New Fitbit models - anyone tempted?

[Laura Corin]

I have a birthday coming up.

 

https://www.fitbit.com/store#products

 

I have the Charge HR, so I don't want to step down to not having a heart rate monitor again with an Alta.  I used to wear a large watch before I started to wear a Fitbit, so I'm wondering about the Blaze.  I'd have to see it.

 

As it is, my HR works fine and I'm not a serious athlete, so I probably should just stick with what I have.

[LucyStoner]

Not for me (I am happy with my HR) but I am thinking about the Blaze for my husband as a birthday gift. He'd never spend that on himself but I know he likes the idea of having one.

[Laura Corin]

Not for me (I am happy with my HR) but I am thinking about the Blaze for my husband as a birthday gift. He'd never spend that on himself but I know he likes the idea of having one.

 

Husband swims a lot and I haven't yet found anything that would work well for him.

[Pawz4me]

I'm happy with the HR.  I know some (a lot?) of people don't like the utilitarian look, but it doesn't bother me a bit.  But if you want one of the newer models I think you should go for it.  And then report back on how you like it. ;)

[JudoMom]

I wasn't tempted until I read this. I would love a Blaze. I have the basic charge, though, and it works fine so I can't justify the expense.

[SemiSweet]

I love my Charge HR, but the Blaze looks awesome for dh, for the first time he has a job where he can have electronics on him, definitely thinking about this for his birthday.

[ktgrok]

I love my HR, but the Alta sure is prettier. And I don't really use the HR function, although I have a feeling it does make the calorie tracking better. I'm not jumping ship yet, but if they come out with even prettier bands for the Alta I may down the road. 

[pink&bluemommy]

I have an hr and am tempted by the blaze. Mostly I want to get the text notifications!

[Luckymama]

I love my HR. I will wear it until it dies.

 

The Blaze might be cool, though it depends on the size.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I'm happy with my HR. I actually lust after an iWatch.😊

[gingersmom]

I'm getting myself and daughter matching Fitbit Alta's. I have a Fitbit one I love and she tracks steps using an app on her phone.

[DawnM]

what does the Blaze do that the HR can't?  I am happy with my HR.  I am with JoyofSix, if I get anything, I would want the Apple watch.

[Rachel]

I'm always tempted by the models. I have he Charge so the Alta would be a prettier version of what I have.

 

There is a place online where you can send your fitbit to get it waterproofed, I've not tried it so I'm not sure if it is worth the cost. There are also some Garmins that work for swimming, I have no idea how accurate they are though. My running Garmin is great.

[Sandragood1]

I have a Withings that I got specifically bc it is waterproof. My Fitbit charge hr died while I was washing my face so I wanted really waterproof. My new one doesn't do heart rate but will count arm strokes when you swim.

[LucyStoner]

Husband swims a lot and I haven't yet found anything that would work well for him.

My husband can barely swim. I didn't believe him when he told me this was because he can't even float that well and then we went swimming together and sure enough, he sinks.

[Annie G]

I love my HR but the new ones are so pretty. I won't buy one until my HR bites the dust...which will be a long time since I've only had it about 5 months. 

 

For those who don't have a heart rate monitor on their fitbit:

I'm not convinced my HR does a good job calculating how many calories I burn during workouts. I walk/jog at an indoor track and yesterday I walked almost the whole way because it was lunchtime and there were a ton of older folks walking (it slows me down because they don't usually hear me when I try to go around them)  and after 50 minutes my fitbit said I'd burned some 330 calories. That seems high.  So if I was relying on my fitbit to help me balance calories and exercise in order to lose weight, I might be disappointed. 

Edited February 11, 2016 by Annie G

[DawnM]

My husband can barely swim. I didn't believe him when he told me this was because he can't even float that well and then we went swimming together and sure enough, he sinks.

 

Has he worked with a swim instructor at all?

This was my youngest son.  I found it so odd that he just would sink, but once he learned what worked for him and his body, he learned to float.

[Seasider]

Husband swims a lot and I haven't yet found anything that would work well for him.

This is what I keep hoping for, too.

[Seasider]

What brick-and-mortar places do you go shopping for fitness trackers? Best Buy? I need to see something in real life.

[ocelotmom]

Husband swims a lot and I haven't yet found anything that would work well for him.

 

The Garmin VivoSmart HR is waterproof and has a HR monitor, which seems approximately as accurate as the Charge HR (in other words, good for resting, less reliable when exercising). I switched to it about a month and a half ago, and the only thing I miss about the Charge is the FitBit community.

 

I like the look of the Alta. I like that it has interchangeable bands - sometimes I'd like something less utilitarian. I might have considered jumping ship back to fitbit if it had a HR monitor, but that's my primary reason for wearing a fitness band, so it just doesn't work.

Edited February 12, 2016 by ocelotmom

[MrsWeasley]

I would love a Blaze, but I have a perfectly good Charge HR.

[Rachel]

I love my HR but the new ones are so pretty. I won't buy one until my HR bites the dust...which will be a long time since I've only had it about 5 months.

 

For those who don't have a heart rate monitor on their fitbit:

I'm not convinced my HR does a good job calculating how many calories I burn during workouts. I walk/jog at an indoor track and yesterday I walked almost the whole way because it was lunchtime and there were a ton of older folks walking (it slows me down because they don't usually hear me when I try to go around them) and after 50 minutes my fitbit said I'd burned some 330 calories. That seems high. So if I was relying on my fitbit to help me balance calories and exercise in order to lose weight, I might be disappointed.

I don't think 330 calories for 50 mimutes of walking sounds high unless you are really small. Maybe try an online calculator to get an estimate and see if it is similar. Edited February 11, 2016 by Rach

[Seasider]

The Garmin VivoSmart HR is waterproof and has a HR monitor, which seems approximately as accurate as the Charge HR (in other words, good for resting, less reliable when exercising). I switched to it about a month and a half ago, and the only thing I miss about the Charge is the FitBit community.

 

I like the look of the Alta. I like that it has interchangeable bands - sometimes I'd like something less utal. I might have considered jumping ship back to fitbit if it had a HR monitor, but that's my primary reason for wearing a fitness band, so it just doesn't work.

I just took another look at that Garmin, the price seems to have dropped quite a bit since before Christmas. Thanks for the tip.

[Annie G]

I don't think 330 calories for 50 mimutes of walking sounds high unless you are really small. Maybe try an online calculator to get an estimate and see if it is similar.

 

Good to know! Before I started using the track, I was walking on a treadmill for 50 minutes and using incline and it calculated I was burning some 200 calories. So I thought my Fitbit was overestimating. Cool!!

[Rachel]

Good to know! Before I started using the track, I was walking on a treadmill for 50 minutes and using incline and it calculated I was burning some 200 calories. So I thought my Fitbit was overestimating. Cool!!

I could be totally wrong; it depends on your weight, age, and how fast you are going. I've never really tracked my calories burned from walking but I burn about 600 per hour running. I always consider the calculator on devices and workout equipment to be an approximation but it is a gauge to compare effort.