Advantages of Fitbit over Polar HRM?

JenW1973
JenW1973 Posts: 82 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm just wondering what people's thoughts are on whether the Fitbit has any advantages (or disadvantages) over, say, the Polar line of HRMs. I know the Polars are very popular, but I'm kind of leaning toward a Fitbit and I'm not sure I want to spend all that money without getting all the facts. Opinions greatly appreciated!

Replies

  • jasonheyd
    jasonheyd Posts: 524 Member
    I'd say they're two totally different things...

    Fitbit's going to count steps and estimate flights of stairs (based on change in altitude). It won't track non-walking / jogging / running type exercise. I like it for general activity level tracking & to remind me to stay active.

    An HRM will give you calorie burn estimates based on heart rate. You're generally not going to wear it all day long (although I suppose you could), but it'll track pretty much any type of physical exertion.

    I like using the two of them together, but which or both you'd want probably depends on what you're trying to track.
  • JenW1973
    JenW1973 Posts: 82 Member
    I'd say they're two totally different things...

    Fitbit's going to count steps and estimate flights of stairs (based on change in altitude). It won't track non-walking / jogging / running type exercise. I like it for general activity level tracking & to remind me to stay active.

    An HRM will give you calorie burn estimates based on heart rate. You're generally not going to wear it all day long (although I suppose you could), but it'll track pretty much any type of physical exertion.

    I like using the two of them together, but which or both you'd want probably depends on what you're trying to track.

    I'm mostly trying to track my calorie burn during workouts like Zumba, Zumba Toning, Boot Camp Class, and Cardio Kick/Core classes. I may also use it for running or walking workouts. However, I like that the Fitbit would give me an overall idea of the calories burned throughout the whole day.
  • jesilee7692
    jesilee7692 Posts: 11
    I just (with in the hour) purchases a Polar 300X SD from ****'s sporting goods online. I didn't have anything to compare the FitBitn and the Polar, but the price was great. I am hoping to NEED all of the functions it provides. I really like the gps function for long bike rides. Anywho... the price only $113 (before tax) there is a great sales going on. I had to order it online because store closest to me did not have it in stock.n Here it the link for polar

    http://www.shoppolar.com/_polarususdenstore/cgi-bin/go.cgi/webstore/product?pid=F2222MREQAVEM7SMWP2#
  • beckylawrence70
    beckylawrence70 Posts: 752 Member
    Yup, two totally different things, no comparison, I have both and need both......
  • Princess_Sameen
    Princess_Sameen Posts: 284 Member
    Yup, two totally different things, no comparison, I have both and need both......

    this! they are not the same thing a Fitbit wont tell you what you burn doing zumba thats a HRM job :)
  • denisebme
    denisebme Posts: 103 Member
    I went through the same thing, and ended up after about 2 weeks of indecision buying the Polar online from Amazon. Great price, particularly if you're a Kindle owner with a Prime account.
    I also use an Ozeri pedometer, but really, the HRM is the best way to watch your calorie burn while exercising.
  • jasonheyd
    jasonheyd Posts: 524 Member
    I'm mostly trying to track my calorie burn during workouts like Zumba, Zumba Toning, Boot Camp Class, and Cardio Kick/Core classes. I may also use it for running or walking workouts. However, I like that the Fitbit would give me an overall idea of the calories burned throughout the whole day.

    So, based on what you want to track, I think you want an HRM.

    The Fitbit will give you an overall idea of calories burned from "general movement" -- walking around basically. That's exactly how I use it: I set my MFP profile to "sedentary" and then I let Fitbit feed calorie adjustments into MFP based on how active I am.

    I also use a Polar H7 HRM linked to my iPhone using an app called Digifit. Digifit is also linked to Fitbit so, when I exercise with the HRM, Digifit sends that activity info to Fitbit, and Fitbit includes it in the calorie adjustment that's sent to MFP.

    That might be a bit more complication / hassle than you want. :-)
  • justdazed
    justdazed Posts: 57 Member
    I have Fitbit and really like it but it's essentially a glorified pedometer. I'm looking to get a HRM soon-ish.
  • reashamoriba
    reashamoriba Posts: 121 Member
    The fitbit is wearable all day and HRM is generally usually worn during workouts. But different purpose.
  • msudaisy28
    msudaisy28 Posts: 267 Member
    I have thought about getting a fitbit for a couple of years now. I own a Polar HRM (F7 I think?) and a pedometer already, so I haven't been able to justify the money yet. I wear my pedometer religiously - even grab it from the nightstand to count my steps to and from the bathroom at night! - and track my activity level throughout the day that way. I wear the HRM specifically when I'm working out to get my calorie burn from that activity.

    The draw to fitbit for me has been that it calculates what your calorie expenditure is. Unfortunately, that's based on a bunch of averages since it doesn't get any feedback from your body. Recently I've been looking into the Body Media Fit as my next toy instead of fitbit. I still can't justify spending the money when it would just be a toy for me, but that seems to be something much more useful than the fitbit, which I see as a suped up pedometer.
  • hubkal
    hubkal Posts: 125 Member
    I used (and still use) my fit bit from day one here. It really helped me get my butt moving through the day. I am a healthcare worker and thought I moved around a lot more than I actually was. So from then on, when I had a slow time I went walking the hallways or stairs. I started taking a boot camp like class and realized that the fit bit did not acurately keep track of all the movement I was doing in that class that was not walking. I just got a HRM Polar7 and Iove it! I found out I was burning about 560 calories per class. I use my fit bit non stop but only use the HRM when I am doing my classes. The fit bit automaticlly syncs with this site and my HRM does not because I did not get the link yet.

    I think, start with the fit bit to get you moving and to keep you motivated to move through your days and after awhile get the HRM when you are really moving it!
  • Masq
    Masq Posts: 191 Member
    I don't have a HRM.... but I have been wearing a Fitbit AND a Bodybugg for the last week and a half.
    After nearly a month of wearing it...... I began to wonder if the fitbit was accurate.... but now that I have been wearing both devices...they are pretty close for total calories burned. Actual steps are off some when I run or bike.... fitbit typically tracks more steps than the bodybugg... I will be doing a comparison review of both devices early next week.
    I will be sending the bodybugg back.... since the fitbit has more advantages in my opinion.
  • 21ReasonsWhy
    21ReasonsWhy Posts: 3
    I own and love both- but they are two different beasts. I like having a fitbit for everyday calorie tracking and as a reminder to get moving if i look at it and see that I haven't burned as many calories as I'd like. I use a Polar HRM for a more accurate tracking of how many calories I burn during cardio - hockey, ice skating, soccer etc. for me the huge upside to a fitbit is how it syncs with myfitnesspal so I only have to log everything once,
  • yustick
    yustick Posts: 238 Member
    i have a bodybugg, fitbit and HRM. What can I say, I like gadgets and I'm spoiled. I rarely use my HRM, but use the other two about 23.5 hours a day.

    Unlike the previous poster, I would chose the bodybugg/bodymedia over the fitbit because I think it is more accurate. Even though the bodybugg is more expensive and requires a monthly fee and is less comfortable and more obvious to others.

    My experience with the bodybugg and fitbit is that overall, over time there is very little difference in the calorie burn numbers. The fitbit overstates calorie burn/activity while driving, but understates during some other activities like lifting. They are very comparable for activities like walking, playing tennis and zumba. The fitbit driving issue can be resolved by logging an activity on the website and you can use the fitbit to stop/start the time to make it easier, but I wouldn't recommend a fitbit for anyone that drives everyday as part of the their job, especially if they make frequent stops and want to count their activity at stops.

    The fitbit does more than count steps, it senses movement too. The fitbit syncing with MFP is fabulous. The fitbit's free website is very nice. But the nicest thing about it is that it so small and no one will probably ever notice you are wearing it. You would probably wear it all the time and I think that this inspires improvements in activity during non exercise times.
  • JenW1973
    JenW1973 Posts: 82 Member
    I'm mostly trying to track my calorie burn during workouts like Zumba, Zumba Toning, Boot Camp Class, and Cardio Kick/Core classes. I may also use it for running or walking workouts. However, I like that the Fitbit would give me an overall idea of the calories burned throughout the whole day.

    So, based on what you want to track, I think you want an HRM.

    The Fitbit will give you an overall idea of calories burned from "general movement" -- walking around basically. That's exactly how I use it: I set my MFP profile to "sedentary" and then I let Fitbit feed calorie adjustments into MFP based on how active I am.

    I also use a Polar H7 HRM linked to my iPhone using an app called Digifit. Digifit is also linked to Fitbit so, when I exercise with the HRM, Digifit sends that activity info to Fitbit, and Fitbit includes it in the calorie adjustment that's sent to MFP.

    That might be a bit more complication / hassle than you want. :-)

    That's pretty awesome!!!
  • JenW1973
    JenW1973 Posts: 82 Member
    I used (and still use) my fit bit from day one here. It really helped me get my butt moving through the day. I am a healthcare worker and thought I moved around a lot more than I actually was. So from then on, when I had a slow time I went walking the hallways or stairs. I started taking a boot camp like class and realized that the fit bit did not acurately keep track of all the movement I was doing in that class that was not walking. I just got a HRM Polar7 and Iove it! I found out I was burning about 560 calories per class. I use my fit bit non stop but only use the HRM when I am doing my classes. The fit bit automaticlly syncs with this site and my HRM does not because I did not get the link yet.

    I think, start with the fit bit to get you moving and to keep you motivated to move through your days and after awhile get the HRM when you are really moving it!

    Thanks for the advice!
  • JenW1973
    JenW1973 Posts: 82 Member
    Thanks for all the opinions! I hadn't realized that the Fitbit was so much different than a HRM. I appreciate you all taking the time to give me your insight and experiences. :flowerforyou:
  • Graciecny
    Graciecny Posts: 302 Member
    bump!

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