which fitness tracker(watch) to get?

misscola
misscola Posts: 40 Member
edited May 2017 in Getting Started
reading endless reviews online, can't seems to pinpoint to any.

activities: workout mostly eg. t25, occasional running (3-5km), zumba once a week (60min), at times swimming (30laps)

HR monitoring seems like a must for me, be great if i can bring it into a pool but no biggie. and i most definitely bring my hp around for music during my activities.

any suggestions? garmin?fitbit alpha HR? ua band?!

Replies

  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    I love my Garmin Vivoactive HR, great for logging cardio, weights, walking/running and swimming. Main selling points for me were it being waterproof/logging swimming lengths and the GPS being in-built rather than relying on a phone via bluetooth and draining both batteries.

    Garmin Customer services are very quick and helpful to deal with - had an issue with syncing just after an update but was sorted straight away.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    I like my Garmin Vivoactive HR as well. Seems real accurate for the calorie burn for cardio (based on how I've lost weight). And being waterproof instead of just water resistant was a big issue for me, for fishing.
  • samhennings
    samhennings Posts: 441 Member
    I have a Xiaomi Mi2 band, its unbelievable value.
  • BaddS4
    BaddS4 Posts: 302 Member
    I'm still partial to Fitbit.. I've had good luck with them and I'll probably stick with them. As well, their customer service is excellent..
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    misscola wrote: »
    activities: workout mostly eg. t25, occasional running (3-5km), zumba once a week (60min), at times swimming (30laps)

    Some of the better fitness trackers will be able to give you good calorie estimates for running, but, for the rest of it, they'll be like rolling dice.
  • anaxmann
    anaxmann Posts: 103 Member
    I have really enjoyed my Misfit Shine, and it is waterproof. No HR monitor though... Their customer service is good and I don't have to remember to plug it in every day; I already plug enough stuff in every night. I just wear it until I get the low battery warning, then put in a new watch battery.
  • Sunna_W
    Sunna_W Posts: 744 Member
    I just got the FitBit HR (from Amazon) and the interface seems easy to use and I like the rubber "watch" band; it's secure. I have to switch it from one wrist to the other one every day (due to irritation) and be aware if you are using it to track sleep / HR while asleep, the light from the device is *really* bright and I am aware of it, if the cloth I sleep with over my eyes slips. (I am extra sensitive to noise and light while I sleep).

    It tracks my steps and counts scrubbing dishes as cardio so I am good with that. You have to stride / swing your arms to obtain better measurements I am told - but I just got it as a HR monitor and pedometer.

    I synced it to my iMAC desk top and find that the dashboard is very easy to read that way.

    Yes! I got the two year additional warranty and the screen protector.

    BTW - UA nickles and dimes you to death. You get no break on "premium" upgrades to either MFP or FitBit if you purchase both. I am still trying to figure out what I may be missing by not buying into the FitBit premium app.

    Finally - check out the "How to" on MFP before you buy to save yourself aggravation when syncing.


    Here is a fairly accurate review:
    https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/11/15257484/fitbit-alta-hr-review-fitness-tracker-band
    https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/06/fitbit-alta-hr-review/
    http://www.macworld.com/article/3184908/consumer-electronics/fitbit-alta-hr-review-the-best-fitness-tracker-for-most-people.html
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
    I had many fitbits, and they all died in less than a year. They will replace them for about a year for free.

    I liked many aspects of them. They are affordable, very easy to use, have great customer support (for a year), great software (phone and web), good for monitoring incidental steps, walking, running, or hiking. Even worked for the elliptical. Not good for cycling, swimming, or weightlifting.

    I'm tempted by a higher-end Garmin like the 920XT "Triathlete" watch, but it's a complex beast.
  • misscola
    misscola Posts: 40 Member
    thanks all for ur input!

    i'm looking at garmin vivoactive HR and vivosmart HR+..

    anyone used both bef? comfort level etc.. vivosmart doesn't hv swim mode, but does give spd etc, good enough ?
  • misscola
    misscola Posts: 40 Member
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    I love my Garmin Vivoactive HR, great for logging cardio, weights, walking/running and swimming. Main selling points for me were it being waterproof/logging swimming lengths and the GPS being in-built rather than relying on a phone via bluetooth and draining both batteries.

    Garmin Customer services are very quick and helpful to deal with - had an issue with syncing just after an update but was sorted straight away.

    is it comfortable? to wear to sleep etc. vivosmart hr plus is slimmer, contemplating btwn the two
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,129 Member
    misscola wrote: »
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    I love my Garmin Vivoactive HR, great for logging cardio, weights, walking/running and swimming. Main selling points for me were it being waterproof/logging swimming lengths and the GPS being in-built rather than relying on a phone via bluetooth and draining both batteries.

    Garmin Customer services are very quick and helpful to deal with - had an issue with syncing just after an update but was sorted straight away.

    is it comfortable? to wear to sleep etc. vivosmart hr plus is slimmer, contemplating btwn the two

    Yeah the Vivoactive is fairly comfortable, it is quite big, but I go against the Garmin advice and wear it on the inside of my wrist (they advise not doing this but it's not made any difference to me).

    This might help with comparing the two you are considering http://www.activestride.com.au/infographic-product-comparison-garmin-vivoactive-vs-hr-vivosmart-hr
  • BruinsGal_91
    BruinsGal_91 Posts: 1,400 Member
    DC Rainmaker does excellent in-depth reviews of all the fitness trackers.

    https://www.dcrainmaker.com/product-reviews/garmin
  • misscola
    misscola Posts: 40 Member
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    misscola wrote: »
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    I love my Garmin Vivoactive HR, great for logging cardio, weights, walking/running and swimming. Main selling points for me were it being waterproof/logging swimming lengths and the GPS being in-built rather than relying on a phone via bluetooth and draining both batteries.

    Garmin Customer services are very quick and helpful to deal with - had an issue with syncing just after an update but was sorted straight away.

    is it comfortable? to wear to sleep etc. vivosmart hr plus is slimmer, contemplating btwn the two

    Yeah the Vivoactive is fairly comfortable, it is quite big, but I go against the Garmin advice and wear it on the inside of my wrist (they advise not doing this but it's not made any difference to me).

    This might help with comparing the two you are considering http://www.activestride.com.au/infographic-product-comparison-garmin-vivoactive-vs-hr-vivosmart-hr


    awesome! the infographic was really useful. kinda know what i want already. thank you!
  • misscola
    misscola Posts: 40 Member
    BruinsGal_91 wrote: »
    DC Rainmaker does excellent in-depth reviews of all the fitness trackers.

    https://www.dcrainmaker.com/product-reviews/garmin

    wow that's helpful. thanks!
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    tinkerbellang83 wrote: »
    This might help with comparing the two you are considering http://www.activestride.com.au/infographic-product-comparison-garmin-vivoactive-vs-hr-vivosmart-hr

    Sounds like it won't matter to the OP, but this kind of glosses over the fact that the vivoactive can't use power meter sensors for cycling. While that won't matter to most people, that fact can be hugely important for some.
  • amandallee
    amandallee Posts: 40 Member
    samhennings wrote: »
    I have a Xiaomi Mi2 band, its unbelievable value.

    I use the Xiaomi for band 2 but I can't get an accurate step count onto MFP. I synced it through Apple Health app since it doesn't sync directly to MFP but the steps on the watch itself never match the steps that are synced to MFP. Is there a way around this??
  • Rufftimes
    Rufftimes Posts: 349 Member
    Surprised nobody likes the Samsung Gear fit 2? digging mine

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