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Original poster

Can someone recommend me a Fitbit or similar?

21 replies

soootiredddd · 28/07/2022 13:29

Please help! Got some vouchers for my birthday and I’d like to use them to buy a fitness tracker watch thingy. I’ve tried the online quizzes (eg. Which Fitbit is best for you?) but they all seem to offer binary choices and I can’t find a clear comparison of what would do all of the things I want it to. Budget is max £200.

Must haves:


  • step counter/mileage tracker for walking which I do quite a lot of.

  • tracking cycling - I cycle to work a couple of times a week but it only takes about 15 mins

  • monitors sleep

  • monitors heart rate

  • doesn’t require a PhD in computing to actually work the bloody thing

  • waterproof for swimming

  • can show on a GPS where I’ve been on a walk/cycle

  • can show messages from my phone but this is really not essential at all!


Thank you for helping this complete novice!

OP posts:
Original poster
soootiredddd · 28/07/2022 13:31

Sorry just to be clear that when I say tracking cycling, I don’t necessarily need it to tell me where I’ve gone as I only really cycle the same routes to and from work. But I want it to track distance and include that in my daily activities so I can see I burned eg 150 calories cycling.

OP posts:
QueSyrahSyrah · 28/07/2022 13:35

I have a FitBit Versa 3 that does all of those things. I'm very happy with it.

QueSyrahSyrah · 28/07/2022 13:36

Oh and the battery lasts about a week as opposed to DH's all singing all dancing Apple Watch that needs charging almost daily Shock

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gatehouseoffleet · 28/07/2022 13:42

I think the Fitbit Charge 4 gets the best reviews. There is a newer version but it doesn't seem to be as good.

You could also look at one of the Garmin equivalents like the Vivoactive 4 or the Garmin Venu SQ which should both come within your budget.

gatehouseoffleet · 28/07/2022 13:43

(not sure if any of those can be taken in a swimming pool - the Charge 5 can but that's the one which seems to have fewer good reviews on Amazon)

Original poster
soootiredddd · 28/07/2022 19:29

Thank you, at the moment I think I’m leaning towards a Fitbit rather than garmin or apple but I’m not really sure why!

OP posts:
AllFreeOwls · 28/07/2022 19:35

I've got a Fitbit sense which I really like and does those things listed. Battery life lasts a couple of days.

Daisychainsandglitter · 28/07/2022 21:29

I have a Fitbit Versa 2. I love my Fitbit!

Landlubber2019 · 28/07/2022 21:31

Check out the ticwatch, I love mine. I wanted something compatible with Android which had all of the active as well as NFC and supports Google!

UxbridgeVoteBJOut · 28/07/2022 21:39

My Charge2 did all the 1st part. Ch4 does all of the nice to haves, too. You can pick up a Ch2 for about £30 2nd hand. I have had Charge 4 & 3 since. Since I didn't need GPS or messages to display, the Ch2 was as good as Ch3 & 4

Nemooo · 31/07/2022 14:36

I have a fitbit Luxe, it does all the things your looking for

Augend23 · 31/07/2022 14:40

I have a Fitbit charge 4. I do like it but:

I find the display hard to read in sunlight
I am clumsy and have scratched the (plastic) screen
My strap broke after a year (cheap and easy to replace)
I sometimes think I've set it going but haven't (you have to press start more than once, for reasons I still don't understand).

On the plus side it's light, cheapish, stays charged for ages, GPS tracks my bike routes, controls Spotify and tracks my swims - it does the job perfectly.

Iamclearlyamug · 31/07/2022 14:41

Another vote for the Versa 3 - I really like mine

Forgothowmuchlhatehomeschoolin · 31/07/2022 15:10

Placemarking as it is my birthday soon!

Livedandlearned · 31/07/2022 15:12

If you have a blue light card there's 40% off Garmin

Defiantlynot41 · 31/07/2022 15:18

Fitbit quality is not great. I had 4 (all replaced by them under warranty, only used for tracking steps so not a hard user) before I gave up and went with Garmin. Also have an iWatch but the need to charge every day is a pain

Redburnett · 31/07/2022 15:28

Amazfit band 5 is a cheap option for a novice.

TheCanyon · 31/07/2022 15:39

Agree that fitbit quality is shocking.

I've got a huawei, seems really good so far.

FitFat · 31/07/2022 15:41

Got a fit bit. Used it to track steps for a while. Got bored. Lays uncharged now.

ValBiro · 31/07/2022 15:47

Garmin Venu Sq does everything you have listed and is also waterproof for swimming. I love mine! Charge once a week, more if I have used it heavily (eg Bluetooth for music every day).

Lots of people have told me the Fitbit quality isn't great - mainly the straps breaking which isn't ideal as you could accidentally lose the whole watch this way!

fernz · 31/07/2022 15:57

I'm happy with my Fitbit Charge 4. Had it for around 18 months now and no issues. I've bought new straps from Amazon as there are lots of different ones (much cheaper than the official Fitbit ones), to go with different outfits etc. I charge it a couple of times a week while I'm working on the laptop.

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