Fitbit Alternatives - Opinions / Recommendations ?

[creator03]

Hi Guys,

I've just bought a Fitbit Charge HR thinking that it had all the features I required, but after using it for a few days I've found it to be severely lacking.

I've come to see that Fitbits are the Apple iPhones of the activity tracker market...

...they're very simple to use, highly automated, reasonably intuitive.

...but severely lacking in the ability to customize, and very much "dumbed down" for the masses.

In terms of design, they have a fantastic design, and that's why I went with the Fitbit Charge HR...

...but, it's lacking in these features:

- Customizable Inactivity Alert

(where you can specify after how many minutes of inactivity the device should "buzz" you to get moving)
(this helps you to know when you've been sitting for too long, at the computer, for example)

- Goal coaching

(where the device will help you to stay on-track to achieving your daily activity goals by prompting you periodically)
(The Fitbit Charge HR mostly stays out of the way, and never interacts with you unless you've set an alarm or the battery is low)

- Does not track non-step activity very well

(If you're doing exercises such as calisthenics or strength training with the Fitbit on it registers your arm movements as steps)
(If you're doing other activity that doesn't involve arm movement, such as stretching or Yoga or cycling, it doesn't take that into account in your overall activity metrics, which can somewhat put you off doing activities that are "not counting" towards your activity goals (i.e steps) since you begin thinking in terms of "steps" as that's the main metric being tracked..)
(They could have determined your non-step activity quite easily by comparing your resting heart rate with your (typically) increased heart rate during non-step activity and correlating that with the amount of movement activity using the accelerometer)

I did research before buying and all the major competitors to the Fitbit are somewhat crap - it seemed like the Fitbit was the only truly viable option at that price point ($100 - $180)...

They all seem to have features, or lack of features, that are a dealbreaker for me...

For example, Jawbone's units (UP2/UP3) look like they're technically excellent in tracking ability and customization options, but they don't even have a simple OLED screen for viewing your step count and other important info on your writst...

..they are heavily reliant on the iPhone / Android app for providing feedback to the user.

Whereas, Garmin's units (Vivofit / Vivosmart) do have an OLED display but they do not have a built-in heart rate monitor, as far as I can tell...

Garmin and Jawbone appear to be the only main competitors to Fitbit that are stocked at the main retail stores, such as Officeworks, JB Hi Fi, Harvey Norman, etc...

Does anyone have recommendations for alternatives to the Fitbit Charge HR, that meet the above criteria, and are perhaps available through other retail channels?

[pelmen]

"dumbed down" is correct. I bought a fitbit too but honestly havent seen anything that is a "tool" instead of a "toy". I suffered a stroke last year and am still learning to walk again so accurately measuring my progress is vital. I use a pedometer app on my phone which is reasonably consistent with its values on a set course in conjunction with a gps.

Number of steps isn't very relevant, for keeping healthy just get out there and be active. There are a few reviews I've seen with someone comparing several devices, wearing them all and doing walk/runs and no two come back with similar readings. Everyone has a different gait but none of these gadgets allow you to calibrate them to your gait for meaningful measurement. Wear one sitting while watching a movie and it'll tell you you've walked 10m or so just from you fidgeting. There is nothing at any price I have been able to find that approaches a serious tool of practical use. They are really for people who want a colourful icon to tell them they are working hard rather than for people who actually are.

[creator03]

Hi pelmen,

Thanks for your reply.

Sorry to hear about the stroke you suffered.

I'm also recovering from illness which has limited my ability to be properly physically active for some time...

That's why I wanted to have some clear and definite metrics so that I could track my activity levels and gradually increase over the next few months, as it can be very difficult to tell if you're making progress without clear metrics.

For someone who's healthy, I agree with you about "just get out there and be active"...it's much easier to do that if you're healthy...

Whereas, for me, I'm mostly housebound at this point in time as I recover from this illness, and it can be very difficult to track your activity level when you're in the same environment nearly all the time...

I only realized once I had been wearing the Fitbit for 2-3 days that what I really needed was not only an "activity tracker" but also an "inactivity tracker and notifier" to help provide me with a clear awareness of when I've been still for too long...

I was hoping that the activity tracker would help me to achieve increased physical activity spread out evenly throughout the day by providing reminders to move every so often based on your activity level...reminders that could keep you on-track to achieve your daily activity goal...

Alas, the Fitbit doesn't do that...

You've got to manually monitor it, that's the problem...

It's really just a "tracker" not a "coach"...

I'm interested to know which Fitbit you purchased?

I'm also interested to know specifically what functionality you would like to have in your ideal activity tracker if you could design one yourself?

:-)

- creator03

[Keith]

I purchased the Fitbit Charge HR recently and it does exactly what I wanted. While not precise, it does give me enough feedback with heart rate, steps, sleep patterns etc to warrant my purchase. I initially wondered, before purchase, if it would suit my needs and when my daughter bought one for her walking, she gave me a rundown of it's functions and that was enough for me to purchase one. You are right, it doesn't prompt you to become energetic with feedback, it does prompt you mentally, due to it tracking, to use stairs instead of lifts, do more walking etc.