Looking to improve your lifestyle? UK MNers needed to try The Orb from Fitbug - worth £50 NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

We have been asked by the team at //fitbug.com to find 50 UK MNers to try The Orb fitness tracker. We're looking for Mumsnetters who are keen to track their fitness levels everyday, those who are embarking on a new fitness plan (maybe trying to lose post baby weight), and those who just want to try out this product.

Fitbug says: "The system sets you personal targets each week for steps and food, helping you improve your lifestyle at a rate you can gradually adjust to, so it’s not a hardcore exercise regime or a diet that you do for a short time, but a way of improving your habits for the long term."

See here for a brief overview.

The Orb is iOS and Android compatible - but check the list of compatible Android handsets here: //www.fitbug.com/connect

If selected, you'll be sent The Orb to try for a few weeks and so long as you add feedback as required you will be able to keep the product. There are no ongoing costs to worry about. You will also be able to download the Fitbug app and get more info on the Fitliving site: www.fitbug.com/uk/fitliving

In addition, all MNers who are selected will be given access to one-to-one support at Fitbug for their new gadget, should they need it.

If selected, you will be sent the Orb at the middle of August, and asked to try it for around a month. We're looking for feedback on a thread on Mumsnet twice: once on first impressions, on opening/ first use - on set up/ why you wanted to take part, etc. and then at the end of the month on your overall experiences with it, what you liked about it etc. The second feedback will be early - mid September. Please only apply if you're able to take part and add feedback at these times.
Please also note that Fitbug may use your feedback comments on their website and social media channels, as well as elsewhere.

If you'd like to take part, please add your details here: www.surveymonkey.com/s/JJS297S
We will be in touch with selected MNers ASAP. If you're not selected, please keep an eye out for the feedback thread, as there will be an extra chance to win Fitbug products.

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

[redandyellowbits]

Today I have done the school run (in car) and then been on a run (interval running for 40mins), and my fitbug says I've done 9,000 steps already. This doesn't seem right to me - it seems way too high - can anyone advise? Anyone counted their steps and had a similar morning? I'm not really getting on with my fitbug at all, not finding it very user friendly at all.

[HeySoulSister]

So far mine is working perfectly. So far!!

[msFITs]

NannyPeach I emailed Fitbug explaining that I was a mumsnet tester.


Don't be too hopeful, I've not got the dongle to work.

[Chopstheduck]

Falied to record sleep AGAIN

synched -1937 calories to MFP, despite telling me in the dashboard that I had burned 3800 yesterday (on the go all day and road biking).


Sorry, but I really do think now that it is a waste of £50 and I am really unhappy with it. No response from fitbug neither, so not overly impressed with their customer relations neither.

[Ilikeyoursleeves]

Just read through some posts and I'm glad I didn't get chosen now! To make up for my disappointment I actually decided to buy something similar and got the Fitbit One and I have to say, it's excellent! So if any of you want an alternative that actually works, I'd recommend the fitbit one. Looking forward to reading the Orb reviews too though, it might get better.

[scousadelic]

Kate Yes that is one of my concerns, there is no facility to allow for eating healthily but differently ( although it has made me wonder if I should cut down on the fat!)

[Chopstheduck]

Mine doesn't seem to have synced at all with MFP yesterday and so still shows -970 calories in my diary. I am getting very frustrated with this now! I really think we could do with a rep from Fitbug to help us address all the issues we have all been having. I don't think anyone has not had problems with it.

[NannyPeach]

Hi - can anyone help me with who to email for the dongle? I can't get my fitbug to work with my iPhone 4S and am struggling with finding someone to contact. Thanks!

[scousadelic]

I loved your essay post Kate , it was very well thought out. I have found my Fitbug great but I have never had any gadget like this before, not even a pedometer and have never used a calorie or fitness tracker so suspect I am using it at a much more basic level than most people.

I have inputted my food data but I am following a low carb diet which looks like it is horrendous on this! I also am a bit bemused by the fitness data. I went to my personal trainer this morning so did an hour of mixed exercises (squats, lunges, weights, crunches, etc) but the exercises to add come in a minimum of 15mins where I am doing little bits of each

All in all, if they interpret the data we put in I'll be the one who looks like a butter-mainlining-slug!

[msFITs]

Got my dongle but cant get it to work , but fortunately have managed to 'borrow' a friends compatible smartphone and that's working.

Will go to look for 'official' feedback thread now.

[teacherlikesapples]

The website is terrible :/

[NellVarnish]

Did you see the other thread in Product Tests for first impressions? Left some feedback earlier. Hope my dongle I hate that word, sounds DIRTY arrives soon.

[MimsyBorogroves]

My sleep is still odd. It says I woke up at 10 today (I woke up at 8) - it has me "briefly" waking at 8 but going back to sleep. I must have been very relaxed doing breakfast

I'm getting sent another as the firmware won't update, and think I'm getting a dongle too as I'm on iPad mini and iPhone 4s - both of which I thought would work when I signed up.

I also don't think the pedometer is accurate in the slightest.

[YeGodsAndLittleFishes]

I used the stride adjuster thing for my run today and it seems to have worked ok. It took a couple of goes to turn it off as I kept getting a green light and had to press and hold longer for an orange light. Seems to be updating better now.

It does seem to be quite a lot of faffing about, but will stick it out for the full month at least to get a good overview.

[rookiemater]

Managed to get the sleep data through DH's i-pad. My ancient ye olde i-phone is not compatible, but managed to log steps yesterday so I thought it would be ok. Sleep data seems a bit rubbish - it logged the hours I had switched to sleep mode and said my sleep was of 99% quality, which seems unlikely as I was up once in the night to go to the loo, and also moved around a bit.

I did manage to adjust my stride though using the i-pad and that was easy. However I would say I'm fairly average at 5ft6 so it seems weird that the default setting is for a very small stride.

Is there an official thread to report our feedback on mumsnet?

[Chopstheduck]

mine crashed earlier, and went back to zero steps today. I think it lost the mornings data, because I have been on my feet for most of the past 7 hours but it reckons I have only done 122 minutes of walking.


TBH I am at the point now, where if I had paid for it, I would want my money back.

[HellonHeels]

Initial impressions:

Looks a bit flimsy, sorry. I got the white one which looks as if it's going to get very grubby looking quite quickly. I like the variety of ways to attach it to yourself but I'm not convinced about the little strap - not certain that would record steps properly.

My set up process worked fine; I have done the health questionnaire (a bit simplistic unless you are starting from zero on knowledge of health issues).

Haven't looked at the food tracking yet. I use the weightwatchers tracker so learing another system might be an effort but I'll have a go when I'm back from hols next week.

I really loathe watching videos so the video support for set up and use is a major interest-killer for me. Maybe I am just not a visual learner. Anyway it's working OK so far without having to watch any videos!

I used my PC to set it all up, would have been fiddly on the phone but the app appears to be working fine so far. I'll clip it on and see how I do on the way home.

[HellonHeels]

I've got mine now! Brought it to work to see if I can get it set up when I take a break.

Must admit I am dreading it a bit after reading some of the reports on the set up woes.

[rookiemater]

mnistooaddictive - I use a pedometer and the fit bug is recording way more steps than that. Although today I have apparently not walked any, despite my pedometer recording 387 so far .

If you read upthread there is a way to adjust stride length, but it didn't work for me.

[BiggerYellowTaxi]

You're all making me feel a teensy bit better that I didn't get picked. Thanks

[mnistooaddictive]

yesterday I had a massive number of steps which I very much doubt is true! Something like 7km which I think I would have noticed! Don't know if it picks up steps when I drive?

[rookiemater]

Mine didn't track sleep - which is a tad annoying as it's the only feature that would have been additional to my existing pedometer and the ability to track calories through MFP - feel so bad, I wanted to love this product as it was free, but I'm just not getting it.

[Chopstheduck]

Mine didn't track sleep last night neither. Seems that if you don't manually turn it off, it doesn't work. I got up for the loo, must have turned it off, and no record. Maybe next time I will leave it in bed