Apple watch or Fitbit?

psusoccer17

Cathlete
I am thinking of buying a fitness tracker, I currently use a polar watch with the chest strap for my workouts. I would like to track my steps, sleeping pattern and heart rate. I am debating between the Apple watch and the Fitbit . Have any of you used both products? If so, which one do you like better?
 
Wow!! I could have written this myself. I hope others post their opinions.
 
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I purchased a Fitbit Versa when it came out in May of this year. It is stylish, functional and a great tracker. However it stopped working 2 months later. Fitbit sent me another watch but then that also stopped working 2 months later and they sent me yet another watch. There was never any damage to the watch and I did not get it wet even though it’s waterproof up to 50 meters. Costumer service was great, but I could never recommend a product that completely stops working within 2 months. Everyone I know that owns an Apple watch loves it and it will definitely be my next fitness tracker purchase..which should be in about 2 months lol.
 
I really don't want to be Debbie downer here but, you should really look at reviews, a lot of them. The two products you mentioned have been out for a while, it's reasonable to expect them to be more accurate, work better than they do. The other issue as nhope mentioned is durability. I have yet to find anything that has lasted. This sticking with a company until they get it "right" gets pretty old fast. I have many other products that lasted indefinitely. How long has your current watch & chest strap lasted? Is there another similar model that has the functions you want? I appreciate having all the data in one place but what good is it if it's not even close to accurate or the product itself doesn't last?
 
I have apple watch - GET THE PROTECTION PLAN...have had it for 2 years and its now invaluable because it helps me find my iPhone!!!
 
I treated myself to the Fitbit Versa after having a Polar forever. It sucks! Sorry for being so blunt but it has had grossly inaccurate HR readings since day 1. I've read everything I can find, watched youtube clips etc just to make sure I was wearing it correctly and using it correctly. I wore my Polar (w/ chest strap) on 1 wrist and the Versa on the other. I did Cathe's "All out low impact hiit" the other day, my heart was pounding. My Polar read 168, Versa 120. Today was Kickboxing....occasionally I looked at both watches to see what's going on. (Plus I would literally put my hand on my chest and count beats.) Polar was always accurate, Versa was not. It seems to have the same reading during the warm up, but after that....ppppffftt. I mean C'mon!!! I'm doing tough workouts and my HR is up there but the Versa doesn't seem to think so. I'm DONE!! I'm staying w/ Polar. Yes, I'm disgruntled!!
 
I have the Fitbit One, which unfortunately has been discontinued, and a Series 2 Apple watch. I love both of them. I use my Apple watch a lot throughout the day and usually run the battery down, so I need to charge it daily. I do so at night, so I have never done any sleep tracking. As far as accuracy, it is great at monitoring walking, running and biking. Not so great at monitoring my heart rate for any workouts that have a lot of arm movements. There is a high intensity interval training mode that does a decent job of estimating heart rate and calories - might overestimate a bit. If I put it on the open goal mode it underestimates my heart rate and calories by quite a bit. I work at a school and have to mute my cell phone. The Apple watch lets me know when I get any calls or messages, which is great! It is also wonderful for setting reminders.
 
I had a fitbit and the band kept breaking. They replaced it as long as the warranty was up and anytime i tried to inquire about a replacement fitbit or the reason it was happening, I got no response. Once the warranty was up, I was going to have to pay for a new band every couple/few months and I threw it away.

I got an apple watch for Xmas in 2017. No problems whatsoever with it and the band (basic band) is still fine. I am not sure how accurate it is (steps seem pretty accurate, but not sure about HRM or cal count) but not sure the fitbit was any better in this regard. That said the calorie counts don't seem way off either or the heartrate. Plus the apple watch does tons of other things. I would recommend the apple watch and NOT the fitbit. I don't think fitbit company backs their products well and I think they make a shotty product and are unapologetic about it in my experience.
 
I have both a polar and a fitbit. Any tracker with a chest strap will be most accurate. I have been using both products for years. I love my versa, easy to use, can wear when swimming or just in the shower. I do feel it over estimates the calories burned compared to my polar. Fitbit syncs with the WW app and polar does not. I just upgraded my Polar A300 to the M430. The M430 can be paired with the chest strap which is important to me. Just do your research and choose the option that will work best for you.
 

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