My impressions so far of Apple Watch Vs Fitbit

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Replies

  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 5,196 Member
    My apple watch uses GPS to calculate as I suspect Fitbit did also so stride length should not have effected it. I am short also but my stride is never the same from walk or run day to day.
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
    My Fitbit has a stride length which I’m able to edit but I’ve had it at its default. I would also track my run using its maps feature. Not sure why the discrepancy.
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 5,196 Member
    yes - I knew fitbit had that but not sure Apple Watch with GPS cares. It seems to see my cadence (steps per minute I believe) and I can calculate stride length from that.
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
    edited April 2020
    Can you tell me how you calculate stride length from that? My average spm is 165 (when running) Fitbits default stride length for my run was set to 35.5, not sure how accurate it is/was. Thanks in advance.
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 5,196 Member
    Well if you know your pace you can calculate for a specific run as follows:
    if my pace is 10:39 avg minutes per mile and I take 170 steps per minute that means I take 170x10.65=1810.5 steps per mile. which 5280 feet in a mile so 2.9163 foot per step or 0.89 meters or 35 inches. But my stride varies because the Steps per minute and the pace vary every run.
  • niniundlapin
    niniundlapin Posts: 327 Member
    Two week old Apple Watch owner here! Thank you OP for this thread <3

    I started with Fitbit Charge HR in 2016, about the same time I started MFP, and then Charge 2 for the past 2.5 years. It’s a bit scary to switch to a different system but I had enough disastrous degradation experience for Fitbit products, even though I had been eyeing on Versa 2 for a while.

    Anyway, I love my new AW especially for the fitness tracking part for its various options when recording workouts (mainly indoor kickboxing and weights). The range of heart rate seems to be similar to what I’ve seen before with my Charge 2. The only thing I’m still waiting is Apple’s built-in sleep tracker (I don’t wanna deal with the charging arrangement just yet lol).

    One thing I’m always wondering for the past two weeks: does AW always tend to overestimate our daily calorie burn vs Fitbit? Cuz not too long ago mine is always around 1600-1900 kcal depends on how active I am throughout the week, but now with AW the number seems to be higher (1900-2000)... maybe it’s because of this stay-at-home order that greatly increases my chance of chasing after my toddler? Lol. Or maybe it’s because I want to close all three rings so badly that it’s been making me doing extra moves throughout the day? :D
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 5,196 Member
    Where are you getting your daily calorie burn from? Fitbit REALLY overestimated mine and I am currently doing another TDEE chart to see how close Apple watch it. I find the #s under the activity ring or added together on the health app. So for instance. On the activity app it shows 1989 cals total for yesterday for me. In the health app it shows 747 active energy and 1241 resting. I know Fit bit would have been about 2200. Still recalculating my TDEE as I have upped my running mileage this year but I suspect Apple watch will be pretty close. When I originially calculated it in 2017 it was 1850. TDEE chart link to verify fitness tracker. Everyone is different tho so it's always best to personalize your own data

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7gGXXQIy4R4ejRRNkZHZHFDOW8/view
  • niniundlapin
    niniundlapin Posts: 327 Member
    @SummerSkier thanks for the info! I got the numbers mainly from Activity app since I’m still trying to navigate the Health app. For yesterday, my Move was 519 kcal and the total was 1964. That would put my average resting burn around 1450 kcal (data from the past 10 days is showing similar numbers) and that’s a bit higher than what I got from Fitbit (I think it’s a bit lower than 1300).
    Looks like this could be a learning process for the AW according to previous discussions... Another way I can find out is to assess everything in a month since I’ve stopped logging intake everyday (hard for lunch and dinner). My weight and measurements should stay within an acceptable range if the number on AW is accurate and I don’t overeat during this period of time :D
  • tkarp4738
    tkarp4738 Posts: 2 Member
    Long time FB user and just had my ICONIC die. Sad. Making the move to AW 3. yes good price. any suggestions for a simple set up. also mainly fitness and linking with MFP. thanks
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 5,196 Member
    tkarp4738 wrote: »
    Long time FB user and just had my ICONIC die. Sad. Making the move to AW 3. yes good price. any suggestions for a simple set up. also mainly fitness and linking with MFP. thanks

    @tkarp4738 sadly this group is sort of dead. Most of the issues you will have getting MFP to link steps and activity to the watch you can do a search on in the community and get better answers. Fitbit and MFP work together a LOT easier than Apple Watch and Fitbit for some reason. You cannot get your steps to directly translate but need to use a 3rd connecting ap like Pacer to do it if you are trying to manage things in MFP like that.

    After almost 10 months of using the watch I can honestly say that the fitbit by itself for a fitness device is probably a lot better. I think it tracks you HR much better than the watch. they use different algorhythms but I matched the avr HR with a chest strap pretty durn close to fitbit. Apple watch even if you tell it to constantly check your hr while working out seems to get stuck and so you don't get a true avg hr for say running like the fitbit does.

    Of course the watch has a LOT of other bennies. For instance you can actually SEE the data on it clearly in the daytime and you don't have to carry your phone with you to listen to your music etc.

    I like the fitbit 250 steps per hr vs the AW stand for 2 minutes per hr and you can customize a lot more workout goals with fitbit.

    Anyway, sorry for the late response but if you have other questions ask away!

    summerskier

  • beachbumdoug
    beachbumdoug Posts: 171 Member
    I am longtime Fitbit user, but due to quality issues and the fact my last Fitbit lasted exactly 1 year and the company refused to do anything about it, I made the switch to the Apple watch 5 and OMG the difference.. It tracks my sleep, even plays a quick lullaby sound to remind me its time for bed lol It connects seamlessly to most of the equipment at the gym and gives me so much information.. Actually more than i will ever need. measures my stride length, how much i spend standing on each foot etc.. I am thrilled to make the switch, will never go back..
    I pop it on the charger during Supper or when i shower and it keeps it fairly well charged.
  • OllieS0806
    OllieS0806 Posts: 21 Member
    I am also having a much better experience with the Apple Watch (SE) than my Fitbit Charge 4. I hated the Fitbit. The calorie information sent to MFP was so over estimated that it was unusable. Apple Watch calorie info (not sure who computes the calories) makes a lot more sense based on my targets and observed weight loss when hitting those targets.