topic Re: Anyone have a Fitbit? in Community Chat

Anyone have a Fitbit?

gidgetgh — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 20:10:01 GMT

I'm thinking about getting one and know next to nothing about them. I'd appreciate some comments if you have one. A friend suggested the Fitbit Charge.

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

MaggieMack — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 20:25:36 GMT

I had one. The wristband was so insecure that it fell off my wrist twice, I was lucky enough to realize it both times. After six or eight weeks, it quit charging. I bought a cheaper brand at Costco that runs off a battery, which I prefer. It also came with a clip instead of just a wristband. I like the clip better, too. Haven't come close to losing it.

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

Laura14 — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 20:33:15 GMT

I've considered one too. I've heard there is a TSV Fitbit coming on Tuesday. I don't know what it is but you may want to check it out and see if it's anything that you are interested in.

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

Karnerblue — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 20:43:18 GMT

I know several people that have them and they all have one complaint ... uses lots of battery power and they are constantly charging it. I wanted one but I held off. Lots of times with new things on the market I don't want to be the guinea pig for them. So if you wait they eventually work out the bugs and before you know it, a new and improved version comes out.

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

Kristy66 — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 20:47:18 GMT

I got a Fitbit Charge for Christmas and I love it. I have not had any problems withit falling off and I need to charge it once every 5 days or so. It has made me more mindful of my activity and motivates me to get up a move just a little more.

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

ChynnaBlue — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 00:24:24 GMT

I have a FitBit Charge HR and I love it.

The Charge HR has a more secure clasp than the Charge and other previous models. It's a basic watch buckle clasp.

The Charge and Charge HR have a sensor that triggers the display to show the time when you raise and tilt your wrist, which I love. Previous models had no watch or made you press the button to see the time. That was awkward when you had your hands full. Now I just bring my wrist up and I can see the time. Love that.

The watch is not waterproof, so I simply connect mine to the charger while I brush my teeth, shower, and get dressed in the morning. That keeps it charged all week. (If you have it set to sync with the phone all day instead of doing a manual sync, that will drain the battery much faster.)

If you are doing Weight Watchers and use their app, you can also link your FitBit account. When you sync your FitBit with your phone/computer, it shares the information with your Weight Watchers app, tracking all your fitness points.

You can set silent alerts which I use to buzz my wrist at certain points to keep track of my water intake and activity. I have two to remind me in the AM and PM to make sure I've finished all the water in the bottle I take to work each day. I also have an alarm for the afternoon to remind me to take a break and go walk around the office to get my steps in. (My office complex is huge and every afternoon you'll see individuals or groups of people going for a walk at the same time every day. They've posted a "healthy walk" map in all the hallways to show which path you can take and how many times around you go to equal a 1 mile walk.)

I was not walking many steps on average before I got my FitBit. I tracked my average for a week and then set my daily goal to be 1000 steps more than my average. Every time I hit my goal for a week, I increased my goal by another 1000 steps. I've quadrupled the number of steps I take per day by doing those increases and by just being more aware of my activity level. Days I work from home I make sure I take breaks to walk outside or even walk in place in the living room for 5 or 10 minutes at a time. I even dance around the kitchen or march in place while I'm making my coffee or waiting for something in the microwave.

FitBit also has excellent customer service. When my FitBit broke in December, I contacted them and they replaced it immediately, no questions asked. (Except for where to send it.) I had the new FitBit 3 days later - and again, this was right before Christmas, where everyone was super busy and shipping was slow!

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

jackthebear — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 21:28:13 GMT

@gidgetgh wrote:
I'm thinking about getting one and know next to nothing about them. I'd appreciate some comments if you have one. A friend suggested the Fitbit Charge.

I have had the FitBit one, this is the model that clips on, have had it for close to 2 years. Reallys helps you see how your activity needs to balance your food intake

Love it, personally I think this model is more secure than the wristband models, but it also maybe my preferences too.

I suggest you do a search here for comments, there have been many threads

The new models may have more functions than you may need.

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

AugustPeridot — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 21:32:19 GMT

I've had the Fitbit One for over a year now and purchased from QVC. I like that it clips on my bra strap. The set was easy, has a user-friendly app on iPhone, counts steps and stairs and comes with a wrist strap to use for tracking sleep patterns, which I've never used for that. It also has an alarm function. I usually go 10-12 days before needing a charge and have never had any problems with syncing. I linked the My Fitness Pal app with my Fitbit activity, which was also an easy setup, and enjoy tracking my meals and physical activity together.

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

Karlakaye — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 21:43:26 GMT

I love my Fitbit Charge---got it at Costco and have been wearing it since the first of July. I can't imagine NOT having one now----keeps me moving, aware of my movements, and much more (monitors sleep, buzzes when I have a cellphone call etc.).

A couple months after I got it, It fell off my wrist in a hotel room and I didn't notice till I got down to the lobby. Thankfully, I was able to go back and retrieve it. After that, a friend suggested going to a hardware store and buying a couple rubber O rings (for a few cents) and slip them over the end of the wrist strap. When the wristband is snapped into place, roll the ring (or rings---I use two) so both pieces of the band are secured in place. Piece of cake, cheap, and works perfectly---no more problem!

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

BklynKinsey — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 21:56:34 GMT

I've had my Fitbit since May 2010. I have the Fitbit Ultra -- model no longer made. This is a clip model rather than a wristband. I wear it clipped on my bra and I like that it doesn't interfere with clothing or jewelry and is totally secure. I do a lot of stairs so this model is great because it tracks the # of flights of stairs climbed (my best day was 25!). I charge it once a week, but it can go longer. Since it clips on my bra, the slight stretching open to fit has resulted in one side breaking off -- an easy fix with a drop of Crazy Glue -- not a bad problem after 6 years.

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

RainCityWoman — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 22:38:49 GMT

I have the little clip on one. I attach it to my bra each day. When I first got it, I couldn't get it to sync with my computer, but that was because they had changed their software for it. I called and then helped me get it to work. It's great when you remember to wear it as it tells you how much movement you have accomplished each day. Every so often they post my results over time. There's a chart that goes on your computer dash that keeps track of weight and other things so that you get a full picture of your activity.

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

DiAnne — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 22:47:49 GMT

I had one briefly. I did not like to wear it on my wrist because I like bracelets and it showed on bra. I returned it and bought a $25 pedometer that keeps track of steps (several other things but I just look at steps). Holds memory for 7 days and is not attached to computer. I love it. I hook it on my pants or put it in jacket pocket. It does motivate you to move more.

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

hoosieroriginal — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 23:04:45 GMT

One of our Indianapolis new channels did an investigation on accuracy of several models of these types of trackers. What they found was that the step counts were pretty accurate, but the calorie count was waaaaaay off on most of these devices. I tried to find a link, but could not remember which channel I was watching.

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

hopi — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 23:29:41 GMT

@gidgetgh

My son bought me a fitbit flex at Christmas and have not taken it off since.

The battery last 5 days and the band gets a bit getting use to. The real upside is the dynamic site that it connects to for free. I use the phone app and my computer. I am a person who enjoys exercise and thought these gadgets were silly. They are actually lots of fun and lets you know when you have not done enough.

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

GCR18 — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 23:50:09 GMT

I have a fitbit flex. We got them free at work when they first came out. It fell off and I lost it, but fitbit sent me a new one. I only used it to track steps. I didn't like that the display didn't show actual steps. There are 5 dots and each dot represents 2000 steps. Once you obtain the level, the dot changed. You can change the levels. With the new charge, you can see actual steps.

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

scotnovel — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 23:57:06 GMT

@MaggieMack wrote:
I had one. The wristband was so insecure that it fell off my wrist twice, I was lucky enough to realize it both times. After six or eight weeks, it quit charging. I bought a cheaper brand at Costco that runs off a battery, which I prefer. It also came with a clip instead of just a wristband. I like the clip better, too. Haven't come close to losing it.

My neighbor had one and she had the same problems that you did. She ended up buying a cheaper brand at WalMart that she uses all the time.

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

SeaMaiden — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 00:22:45 GMT

I had a fitbit that I clipped onto my sock I bought for $59. I went through batteries like crazy. Then one day it just stopped working.....it lasted about a year. So, I went without anything for another year.

I just bought at Costco a Fitbit charge HR. About three weeks agoIt cost $139. I am happy with it so far. I recharge it about every 5 days. No more buying batteries so often. I wear it under my sock around my ankle rather than on my wrist. It tracks actual steps more accurately I think.

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

Anniecamp — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 00:38:38 GMT

I have a question. Just how do these devices tell which movement or item is which?

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

Daisy Sunflower — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 03:39:37 GMT

I have a Fitbit Charge HR and love it. I'm constantly checking my steps throughout the day and my steps/heart rate when I'm on the treadmill.

Since I'm on my laptop every night while watching tv, it's the perfect time to plug it into my laptop to charge it. I could easily go a full 2-3 days without charging it, but I like to keep it fully charged.

Re: Anyone have a Fitbit?

makeup addict — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 03:46:29 GMT

I had a zip and recently updated to the One. Both are the clipped type. I would really like the HR one, but I don't need the rest of the bells and whistles. I just want the heart rate tracked. Consumer Reports does say the HR version is pretty accurate for heart rate.

As as for number of steps, I think it can tell by your gait.