Thursday, September 10, 2015

Review: FitBit Flex Fitness Tracker

 


Pros: Comfortable, changeable bands in multiple color choices, fits very small or large wrist sizes, easy to use FitBit app, band works with or without your phone close by, multiple alarm settings available, charge lasts for about 7 days, fast charge finishes in about 2 hours, no distracting screen display, waterproof for long-term wear.

Cons: Slight learning curve to understand and operate device, wish it came with an ankle band, doesn't track movement well if hand is stable.

Summary: Overall a great little device with most of the features I was looking for. Works well as a reminder to keep moving, connects well to social media if you wish to compete with friends and family. A great way to gamify your fitness goals, keep record of how you sleep, track what you eat, and drink.


 

Full Review:
Okay, there are quite a few great things to say about this product! I was pleased with the small sleekness of the Fitbit Flex design as I have small wrists and am not into big plastic digital watch-looking things. There are many different colors and bands to choose from. I like that it sits as a constant reminder to move my body but doesn't have a distracting display. It does have a full read out on the phone app that you can check whenever you want to. It holds a charge for about 7 days and charges quickly in about 2 hours. The fact that it's waterproof allows you to keep it on all the time with less chance of losing it.

You can tell about how many steps you've taken by the number of light-up dots on the band when you tap it. Set it up for any number of steps depending on your personal goals. Mine is set up for ten thousand steps as my goal, so each one of the 5 lights on the band represents 2000 steps. My kids LOVE tapping it all day long to see how many steps I've taken! The band vibrates and lights up as soon as you reach your goal each day and then resets at midnight.

The alarm feature is helpful either as an alarm clock or as a reminders throughout the day. It quietly vibrates to alert you, and stops when you tap it.

It also tracks your sleep quality. To use this feature, you have to rapidly tap on the band until it blinks and lights up two lights on opposite sides of the band then tap again for wake up. It records actual sleep time and also how much time you spent restless.

If you need a little healthy competition, you can easily connect with friends and family on social media like facebook so you can compare and compete, "cheer" or "taunt" your friends. You can also set up group challenges to see who can get the highest number of steps in a set period of time.

I was slightly disappointed with the fact that it does not track well for activities in which your wrist is in a stable position, for example bike riding or pushing a cart or stroller. It would be great if FitBit would create an ankle band to use as an option for different types of exercise!

Disclosure: The opinions we have expressed are honest opinions and have not been influenced by the companies of the product. No compensation was received.