Fitbit or something else?

[Megkel]

I didn't want to hijack the other post on the Fitbit deals but I had a few questions and seems like a lot of people on here have experience with them.

I'm interested in purchasing one, the price really isn't a factor as long as it does what I want. I'm currently pregnant and looking to lose a lot of weight once she is born within the next few months. I'm looking for something that will be easy and quick to use.

Features I'd like:

- sleep calculator. I understand it's hard for this feature to be super accurate but getting up and down with a newborn all the time it would be nice to have a general idea of the amount and quality of sleep I'm getting.

- heart rate monitor. I want to make sure I am getting the most out of my work out. I don't have time to spend at the gym all day so I'm looking to get the most bang for my 45 minutes at the gym.

- step calculator. It would be nice to know how much I'm burning just around the house and also an incentive to push a bit more. If I see I have done 400 steps and I want to get to 500 a day I can pace or go up and down the stairs a few times.

- food calculator. Making sure I have enough calories in and out is very important. Plus knowing I have to write it down makes me more likely to pick something healthy. This is something I would assume is part of the app.

- progress - the ability to make goals as well as to see and track progress would be great. Not only weight wise but measurement (waist, hips, ect...)

Would i be better off getting a fitbit line or an another brand? Also which fitbit would fit what I would like most? Thanks ahead of the time. I'm not very tech savy and gadgets are not my strong suite.

 

[BelleBeautyandtheBeast]

Fitbit does not have a heart rate monitor. It has everything else you listed though.

Here is the Fitbit comparison chart so you can see what each one does do.
http://www.fitbit.com/comparison/trackers

I have the Zip and it has helped me lose almost 30 pounds! The only exercise I do is walking. I track my food in My Fitness Pal and I have the apps linked on my phone and they share info. The reason I use Mt Fitness Pal over Fitbit for food input is because My Fitness Pal has the ability to scan a barcode and enter your calories that way. Super simple!

I can't say enough wonderful things about Fitbit. The company is awesome and stands by it's products. They have great customer service!

 

[LJSquishy]

I personally think anything without a heart rate monitor is stupid.

If you really want something like a Fitbit, take a look at the Polar Loop (with HRM).

I just have a Polar FT7 HRM & watch and love it...but all I need to know is how many calories I'm burning while working out. I don't care how many steps I take, etc. I keep track of my caloric intake separately (personally I just do a food log because I'm more accountable that way, but many people like MyFitnessPal for logging their food). My Polar FT7 does store data so you can see certain progress. Some models of Polar HRMs allow you to set fitness goals. I can't remember if mine does or not.

You really don't need a pedometer. If you decide to just go with a basic HRM like mine, you can choose to wear it all day if you want to see how many calories you're burning but those calories really don't count much if you're already doing those things daily (like vacuuming, laundry, etc)...what is important is your actual exercise calories burned.

 

[neilmeetsworld]

I have a FitBit Flex and I love it. It is good at keeping steps and will sync best to Samsung S4/S3. I have a Droid Maxx and it works well. You really need to have a smartphone to get the benefits of entering food and water intake if you want to do that. The Flex also isn't that noticeable when you wear it, but it is a small wrist watch without the watch portion....

 

[gister]

I was also undecided about which of the activity trackers to go for.
There was a lot of talk online on how the flex was so easy to use..

http://reviewshot.com/fitbit-flex-review-the-wristband-that-tracks-your-excercise-fitness-and-sleep-patterns/

And after trying a few at the store, I found this to be true.

Hope this helps.

 

[Shmily1]

I just ordered the New Balance LifeTRNr because it had all those things, whereas the Fitbit doesn't have the heart monitor. It also doesn't have the straps that you wear around your chest that you do with other heart monitors.

 

[wiigirl]

I have a FitBit Flex and I love it. It is good at keeping steps and will sync best to Samsung S4/S3. I have a Droid Maxx and it works well. You really need to have a smartphone to get the benefits of entering food and water intake if you want to do that. The Flex also isn't that noticeable when you wear it, but it is a small wrist watch without the watch portion....