Smart watch

[Bestwifeever]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsmeow For walking either during exercise or just around the house, the Fitbit watches are very accurate. I know this because I have simultaneously worn both a Polar chest strap. On the other hand, the Fitbits are useless during weight lifting. When I do that, I wear a Polar heart rate monitor. I use an app on my phone which records that data. Then that app syncs with Fitbit so the actual true data based upon accurate heart rate is imported into Fitbit. (The software app I use is called iCardio - used to be called digifit). This works great. The steps data for the Fitbit is very accurate when I have checked it. It is inaccurate in 2 situations. It undercounts steps on a treadmill. I use the treadmills step count instead of that from the Fitbit in that situation. Also, it is inaccurate at the grocery store if I use my left arm to push the cart as my arm stays stationary. Other than those situations it has been very accurate for me.

Sounds like you can make your Fitbit do exactly what you want (and FB is always coming up with new and improved smart watches)—no reason to switch to an Apple watch. It wouldn’t monitor and record the same way and would probably be frustrating. DH switched when his FB Charge’s strap kept breaking and ironically had charging issues but there was a learning curve. He did find the AW matched the stats on the health club’s machines better. He doesn’t need the 24/7 heart rate data that you do, though, so doesn’t mind the every other day 20 minute recharge time.

[happy2bretired]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsmeow . One thing the Fitbit does that I don't know if the Apple Watch does is if you do start exercising (or what it perceives as exercising) it will record it as exercise and give you the same data you would get if you had manually told it you were exercising. For example, we went to Ikea today where we briskly walked throughout the store and to and from the store and Fitbit monitored 15 minutes of it as exercise. .

This is one thing that frustrates me about my current Apple Watch. Some days I will be huffing and puffing with what I would call EXERCISE and the darn green circle just sits there laughing at me. Other days there’s a few minutes of the green exercise circle. I try to look at the time the green was active to remember what I was doing...very strange.

If I’m on my elliptical machine, it can be a challenge to turn on the exercise function when I’m moving.

[COcheesehead]

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy2bretired This is one thing that frustrates me about my current Apple Watch. Some days I will be huffing and puffing with what I would call EXERCISE and the darn green circle just sits there laughing at me. Other days there’s a few minutes of the green exercise circle. I try to look at the time the green was active to remember what I was doing...very strange. If I’m on my elliptical machine, it can be a challenge to turn on the exercise function when I’m moving.

Just start it before you step on.

[happy2bretired]

I’m old...I don’t remember. Besides, gotta blow that dough I really want a newer model.[emoji23]

[audreyh1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy2bretired This is one thing that frustrates me about my current Apple Watch. Some days I will be huffing and puffing with what I would call EXERCISE and the darn green circle just sits there laughing at me. Other days there’s a few minutes of the green exercise circle. I try to look at the time the green was active to remember what I was doing...very strange. If I’m on my elliptical machine, it can be a challenge to turn on the exercise function when I’m moving.

“Hey Siri - start elliptical workout”

This works well for me when I’m already cycling down the road on my bike.

Although I also have the workout at the center of my watch, so it’s easy to get to.

[happy2bretired]

Quote:

Originally Posted by audreyh1 “Hey Siri - start elliptical workout” This works well for me when I’m already cycling down the road on my bike. Although I also have the workout at the center of my watch, so it’s easy to get to.

Now that I might be able to do, if I remember.[emoji1] I like that idea of centering the exercise icon too. I very seldom use Siri, she didn’t used to like me at all but she is getting better now. When I do talk to Siri it startles my dog and she goes into her barking routine. She’s not used to me talking to an invisible person.

[FIYes]

Well, looking through this thread, it seems that the Apple Watch is the most liked. Unfortunately, since I have an Android phone that is not going to work for me. If I could get notifications to work with my Fitbit I would be happy with it.
Any thoughts on a watch that works well with Android? I want both the fitness tracking and notifications.

[Katsmeow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvalley ^ Which Polar HRM do you have? does just the strap work with an app because those are cheap but the whole set (strap+watch) is expensive. I never should've given mine away. How's the Fitbit with bicycling? Does it show HR and thus expended kcal with decent accuracy?

I have the Polar H7. Yes, just the strap, no watch. There are several apps you can have it work with. I use iCardio but there are others. Basically the Polar talks to iCardio then iCardio syncs with Fitbit. Works great.

[dvalley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsmeow I have the Polar H7. Yes, just the strap, no watch. There are several apps you can have it work with. I use iCardio but there are others. Basically the Polar talks to iCardio then iCardio syncs with Fitbit. Works great.

Awesome, thanks!

[GalaxyBoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by happy2bretired Now that I might be able to do, if I remember.[emoji1] I like that idea of centering the exercise icon too.

What I did was customize one of the watch faces for exercise, and I put the workout icon in one corner as one of the complications. Music icon in the other corner, and stopwatch at the bottom.

[happy2bretired]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GalaxyBoy What I did was customize one of the watch faces for exercise, and I put the workout icon in one corner as one of the complications. Music icon in the other corner, and stopwatch at the bottom.

Ooohhh that’s really good! I keep the same watch face all the time. I will check the other watch faces.[emoji16]

[audreyh1]

Oh my watch face is totally customized. They makes the watch super easy to use.
My digital style watchface is laid out:

Date Time
Workout
Temperature Rings Timer

The Center workout display is actually a large display and gives a summary of my most recent workout.

Date goes to calendar
Workout goes to exercise selection
Temperature goes to weather
Rings goes to Activity overview
Timer goes to timers

These are my most frequently used watchface apps. Very streamlined.

[happy2bretired]

Just wanted to let you know, I now have three watch faces. My regular one, my exercise one and my picture one to whip out when I need to see my granddaughter.

[audreyh1]

If you want more useful Apple Watch tips:

I’m in the kitchen cooking,
“Hey Siri, add green onions to my shopping list”

I have several shopping lists in my reminders app - shopping list, Costco list, etc. These can be viewed on my watch. DH and I share lists. When we go shopping, we can view the list on our wrists and tick things off.

It’s also easy to tell Siri to add reminders or set alarms.
“Hey Siri, remind me to take out the garbage at 6pm”.
“Hey Siri, set an alarm for four hours”.

That latter helps if you want the timer free for something else”.

The watch also works with iPhone navigation - you get taps on the wrist at turning points. And you can even tell the watch to route you somewhere.

There is such thing as a proximity alarm which can be used to set up reminders for when you return home, for example.

I use a lot of reminders, LOL!

[YoungSaver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIYes Well, looking through this thread, it seems that the Apple Watch is the most liked. Unfortunately, since I have an Android phone that is not going to work for me. If I could get notifications to work with my Fitbit I would be happy with it. Any thoughts on a watch that works well with Android? I want both the fitness tracking and notifications.

Wait a month, new tech is coming. Should be a big improvement

https://www.theverge.com/circuitbrea...hip-event-date

[bloom2708]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FIYes Well, looking through this thread, it seems that the Apple Watch is the most liked. Unfortunately, since I have an Android phone that is not going to work for me. If I could get notifications to work with my Fitbit I would be happy with it. Any thoughts on a watch that works well with Android? I want both the fitness tracking and notifications.

+1 for the $149 Samsung GearFit Pro (latest model).

Great size and features. Works with Android or Apple. Wearing mine daily.