Garmin & fitbit

[Sezza2u]

I have seen loads of folk wearing fitbits. However on here I am reading about people wearing garmins.

Which is best and why, and which version would you recommend?

Thanks in advance

[MarkyD Graduate]

One for me!

FitBits have (historically) been techno-whizz-bang pedometers. They are worn 24 hours a day and count how many steps you've taken. An US government agency recommended 10,000 steps per day for good health, and so a FitBit will give you a target of 10,000 steps per day (you can change this target to suit your own requirements). Once you hit your target, the FitBit makes a little vibration fanfare to reward you.

The FitBit can BlueTooth to your phone, where an app can show you your progress each day, and previous days' accomplishments. As well as steps, FitBits can count how many flights of stairs you've climbed, how many minutes you've been active, how many kilometers you've walked/jogged, how many hours sleep you've had... all kinds of data. Since you wear the FitBit 24 hours a day, the battery needs to last for a while without a charge. My FitBit 'Flex' lasts about 6 days.

Really, a FitBit is intended to encourage you to be more active ("must meet my step-target today"). I've found it works.

What a FitBit does not do it to help you with running data. Garmin's have inbuilt GPS systems to record your position on the earth, and where you've run. Because they know the time and where you have been, they can work out your running speed, how far you've travelled, at what pace/speed and can generally display pace, time, distance whilst you are running. That's great for maintaining a steady pace, or running timed intervals. And as an added bonus, a Garmin will store all this information, and let you upload it to a website after your run. It will show you a little map of where you've been, what altitude you gained & lost, and how fast you were running. Great for an after-run analysis of your performance.

You'll notice I said that a FitBit will record how far you've travelled. It estimates this from your height and how many steps you take. It's an approximate value, but not as detailed/accurate compared to a Garmin.

Now to complicate matters... modern Garmins can be worn 24 hours a day and record your step-count. The latest Fitbits have inbuilt GPS and can accurately record and display running data whilst you run. The 2 products have tried to steal the function from the other device.

Personally, I have a FitBit Flex (which is pretty basic step counter, blue toothed to my iPhone) and a proper running watch (not a Garmin, but when this dies, I'll replace it with a Garmin). I was running tonight, and used my running watch to tell me distance and pace - I was doing a short, 'slow' recovery run tonight. I ignored my FitBit during the run, but it made its little vibration fanfare when I was out, letting me know that I'd met my step-count goal for today

If you want to buy a gadget, I'd recommend a running watch. You're already active by doing the C25K program, and as your running develops, you may want to record pace, distance and perhaps location of each run that you do.

Hope that helps - message me if you have more questions or if anything doesn't make sense.

Resident C25K gadget geek

[Sezza2u Graduate in reply to MarkyD]

Wow, that's fantastic thank you. Really insightful. I will look into running watches.

Thanks again

[Lovefood1984 Graduate in reply to MarkyD]

Nicely put I happen to own both, I need kicking up the ass to get moving on a non run day, it really does make you realise how sedentary we are!

[MarkyD Graduate in reply to Lovefood1984]

That's the problem with a FitBit... on a running day I smash my step goal. On a non-running day I sometimes hit it, sometimes I don't. They need to be a bit more intelligent and say "Mark normally runs on a Wednesday, so today your target is XXX." Or "It's Friday, so today your non-running target is YYY". Pretty sure that the Garmin Forerunner 225 has 'intelligent step goals' but these are the same everyday, it just adjusts to be a little more than your daily average.

[Mary_O Graduate in reply to MarkyD]

I have a similar setup to you Mark. Fitbit Flex for everyday, and the Garmin for running. I actually take the Fitbit off when I run and then sync the data when I get in. The Fitbit seems to be quite tight on distance as well - I know it's an estimated distance, but when I have worn the two together it's given me a distance of 4 km when I know I've been on a 5 km run (this does get overwritten by the Garmin, which is nice). Today I walked about 8400 steps according to Fitbit. During today (a non-running day) I have done the first of the "Strength and Flex" podcasts and about an hour of Miranda Hart's Maracattack so although it's been a day where I've missed my step goal, I have at least attempted side planks so I don't feel too guilty.

[Tracey001 Graduate in reply to MarkyD]

Until I got my Garmin a few weeks ago, I regularly used my Fitbit to track my distance, pace and lap speeds etc by using the 'track exercise' option on my iPhone Fitbit app. It's probably not as accurate as the Garmin and you certainly don't get as much functionality but I thought it still gave me a good indication of how my pace and speed was improving over time.

[Kingswaycallie Graduate]

I use both too. Fitbit every day and Garmin for runs so I can track my running progress . I've linked up with some friends who have Fitbits and the competition element really works for me - I've increased my daily average to 22,000 steps a day. I use the Garmin when I run though because it's more accurate when it comes to measuring distances and allows me to adjust my pace as I go along as well as enabling me to monitor my stats over time.

Just to through a spanner in the works, a friend of mine has a Garmin device which is a bit like a Fitbit in that you wear it like a watch and it tracks steps rather than distance, pace etc. She still uses her Forerunner 110 for runs though!

[MarkyD Graduate in reply to Kingswaycallie]

Ahh. The Garmin VivoSmart. I wrote s review of it on this site earlier this year. I liked it.

[Angie-Tap Graduate]

I have a Fitbit charge HR which does everything the Fitbit flex does but also tracks your pulse as well it also allows you to track your runs using a GPS signal it will then tell you how far and what your pace is. You can also set it up for cues during running distance pace split pace etc. you can add any other exercises manually or you can push a button on side of watch which starts a stop watch and then push it again when finished. When you sync to the app it will then upload the workout and you can name it eg spinning Pilates etc and it will tell you how many calories you have burnt etc. because it tracks you pulse it is more accurate with calories burnt I've linked it with my fitness pal to count food. So all together it does steps pulse calories burnt, calories in (food) sleep and tracks exercise.

[roseabi]

David Sedaris' story about his Fitbit

bbc.co.uk/programmes/b064418w

[Zev1963 Graduate in reply to roseabi]

His self deprecating observational humour I find so funny. He is so right about the technology making one continually compete against oneself.

I love my garmin for running, but I am tempted to get a fitbit too to encourage me to walk more on my non run days

[davelinks Graduate]

I don't worry about how many steps I do on a non running rest day, I'm resting! For me I don't see the point in having a fitbit when running.

Only need a garmin for time distance & pace....

[Sezza2u Graduate]

Thanks all for the really useful comments. I am not so bothered about the number of steps per day I take but I do want an accurate account of distance/route and pace etc. So have ruled out the fitbit.

After reading all your advice and looking at all the options on the market, combined with online reviews and taking into account price. I have ordered a Garmin forerunner 15. There was an offer on Amazon for it with a heart rate monitor for under £100. The lack of Bluetooth with probably wind me up but I didn't want to pay more than £100 for a first watch. This one seems to do everything I want it to do.

I'm really looking forward to it arriving now as today's run used the phone app which seems quite off. Each run I do the same route, start and stop the app at the same place etc but it measures a mile to quite a different spot each time so getting frustrated.

Thanks again for the help!

[MarkyD Graduate in reply to Sezza2u]

Good choice. It is mandatory to share a photo and give the watch a name (Gary, Kermit etc) when you post the photo on here.

[Sezza2u Graduate in reply to MarkyD]

OK, cool. Will post when I get it. As for a name, no clue I'm really bad at that stuff lol

[Curlygurly2 Graduate]

I struggled with a phone app for ages, being too mean to buy a Garmin,they are very hit and miss on both distance and pace. I eventually gave in and got the forerunner 20. It's great, she's called Minnie (GARminnie get it lol) I wish I had done it months before. She has never once let me down, and now my music plays properly on my phone too. I guess the phone just wasn't up for both tasks. Enjoy your new toy, a nmae will probably suggest itself xx