Product Review: FitBit

Hi friends!

You all know the last thing I need is another gadget, right?  Specifically a gadget relating to fitness.  However, I am a sucker for such things.  I kept hearing about the Nike+ Fuelband on the radio so I had to see what all the buzz was about.  As I was looking into the Fuelband, what it does and whether it would be worth the money, I happened to come across something similar called the FitBit Ultra instead.  When I compared the functionality of the two gadgets, I chose to go with the FitBit.

Here’s why:

1. The FitBit is a tiny clip that can be worn in a number of places on your body. You can clip it to your belt, in your pocket, on your sports bra, etc., while the FuelBand is meant to be worn as a bracelet.

2. The FitBit seemed to track much of the same info as the FuelBand – but it also tracked flights of stairs.  This appealed to me because I live in a 2 story home that also has a basement and I swear I sometimes feel like I am up and down those stairs 50 times a day.  Now I know (and yep, it’s close to 50 – no joke!)

3. The FitBit was only $99 while the FuelBand was $149.  It just didn’t make sense to me to pay an extra $50 for the Nike name (even though I do consider myself a Nike girl and often find myself dressed head to to in the swoosh!) especially when I preferred the functionality of the FitBit.

I just got it on Saturday and I am pretty much hooked.  It’s kind of like a pedometer on steroids in that it does track steps, but it also tracks estimated mileage, flights of stairs climbed (or the equivalent went walking uphill), estimated calories burned while worn and you can even do sleep tracking as well (although I haven’t done that).  I have found the mileage to be fairly close to that of my GPS.  When I ran my favorite hilly trail yesterday, which is a 2.7 mile loop, it said 2.7 miles at the end.  (Not to mention 44 flights’ worth of uphills!)

It has a nice web interface where you can join in their community if you want, see all of your wirelessly uploaded info logged, earn badges for steps/flights, track your water intake, your weight, set goals, and more.  I’m not using most of that functionality but appreciate that it’s there should I decide to do so.

I think this is a really great way to boost motivation for someone looking to increase their overall activity, especially if you have a friend who has one – you can compete with each other to beat the other’s numbers (or compete with yourself to beat your personal bests).  Since I don’t count calories for my food intake, the number of calories I burn each day doesn’t really do much for me, other than to let me know if maybe I need an extra snack or not on a highly active day. But I really get a kick out of seeing how many floors I’ve climbed and my overall active score each day.

As far as fitness gadgets go, I would say it’s a worthwhile purchase.

Do you have a FitBit, Nike+ FuelBand or other fitness gadget that you love?