Fitness tracker watches

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mustang1

Legendary Member
Location
London, UK
I have a Huwawei Android Wear watch (okay, not the cheapest of the breed) but the Google fit tracking does seem to correlate with the other apps I run during activities. By which I mean, cycling and walking the dog. It also has the bonus of actually looking like a nice watch.

Others at work have Tomtom this and Garmin that and I've yet to have a clear explanation of what their 90s Casio look-a-likey actually offers extra. That said, they're mostly runners, therefore clearly deluded.

Russell
The thing I really like about Google Fit (and idk if others like Apple do this) is it automatically detects when I'm cycling to/from work. I once checked it with a stopwatch and it was bang on.

Lately however it's not been working too well and I can't figure out why. I was thinking of getting an Android watch so I can just hit start/stop on the watch rather than on phone which is in my bag, but it's just an additional thing for me to charge so I'm put off it right now. Lovely looking watch though.

With fitbit heart rate: yes I see this and similar devices do not show reliable HR data; for that you need a chest strap but that's a faff to put on. Some friends of mine love these devices purely as motivational accessories which is great too.

Edit: fixed typos
 
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mustang1

Legendary Member
Location
London, UK
EAch one has its pros and cons.

As above they don't always measure accurately. For instance, a FitBit One gives me 2000 steps a day more than my Charge HR, equally both give far higher steps than my Apple Watch

If I cycle, the Wrist ones hardly record anything, but the FitBit One will record several thousand steps

The best way is to accept this and act upon what yours records, a 5% increase is a 5% increase


Then of course there is the "fashion element" as some come in black, black or black, whilst others come n colours or styles that vary

Finally you also need to decide whether it will replace a watch in shich case the FitBit Blaze may be an option.

The best site I have found is DC Rainmaker for some genuine in depth reviews and comparisons

I was on holiday recently and used the hotel's weighing scale. It showed I dropped a whole kg on my first day there! Knowing that weighing scales are not the most accurate, I only recorded the weight change while I was on holiday.

Unfortunately on the last day I had increased a kg. :Eek:

Ditto rainmaker.
 

screenman

Squire
I cannot see how they motivate you, seems like sales talk to me. My wife has the Fitbit and seems comfortable with it, it was purchased to see how many steps she did each day as a fun things.

My SIL had one and she was been told lots of times to lose weight and move, she was averaging 3,000 steps per day, my wife who is not overweight averages 24,000.
 
The motivation is never with the equipment, but the individual

It is as simple as this

You set a target and then reach it

The you increase the target and reach it
 

Drago

Legendary Member
If GPS isn't a requirement then I can recommend the Vivofit. Had my VF1 about 2 years, no probs, and it actually tells time as well so can be worn instead of a watch. OK, it's essentially a glorified pedometer, but you program your height, weight, age etc via Garmin Connect and it seems reasonably accurate at measuring distance walked and run.
 

gavintc

Guru
Location
Southsea
I use the Apple Watch. Pretty good, but the fitness tracking is not the best feature of the watch. But it does help to make me do more.
 
OP
OP
Broadside

Broadside

Guru
Location
Fleet, Hants
We settled on the Fitbit Charge HR in the end. Since starting looking I have really noticed how people have them and the majority (at least where I work) mostly seem to have the Fitbit.
 
We had a "competition" about which staff were "working hard enough"

Started after a conversation after someone complained their figures were low that day.

Nothing too competitive, but simply recording steps at 08:30 and seeing how many you had done at various points during the day.

It did have one positive difference in that occasionally people would walk round to see someone rather than phone just to get their numbers up

We now have 3 Charge HRs, a Blaze, an Apple Watch and a FitBit one in the department
 
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