My 3 Month Fitbit Flex Review And Why I Would Buy an Apple Watch

In my quest to stay as healthy as possible so I am in top trading form and can complete everything on my Heroic List, I'm always looking for ways to monitor and improve my health.

One type of device that I have been really interested in are activity monitors. When they first came out, I kept an eye on them for awhile, before finally deciding to try one.

The first monitor that really got me interested was the Jawbone UP.  It looked really cool but it was pretty expensive and there were a lot of reports that they broke easily.  In fact, Jawbone had to stop production of the Up for a period of time to rework the UP.  So I continued to wait.

There is also the Nike FuelBand.  I'll talk about it more in the video, but that was simply not an option for me.

Then Fitbit came out with a bracelet version of their popular Fitbit One, called the Flex.

Although the One got great reviews, I always thought that it was daft that you had to clip it onto something like your pants.  There was just too great of a chance that it would come off or I would forget about it and lose it in the wash.

So when the Flex was available for preorder, I put in my order and waited.  After what seemed like forever, it finally came and I have been using it for over three months now.

In this post, I will tell you what I think of it and if I would recommend it to anyone looking for an activity monitor.

I will also tell you why I might actually consider wearing a watch again, particularly if Apple does decide to come out with the iWatch.

The Verdict

So what do I think of it?  Here are my thoughts and how it compares to the other options out there.  I will also show you the iPhone app and what I like and where I think it can be improved.

Will Smart Watches Kill The Activity Monitor?

Now that there are watches like the Samsung Galaxy Gear and the Pebble, will devices like the Flex become obsolete?  I do not think so, primarily because of the price point and form factor of the watches versus the activity monitors.

Smart watches will be in the $300 range, while activity monitors like the Fit are in the affordable $100 range.  The Pebble is an exception and at $150, it is at a nice price point.  In addition, activity monitors are quite a bit smaller and simpler, which will appeal to a certain type of person.  They should be around for awhile.

Have you tried any of these activity monitors?  What do you think?  Let us know in the comments below.

Disclamier:  Some of the links in this post are affiliate links in which I get a commission if you purchase through them.  But the proceeds support this blog and a portion is donated to my charity partner.