Second Opinions w/Scosche

A spotlight on the Scosche RHYTHM plus Heart Rate Monitor Armband

I'm a gadget girl ... and I also like second opinions on any of my stat estimates.  When I updated my basic pedometer for a Fitbit, I still wore my old Omron and compared the steps. I finally gave up the Omron when I added the ChargeHR (keeping my One also, so I still have two step/calorie estimates). I was really interested in the ChargeHR, after struggling with a Polar HRM. I loved tracking my heart rate during exercise, but I hated the chest strap. HATED it! I'd put up with it during my Zumba classes, but then it's accuracy seemed to go wonky after a while. There was a huge appeal to Fitbit's ChargeHR. A heartrate reading without a chest strap. After trouble-shooting the Polar (washing the strap, using a lube, changing the battery) I wore both HRMs for a while and loved comparing the stats. They were pretty close much of the time.

I finally gave up on the Polar though, the chest strap was too uncomfortable, I'd have to remember to put the watch on and start it, and manually record the stats. The ChargeHR was so easy ... but I did miss my second opinion. I also missed the constant display (I have to tap or press a button to bring up the heart rate on the ChargeHR).

A friend would post her Zumba stats sometimes, and I was intrigued by what she was using. It was the Scosche RHYTHM plus Heart Rate Monitor Armband. I looked it up on Amazon, and it had really good reviews. So ... Merry Christmas to me.

Double Duty Armband Attack

I started using the Scosche with the New Year. I hadn't realized that in addition to the Scosche, you needed to have an app on your smartphone to collect the data it sends. Upon my friend's recommendation, I went with digifit, which did require the Pro Upgrade ($8) to work with my device. Everything was pretty easy to set up. The Scosche recommended wearing on it on the forearm, but as I already had my ChargeHR there, I tried moving it to my upper arm (as in the picture up top). 

So I'm back to my backup heart rate readings ...

Here's a look at one class comparison. Scosche (top) and ChargeHR (bottom)

I only wear the Scosche for my longer workouts, like Zumba. I did try it out on my elliptical and bike just to see how it compared as well, but just a time or two (and those workouts tend to be quite consistent). It does come in quite a bit higher than my Charge. Even when there isn't as much of a discrepancy between the heart rate, the calorie burn estimate on the Scosche is way over my Fitbit(s). I go with the lower estimates for my calorie counting needs, but it's still interesting to compare and contrast the numbers from class to class and try to beat my own highs on each device.

So while I do like my Scosche, and I don't regret buying it ... I personally would still recommend the Fitbit ChargeHR over it. While the Scosche isn't uncomfortable, it has pinched the skin a few times. I only wear it when I exercise, whereas I leave my ChargeHR on all day (getting not only feedback on heart rate during activity, but also at rest). But I do like my backup. Second opinions and all. I am a gadget girl!

Surge?

Ah, the Fitbit Surge. One of the latest superwatches to hit the market. It you follow this blog at all, you are probably aware, that we are a Fitbit Family. Even though the price tag of the Fitbit Surge is $250, when Hubs expressed an interest, I encouraged him to give it a try. I consider myself something of a Fitbit connoisseur, so I do like to have some experience with all the different styles. We had yet to add a Surge to the Family.

Hubs was still a little hesitant ... he hasn't worn a watch in a while, and wasn't sure how he'd feel about something on his wrist. Of course, he was sure I wouldn't be able to adapt to the ChargeHR for the same reason, and I've been fine. The Surge is bigger than the Charge though. He really wanted to just try it one somewhere, but no place seemed to have that option. He finally purchased one at Target, they said he could return it within 14 days if it didn't work out.

I told Hubs I wanted to post a review on my blog, and he was SO good in writing up a little list of pros and cons from his experience with the device.

Likes:

• FitBit familiarity. Having used a FitBit for a few months there was no getting used to a new app and its navigation.
• Fairly simple to use, especially during workouts.
• Screens are "sticky" meaning they don't change back to a home screen after a period of time. Some have said they don't like that. I like it.

Questionable:

• Step count isn't consistent with other FitBit devices (comparing past workouts with a previous device). I would like to test and experiment with this but I don't know that I want to invest the time. I wear both the ChargeHR and my One, and the ChargeHR is consistently under the One in steps, with the One matching my Omron. The 11-year old tried wearing both a Zip and his Charge and they were pretty consistent.
• Driving home the other day I could tell it was counting steps while I was driving. Not a crazy number of steps added but up to 100
• The charging connection is very poor. Why they didn't just use micro-USB instead of a proprietary connector, that doesn't even make a good positive connection, is beyond me 
• Can't be sure how responsive the heart rate monitor is. This is mainly a concern on the spin cycle as I watch that metric regularly. It's not a big deal on most other exercises. It seems to take a while for the monitor to catch up to the heart rate. I don't think chest strap monitors have the same issue.

Deal-Breaker: GPS doesn't seem to be accurate when compared to the GPS use in my iPhone (Runkeeper) and also my Garmin Forerunner. Even after trying to allow enough time for the GPS to triangulate with the satellites I still got a reading below what the historical distance has been, as measured by other devices.

So ultimately ... Hubs decided to return the Surge. Perhaps it was a bad one. I saw a fellow wearing one at a family function and asked him about his experience (because I'm like that, if I see you with a Fitbit, I'll strike up a conversation!) *Ü* He said he really liked it, and had found the mileage tracking to be quite accurate,  even while biking (which was one of the positive points my husband was looking for).  He's wearing a simple Zip now, for steps. He has a HRM for that when he wants to monitor his heart rate, he has a couple GPS units when he needs to track mileage. It just just would have been nice to have it all in one!

And I could have SWORN I  took a picture of Hubs wearing the Surge before we returned it. I even recall a rather funny face in the picture ... but I can't find it anywhere!

Charged!

A review of the Fitbit Charge and Charge HR.

I'm a Fitbit Fan. I've had one for five years now. I started with the original Ultra and upgraded to the One a couple years ago. Everyone in my family got on board, and we added more Ones, a couple Zips and a Flex. Then the Charge came out. My oldest son wanted to try it (after going through a Jawbone, Flex, and a Zip) ... and I figured we needed one in the family. The ChargeHR came out not long after, and I had my eye on it for a bit before I plunged and purchased. 

My oldest son was leaving the country for two years on a church mission and we didn't think he should take the Charge (I got him an inexpensive pedometer and he sends me his steps each week). We passed the Charge down #4, my 11-year old. He'd been wanting a wrist one, but didn't want the Flex (which doesn't show the stats on the device). So now that we've been wearing them a while, I thought I'd do a quick review about how the Charges compare to each other, and to the other Fitbit wearables. So far so good! Just Thinking Out Loud and sharing my thoughts on these gadgets.

You can see from the picture above, the Charge and Charge HR don't look very different at first glance. So what IS the difference, besides the $20 (the Charge runs about $129, the ChargeHR $149) in the price tag? Two things, the strap closure and the heart rate monitor.  Whichever your reason, I would definitely recommend upgrading to the HR over the regular Charge. $20 isn't that much more, and the HRM function is so nice to have, and the watch-strap closure is much more secure than the tabbed Charge/Flex.

Here's a few features I'll touch on in my review ...

• HRM: I bought the ChargeHR for the heart rate monitor. I have a PolarFT4 which I'm fairly happy with, but I really do NOT like the chest strap, I would always take it off the moment my workout was done.  I'm not used to wearing a watch, but the ChargeHR been quite comfortable. I wear it all day. I track my Zumba workouts (starting and stopping the timer to get a specific reading) and then just randomly check it during the day at rest and during other quick workouts.  I haven't adjusted to sleeping with it at night (which is intended, to track your sleep and resting heart rate). I've still worn my Polar along side the Charge HR for many workouts, and the data is generally quite close. I've been impressed with it's accuracy there.
• STEP COUNT: I've still been wearing my One too (I have a hard time giving up my old devices!) and the ChargeHR has been coming in consistently lower in steps. On the Fitbit boards, others seem to be complaining of the opposite, of it picking up hand-movements and over counting. I have not found that to be the case. I was happy that it picked up my elliptical just fine, whether I am using the the moveable arm bars, or gripping the center stationary ones.
• SLEEP: I was looking forward to seeing the sleep feature ... and comparing it to my One's readings. The Charge and ChargeHR have an "auto"sleep function, so you don't have to set your device for sleep or manually enter the times like you do with the One or Flex. As mentioned above, I have a hard time sleeping with something on my wrist (I wear my One clipped on my jammies, not in the wristband they provide). I tried it a night or two, and wasn't sure about the times it said I fell asleep and awakened - also, I couldn't see that I had the power to adjust/change it either. 

• WORKOUT FEEDBACK: I really like feedback from my individual workouts. The ChargeHR provides a snapshot showing the ups and downs of the heart rate, the average, the high, the time in the various zones. It shows the steps and estimated calorie burn. What I do NOT like, is that if I forget to stop/start the timer, I can't adjust that afterward (I can do that with the One).
• DURABILITY: Being an avid Fitbit user, and having multiple Fitbits in the family, overall I've been quite impressed with quality and with the company customer service. That said, I've seen broken cases and straps pretty often too. I'm a little worried about how the strap part will hold up, as the electronic part isn't able to be swapped into a new case like with the other styles.
• CHARGING: I haven't had any battery issues yet, but as I'm not wearing mine to sleep, I stick it on the charger each night. My son will wear his for several days, or just put it on the charger for 15minutes every other day while he showers. We occasionally get an email notice that my son needs to charge his Charge, which is also a nice feature. One complaint, as others have mentioned if you've been reading reviews ... why not make it charge with a universal charger? It's frustrating to have yet another proprietary charger around and to try and not lose. 
• CALL NOTIFICATIONS: Honestly, I rolled my eyes at the "call notification" feature. Big whoop. I have my phone, why do I need my Fitbit to tell me if it's ringing. I must say ... I love this feature! I actually DO miss calls on my phone fairly often. I've forgotten to turn on the ringer, or it's buried in my purse, or in the other room. Now, I know I've got a call. It's a feature I never would have asked for, but now I'm very glad I have.

So ... I'm a Fitbit Fan. I think I would recommend the ChargeHR over any of the other styles because it has the most features. Well, almost. The step up to the Surge adds in GPS (which I don't need as almost all my workouts are indoors), definitely not worth the additional $100 in the price tag for it. But Hubs ... he's eying the Surge (and I'm all for him getting it!)

If you are new to Fitbit, or considering getting one ... check out some of my previous posts. Wondering About A Fitbit is just a general review about what they can do.  Lost and Found showcases an app to help you locate a lost Fitbit (we've had to use it several times) and Reaping the Rewards (and followup posts on the various programs) will hook you up with different  programs that will reward YOU for your Fitbit activity data ( $$, store credit, prizes). 

Linking up late with Workout Wednesday ...

PSA - Squatty Potty

The focus of my blog is predominantly fitness related ...as I guess that's where I personally do best. I rarely talk about food (as I have NOT mastered that) or other health related things. But I thought today perhaps I'd share with you a product my brother-in-law raves about. Seriously, I've wondered if he'd invested in the company as he has been so happy to talk about such a crappy issue ... pooping!

He purchased the "Squatty Potty" ... a specialty bathroom stool which puts you in a better position for pooping (according to their medical research, which does seem fairly convincing). My BIL  has been very pleased with his purchase. So much so, that he talked my hubby into buying one for our family. So ... I've tried it. I didn't sense any magical difference as of yet. We're pretty lucky that we don't really have any regular pooping problems to start with. I find it a little bulky in the bathroom, even though the shape is more conducive to being tucked in than a standard stool would be.

Had you heard of this product before? 

It seems to have very good reviews on Amazon.

What do you think?

Fitbit Aria - A Review

 Reflecting on my Aria

I've had my Fitbit Aria scale for a little over a year now. I've mentioned it a few times on the blog, but when a friend asked me some questions about it, I realized I didn't really have a "review" post, one I could reference people to if they had questions about the scale ... so I thought I'd do that today for the Weigh-In Wednesday linkup.

PROS

• Accuracy: For the most part, I've found the Aria to be quite accurate. If I step on multiple times, I do get the same (or very similar) readings. When I weigh in on the Aria, and then weigh-in on WiiFit, the readings are almost identical. Note: I'm commending the accuracy for the WEIGHT only, NOT the body-fat reading ... which I do not put much stock in at all.
• Convenience: The wireless transfer of data to the Fitbit site is WONDERFUL. I can't tell you how many times in the past (pre-aria) I'd forget the numbers after stepping off the scale, quickly getting dressed and sitting down at my desk to write them down. I also love that I don't have to input the data manually. My weight is constantly updated on the Fitbit site (and therefore on My Fitness Pal as well). 
• Multiple Users: If you have several people weighing in on the same scale, the Aria can keep track of up to eight people (we have four people connected ... hubby, my two oldest boys and myself). If the weight of two people is similar, the scale will "ask" you (by flashing the initials of the users) who the stats should be assigned to. Just tap the scale with your toe to move from one name to the next. (My 18-year old son and I were similar in weight for a while, I was pretty happy when I dropped low enough that the scale could tell the difference between us).  
• Rewards:  Ok ... this is a bit silly, but you DO get credit for both the weight and body fat readings if you are working toward Achievemint awards. 30 points a day ... :)    Walgreens Rewards also credits you for weighing in ... but although they auto-sync with Fitbit, they don't grab the weigh-ins.  I rarely get around to entering it there manually. :(
• Interesting Information: In addition to the weight and bodyfat readings, the "weight" section at the Fitbit site shows the date and TIME of the weigh-in ... it is quite interesting to keep track of that little bit of information too (at least for me!) The weight numbers can be shown in graph format (at Fitbit, MFP or link your Fitbit up to Trendweight.com for even more analysis).

Weight History Readings

Weight Graph from Fitbit

CONS:

• Price: This IS an expensive scale.  If you don't have a Fitbit ... you could probably find something else that would work well for less. If you do have a Fitbit, it really does sync well with the website/app and is well worth it if you're already using the system.
• Speed: This scale is slow. Now I don't have the space to keep the scale in place, I have to store it upright (Tipping the Scales). As I lay the scale down each morning, I need to let it sit a few minutes and calibrate (otherwise it comes in about 5 pounds too high!). Then, it goes through it's little process "Hi ... Step On, Sensing, Step Off, Thinking" then it reflects the weight, then the body fat, then the name of the user, then it connects to your wireless, shows that it is transmitting and then it is done. If you were someone who likes to weigh multiple times, it takes a little time! After the initial weigh-in of the day, it does often go straight to the weight (without the Step On, Sensing, Step Off, Thinking) but is still slower than your average scale to show the results.
• Reflective Surface: I actually consider this a con ... I weigh myself in my birthday suit, as I'm sure many of you do. I find the reflective surface ... unappealing.

 Tipping the Scales

 Why You Won't See The "Scale Shot" For My Weigh-Ins

Just some other thoughts on the scale ...

• Setup: Many people struggle with the setup ... I didn't find it too difficult. I do recommend using a device connected wirelessly (laptop, iphone) as my initial attempt using my hardwired computer didn't work. We've changed routers this past year, so I had to redo the setup and it was a snap the second time around. It's easy to connect users to the scale too (simply sending an email of having them respond).  
• WiFi & Battery: The scale does require batteries. I put new ones in when I got the scale a year ago and haven't had to change them since. There is a battery level notifier on the Fitbit site. The scale DOES require wifi to complete sending the information.  My wireless went down for a few days. I still weighed in everyday and when we got up and running again, my weights DID come through.. they were saved somewhere and then sent across once wireless was restored. Good to know!
• Making Changes: If you do get an erroneous reading, or have weighed in later in the day (and you don't actually want that reading recorded) simply go into the Fitbit site or app and delete any numbers you wish. While it is easy to erase entries ... it actually keeps me from doing a quick weigh in during the day as I sometimes did in the past.

If anyone has any additional questions about the Aria, 

I'd be happy to try and answer them ...

What scale do you have?

What features are most important to you in a scale?

Wondering About a Fitbit?

"Should I get a Fitbit?" ... I've seen the question come across various fitness boards a many times. You know I am a fan! While I've done a few posts about the Fitbit here on my blog,  I thought I would do one that I could refer people to when they are thinking of buying one that shows just what you get with this device.

The Fitbit One is small and unobtrusive (unlike my Omron, a HRM or BodyMedia). I wear mine pretty much 24/7 (I take it off for showers and use that time to recharge the battery). It gives you feedback on your entire 24-hours, not just your workouts.  The graphs, available on the computer or app, give you a visual representation of your day.  I find it extremely informative and motivating. Here's a snapshot of a portion of my dashboard from a few days ago ...

• SLEEP. Included on the main dashboard is just a small peek at your sleep. There is more detail provided as you click on the tile or look in the "Log" section of the website (see my post here for more detail on the sleep tracking).
• FOOD: Fitbit does provide it's own food tracker, but many people (myself being one) find that other sites dedicated to this function may be a little more user friendly. I use My Fitness Pal, which syncs with Fitbit (as do a couple others). I personally look more to MFP for food info, but Fitbit does have some graphs and images to help you  calculate and control your calorie intake throughout the day. 
• ACTIVITY GRAPH: This is my favorite Fitbit feature! On the day pictured above ... I did five 20 minute sessions on the elliptical. See the green spikes? Those are my workouts. The orange section early in the day was some shopping. The yellow spike mid-day was a 40min ride on the stationary bike (I moved the Fitbit to my sock). The small yellow spike was a game of ping pong with one of my boys.  You can SEE when you move, you can see when you don't. It's a great motivator!
• INDIVIDUAL STATS: The Fitbit will show your total calorie burn for the day (great function if you want an informed estimate of your TDEE), your steps, your very active minutes, floors and distance. You will see the progression through the day ... here's a snapshot of today (so far) below ...

You can see I need to finish up this blog post and get moving!

The individual statistics move along through the day. The Fitbit is wireless, so whenever you get close you your computer (where you've plugged in the base) it will automatically update. Another WONDERFUL new feature with the One, is that it can sync with the app in my iphone too, I love being able to update even when I'm not at home, and all of the information is available on the app, and also on the device itself (just press the button to scroll through the different numbers.) The color in the dashboard boxes changes as you progress, from blue, to yellow, to orange ... green when you achieve your goal. You can customize your goals to the numbers of your choosing.

Beyond the day to day picture, Fitbit also keeps a 30-day snapshot to help you see trends in your activity. I really like the "Intake vs Burn" graph. This is my second favorite feature! Although, before joining MFP and tracking food calories, I didn't have the second "intake" line. The graph is SO much more informative and helpful when you track your food! I love seeing the average burn and average intake, and the graph to help you see the separation (or lack thereof).  MY goal is to keep those lines from touching or crossing ...  you can see I'm not always successful.  If you follow this blog at all, you'll see me capture and post this graph as I look back at each month.  You can see your steps and activity levels for the past 30 days as well. Can YOU tell which day I was sick last month?

The Fitbit is a STEP tracker ... so it doesn't create an accurate picture of weight training activities, swimming or biking. You can add these activities manually quickly and easily, and they will be added into your graphs and totals. Some people find the elliptical questionable (with any pedometer), but I'm quite comfortable with the results I get. The distance doesn't line up perfectly, but I feel that the calorie count is fairly on-track. You can "record an activity" for any individual workout and get specific stats ... Here's my elliptical workout from yesterday. My machine estimated 205 calories, my HRM said 150, and Fitbit estimated 168.

This is a snapshot of my jogging a couple weeks ago.

My HRM came in at 572.

... a another feature is the FRIENDS section. You can make Fitbit friends to compete with or compare to. It will show your steps for the past days ... one down day and I DROP way down.  You can opt out of being shown in lists if you want, but many people find it very motivating to try and climb a little higher. There is a community on the website for questions, groups and support.

That's just a small snapshot of what the Fitbit does.  The functions here are mainly for the One. I do find it an improvement over the original Ultra (which did have trouble staying on, I'm really surprised I didn't lose it in my three years of wearing it). The One slips into a silicone case which is quite snug. This doesn't mean it can't still get lost. I turn it inward so it presses against my body. So far so good. 

The Flex is a wrist Fitbit. Unlike the One, which displays all it's stats on the device itself, the Flex has lights that will show progression. You can't see the numbers themselves, but would need to check in on the computer or app for more information. The Flex does NOT track stairs, but does track activities and sleep. 

The Zip is a slightly less expensive Fitbit ... it does NOT track stairs or sleep. You can record an activity on the website to see the stats for an individual workout, but you can't record an activity directly from the device like you can on the One or the Flex.  The Flex and One have rechargable batteries (charge it every 5-7 days, it doesn't take long, I stick it on the charger during a shower) while the Zip has a replaceable one.

Updated April 2015 -- Fitbit now has the Charge, ChargeHR and Surge. You can check out my review of the two Charges (Charged) because, being a true Fitbit Fan, I HAD to try it out! 

No matter your device ... you'll also get a weekly report from Fitbit which is a great summary of your week~

There are other devices that do what the Fitbit does (or similar) ... Misfit, Striiv, Pebble. Body Media is one touted for accuracy (taking into account body temperature too, which I would think would be interesting to track). It seems a little bulky to me, and it requires a paid subscription to it's website (Fitbit does have a premium version for a fee, but the basic version is free ... everything shown here is available for free).  The JawboneUp and NikeFuel Band are similar to the Flex. I'm sure they are good too ... but we are a Fitbit family (I've picked them up for my two oldest sons, and my parents are now Fitbitters as well).

Another thing I LOVE about Fitbit, as that so many companies trust it enough to link with it. Fitbit  works with MyFitnessPal (which I also love, and love how they work together), and many different reward programs (Everymove, Achievemint, Walgreens, ShopYourWayRewards, PACT, Eandit ... they all accept Fitbit's steps, automatically linking and syncing. You can read more about the various reward programs here ... Reaping the Rewards).  I've actually earned enough to pay what I paid for my Fitbit! I've also been able to pay it forward donating to charity, just from my activity I would be doing anyway.

So is a Fitbit right for you? Which one? I hope this helped a bit *Ü*