Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsBest combination of features but reliability is a concern.
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2016
I am now on my fifth Fitbit device. Fitbit ZIP number 1 arrived in spring 2013 and was lost within 4 months. My second ZIP was lost within 6 months.
I received my original Flex in spring 2014 as part of a company fitness effort. Amusingly, ZIP number 2 fell off my clothing within 2 days of the Flex arriving.
And, my husband has a Charge, so the Charge comparisons below are based on his usage.
Comparison of the three:
Battery time: The ZIP has a replaceable battery which needs to be replaced once or twice a year.The Flex has to be charged roughly every 5 days. The Charge may have also taken longer but not by much - a few days at most.
Sleep tracking: If the ZIP has any way to track sleep, I'm not aware of it (but you can manually do so from the app). I believe the Charge works similarly to the Flex.
Alarm capabilies: The Flexc and Charge both have the ability to buzz at preset times. The ZIP, not being designed for wrist wear, does not.
Lose-ability: While I'm quite certain you can manage to lose the Flex (even if it's in the wristband), it's much harder since you can simply leave it in the wristband and wear it 24/7 (except when charging). Similarly for the Charge.
Customization: The ZIP can be put in a different color third-party wristband. The Flex has numerous alternative bracelets - different colors, some handmade, some metallic. The Charge and its bracelet are a single unit, there is no way to switch to a new bracelet when the old one wears out - as it will, in a year or two at best.
Altitude tracking (i.e. stairs): Charge has this, ZIP and Flex do not. It's a feature that would be nice to have - helps track extra calories burned when climbing stairs versus walking on flat ground - but I don't miss it.
Accuracy: Stepwise, it seems reasonable the few times I've tried manually counting steps. Distance-wise: seems reasonably accurate when I've walked a known distance (about a mile). Calories burned: There are articles out there that discuss accuracy of such trackers; I can't judge one way or the other. It's probably close enough unless you need to be EXTREMELY strict about in versus out.
Durablity: The ZIP had no time to break or wear out. The Charge's tracker works fine but the bracelet is falling apart. The Flex has now been replaced, twice - it seems like it's designed to fail after a year. The first one lasted 15 months before refusing to sync. Despite trying everything (reset, cleaning contacts with rubbing alcohol, it simply would not connect to my phone or my computer. In FitBit's favor, they replaced it even though the warranty had long since expired. The second Flex worked for about 14-15 months before doing the same thing. Both times, it charged, and appeared to track just fine, there was simply no way to get the data into the cloud. I've just replaced it with my third Flex - we'll see how long that lasts
Water-resistant: ZIP, yes. Wearing it in the shower would seem to be a nonissue unless you shower with your clothes on (or opt for a third-party wrist band). Flex, yes (can be worn while showering but not swimming). Charge, yes (though they do not recommend leaving it on in the shower). If I leave my Flex on while showering, I try to make a point of taking it off and out of the wristband for a few minutes afterward to let it dry thoroughly.
Appearance: ZIP could basically be hidden by careful placement. Some people use a third-party wristband with the ZIP which allows you to wear it on your wrist - where it looks like a brightly colored wristwatch. A bit larger than usual for a woman's watch but it works. The Flex has a fairly slim band and with replacements, could coordinate with your different outfits. The Charge has a much wider band and is much more obvious - I really disliked it, especially as I also wear a wristwatch on that hand. There are no alternate bands available for the Charge.
Display: ZIP has an LCD display that shows steps, time etc. when you tap it. Not useful in the dark but very informative. The Charge has an LED display so you could use it as a wristwatch. The Flex has only a row of LED dots which give you hints as to how many steps, but nothing more than that. You'll need a timekeeping device as well (wristwatch, your phone, a wall clock) to tell what time of day it is, and you'll need your phone app or computer browser to see exactly how many steps.
Bottom line: I wish the Flex had a longer-lasting battery. My ideal choice would be a melding of the Flex and the Zip: a replaceable battery, worn on the wrist (the clip-on Zip is far too easy to lose), and with a silent alarm. As there is no such hybrid available, I'm sticking with the Flex for now. If the Zip had the silent alarm, I'd have gone with that + a wristband.
The Flex definitely beats the others in terms of customizability, with the wide variety of wristbands both from Fitbit and third parties.
Why I only gave it three stars: The short-ish battery life (I frequently forget to charge it, or forget to put it back on after it's charged), and the fact that I've had two in a row die after just over a year.
