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HELP NEEDED Fitness Trackers / Smart Watch

tigerlily72

Well-Known Member
Messages
517
Location
South West, England UK
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
I'm looking for some advice and recommendations as I'm planning on buying one. I need to make some lifestyle changes again and think this will help me.

Ok, so what do I want?

  • Blood Pressure monitor if possible - I think I've heard of some that have this function??
  • Heart rate/pulse would be useful
  • Step count
  • Calorie count
  • Sleep Tracker (as I know my sleep quality is poor)
I have a Windows phone at present but I'm intending to change to Android (prob a Samsung J3 or J5)

Price - ideally less than £70 as I'm sure there must be a few out there that'll do what I'm after without the dearer price tag!? However, I would consider a pricier model depending on what it does.

I've been browsing Amazon but totally confused. I know you good people will help me to decide
 
tigerlily72 said:
C'mon lovely people - share your recommendations and suggestions please
Click to expand...
I would honestly say I don't have much experience with many I have an apple watch because I am a bit of what you would call an apple fan boy. I first bought it because I wanted one and then used it a bit then didn't until being diagnosed in October T2 Doctor told me it can be difficult to take in and you have to make some big changes and I did. I set this bloody watch up it has 3 little rings to keep you active and walking around it now will remind me every so often to go do 2 minutes of breathing exercises but where it has really helped is its workout parts I find it very useful gives you tips shows you in red amber and green the areas of your run where you did good and not so good it also can match your tempo with your music that doesn't really work.

One of my friends has the nike fuel band that just gives you a number not really had any experience with them if i didn't have the watch I probably would of bought a fit bit. there is also a lot of apps on smart phones I know iPhones have a sleep monitor built into the clocks function never really got on with it so ditched that but the app I used to use was called map my fitness and that can log times and where you have been.

Watches are expensive but they are about second hand and again i guess it all depends on what if any smart phone your using also.

Paul
 
My children gave me a Fitbit HR but I think that is above your price range. It does steps, pulse and sleep. While I was trying to lose weight I put all my food in and it calculated calories, carbs etc, I weighed everything and used all nutritional info I could find, It was an effort to record every single thing I ate or drank but I thought it worth while doing for several months until I had lost all the weight I needed to lose. I am not using that function now but just do an occasional day to see I'm not over eating too much. A lot of people use My Fitness Pal but I found a lot of errors in the food values and preferred to input my own values. This could be a free option.
I also now have a Samsung J5 and this does steps.
 
I've gone for really cheap and cheerful £20 mi band 2. I have to say I'm loving it. The steps are really accurate and the sleep function is amazing. HR not so accurate.

I have had a Xiaomi phone for a year now after HTC's and samsung's and their Mi band's battery is outstanding at 3 weeks per charge with alarms, app alerts, movement alerts and call alerts on. Probably not suitable for serious hard fitness people but motivating none the less
 
I used the Microsoft Band 1, which had the most sensors of all but was ugly and uncomfortable. I got a Microsoft Band 2 which was better looking and more comfortable and had accurate excellent sensors but had poor strap reliability and was discontinued (I still use Microsoft Health, as it is platform agnostic. I have settled on (as has my family) Fitbit Blazes. These have proven long battery life, work on IOS, Android and Windows Mobile / PC, excellent eco and competitive challenge systems and does everything apart from blood pressure. I use a Withings Wireless Blood Pressure monitor, but this works on IOS and Android only (many on this site use Omron (as do many health professionals)).
 
@tigerlily72 - I bought such a gadget last night, but don't expect it to be delivered for a couple of days, so I wouldn't like to comment without giving it a decent run out. As you say, there are many, many our there, but if you read the specifications and look at the pictures, many are exactly the same products, but just branded differently, it seems.

I hope you find something.
 
I personally don't see the point in the so called "dedicated gadgets"

Most modern phones are easily powerful enough to run every kind of fitness app you could ever want.

Better to get a device that will serve multiple purposes for you and is upgradable than getting a dedicated device that limits you to whatever it comes bundles with.

And as Android grants you access to its firmware, you really can put just about anything on there.
 
I've used the Fitbit flex and charge, a cheap thing from China, and now an apple watch (v luxurious present!)

I would say:
Buy the best brand you can afford
Read the reviews v carefully
Don't trust the claims on blood pressure accuracy - buy a separate bp monitor and cuff
Don't expect the step count to be accurate (a 4 hour car drive made my Fitbit celebrate wildly and tell me I had hit 35,000 steps in a day)
The buzzing alarm feature is awesome!

They are fun, and I love them, but don't expect it to revolutionise your life. The thing that will do that is YOU not a gadget. And if you are going to do any revolutionising, then you don't need a gadget to do it...
 

Thanks for your input Paul. I'm not a runner or anything like that but want something decent and reasonably priced to motivate me. I'm veering towards Fitbit as I'm hearing good things. But, I'm still wondering if I can get something cheaper with similar functions.
 

I've had a look at the Fitbit HR on Amazon, and if I opt for purple as opposed to a black strap it's around my intended budget.
 

Thanks Alison. I've found one similar on Amazon which I think was around £25. I'm not a serious fitness fanatic but need some motivation. This would be a good budget option I think.
 

Fitbit does seem to be popular. I wouldn't be totally relying on an inbuilt blood pressure monitor as we already have an Omron M3 but it would give me an idea throughout the day, if needed.
 

I did download and try a sleep tracking app on my current Nokia 1020 but it didn't work You had to place your phone on your pillow which is a bit of a faff to start with. I think it then switched itself off about 40 or so minutes in. So I uninstalled! This is why I'd like a band/watch to do this job.
 

at the 4 hour car journey!

I'd be using a separate BP monitor - I use an Omron.

Think I'm drawn towards a Fitbit HR but yet to decide . .
 
I don't think you are going to get a activity tracker that has all the functions you want for less than £100.
I use a Garmin Vivofit 2 which has step counter, stopwatch, calorie counter and sleep activity monitor. It cost £45 on ebay but you might get them cheaper now as Garmin brought out a newer Vivofit HR with heartbeat counter since then.
I have an Omron BP monitor so I don't need a bp function.
I collect Maximiles points on my credit card and have almost enough points to get a free Fitbit HR flex which I would like, but I think they cost around £100 to buy.
 
I bought a Samsung Gear S3 for the gadget factor with no intention of using it for health.

That said, it has been revolutionary for me as a motivational tool.

I saw that I was climbing the steps leadership chart for all users on S Health and decided that I wanted to be in the top 10% of all users.

Consequently, I have walked 40 miles in the past 7 days to get there.

More importantly, by analysing sleep data and heart beat monitor I have been able to pinpoint at exactly what time dawn phenomenon happens for me by looking at patterns and when my pulse increases during my sleep.

Quite frankly, it's turned out to be the best money I have spent in a long time.

Now I'm off for my daily 4 mile treck to see if I can do it quicker this time and spend longer at optimum cardiovascular benefit.

Clever stuff but you get what you pay for unfortunately.

I hear good things about Fitbit.
 
Get a second hand Fitbit Charge HR off ebay - make sure it comes with the charging cable. ok so it doesn't do blood pressure but will do everything else, and chances are some of your friends will have a fitbit and you can challenge them with weekend warriors and work week hustle competitions to motivate you. It certainly motivated my wife!
 
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