Why I Returned my Fitbit (And Why My Husband Kept His)

When I bought the Fitbit Flex I was super excited and even let all my Facebook friends know by updating my status.

“Got a Fitbit today! Anyone else use one?  Any tips or tricks are appreciated! I am excited to see how many calories it says I burn in my first workout with it!”

I was not expecting the response that it got! I had tons of people comment on that post telling me how much they love theirs or how much they want one! So, I thought it was probably a good buy.

This FitBit review is not sponsored by FitBit. You will always receive my honest opinions and experience with the actual products.

Why I Returned My FitBit

I Didn’t Like It

I was looking for a fitness tracking device that I could wear while I worked out that would tell me how many calories I had burned, as well as how many calories I was burning throughout the course of my regular day.

It didn’t do that.

The Fitbit flex told me how many steps I took throughout an entire day, and how close I was to reaching my daily goal of steps taken (the recommended daily steps is 10,000).

My workouts do not consist of walking. Yes, I do some walking, but I also do a lot of HIIT workouts (high-intensity interval training), weight lifting, bike riding, aerobics, barre, yoga, and so on. So, calculating my daily steps and estimating my calorie burn from that was not providing me the information I wanted.

The other reason why I didn’t like it was because it was not compatible with my iPhone 4. Yes, I still have an iPhone 4. That is not the Fitbit’s fault.

I could track my daily goals on the website but I could not use the Fitbit app, and from what I had seen, the app is the best way to use it.

I decided that what I am really looking for is an advanced heart rate monitor or fitness tracker that will tell me how many calories I have burned during my workout, as well as throughout the day, monitor my sleep quality, heart rate, and caloric intake.

I am not sure that device exists but I have been looking at this device called the GoBe2 which I think might be what I’m looking for. It is supposed to track calorie intake, calorie burn, steps, sleep, heart rate, stress, activity, and even hydration level!

The Fitbit would be great for people who are looking to track their activity level throughout that day and reach a certain step goal, or if walking is their main form of exercise.

Update 8/31/2019:

I am now wearing an Apple Watch series 4. I love it for tracking my workout heart rate and calories burned. It syncs with MyFitnessPal, which I still use daily. I have the cellular service on it so I like that I can go for a walk without my phone and still answer a phone call. Plus I can pair it with bluetooth headphones and listen to podcasts and audio books right from the watch.

What I don’t like about my Apple Watch is that I have to charge it every night and therefore cannot wear it while I sleep for any sleep tracking data.

Before succumbing to the high price tag of the Apple Watch, I again tried another FitBit, this time the FitBit Versa. Once again, I had tons of problems keeping it connected to my iPhone (I now have an iPhone 10 S). I ended up returning yet another FitBit.

My FitBit Wasn’t All Bad

Here are some things I DID like about the Fitbit:

• The sleep monitor is pretty cool but it’s much more useful to have the app to actually activate it.
• It’s not cumbersome on the wrist and I didn’t have to remove it to shower.
• It syncs with MyFitnessPal which is the app I already use to track my caloric intake and exercise. So, yes you can see how many calories you have burned working out on Fitbit, but they have to be manually entered via MyFitnessPal.
• It has a vibrating alarm.
• You can add friends and “compete” with each other.

After wearing it for a week, I decided it wasn’t for me.

When it comes to fitness trackers,I think it is one of the best on the market right now. But, I have a feeling there are going to be some better technology coming out soon, and I’m going to wait on that.

Why My Husband Kept His

This portion of the article is written by my husband.

It all started on a Sunday afternoon trip to Target.  I was banished to meander the store alone while Lindsey shopped.  Apparently I’m rather annoying when it comes to shopping.

Within a few minutes I found myself quite comfortably perusing the tech section of the store.

(I have this weird habit where I like to read all the product details of specific devices, like laptops, even if I know for 100% certainty I won’t be buying one).

After about 20 minutes, which felt more like 2 hours (because I hate shopping), I found myself standing in front of 4 different fitness trackers.  I’d read about several of them, but it wasn’t until recently that they had been gaining a lot of traction.  There was the Jawbone UP (which has been discontinued), the Nike + Fuel Band (also discontinued), the MisFit Shine, and finally the FitBit.

Remember that weird habit about reading product details?

Well, as soon as I picked up the FitBit, for some reason that habit stopped.  I have no idea why, but I suddenly found myself walking towards the front of the store with a brand new (black) FitBit in hand.

I Loved It

To make a long story short I absolutely love my FitBit.

I’ve been using it now for around 3 months, and there hasn’t been a single day I’ve gone without it.

Update 8/31/2019:

I have now been through several FitBit models since I originally purchased that FitBit Flex at target. After my FitBit Flex wore out after a few years, I wore a FitBit Charge 2, which I also loved. Now I just upgraded to the FitBit Charge 3!

What’s So Great About FitBit?

• It syncs seamlessly with MyFitnessPal (which I’m also addicted to).  If you can’t tell, I like data and tracking.
• I tested it against another app called Pacer and it was within 1% of the step count, so I’m confident it’s accurate.
• It made me get up and walk around.  I’m an engineer by day, so that means I sit in front of the computer a lot.  Since wearing the FitBit I make it a point to get outside, even if it’s to just walk around the building a couple times.  Being active even for short intervals throughout the day can make a HUGE difference.
• It tracks your sleeping patterns.  Now that’s just cool.  When I stay up late, I sleep horribly.

Should You Get A FitBit?

As you can see the FitBit met one person’s needs, but not another. We both liked it for almost the same reasons, but one of us was willing to actually use it for what it was made for (a somewhat glorified pedometer, with a few added features).

So, the the short answer is if spending $99 -$150 will help you get off the couch or out of your chair at work and walk around, then yes, it’s more than worth it.

But let’s be brutally honest.

If it’s going to sit on your chest of drawers at home, and never be worn or integrated with other apps (or part of your fitness system), then don’t waste your money.