaper than they are in a brick-and-mortar store.
  • MiniMansell1964
    MiniMansell1964 Posts: 188 Member
    i had 4 that all suffered failures. broken straps and bubbling mainly

    they are very badly made. google for fitbit strap bubbles.
  • _NMW
    _NMW Posts: 30 Member
    I don't have a Fitbit but I do have a Garmin Forerunner 35 - only had since Friday, but it has really helped to push me. I don't use it to monitor my steps or sleep, instead I use it during my workouts to push me harder and make me actually WANT to go to the gym.
  • Susanlove316
    Susanlove316 Posts: 28 Member
    I have a Polar A360 and I can monitor my heart rate with it through the wrist band. I got it second hand (never opened) on Amazon to replace a Polar Loop I had gotten there second hand also, which I passed on to my husband. I LOVE it and it keeps me motivated. You can choose your activity and track it and your heart rate to get more out of your workouts, along with sleep, and steps. It has definitely motivated me and helped me track calories burned by workouts, and overall activity, plus I have a goal for steps daily. I think it helps me maintain my weight like never before. I would actually hate to be without it. I actually had a nightmare that I lost it! You can compare prices on all the different ones. You can compare reviews on Amazon which is very helpful whether you buy from them or not. It is actually my 3rd Polar with each one being an upgrade from the first, and Polars customer service is great.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    SCoil123 wrote: »
    oalharbi wrote: »
    I had a FitBit Flex, and it overcounts your daily steps, not to mention the cheap quality. Try swinging your arm while sitting and you'll see the proof. Now I own a Polar M400 with a HRM belt and I love it.

    I've heard people say this and have tried to trick mine swinging my arms (basically tried cheating in challenges) but it didnt work. My flex has been very accurate.

    Same here. I don't get that arm swinging thing.
  • i6Shot
    i6Shot Posts: 51 Member
    Recent research / study suggests that people that wear fitbits or other devices lose less weight than those that don't use them. Don't have the link and I haven't read the research.

    The theory behind it could be that those that track their steps and know they have burned x calories (debateable to know because it is closed source calculations) then those people are more likely to eat back those calories that have supposedly been burnt. Of course that x number is only an estimation.

    It could also suggest that those that buy these devices are looking for something to tell them they have done well whereas those that workout without them do so because they are driven to do it.

    People love them because they are the new thing and they look cool. All for show. I think it was this time last year when fitbit were in trouble because the information it was supplying with regards to the HR was incorrect yet people that had already bought them weren't returning them because (and I'm paraphrasing from memory) "it has other functions that I use etc....". Seems to be a waste of money.
  • BrunetteRunner87
    BrunetteRunner87 Posts: 591 Member
    I used to use fitbit zip, I used it for about 3 years and it was great to see how active (or inactive) I was. It was also fun to do challenges with friends. I have since switched to using a Garmin Forerunner 235 which tracks my heart rate as well as is a GPS for running or cycling or whatever I'm doing (I'm sure fitbit has something similar). Not only do I see how active or inactive I am during the day but I can see if I'm not pushing myself hard enough or too hard during exercise. I don't really pay attention to the number of steps or calories burned daily anymore but it's been a really good way to track my stats over the long term. And, it tells the time right there on my wrist!

    So yes it was over $300 but it was more than just paying $300 for a pedometer. And since I used a fitbit zip for 3 years, I can honestly say I didn't use it because it was the "new" thing and I wore it inside my jeans pocket so nobody saw it and it didn't look cool to anyone.
  • typeitdaily
    typeitdaily Posts: 3,322 Member
    Love my fitbit zip, the most basic one. I think it is like $40 or $50 on aamazon. The fitbit challenges with my friends keep me moving!
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    edited November 2016
    i6Shot wrote: »
    Recent research / study suggests that people that wear fitbits or other devices lose less weight than those that don't use them. Don't have the link and I haven't read the research.

    Highly unlikely. More likely that you read a headline with an agenda.

    On average, people willing to spend money on tracking their movement are more likely to be committed to the weightloss process and to be taking other proactive positive steps toward weightloss. Which is going to introduce a huge sampling bias into your study. Plus you get to factor in the fact that people who can afford such a device are, on average, going to be more likely to be able to afford gym memberships, a wider variety of fresh produce, more meat and fish, etc. None of which are essential for weightloss but all of which make it easier.

    So, you have a study that's already biased toward the opposite outcome than the one you're suggesting before you even start looking at the effect of the device itself. Not buying your "study".
  • jayeless
    jayeless Posts: 30 Member
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    i6Shot wrote: »
    Recent research / study suggests that people that wear fitbits or other devices lose less weight than those that don't use them. Don't have the link and I haven't read the research.

    Highly unlikely. More likely that you read a headline with an agenda.

    On average, people willing to spend money on tracking their movement are more likely to be committed to the weightloss process and to be taking other proactive positive steps toward weightloss. Which is going to introduce a huge sampling bias into your study. Plus you get to factor in the fact that people who can afford such a device are, on average, going to be more likely to be able to afford gym memberships, a wider variety of fresh produce, more meat and fish, etc. None of which are essential for weightloss but all of which make it easier.

    So, you have a study that's already biased toward the opposite outcome than the one you're suggesting before you even start looking at the effect of the device itself. Not buying your "study".

    If it's the study I read about, they compared people who used fitness trackers (but didn't necessarily track what they ate) to people who calorie counted. They found that the calorie counters lost slightly more weight (in the realm of 1-2kg iirc) over the course of the study (which might have been three months). There was no group of people who calorie counted AND used a fitness tracker. My memory is a bit hazy but if it's accurate, I'm not really surprised that calorie counting won out.
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    jayeless wrote: »
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    i6Shot wrote: »
    Recent research / study suggests that people that wear fitbits or other devices lose less weight than those that don't use them. Don't have the link and I haven't read the research.

    Highly unlikely. More likely that you read a headline with an agenda.

    On average, people willing to spend money on tracking their movement are more likely to be committed to the weightloss process and to be taking other proactive positive steps toward weightloss. Which is going to introduce a huge sampling bias into your study. Plus you get to factor in the fact that people who can afford such a device are, on average, going to be more likely to be able to afford gym memberships, a wider variety of fresh produce, more meat and fish, etc. None of which are essential for weightloss but all of which make it easier.

    So, you have a study that's already biased toward the opposite outcome than the one you're suggesting before you even start looking at the effect of the device itself. Not buying your "study".

    If it's the study I read about, they compared people who used fitness trackers (but didn't necessarily track what they ate) to people who calorie counted. They found that the calorie counters lost slightly more weight (in the realm of 1-2kg iirc) over the course of the study (which might have been three months). There was no group of people who calorie counted AND used a fitness tracker. My memory is a bit hazy but if it's accurate, I'm not really surprised that calorie counting won out.

    That result sounds logical, but a *good* study would have included two more groups - one that used a fitness tracker *and* counted calories, and one that did neither. Because, yes, it comes as no surprise that tracking intake is more useful than tracking output. But tracking intake only is unlikely to be better than tracking both.
  • jayeless
    jayeless Posts: 30 Member
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    jayeless wrote: »
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    i6Shot wrote: »
    Recent research / study suggests that people that wear fitbits or other devices lose less weight than those that don't use them. Don't have the link and I haven't read the research.

    Highly unlikely. More likely that you read a headline with an agenda.

    On average, people willing to spend money on tracking their movement are more likely to be committed to the weightloss process and to be taking other proactive positive steps toward weightloss. Which is going to introduce a huge sampling bias into your study. Plus you get to factor in the fact that people who can afford such a device are, on average, going to be more likely to be able to afford gym memberships, a wider variety of fresh produce, more meat and fish, etc. None of which are essential for weightloss but all of which make it easier.

    So, you have a study that's already biased toward the opposite outcome than the one you're suggesting before you even start looking at the effect of the device itself. Not buying your "study".

    If it's the study I read about, they compared people who used fitness trackers (but didn't necessarily track what they ate) to people who calorie counted. They found that the calorie counters lost slightly more weight (in the realm of 1-2kg iirc) over the course of the study (which might have been three months). There was no group of people who calorie counted AND used a fitness tracker. My memory is a bit hazy but if it's accurate, I'm not really surprised that calorie counting won out.

    That result sounds logical, but a *good* study would have included two more groups - one that used a fitness tracker *and* counted calories, and one that did neither. Because, yes, it comes as no surprise that tracking intake is more useful than tracking output. But tracking intake only is unlikely to be better than tracking both.

    Yup, agreed. Overall it seemed like a bit of a poorly-designed study - or the kind of study you might design if you had a vendetta against fitness trackers :wink: The article I read didn't stop me buying one!
  • Kamikazeflutterby
    Kamikazeflutterby Posts: 770 Member
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    jayeless wrote: »
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    i6Shot wrote: »
    Recent research / study suggests that people that wear fitbits or other devices lose less weight than those that don't use them. Don't have the link and I haven't read the research.

    Highly unlikely. More likely that you read a headline with an agenda.

    On average, people willing to spend money on tracking their movement are more likely to be committed to the weightloss process and to be taking other proactive positive steps toward weightloss. Which is going to introduce a huge sampling bias into your study. Plus you get to factor in the fact that people who can afford such a device are, on average, going to be more likely to be able to afford gym memberships, a wider variety of fresh produce, more meat and fish, etc. None of which are essential for weightloss but all of which make it easier.

    So, you have a study that's already biased toward the opposite outcome than the one you're suggesting before you even start looking at the effect of the device itself. Not buying your "study".

    If it's the study I read about, they compared people who used fitness trackers (but didn't necessarily track what they ate) to people who calorie counted. They found that the calorie counters lost slightly more weight (in the realm of 1-2kg iirc) over the course of the study (which might have been three months). There was no group of people who calorie counted AND used a fitness tracker. My memory is a bit hazy but if it's accurate, I'm not really surprised that calorie counting won out.

    That result sounds logical, but a *good* study would have included two more groups - one that used a fitness tracker *and* counted calories, and one that did neither. Because, yes, it comes as no surprise that tracking intake is more useful than tracking output. But tracking intake only is unlikely to be better than tracking both.

    NPR had this article on fitness trackers. It links to some different studies that may be the ones you guys read.

    Spoiler alert: Though it said the fitness devices did not seem to aid weight loss, one researcher said that "these devices are most effective when the people using them are already dedicated to tracking their fitness. People who are less motivated might not get the same results." This is a fair point.

    Think about the difference between buying something to motivate you to lose weight, and buying something because you're motivated to lose weight.
  • Ming1951
    Ming1951 Posts: 514 Member
    Whatever the case...I love my fitbit and for me it has made me more active, when I was without it i just didn't have the motivation. I personally like seeing how much I move or not. I like to challenge myself. No one knows I wear it either. So I guess its all about me, which is why I want to get healthier anyway.
  • amberlyda1
    amberlyda1 Posts: 154 Member
    I have the Garmin version. It was less expensive. It does not track heart rate, but I looked the fitbit reviews there were very split oppinions about the accuracy of the HR in the fitbit. For me personally I decided to forgo the HR until the technology is a little more accurate. The Garmin still syncs up with myfitnesspal and it gives me a more realistic account for my daily activities. For me it does encourage me to get out that little bit extra most days

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