We took our dog, Charlie, to the vet in the fall. He’d gained almost 10 lbs since his last visit, and we hadn’t even noticed. Sneaky puppy. As biased parents we think he’s perfect, but the scale doesn’t lie. He has a sweet face, though, doesn’t he?
His weight gain was a catalyst for us to investigate various activity trackers. Truthfully, I’d been wanting an activity tracker for a while, and tracking Charlie’s steps served a legitimate excuse to proceed with the purchase. But there are so many to choose from …
Daniel and I have been into wearable technology for several years, and as far as GPS watches go, I love my old-school Garmin Forerunner 205 and Daniel beams over his Suunto Ambit2. When it comes to everyday wearable gear though, those watches just aren’t realistic – or stylish! We wanted something a little more subtle and suitable for our professions.
Fitbit Flex, Garmin Forerunner 205, Suunto Ambit2
After lots of comparison, we ultimately chose the Fitbit Flex for it’s minimalistic design, it’s compatibility/sync-ability (?) with our Apple products, and the price. At about $95 a pop on Amazon we’ve been very pleased with it’s accuracy, battery life, and customizable online dashboard. It’s cool that it also tracks our sleep activity, although that wasn’t one of our must-haves.
In general, our goal is 15,000 steps per day. There are about 2,000 per mile so you figure we’re need between 7-8 miles/day to hit our goal. Daniel averages closer to 17,000 while I lag behind at a daily average of about 13,000. What’s with that?! I need to step it up. Literally.
Our daily routine has been altered in an effort to make room for “puppy steps” every morning and evening. Charlie gets about 6,000 steps with us for the day for now. When we have time, he gets a little more.
On days Daniel and I run for our own workout, it’s pretty easy to hit our 15,000 step goal. On weight-lifting days, however, we wind up taking late-night laps around our apartment. Sounds fun, right?
Anyhoo, Charlie is a happier, healthier hound since we’ve gotten our Fitbits. Walking twice a day as a family makes me pretty happy too!
Do you have a favorite wearable tech?
candlefit 
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I’ve had a fitbit since they first came out. I am on my 3rd one. I love my zip and I’d be lost without it!!!
Thanks for the comment and the follow!! I will have to look into the zip! About how long did each of your versions last? Did you upgrade because they died, or were you just ready for something new?
The first one I replaced after a year because I wasn’t using the little carry case it came with so it split at the middle. The second one I replaced because I lost it on a trail run. I went back and ran the whole thing again trying to find it but no luck. The zip is my favorite since it’s not huge and can just be stuck in my pocket. Very durable and the battery lasts a long time!
Good to know! I hadn’t considered the zip till your comment. Sounds like it works for you! I do love small, nondescript gadgets so it sounds like something I would like. On the other hand, I tend to misplace things frequently so I have a feeling a zip would walk away too often! I like that my fitbit flex is attached 🙂
The zip stays put pretty well and if the little case gets a little loose you can get replacement ones. The only reason I lose mine was because of the belt I had it hooked to kept moving around.