Smart watch/fitness tracker - can't decide

svista
svista Posts: 10 Member
in Getting Started
I can't decide between Fitbit Versa 3, Garmin Venu Sq (music) and Samsung Galaxy (active). I'm a Spotify user. I usually run, strength training, group classes, bike riding or walk. I've been on and off on MFP for the past 10 years but started up again a month ago and been diligent with food scale. My main focus is fat/weight loss while gaining muscle. I'm having a really hard time deciding. I want the one that syncs/logs with MFP well, plays from Spotify, tracks calories well, and easy to input food. Help please!
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Replies

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,845 Member
    Just from the perspective of syncing well, Fitbit might not be the right choice (judging from users complaining sometimes on the forums). You should also know that Fitbit doesn't send over your exercise data. It will give you a calorie adjustment based on the total calories burned, as it should, but you will never see your actual exercise sessions in your exercise diary.

    I have a Garmin myself (Vivoactive 4s) and the sync works well.
    A small quirk, that can be confusing, is that it sends over gross calorie burns for exercise, which is corrected by subtracting BMR calories via the calorie adjustment (to avoid double counting). So on days when I take long hikes, I'll see a high number for the hike, and then a negative calorie adjustment (long hike = lots of BMR calories). The end result (total calorie adjustment) is still correct, it just looks a bit strange in the diary sometimes.
  • JJordon
    JJordon Posts: 857 Member
    Atop using Google Fit, I am using a Samsung Galaxy Active 2 watch and utilize a third-party app to sync with the MFP mobile app.
  • _ORIGINAL_BEAST_
    _ORIGINAL_BEAST_ Posts: 118 Member
    I am a garmin user and you can use Spotify but I dont use it so I dont know if it work well or not. Im still rocking my ipod lol 😆
  • _ORIGINAL_BEAST_
    _ORIGINAL_BEAST_ Posts: 118 Member
    And for whatever reason my watch stopped syncing with mfp awhile ago.
  • chris_in_cal
    chris_in_cal Posts: 2,520 Member
    I am a long time Garmin/MFP user. It all works, and I also love Garmin/Spotify.

    Six months ago I bought a fitbit (It has had superior sleep tracking, and I was curious)

    Fitbit (great on sleep tracking) is okay. It can work with a motivated person.

    When you want to be really careful and want specific details and data, especially with regards to exercising, Garmin is way better.

    Nobody needs these things, they can be motivating, interesting, fun, etc.

    Old advice that is good, try to find some close to you, that uses one of these, and get in their ecosystem. The social part is VERY helpful.
  • Ironwoman1111
    Ironwoman1111 Posts: 3,913 Member
    Do not get a Fitbit, unless you really want one and you don’t mind losing $200-$400 after a year.
    I had the Versa 2 and about a month after the warranty ran out the watch died. Then I got the Sense. A month ago the warranty ran out and one day it just went crazy, vibrating and flashing! Out of all the features it supposedly has, now it’s only recording my steps. I can’t participate in challenges because the steps won’t transfer. I know it will stop completely any day now.
    Coincidence? I don’t think so.
    It’s a known issue that goes back years. People complain about it on their community, it’s on their forums, Reddit, etc.
    I wish I would’ve known about it.
    Then there’s the scammers issue on their eternally glitchy app… Anyway, good luck!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I'm a Garmin guy. They've been doing this longer than anyone and their products are rock solid.
  • chris_in_cal
    chris_in_cal Posts: 2,520 Member
    edited June 2022
    Ironwoman1111 wrote: »
    Do not get a Fitbit, unless you really want one ...

    I really wanted one, to try out their Fitbit sleep tracking. Almost every tracker does a terrible job at sleep tracking and Fitbit has a reputation for being the least bad. I didn't care about anything else.

    I bid, and bid, and bid, and bid, and finally I got an "Inspire 2" used on ebay for $20, it is their latest and retails for $100. In remarkable good luck the seller included a 'Luxe' Fitbit stainless steel mesh band. I never would have guessed but I really like the band. So I got what I wanted, for really cheap, and due to the band it seems really nice. Here is my take away:
    1. This tiny Fitbit and sleek band makes me realize how big and not-sleek my Garmin Forerunner 745 is
    2. Sleep tracking on Fitbit is superior to Garmin, and Fitbit almost makes me think it is close to accurate
    3. I tried Fitbit activities 'run, walk, bicycle, yoga, etc.' it does note the stuff but pales to Garmin Connect
    4. Garmin Connect-MFP is much more full featured and interesting than Fitbit-MFP
    5. I like wearing the little Fitbit Inspire 2 much more than my Garmin Forerunner 745


    Inconclusion, I use my Garmin for all meaningful activities and exercise tracking. I wear my cute little Fitbit all the rest of the time and while I sleep.
  • svista
    svista Posts: 10 Member

    A small quirk, that can be confusing, is that it sends over gross calorie burns for exercise, which is corrected by subtracting BMR calories via the calorie adjustment (to avoid double counting). So on days when I take long hikes, I'll see a high number for the hike, and then a negative calorie adjustment (long hike = lots of BMR calories). The end result (total calorie adjustment) is still correct, it just looks a bit strange in the diary sometimes. [/quote]

    What's BMR
  • svista
    svista Posts: 10 Member
    Yikes! That sounds like a nuisance. Thanks for the warning. I have heard a lot of people who had Fitbit converting to Garmin advocates.
  • svista
    svista Posts: 10 Member
    Wow really great comparison. Really leaning toward the Garmin.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,845 Member
    edited June 2022
    svista wrote: »
    Lietchi wrote: »
    A small quirk, that can be confusing, is that it sends over gross calorie burns for exercise, which is corrected by subtracting BMR calories via the calorie adjustment (to avoid double counting). So on days when I take long hikes, I'll see a high number for the hike, and then a negative calorie adjustment (long hike = lots of BMR calories). The end result (total calorie adjustment) is still correct, it just looks a bit strange in the diary sometimes.

    What's BMR

    That's the base calories to keep your body working (brain function, heart rate, etc.) when you're at rest.
    For example:
    - my BMR is 1550 calories per day
    - my exercise session (in Garmin) for 1 hour of running might say 400 calories, but of those 400 around 65 calories will be BMR calories (1550 divided by 24; calories I would have burned 'no matter what' during that hour) and 350 of those are true 'active' calories (calories I burned specifically by running)
  • capgordon1293
    capgordon1293 Posts: 149 Member
    Garmin all day long don't get anything else I have a Garmin vivoactive 3 brilliant
  • jag911
    jag911 Posts: 1 Member
    Do you have s galaxy phone? If so, the galaxy watch plays real nice with it. I have the watch bc I like a watch and don't want to wear/charge/sync a bunch of different things.
    The galaxy watch does a great job of tracking for me.
    Used to have a fitbit, but like the look of a watch better. And my galaxy watch does more.
    Hope this helps.
  • coryhart4389
    coryhart4389 Posts: 73 Member
    Had a Garmin for 1 year and it broke, I really liked it. Took my wife’s Fitbit 3 that she just got a few months ago because she barely uses it and like it more!!
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
    Team Fitbit here... never had a problem
  • danieleorrico
    danieleorrico Posts: 1 Member
    Per lo sport... Garmin (ho un Fenix5 e lo adoro, ma ti consiglio un forerunner) tutto il resto sono smartwatch e non tracker sportivi ;)

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