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Pedometer or FitBit?
Board: Walking4Fun
Jan 30, 2017 5:25am
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My Omron HJ-303 pedometer is finally giving up the ghost after four years of solidly recording every step I've walked. It still records the steps but the clock function continually stops working causing the pedometer to not zero out step count at the end of a day. I have to remove the battery and reset the whole pedometer to get back on track.

So I'm thinking I may want to purchase a new one or should I go with a fitbit? I don't like jewelry (don't wear watches or rings or necklaces) so I'm thinking of sticking with the Omron but like the features associated with the fitbit as well. Wonder if they make a fitbit that attaches to your belt like an Omron pedometer. I read some register entries on W4F where folks seem to have difficulties with their fitbit and also seem to have issues getting warranty service. I'm a little nervous because of the cost of the device.

Any suggestions?
Re: Pedometer or FitBit?
Board: Walking4Fun
Reply to: #941284 by BBStacker
Jan 30, 2017 6:49am
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I only ever wear a watch on vacation, and I hate wearing bracelets, but most of the time, I forget my Fitbit is there. However, if you don't want to wear the Fitbit on your wrist, there are the Zip or the One. The Zip is just an activity tracker, while the One can track your sleep as well.

TG
Re: Pedometer or FitBit?
Board: Walking4Fun
Reply to: #941284 by BBStacker
Jan 30, 2017 8:42am
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I use a Fitbit Zip and Amanda uses a Fitbit One, and neither of us had really had any trouble with it. I did have to replace my Zip a year or so back after my first one gave up the ghost after years of reliable service. I even emailed their customer service to "ask" if there was anything I could do to "save" it and they sent me a coupon code to buy a new one at a 30% discount or something. I don't remember the exact amount off the top of my head, but it was cheaper than anywhere else I saw online so goodie! =)

Amanda's not working with her original One device either, but if I remember correctly, she did run it through the washer and dryer which didn't do the device any favors.

The Zip is the cheapest Fitbit you'll find and uses a battery so you never have to worry about charging it, but it's also the most basic. The One is among the cheaper devices, but it needs to be charged regularly and slightly more expensive. But it will record "flights" (i.e. elevation) you gain which is kind of interesting. I'm a little jealous that my Zip doesn't do that, but I don't want to have to worry about charging my device all the time either. *shrug*

I've heard a lot more complaints about the ones people wear on their wrists falling off, or being allergic to them, or not providing accurate measurements of their heartbeats and such. *shrug* I'm kind of under the theory that they're trying to get the devices to do too much. Push as many features into them so it has a longer list of features than other devices, but they aren't always needed or reliable.

As for cost.... I used to have the Omron HJ-303 which I loved, but I bought it for something like $25 on Amazon much below its regular price. Nowadays it's selling for $60 there while the Fitbit Zip is selling for closer to $50-$60, so a Zip may very well be the cheaper option and has the added advantage of being able to sync with Walking 4 Fun automatically. =)

If it's something you use a lot, I'd highly recommend either the Zip or the One. If it's a pedometer that you use for a month then toss to the side after the newness wears off (which doesn't sound like is the case with you), I'd suggest finding something a lot cheaper. *shrug*

-- Ryan
Re: Pedometer or FitBit?
Board: Walking4Fun
Reply to: #941284 by BBStacker
Jan 30, 2017 3:25pm
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My original Omron also wore out this summer. I replaced it with this Omron
Omron HJ-321 Triaxis Pedometer and it is affordable and works very much like the first version I used.
Re: Pedometer or FitBit?
Board: Walking4Fun
Reply to: #941299 by Green Tortuga
Jan 30, 2017 3:40pm
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I wear a FitBit One. It is 3 years old and has never given me a bit of trouble. I love it!!!
Re: Pedometer or FitBit?
Board: Walking4Fun
Reply to: #941284 by BBStacker
Jan 30, 2017 5:41pm
Thread (disabled) Board
I'd like to get one. However, the following topic has been the reason why I haven't picked up a Fitbit yet: https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Charge-HR/Charge-HR-adding-steps-while-driving/td-p/996747
Despite what it says and a couple workarounds, the issue doesn't seem to really be solved.
Re: Pedometer or FitBit?
Board: Walking4Fun
Reply to: #941324 by koalacat
Jan 30, 2017 7:34pm
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the following topic has been the reason why I haven't picked up a Fitbit yet

You do realize that the post is referring to the Charge and Charge HR, right? And... there's a lot of information we don't know about that post. I used to check my Fitbit when I rode the bus into town and despite the potholes and bouncing of the bus, it recorded about 5 extra steps. I'd be surprised if there was a pedometer out there that didn't record a few extra steps along the way, though.

But anyhow.... this reported problem might be related to a single type of device, or maybe the guy drives a heck of a lot on a road with lots of potholes or gravel roads, or maybe his car has worn out shock absorbers or who knows what else? And he drives an hour to and from work. That's a lot of driving! If he takes an average of 2,000 steps per day, an extra 2,000 from driving would make his numbers off by 100%! Someone else who drives 15 minutes to and from work and gets an extra 500 steps but walks 10,000 steps per day would have their numbers off by 5%--which isn't really a big deal.

The point is.... you aren't really going to know how it handles your situation until you try it. *shrug*

But... check the reviews on Amazon.com. That might give you some peace of mind. For instance:

  • The Fitbit Zip has 4 stars, and 61% of people give it 5 stars. This is out of 9,405 reviews--that's a lot of data to work with!
  • The Fitbit Charge averages 3.4 stars and only 47% of people think it was worth 5 stars--out of over 14,000 reviews.
  • The Fitbit Charge HR averages 3.7 stars and 54% of people gave it 5 stars out of over 35,000 reviews.
  • The Fitbit Charge 2 HR averages 4.4 stars and 71% of people think it deserves 5 stars. Not as many reviews as the others, but with over 5,000 reviews, that's still a lot of data!
  • The Fitbit One averages 4.3 stars and 69% of people gave it 5 stars with over 12,000 reviews.

So what's this tell us? The Fitbit Charge and Fitbit Charge HR are the most unpopular Fitbits out there and yes, they might definitely have issues. About 50% of the people who buy them aren't fully satisfied with either of them.

The Fitbit Charge 2 HR and Fitbit One are rated pretty well over all. I guess they must have fixed a lot of the issues people had with the Fitbit Charge when they developed version 2 of it. It's a remarkable improvement!

The Fitbit Zip kind of falls between the two in popularity. It's more suitable for my purposes and I like it, but I'll readily admit it's not for everyone either. It doesn't do much except count steps.

So.... Don't let the negative chatter about the Fitbit Charge scare you off from Fitbits completely. Even with those being the least popular models of the ones I looked at, 50% of the people who got it still gave it 5 stars, so there are a lot of people out there who like it despite whatever flaws other people report.

-- Ryan
Re: Pedometer or FitBit?
Board: Walking4Fun
Reply to: #941333 by Green Tortuga
Jan 30, 2017 10:09pm
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Yes, I am aware that it was the Charge/HR, which was what I was interested in for the past year or two. The sleep monitoring function was interesting to me. It still is since last week I was getting only three hours of sleep each day. Several people in that one topic had the issue. Other topics were made about it, too.

It did occur to me that Zip or One might not have the same issues as the Charge. I was unaware of the existence of an updated Charge. Although, maybe that is what people are picking up and posting about recently.

I think I mentioned the following on here a couple years ago. My phone's pedometer app was excellent until it started counting extra steps. There was a 2.5-3.1 mile walk which would get me around 5,000+/- steps. A thousand steps were on it at the start of the walk. The app registered over 10,000 before the end of the hike. It really frustrated me, and I stopped using Walking 4 Fun until a better alternative is found. The app also counts my driving as steps if crawling in Detroit traffic, driving through a park, or looking for a spot in a parking lot.

I am really hesitant to invest in a pedometer because of the cost and accuracy. I'm okay if it is 100 steps off, but a 1,000 or 4,000 off is a lot for me. It makes me feel like my results are a sham on W4F.
Re: Pedometer or FitBit?
Board: Walking4Fun
Reply to: #941338 by koalacat
Jan 30, 2017 10:57pm
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I am really hesitant to invest in a pedometer because of the cost and accuracy.

Just buy it somewhere with a good return policy, and if it doesn't count steps to your satisfaction, return it. I do that a lot with electronic devices I'm not sure about. Usually I keep it, but it's nice to have that return option just in case it doesn't live up to your expectations.

-- Ryan
Re: Pedometer or FitBit?
Board: Walking4Fun
Reply to: #941343 by Green Tortuga
Jan 30, 2017 11:57pm
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True. That is an option.
Re: Pedometer or FitBit?
Board: Walking4Fun
Reply to: #941299 by Green Tortuga
Jan 31, 2017 5:35am
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I use a Fitbit Zip

I'm starting to like the Zip and after reading the reviews on Amazon I thought I'd ask someone who I trust (you) about a couple of my concerns.

First is battery life. On my HJ-303 I get maybe 9-12 months out of a battery. I think I've replaced it only four, maybe five times, in four years. I'm reading in the reviews that the Zip may only have a two month battery life? Wondering what your experience is because on long hikes I'm sure you don't want to carry a bunch of spare batteries in your pack and the 2025 battery can sometimes be hard to find. At least it is around here.

My HJ-303 has a lanyard that holds the pedometer to my person should it come loose from it's holder. This has saved my pedometer from being lost dozens of times. I don't see that in the photos of the Zip. Since you take the Zip on your long hikes I'm guessing you find the clip strong enough to keep the device firmly attached to you.

And how about that tool for opening the battery compartment. That seems like a real problem. It's so easy for me to lose small things or just plain forget where I put them.

I always thought the Fitbit devices used GPS only to record distance and than converting that to steps based on height/weight, etc. But reading the reviews it seems it may be actually counting steps. Is this your experience?

I appreciate your thoughts and posts on this thread as well as everyone else's.
Re: Pedometer or FitBit?
Board: Walking4Fun
Reply to: #941288 by Trekkie Gal
Jan 31, 2017 5:42am
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Thanks for the info. I'm behind the times as I never heard of a Zip but I've only really started looking into Fitbit.

The Zip is just an activity tracker, while the One can track your sleep as well.

The Zip seems perfect. I don't need a device to tell me I'm not sleeping well. I already know that. :-)
Re: Pedometer or FitBit?
Board: Walking4Fun
Reply to: #941317 by Ladymouse
Jan 31, 2017 5:44am
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Well the HJ-321 is definitely less expensive. Does it have a lanyard on the holder to keep from losing the pedometer? Reading the reviews it seems to record some funky stuff I never use, however.
Re: Pedometer or FitBit?
Board: Walking4Fun
Reply to: #941348 by BBStacker
Jan 31, 2017 9:01am
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I'm reading in the reviews that the Zip may only have a two month battery life?

I replace the batteries about once every six months. I can't give you exact times since I don't record the dates that I change the batteries, but I'm pretty sure I've never changed more than twice in any calendar year. When I thru-hiked the entire Appalachian Trail (immediately followed by the Tour Mont Blanc and GR 20)--about seven months in all--and only had to change it once the entire time.

Since you take the Zip on your long hikes I'm guessing you find the clip strong enough to keep the device firmly attached to you.

I just put it in a pocket. I don't use the clip at all, but it does feel pretty strong. If it's been attached securely, I'd be surprised if it would just fall off, but I can't really vouch from personal experience since I've never used it that way.

And how about that tool for opening the battery compartment.

Throw it away. You don't need it. =) The slot it goes in to open the Zip is the size of an aircraft carrier, and I just use a coin to open the device when I need it. Usually a dime or a penny. Nickels and quarters are thick enough that they'd be more difficult (though not impossible) to open the device with.

But reading the reviews it seems it may be actually counting steps. Is this your experience?

No GPS. It just counts steps then converts them into distance based on the stride you set. If you don't set a stride, a default stride will be assigned to you.... =) The only two things the Zip can do are count steps and tell you the time. It'll display distance traveled and calories burned, but those are calculated numbers based on step counts each day (which is probably the only reason it has to know the time).

-- Ryan
Re: Pedometer or FitBit?
Board: Walking4Fun
Reply to: #941350 by BBStacker
Jan 31, 2017 4:47pm
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It does not have a lanyard like the other one but I either keep it in my pocket or clip it on my waistband. It has been very much like the first one we used.
Re: Pedometer or FitBit?
Board: Walking4Fun
Reply to: #941353 by Green Tortuga
Feb 1, 2017 4:36am
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Thanks for the replies. I'm feeling so much better about a Fitbit now and the Zip is really my style.