Nike Fuel Band

I wore a FitBit daily since July 2011. Several factors made me a sitting duck when competing devices materialized:
- grossly exaggerated step counts, as compared with Striiv, FuelBand and an Omron pedometer (yes, I carefully compared over a 3 week period)
- inability to see activity-based-only cals burn on device or easily at the site, since the latter is so heavily Flash-based & is iPad hostile
- woefully anemic site search engine (There are hundreds of groups, but finding them requires hitting the "next" link a few dozen times, since only a handful are listed per page. Likewise, search results are not dated, meaning constant stumbles onto "101 weeks old" irrelevant threads.)
- consistently inexplicably misses some flights of stairs counts
- paltry food database, which sent me scampering to MyFitnessPal as a MUCH better alternative
- "sleep tracker" actually merely tracks wrist movement; prop up in bed for an hour reading, and it will likely track as sleep, with page-turns converted into sleep interruptions

Couldn't get my hands on a FuelBand initially, so I grabbed a Striiv. The team is eager and skilled, so I suspect a worthy website will soon dawn. For now, I like having the most recent 5 days of data directly on the device, telling you
- steps
- mileage
- stairs climbed
- activity calories burn
- activity-based minutes
There's also a game, which doesn't move me; challenges, which get ya moving immediately; and most critically, for me, a charitable donation scheme built around the quantity of your exercising sessions. The latter makes this a keeper for me. Since I'm exercising anyway, it's like the ultimate two-fer.

Later, I finally managed to score a FuelBand, directly from Nike. Before doing so, I figured it was hype over substance, so curiosity pushed me toward the purchase. Man, was I wrong! None of these devices is as accurate as a true pedometer re steps, but the Striiv and FuelBand come closer, consistently, than FitBit ever did. FuelBand tends to underestimate cal burn, which is the safer route in my mind. But the killer feature is syncing with the iPhone and/or iPad, with the data then auto-tossed to the NikePlus site. And that site --- LawdHaMercy!! -- was revamped on June 5th. No Flash, and genuinely informative/motivating. The Pixar-like animations, celebrating milestones & achievements, are a delight. But, it's the data presentation that keeps me motivated and informed.

Simply stated, I now view the FuelBand and its associated site as the cream of the fitness-device crop, with the Strivv holding 2d place and the FitBit running a poor third. I've watched both the Striiv and Nike teams innovating at a quite decent pace, with new features, etc. By contrast, the FitBit team, apparently satisfied with jumping out the fitness-device gate first, adopted a do little to nothing approach over the past year.

Quick notes:
- I was mesmerized with the customer service re FuelBand and Striiv. Called each with a question; reached a knowledgable (!!) human within 3 rings. Both heavily publicize their 800 numbers.
- "NikeFuel" is a sort of equalizer, allowing comparisons among folks. If you run around the block and Michael Jordam does the same, you both get the same NF number. So, it's distinctly different from "your" calories-expenditure figure.
- The Nike SportWatch includes heart-rate based cal burn, if you purchase the Nike-associated Polar strap monitor. If you have an iPhone, you can get a similar effect by getting the iSmoothRun app, Wahoo key & any ANT+ heart rate strap/monitor. iSR will export your data to NikePlus (and a host of others), where your data appears as a Nike iPod upload, but with the HR data included. (Cal burn will be approximate, as you really do need heartrate-based calculation for accuracy vs rough guide.)
- If your primary concern is true accuracy, get the Omron pedometer for steps, and the Nike SportWatch or Garmin 310xt for heartrate-based calories expenditure. On the other hand, if you want a rough guide to the steps you've walked and activity-based calories you've burned throughout the day, WITH the added element of ongoing motivation, then the FuelBand or Striiv will likely satisfy.

I know this is a long post, but I figure details, especially why I now reject or embrace whichever device, might be helpful to others. Bottom-line: go for the device which will increase motivation, not frustrate you, and help you to genuinely enjoy the whole fitness journey. Personally, I had to kiss a frog before I found my prince, but I'm a happy camper. (Thanks to CraigsList, for helping to minimize the pain of unwise purchases!)