Gadgetry: Taking the Fitbit for a Spin

While looking for a pedometer, I came across the Fitbit. More sophisticated than your typical pedometer, the Fitbit, which you even wear while sleeping, is designed to measure your daily physical activity as well as the length and quality of your sleep. Does the Fitbit wireless trainer live up to the manufacturer’s claims?

Below, you’ll find the lowdown from the manufacturer’s website. But now that I’ve had a few weeks to use the fitbit, I’ll share my own thoughts, which are overwhelmingly positive.

What I love:

Simple to set up

easily readable display

tracks how long and how well you sleep!

battery lasts forever

Keeps track of the number of steps you’ve taken

Keeps track of the number of calories you’ve burned

Every time you walk by the base, your latest steps are downloaded to the website

Attractive, cleanly designed website which allows you to log your food, and shows calories burned vs. calories consumed. The food tracker also lists the percentage of your calories that come from protein, carbs, & fat

Cons:

It’s so tiny, it’s easy to lose. It needs some sort of tracker, like those keys you can find by clapping.

The base must be plugged into your computer in order to download information. The computer also must be used when charging. It’s a minor annoyance, but keeping my ibook on at all times took some getting used to.

Okay, here’s the manufacturer’s description.

“The Fitbit accurately tracks your calories burned, steps taken, distance traveled and sleep quality. The Fitbit contains a 3D motion sensor like the one found in the Nintendo Wii. The Fitbit tracks your motion in three dimensions and converts this into useful information about your daily activities.

You can wear the Fitbit on your waist, in your pocket or on undergarments. At night, you can wear the Fitbit clipped to the included wristband in order to track your sleep. Anytime you walk by the included wireless base station, data from your Fitbit is silently uploaded in the background to Fitbit.com.”

No false advertising there. It really is a genius little product, and now I have it on me at all times. Appendage, anyone?

Customer reviews on Amazon are overwhelmingly positive, and it’s priced below cringe factor at the psychologically magic number of $99.95. Personally, I think it’s fascinating to know just how much I’m really sleeping, not to mention how little I’m really moving. I exercise almost daily, but when I’m not on the treadmill or doing ill-advised moves with the kettlebell, I’m generally sitting in front of my computer, writing, the ultimate in sedentary occupations. If anything, the fitbit has inspired me to walk around the block and down to the pool while plotting my new novel.

Note: I have not received any compensation from Fitbit for this review. I bought that bad boy on my own and have no personal or professional affiliation with the company or any of its employees.