Word Nerd Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I already have a Fitbit Zip that still works fine. For my upcoming birthday, I'm wondering if I should upgrade to a Flex or Charge or try a different brand and model entirely, such as a Garmin Vivosmart or a Misfit Flash. I don't really care about the smartwatch functions like being able to see text or phone notifications on my tracker, but I would like to track sleep and have the ability to track more than just steps—like if I'm doing yoga or a core workout at home using weights or a balance ball. I know we've had similar threads before and looked at several online reviews, but I'd like to get the most up-to-date info and the Hive's input! What wearable fitness trackers do you use and like? :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I love my Fitbit charge HR: - it tells me when I am exercising well because I can see my heartbeat scores - I do a lot of walking, so it makes sure I am going fast enough - the app and computer dashboard work well - it wakes me silently without disturbing Husband - it counts steps (pretty well) as well as stairs climbed, so I get kudos for all the hills I walk up - I actually quite like the wrist display of incoming calls - I sometimes don't hear my phone if it is in my bag. Plus, if I lose my phone in the house, I can call it, then walk around until it makes contact with my wrist, then I know it's nearby - I find that the sleep tracking helps to remind me to prioritise sleep L 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SemiSweet Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I love my Fitbit charge HR: - it tells me when I am exercising well because I can see my heartbeat scores - I do a lot of walking, so it makes sure I am going fast enough - the app and computer dashboard work well - it wakes me silently without disturbing Husband - it counts steps (pretty well) as well as stairs climbed, so I get kudos for all the hills I walk up - I actually quite like the wrist display of incoming calls - I sometimes don't hear my phone if it is in my bag. Plus, if I lose my phone in the house, I can call it, then walk around until it makes contact with my wrist, then I know it's nearby - I find that the sleep tracking helps to remind me to prioritise sleep L Agree with all of this. I love my Charge HR. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I took mine back because I didn't like the time and attention I was giving to it. It did motivate me to increase my steppage, but I didn't need another in my day commanding my attention. But since you already have the zipper one, maybe that doesn't apply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greta Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I have a Misfit and I really like it. It's super simple, just counts steps and sleep. But that's all I need most of the time. I like that it's waterproof just in case (even though I don't swim - I am a clutz, so you never know!) and I know this isn't the most important thing, but it's cute too. (I bought the gold one. :) ) My husband and I also have Garmin GPS watches. He uses his all the time because it tracks heart rate, location (it maps your route for you), speed, all kinds of stuff. I only use mine when we go for a hike that is new territory or longer than usual or otherwise different in some way. (ETA: we don't have the Vivosmart, though, so I'm not sure how that compares. Sorry!) If you want a lot of detailed information, Garmin is great. If you want to keep it really simple, the Misfit is great. Obviously FitBit must be pretty good overall, because they are hugely popular. I bought the FitBit Surge and was super excited about it even though it was bulky on my small wrist, and far from pretty. But it was a piece of junk that never worked right. A $250 piece of junk! I returned it and was disinclined to try again, even though I know my experience was probably atypical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I've had my Fitbit Charge HR for three months now and I love it! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I love my Google watch, but stopped using it because 1. It sucks up too much data on my cell phone plan 2. It interprets typing as steps, so when I'm almost completely inert on the computer, it's busily giving me credit for steps I'm not taking. 3. Although it tracks steps when I'm out of cellphone range, it doesn't track exercise time for some reason, so since my only really major exercise is wilderness hiking, my stats are very distorted by leaving out that exercise time. I'm going to try to get a fitness watch or something that doesn't rely on or link to my cell phone, and only use the Google watch when I'm on the road. It is extremely handy then, because I see the mapping instructions right on my wrist on the steering wheel, and also the alerts of incoming phone calls are quite convenient. I'm glad this was a gift and not something I bought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I have a Jawbone UP24. Love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink and Green Mom Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I got a Flex for Mother's Day. It no longer works. It won't hold a charge. The company's responses of how to fix it make it work for another few days but then nothing. I know 4 people with a Flex and only one lasted longer than 4 months. I know the company will replace it but honestly, the thing is a piece of junk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Be sure it will fit your wrist. A friend recently pointed out to me that many (most?) of them don't go down small enough to fit my wrist the way they're designed to fit, so I think I'm pretty much stuck with the one that clips on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Be sure it will fit your wrist. A friend recently pointed out to me that many (most?) of them don't go down small enough to fit my wrist the way they're designed to fit, so I think I'm pretty much stuck with the one that clips on. My Fitbit Charge HR is not very small, you are right. I wear the small size on the smallest-but-one hole. I'm 5'4" and not tiny-boned. You couldn't just make more holes, because the tracker has a solid bar that has to fit across the top of the wrist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted November 5, 2015 Author Share Posted November 5, 2015 Be sure it will fit your wrist. A friend recently pointed out to me that many (most?) of them don't go down small enough to fit my wrist the way they're designed to fit, so I think I'm pretty much stuck with the one that clips on. That's a good point, as I have a pretty small frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 My Fitbit Charge HR is not very small, you are right. I wear the small size on the smallest-but-one hole. I'm 5'4" and not tiny-boned. You couldn't just make more holes, because the tracker has a solid bar that has to fit across the top of the wrist.The small?That really surprises me. My 12yo dd is 4'9", 70lbs and the small fits her well. I'm 5'0" with a small wrist and I almost returned my small for a large. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 The small? That really surprises me. My 12yo dd is 4'9", 70lbs and the small fits her well. I'm 5'0" with a small wrist and I almost returned my small for a large. Yes - the small. Maybe my wrists are smaller than I thought. I'm about 60 kilos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashfern Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I have the Jawbone Move with a wrist strap. I love it. I had the UP but the button pooped off so I downgraded to the Move. I like it because I can track activity with the timer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I'm fairly small -- 4'10" on a good day and currently about 115 pounds. The small Charge HR fits my wrist fine. I've got four more notches I can tighten it up if I lose more weight. Remember that it's meant to be worn a bit loose, and it's supposed to be worn two or three finger widths above the wrist bone for best heart rate monitoring during exercise. I'm looking at mine and thinking the small band on the last hole is really, really small. Like I can't imagine even a small eight or nine year old girl not being able to wear it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I'm fairly small -- 4'10" on a good day and currently about 115 pounds. The small Charge HR fits my wrist fine. I've got four more notches I can tighten it up if I lose more weight. Remember that it's meant to be worn a bit loose, and it's supposed to be worn two or three finger widths above the wrist bone for best heart rate monitoring during exercise. I'm looking at mine and thinking the small band on the last hole is really, really small. Like I can't imagine even a small eight or nine year old girl not being able to wear it. I'm wondering if the sizing is different in the UK and the US, for some reason. My 'small' is two finger widths above my wrist and it's not tight, and yet it's on the smallest-but-one hole. I'm not a tiny person! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I'm wondering if the sizing is different in the UK and the US, for some reason. My 'small' is two finger widths above my wrist and it's not tight, and yet it's on the smallest-but-one hole. I'm not a tiny person! I was wondering the same thing. I bet it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I have had a few. Loved them. I liked making the goals. However, it was easy to get obsessive. Couldn't carry my purse in that hand or it didn't move enough to track. Stuff like that. Or find the battery died and missed 5k steps!!! I gave it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I was wondering the same thing. I bet it is! Now I'm intrigued. Here's the UK sizing page: https://www.fitbit.com/uk/storeshowing the small at 14 to 16cm. Here's the US one https://www.fitbit.com/store showing small at 5.4" to 6.2". My converter gives 14cm as 5.5 inches and 16cm as 6.3". So I think it's the same. I'm back to thinking that I have bizarrely small wrists. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Add me to the Charge HR fan club! I've been wearing mine since January. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Yes, you want a wristband tracker so you can sell me your Zip - dh just lost his at our camp! :laugh: I don't like anything on my wrist, so I won't be upgrading anytime soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 I have a Misfit. I bought a different band for it because the Amazon reviews of the tracker were great-but a lot of people had trouble with the band. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Love my Fitbit Charge HR. I wore an old style Fitbit in my pocket for years but upgraded to the HR a few months ago. I love it. I usually lose my heart rate function when I'm doing weights even though I wear it more loosely and up my write a few inches, but that's no big deal to me. The sleep tracking is super easy and seems fairly accurate for me. Sometimes I feel like I tossed and turned and sure enough those are the days it shows I was awake more. I LOVE the silent alarm and I didn't think I would because dh and I haven't ever used an alarm. I don't actually get up to it, but it vibrates at the time dh starts getting ready for work and I like to talk to him while he's getting ready. Without getting out of my warm bed. g I also really love that it vibrates when I reach my step goal. It's just a little nudge that reminds me I've reached it. Only complaint: I wish it held a charge longer. I get about 4 days. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I do not need a watch to tell me I am not living life properly. I know when I am insomniac, my pants don't zip, and my free weights are collecting dust. But, I love gadgets. Are they worth just playing with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 I do not need a watch to tell me I am not living life properly. I know when I am insomniac, my pants don't zip, and my free weights are collecting dust. But, I love gadgets. Are they worth just playing with? I used to feel the same way, and I'm confident all of us can see the big picture fairly easily. The Charge HR has been helpful for me to see the details and finer print. ;) After wearing it for about three months I have a very good idea of how many calories I burn per day on average. And it has allowed me to see how little things can make a difference. For example, yesterday I had a hair coloring appointment and DS had a dentist appointment. Those added up to about three hours of being totally sedentary. Thanks to my Fitbit I was able to see that that extra time being sedentary "cost" me about 150-175 calories versus a normal day when I would have been piddling around the house doing light cleaning, laundry, etc. for some of that time. Info like that has been valuable and interesting to me. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted November 8, 2015 Author Share Posted November 8, 2015 Now I'm considering a Xiaomi Mi Band 1S. It is surprisingly inexpensive—so much so that even if it doesn't work exactly as advertised, I'm only out $20 or so, depending on the US price. Hopefully it will be available here soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Now I'm considering a Xiaomi Mi Band 1S. It is surprisingly inexpensive—so much so that even if it doesn't work exactly as advertised, I'm only out $20 or so, depending on the US price. Hopefully it will be available here soon. If that can be sold here, it'll kick Fitbit's butt in sales! That's really inexpensive! I wonder how they get the battery to last so long- my pocket Fitbit never lasted more than about 11 days and my HR only 4 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 FYI, my costco has the Charge on sale for $99, including an extra charging cable (for when you lose one, like I do). And Costco is great about letting you take things back if you don't like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 DC Rainmaker reviews a lot of fitness watches. I would check his site for reviews. He does very thorough reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rutamattatt Posted November 9, 2015 Share Posted November 9, 2015 I had a Fitbit (flex maybe?) and just upgraded to the HR. I LOVE it, especially the heart rate feature. My husband loves it for the alarm feature - now when he calls me and my phone is on silent at the bottom of my large, unorganized purse I feel the buzz on my wrist and know to go diving in to answer his call. I do wish it held a charge a little longer and that it looked a little more…fashionable. But all in all I love my "wrist of judgment". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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