Recommended activity trackers, please

serindipte
serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
edited November 14 in Fitness and Exercise
I've never used an activity tracker and would like some first-hand suggestions on which to invest in. Pros? Cons? Any you hated for some reason?

Thank you in advance!!

Replies

  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited January 2017
    It's really going to depend upon how many bells & whistles you want. what your exercise is, what you expect it to do.

    My experience: FitBit One
    Pros:
    My cardio is step based so it works well for me.
    Not on my wrist, so it doesn't count steps when I'm driving & does count steps when I'm pushing a shopping cart
    Clips to my bra - discreet
    Counts stairs
    Tracks sleep

    Cons:
    Small - I've washed mine. Came out okay....I think I got lucky
    No HRM - okay for me because my steady state cardio is not a ton & it's step based anyway. HRMs don't estimate calories well for strength, yoga, circuit, hiit, etc. But maybe you want a HRM for tracking fitness...not calories.
    No nag feature to let me know when I've been sitting too long

    http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/feature/gadget/best-fitbit-2017-which-fitbit-is-best-buy-3501231/
  • Spencerport
    Spencerport Posts: 270 Member
    For a basic tracker I'd recommend the Garmin Vivofit. It's waterproof and uses watch batteries, so doesnt need to be recharged.
  • Zarka_91
    Zarka_91 Posts: 99 Member
    Fitbits or the Xiaomi Mi band which is relatively cheaper compared to the fitbit.
  • CookerDude
    CookerDude Posts: 2 Member
    I've had a couple of fitbits (basic and HR) but they seem to stop accurately tracking heart rate as soon as I get a good sweat on, which kind of defeats the purpose. I've tried changing positions, tightness, etc. So I'm interested to hear if others have suggestions for alternatives that track heartbeat while sweating. Mind you, my Garmin on my mountain bike that uses a chest strap does the same thing. Maybe I just sweat too much
  • rachelr1116
    rachelr1116 Posts: 334 Member
    I've used a Fitbit Zip and am currently using a Misfit Shine (the older one, there is a newer one out now).

    Fitbit Zip
    Pros:
    It's a small clip on tracker so it counts steps even when you're holding on to a shopping cart handle
    For me it seemed to be very accurate
    They're one of the cheapest trackers
    Uses a watch battery so doesn't have to be charged

    Cons:
    Doesn't track sleep or count stairs
    The battery doesn't seem to last very long, only a couple of months instead of the 6 that Fitbit advertises
    Not waterproof (not a big deal if you don't need a tracker when swimming, canoeing, etc)
    When cycling it will count bumps in the road as steps and greatly inflate your calories burned

    Misfit Shine
    Pros:
    Can be worn on your wrist, in your pocket, on your bra, or on your shoe
    Uses a watch battery so doesn't have to be charged
    Tracks sleep
    Has an "activity mode" that will let you track swimming, cycling, tennis, yoga, etc
    Waterproof
    Really inexpensive, you can get new ones on eBay for around $25

    Cons:
    I'm not sure how accurate the calorie burn estimates are
    It does not automatically sync with your phone, you have to manually sync it
    The community aspect is not as large as Fitbit's
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    Activity tracker as in step tracker, or activity tracker as in running/cycling/hiking?
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    ritzvin wrote: »
    Activity tracker as in step tracker, or activity tracker as in running/cycling/hiking?

    I'm looking for one that accumulates calories burned from whatever activity I may be involved in.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    serindipte wrote: »
    ritzvin wrote: »
    Activity tracker as in step tracker, or activity tracker as in running/cycling/hiking?

    I'm looking for one that accumulates calories burned from whatever activity I may be involved in.

    Activity trackers are best for step based activity - they are fancy pedometers

    Heart rate monitors are best at estimating calories for steady state cardio. They use only 1 algorithm; so tracking calories for other activities is not nearly as accurate.

    You want an activity tracker with a separate chest strap for measuring your heart rate. Wrist only HRMs are not as accurate as wrist only jobs.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    serindipte wrote: »
    ritzvin wrote: »
    Activity tracker as in step tracker, or activity tracker as in running/cycling/hiking?

    I'm looking for one that accumulates calories burned from whatever activity I may be involved in.

    Do you need one that can track a couple specific activities? Or a bunch?

    I've got a Garmin VivoActive HR and there is a long list of activities it can track. No snowshoeing for some reason, but skiing, cross country, walking, running, treadmill, weight, bike, gold (can download courses) and is pretty flexible. But is a bit more money. For straight running, there are better running watches. Gotta figure out how to use it for flyfishing.
This discussion has been closed.