In my Nike+ Fuelband review, I wrote:
Over the last few months, I’ve seemed to fallen out of love with the FuelBand. It’s a little too bulky for my taste, and it’s rather limited in what it captures, not to mention it doesn’t seem to be holding up well.
I closed my review saying I had pre-ordered the Fitbit One.
They are very different devices, the Fuelband and Fitbit One. Here are my thoughts.
(Insert the DUN-DUN music from Law and Order here.)
The Fitbit One is a small device. It’s probably best used in the rubber case it comes with, as it includes a sturdy clip to attach the Fitbit to a pocket.
It weighs next to nothing, has a nice screen and it easy to handle.
I’ve been using it out of the case, in the little iPod nano pocket on my jeans.
The downside of the size is that it’s easy to lose track of the device. I started putting the wristband on my night stand, reminding me to make sure the Fitbit isn’t in the hamper with my pants.
The wristband is comfortable, which is good, as it’s how the Fitbit does its thing while you sleep. Pop it in, press and hold the button to enter sleepy time mode and the device will track your sleep.
In my few weeks of usage, this has become my favorite thing about the Fitbit. I don’t sleep all that well, and it’s been fascinating to see that on a chart.
Past the sleep tracking, however, the Fitbit One doesn’t do all that much more than the Fuelband — on its own.
While the Fuelband basically stands alone, the Fitbit is just part of an entire system — one that can track your weight, food and water intake. While the Fitbit is useful without this information entered on the website or iOS app, it really shines if the time is taken for all this input.
And that’s why the Fitbit One isn’t for me. While I bemoaned the Fuelband’s simplicity, I’ve come to miss it. In fact, I’ve given the Fitbit to my wife, and I’m wearing the Fuelband now.
Go figure.