are Fitbits worth it

[luvmyfam444]

DD's roommate has one so they count their steps together - so I was thinking maybe I should find out about getting her one. I'm not sure if they are the best out there - not looking to spend a fortune - something user friendly

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

They are pretty cool. I have one of the old ones, like the FitBit Flex. It helps keep you motivated to stay moving and walk a lot. Very easy to figure out and use. Mine is kind of old and can be disagreeable sometimes when it comes to charging. The charger is more the issue than the device I believe.

 

[wenrob]

I own three and want the new Charge HR 2. I may or may not have a Fitbit problem...

The model you get depends on how she'll be using it. My Zip is pretty basic, just counts steps and gives a burn/calorie estimate, it clips onto your clothing. My Charge HR has a heart rate sensor, I use it when I'm going to do structured exercise (including walking videos). It will automatically pick up several types of exercise or you can hit the button on the side to start your workout and label it later. It also counts stairs but any change in the weather throws that off, its worn on the wrist. My Alta has interchangeable bands, reminders to move, will auto pick up several types of excercise but if you want to log specific stuff you'll have to remember to set the times and log it manually later. It doesn't count stairs and is also worn on the wrist. Also both the Charge HR and Alta can alert you to texts and phone calls and you can set silent alarms. The battery life on the Alta is far superior to the Charge HR. All of these can be linked to sites like My Fitness Pal to adjust your calories. I did this and lost 36lbs this year.

There are several more models. You can go to the Fitbit website and do side by side comparisons to see what fits her best. Almost everyone will have some type of sale on different models this week. If you have any other questions I can try to help.

 

[luvmyfam444]

I'm not sure what she'd use it for - ha. I know her roommates' is on her wrist. Right now all they do is walk - either the steps in her dorm or the campus - no other exercise yet.

 

[Southernmiss]

I like having a fit bit. Don't lways make my step goal but it does get me moving. Many college kids I know enjoy having one, too.

 

[Lori74]

I have a flex and have always liked it. how accurate they are is another story. my friend and I went on a trip together and our steps were about 400 steps apart from each other even though we did the same things. with that said, I don't really care about the numbers so much, as it makes me aware and motivated to get going. although it is deflating when im participating in a challenge with friends and my steps are way behind everyone elses, but I still like all the features, I use the alarm every day. looking forward to trying an alta.

 

[Hikergirl]

I am currently using the Alta fitbit and I really like it. I think it is the best choice for a starter fitbit (looks like it will be $99 pretty much everywhere for black friday).
I do not use all the functions (call, text, calendar alerts) but it keeps me motivated.
If you know she is into tracking her steps then I don't think you can go wrong with one. If she uses it and likes it then yes it would be "worth it".
You can go to the fitbit website and compare them all.

 

[Amy]

I got a FitBit One for Christmas 2013; so far I've gained 5 pounds. Completely my fault; I'm a stress eater. Anyway, I love my One because I clip it onto my bra each morning and forget about it. I didn't want a watch style, because when I'm gardening or working around the house, I don't like wearing jewelry, and I was afraid the watch style would bother me and I'd stop wearing it. I got DH a FitBit One for Father's Day this year. It's interesting - we'll go hiking together and then compare our FitBit stats; the mileage is always really close, but I always have more steps than he does; I have shorter legs, so I need more steps to cover the same distance. So now I have proof that he's walking too fast for me!

 

[sam_gordon]

Last spring (2015) my company came up with a "Fitbit challenge". They offered employees (and family members) deeply discounted (like 50% off) fitbit flexes. If you averaged 10,000 steps a day over six weeks, you got $100. The second six weeks was $150. Many people signed up for it. People were up walking around the building and around the parking lot. I walked around the neighborhood every morning before going to work and walked to lunch each day. My weekends were "off". That lasted through the summer. Over the next six months, two or three of my bands broke. I got tired of replacing them. I now have no idea where my fitbit is.

Is it "worth it"? I don't regret getting one, but the deep discount really factored in. Would I get one now, at full price, without the "challenge"? Probably not. If I was that interested in being "pushed" to walk, I'd see if my phone had an app to track my steps.

 

[wenrob]

I have a flex and have always liked it. how accurate they are is another story. my friend and I went on a trip together and our steps were about 400 steps apart from each other even though we did the same things. with that said, I don't really care about the numbers so much, as it makes me aware and motivated to get going. although it is deflating when im participating in a challenge with friends and my steps are way behind everyone elses, but I still like all the features, I use the alarm every day. looking forward to trying an alta.

That doesn't make the Fitbits inaccurate, your stride/gait is just different. My DH has long legs, I have short legs, he strolls with long strides, I hustle with short, quick steps. I'm going to show more steps than him because I'm taking more steps even though we're going the same distance. Older DD will be similar to me as we are built the same while the younger kids will show higher because they have to work harder to keep up. I've tested two Fitbits and my phone all against each other on walks and they were within 20 steps of one another. That said, if you think your Fitbit is off there are directions on the website to help you set your stride correctly.

 

[kamik86]

That doesn't make the Fitbits inaccurate, your stride/gait is just different. My DH has long legs, I have short legs, he strolls with long strides, I hustle with short, quick steps. I'm going to show more steps than him because I'm taking more steps even though we're going the same distance. Older DD will be similar to me as we are built the same while the younger kids will show higher because they have to work harder to keep up. I've tested two Fitbits and my phone all against each other on walks and they were within 20 steps of one another. That said, if you think your Fitbit is off there are directions on the website to help you set your stride correctly.

I agree that they seem accruate as long as you compare like to like.

The one place you see high differences is a fit bit vs a hip pedometer during normal day activities that aren't just walking. A fit bit counts other movements when a hip pedometer only counts walking.

 

[wenrob]

I agree that they seem accruate as long as you compare like to like.

The one place you see high differences is a fit bit vs a hip pedometer during normal day activities that aren't just walking. A fit bit counts other movements when a hip pedometer only counts walking.

Well my phone would be hip based, I keep it in my front pocket. I've seen many people complain about their step count being too high with wrist based but I've never had that problem. I don't let my Fitbits dangle from my wrist though. I wear on my non dominant wrist, snug but not tight just above the wrist bone. If I'm going to be doing something that requires a lot of arm movement or no arm movement I'll take it off and put it in my pocket. I might get 50 or so extra steps blow drying my hair but at night when I'm whooped and not walking as purposefully I'll easily lose 100 or so. The Charge actually came in lower than my Zip when tested against each other. But, for me, it's all about getting my butt moving.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

I don't own one, but a young friend does.

She wears it all of the time, and she was claiming that she "got all my steps in today." Um, honey you haven't left the house and we don't have stairs. How the heck did you get your steps?

She basically uses it to see who is calling, so she will know whether or not to answer the phone.

 

[Klayfish]

I don't think they're "bad", any tool you try to use to improve your fitness is a good thing. However, I think they're kind of unnecessary. Besides not being incredibly accurate, they're not going to do anything magical for you. Just using common sense and getting some exercise is really all you need. If you take a brisk walk for 30 minutes, the actual number of steps you take really doesn't matter. Like I said, Fitbit isn't "bad", I suppose it could be a motivational tool, but beyond that I don't see much value in them. If you really want one of those types of things, look into Polar Fitness watches.

 

[Hrhpd]

Well my phone would be hip based, I keep it in my front pocket. I've seen many people complain about their step count being too high with wrist based but I've never had that problem. I don't let my Fitbits dangle from my wrist though. I wear on my non dominant wrist, snug but not tight just above the wrist bone. If I'm going to be doing something that requires a lot of arm movement or no arm movement I'll take it off and put it in my pocket. I might get 50 or so extra steps blow drying my hair but at night when I'm whooped and not walking as purposefully I'll easily lose 100 or so. The Charge actually came in lower than my Zip when tested against each other. But, for me, it's all about getting my butt moving.

I agree. My phone always shows way more steps than my fitbit. For instance, when I was in Disney/Universal this year, on one slow day, my fitbit showed 20,000 steps. My phone (Samsung health) which was in my hip and in a locker for some rides, showed over 30,000 steps. I have never had a problem with too many steps with my fitbit. In fact, I have always found it a bit stingy.

I have several fitbits going back to when they first became popular. Needless to say, I think they are very worth it. However, I would not purchase the Charge (either HR or regular.) The back of it that holds the charger breaks off very easily. Fitbit will replace the charger during the first year, but as soon as your warranty is up, they say forget it. And they won't provide a replacement part. They will only offer you a 25% discount to go spend another $120 on a new one. So, you are spending $150 on a device that will most likely be useless in a year. If you want to check out the problem, there are numerous threads about it on Fitbit's site.

That said, I LOVE the new Charge 2. (I used my discount on it after I used up my replacements on my Charge HR.) It has a different charging that won't break and I love the features on it. Totally worth the money for me.

 

[kamik86]

I agree. My phone always shows way more steps than my fitbit. For instance, when I was in Disney/Universal this year, on one slow day, my fitbit showed 20,000 steps. My phone (Samsung health) which was in my hip and in a locker for some rides, showed over 30,000 steps. I have never had a problem with too many steps with my fitbit. In fact, I have always found it a bit stingy.

I have several fitbits going back to when they first became popular. Needless to say, I think they are very worth it. However, I would not purchase the Charge (either HR or regular.) The back of it that holds the charger breaks off very easily. Fitbit will replace the charger during the first year, but as soon as your warranty is up, they say forget it. And they won't provide a replacement part. They will only offer you a 25% discount to go spend another $120 on a new one. So, you are spending $150 on a device that will most likely be useless in a year. If you want to check out the problem, there are numerous threads about it on Fitbit's site.

That said, I LOVE the new Charge 2. (I used my discount on it after I used up my replacements on my Charge HR.) It has a different charging that won't break and I love the features on it. Totally worth the money for me.

Hmm I didnt realize that was as much of an issue. Mine is starting to break now but is still usable adn I have had it for over 2 years. In that time when I had the flex I went through several wrist bands. I was planning to get a charge 2 this year. Maybe I should complain and see if I get that discount for my 2.

 

[ludari]

I had the HR Fitbit over a year ago until I purchased the first generation of the Apple Watch and then I gave my Fitbit to my friend. I found a lot of the reported data to be incorrect and accepted the fact it was just an estimate of my workouts or daily steps. My Apple Watch is more accurate but I still just use it as an estimate based on my experience with the Fitbit.

 

[wenrob]

I don't think they're "bad", any tool you try to use to improve your fitness is a good thing. However, I think they're kind of unnecessary. Besides not being incredibly accurate, they're not going to do anything magical for you. Just using common sense and getting some exercise is really all you need. If you take a brisk walk for 30 minutes, the actual number of steps you take really doesn't matter. Like I said, Fitbit isn't "bad", I suppose it could be a motivational tool, but beyond that I don't see much value in them. If you really want one of those types of things, look into Polar Fitness watches.

I agree that they're not needed but I think their usefulness will depend on your personality and what you hope to achieve. I thrive on feedback and visual, readable data. I've gone from barely meeting 1,800 steps a day to an average of 15,000 steps a day. It takes much more than a 30 minute walk to get there. Had I not had that data in front of me I would have still been under the delusion that I was moving enough. I am middle of the road when it comes to fitness where for you it is a major priority. I need a little push while you "just do it" kwim? For people who have no fitness in their lives or are just getting started I think it's a great tool with just enough data to help them along without being overwhelming.

I agree. My phone always shows way more steps than my fitbit. For instance, when I was in Disney/Universal this year, on one slow day, my fitbit showed 20,000 steps. My phone (Samsung health) which was in my hip and in a locker for some rides, showed over 30,000 steps. I have never had a problem with too many steps with my fitbit. In fact, I have always found it a bit stingy.

I have several fitbits going back to when they first became popular. Needless to say, I think they are very worth it. However, I would not purchase the Charge (either HR or regular.) The back of it that holds the charger breaks off very easily. Fitbit will replace the charger during the first year, but as soon as your warranty is up, they say forget it. And they won't provide a replacement part. They will only offer you a 25% discount to go spend another $120 on a new one. So, you are spending $150 on a device that will most likely be useless in a year. If you want to check out the problem, there are numerous threads about it on Fitbit's site.

That said, I LOVE the new Charge 2. (I used my discount on it after I used up my replacements on my Charge HR.) It has a different charging that won't break and I love the features on it. Totally worth the money for me.

Jealous! I want one so bad. I'm hoping Santa will surprise me even though we don't typically exchange gifts among the adults. A girl can dream though.

 

[buzznina]

My boss had one, not sure which one, and he no longer uses it because he said it really only kept track of steps. He does cross fit and he said that after his 45 minute workout, it said he did like 3 minutes of work. He figured maybe it was not working and swapped with his wife and got the same results.

 

[Hrhpd]

I agree that they're not needed but I think their usefulness will depend on your personality and what you hope to achieve. I thrive on feedback and visual, readable data. I've gone from barely meeting 1,800 steps a day to an average of 15,000 steps a day. It takes much more than a 30 minute walk to get there. Had I not had that data in front of me I would have still been under the delusion that I was moving enough. I am middle of the road when it comes to fitness where for you it is a major priority. I need a little push while you "just do it" kwim? For people who have no fitness in their lives or are just getting started I think it's a great tool with just enough data to help them along without being overwhelming.

Jealous! I want one so bad. I'm hoping Santa will surprise me even though we don't typically exchange gifts among the adults. A girl can dream though.

I also thrive on feedback. I know the steps it shows may not be the "exact" steps I have taken during the day. But it is a good tool to base your exercise on. Can I do more steps the next day? I can get wrapped up in my work and lose track of time. I love the hourly reminders to get up and stretch and take a short stroll even if it is just walking around my kitchen island a few times. I love how it challenges me to try to improve my movement every day and look where I can add a few steps here and there. Should I stare at the Keurig while my coffee is brewing or should I walk to the living room and back? For 'me,' the feedback is very useful. A daily workout is great, but adding movement throughout the day is also beneficial.