Wearable Health Tracker showdown. Fitbit vs Misfit vs Withings
Tags :Misfit Shine Firbit Flex Withings Pulse product review
I took it upon myself to wear three health tracking devices at once for a showdown. I wore the Fitbit Flex, MIsfit Shine and Withings Pulse. Here is my video, graphs and review.
Each one of these devices was worn for a week. The Misfit Shine and Fitbit Flex were worn on the same wrist next to each other. The Withings Pulse was worn on the same side of the body but on the pants pocket (no wrist strap was available). The Misfit Shine has the most wearable flexibility with different straps, clasps, magnets and even necklaces. I have full reviews for two of these devices linked at the end of the article.
Steps
This was an interesting area as each device came up with different numbers. In the graph below I show the variance and also the average between them. While I would never count my steps during the day and keep manual record, everyone should be aware that the technology is great but not perfect.
There was not a real consistency to one counting higher everyday.While the Withings Pulse was lower for most days, there was a day it was the top. Maybe my arms stayed still more and I was running (which makes sense if I was refereeing).
Calories
This area is very bizarre to me as I still don't get how it counts this. It must be an estimate based on activity modes. Meaning if it thinks you are just walking you burn less than if it thinks you are running right? Either way you can see the Withings Pulse thought I burned far less calories than the others.
Miles
Well this definitely showed me the days I was refereeing or walking a lot. It feels good to know I move that much but the Misfit Shine didn't seem to think so being at the bottom almost every day of the trial.
Sleep
This was a very touchy thing, I can definitely say that the Fitbit Flex gave me the most headache in this area from getting it to turn on to sleep mode how it knew I was awake. The Withings Pulse was the clear winner with a simple swipe of the finger I enter sleep mode and a swipe to exit. It then showed me deep sleep versus being restless. The Misfit Shine was in the middle. I never had to tap it and it just knew. Somehow the darn thing figured out my sleep pattern on most days.
Remembering to move the Pulse from the clip to the strap had me missing days for it. While I guess I could have worn the clip as well, the strap makes more sense. The other two were already on your wrist making it easy.
Charging
The winner here was the Withings Pulse. It was a micro-USB slot which means most everyone has a cable they can use even though it comes with one. It worked for a week easily on a single charge and charged fairly quickly. The Misfit Shine uses a CR2032 watch battery you can get anywhere. They state that you should get six months based on usage. Let me say I have had this device for a while and I get maybe three months. Last place was the Fitbit Flex. It has a special cradle you must use to charge it. This means keeping track of this tiny cable with one USB end. Look at the video review.
If you have trouble remembering to charge things then the Shine wins. Replacing the battery is simple and they even include a tool. The Fitbit Flex lost in this area.
Wearability
The Misfit Shine really stands out with the numerous ways it can be worn and the sleek look (and color options). With a plastic wrist band and also a magnetic clasp that comes with it, you can then buy a leather band, socks and even a standard necklace for guys and women's necklace called the Bloom. Putting the wrist strap on was pretty easy.
The Withings Pulse clip and nighttime wrist strap were both easy to use and comfortable.The nighttime strap had a slot on the back so when you wake up you can take your resting heart rate quickly. The clip was sturdy but I do wonder about the long term use of the plastic holder that the Pulse sits in. I will say it has been a long time I have had it and I wear it daily with no tearing.
The Fitbit Flex was a hard rubber wrist band that was extremely difficult to get closed. Even forums and other web posts discuss this.Coworkers that have it expressed the same issues with getting it on and off. Add in the weird angle it sits (I imagine they thought to see the tiny LED easier). and I was unhappy.
Functionality
Depending on what you need this can be tricky. Let us eliminate the Fitbit Flex right away. Entering sleep mode sucked and there was no tracking of stairs climbed. From there the Withings Pulse added in hear rate tracking which neither other device offered. If we remove that then the Shine and Pulse were very close in function. It all comes down to wearability and look for you at that point. Maybe a watch battery versus charging too.
The apps and synching
Honestly an app was an app. All the devices used Bluetooth to setup and sync. I had no issues across any of them. Each app did the same tracking but showed you the data in different ways. All have ways to share your data with friends and the public. This was not a factor in my decisions.
Overall Summary
Last place the Fitbit Flex. Limited functions, hard to put on, hard to enter sleep mode and felt weird with the sloped top when wearing it. The Misfit Shine did everything it was supposed to and worked well. Tons of accessories make it wearable in any fashion mode. Plus the damn sleek look is great. The Withings Pulse wins for functionality. The clip and wrist strap were both comfortable and you forget you are wearing them (outside of sometimes catching the velcro of the strap on something at night).
So I will leave it to you to read the blow full reviews of the Shine and Pulse and make you choice. I hope all this helped.
Please see all the product reviews here on IdoNotes and subscribe to the SpikedStudio channel or product review playlist on YouTube
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On Wednesday, May 14th, 2014 by Chris Miller
