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Product Description
Color: Black/Blue
Amazon.com
The new Fitbit Ultra Wireless Activity Tracker makes every step you take a step toward better fitness, even on your busiest days. The Fitbit Ultra monitors your all-day activity to provide you with real-time feedback on steps, distance, calories burned, and stairs climbed to encourage you to walk more and be more active. It wirelessly uploads your data to Fitbit.com so you can gain deeper insight into your daily or monthly fitness and sleep levels with free online graphs and charts. On Fitbit.com, you can earn fitness badges, connect with friends to share and compete on fitness goals, or join the Fitbit community for advice and encouragement.
Thanks to its compact design, this tracker can be easily tucked into a pocket or bra, or used with the included wristband.
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The Fitbit Ultra shows you how many steps you've taken, number of stairs climbed, and calories burned.
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Log onto Fitbit.com to keep track of your progress, workout goals, or create a fitness network. View larger.
Track All Day Activity
Using a 3-D motion sensor, Fitbit Ultra tracks all the details about your daily activity that conventional pedometers would miss. When worn close to the body, this device tracks daily steps, number of stairs climbed, distance traveled, calories burned, and overall intensity of the activity level. Fitbit Ultra also contains an altimeter to track stairs or hills climbed. The compact design of the Tracker makes it easy to wear tucked into your pocket, clipped to a belt or bra all day.
Track Your Sleep
You can also wear the Tracker at night with the included Fitbit wristband to monitor how long and how well you sleep. Fitbit Ultra will monitor when you fall asleep and how many times you woke up throughout the night to provide a sleep efficiency index.
Achieve Real Results With Fitbit
Fitbit Ultra can help you reach your exercise, diet and overall wellness goals. In fact, Fitbit users increase their daily steps by 43 percent and have lost an average of 13 pounds.*
Wirelessly Uploads Data to Fitbit.com
To help you gauge your progress, Fitbit Ultra wirelessly uploads your fitness data to Fitbit.com automatically whenever you're within 15 feet of your computer--no need to take time out of your busy day to enter stats.
Track Your Fitness Trends and Goals Online
At Fitbit.com, you'll enjoy free online tools that show how your activity measures up over time and keep you motivated, with no monthly fee required. Your dashboard quickly shows you how close you are to achieving your weekly goals on calories burned, steps taken, and other fitness goals.
Fitbit makes fitness fun by translating your real accomplishments into real life examples. For instance, tracking that you've climbed 22 floors is the same as climbing to the top of the Statue of Liberty. To keep you motivated, you can earn badges for daily and lifetime fitness activities.
Social and Community Tools For Encouragement
Invite friends through email or through Facebook to connect on Fitbit.com to build a fitness network. Set collaborative or competitive challenges together, or tap into the growing Fitbit.com community to access tips and receive encouragement. With Fitbit, it's like working out with a group of virtual friends every day.
Log Food and Workouts
You can build a complete picture of your overall fitness by logging foods and workouts. The Fitbit database has over a 100,000 specific food items for you to select from. Enter workout specifics from yoga, Pilates, elliptical workouts, boot camp, spinning, kickboxing, and even Wii games from the workout database. Fitbit's Food Goal feature shows you the range of calories you should stick to every day to reach your weight loss goals, and dynamically adjusts based on your day's activities. You can also track your weight and other health indicators like blood pressure, glucose, and heart rate.
Click each image to view a different Fitbit online tool
Free Mobile Tools
Much more than a pedometer. Click to see how the Fitbit compares to other fitness-tracking devices.
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With our mobile website and our free iPhone App, you'll be able to log workouts, food, water, weight, and much more, plus check your stats while on the go. Log workouts and food even when offline, so no detail gets forgotten.
Integrates with Other Apps
Fitbit can also integrate with many nutrition and fitness apps to make it easy to sync your stats with programs such as LoseIt!, RunKeeper, and Microsoft HealthVault.
The Fitbit Ultra Wireless Activity Tracker is backed by a manufacturer's limited one-year parts and labor warranty.
What's in the Box
Fitbit Ultra Tracker (Black/Blue), sleep wristband, belt holster, and base station with charger.
*This information was taken from a large-scale fitness study conducted by ThreeDefined in January 2011.
Product Description
The new Fitbit Ultra Wireless Activity Tracker makes every step you take a step toward better fitness, even on your busiest days. Like the original, the Ultra tracks your day down to details a pedometer can’t catch, giving you access to the exact steps you take, calories you burn and distance you travel, along with how long and how well you sleep. And now, with its altimeter technology, Fitbit can track the heart-healthy activity of climbing stairs, encouraging you to take the stairs not the elevator, or walking that hill. The Ultra also gives you more measures to track your fitness (a stair counter, a stopwatch, and fitness achievement badges), and more options (a clock, an iphone app, and new colors). Check your real time stats at any time with a quick glance at your tracker. It’s compact and discreet enough to wear all day long in your pocket, clipped to your waist, or even attached to your bra. Good sleep is another key to good health and weight loss, which is why Fitbit can also track your sleep. Simply slip your tracker inside the included wristband and you’ll see how long and how well you sleep. Fitbit wirelessly uploads your data to Fitbit.com whenever you’re within 15 feet of your computer. Works automatically -- no buttons to push, no data to enter. At Fitbit.com, free online tools show how your activity measures up over time and keep you motivated, with no monthly fee required. Track your progress with graphs, see how you compare to others, or compete with friends and family. Plus, you can use Fitbit.com or Fitbit’s new free iphone app to log what you eat from our database of over a 100,000 foods, or record workouts from activities like pilates, yoga, or cycling. The Fitbit ultra gives you a clear sense of how you’re doing and encourages you to be more active, because the more you know, the more motivated you’ll be. And these small changes can really add up: Fitbit users increase their daily steps by 43% and have lost an average of 13 lbs.
Product DetailsColor: Black/Blue
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1,409 of 1,442 people found the following review helpful
By Liora Hess
Color Name:Black/Blue|Amazon Verified Purchase
Update November 2012: There's a newer Fitbit out -- the Fitbit One! You can check out my video review by cutting and pasting this link into your browser:
http://www.amazon.com/review/R32COHXL26GSW0/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0095PZHPE&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=
I purchased the original Fitbit (now referred to as the Fitbit Classic) only to have the company roll out the Fitbit Ultra a couple of days later. The overlap between the two devices has given me a great opportunity to experience both and know what's different about this one.
How both Fitbits Work: You have a few choices on where to wear the Fitbit (typically waist, pocket, chest pocket or bra), and you keep that Fitbit on you for 24 hours. There's another piece that can be attached to the Fitbit if you have thicker clothing on in order not to spread the Fitbit apart too far and damage it. Every time you're within 15-ft range of your WiFi base station plugged into your computer, the Fitbit attempts to upload your data. After an upload it then doesn't try again for another 15 minutes. You can force an update by placing your Fitbit actually on the base. This is also the way you charge the Fitbit.
Speaking of the charge, it is fast and lasts days, maybe even weeks. Many choose to charge the Fitbit in the base while they're in the shower. Since I work at the computer, I just take it off once a day or so and rest it in the base until I'm ready to get up and go do something.
I should also mention installing and pairing the device is hassle-free. The instructions are clear. You download the software from their web site. Pairing the device with the software on your computer is a piece of cake. It's also easy enough to do if you have a replacement Fitbit you're installing. Just right-click on Account Setup in the system tray, and the Fitbit guides you through the quick process.
What will the Fitbit Ultra do? The Fitbit Ultra is a very accurate step counter. It also shows calories burned and distance walked. There's a cute (not too girly, guys) flower that you make "grow" the more activity you do. And it tracks your sleep. You have a little Velcro wrist band (perfect size for women and men) with a pocket. At night, you slip the Fitbit into the pocket and press and hold the button, which puts the Fitbit in sleep mode. You have a choice between normal and sensitive setting, adjustable from the web site.
The sleep was something I thought would be kind of gimmicky and not really that important to me. Boy was I wrong. I really enjoy seeing how many times I wake up during the night and if there's that typical 90-minute cycle of sleep reflected or if I barely moved at all. On the web site, this information is reflected as a sleep efficiency percentage. Now, it's not extremely accurate, because Fitbit doesn't know the difference between your lying there still and your being asleep. However, you'll probably realize soon that if you're lying there, reading a book, just move your hand every one in a while. Later, in the morning, you can adjust your sleep times through the web site to cut off any unnecessary activity at the beginning.
What is Fitbit Not Good at? It's very step-oriented, so that means it's not going to accurately record your use of an elliptical machine, Pilates, weight lifting, rowing machine, swimming (don't get it wet!) or anything else that doesn't result in a typical stepping motion. However, you can manually record these activities on the web site, and it will overwrite the data for that period of time.
New to this version:
---It will also count stairs climbed (hills count) and translate those into floors. It's just one more way to challenge yourself. On the web site you can earn badges for how many stairs and floors you've climbed. The site also gives you interesting little messages about what that climbing equals, such as "you've just climbed the world's tallest snowman," and if you're the curious type, you can click the message to learn more.
---You've got a clock! Since I almost always have a phone on me, I underestimated how much I was going to enjoy this feature. It's so much easier and to just press a button at your waist and look down to see the time.
---There's a stopwatch. Training for a race? Just trying to beat your previous times? You can use the stopwatch to record an activity.
---Righty and lefty friendly. I'm right-handed, but I like to wear the Fitbit at the left side of my waist. The words were backwards, but I learned that through the web site I could change the direction of the words.
---Give it a name. You have 8 characters to input a name or other info. That's not enough for a full phone number with area code. However, you if you search the Internet for "short email address," there are a number of email address services that would fit that 8-character allotment and allow you to forward any email to your regular email address. This might come in handy if you (heaven forbid) were to lose your Fitbit.
---Friendly little chatter. So you're sitting on the sofa and you realize you should really get up and move your body. You stand up, and a blinked message catches your eye: GO GO GO or Hello! or I like you. You're bonding already, and the feeling is mutual. And if it isn't, you can disable this from the web site. You can actually disable any of the features you don't want to see on your Fitbit.
With either version of the Fitbit, you get a great web site with plenty of features to keep you busy. Track your nutrition, specific activities (like swimming, weight lifting or yoga) that aren't reflected well on Fitbit (you cannot expose it to water). Monitor your weight, blood pressure, glucose, fat, and more. With the free version, you have one customizable tracker as well. Wanting even more motivation, you can upgrade to their Premium plan for 50 bucks a year and get more detailed records on how you compare against your peers, your records over time, unlimited number of customizable trackers, and my personal favorite -- the Trainer. The Trainer looks at your history and devises a plan to slowly increase your activity. It's just a slow, steady increase that you'll barely notice at all, and over time, those are the kinds of changes that last. After a week, the Trainer noted I was exceeding its plan for me, so it asked me if I wanted to ramp up a little faster. I loved the choice!
If you're debating, I'll tell you this. The device has made me more aware of my activity (or inactivity) and pushes me to do more. It becomes rather addictive to hit those marks and have those successes daily. I'm moving more and losing weight. I'm drinking more water, as that's also tracked on the web site. Fitbit just makes you more aware in general. I don't think money is ever wasted if it makes you more active and healthy and you use whatever it is you buy (be it a gym membership or a Fitbit).
If you have a now Fitbit Classic and are wondering whether to upgrade, I'll tell you that I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I like some of the features. Some things I felt that I could take or leave ended up being my favorite -- such as the clock. Also know that the color of blue in the Fitbit Ultra is not the same as the sort of teal color of the Fitbit Classic. It's not better or worse, but different.
In summary, I highly recommend this Fitbit Ultra, whether you're new to Fitbit or considering upgrading. It's well worth the money. In the meantime, you don't have to own a Fitbit to be able to use the web site. If you're on the fence, why not join the web site and start recording things like your weight and get active in the Community forum? That will get you a feel for how things work and how Fitbit might be life changing for you as well.
p.s. If/when you do take the plunge, I highly recommend ordering this inexpensive lanyard Safety Leash for Pedometer (1) Unit. Helps Save Pedometers From Loss and Misplacing and Not Lose Them While Running or Walking and Exercising. Too many users have horror stories of losing their Fitbits, drowning them in toilets and oceans, etc. Both items work very well together and provide peace of mind.
UPDATE September 20, 2012:
I wanted to let any readers know that Fitbit is coming out with TWO new trackers that are currently in preorder, due to be released in mid-October, so you may want to hold off on this purchase and get the new model that has more features.
So almost a year later, this remains one of the best purchases I've ever made. And no, I've still not received anything from the company for my reviews -- I'm just an enthusiastic customer. I have lost around 30 pounds since I received my Fitbit. Although that lanyard seemed to be a really important thing, I'm pretty careful, so I eventually quit using the lanyard. I have had some close calls, but so far the Fitbit hasn't been flushed, laundered or otherwise lost.
Things I'm finding I haven't gotten the use from: The Premium membership. Some people swear by this. I thought it was pretty cool at first, but then my life became busier and I didn't have time to get the use out of this feature. Food logging is good but still inferior to some popular apps (like Calorie Countery by MyNetDiary) that aren't yet integrated. I haven't found an easier way to log nutrition than use a smartphone to scan the barcode on a product, and Fitbit doesn't yet have this capability. It also doesn't have the database of foods that some other apps have.
Mostly, I attribute the weight loss to gradual life changes of eating less and moving more PLUS Fitbit making me more aware of movement or lack thereof. It feels good to set a daily step goal (even if less than 10,000) and reach it. Read more ›
http://www.amazon.com/review/R32COHXL26GSW0/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B0095PZHPE&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=
I purchased the original Fitbit (now referred to as the Fitbit Classic) only to have the company roll out the Fitbit Ultra a couple of days later. The overlap between the two devices has given me a great opportunity to experience both and know what's different about this one.
How both Fitbits Work: You have a few choices on where to wear the Fitbit (typically waist, pocket, chest pocket or bra), and you keep that Fitbit on you for 24 hours. There's another piece that can be attached to the Fitbit if you have thicker clothing on in order not to spread the Fitbit apart too far and damage it. Every time you're within 15-ft range of your WiFi base station plugged into your computer, the Fitbit attempts to upload your data. After an upload it then doesn't try again for another 15 minutes. You can force an update by placing your Fitbit actually on the base. This is also the way you charge the Fitbit.
Speaking of the charge, it is fast and lasts days, maybe even weeks. Many choose to charge the Fitbit in the base while they're in the shower. Since I work at the computer, I just take it off once a day or so and rest it in the base until I'm ready to get up and go do something.
I should also mention installing and pairing the device is hassle-free. The instructions are clear. You download the software from their web site. Pairing the device with the software on your computer is a piece of cake. It's also easy enough to do if you have a replacement Fitbit you're installing. Just right-click on Account Setup in the system tray, and the Fitbit guides you through the quick process.
What will the Fitbit Ultra do? The Fitbit Ultra is a very accurate step counter. It also shows calories burned and distance walked. There's a cute (not too girly, guys) flower that you make "grow" the more activity you do. And it tracks your sleep. You have a little Velcro wrist band (perfect size for women and men) with a pocket. At night, you slip the Fitbit into the pocket and press and hold the button, which puts the Fitbit in sleep mode. You have a choice between normal and sensitive setting, adjustable from the web site.
The sleep was something I thought would be kind of gimmicky and not really that important to me. Boy was I wrong. I really enjoy seeing how many times I wake up during the night and if there's that typical 90-minute cycle of sleep reflected or if I barely moved at all. On the web site, this information is reflected as a sleep efficiency percentage. Now, it's not extremely accurate, because Fitbit doesn't know the difference between your lying there still and your being asleep. However, you'll probably realize soon that if you're lying there, reading a book, just move your hand every one in a while. Later, in the morning, you can adjust your sleep times through the web site to cut off any unnecessary activity at the beginning.
What is Fitbit Not Good at? It's very step-oriented, so that means it's not going to accurately record your use of an elliptical machine, Pilates, weight lifting, rowing machine, swimming (don't get it wet!) or anything else that doesn't result in a typical stepping motion. However, you can manually record these activities on the web site, and it will overwrite the data for that period of time.
New to this version:
---It will also count stairs climbed (hills count) and translate those into floors. It's just one more way to challenge yourself. On the web site you can earn badges for how many stairs and floors you've climbed. The site also gives you interesting little messages about what that climbing equals, such as "you've just climbed the world's tallest snowman," and if you're the curious type, you can click the message to learn more.
---You've got a clock! Since I almost always have a phone on me, I underestimated how much I was going to enjoy this feature. It's so much easier and to just press a button at your waist and look down to see the time.
---There's a stopwatch. Training for a race? Just trying to beat your previous times? You can use the stopwatch to record an activity.
---Righty and lefty friendly. I'm right-handed, but I like to wear the Fitbit at the left side of my waist. The words were backwards, but I learned that through the web site I could change the direction of the words.
---Give it a name. You have 8 characters to input a name or other info. That's not enough for a full phone number with area code. However, you if you search the Internet for "short email address," there are a number of email address services that would fit that 8-character allotment and allow you to forward any email to your regular email address. This might come in handy if you (heaven forbid) were to lose your Fitbit.
---Friendly little chatter. So you're sitting on the sofa and you realize you should really get up and move your body. You stand up, and a blinked message catches your eye: GO GO GO or Hello! or I like you. You're bonding already, and the feeling is mutual. And if it isn't, you can disable this from the web site. You can actually disable any of the features you don't want to see on your Fitbit.
With either version of the Fitbit, you get a great web site with plenty of features to keep you busy. Track your nutrition, specific activities (like swimming, weight lifting or yoga) that aren't reflected well on Fitbit (you cannot expose it to water). Monitor your weight, blood pressure, glucose, fat, and more. With the free version, you have one customizable tracker as well. Wanting even more motivation, you can upgrade to their Premium plan for 50 bucks a year and get more detailed records on how you compare against your peers, your records over time, unlimited number of customizable trackers, and my personal favorite -- the Trainer. The Trainer looks at your history and devises a plan to slowly increase your activity. It's just a slow, steady increase that you'll barely notice at all, and over time, those are the kinds of changes that last. After a week, the Trainer noted I was exceeding its plan for me, so it asked me if I wanted to ramp up a little faster. I loved the choice!
If you're debating, I'll tell you this. The device has made me more aware of my activity (or inactivity) and pushes me to do more. It becomes rather addictive to hit those marks and have those successes daily. I'm moving more and losing weight. I'm drinking more water, as that's also tracked on the web site. Fitbit just makes you more aware in general. I don't think money is ever wasted if it makes you more active and healthy and you use whatever it is you buy (be it a gym membership or a Fitbit).
If you have a now Fitbit Classic and are wondering whether to upgrade, I'll tell you that I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I like some of the features. Some things I felt that I could take or leave ended up being my favorite -- such as the clock. Also know that the color of blue in the Fitbit Ultra is not the same as the sort of teal color of the Fitbit Classic. It's not better or worse, but different.
In summary, I highly recommend this Fitbit Ultra, whether you're new to Fitbit or considering upgrading. It's well worth the money. In the meantime, you don't have to own a Fitbit to be able to use the web site. If you're on the fence, why not join the web site and start recording things like your weight and get active in the Community forum? That will get you a feel for how things work and how Fitbit might be life changing for you as well.
p.s. If/when you do take the plunge, I highly recommend ordering this inexpensive lanyard Safety Leash for Pedometer (1) Unit. Helps Save Pedometers From Loss and Misplacing and Not Lose Them While Running or Walking and Exercising. Too many users have horror stories of losing their Fitbits, drowning them in toilets and oceans, etc. Both items work very well together and provide peace of mind.
UPDATE September 20, 2012:
I wanted to let any readers know that Fitbit is coming out with TWO new trackers that are currently in preorder, due to be released in mid-October, so you may want to hold off on this purchase and get the new model that has more features.
So almost a year later, this remains one of the best purchases I've ever made. And no, I've still not received anything from the company for my reviews -- I'm just an enthusiastic customer. I have lost around 30 pounds since I received my Fitbit. Although that lanyard seemed to be a really important thing, I'm pretty careful, so I eventually quit using the lanyard. I have had some close calls, but so far the Fitbit hasn't been flushed, laundered or otherwise lost.
Things I'm finding I haven't gotten the use from: The Premium membership. Some people swear by this. I thought it was pretty cool at first, but then my life became busier and I didn't have time to get the use out of this feature. Food logging is good but still inferior to some popular apps (like Calorie Countery by MyNetDiary) that aren't yet integrated. I haven't found an easier way to log nutrition than use a smartphone to scan the barcode on a product, and Fitbit doesn't yet have this capability. It also doesn't have the database of foods that some other apps have.
Mostly, I attribute the weight loss to gradual life changes of eating less and moving more PLUS Fitbit making me more aware of movement or lack thereof. It feels good to set a daily step goal (even if less than 10,000) and reach it. Read more ›
666 of 688 people found the following review helpful
By CrazyFitness
Color Name:Black/Blue
I received my first Fitbit for an early Christmas present last year in 2010 and LOVED the features. I had been increasing my workouts at the gym and was working retail at the time, so I loved seeing my steps and calories burned adding up. I also don't sleep well, and the Fitbit was able to tell me how restlessly I actually slept. After having the Fitbit for a month, I was in love.
HOWEVER...by the end of February, my Fitbit was falling apart. I was attaching the device to my bra as suggested or to slim pants. If you want your Fitbit to last beyond two months, I suggest you NEVER do this. The blue plastic part on the inside separated from the outside shell revealing the hardware inside and making it impossible to attach to the base station and charge. I'm the kind of person who is never hard on things I own and was very frustrated by the seemingly cheap, inflexible plastic. I did wear the device every day, but being that it is a device meant for tracking fitness progression, I assume the goal IS to wear the Fitbit every day.
I finally contacted customer service in March describing my disappointment in the product and to their credit they did send me a new Fitbit with no questions asked and simply asked me to return my old one. Unfortunately, when my new Fitbit arrived, the display was so faded that I could only read my stats in a completely dark room. Once again customer service had to ship me a new device.
I am now using the same device that was replaced in March and while it still works, it started falling apart again in November. I had ONLY been using the Fitbit with the included belt clip so as not to break the device's delicate structure, but the outer shell still started breaking away from the blue plastic. The belt clip is also made from the same cheap, inflexible plastic so I'm on my second one of those as well.
In short, I love what the Fitbit is aiming to achieve. The features are great, and I became almost obsessed with trying to beat my personal bests. Unfortunately, a lot needs to be done to improve durability. If you plan on using the Fitbit every day with the belt clip, it still may only last you a year or so. If the company comes up with a way to solve these problems, I would rate this product five stars. Until then, it is only just so-so for me.
HOWEVER...by the end of February, my Fitbit was falling apart. I was attaching the device to my bra as suggested or to slim pants. If you want your Fitbit to last beyond two months, I suggest you NEVER do this. The blue plastic part on the inside separated from the outside shell revealing the hardware inside and making it impossible to attach to the base station and charge. I'm the kind of person who is never hard on things I own and was very frustrated by the seemingly cheap, inflexible plastic. I did wear the device every day, but being that it is a device meant for tracking fitness progression, I assume the goal IS to wear the Fitbit every day.
I finally contacted customer service in March describing my disappointment in the product and to their credit they did send me a new Fitbit with no questions asked and simply asked me to return my old one. Unfortunately, when my new Fitbit arrived, the display was so faded that I could only read my stats in a completely dark room. Once again customer service had to ship me a new device.
I am now using the same device that was replaced in March and while it still works, it started falling apart again in November. I had ONLY been using the Fitbit with the included belt clip so as not to break the device's delicate structure, but the outer shell still started breaking away from the blue plastic. The belt clip is also made from the same cheap, inflexible plastic so I'm on my second one of those as well.
In short, I love what the Fitbit is aiming to achieve. The features are great, and I became almost obsessed with trying to beat my personal bests. Unfortunately, a lot needs to be done to improve durability. If you plan on using the Fitbit every day with the belt clip, it still may only last you a year or so. If the company comes up with a way to solve these problems, I would rate this product five stars. Until then, it is only just so-so for me.
245 of 255 people found the following review helpful
By Katrina728
Color Name:Black/Blue|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was an avid user of the bodymedia bodybug (now named the "Armband Advantage") for the past year. When it came time to renew my bodybug subscription at $9.95 a month, I did a little shopping around and opted to pay $100 for the fitbit with no subscription. Be forewarned that I can't really sing the praises of the fitbit without comparing it to the bodybug.
PROs
- LIGHTWEIGHT AND SMALL. It is MUCH easier to inconspicuously wear the fitbit than the bodybug. I'm looking forward to wearing tank tops this summer without having a conspicuous armband on. It was fine for bumming around and shopping; people would ask me about it and I didn't mind answering questions. But when it came to going out at night or attending weddings in sleeveless dresses, I was forced to leave the bodybug at home. Sometimes I'd pop it out of the armband and put it in my bra, but even that was sometimes a challenge. The fitbit easily clips on my bra with no bulges or discomfort.
- NO BEEPS OR SOUNDS. The bodybug made 3 beeps any time it made contact with your body for the first time, or if it lost contact with your body. Kinda embarrassing if you're in a quiet atmosphere.
- COMFORTABLE. Fitbit doesn't sit against your skin, so it's much more comfortable. I don't care what bodymedia says, it's not always comfortable to have a sweaty piece of plastic against your skin all day. (In their instructions they recommend you take it off for an hour a day, so no calorie tracking on the bodybugg for that time period).
- AFFORDABLE. The unit itself is about half the price of bodybugg. As for the online data, the graphs and info on fitbit.com are comparable, if not better than those on bodymedia.com; with no monthly subscription needed (saving you about $10 a month). You can buy the 'premium' fitbit access for $49 a year (still less than half the price of bodymedia.com), but I find the charts on fitbit.com are fine for my needs. Charts show activity throughout the day in 5-minute increments. The one thing that it doesn't offer is the ability to see how many calories you burned for a specific time period. Bodymedia.com allows you to drag your mouse across the graphs to hone in on certain time frames (i.e. show me the total calories burned from 3pm to 3:30pm). But you can a) add it up manually (mouse over the bars in the chart for each 5-minute increment between 3pm and 3:30pm. A popup shows the number of burned calories/steps, etc. during each 5-minute increment) or b) use the recording feature mentioned below.
- EASY TO TRACK WORKOUTS. Fitbit has a small button that is pretty much a stopwatch, but works well in tracking workouts and sleep. Press and hold the button for a few seconds to start the stopwatch/"recording" and press again to stop it. The duration of the activity will be displayed on your activity log on Fitbit.com. If it's during the day, fitbit assumes it's a workout. If it's at night, fitbit assumes it's sleeping (but you can manually change it). To make a short story long, I use this feature for my workouts and I can easily see data just for the workout session. In comparison, Bodybugg didn't have this feature. I had to take note of what time I started and stopped my workout, then use my mouse to "hone in" on that time frame in the graph in order see the calorie burn.
- WIRELESS. I love the wireless functionality. If I'm within 15 feet of my laptop, data is automatically uploaded. Bodybugg has this functionality, too, but I had the version that you have to pop out of the armband and connect via USB to your computer.
- ACCURATE. The fitbit is every bit as accurate as the bodybug. I do the elliptical machine and clip fitbit onto my sock. I've gotten good results doing this. There's a lot of hype that bodybug has "4 different sensors," but I'm not convinced that 4 are any better than the 2 in the fitbit. As far as I can tell, the bodybug only uses accelerometer data for its calcs. Anyway, the fitbit is just as accurate.
- INTERACTIVE. Love that you can personalize a message to show up on the fitbit. In addition to displaying your personal message, random fitbit messages like "Vamos!" or "Walk Me" are displayed randomly. Too cute! I also like getting weekly emails that show me my progress or congratulate me on certain achievements (10000 steps, 10 flights of stairs, etc.)
- DISPLAY IS ON THE UNIT. Unlike Bodybugg, which is kind of a 'black box' until you sync it to your computer, you can push the button on your fitbit at any time and see all the data for that day (steps, calories, miles, stairs, etc.). I found this to be very handy when it's getting towards midnight and I need to get more steps in. I just walk around my apartment, then check the display to see if I've met my goal. Also has a clock, which is nice.
CONs
- SMALL. Okay, if I HAVE to pick a con, it's that it takes some time to get in the habit of taking the fitbit off one set of clothes and putting them on another. In the beginning I'd change clothes to go out, only to later remember that my fitbit was clipped on the first outfit. I can definitely see how people have accidentally washed their fitbits. No biggy.
- NO DATA EXPORT. You can't export your data from the fitbit site unless you buy the premium access. Not a deal breaker for me (and premium access is still cheaper than bodymedia anyway).
- DAILY DATA DOESN'T RESET UNTIL YOU SYNC IT. I haven't fully tested this, but there was a 2-day period where I was traveling and unable to sync to my computer. I noticed that the data on the second day looked pretty high, so I assume it was still counting from the day before. Everything was fine in the online dashboard once I synced it. Not a big deal for me.
SUMMARY: Any pedometer or similar tool will be a great asset to any fitness program. I find myself wanting to take extra steps and take the stairs just to get "credit" for them in my daily tallies. I think fitbit is an affordable and easy tool to use. Hope this helps!
UPDATE June 2012: NEW "PRO:" Two of my family members now have fitbits so we can compete against each other on the website. I see my ranking in steps, activity level & distance. I got one for my mom 'cuz I figured she'd be easy to beat, and she beats me everyday! As such, I'm trying to up my steps to compete with her. This is a great feature that's definitely on the "PRO" list. When other people can see how many steps you do, it adds accountability. If I'm watching tv it will force me to get up and get some steps in while thinking "I don't want friends to see I've only done 2000 steps today." Competing against others is optional; you have to send them an invite to be your fitbit friend.
You can also link your fitbit account to your foursquare account to 'unlock' more fitness badges.
PROs
- LIGHTWEIGHT AND SMALL. It is MUCH easier to inconspicuously wear the fitbit than the bodybug. I'm looking forward to wearing tank tops this summer without having a conspicuous armband on. It was fine for bumming around and shopping; people would ask me about it and I didn't mind answering questions. But when it came to going out at night or attending weddings in sleeveless dresses, I was forced to leave the bodybug at home. Sometimes I'd pop it out of the armband and put it in my bra, but even that was sometimes a challenge. The fitbit easily clips on my bra with no bulges or discomfort.
- NO BEEPS OR SOUNDS. The bodybug made 3 beeps any time it made contact with your body for the first time, or if it lost contact with your body. Kinda embarrassing if you're in a quiet atmosphere.
- COMFORTABLE. Fitbit doesn't sit against your skin, so it's much more comfortable. I don't care what bodymedia says, it's not always comfortable to have a sweaty piece of plastic against your skin all day. (In their instructions they recommend you take it off for an hour a day, so no calorie tracking on the bodybugg for that time period).
- AFFORDABLE. The unit itself is about half the price of bodybugg. As for the online data, the graphs and info on fitbit.com are comparable, if not better than those on bodymedia.com; with no monthly subscription needed (saving you about $10 a month). You can buy the 'premium' fitbit access for $49 a year (still less than half the price of bodymedia.com), but I find the charts on fitbit.com are fine for my needs. Charts show activity throughout the day in 5-minute increments. The one thing that it doesn't offer is the ability to see how many calories you burned for a specific time period. Bodymedia.com allows you to drag your mouse across the graphs to hone in on certain time frames (i.e. show me the total calories burned from 3pm to 3:30pm). But you can a) add it up manually (mouse over the bars in the chart for each 5-minute increment between 3pm and 3:30pm. A popup shows the number of burned calories/steps, etc. during each 5-minute increment) or b) use the recording feature mentioned below.
- EASY TO TRACK WORKOUTS. Fitbit has a small button that is pretty much a stopwatch, but works well in tracking workouts and sleep. Press and hold the button for a few seconds to start the stopwatch/"recording" and press again to stop it. The duration of the activity will be displayed on your activity log on Fitbit.com. If it's during the day, fitbit assumes it's a workout. If it's at night, fitbit assumes it's sleeping (but you can manually change it). To make a short story long, I use this feature for my workouts and I can easily see data just for the workout session. In comparison, Bodybugg didn't have this feature. I had to take note of what time I started and stopped my workout, then use my mouse to "hone in" on that time frame in the graph in order see the calorie burn.
- WIRELESS. I love the wireless functionality. If I'm within 15 feet of my laptop, data is automatically uploaded. Bodybugg has this functionality, too, but I had the version that you have to pop out of the armband and connect via USB to your computer.
- ACCURATE. The fitbit is every bit as accurate as the bodybug. I do the elliptical machine and clip fitbit onto my sock. I've gotten good results doing this. There's a lot of hype that bodybug has "4 different sensors," but I'm not convinced that 4 are any better than the 2 in the fitbit. As far as I can tell, the bodybug only uses accelerometer data for its calcs. Anyway, the fitbit is just as accurate.
- INTERACTIVE. Love that you can personalize a message to show up on the fitbit. In addition to displaying your personal message, random fitbit messages like "Vamos!" or "Walk Me" are displayed randomly. Too cute! I also like getting weekly emails that show me my progress or congratulate me on certain achievements (10000 steps, 10 flights of stairs, etc.)
- DISPLAY IS ON THE UNIT. Unlike Bodybugg, which is kind of a 'black box' until you sync it to your computer, you can push the button on your fitbit at any time and see all the data for that day (steps, calories, miles, stairs, etc.). I found this to be very handy when it's getting towards midnight and I need to get more steps in. I just walk around my apartment, then check the display to see if I've met my goal. Also has a clock, which is nice.
CONs
- SMALL. Okay, if I HAVE to pick a con, it's that it takes some time to get in the habit of taking the fitbit off one set of clothes and putting them on another. In the beginning I'd change clothes to go out, only to later remember that my fitbit was clipped on the first outfit. I can definitely see how people have accidentally washed their fitbits. No biggy.
- NO DATA EXPORT. You can't export your data from the fitbit site unless you buy the premium access. Not a deal breaker for me (and premium access is still cheaper than bodymedia anyway).
- DAILY DATA DOESN'T RESET UNTIL YOU SYNC IT. I haven't fully tested this, but there was a 2-day period where I was traveling and unable to sync to my computer. I noticed that the data on the second day looked pretty high, so I assume it was still counting from the day before. Everything was fine in the online dashboard once I synced it. Not a big deal for me.
SUMMARY: Any pedometer or similar tool will be a great asset to any fitness program. I find myself wanting to take extra steps and take the stairs just to get "credit" for them in my daily tallies. I think fitbit is an affordable and easy tool to use. Hope this helps!
UPDATE June 2012: NEW "PRO:" Two of my family members now have fitbits so we can compete against each other on the website. I see my ranking in steps, activity level & distance. I got one for my mom 'cuz I figured she'd be easy to beat, and she beats me everyday! As such, I'm trying to up my steps to compete with her. This is a great feature that's definitely on the "PRO" list. When other people can see how many steps you do, it adds accountability. If I'm watching tv it will force me to get up and get some steps in while thinking "I don't want friends to see I've only done 2000 steps today." Competing against others is optional; you have to send them an invite to be your fitbit friend.
You can also link your fitbit account to your foursquare account to 'unlock' more fitness badges.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
worked great until it died...just died
I purchased this over a year ago and used it every day for many months. What I liked was that it was accurate, easy to use, battery life was long, sent me clever messages... Read more
Published 1 day ago by L. Whitman
5.0 out of 5 stars
i love it!
good motivator. tracks your steps and how many flights you climb, as well as distance and calories burned. one of my favorite features is the sleep tracker. Read more
Published 1 day ago by Holli M.
1.0 out of 5 stars
This company does not stand up for its products!
I wore it twice. The second time while doing errands it fell off. It was a defective product, it should not become detached especially while just walking around doing errands. Read more
Published 2 days ago by em
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fitbit Ultra it's great but...
I love, love, love this product. I wear it everyday, it is very accurate and it keeps me moving. I love that it syncs to my computer and the updated dashboard is easy to read and... Read more
Published 3 days ago by Lori
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful tool
Wonderful tool to aid progress. Don't feel calories is very accurate but other than that its on me all the time.
Published 3 days ago by Claudette Eames
5.0 out of 5 stars
exactly what I was looking for
I purchased the fitbit to aid with my weight loss plan. The features are helpful, including the steps taken and number of flights of stairs. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Beth Garnett
5.0 out of 5 stars
Keeps Me On Track
I am currently on a weight reduction program and I find my fitbit to be most helpful. I am reminded to walk my 10,000 steps each day and also gives me a handy way to log my food... Read more
Published 7 days ago by Karen A. Cooper
3.0 out of 5 stars
I love my Fitbit - but don't buy this one!
I bought my Fitbit last year and I absolutely love it! However, it only lasted just over a year before literally breaking into pieces in my hands. Read more
Published 8 days ago by WomanChild
2.0 out of 5 stars
FITBIT
The device works well, the website is horrible. it's way too kiddish, reminds me of working with an apple product, just horrible.
Published 8 days ago by FITTY
1.0 out of 5 stars
P.O.S. Piece Of Subpar-electronics
I sent the original thru the wash and broke it. Bought this P.O.S. as an "upgrade" to replace it.
Pros - None
Cons
1 doesn't open wide enough to clip to... Read more
Pros - None
Cons
1 doesn't open wide enough to clip to... Read more
Published 9 days ago by Kevin Daugherty
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