Sunday, June 30, 2013

Compare & contrast

I got into the fitness device craze . . . I wanted to get a Fit Bit Flex but it was back-ordered six to eight weeks. Lacking any patience, I bought a Jawbone Up, then realized I really did prefer the Fit Bit Flex instead. So I returned the Jawbone Up.

Some friends were interested in a comparison of the two devices so here you go -- my completely unscientific and utterly personal opinions:

Click the picture for a better view

One friend specifically asked if I thought the device is motivating me. I'd say yes, although I was already pretty motivated. It's just a nice, visible reminder that I'm committed to getting back to the level of fitness I had three years ago. With both devices, you get feedback either on your phone (Jawbone Up) or on the phone dashboard and by email (badges for achievements from Fit Bit). Yes, it's silly but it's still kind of nice and surprisingly motivating.

Both devices track my sleep (no idea how they know I'm asleep but they seem to be pretty accurate). I liked that the Jawbone Up told me how much deep vs. light sleep I got but on the other hand, the Fit Bit seems to recognize that I'm a restless sleeper (was restless eight times last night)

I also like that I can look at the Fit Bit dashboard on my phone and see where I am with my eating plan and activity plan for the day. After a couple of weeks, I should be able to identify trends with the goal of improving my health.

Have you tried any of these? What do you think?

1 comment:

Harriet said...

Thanks! I've been thinking about putting this on my birthday list!