Fitbit

A question about : Fitbit

Hi

Does anyone have any insight into the fitbit flex and zip?

There's only about Ј5 price difference between them at the moment.

I'm tempted by the flex but as most of my walking involves pushing DS in his pushchair I wasn't sure if it would work correctly and I've read others say it doesn't track properly if you're holding onto something like a pushchair or a trolley...

So I looked into the Zip, but I'm worried about losing it as it's so small and also there are lots of people with connectivity issues and battery life issues...

I also thought about the jawbone, but I have friends who use the fitbit and I like the challenging your friends idea of it.

Does anyone have experience of them both?

x

Best answers:

• Are you sure you mean the Zip and not the One? There is generally a lot more than Ј5 difference between the Zip and the Flex so if you've found the Flex in the region of Ј50 then snap it up, it's a bargain!
  I don't have either, but I do have the One (which offers pretty much the same as the Flex but in a different design) and I love mine. I simply didn't want something I had to wear on my wrist, I also like the visible display of the One (and you will get this with the Zip). To fully track your progress with the Flex you will need to sync with your mobile app or your computer to see how many steps you have done etc whereas with the One and Zip a lot of information will be readily available on the display.
  If it is the Zip you are looking at, then tbh, it isn't much more than a sophisticated pedometer, whereas both the One and the Flex offer so much more via the dashboard - this is your own page on their website or mobile app where you can view your progress. The One and Flex are also rechargeable (one charge lasts approx 2 weeks) whereas the Zip needs a battery.
  Losing it... well I do spend a few moments of my day making sure I still have my One attached to me, which I guess you wouldn't do with the Flex. I have also left it in my pocket a couple of times and it has been surprisingly resiliant - it's accidently been through two full washes so far and still going, but don't take that as confirmation of waterproofness!
  Connectivity issues... ok, this would be my only issue of the Fitbit - it doesn't always sync/connect with my mobile app smoothly which can be annoying, but I've no idea if that's my Fitbit of my old and pretty rubbish phone.
  I can't really comment on the tracking of either the Zip or the Flex, but I'm happy with the step tracking of the One. The floors climbed isn't the best as it can count a few flights as one continuous flight of stairs and will also count hills as a flight of stairs. Sleep tracking - useful if you have a little one who still wakes in the night to see how long you really were awake for - I remember all those nights thinking I'd spend most of it awake but actually slept far more than I realised.
  Finally, if you've got friends with Fitbits then this is the best thing for me. Setting challenges or simply having someone to spur you along is great.
• I have a Zip. Like you I spent a lot of time researching the different models, and read a lot of reviews which reported the poor battery life of the rechargeable ones, and I didn't want to have to keep taking it off twice a week to recharge it. The zip uses a large watch-type battery so should last a good few months. I also thought the Flex strap looked very flimsy (there are reports of lost Flexes due to the strap coming undone)
  I also didn't really need a gadget to tell me whether I had woken up in the night, I tend to know whether I've woken up anyway!
  I keep my Zip permanently clipped into my bra, it is very small and unobtrusive and the clip is very strong and secure, I have no worries about losing it and I just forget its there. It syncs well with my phone and laptop, and I love it. It certainly encourages me to move more - if I haven't reached my goal I spend a few minutes jogging on the spot in front of the TV now to make sure I reach it!
  The step count is pretty accurate too. Just wish I had some friends with fitbits who I could compete with.
• Thank you,
  Yes, the Flex is currently Ј53 in Sainsburys and the cheapest I've seen the zip is Ј48.
  I went and bought myself a flex in the end I looked into it decided I couldn't justify the higher price of the one, and I wanted the sleep tracking so the zip wouldn't have been best for me.
  The flex does not track well when I'm pushing my son in his buggy, but I've found that putting it in my pocket at those times means it tracks really well
  Thank you for your advice x