My comparison Fitbit Ultra vs BodyMedia FIT Core
Unwr1tten
Posts: 7 Member
I’m sure others have covered this, but I searched for a decent comparison and couldn’t find one that filled my specific needs, so I purchased both products and compared them myself. I apologize for the length, but maybe the data will help someone make a decision.
On 3-27 I received both a Fitbit (FB) and a BodyMedia FIT core (BMF). I purchased them both from Amazon.com I compared the 2 units side by side for 3 full days from 3-28 to 3-30. I had planned on comparing the 2 devices during a week or 2, but at the end of just 3 days I have made my choice.
I’m Male, 47 years old, 279#. I am an IT project manager. I occasionally telecommute and I was fortunate enough to work from home at my desk job during my short side by side comparison. I worked at a computer nearly the entire work day. I consider myself sedentary. I use an elliptical 3 times a week and set it to low resistance for 30 minutes at a pace that gets my heart up to ~125 BPM. 2 of the 3 days of comparison included the elliptical workout for cardio. My nutrition profile was fairly consistent all 3 days. I tracked my nutrition only in MFP and compared the measurements and usability of the 2 devices. The calories burned was my main interest. I wondered if they would be close. I wondered if the other data would be useful. Here’s my thoughts:
Before purchasing the units, I reviewed the web sites for marketing material. Here’s the main similarities & differences noted from marketing material:
= They are both centered around an accelerometer with each marketing differences in sensor/technology/design etc.
= Both count steps
= Both count calories burned
= Both track sleep
= Both track activity
= Both log nutrition
= Both log weight
~ BMF can measure Heart rate with 3rd party HRM/strap (appears to be Garmin units only)
~ BMF markets “most accurate in the market” for activity, calories and sleep patterns. >90% accurate for calories.
~ BMF markets “more accurate calorie burn” because “measures more variables” with galvanic skin response, skin temperature and heat flux used to determine calorie burn
~ FB markets stair tracking, color options, distance, automatic wireless uploads, floors climbed, clock, stopwatch,
~ FB is considerably smaller than BMF
~ BMF is strapped to your left triceps & can be almost concealed with shirt sleeve (does occasionally peak out causing questions)
~ FB can be worn in pocket on waist or on bra. (worn on included wrist band when sleeping)
~ BMF Core has to be removed to synch and uses a common USB cable (or get Link version for Bluetooth synch)
~ FB synchs automatically when you are within 15 feet of charging cradle
~ FB synchs only with the use of its special USB connected cradle (I’ve read they will ship you a 2nd if you ask tech support, I asked on Saturday- won’t get response until next week)
~ Can press button on FB to see any of the current totals
~ Need display to see totals from BMF ( I didn’t get display, didn’t think it would be useful. ...Afterthought- I think it would be useful)
~ BMF is more expensive to purchase & requires a monthly subscription fee (after initial 3 free months) without the subscription the device is useless
General observations during the side by side comparison:
BMF Pros:
+. The dashboard is just a bit more intuitive and fits better on my PC monitor. When first launched the data sections are collapsed and summarized with target and actual data. Any section can be drilled into by expanding the section to expose whichever section, usually exposing more detailed data and a graph.
+. Unit can be synched with just a USB cable. Using it on multiple PC's shouldn't be a problem. (i.e. work PC, and home PC, notebook PC)
BMF Cons:
-. BMF requires a monthly subscription fee (after initial 3 free months) without it the device is useless. The monthly fee is $6.95.
-. Amazon.com prices- The BMF core was $119.99, the Bluetooth model was $170.67, large strap would add $13. The cost for the BMF Link and armband would come to $100 more than the FB. (FB is $88.85) Then you have to consider the additional monthly $6.95 after free trial is up.
-. I really don’t understand the reason for the hard plastic packaging that is so hard to open. It seems I always end up with a small cut when I finally get it opened. What a waste of my time trying to get into the package. Really just venting, it’s not a big deal, I only open package once.
-. Not able to correct the calories during my workout time with the BMF (it under calculated my calories at ~300, compared to 397 from a calculation with a HRM, and 320 from FB (which was correctable in MFP). Not a big deal it’s a small correction. I only log 330 calories anyway.
-. I did not like the armband. My arm is 15” and I found the elastic armband to be just a bit too small at its fully open position. After researching accessories, it appears my unit came with a 15” medium strap. They have small and large straps available for $13.
-. Don’t like having to remove it every time I want to synch. I guess I should have tried the BMF Link which is Bluetooth enabled to synch with your smartphone.
-. Doesn’t integrate with MFP. I am very accustomed to the MFP database. The BMF database could not replace MFP. This is a big deal for me.
FB Pros:
+. I wear the FB in my pocket, so no one sees and I won’t invest time in explaining it to anyone.
+. FB includes free membership to fitbit.com. But they offer a premium service (I didn’t look into it)
+. FB is integrated to MFP, BMF is not
+. FB has Friends, Groups, & Topics. But this isn’t a big deal to me since I mainly stick with MFP for those things.
+. Through MFP I can correct my calories burned for any given activity.
FB Cons:
-. The dashboard is not as visually appealing and intuitive as BMF’s Activity Manager, but this is very minor because all the pertinent data, targets, goals, graphs, badges, journals are easily accessible. It’s just a “first impression” thing.
-. Because it is worn on clothes it is probably more likely to make it to the washer unless you are extremely diligent with removing it when disrobing. Neither unit is waterproof. This is a big opportunity for improvement and marketing for both companies considering the intended use of the devices.
Measurements
Calories burned was my main focus. When the 2 devices were compared, the daily Calories burned differences for each day was 1%, 5% & 2%. The day with 5% difference was one of my cardio days. I reviewed the logged data and did not see any specific reason for the 5% difference. It appeared to be just subtleties in calories measured throughout the day not during any specific activity. I also do not believe the difference in calories burned is significant to me. The devices were at least within 5% of each other and with my daily calorie burn of 3000 to 3500 that’s only about 175 calories difference at its worst. That difference is insignificant to me at this point in my journey. The other data measurements are great for motivation, incentives and badges etc., they are fun to track and compare to previous days and to compare to friends, but the calories burned helps determine the calories to be consumed, so that was the whole purpose for purchasing a device.
Usability:
I preferred the usability of the FB over the BMF Core. The FB integrates with MFP. The FB is more concealable. It allows for corrections to calories burned during specific activities that are not tracked accurately, (i.e. lifting, elliptical, rowing, cycling)
Conclusion:
After side by side comparison of the Fitbit Ultra and the BodyMedia FIT Core, my choice is the Fitbit Ultra. I had originally thought the pricier BMF would be considerably more accurate and that would drive my decision, but I’m glad I purchased them both and compared them side by side because the 2 units measured nearly the same calories burned. The usability, which I had not originally considered to be as important became the deciding factor. My decision was based on the fact that The FB can be completely concealed, & most importantly it is integrated to MFP. …Notwithstanding, the Fitbit is considerably cheaper.
I hope you find this comparison helpful.
On 3-27 I received both a Fitbit (FB) and a BodyMedia FIT core (BMF). I purchased them both from Amazon.com I compared the 2 units side by side for 3 full days from 3-28 to 3-30. I had planned on comparing the 2 devices during a week or 2, but at the end of just 3 days I have made my choice.
I’m Male, 47 years old, 279#. I am an IT project manager. I occasionally telecommute and I was fortunate enough to work from home at my desk job during my short side by side comparison. I worked at a computer nearly the entire work day. I consider myself sedentary. I use an elliptical 3 times a week and set it to low resistance for 30 minutes at a pace that gets my heart up to ~125 BPM. 2 of the 3 days of comparison included the elliptical workout for cardio. My nutrition profile was fairly consistent all 3 days. I tracked my nutrition only in MFP and compared the measurements and usability of the 2 devices. The calories burned was my main interest. I wondered if they would be close. I wondered if the other data would be useful. Here’s my thoughts:
Before purchasing the units, I reviewed the web sites for marketing material. Here’s the main similarities & differences noted from marketing material:
= They are both centered around an accelerometer with each marketing differences in sensor/technology/design etc.
= Both count steps
= Both count calories burned
= Both track sleep
= Both track activity
= Both log nutrition
= Both log weight
~ BMF can measure Heart rate with 3rd party HRM/strap (appears to be Garmin units only)
~ BMF markets “most accurate in the market” for activity, calories and sleep patterns. >90% accurate for calories.
~ BMF markets “more accurate calorie burn” because “measures more variables” with galvanic skin response, skin temperature and heat flux used to determine calorie burn
~ FB markets stair tracking, color options, distance, automatic wireless uploads, floors climbed, clock, stopwatch,
~ FB is considerably smaller than BMF
~ BMF is strapped to your left triceps & can be almost concealed with shirt sleeve (does occasionally peak out causing questions)
~ FB can be worn in pocket on waist or on bra. (worn on included wrist band when sleeping)
~ BMF Core has to be removed to synch and uses a common USB cable (or get Link version for Bluetooth synch)
~ FB synchs automatically when you are within 15 feet of charging cradle
~ FB synchs only with the use of its special USB connected cradle (I’ve read they will ship you a 2nd if you ask tech support, I asked on Saturday- won’t get response until next week)
~ Can press button on FB to see any of the current totals
~ Need display to see totals from BMF ( I didn’t get display, didn’t think it would be useful. ...Afterthought- I think it would be useful)
~ BMF is more expensive to purchase & requires a monthly subscription fee (after initial 3 free months) without the subscription the device is useless
General observations during the side by side comparison:
BMF Pros:
+. The dashboard is just a bit more intuitive and fits better on my PC monitor. When first launched the data sections are collapsed and summarized with target and actual data. Any section can be drilled into by expanding the section to expose whichever section, usually exposing more detailed data and a graph.
+. Unit can be synched with just a USB cable. Using it on multiple PC's shouldn't be a problem. (i.e. work PC, and home PC, notebook PC)
BMF Cons:
-. BMF requires a monthly subscription fee (after initial 3 free months) without it the device is useless. The monthly fee is $6.95.
-. Amazon.com prices- The BMF core was $119.99, the Bluetooth model was $170.67, large strap would add $13. The cost for the BMF Link and armband would come to $100 more than the FB. (FB is $88.85) Then you have to consider the additional monthly $6.95 after free trial is up.
-. I really don’t understand the reason for the hard plastic packaging that is so hard to open. It seems I always end up with a small cut when I finally get it opened. What a waste of my time trying to get into the package. Really just venting, it’s not a big deal, I only open package once.
-. Not able to correct the calories during my workout time with the BMF (it under calculated my calories at ~300, compared to 397 from a calculation with a HRM, and 320 from FB (which was correctable in MFP). Not a big deal it’s a small correction. I only log 330 calories anyway.
-. I did not like the armband. My arm is 15” and I found the elastic armband to be just a bit too small at its fully open position. After researching accessories, it appears my unit came with a 15” medium strap. They have small and large straps available for $13.
-. Don’t like having to remove it every time I want to synch. I guess I should have tried the BMF Link which is Bluetooth enabled to synch with your smartphone.
-. Doesn’t integrate with MFP. I am very accustomed to the MFP database. The BMF database could not replace MFP. This is a big deal for me.
FB Pros:
+. I wear the FB in my pocket, so no one sees and I won’t invest time in explaining it to anyone.
+. FB includes free membership to fitbit.com. But they offer a premium service (I didn’t look into it)
+. FB is integrated to MFP, BMF is not
+. FB has Friends, Groups, & Topics. But this isn’t a big deal to me since I mainly stick with MFP for those things.
+. Through MFP I can correct my calories burned for any given activity.
FB Cons:
-. The dashboard is not as visually appealing and intuitive as BMF’s Activity Manager, but this is very minor because all the pertinent data, targets, goals, graphs, badges, journals are easily accessible. It’s just a “first impression” thing.
-. Because it is worn on clothes it is probably more likely to make it to the washer unless you are extremely diligent with removing it when disrobing. Neither unit is waterproof. This is a big opportunity for improvement and marketing for both companies considering the intended use of the devices.
Measurements
Calories burned was my main focus. When the 2 devices were compared, the daily Calories burned differences for each day was 1%, 5% & 2%. The day with 5% difference was one of my cardio days. I reviewed the logged data and did not see any specific reason for the 5% difference. It appeared to be just subtleties in calories measured throughout the day not during any specific activity. I also do not believe the difference in calories burned is significant to me. The devices were at least within 5% of each other and with my daily calorie burn of 3000 to 3500 that’s only about 175 calories difference at its worst. That difference is insignificant to me at this point in my journey. The other data measurements are great for motivation, incentives and badges etc., they are fun to track and compare to previous days and to compare to friends, but the calories burned helps determine the calories to be consumed, so that was the whole purpose for purchasing a device.
Usability:
I preferred the usability of the FB over the BMF Core. The FB integrates with MFP. The FB is more concealable. It allows for corrections to calories burned during specific activities that are not tracked accurately, (i.e. lifting, elliptical, rowing, cycling)
Conclusion:
After side by side comparison of the Fitbit Ultra and the BodyMedia FIT Core, my choice is the Fitbit Ultra. I had originally thought the pricier BMF would be considerably more accurate and that would drive my decision, but I’m glad I purchased them both and compared them side by side because the 2 units measured nearly the same calories burned. The usability, which I had not originally considered to be as important became the deciding factor. My decision was based on the fact that The FB can be completely concealed, & most importantly it is integrated to MFP. …Notwithstanding, the Fitbit is considerably cheaper.
I hope you find this comparison helpful.
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Replies
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That's awesome, thanks! I am happy with my FB, but I always like to know about other options.0
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Thank you so much for taking the time to write this awesome review/comparison! It really helps
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Thanks for this info. I just purchased the bfm from costco.com. One thing i noticed is you get 12months free use if you buy from costco.com which made a big difference to me. It was 20 more then the amazon price but the 12mths sub more then covers that. I will try it out when i get it and if i have problems ill take it back and try the fitbit. My main concern is with the fitbit it will not be accurate at all if your doing anything other then walking/running and the bfm will. For weightlifting it basically thinks your not doing anything and is worthless for that type of workout. From what ive read the bmf is better for lots of other types of activity due to its many ore points of testing. Well see when i get it.0
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Scottc561, Hope your Bodymedia fit works out for you. I know we all have different needs, wants and concerns. I'd love to hear your impressions of the BMF. Which style did you get? Core? Link? How’s the convenience of the synching? And are you using the BMF activity manager instead of MFP for all your daily dashboarding (made that word up). Will it be your only means of tracking calorie burn. If so, I understand the BMF will track calorie burn a bit better for some of the non- walking, non- running exercises.
Having understood that the BMF and FB had limitations for the higher intensity exercise and strength training from the beginning, I fully intend to supplement my calorie burn measurements with a Polar FT7 HRM. I know the HRM will report much more accurately than the FB for more intense exercise (it will probably be much better for that than a BMF too). I'm intending to rely on the FB for 24 hour monitoring and the HRM for higher intensity exercise. For now, I've relied upon the HRM on my exercise equipment to give me average BPM and then I use a basic calorie burn formula which takes my age, sex and weight into consideration to calculate calories burned during that exercise. (I get my FT7 today according to UPS tracking, yay!) & Then it's been super easy to use MFP to plug in the actual exercise time and calories to override what the FB measured during that exercise time. I'm loving the integration between FB and MFP. It's been identifying additional active times during the day (even in addition to my logged exercise times) and MFP uses all that info to adjust my calories burned and daily eating goals. For instance on a very active day with many meetings to scoot about to and facilitate, and then a trip after work to a big box store, etc., MFP will recognize the increased calorie burn from the integration with the FB and suggest an increased nutrition goal. I like that I can then decide if I want to eat the recommended additional calories or not. I often choose to have a protein drink or some almond butter just before bed with some of the calories, but leave the rest hoping for additional weight loss.0 -
Thank you for posting this! I have been considering both items for awhile now, as I get closer to my goal and want to better monitor for maintenance needs, and this was very helpful.0
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Love my FitBit!!0
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I've had a Fitbit for over a year and never regretted my purchase; I still wear it every day. They have FANTASTIC customer service. I got mine replaced last summer because it cracked, at no cost.
Btw I do not wear mine clipped to clothing. I used to wear it clipped to my bra and I think this is what caused the crack (some of sports bras have thicker edges and I think pulling them on and off over the thick edge was not good for it). I loop it through a thin ponytail holder and either loop that around a belt strap on my pants or around my bra strap if I dont have a belt loop available. This way I also dont have to worry about it falling off (or into the toilet, LOL). :laugh:0 -
Great review. I am so glad I purchased the fitbit ultra. It is a great investment towards a healthy lifestyle.0
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Love my FitBit!!
Me too! Fitbit rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!0 -
Thank you so much for this review!!!! I have looked for a good comparison on here and not had any luck until your review. I loved the detail of it. I was definitely expecting a bigger difference in the calorie burn measurements but relieved to see that wasn't an issue. I'm definitely leaning towards a FB ultra now. Thanks a bunch :-)0
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Love my FitBit!!
Amen! We too!0 -
Thank you SO much. I read every word. Great review!0
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Fitbit doesn't monitor HR does it? Or does it have a strap attachment...?0
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Bump for later!0
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I'm glad you posted this. I've been trying to do some research on the different products. Being on this site so often has pushed me more toward the fitbit but I still have questions that I haven't been able to find answers to. I figured you may be able to answer them since you just went through this process:
MFP already accounts for your normal calorie burn so why would fitbit or another product be useful...is it just an accuracy thing?
you can plug in your exercise here on the site...is the point again accuracy?
is it safe to assume that I wouldn't wear it when grappling or sparring? (probably a stupid question but i'm trying to figure out how it may be useful to me)
That is something I do almost daily so it kind of seems like the fitbit wouldn't be all that useful to me (yet i'm still very interested for some reason) and then treadmills, bikes and weight lifting seem easy enough to track already.
the thing that has me the most interested is tracking my sleep. did you try that and did it appear to be pretty accurate?0 -
Thank you for this! Very informative. I LOVE my new (week old) fitbit so far! I can't believe how motivating it is!0
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This was phenomenal! Thank you so much for the excellent and thourough review! I think I'm going to get the FB as I think I may be miscalculating my burns and thats the reason I'm not losing. Thanks again!0
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BUMP0
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This is fantastic!! I already have a FB Ultra... but I had been wondering about accuracy compared to other types. I am glad to hear of the consistency between the two units.
And thanks for taking the time to do this!0 -
bump0
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Thank you for posting this! I've been doing a lot of thinking and considering...0
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I have a BMF and just wanted to add a few notes about some of the cons listed.
1. The sub cost. As one person said, if you get it from Costco you get an entire year included, that's how I got mine and it made the value much better. I do wish they had multi-month discounts though, for once that ran out. Like 6.95 for one month at a time but if you buy another full year or six months you get a lower monthly rate.
2. The crappy food database. It's an easy workaround, I just don't use it. I log everything in MFP and then make a single entry in my BMF site once a day. I just use the create food option and use the Summary page from MFP to enter my calories and macros as a new food item and add it to the day. Takes about a minute and makes it so BMF has all my nutritional data for the day.
3. Incorrect calories. For workouts I know BMF tends to underestimate due to less arm movement (biking, ARC trainer, etc) I just remove it and only wear my HRM. Then I use the Edit off-body option in the calories burned section and enter the number of calories from my HRM into the BMF numbers. Again, takes about a minute.
I've never found either workaround to be troublesome or difficult, so it's never been a con for me.
Also, while in the very beginning I found myself constantly wanting to see my burn through the day, once I'd been wearing it for a month or so, I found that I had a pretty good idea what my days looked like based on what I was doing. So I stopped worrying about it and even stopped carrying the display that my hubby had gotten me as a gift.0 -
For you with Body media or bodybuggs there's a free "program" you can use. I use it and it doesn't differ from the numbers on the actual site. (I can't even renew my subscription even if I want to, since they won't take payments from outside of the US :P)
The facebook group with all the info is here https://www.facebook.com/groups/124814374205032/.
I love my bodybugg, but can't wear it since I've a nickel allergy
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Bump .... Free???0
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Thank you for this review. Detailed and well written.
Bump for later reference.0 -
Thank you for this very useful review!0
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Thanks for the comparison! I love my fitbit!0
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Thank you for taking time to do that. I've been himming and hawing over the 2 and you just helped me make my decision
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Can someone help me here... I don't have much weight to lose.... 15-20 lbs but I've been at a standstill for over 6 months now. MFP says I should be eating about 1200 cal/day but I'm literally starving. And I don't think it's accurately measuring my daily caloric burn since I'm on my feet and moving ( as a NICU RN ) for about 13 hours a day. But yet I'm not losing weight. My sleeping patterns are horrible and have been forever. I was thinking of buying a calorie burn counter and am confused on what I should buy,.. I've read reviews on the body bugg, my fit bit,and bmt... Any suggestions... Oh and I should add that I'm also in the process of quitting heavy smoking which I know also changes your metabolism.0
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