Which Fitbit?

[TDHawks]

Morning everyone.  I know this isn't the proper placement for this topic but honestly, I really don't know where else to post it so if a mod needs to move it, go right ahead.

I am in the market for a Fitbit and have narrowed it down to 3, the Blaze, Alta HR, and Charge 2.  

I am a competitive tennis player and want to keep track of my movements, calories, steps, etc. while playing.  Accuracy is important to me, so if one is better than the other, I would like to know.

Do you  guys / gals have any insight as to which I should look into more? 

Thanks.

[Dominique]

Blaze and Charge 2 are similar in that both will let you start and stop activities, and you can tell them what activities you are undertaking, whereas Alta HR will only autodetect activities, without letting you tell it what it is you are doing. From there, between Blaze and Charge 2, it’s mostly a question of form factor / type of display. I won’t venture into the "accuracy" debate, as I don’t believe you can rank them universally, claiming one would be clearly more accurate for things like steps and calories, in all conditions and for all people.

[SunsetRunner]

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@TDHawks wrote:

Morning everyone.  I know this isn't the proper placement for this topic but honestly, I really don't know where else to post it so if a mod needs to move it, go right ahead.

I am in the market for a Fitbit and have narrowed it down to 3, the Blaze, Alta HR, and Charge 2.  

I am a competitive tennis player and want to keep track of my movements, calories, steps, etc. while playing.  Accuracy is important to me, so if one is better than the other, I would like to know.

Do you  guys / gals have any insight as to which I should look into more? 

Thanks.

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Well, I'm pretty new to FitBit, as my wife and I just got ourselves Charge 2s for Christmas. Now, I used to use my phone (Apple's Health App) to keep track of my activity however I never bring it out on the workout floor at the gym as it's too distracting for me.

The Charge 2 is NOT a smart phone, but it gives me just what I need to start and stop my workout options, keep track of heart rate, etc. I want to see my effort, and I want to workout out, not play on a device, or get annoyed with one. The Charge2 really fits into this for me. I can pay attention to it, monitor myself a little, and It doesn't slow me down during my workout.

As for accuracy, I take these "numbers" with a grain of salt. As with any tracker, I always cut the number by 25-30%, especially since it's located on the wrist. My understanding is chest straps and heart rate monitors are more accurate. However, even if it is accurate or not, it gives me a guide line of how much effort I am doing day to day.

ex. If my workout on the concept2 rower, the Charge2 tells me I have burned over 400 calories in 30 minutes, I think it might be more like 280-330.

ex. When I set the Charge2 to the "weights" workout, and do my lifting for 40-60 minutes, it says I burn like 350-430 calories. Yeah, okay, sure, right. I don't believe it, but if it is true, then I just use that number as a guide. Can I make that number higher by going at it harder the next time.

I try to be very conservative with the numbers any device gives out to me, even the concept2 rower, and other cardio machines, Apple Health App, My Track App, and the Charge2.

I also got the Charge2 because we were able to get both for $130.00 each. So the monetary hit was pretty easy to live with. I will say, I love the app, and the website dashboard, and how all the info syncs together. I'm a web designer/visual artists, and the developers make a nice looking easy to use phone app and web site, plus I really like this forum community more so than others I have participated in.

So far, I feel like I got just what I expected. I am liking this device very much.

[TDHawks]

Great answer, thank you.

I am on the fence with the Charge 2 and the Apple Watch.  Obviously price point is a huge difference and that does play a role.  As far as fitness tracking  alone, the Fitbit would probably be the smarter option.  However, I wonder if I will get bored with it and want something more detailed like the watch.  

The app is fantastic for Fitbit, I have played around with that.  I have heard it isn't that great for Apple.

[SunsetRunner]

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@TDHawks wrote:

Great answer, thank you.

I am on the fence with the Charge 2 and the Apple Watch.  Obviously price point is a huge difference and that does play a role.  As far as fitness tracking  alone, the Fitbit would probably be the smarter option.  However, I wonder if I will get bored with it and want something more detailed like the watch.  

The app is fantastic for Fitbit, I have played around with that.  I have heard it isn't that great for Apple. 

Well, I'm waiting a few years on the iWatch. I am a big Apple/Mac guy, love their software/hardware to be honest. Much better than MS and others companies. Been a mac user my whole life.

But again, when I am working out, I don't want the distraction of a smart phone or smart watch that gives all sorts of other info. I just want something to be exercise related. So, the Charge2 fits into that for me.

But, go for the iWatch, I hear it's a cool product, and people love it.  🙂

[TDHawks]

That helps, thanks.

[SunsetRunner]

One last thing to consider...

Whether you get the FitBit smart watches or a FitBit tracker of some sort, FitBit seems to revolve around activity. That's their main if not their ONLY *Pillar*. That's all they do and mostly focus on.

Apple on the other hand, focus on over all life style. Being connected. The health side (Health app, etc) is only one "Pillar" of what Apple focuses on.

That's important to consider when your choosing which device or brand you're gonna go with.

[TDHawks]

Appreciate it.  Now when you said you would wait a few years on the watch, why?  Is it more because what you have now simply does what you want or are you wanting the watch to do something it yet doesn't?

[SunsetRunner]

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@TDHawks wrote:

Appreciate it.  Now when you said you would wait a few years on the watch, why?  Is it more because what you have now simply does what you want or are you wanting the watch to do something it yet doesn't?

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Well, it took me awhile before I jumped on the smartphone band wagon. I just didn't think I needed it. And I didn't. Until I finally got one, of course. Then I was hooked. I finally took the plunge with the iPhone 4. By then iOS was pretty robust, and personally, I loved the smaller size of the iPhone 4. Once I got on that phone, I realized just how wonderful having a smartphone was. Now, I can't live without my iPhone (currently a 6s), and this year I'll be upgrading as well.

Same thing with the iWatch. I really don't need it. So, I'll wait. And, I know once I do get one, I'll probably react the same with when I got my iPhone4. Hopefully by then the hardware/software combo will be more robust than it is now.

I really hate getting 1.0/2.0 products.

[GosportNancy]

I agree with taking the step accuracy with a pinch of salt.

I started THIS THREAD   very recently and there are several funny replies relating to how activities register steps.

I have a Charge 2 

[TDHawks]

Now that’s funny. Nothing is going to be perfect, and I realize that. My main thing I am looking for is a solid piece of equipment to measure my output whike playing tennis and cross training.

I’ve studied so many different fitness trackers and watches and after a while, everything contradicts itself because some are better than others in certain areas and vice versa.

It also sounds like the charge 2, as good as the reviews are on it, seems to be the culprit with the most incorrect steps taken. Now I’m sure that’s not completely true but that is the model that seems to pop up more often than not when I am researching. I wonder if I went with a different model rather than that if I would have more accurate success.