Fitness Tracker options?

stargazerscribe
stargazerscribe Posts: 44 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Who uses a fitness tracker? What do you have and how do you like it?

Currently using the Fitbit clip, but I miss having continuous heart rate readings and sleep tracking. I was a lot more conscious about my workouts (running, biking, and weights) and how much I was eating (based on an accurate calorie burning readout). My first Garmin was great, then I got the Vivoactive 3 and it was an overpriced piece of innaccurate junk, so I returned it and have been having trouble picking one that's both reliable and accurate and DEFINITELY waterproof!

What do you recommend?

Replies

  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    Continuous HR readings are a marketing gimmick.

    Why are you going through fitness trackers so quickly? Based on your post you've had at least 3 or 4 in the last year or so.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    it really depends on what you want
    my vivosmart meets my needs. i'll get the active or sport when this one dies. i have found garmin products to be incredibly accurate
    i use the hr because of stress and medication. my drs have used my sleep data to help diagnose me with a sleeping disorder or two.
    i'm forgetful so i like the waterproof aspect.
    i like that garmin is established

    but if you are an apple person, that makes sense.

    fitbits are pretty and a nice generic items.

    there are many options, take the quizes, check out dcrainmakers reviews
  • stargazerscribe
    stargazerscribe Posts: 44 Member
    stanmann571 wrote: »
    Continuous HR readings are a marketing gimmick.

    Why are you going through fitness trackers so quickly? Based on your post you've had at least 3 or 4 in the last year or so.

    It wasn't a year
    But I had a vivosmart HR that stopped reading HR after 2 years so I bought a Vivoactive 3, which I returned after a week. I've had a Fitbit clip from work for a while so I just started using it 6 months ago while I looked for a better one.
  • robinbrooksparker
    robinbrooksparker Posts: 20 Member
    edited May 2018
    I use an Apple Watch. I love it! I’m doing the Maffetone Method and have had great success at improving my overall fitness. Although I do have to use a chest strap monitor during my runs. I have tiny veins and have always had issues
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    stargazerscribe wrote: »
    But I had a vivosmart HR that stopped reading HR after 2 years so I bought a Vivoactive 3, which I returned after a week.

    What makes you think it was inaccurate?

    Fwiw I use a Forerunner 735XT, but that's only really appropriate if you're doing a good volume of running and cycling.
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
    I have a Garmin Fenix 3 HR and love it. It has a continuous HRM and calculates calories burned 24 hours per day and calculates performance metrics, counts steps and stairs ascended, has GPS, tracks sleep, has an altimeter, barometer, and temp sensor, is waterproof to 100m so you can track swims, integrates with your phone through Bluetooth, and a lot of other functions. It has a long battery life and the associated phone app is easy to use. It also has customizable watch faces and you can change watch bands so it can coordinate with pretty much anything you wear (at work, social events, etc.)

    I think that exercise data keeps fitness interesting, I love seeing my stats after a workout, and yeah, if I didn't measure it digitally then it never happened...
  • Wiedzma_Agata
    Wiedzma_Agata Posts: 31 Member
    I went for Xiaomi Mi Band 2. Tracking fitness, burned calories, measuring your heartbeat and watching your sleep. Also with vibrating alarms and other funny extras. Paid around £16 and it is really good. Check the reviews on Google. I am a happy bunny :D
  • stargazerscribe
    stargazerscribe Posts: 44 Member
    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    stargazerscribe wrote: »
    But I had a vivosmart HR that stopped reading HR after 2 years so I bought a Vivoactive 3, which I returned after a week.

    What makes you think it was inaccurate?

    Fwiw I use a Forerunner 735XT, but that's only really appropriate if you're doing a good volume of running and cycling.


    I had an extra heart rate monitor attached to me at the time I was on a full out run and the Garmin was reading me stuck at 110 bpm when my heart rate was really 170 (and honestly you can tell the difference between 110 and 170 without needing an extra reader). That and it would disconnect when i stepped a few feet away from my phone and give me errors all the time. I like Garmin, but was just not a fan of the new glitchy one I bought.
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    I like my Fitbit charge 2 but it isn't waterproof. You might try the new ones, ionic and versa. Both are waterproof and I've heard good things about both.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    stargazerscribe wrote: »
    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    stargazerscribe wrote: »
    But I had a vivosmart HR that stopped reading HR after 2 years so I bought a Vivoactive 3, which I returned after a week.

    What makes you think it was inaccurate?

    Fwiw I use a Forerunner 735XT, but that's only really appropriate if you're doing a good volume of running and cycling.


    I had an extra heart rate monitor attached to me at the time I was on a full out run and the Garmin was reading me stuck at 110 bpm when my heart rate was really 170 (and honestly you can tell the difference between 110 and 170 without needing an extra reader). That and it would disconnect when i stepped a few feet away from my phone and give me errors all the time. I like Garmin, but was just not a fan of the new glitchy one I bought.

    Oh if that's all then the question really becomes whether you want a simple fitness tracker that has some sports capabilities, or a sports watch that has activity tracking. Given the cost of the VivoActive 3 is be going for a proper sports watch.
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
    I've had four fitbits and they all crapped out on me after a year. I have the Vivoactive 3 now and I love it. I'm surprised you didn't have luck with it. I'm a pretty serious semi-competitive athlete and think it's much more accurate than anything else I've owned.
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
    I like my fitbit charge hr. It does hr and sleep. I do not sleep well, so i like to track it. The charge2 is nice because it has replaceable bands.
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 Member
    I've got the Vivosmart HR and loving it.
  • melissa6771
    melissa6771 Posts: 894 Member
    I have the Fitbit versa, waterproof, lasts about 5 days on a charge, looks better than a band, heartrate seems pretty accurate so far. It might be overestimating my calorie burn for the day a but, but not by much if it is. I will know that better when I get to maintenance soon.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    stargazerscribe wrote: »
    MeanderingMammal wrote: »
    stargazerscribe wrote: »
    But I had a vivosmart HR that stopped reading HR after 2 years so I bought a Vivoactive 3, which I returned after a week.

    What makes you think it was inaccurate?

    Fwiw I use a Forerunner 735XT, but that's only really appropriate if you're doing a good volume of running and cycling.


    I had an extra heart rate monitor attached to me at the time I was on a full out run and the Garmin was reading me stuck at 110 bpm when my heart rate was really 170 (and honestly you can tell the difference between 110 and 170 without needing an extra reader). That and it would disconnect when i stepped a few feet away from my phone and give me errors all the time. I like Garmin, but was just not a fan of the new glitchy one I bought.

    In terms of connectivity, that could just be your device. I've had a FR 735 and I currently use a 935 and have never had those issues. My somewhat old Edge 520 sometimes a hard time connecting to my phone but the watches never have. The HR accuracy issue could either be a separate device issue or user error (where on your wrist you're wearing it - there's a post on DCRainmaker's blog about this).
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