Lol, ohio. Mr.'s Garmin is guilt-tripping him, too. I wish the dang thing would measure the body temperature to figure out that a person might have a good reason for lazy-arsing like being sick. 
I guess that is next wave in wearables - whole health monitoring.
Well, for some reason yesterday’s run resulted in a pretty sore hip – on the side with my “awkward gait” issue. Definitely time to see a doc, when we get back up north. So, not much in the way of exercise today. The pup is not too happy about that. (Yes H could take her, but, no, he doesn’t.)
Had a l-e-n-g-t-h-y chat with Fitbit Customer Service this morning. It’s been bad enough that the button on the side fell off, and the strap was separating from the screen, but a couple days ago the rest of the piece surrounding the charging port fell off. SO, it’s almost impossible to charge the tracker and I have to tap the screen to get various readings. Last spring they sent me a new Charge HR to replace my original one when some pieces broke off. Since the rep didn’t tell me otherwise, I assumed the replacement Fitbit also had a 1 year warranty. It didn’t – it only had the remainder of the original warranty. So, I’m out of warranty and not eligible for a replacement. They’ll give me a coupon for 25% off any model. I mentioned that I personally know someone (D) who had received at least 6 replacement trackers over a period of several years, so well beyond the original warranty. The supervisor rep I was transferred to said they wouldn’t do that any longer – the 1 year warranty is now being enforced uniformly across the company. I guess that’s in response to Fitbit’s poorer than anticipated revenue and the layoff of 100+ employees. I may check out a few other trackers, but will likely use the 25% to get a Charge 2.
That’s frustrating, CBB. They shouldn’t tighten up on the replacement policy if they are going to fall apart. I’ve had good luck with my devices but am on my 3rd Alta charger.
That’s pretty much the story I got this summer from my FItbit fiasco @CBBBlinker - an offer of 25% off. I was so angry - I told them that they could clearly tell I was a FItbit supporter and user because I have bought their product a couple of times and use it religiously. I said if all they could offer me was 25% off, I’d assume just go to Costco where it is already discounted close to that amount and that they would stand behind the purchase if I had problems. It took a LONG while but finally they did send me another Alta - but I’m quite sure it is either a refurbished or it will not carry the warranty - it came along in a box with no other written materials.
60 indeed it reached today. Unreal. Three mile fast walk. WINDY. But the rain had stopped for awhile so I got it in before dark. Thankful for any day in the winter that is mild and gets me outside in pleasant conditions.
Sorry abut all these Fitbit issues. Are there better competitor products out there?
Three mile run.
I would like there to be a Garmin (or otherwise) that is more suitable for wearing all day and at most occasions (work, out and about, during exercise, etc.) Once my current Fitbit dies I would look outside the Fitbit realm.
My Fitbit has held up pretty well but when it dies, I’m not replacing it with another. Garmin makes a variety and that is probably the direction I would go - but I’ll be honest, I miss wearing my wristwatch! I have a nice watch my parents gave me when I graduated from law school and it makes me sad to leave it in the box.
No running this morning - have to take Sabapup to the vet and then go in to work, unfortunately - had a vacation day scheduled but poor planning on the part of others means I need to head in for a meeting to which I am evidently “essential”. Had I known I was this important I would be demanding more money! Barre this afternoon with an instructor I am not a fan of. We’ll see how it goes - she was a last minute switch.
Sabaray I did not know you were a law school grad! - what fine company we are in!
I like the idea of a wrist item that can tell me the time and monitor fitness. But I’d like something a little more reliable in terms of wear and slightly better looks wouldn’t hurt. I know you can buy different/better bands for the Alta and such, but I’d really rather not have to purchase outside of the product to make it look good!
Today my body feels tired and sore - not sure why. Maybe too much of one type of exercise (pavement) the last several days - need to mix it up.
sabaray- I really miss wearing my nice watches, too. For awhile I wore the watch anyway- on the same arm as the Fitbit, but I decided I had too much hanging on my arms.
I like Fitbit for the interface with the phone and some of the metrics. I started with Garmin Vivofit (?) and liked it. All in all, I think the Alta is the best device for my needs and it has a nice profile. I love the ease of changing out the bands and having all the different colored bands. If you recall, I got an aftermarket Made in China bag of bands on Amazon which are VERY nice. I really do like wearing the FitBit and feel it does keep me moving during the day. The fact that I get obsessive is my problem.
Yep, I get a little OCD about the Fitbit and when I see MOWC and PlantMom’s step counts, I get even more so!
Sabapup had a great checkup. She has lost 10 pounds and is perfect weight. The vet was thrilled. All that healthy eating transferred over!
In the good old days when NMR magnets were not shielded, Mr. B and I killed so many nice mechanical watches we stopped even trying. Mr. ended up wearing a cheap Casio that would survive a nuclear war.
In my circles, a Fitbit rubber band is fancy.
Sabaray- Step count is just…steps. Since all I do is run, I get lots of steps. You win for all the great classes and cross training. I aim for 6000 steps over what I run in a day.
Another 5 mile run last night and it was hard. Tonight is supposed to be a 6 mile run. It is snowing and I guess it depends on how much snow we end up with if I’ll get to run. I may end up shoveling instead. Keeping my fingers crossed for a light accumulation and getting my 6 miles in.
sabaray - I agree with MOWC that for overall health and fitness your balance of classes and pilates wins over pure step count. Your core must be solid as a rock!
I feel so bad for all of you who have had so many Fitbit issues. H and I have had really good luck with ours and we have bought several different models. I am pretty attached to my Fitbit and addicted to the info. I think H is open to looking at other options whenever it is time to replace. We’ve had our Blazes for a year or so now and they have held up well so I don’t think we’ll be making any changes in the foreseeable future. (Unless a new fancy model comes out…)
I’m on my third Fitbit HR. I probably will get another, an HR 2 when this one dies. Having friends and a goal of 10000 steps every day keeps me accountable! I wear my wristwatch, bracelets, and the fitbit on one arm sometimes, however most often I only wear the Fitbit. I am tired of plum. Love the Garmin but I never wear it when I’m not running or tracking distance or pace with GPS.
We had huge storms move through last night although no cooling off. It was 81 today. I ran this morning but felt tired. I think the thunder and lightning last night kept me awake more than I realized!
Slow flow yoga today–will have to workout at home tomorrow. There is a snow storm that is supposed to drop 8-13 inches on my part of MA.
I have the Fitbit Charge HR–only problem I have had wasn’t mechanical. If the strap is too tight, I get a rash. If I am going out and getting dressed up, I will wear one of my watches.
I got the Charge HR2 for Christmas but it didn’t have a charger in the box, so I had to take it back. Got a replacement this week and will set it up this weekend.
I went to all fancy holiday events proudly wearing my Charge HR. Could not miss all those steps! Sadly, my HR is on its last legs after the cat chewed on it. Need to get a replacement soon.
Garmin has just come out with a new watch product called the Fenix 5S that might fit the needs of those looking for an everyday wearable watch that also provides all of Garmin’s sports, exercise and activity tracking features. It’s expensive but it’s styling, size and band options and performance metrics features make it the most versatile of Garmin’s products yet.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/552237/pn/010-01685-00
Here’s the dcrainmaker review of the Fenix 5 series:
Anyone interested in a Garmin Vivosmart HR wrist band activity tracker cheap? If so PM me. I was feeling left out and had to teach myself the hard way that wrist band activity trackers are just not my thing :).
Michael - do you think the mapping feature is practical/functional for cycling? I keep thinking it would be awkward/dangerous to be looking at your watch for directions while cycling?
Yeah, I don’t love the mapping for cycling, ohio. I think it is really for runners and hikers. Too small and unless you mount it on your bars, which defeats all the purposes of a wrist wearable, you need to constantly let go of the bar to look at the map? Not for me! I’m a “traditionalist”; Garmin 820 for me on the bike.