Fitbit Charge 2 or Garmin Vivosmart HR+
natruallycurious
Posts: 359 Member
Hey everyone. I am looking for advice on if you would recommend the Charge 2 or the Vivosmart HR+. Has anyone had both and preferred one over the other? I currently have the Fitbit Charge HR, and like it quite a bit. I'm thinking about staying with Fitbit because I like how user friendly the app is, and I've already become friends with people on there. I also like the interchangeable bands, because I think the leather bands would be great for the office. I also like the overall design better. Reasons I'm considering the Garmin include built-in GPS, not just connected, and the ability to control your music on the band. What do you guys think? Thanks!
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I recently (well 3months ago) purchased a Fitbit.. I am not sure if it was the charge 2 but I think it was.. I lasted 24hrs before I took it back and got a Garmin Vivosmart HR+ I felt like the app I had on my old samsung was better than the Fitbit. But I love the Garmin.. its so handy. I can track anything on this thing.. I use it in conjunction with an arm HR Monitor that my Gym has an app for. I use that for the Team Fitness classes so my Trainer can monitor my activity and I also run my Garmin and have that synced with here. So far I absolutely love it... but I have heard that ppl also love the Fitbit.. I just didn't find that the Fitbit did as much tbh but that could just be that I didn't give it enough time.
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If you do any exercise beyond walking, the Garmin is probably a better choice for you.1
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I recently (well 3months ago) purchased a Fitbit.. I am not sure if it was the charge 2 but I think it was.. I lasted 24hrs before I took it back and got a Garmin Vivosmart HR+ I felt like the app I had on my old samsung was better than the Fitbit. But I love the Garmin.. its so handy. I can track anything on this thing.. I use it in conjunction with an arm HR Monitor that my Gym has an app for. I use that for the Team Fitness classes so my Trainer can monitor my activity and I also run my Garmin and have that synced with here. So far I absolutely love it... but I have heard that ppl also love the Fitbit.. I just didn't find that the Fitbit did as much tbh but that could just be that I didn't give it enough time.
Thank you! Would you say that the Garmin has been pretty accurate when you've used it? I've seen reviews that said it can be off by quite a bit until you custom match your stride, and then that it is normally very accurate. Just curious what your experience has been!0 -
From what my trainer told me they are all a bit off.. I find it to be higher on the cardio cal burn than my HR monitor that's hooked up to the gym. But that being said I generally start my warmup 15mins before class and then stay on the treadmill another 5mins after it ends.. where my HR monitor is set to go at the beginning of class...so IDK. As a rule I think if you match them up etc to your Zones they are not too bad. I had my Metabolic assessment which is where you wear the mask and go on the treadmill. They told me my zones etc for specific fat burning and such. So I plugged that into my Garmin so it should be kind of accurate.. but in all honesty I think they are all off.. its a guestimate I think for the most of them. But I think the Garmins are probably just a bit better. It tracks my calorie burn on most activities... maps it with gps etc and has some nifty features.
In my experience if you are in the gym a fair bit and take a varied class/workout I would definitely go with the Garmin.
Not sure I answered your question fully.. but I think on the whole the Garmin is set up to be more accurate. But you do need to plug in your info.. and would be even better if you could do your metabolic assessment and plug that in too.1 -
khenik6064 wrote: »I recently (well 3months ago) purchased a Fitbit.. I am not sure if it was the charge 2 but I think it was.. I lasted 24hrs before I took it back and got a Garmin Vivosmart HR+ I felt like the app I had on my old samsung was better than the Fitbit. But I love the Garmin.. its so handy. I can track anything on this thing.. I use it in conjunction with an arm HR Monitor that my Gym has an app for. I use that for the Team Fitness classes so my Trainer can monitor my activity and I also run my Garmin and have that synced with here. So far I absolutely love it... but I have heard that ppl also love the Fitbit.. I just didn't find that the Fitbit did as much tbh but that could just be that I didn't give it enough time.
Thank you! Would you say that the Garmin has been pretty accurate when you've used it? I've seen reviews that said it can be off by quite a bit until you custom match your stride, and then that it is normally very accurate. Just curious what your experience has been!
The particular Garmin you are looking at (VSHR) has an issue in that it will double count calorie burns if you use the activities function. So if you turn on the activity "walk" and record calories from it, you will also get the calories from the steps taken.
It doesn't seem to affect everyone, it's fine if you don't use the activities and it isn't the same with their products. I gave up on my VSHR and have a VivoActive HR now. It works much better.1 -
How do you tell if its double counting your steps along with the activity? I have the vivosmart is there a way to tell?
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How do you tell if its double counting your steps along with the activity? I have the vivosmart is there a way to tell?
Thanks
The snag i see is that Tacklewasher keeps talking about this, then says the VivoActiveHR resolves the issue. With respect to activity reconciliation they both work in exactly the same way. Essentially the VivoActiveHR is based on the VivoSmartHR.
The other aspect is that when you're talking about walking what's actually important is the steps taken, not the HR. An elevated estimate is more likely to be about how the tool is used.
Fwiw I've had a VivoSmartHR for about a year, although now use a Forerunner 735XT. While i used a Forerunner 210XT for proper exercise i have tried to replicate what's reported with the VivoSmartHR but never been able to.2 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »The particular Garmin you are looking at (VSHR) has an issue in that it will double count calorie burns if you use the activities function.
I doubt this very much. That would be a fatal flaw, and customers would (rightfully) howl. Garmin would be forced to correct the problem in short order.
There may have been a bug at some point where this was possible under the right circumstances, but I'm sure it can't be the normal function of the device.1 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »
The particular Garmin you are looking at (VSHR) has an issue in that it will double count calorie burns if you use the activities function. So if you turn on the activity "walk" and record calories from it, you will also get the calories from the steps taken.
It doesn't seem to affect everyone, it's fine if you don't use the activities and it isn't the same with their products. I gave up on my VSHR and have a VivoActive HR now. It works much better.
Mine doesn't I walk first thing in the morning. Yesterday I walked 6km using the activity function and had a negative calorie adjustment through MFP until after lunch and I did further steps. At the end of the day I had 550 calories for the activity and only 156 for the rest of my step so there is no way they were double counted otherwise I would have been way ahead of the 2500ish steps that MFP needs to go into a positive adjustment after my walk.
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I have a vivosmart HR+ and I LOVE it. When I was in the market for a fitness tracker, I researched and read reviews for both VSHR and Fitbit - whatever the equivalent model is.. I forget at the moment. 2 of the biggest criticisms for both: Garmin - not as attractive, Fitbit - not as accurate if you workout with high intensity. Obviously, I went for Garmin.
It's pretty accurate with my burns for activities as well as daily. I also have a forerunner with the HR strap. I like that one as it's running specific, but the Vivo is easier to use. It's also great on runs, clear/easy to read/acquires satellites quickly (I lived in a big city).
I will definitely get another Garmin when I'm ready for an upgrade. It's not as pretty or flashy as a fitbit, but it serves me well. You get used to how it looks and fit eventually.1 -
When faced with the same decision a month ago, I ended up choosing the Garmin because it is waterproof. I don't swim much, but I've had more than one cellphone die when it fell in a bucket of water. A waterproof device is a better choice for me.2
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I have a vivosmart HR+ and I LOVE it. When I was in the market for a fitness tracker, I researched and read reviews for both VSHR and Fitbit - whatever the equivalent model is.. I forget at the moment. 2 of the biggest criticisms for both: Garmin - not as attractive, Fitbit - not as accurate if you workout with high intensity. Obviously, I went for Garmin.
It's pretty accurate with my burns for activities as well as daily. I also have a forerunner with the HR strap. I like that one as it's running specific, but the Vivo is easier to use. It's also great on runs, clear/easy to read/acquires satellites quickly (I lived in a big city).
I will definitely get another Garmin when I'm ready for an upgrade. It's not as pretty or flashy as a fitbit, but it serves me well. You get used to how it looks and fit eventually.
Thank you for sharing your experience!! This pushes me a little more towards the Garmin!0 -
Something to consider: I got my Garmin "certified refurbished." Was a little over $100 off, same warranty, and works just fine. Given it was my first activity tracker and I assumed they come out with upgrades often -- I have Garmin devices that I have used only for running, but nothing I ever wore 24/7 -- I tried a refurbished one. Works great and I get all sorts of bells and whistles at the entry-level model price.
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I think Garmin is waterproof whereas fitbit charge 2 is not, so something to consider if you spend time underwater?0
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michellebirtleeds wrote: »When faced with the same decision a month ago, I ended up choosing the Garmin because it is waterproof. I don't swim much, but I've had more than one cellphone die when it fell in a bucket of water. A waterproof device is a better choice for me.
yep and having to remove my fitbit daily before a shower is annoying!0 -
I am shopping too. I am leaning toward Garmin 1) it has a more sensitive built in gps. with charge 2, I would have to have my phone. I run under trees a lot, and I hike, so Garmin is more important to me that way. 2) it is waterproof. With kayaking and swimming, it would be great to be able to track.....The BIG problem I see with Garmin is the bulkiness. I am a nurse. I am constantly putting on gloves. I don't know if I could even put them on over a Garmin. I may order both through REI and try them both out.0
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@c2sky
Some Garmins will keep a record of how far you move with every paddle stroke when you kayak, and can display it in real time. Obviously they'll track distance by GPS, and give you a map.
If you get one with the breadcrumb trail and can add waypoints, you can use it for navigation on the water too.
That's a Fenix 3, which would be too big for you from the sound of it. But they have lots of watches with those features.1
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