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Old 08-01-22, 01:54 PM  
adrien_73
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Fitbit Alternatives?

I have had back luck with fitbits, and my Charge 3 just bit the dust after less than 2 years of use! I have never had one last longer than 2 years, and longevity is more like a year and a half on most. And they are NOT cheap!


...but I DO find fitness trackers to be a HUGE source of motivation...especially when counting steps, calories, heart rate, etc. I hated my Apple Watch due to the short battery life. I would love to hear your recommendations for inexpensive trackers, or ones that are more durable than Fitbit!
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Old 08-02-22, 10:10 AM  
muggle
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
I feel like I’ve tried SO MANY! I also have a Fitbit and Apple Watch. I keep going back to my Polar. Yes, the one with a chest strap. I don’t wear the watch all day though…it’s kinda ugly. But I use the Polar A300. I like the info it gives me and the accuracy is spot on. I use the app to see all my info. It’s tough trying to figure out which is best!
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Old 08-02-22, 01:58 PM  
cataddict
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Jumping in to say, the Charge 3 was, in a word, CRAP. I was also ready to dump Fitbit for good after having it replaced once and it still malfunctioned continuously. My Charge 2, however, is still working despite being much older!

Anyway I couldn't find anything else I liked better that wasn't a fortune and did more than I was looking for in a fitness tracker so I bought a Versa 3 at a good price. I really, really like it! I've had it now for a couple years and no issues with it at all! My DH also bought one and he likes it too and has had no problems. So IMHO the Charge 3 was a total and complete lemon and a Fitbit Fail.

Don't think I helped, but had to get my shots in at that terrible Charge 3. I looked at Polar, Garmin and the Apple watch and to get the features I wanted without a lot of other "stuff" I would have paid anywhere from $100 to $300 more than the Versa 3. Nope, I don't work for them.

Good luck! Let us know what you decide on!
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Old 08-02-22, 02:11 PM  
jusca
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
I got a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 for $80 on ebay. It was used but looked new. It's mostly helpful. Sometimes the heart rate is off for a few seconds but I don't care. It's mostly a useful tool to know I'm in a certain range and it's motivating to see my effort. I don't like the round shape as any bending wrist exercises like pushups requires me to push the watch higher up my arm otherwise it'll dig hard into the bent wrist area.

It does seem to count walking mile speed accurately as least with the Leslie walks. The times and speeds match up with her estimated 2 miles in 30 minutes for most workouts.

Also, the Galaxy Watch Active (version 1 or 2) is easily $25-50 on ebay. It works as well as the Galaxy Watch 4 if you don't mind not having any app updates to the watch and aren't syncing data to other apps.
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Old 08-02-22, 02:29 PM  
bzar
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Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: PalmTreeVille
i had a chest-strap polar for years. changed the battery once at a local watch repair place. a few years later, the chest strap needed to be replaced, and by then, i wasn't really using my polar very much.

fitbit - i had the fitbit ultra - i couldn't get it to sync. they sent me 2 replacements. i still couldn't get it to sync. 2 lucky VFers got these on share the wealth.

fast forward to 2017. DH bought me the FitBit Charge 2. i waited to use it for no reason - just kept putting it off. probably shell-shocked from my Ultra experience. i finally put it to use in 2020, and it's still ticking. the good VFers in the FitBit check-in helped me get everything set up.

i don't have it tied to my smart phone -i just use it for HR, Steps, and relaxation. when i plug it into my laptop, it syncs my progress to my online Fitbit account, which is fine with me.

i also used an omron step counter for years and years, finally stopped wearing it about 10 years ago or so.

i probably didn't help, but i am happy with the fitbit Charge 2. i also don't want to spend too much on a tracker and don't want to be monitored as to my whereabouts. that said, if i had to buy another one, it would be a Polar and i would keep it offline. not sure if such a device exists - everyone wants to track you for some reason or another, and i'm not into that!
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Old 08-02-22, 04:57 PM  
adrien_73
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Thank you to all for sharing your experiences!

I am reluctant to try Fitbit again because I have been through 5 of them...I am not even sure of all of the models. Earlier on, they did offer me a replacement for one that became defunct in less than a year. They have not been as helpful as of late, and for the Charge 3 only offered a 35% discount to buy a new one. Nope!

I do like the food log and other features that come with the fitbit app, which makes replacing it even harder...

I am curious about what Polar may have to offer. I used their HR monitors for years with no issues In fact I still have 2 and just need the strap part. Now I am interested in more data than they offer but I definitely trust the brand.

I'm thinking that the Samsung watch will not work well with my iphone, but I am very curious about it. I know the battery life on my apple watch made it very frustrating...I wanted to track my sleep but couldn't because I had to charge it every night! The charge only lasted about a day and a half.

The search continues...!
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Old 08-02-22, 05:22 PM  
geojill
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Colorado
I got a Fitbit Sense around Christmas and while I really like it, it feels a little glitchy sometimes. I was not happy with my Charge 3, and wish the Charge 2 was still available. I like the features and the interface, but not how well the Fitbit watches themselves work. I used a Garmin years ago, but I think that was before I used Fitbit.

I have been completely unhelpful, sorry. I will have to watch this thread and see what others recommend. I don’t want an Apple Watch watch because it’s too much for my needs. Also, I want to keep up with a fitness tracker because I earn money at work when I use one.
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Old 08-02-22, 05:43 PM  
Vantreesta
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Snowman Land :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by adrien_73 View Post
Thank you to all for sharing your experiences!

I am reluctant to try Fitbit again because I have been through 5 of them...I am not even sure of all of the models. Earlier on, they did offer me a replacement for one that became defunct in less than a year. They have not been as helpful as of late, and for the Charge 3 only offered a 35% discount to buy a new one. Nope!

I do like the food log and other features that come with the fitbit app, which makes replacing it even harder...

I am curious about what Polar may have to offer. I used their HR monitors for years with no issues In fact I still have 2 and just need the strap part. Now I am interested in more data than they offer but I definitely trust the brand.

I'm thinking that the Samsung watch will not work well with my iphone, but I am very curious about it. I know the battery life on my apple watch made it very frustrating...I wanted to track my sleep but couldn't because I had to charge it every night! The charge only lasted about a day and a half.

The search continues...!
The short battery life on the Apple watch is why my aunt wears that and a Fitbit Charge 4. I don't think she was that interested in the Apple watch but her kids gave it to her for Christmas.

I have a Charge 4 and am happy with it for daily use. But I wear my Garmin Vivoactive (with chest strap) for outdoor workouts that I want a GPS for and my Polar with chest strap (not a smart watch type, doesn't sync with anything) for a my indoor workouts. I don't record my workouts on the Fitbit but I do kind of like seeing all my walks that are autorecorded since I don't wear a heart rate monitor for my walks. (I do track all my walks with my pedometer that I won't give up. )

My brother has a Samsung watch and has been very happy with it. They had Fitbits but he and his boys just didn't have good luck with them.

I'm sure I wasn't very helpful either!
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Old 08-02-22, 05:44 PM  
Vantreesta
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
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Oh, I just remembered. I briefly had a VeryFitPro tracker that seemed pretty decent and was I think under $30. Since I really didn't need another tracker I ended up sending it to another VFer.
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"No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch."
"God, please help me to be the person my dog thinks I am."
"You can't run from your problems. But you'll both feel a little lighter when you get back." ~New Balance shoe ad
You don't have to be fast, just keep moving forward.
Note to self: You don't get to complain about things you won't work to change!

Word for 2024: Accomplished; Word for 2023: Grounded; Word for 2022: Consistency; Word for 2021: Mindfulness
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Old 08-02-22, 07:58 PM  
LAC
 
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Join Date: Apr 2006
My son has an Apple Watch knockoff that I think is called an AmazFit Bip. He seems pretty happy with it. And a few days ago I was speaking with an acquaintance who was telling me how much he and his girlfriend like their Oura Rings. I don't have any personal experience with either of these products, but they might be something to research as alternatives to Fitbit.
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