I was planning to write this post a couple of months ago, but I wanted to surprise my dad with a Fitbit on his birthday last week (which ties in with one of the reasons I think you should get one).
I got my Fitbit in June at a used REI sale for $21! It was a rare find, and I was ecstatic when someone had returned it for no reason so that I could snatch up this treasure. I’ve been using it ever since, and I love it! It’s been a great way to be more active without always going to the gym.
How Does Fitbit Work?
Fitbits have a 3-point accelerometer and GPS sensor that tracks all your movements, which gives you your data for physical activity and steps.
5 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD GET A FITBIT
- Awareness. Being able to track and see my steps throughout the day gets me moving more.
- Accountability. Your friends can see your progress and cheer you on or taunt you as you go. Others can also see whatever you make public on your public URL
- Competition. If you’re the competitive type like me, it helps because you get ranked among friends.
- A way to keep in touch. Since moving out west, it’s nice to have more ways to stay connected with family and friends who live in different cities. It feels like we’re working out together. We bought one for my dad’s birthday to keep an eye on his health.
- They have excellent customer service. They replaced the one I lost (Read below for the full story).
THE CONS
- The Fitbit flex band is not secure. Mine has fallen off many times. There was one instance it fell off while I was on low battery. Because I didn’t notice it missing on my wrist, I could not recover it. It’s a bit tacky, but this fastener is supposed to “fix” the issue. Luckily, Fitbit has excellent customer service, and they sent me a new one immediately.
- The Fitbit flex charger also has issues. It’s annoying because after some use, the Fitbit no longer fits in the charger properly, so you have to stick in a piece of paper to secure it in place.
FITBIT ONE VERSUS FITBIT FLEX
The Fitbit one tracker is nice because you can see the number of steps without having to sync it to your phone. My friends with the One tell me they have a hard time remembering to keep in on them at all times. Having the band on the Flex is convenient because you never have to take it off. The Force was the best of both worlds but was recalled due to people having an allergic reaction.
I still think the positives outweigh the negatives and recommend Fitbit. Hopefully, they will fix the design for future generations. I’m just happy it’s helped me get active and lose weight.
A before photo from last year:
And an after photo:
As you can see, I wear my Fitbit with everything even though it might not necessarily go with the outfit. Maybe one of these days I’ll have to upgrade my band to this Tory Burch one.
Do you use Fitbit?
What are your fitness goals? Mine is 10k steps every other day.
Do you use another type of pedometer?