Fitbit - like or Dislike?

I do not know what a 'fitbit' is, so I assume I do NOT have one.

I DO have some bits that are more 'fit' than others...

lol

They've had a recall (their Force model I think - some people developed a nasty rash from it)
It's a glorified pedometer.
Some will find it useful but I've never bothered with it.

I have the flex, it is good. I try to get my 10K steps in a day. The battery life wears down over time but it challenges me to move. I like to run in the summer but I am currently unable this summer so the 10K steps a day keeps me atleast trying to move alittle more.

I have a fitbit flex. It is as much as you make it. It does act as my pedometer. It updates my steps where I have an acct with H's employer who pays our HSA accordingly. It gives me a weekly total and I can see when I have not been as active as needed. I used that info to let my doc know that I needed a thyroid test to see if that was what was making me tired and less active.

I used to use it as a food diary- and I need to again. It will keep a calorie count. It will track how much water you have drank if you put it in.

I can track how many times I wake during the night and the quality of my sleep.

It will let you set goals and keep track of all these things in the day, so you can see how close you really are to being at goal.

Really it is what you make of it.

Eh... it's OK. I have the Fitfit Flex (I think). I won it in a contest at our fitness club and was excited, but it's basically just a pretty pedometer. I like my plain old pedometer better though, because I can simply look at it and tell how many steps I've taken. With the Fitbit I have to check the computer.

I've used the Fitbit four or five times, but mostly it just sits in a cabinet.

I owned the Fitbit Ultra (the predecessor to the One I think). It was an overpriced, glorified pedometer.

Yes it is supposed to have a sleep tracker but it claimed I woke up 11 times through the night. I'm a sound sleeper so I am not sure where they are getting these 11 wakings from.

It is supposed to clip onto your clothing but I found my husbands outside in the driveway once. Then I forgot to remove it from my clothing once and it went through the wash. It was toast. I read online reviews about Fitbit's great customer service and how they replaced some that got wet. I had no such luck with customer service.

They have recently introduced the Flex which is a wristband. They were recalled because they caused a rash in some people. I also found it is only water resistant and not waterproof.

I ended up purchasing a Polar Loop for my husband. It is waterproof and has a two year warranty. (He swims with his.)

Personally I would not spend that much on another one. To track my mileage I use the Endomondo App on my phone.

I have one. It's kind of cool but a novelty. It was a gift at a conference I went to, I wouldn't recommend actually buying one. I only used mine for a few weeks.

I have one and used it well for steps & sleep. I wasn't as disciplined about entering in food & calorie counts.

I used the wristband (Flex I think it's called) and I never had any problems with rashes, but I didn't wear it so tight on my wrist that no air circulated either. And it's totally simple to recharge it every 4 days by attaching it to my computer. I'm not logging steps while I'm at the computer anyway, so it didn't mess anything up. I used a black band and it just looks like a watch. Mine is synced with my computer and I get alerts on the laptop and my smart phone telling me if the battery is wearing down, plus you can tap on the wrist band and get a series of lights telling you how much charge is left. It took a few times to figure out the tapping system for putting it in "sleep" mode so a few times I got wacky readings, but that's my fault I'm sure.

I had mixed info from the sleep mode. Yes, it claims you were "awake" even if you think you were asleep, but that's usually because someone is very restless and the Fitbit thinks you actually got up or sat up. It also records when you're "restless" which means moving some but not enough to really be awake, I think. However, I didn't find the readings to be anything that messed me up much. I know a lot of people think they are sound sleepers but they have no idea how much they move around, and they often don't realize that they do wake up because they don't come into a state of full consciousness. I think the main advantage of the sleep mode is that the Fitbit adjusts your calorie usage accordingly (if you aren't logging in meals but let the system do it on an average basis), and it does give you info on your sleep patterns that you wouldn't have otherwise. I'll bet it's picking up some clues for sleep apnea for some people, not like a sleep study but at least a head's up that you don't sleep the way you think you do.

My wristband didn't last as long as I think it should have and now the connection isn't secure enough, so the thing registers as being unplugged. When I get around to it, I'll contact them for a repair or replacement. (It was a gift so I don't have the receipt).

My son is an athlete and uses it extensively.

I found it very helpful in registering activity. It's not foolproof and it's assuming that arm movements correlate with steps, which isn't always the case. For example, when I was baking and using the rolling pin a lot, it assumed I was "very active" when I was in fact standing still and just moving my arms extensively. Same thing with lying on the bench in my exercise class lifting weights up and down. But still, I was exercising in that setting so I was doing some fitness and burning some calories even though it wasn't aerobic but was strength training. By contrast, if I was on the treadmill and holding the hand grips and walking fast, Fitbit didn't think I was moving because my arm wasn't swinging at my side. But I figure it balanced out okay.

While a pedometer counts steps only, the Fitbit is giving nuanced info about activity periods and the degree of exertion during those times. I think it's good for people who need to be more aware of what they're doing and when. Like anything, it's only as good as the features you use and the regularity with which you use it. Like the gym membership is a good thing but only if you actually GO.

i track runs with a garmin watch.
that's as much technology as i can stand.
khairete
S.

I LOVE my Flex!!! I have had it since January and I am hooked up in a group with 7 friends so it is great to see where you're at compared to your friends as far as steps go for the week! I am in first place this week but that is always changing and it is motivating to keep me moving!!! I love I can check my steps total at anytime on my phone or iPad and see where my friends are at too! All in all it has been fun and motivating for me :) If you don't know other with fitbits there are many groups to join on line too.