I am a fairly active person and the Fitbit seems to be one of the more popular pedometers currently available. I debated for a long time if I wanted to purchase one of these for myself and I received one for Mother's Day and am now giving them to my mom and mother-in-law for Christmas! There are a number of Fitbits on the market and I liked the Fitbit Flex because it is a simple pedometer that I can wear on my wrist and it is a fairly reasonable price for all of the cool features it has. Even after six months, I haven't been able to play with all of the features that it has but I've definitely gotten my use out of it and really like it.

One of my favorite features of the Fitbit is how well it counts your steps and tells you the intensity of your walking/workout. It is pretty sensitive and senses every time your foot hits the ground, even if you are just walking around the house or at the grocery store. I have been amazed at the number of steps that I take throughout the day and I don't even realize it! This feature has definitely encouraged me to walk even more and now it's natural for me to want to get up and move around. There are lights on the outside of the band that tell you approximately how many steps you've taken so far that day which show when you tap the wristband twice (normally there aren't any lights showing until you tap it to check the steps or activate the sleep feature). There is one light for every 2000 steps so when you've just woken up and walked around the house a bit, it will show one light. It will show two lights for steps between 2000 and 3999 steps, three lights for 4000 to 5999 steps, etc. You can then check your Fitbit Dashboard (the program Fitbit uses) on your computer or smartphone to see the exact number of steps, the intensity of the workout, and the number of steps taken between each time period.

I also really like the sleep feature. To activate this, you tap the wristband several times until the first and last lights appear on the band. Then you know it is in sleep mode. When you wake up in the morning, you tap in a number of times again until all of the lights flash. If you then go to your computer or phone, it will tell you how many hours you have slept that night and the number of times you were awakened. It also tells you how long it takes you to fall asleep. There is a silent alarm feature you can use so you don't wake anyone else up but I haven't used that yet. When I first got the Fitbit, I wasn't sure if I would be able to sleep with it on my wrist since I wasn't used to it but it hasn't been a problem at all and now I hardly notice I'm wearing it.

There are a number of other features the Fitbit Dashboard can do such as calories burned, number of ounces of water drank, food intake and weight (the last three you have to log). You can invite friends to join you via email or Facebook and encourage each other to increase your workouts and goals. The program will also email you when your battery is low so you will need to use an email address that you check frequently. I have found I need to charge my Fitbit weekly and I try to charge it while I am sleeping so I can track my steps during the day instead of tracking my sleep. You charge it via a USB port so I just leave the Fitbit's charger plugged into my laptop so I can easily pop in the Fitbit to charge. The monitor itself is inside the wristband and you just pull off the wristband and pull out the device, which is then very easy to do since the wristband is made of a flexible, rubber-like material. Once it is done charging, you put in back in and you are good to go! The monitor stays securely in the wristband and the opening to get it out is against your wrist.

The Fitbit Flex also comes in a variety of colors and is very stylish looking. It looks a lot like a bracelet and you can even purchase replacement bands in different colors if you want to switch up the color. I have the pink color and love it and purchased the black for my mom and mother-in-law. Each Fitbit comes with two adjustable wristbands, one small and one large so they should fit most people's wrists. I use the small wristband and just tried the large one on my husband's wrist. He has a big build and the large fit him with a little room to spare!

The only reason I gave the Fitbit Flex four stars instead of five is because the device is supposed to sync automatically when it's within 20 feet of the Bluetooth dongle and it doesn't always do that even when I am sitting a foot away from it. You can manually force it to sync or it will just eventually sync and it hasn't been a huge problem for me.

Overall, I think the Fitbit Flex is a great pedometer for anyone who wants to be more conscious of their activity throughout the day. Even if you just want to see how many steps you walk while at work, running errands or just throughout a normal day, this is a nice device for that. I feel it has encouraged me to walk even more and now that I am aware of what type of activity I do on a daily basis, I can figure out ways to improve it. There are a number of Fitbits out there from the basic Zip to the high-performance Surge. Depending on the amount of money you want to spend and the features you want to get out of the Fitbit, the Flex may be a good option for anyone who wants a basic pedometer that you can wear on your wrist. I haven't even explored all of the features of the Flex yet and I am very happy with the one I have and know my families will be happy with theirs as well! I think the price of the Fitbit Flex is very reasonable for the amount of features it has and I highly recommend this product!

My goals are to stay active, as I'm what is often called a "mouse potato" (i.e., a computer jockey). For that, I don't need to know calories, distance or altitude. I don't need to worry about bicycle miles or calories lifting weights (although I do lift weights). I just need a fairly accurate step count along with a good app to let me know how I'm doing, keep track of my weight and keep me motivated. I had an ULTRA, which I liked, but put it through the washer. Then I tried the ONE and lost it. I ordered a FLEX but ended up using an OMRON pedometer while waiting (and waiting...). Now I'm using the FLEX. After a couple of weeks, I can say that it seems to meet my needs and is a "keeper," although there are a number of quirks to "work around."

1. Snapping the strap on: yes, it's a pain, especially at first. However, I made it a bit easier by snapping it a few times off my wrist to "break it in." It's really more about lining up the clips and holes than a problem with the force required. If they aren't lined up, you'll be black and blue before it ever gets locked in. Also, like many people, I learned to clip it with the clasp facing up on top of my wrist and then spin it 180 degrees to wear it.

2. Using it with a shopping cart, a baby carriage or while holding the bar of a treadmill: no, it won't record steps properly. I don't care what Fitbit claims. It doesn't. I exercised on a treadmill while my iPad was on the stand showing me the steps as they clicked away, so I know whether it was counting steps or not. When I held the bar, it mostly recorded half or none of my steps. It's a limitation for sure, if not a total failure of design. However, I took it off and put it in my pocket, and it did a decent job that way. So I can still use it effectively even though it isn't being used as a wearable device.

3. The FitBit app: It's OK, I suppose. And FITBIT staff are really trying hard to make changes per user suggestion. However, I don't find it very useful. I want an app mainly for keeping track of my weight, body fat, and steps. I don't think it does those well, especially the charts for weight and body fat. They just don't give a good picture of how you're doing. However, my workaround is that I use TrendWeight. It's terrific and automatically imports data that I load into the Fitbit site. Other site issues: the badges are just silly. I couldn't care less how many lifetime steps I've taken or calories burned. All that counts are daily steps and an average number of steps for the last x number of days. If I did pay attention to exercise and food calories, I wouldn't want to use the fitbit display to track them. But the workaround for that if you do want to compare calories in vs calories out is to have Fitbit export your data to a great app such as My Fitness Pal. If Fitbit improves their app, that would be great (especially having an iPad app, which they don't). But what counts is getting the information on-line without special effort and keeping a history. The current dashboard is adequate but not great.

4. Sleep Tracking: the sleep tracking results were ridiculously inaccurate until I changed it to the "sensitive" setting. Even then, it showed me sleeping when I know I was awake reading. It's OK as a novelty but not to rely on. But I don't care. It was a bonus - not what I bought the Flex for. If you have a sleep problem, get a sleep study.

5. FLEX display: five lights are all you get (each one represents achieving another 20% of your goal). While that's better than nothing, it doesn't motivate as well as knowing exactly where you stand (instantly, not when you get back to your computer). And I really think some sort of clock display is a must. As better competitive devices become available, the FLEX will need a better display to compete, but OK for now as a first try. As for the band, it's wearable but not very attractive. It's barely one step above wearing a charity band.

6. Water problems: I haven't had any problems with water getting into the band, but I don't take it into the Jacuzzi or sauna, either. That's just asking for it to break. And if I went swimming, it wouldn't bother me to take it off to be sure water hadn't collected in the band. It's easy to remove and reinstall the Fitbit device from the band.

7. Competitors: I haven't tried the Jawbone UP, but the lack of a bluetooth link and the lack of any visual feedback are showstoppers, even assuming it's accurate and won't break. It doesn't motivate me to walk if I don't know how I'm doing until the day is already over. As for the Nike, I've read bad things about both accuracy (step counts and calorie totals) and reliability. Plus the Nike Fuel score is a useless gimmick, in my opinion. The device that I do think is great is the simple and low cost Omron pedometer. It works perfectly and is large enough that I'm less likely to lose it. If only it linked to my computer with a decent application it might be competitive with the FLEX. Of course, it's not a "wearable" so it will most likely be lost one day (or left in a pocket when I do the wash). A band, if it worked right and has a decent display/clock and bluetooth app, is the way to go.

8. Cost: the $99 cost for a device like this one is fine with me, so long as I don't get bored with it and use it as a paperweight. If it were to turn into an experiment, $99 would be way too much to waste. But so far, after a couple of weeks (and a couple of months with other pedometer devices), I don't think I'll get bored with it. So the price is worth it. I have learned some valuable information already. For one thing, it showed me I wasn't walking nearly as much as I assumed. I live in a city with no car, so I assume I was walking a lot. NOT. Some days I was virtually motionless. Even with sessions in the gym, I was only averaging about 4,000 steps a day (before I started with a pedometer). I also gained a new appreciation for how many steps a person gets walking around a large shopping mall, Costco or Walmart. Incredible. Even on non-gym days, I'd end up with13,000 steps and more if I went shopping (even with a car to get there and back). So I'm not as smug about walking everywhere rather than driving everywhere, as Americans tend to do.

Pedometers work for me and the Flex is one of the best, all things considered. At least, I think it's the best out there for someone with my needs and lifestyle. (If you get your exercise cycling, swimming or with some other activity not geared around walking (or running) then this is not the right device for you.)

After working with the Fitbit for about 3 weeks, I have developed a deep affection for the device but have also learned that the Fitbit under-counts the number of steps by a huge amount. I was interested in

- Steps taken
- Distance travelled
- Active minutes
- Calories burned

How accurate is this data? Read on to find out, but although the quality of the data is iffy, the Fitbit is a fantastic tool for keeping active. On other issues like setup, sleep anaylsis, web interface and the iOS app (after the latest update), the Fitbit rates very highly.

-- Steps taken

I tested the step accuracy by walking for 15 minutes, using the GPS in a Garmin to measure distance, and a clicker to count the steps. The Fitbit recorded 1,059 steps, and 0.6 miles, while the clicker gave me 1,707 steps and the GPS claimed 0.91 miles. These numbers show that the Fitbit data is about 60% of the actual data. This is a huge difference!!! I have repeated this test with similar results; in all cases, the number of steps was at most 70% of the actual numbers. I have learned to live with this lack of accuracy by modifying the number of daily steps in my goals; instead of 10,000 steps, I aim for 7,000 steps.

How about the number of steps if you log an activity? Below is data for some activities:

- Vinyasa Yoga (1 hour): 68 steps
- Rowing at 150 watts (15 minutes): 230 steps
- Body Pump (1 hour): Varies between 774 and 942.
- Cycling at 15-16 mph (1 hour): 3,927 steps
- Cycling at 16+ mph (1 hour): 2,750 steps

If you equate steps with effort, then these numbers are low (compare them to walking for 1 hour). But this is intrinsic to any device that measures effort via arm movements. You just need to adjust your goals, not a big deal.

-- Distance travelled

The Fitbit measures distance by multiplying the number of steps by the stride length; if you have not set a stride length in your profile, Fitbit derives one from your age and height. Once I realized this, I lost interest in distance (I can multiply numbers).

-- Active minutes

The only way that I could get Fitbit to credit me with active minutes was by logging an activity. Otherwise Fitbit is stingy with active minutes. For example, today I did more than 10,000 steps but only got 2 active minutes. Sigh!

-- Calories burned

What is a calorie? Seems to depend on the person, heart rate profile, and body efficiency. Estimates from heart monitors and other devices vary by huge amounts, so I use them to indicate trends. Below are the numbers from some activities as measured by Fitbit and the data from the HealthStatus site

- Vinyasa Yoga (1 hour): 434 calories, HealthStatus 574 calories
- Rowing at 150 watts (15 minutes): 127 calories, HealthStatus 142 calories
- Body Pump (1 hour): 357 calories, HealthStatus 400 calories
- Cycling at 15-16 mph (1 hour): 601 calories, HealthStatus 696 calories

It looks like Fitbit consistently gives lower numbers than HealthStatus so you can use this information to adjust the number of calories burned to stay at your weight (or whatever). HealthStatus claims that 2128 calories is the right number for a moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) man of my age and weight, so I am using 2300 as my goal; I may revise if my weight starts changing.

Update 12/8/15 - Fitbit just added a new firmware update for the sleep timer feature. Once updated it's no longer necessary to tap the Fitbit before going to sleep or when waking it. It will now recognize when you're inactive and have gone to sleep. It also has some new goal setting software in the app relating to sleep to make it easier to focus on getting more (or less) sleep. The graphic interface is pretty nice. I'm looking forward to using this since I've become something of a night owl and could really stand to get on a better schedule. One more thing to like about my Fitbit.
The update took about 5 minutes using my iPad and plugging my Fitbit into its charger while it updated. The whole thing was simple. A red arrow on the dashboard, in the sync area alerted me to the upgrade. I really like this new feature.

I bought 3 of these fitbit flex devices, one for myself, my husband and my sister. Before purchasing I researched several wristband devices such as the Jawbone UP, the Nike Fuel and and the Polar Loop. I also looked at the fitbit force which is a newer version of this band. The lack of water resistance on the force was a deal breaker for me. I wanted to be able to wear this band 24/7 and to be able to wear it in the shower or when swimming. That was part of what made it attractive to me. Also, after reading reviews about the clasp problems on the force and how many people lost them, I wanted no part of that. They are also quite a bit bigger and look clunckier. The wristband on the UP looked like it would catch on everything and had no display at all. The Polar had lots of quality problems. I wasn't crazy about the looks of the Nike. The display is nice and I can see how people would like them, but not my style. The fitbit flex, to my tastes, had the coolest look. I also know a couple of people who own the fitbit flex and they were very enthusiastic about them so that influenced me as well.

So here is what I like about the flex: I like the way it looks on my wrist. All of us got the slate color. You can also order bands in a few different colors, both here and on the Fitbit site. It is lightweight and even though I don't often wear a watch I don't notice this on my wrist at all. The clasp was VERY difficult to secure the first couple of times until the rubber softened up a bit and until I got the hang of it. I secured it off of my wrist a couple times when it was new. Making sure the band and clasps are lined up correctly and then placing one finger directly below the clasp and my thumb directly above and squeezing hard was the way to do it.

I like that it's water resistant and that I can wear it swimming or in the shower. It is safe down to 10 meters or around 30 feet. I like that the wristband is made of TPU rubber, which according to Wikipedia is a type of rubber used in automotive instrument panels, caster wheels, power tools, sporting goods, medical devices, drive belts, footwear, inflatable rafts, and a variety of extruded film, sheet and profile applications. I think it should hold up for a very long time. I like that the display on the band gives me a rough idea by tapping on it of my progress throughout the day. I can also check my progress on my iPhone 4S and see number of steps so far, calories burned, how many hours of sleep I got last night and how often I woke up or was restless. So far it seems very accurate. I can also track the foods I've eaten and the calories, my weight goals and weight lost, check on the weekly number of steps friend's with Fitbits have taken and compare them with my own.

I like that I can wear it 24/7 and only have to take it off to charge it once every 7 days. It takes about 3 hours to charge with a USB thingie that comes with it. I use a wall adapter to charge it but could also use a USB port on my desktop or laptop computer. I've lost too many pedometers in the past by dropping them out of my pockets or forgetting about them and sending them through the washing machine, so the wristband seems like a much better option for me. I also like that I can connect wirelessly with my smartphone and with the little dongle included that goes into my desktop or laptop, can connect with those wirelessly as well. Software downloads for all of these are free. I'm also able to connect on my first gen Kindle HD 8.9 although I can't see where it's shown as a supported device so far. But it works with the Android fitbit software in the app store.

The step measurements seem reasonably accurate. Waving my hand slowly won't register as a step. Waving wildly will. Driving in the car won't register but reaching around quickly in the car sometimes will. Typing on the computer or Kindle won't register. I've heard that swimming doesn't register either but you can input the time and activity on your phone or tablet. When I first got the flex I started the iPhone app and watched my steps register on my screen as I walked around the house. That, and watching my steps on the treadmill have shown it to be pretty accurate for me, although not perfect. I think that all pedometers have some inaccuracies. What I'm looking for is a comparative trend where I can tell how much exercise I'm getting. The accuracy is good enough for me.

So I wake up in the morning, tap the wristband quickly a few times to tell it I'm awake. Then if I tap it twice I see one tiny blinking light, telling me I'm working on my first 2,000 steps. Later, when I've hit that mark and tap to check again, I'll see one solid light and the second one blinking. There are 5 lights total and each represents 2,000 steps (or 20% of my goal. I could set it up differently on my computer, using a different number of steps as my daily goal if I wanted to.) So I can see my approximate progress any time during the day. When I hit my goal of 10,000 steps the band vibrates and all the lights flash. That means you done good!

I can set up to 8 silent vibrating alarms on this fltbit. I have one to wake me up on weekdays (you can specify which days) and one at 8:00 each night to remind me stop eating for the day. The vibration gets my attention and is effective at waking me up. I set the alarms on my computer or phone.

At night when I'm in bed and ready to go to sleep I tap the wristband rapidly a few times, it vibrates briefly, and goes into the sleep mode until I wake it again in the morning.

So am I happy that I purchased the Fitbits for myself and my family members? Yes I am. It motivates me to walk or run more. I can connect to other friends and family with Fitbits to see everyone's weekly step progress but what really motivates me is just competing against myself. I'll find myself parking in the back of the parking lots at stores to log those extra steps or walking around the store longer because it's a good way to add even more. When I haven't reached my goal at night, I'll sometimes walk around the house several times just to hit a number. Now that can't be all bad, can it?

Update 1/12/14 - I'll keep updating this review with comments and observations as I use this device. I noticed that walking at a rapid pace is counted as "active minutes". Someone on a message board suggested adding a touch of lotion to the clasp if you're having trouble getting it to clasp when it's new.

Update 1/16/14 - A full charge is lasting just a bit over 7 days. It takes about 3 hours to recharge it fully.

Update 1/21/14 - Some people have complained about this band coming undone and losing it. I haven't had any problems with it at all, even when pulling tight coat and shirt sleeves over it, brushing my arm against things or the dog pulling on it once or twice. (I'm sure the dog could have pulled it off if I didn't stop him.) The other day I had the dog's leash wrapped around the wrist with the Fitbit and even with the dog pulling against the leash the fitbit stayed on. We walked this way a couple of miles before I noticed it and unwrapped the leash from my wrist. But even with all that agitation my fitbit stayed put. It has stayed on through enough that I'm not very concerned about losing it. I've only taken it off to charge it. I have the band snug enough that I can only put one finger beneath the band but I can move it a couple of inches back and forth on my wrist.

Update 7/3/14 - A new update that works with iPhones that use the Fitbit app was released a few days ago. I've used it with my iPhone 4S and really like the new upgrade. It adds a whole new dimension to my Fitbit app. With the upgrade, I just click on the exercise icon on the dashboard which takes me to a new screen showing the days of the week that I've exercised. (Meaning a walk, run or hike, something in addition to the regular walking in my daily activities.) This screen shows exercise frequency by day of the week, it puts a check on the days that you do some planned exercise. If I click the little stopwatch in the upper right-hand corner, it takes me to a screen where I can click Walk, Run, or Hike. I go back and can then click Cues which takes me to another screen where I can select whether or not I want to hear spoken cues. I can also tell it which cues I want including: Distance, Time, Average Pace, Split Pace, and Calories Burned. Then I go back again an can select the frequency of the cues from every .5 miles to every 5 miles. Or, I can make the cues time based ranging from every 2 minutes, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 minutes. I can also select the volume of the cues. (Medium was perfect for me.) Then, back again to select a playlist from my iPhone's loaded tunes. Last, I allowed location services for Fitbit in my phone settings and I was ready to go. Now I see a big red circle with a Start arrow on the screen over a GPS map showing my location. I pop in my earphones, click Start and my music starts playing.

As I walk, I can see a screen showing how far I've walked, rate per mile, time elapsed. Every half mile a voice interrupts my music telling me how far I've gone and all the other things I've specified in Cues that I wanted to know. Then it goes back to playing my music until it's time for my next designated Cue. How cool is that? It works seamlessly. At the end of my walk I tell it I'm finished (or I could also pause it if I stop to talk to a neighbor or something). When I'm finished (or even during the walk or run) I can see a little red line showing my route on the map. The steps from my walk are added to my steps count, just as they always are. I love these new features. They add a lot to the Fitbit experience.

For those of you who track calories and foods eaten in the Fitbit app, the update now includes a bar code scanner. So far, the things I've scanned have been in their database. If you don't see the bar code symbol in the upper right-hand corner of the Log Food screen, log out of the Fitbit app and then log back in and it should be there.

Update 11/28/14 - If something happened to ithis Fitbit today, what would I replace it with? Another one just like it. If one of the new Fitbit models was interchangeable with it on a daily basis I might get one of those too, just because I like new technology. But this one would be my main fitness band. I would like having a watch built in, but then it would look kind of silly wearing a conventional watch on the other arm. And I have a lot of nice watches.

Update 12/12/14 - I just noticed today that the Fitbit Flex is the #1 Best Seller on Amazon this holiday season. It does seem like when I see people wearing fitness bracelets, this is the one they're most often wearing. A lot of the competitors have lowered prices significantly on their devices which is probably the best indicator of all. It's nice to know that I'm not the only Fitbit fan after wearing it for nearly a year. :)

Update 12/26/14 - My Fitbit looks all new for the holidays. This replacement bracelet took over 20 days to arrive but for about $2 it was worth the wait. 1pc Small S Black with White Dots Spots Replacement Band With Clasp for Fitbit FLEX Only /No tracker/ Wireless Activity Bracelet Sport Wristband Fit Bit Flex Bracelet Sport Arm Band Armband A couple people have asked me how the bands hold up over time. I have to tell them that I don't know since I'm wearing different colored ones almost every day. They don't have much of a chance to show wear.
After almost a year of wearing these 24/7, none of us have had one come off accidentally. Even the cheap knock-off bands seem sturdy and reliable like the original. And I'm not a very careful person about pulling tight sleeves over it or draping grocery bag handles over my arm.
I have the steps across our back patio counted out by counting them myself. It is 60 steps back and forth once. (Yeah, I know, way too anal.) Oftentimes when I haven't hit my 10,000 steps for the day, I'll go out and walk back and forth with my iPad on the patio table to check my progress. I know from doing this that the Fitbit step count is dead-on accurate for counting steps when walking. Dancing will add steps which I think is fair since it's at least as good as walking for exercise.

Update 1/30/15 - I can't believe I've had my Fitbit Flex for over a year already. I'm still wearing it 24/7 as a great motivator to keep moving. I've had several people email me with questions about the way it counts steps so I thought I'd share this with you. I tested another fitness band recently, wearing it on the same arm as the Fitbit. The other band recorded a lot more steps than the Fitbit. I've "manually" counted steps while walking around different areas around my house and compared them to the Fitbit and found them to be exactly the same. But I never did it for more than about 100 steps. Now I was curious because the readings on the two bands were so different. So I went for a walk and counted out 1,000 steps as I took them, counting in my head. (Mumbling under my breath, actually.) Before I started, I noted the starting number of steps on my iPhone for both bands using the apps for each. At the end, I checked the number of steps for both bands. The Fitbit recorded 1004 steps. The other band recorded 1,217. Only 4 extra steps on the Fitbit is pretty impressive and is close enough for me. I'm contacting the manufacturer of the other band to see why it's so far off.

Several people didn't realize that you can adjust the stride for the Fitbit. Just log into the dashboard in your Fitbit app, click on the little gear thingy in the upper right hand corner and select "Settings". There's a field there for Stride Length and Running Stride Length. You can manually enter your personal stride length. If you leave these blank, the app will estimate the values based on your height and whether you are a man or woman. Click the "Update Profile" button to save your changes. Remember to sync to update your tracker with the new stride measurements. I didn't even realize I could do this until several months after I had my Fitbit. I guess it must have estimated correctly in my case because when I put it in manually I didn't notice a difference.

Update 4/30/15 - Fitbit has an update that now allows you to track multiple Fitbit devices on your Fitbit app. I haven't tried this, but from what I understand this will allow you to go back and forth between other models and once registered it will recognize them automatically. It's tempting to try the Fitbit Charge or the Surge that can measure heart rate or pulse or have caller ID. They're bulkier than I would like to wear on an all-the-time basis, but would be nice for workouts. And new technology is always fun. The Flex is still my first love and I like the switchable bands, but I'll look at the new models now that it isn't an either/or decision. Here are their instructions for adding another Fitbit:

Update your Fitbit app (if you haven't already)
"˜Set Up a New Fitbit Device' from the Account tab in the Fitbit mobile app or Fitbit Connect
Finish the setup instructions, and start swapping "“ we'll take care of the rest!

Update 5/7/15 - Has everyone seen the new Fitbit commercial? I usually fast forward through TV commercials on the DVR, but this one I recorded and kept until I could find it on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0qVi_nF6y8 This makes me smile every time I watch it.

Update 1/24/16 - When I purchased my Flex a little over 2 years ago it was advertised as being "Water resistant to 10 meters or 33 feet" which is 1 ATM. Their website now states: "Flex has been tested up to 1 ATM meaning it is sweat, rain and splash proof. However, the device is not swim proof. We also recommend taking Flex off before showering because, as with any wearable device, it's best for your skin if the band stays dry and clean." The definition of 1 ATM, as I understand it is that it indicates that under static (nonmoving) conditions at 10 meters below the surface of the water the pressure of the water will not breach the seals on the device. But I can't take it into the shower? Perhaps even more confusing is the Fitbit Surge is rated at 5 ATM (50 meters) and has the same warning about not being swim proof and not to be worn in the shower. Are they just trying to ensure that users don't abuse the tracker?
That said, I always shower with mine, I never dry it off afterward except the top when I'm drying my arms. I don't swim often but when I do, I leave it on. If I were going to spend a lot of time swimming on a regular basis I might take it off since it doesn't track swimming anyway. But for splashing around in a pool occasionally, I don't worry about it.
My skin is somewhat sensitive to watch bands and I'm allergic to some metals and other materials. I couldn't be much LESS careful about the Fitbit and have never had a problem with the band and my skin. The underside is often damp from getting wet in the shower even half an hour later and it hasn't bothered my wrist. Being able to wear this 24/7 was a major selling point for me and it has worked just fine since January 2014.

Several asked my opinion of the Flex after I had compared UP to ONE last fall. I'm more pleased with Flex than expected. This review will be specifically for those comparing the Jawbone UP to the Fitbit Flex. For those interested in my review of the One and Jawbone UP it is located here: UP by Jawbone - Large Wristband - Retail Packaging - Onyx :
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UPDATE: I uploaded several head-to-head app screenshots.

UPDATE: I've found that I am storing quite a bit of water in the Flex band pouch where the module goes. Even though they say it's shower safe, I'm pretty sure some funky stuff is going to be growing in there in a matter of time... But the band is replaceable!

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My journey with personal monitoring devices/pedometers started a LONG time ago: Before Fitbit even existed, with a device called the SportBrain. It was a traditional belt clip style so old that it plugged into a base that used a dial in phone modem to upload the usage data to a server. It was old. But my interest in devices that can help monitor and tell me about my activity started then, and we seem to be now in a golden age of personal data monitoring devices. Fitbit Flex, Jawbone UP, all of the Fitbit clip devices and so many more...

Hardware itself

The biggest drawbacks I found on the Jawbone UP were that it had no visual feedback about your daily achievement toward your goal and the fact that it had no visual battery indicator. It wasn't a problem for me personally, but for those who are hardcore driven on a daily basis to compare and achieve this could be a drawback for you. The next drawback about the Jawbone UP is that it does not wirelessly sync. You have to plug it into the headset jack of your phone to sync. If you are someone who wants data and feedback all day long, this would be a drawback.

The Fitbit Flex does have visual feedback in the form of small white lights: They blink as you're charging, they have a special blink if you put it into sleep mode and provide 95% more feedback than Jawbone up. Jawbone UP does have status lights in it and they are used, but they could do a lot more with the lights they already have if they chose to.

If you can throw a snap bracelet on, you can easily put on the UP. I did find myself fumbling a bit with the clip mechanism of the Flex like I do when I have to button my own shirt cuffs. After it was clipped though, it feels secure and I am not one to put on and remove devices like this. I want to set it and forget it.

Fit & Feel

The Fitbit Flex feels very comfortable on the wrist. The pictures don't do it justice. For me personally this is the one defining factor that really makes the Flex shine for me compared to the Jawbone UP. It feels super light weight, doesn't grab, and doesn't look nearly as big/thick as the pictures make it look.

The UP uses tension to stay on, while the Flex uses a clasp. The UP may have a better sense of solid attachment that wouldn't come off no matter how hard you fling your arm, but the inverse of that is the Flex: It doesn't have to monkey-grip your arm to be there and stay. You can have it fit a bit more loosely than UP and be comfortable.

When typing on at a keyboard, I prefer the feel of the Flex. The rubber is flat and thin so it adds very little against the edge of a keyboard. The UP doesn't have the big square bump on the top, but it does have a bracelet shape/size all the way around, so it can prove a bit more of an annoyance up against a keyboard.

The Flex does have replaceable bracelets and colors, which means the device is more convertible and flexible going forward. That being said, it is less visually appealing to me compared to the UP. The UP can be a part of jewelry and most people would never notice. The Flex does have a strange-ish future nerd look to it. I don't mind that, but some may.

I wear both in the shower with no issues. I've done a lot of swimming pool roughhousing with the UP with no issues, but haven't tried with the FLEX. A commenter tells me that it is swimming approved, though the data provided might not be that useful.

Battery Life & Charging

Both the Flex and the UP charge in very similar almost identical USB adapters. They're meant to be charged on a computer and in my experience shouldn't be charged off of a phone USB wall charger. They both charged in similar amounts of time, and the Flex did last about 4 days on a charge. The UP can last as much as 10 days on a new battery, but I found that it has declined some since November. On this case, I say that both do about what they suggest. The UP fits snugly in the charger, while the Flex doesn't feel nearly as secure in its charger but I haven't had any issues with it falling out.

Syncing:

The Jawbone UP sync's via the headphone jack of the phone. It doesn't do Bluetooth, can't be plugged into a PC, so you're pretty much set on a smart phone or table to sync it. It's simple, doesn't consume battery to sync wirelessly, and works reliably. You have to watch because not all phones are supported.

The Flex syncs wirelessly with Bluetooth 4.0 via the smartphone or via an adapter to a computer. For those without a smart phone or a locked down phone that work doesn't allow you to install apps, this could be a deal maker for you. It's not a constant sync but initiates as soon as you open the app on the smartphone. I haven't noticed any significant battery life loss. Not all phones are supported with Bluetooth 4.0-- most phones on the market don't yet have Bluetooth 4.0. You'll want to check Fitbit's website to see if your phone is supported. On the upside, the Flex does come with a Bluetooth adapter you can plug into a PC or Mac to sync wirelessly via the computer. It really adds extra work and decreases the usefulness of wireless sync, but it's do-able.

Software:

The software, to me, is the major differentiating factor between the two devices. The hardware looks entirely different, and there are some small differences in what the hardware can do, but the delivery through the app is what makes them clearly meant for different targets.

The Jawbone UP software is beautiful. After you've sync'd enough it starts giving you feedback and encouragement through statistics. It will tell you "you were in the top 15% of UPpers this week" or "getting 8 hours of sleep per night it shown to improve...." if your sleep is coming up short. It does have the option to add in food consumption, performs a variety of tasks such as calibrating it's readings with actual distance walked, and has a really interesting "lifeline" feature that trends your activity & sleep over a period of hours, days, weeks and you can create a report on the fly comparing, for example, sleeping and calorie intake, to see if you consume more calories on days that you didn't have adequate sleep. It shows trends on daily/weekly and true to the marketing is a more "holistic" view of you and your life/activity. I guess we have reached my thesis for the comparison: Jawbone UP is about the holistic view of your life, while the Fitbit Flex is more finely focused on activity, seeing feedback for that activity in a quick frequent way and focusing on providing you that core data quickly and simply.

The Fitbit software is the same software in use for all current Fibit devices. As soon as you launch it, a sync begins and your latest data will be presented. While the UP presents more current data on the "HOME" page, Fitbit has other tabs where you can explore the data they present. UPDATE: I discovered that the Fitbit software does do single activity trending if you turn the phone sideways: Hours/days/weeks, etc. It doesn't compare it to another statistic, but better than nothing.

Both devices sync your data to a website. The Flex presents a more insightful view of your data on the website, while UP presents an equal amount of that data on the mobile app. Both support third party apps if you are really intense about a specific subject ( like food/calories with extensive catalogues, MyFitnessPal, etc.)

A few features that the Flex has that the UP does not:

-Lighted feedback on the band
-more flexible fit, colors that can be changed after purchase
-Thinner band around places you may bump against desks, etc.
-wireless syncing (Jawbone needs to get on this train)
-quick access in the app to 'water consumed'

Fitbit Flex: Less expensive, simple quick device for activity & sleep tracking and wireless syncing from a company that is widely known for pedometers.

A few features that UP has that Flex does not:

-insight engine to look at your data and provide you feedback
-longer maximum battery life
-inactivity alarm. Fitbit could easily issue this in an update. I love this feature on the UP
-bar code scanner in the food app to scan premade food for nutrition contents
-power nap which will auto wake you between 25-45 minutes by modeling after your normal short sleep cycle

Jawbone UP: Technology that could pass for fashion. A fantastic app with a holistic view on your life, sleep and wellness.

Both devices are good devices and had no fatal flaws. Both devices offer communities and ability to add friends to provide encouragement and interaction. If I had to give an elevator speech about the difference between the two:

1. A few tech differences: Flex has wireless sync and quick feedback throughout the day. Flex is thick on top, and thin around. UP is more consistent without a clasp.

2. UP has a very useful insight engine and is more of a "holistic" view. Less rewarding for someone who wants instant feedback. It's all about your time horizon: If you want to look at days and weeks of data, receive valuable feedback about your activity and sleep patterns and wellness the UP will probably please you most. If you are someone who wants hourly motivation and ability to sync frequently then the Flex is probably the right device for you.

I hope this comparison has been helpful. If you have any specific questions I will be happy to answer or investigate & answer. My personal lean is toward the UP simply because I am using it to observe my sleep and activity from a bigger picture view. Sometimes I may go a day or few before I sync. If I were in a mode for physical fitness or weight loss, I may probably prefer the Flex. It all depends on your objective. There really isn't a fight between these devices-- they're both good and are focused towards different crowds.

UPDATE: I found an interesting quirk with Flex: I was shopping at a store today and the shopping cart had a wheel that was a little bumpy. During my shopping I felt a vibration from Flex and thought maybe I had made a part of my daily goal. Then: BZZ, BZZ, BZZ! Turns out that the bumping of the cart in a rhythmic way confused the Flex into thinking I tapped it. It kept going in and out of sleep mode. Whoops. I can't wait until I see today's data....