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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Fitbits are they worth it ?

42 replies

kylie122 · 02/03/2022 19:05

How accurate are they ?

OP posts:
Mummyneedsacoffee · 02/03/2022 19:08

I got annoyed with mine, when I did car journeys it would add hundreds of steps Hmm

I much prefer garmin but I guess it depends what you want it for?

TiddleTaddleTat · 02/03/2022 19:14

I had a charge 2 that was pretty good but the clock face failed after about 13 months and then the whole thing packed in a couple of months later. Would buy a garmin if I had the money.

HarryDresdensLeatherDuster · 02/03/2022 19:18

To offer an alternative opinion, I love mine! It is on my wrist permanently and I check it numerous times a day for heart rate and steps. I probably do not use it to its full potential tbh but it is great as a torch to the loo in the middle of the night!

Gwenhwyfar · 02/03/2022 19:19

I like mine. It wasn't that expensive and I needed a watch anyway.
There are things that are not accurate though.
Apparently, if the temperature thing is correct I have hypothermia!

PickAChew · 02/03/2022 19:20

I love my charge 4 but dh has a mii band that he swears is just as good!

Totalwasteofpaper · 02/03/2022 19:20

I like the concept but the price is a joke so is quality
buy a Xiao mi
Does more and costs £30 check amazon.
You are welcome Grin

IsThisNameTaken · 02/03/2022 19:22

I've got a Fitbit Sense and I really like it. No idea if the steps are accurate but it tracks distance pretty much the same as Strava on my phone for running. Also has sleep tracker which, in theory, tells you how much deep sleep, rem sleep etc you have each night - it's interesting to see if not 100% accurate.

Crimeismymiddlename · 02/03/2022 19:51

Love mine, not expecting it to be super accurate but the sleep tracker, period tracker and that I can link to my phone are really good. I wear mine all the time. Have just got an iwatch and honestly not as fond of it as I am with the Fitbit.

kittykarate · 02/03/2022 19:56

I like my Fitbit Charge 4. It's not quite as accurate at heart rate measurement as a proper chest strap, but its fairly good at tracking workouts etc. I like that workouts that use the GPS can be shared with Strava.

I had a cheapie huawei band 2 pro and to be honest apart from 2 things (battery life when GPS in use and lack of integration to other apps) it was really good.

Tallulahh3 · 02/03/2022 20:05

Love my Fitbit, and love that messages and WhatsApp etc come through alongside the steps, sleep, heart rate etc stats. My bf gave me an Apple Watch and I missed my Fitbit so much I gave it back after a week. The strap is so comfy too in comparison.

Skyeheather · 02/03/2022 20:16

I love mine but I only really use it for counting steps, heartbeat and telling the time. It vibrates when my phone rings which is handy as I never hear the phone in my bag when I'm out. The music player is handy when on holiday, just need to take my headphones don't need to take my music player as well.

Yellowsubhubabubbub · 02/03/2022 20:20

Have the inspire2 and was fairly cheap. ( the newer Luxe didn’t have such good reviews)
There’s loads of functions I don’t use on mine haha. Time and steps. This one counts PramPushingSteps as the older model didn’t!
It’s also smooth face and edges so doesn’t scratch baby ( which older model did!)
I track my sleep calories burnt and steps. Also have step challenges with friends
I also used the older one to track my ovulation ! And it worked !!

lljkk · 02/03/2022 20:30

Accurate at which part?
To extent I have tried to verify... if you wear it 24/7

steps: overestimated by 5-15%
calories used: very spot on
heart-rate: very accurate
sleep duration: not good, I have Actigraph data to compare with
Sleep cycles: no idea
types of activity (eg run, cycle, min 10 minutes): pretty good
GPS: very good

I've got lots of ppl trying to 'friend' me on Fitbit, it's some kind of scam: "here's my new sports blog" dunno what the scam is, weirdos.

Wilma55 · 02/03/2022 20:35

My alta2 hr has such a dim screen you can only read it in the dim light, forget it on a sunny day. Apart from that I like it. I need to get a new one.

Looubylou · 02/03/2022 20:39

I love mine for steps and heart rate, and reminder to move. Very motivational. Steps not completely accurate. Sleep tracker rubbish - over estimates. Can't be bothered to investigate other functions. Ridiculously pleased when I get fireworks for 100000 steps 😊

Doremisofarsogood · 02/03/2022 20:43

I had Fitbits for years and always rated their accuracy, performance etc (although often hit my steps whilst washing up!, problem was they never lasted more than 18.months. I paid £30 for a Letsfit or Veryfit pro tracker which looks just like the Fitbit charge and actually does more!

StatisticallyChallenged · 02/03/2022 20:47

I've had several but my most recent luxe has been really disappointing. Heart rate tracking frequently drops really low when I'm exercising which means it doesn't log active minutes. No amount of updating, cleaning or repositioning works - particularly useless on cross trainer.

Looking for a new one/alternative

Darbs76 · 02/03/2022 20:47

I like mine. My mum had a cheap version and it was ok at first but soon started massively over estimating. I gave her my old Fitbit when I upgraded and she’s said it’s much more realistic. I see it as a bit of a guide, and do around 20k steps per day as I’m trying to lose weight so good to know I’m doing roughly the same even if it’s not massively accurate it doesn’t matter

pennysays · 02/03/2022 20:47

I got a no-bells-and-whistles one gone eBay which is good way to try without breaking the bank. I wore it religiously for a couple of years and then gave up. As the mum of a toddler and dogs, I easily walked 10k steps a day and the days I didn’t was because I was ill or tired or in the car. So I didn’t learn anything from it and got a bit creeped out by how much of myself I was tracking. Plus it didn’t fundamentally change whether I ate a family pack of mars bars at night, so while I was pacing the landing, trying to brush my teeth to hit 10k, it was easy to sabotage my health elsewhere.

Theonewiththecandles · 02/03/2022 20:50

I had a Huawei band that I bought for £40 but had a Fitbit flex many years ago that I lost and I liked it, so I bought a Fitbit versa 2 off eBay for half the price of a new one and I love it
I have to track my blood glucose so the app is handy for that instead of having a separate spreadsheet and I like logging my water intake on there too. The steps are definitely overestimated, but the heart rate/exercise tracking is what Iike best

willweevergetthere · 02/03/2022 20:51

I use the one you clip to your bra
More accurate than one on wrist

angerelle · 02/03/2022 20:55

I wear an Inspire in a clip on my bra (not fussed about heart rate) and it is super accurate at step counting. I have found it really helpful for keeping active and for activity tracking for calorie counting. I'm in a Mumsnet Fitbit group too, which is motivating 😊

Crazzzycat · 02/03/2022 20:56

I like mine, but it’s rubbish at measuring my heart rate when I’m on the cross trainer or the rowing machine. As that’s most of the exercise I do, it’s really not that great for my what I’d like to use it for! It seems pretty accurate on steps though, so at least that’s something 😂

Roominmyhouse · 02/03/2022 20:58

I have a Fitbit Ionic, which is great except they’ve recalled it due to an overheating risk. So I’m getting a refund. I’ll definitely order another Fitbit though. Looking at the Versa 3.

CastleCrasher · 02/03/2022 20:58

I've had a series of fitbits. They're ok, but do tend to over calculate steps and they seem to die after 18 months or so (every single one of them!). I've currently got a Huawei band 6 (about £40) which is superior to any Fitbit I've ever had and far more accurate. Wouldn't go back!