Yes, I documented the first time I hit 10K steps. I am not ashamed.

Update: Check out this post to learn more about wearing a Fitbit during volleyball. 

My Fitbit and I have a bad romance. It causes me anxiety, and occasional chaffing, but it’s like I’m addicted to it. I feel naked without it, and get so mad if I forget it at home when I know I’m going to be getting a good workout later that day.

When I finally got around to purchasing one a few months ago, I wrote about it on this blog. Now that I’ve had more time to use it, I think I can write a complete, fair review of it. I should note that most of my review will revolve around the Zip, since that’s the one with which I have experience; however, some of the categories in this review apply to Fitbit products more generally. Feel free to share some of your experiences with other products in the comments section. I love to hear from you!

Comfort: If you put your Fitbit in your pocket, it’s comfortable. My understanding from my friends with the Fitbit Force is that they’re pretty comfortable on your wrist as well. As a volleyball player, it’s not entirely practical for me to wear it on my wrist, which was one of the main reasons I purchased the Zip. Since none of my spandex shorts have pockets, and I’m always diving all over the place anyway, I have no choice but to wear them in my sports bra, snuggled up right next to the boob sweat in my ample bosom. This is usually not an issue, but I have had one major qualm with the Zip: When I am wearing a dress for work, I have no choice but to stick my Fitbit in my regular bra, which has caused me all sorts of discomfort. I’ve tried to find alternative locations, but none have been more practical. After my FitBit destroyed my right boob last week, leaving a scar that I have had to cover with Neosporin every day, I decided I need to put more effort into finding an alternate location. Duh. BUT, I would emphasize that this is my own stupidity, and not the fault of the Fitbit.


Design: The material on the Zip is great. I have extremely sensitive skin, and it doesn’t irritate me. I prefer the clip-on style to the wristbands, but that’s a volleyball player thing. I play too much volleyball to not earn my steps because I can’t wear it while I play. If you don’t play a sport where a wristband would inhibit your ability to play as you normally would, the wristband is probably preferable, though more expensive. In fact, I really like that the Flex and Force vibrate to wake you up in the morning. Too bad I can’t wear them for volleyball (unless I’m missing something…).


Customer Service/Tech Support: A friend of mine had an issue with her Fitbit One. For some reason, it wouldn’t hold the charge and was behaving strangely. She contacted customer service, and they were able to issue her a new one without giving her some spiel about the warranty. She was very satisfied with this experience. I have had dumb questions (e.g. why does my Fitbit have a picture of two dancing robots? can I swim in it?), and the FAQs and website have been extremely helpful in answering these questions for me. I give them two thumbs up!

Colors: The Fitbit Force and Fitbit One seem to have the least color options (both only come in two different colors); however, there are plenty of options with the other Fitbit products. I think it would be nice to have the ability to customize your Fitbit, but I liked the options available for my Zip (five different colors!). Oh well. Maybe they’ll develop that down the road.

Cost: I would say that they are pricey but, when compared to their competitors, they’re really not. FitSugar posted a pretty good comparison last year. While I sometimes get bummed that the Zip doesn’t track more things, I wasn’t interested in paying more to track things like the number of flights of stairs I took or how many hours I slept (the answer to both:  NOT ENOUGH). I think they’re a good value, as long as you select the one that is most appropriate for your lifestyle.

Pros: 

• They’re super cute and super easy to use. 
• It motivates me by smiling at me when I’m getting some good steps in, and rudely sticking its tongue out at me if I’m being a lazy scrub. I receive notifications on my phone when I’ve almost reached my goal, which is cool because then it prompts me to start walking unnecessary routes just to reach my goal, making me get some more exercise in (which sometimes involves the running man).
• It connects to Bluetooth through your phone or computer, and you can also connect the dongle (teehee) to your computer for easy syncing. What’s nice is that it stores data for up to seven days, just in case you can’t get around to syncing for whatever.
• The Fitbit community is cool, and you can compete against your friends. 

Cons: I don’t have too many issues with my Fitbit, honestly. Here are the few I could come up with:

• I do get annoyed that my Zip sometimes falls out of its little case, but that’s only because I’ve worn it to bed and slept like a crazy person.
•  I wish the Zip came with a rechargeable battery like some of the others, but it seems to have pretty good battery life, and my Fitbit app tells me when my battery is running low. 
• It can turn you into a fiend. Honestly, ask one of your friends with a Fitbit how they feel when they’ve left it at home. 

Availability: These bad boys are available all over the place. As I suggested in my old post, the best thing I found was waiting for the Brookstone Groupon deal, and using that towards the purchase of the Fitbit. Since it’s available in so many other places, you can also choose to look for deals with other retailers. The Fitbit website provides this list to people interested in purchasing Fitbits and accessories.

TL;DR: I really enjoy my Fitbit. I’m a competitive person, and the social media aspect of the Fitbit makes me enjoy it even more. It’s not for everyone, though, and if you decide to get one, make sure it’s the appropriate one for your lifestyle and budget.

Other Fun Facts About My Fitbit

• It has created the epic Fitbit War at my volleyball tournaments (4 of us own them)
• It has caused a significant amount of trash talking between friends (one of my friends posted a happy birthday comment on my Facebook timeline, followed by a “get your steps up” message)
• It has made me wander around like a crazy person when I near 10K steps
• It encourages me with friendly, adorable robots
• It has shamed me more than once (don’t you stink eye me, Fitbit)
• Even though it is often covered in boob sweat, it has not disowned me (seriously, you don’t want to see me check my steps in the middle of a tournament. DISGUSTO!)

Yes, I documented the first time I hit 10K steps. I am not ashamed.

Update: Check out this post to learn more about wearing a Fitbit during volleyball. 

My Fitbit and I have a bad romance. It causes me anxiety, and occasional chaffing, but it’s like I’m addicted to it. I feel naked without it, and get so mad if I forget it at home when I know I’m going to be getting a good workout later that day.

When I finally got around to purchasing one a few months ago, I wrote about it on this blog. Now that I’ve had more time to use it, I think I can write a complete, fair review of it. I should note that most of my review will revolve around the Zip, since that’s the one with which I have experience; however, some of the categories in this review apply to Fitbit products more generally. Feel free to share some of your experiences with other products in the comments section. I love to hear from you!

Comfort: If you put your Fitbit in your pocket, it’s comfortable. My understanding from my friends with the Fitbit Force is that they’re pretty comfortable on your wrist as well. As a volleyball player, it’s not entirely practical for me to wear it on my wrist, which was one of the main reasons I purchased the Zip. Since none of my spandex shorts have pockets, and I’m always diving all over the place anyway, I have no choice but to wear them in my sports bra, snuggled up right next to the boob sweat in my ample bosom. This is usually not an issue, but I have had one major qualm with the Zip: When I am wearing a dress for work, I have no choice but to stick my Fitbit in my regular bra, which has caused me all sorts of discomfort. I’ve tried to find alternative locations, but none have been more practical. After my FitBit destroyed my right boob last week, leaving a scar that I have had to cover with Neosporin every day, I decided I need to put more effort into finding an alternate location. Duh. BUT, I would emphasize that this is my own stupidity, and not the fault of the Fitbit.


Design: The material on the Zip is great. I have extremely sensitive skin, and it doesn’t irritate me. I prefer the clip-on style to the wristbands, but that’s a volleyball player thing. I play too much volleyball to not earn my steps because I can’t wear it while I play. If you don’t play a sport where a wristband would inhibit your ability to play as you normally would, the wristband is probably preferable, though more expensive. In fact, I really like that the Flex and Force vibrate to wake you up in the morning. Too bad I can’t wear them for volleyball (unless I’m missing something…).


Customer Service/Tech Support: A friend of mine had an issue with her Fitbit One. For some reason, it wouldn’t hold the charge and was behaving strangely. She contacted customer service, and they were able to issue her a new one without giving her some spiel about the warranty. She was very satisfied with this experience. I have had dumb questions (e.g. why does my Fitbit have a picture of two dancing robots? can I swim in it?), and the FAQs and website have been extremely helpful in answering these questions for me. I give them two thumbs up!

Colors: The Fitbit Force and Fitbit One seem to have the least color options (both only come in two different colors); however, there are plenty of options with the other Fitbit products. I think it would be nice to have the ability to customize your Fitbit, but I liked the options available for my Zip (five different colors!). Oh well. Maybe they’ll develop that down the road.

Cost: I would say that they are pricey but, when compared to their competitors, they’re really not. FitSugar posted a pretty good comparison last year. While I sometimes get bummed that the Zip doesn’t track more things, I wasn’t interested in paying more to track things like the number of flights of stairs I took or how many hours I slept (the answer to both:  NOT ENOUGH). I think they’re a good value, as long as you select the one that is most appropriate for your lifestyle.

Pros: 

• They’re super cute and super easy to use. 
• It motivates me by smiling at me when I’m getting some good steps in, and rudely sticking its tongue out at me if I’m being a lazy scrub. I receive notifications on my phone when I’ve almost reached my goal, which is cool because then it prompts me to start walking unnecessary routes just to reach my goal, making me get some more exercise in (which sometimes involves the running man).
• It connects to Bluetooth through your phone or computer, and you can also connect the dongle (teehee) to your computer for easy syncing. What’s nice is that it stores data for up to seven days, just in case you can’t get around to syncing for whatever.
• The Fitbit community is cool, and you can compete against your friends. 

Cons: I don’t have too many issues with my Fitbit, honestly. Here are the few I could come up with:

• I do get annoyed that my Zip sometimes falls out of its little case, but that’s only because I’ve worn it to bed and slept like a crazy person.
•  I wish the Zip came with a rechargeable battery like some of the others, but it seems to have pretty good battery life, and my Fitbit app tells me when my battery is running low. 
• It can turn you into a fiend. Honestly, ask one of your friends with a Fitbit how they feel when they’ve left it at home. 

Availability: These bad boys are available all over the place. As I suggested in my old post, the best thing I found was waiting for the Brookstone Groupon deal, and using that towards the purchase of the Fitbit. Since it’s available in so many other places, you can also choose to look for deals with other retailers. The Fitbit website provides this list to people interested in purchasing Fitbits and accessories.

TL;DR: I really enjoy my Fitbit. I’m a competitive person, and the social media aspect of the Fitbit makes me enjoy it even more. It’s not for everyone, though, and if you decide to get one, make sure it’s the appropriate one for your lifestyle and budget.

Other Fun Facts About My Fitbit

• It has created the epic Fitbit War at my volleyball tournaments (4 of us own them)
• It has caused a significant amount of trash talking between friends (one of my friends posted a happy birthday comment on my Facebook timeline, followed by a “get your steps up” message)
• It has made me wander around like a crazy person when I near 10K steps
• It encourages me with friendly, adorable robots
• It has shamed me more than once (don’t you stink eye me, Fitbit)
• Even though it is often covered in boob sweat, it has not disowned me (seriously, you don’t want to see me check my steps in the middle of a tournament. DISGUSTO!)