I got this as an aid to help me track my fitness levels in an effort to try and lose some weight and get back in shape. It does this very well, and the wealth of online tools and ability to sync with other applications makes this such a useful tool.

I have this linked to my Endomondo & MyFitnessPal to help me track and keep better monitor my workouts (with Endomondo) and Calorie intake (using MyFitnessPal which is better than the FitBit‘s own calorie/food tracker). With these 2 pairings I get a great coverage of my activities and it’s really so useful to make sure you’re not over-eating and that workouts are better recorded. I record all my activities on my Android HTC One with the respective apps.

I would also recommend if you have an Android phone to install and use DriveBit which is an easy way to start recording when you’re driving so as not to falsely record movement whilst in the car. DriveBit also has Tasker integration if you use that, so my Car Mode Profile in Tasker automatically .starts DriveBit to record the driving activity, then stop it when Car Mode is exited.

Another thing I like is that if your friend or another family member has a FitBit and their sync dongle attached to their computer it will sync yours when near as it will just update your profile to the net.

So, Pro’s:

• Small and lightweight, with a variety of included accessories for most needs
• Helps you track your progress and gives you achievable targets for weight loss/fitness gains
• Synchronises automatically when near any computer with a sync dongle attached
• Display so you can see your current stats on the unit
• Battery life – I’ve had mine for a week now and have just under half-battery left from the initial charge

Cons:

• Only a few Android devices can be used for syncing to a phone. Need my HTC One to be able to sync
• Sometimes can be fooled into thinking you’ve done extra steps
• Doesn’t always record stair climbs
• The Calorie/food tracker isn’t as good for UK as the MyFitnessPal app/website. lots of missing foods etc

So in summary this is a great device, and bar a few little issues (which in my opinion are quite easy fixes) if you use this as part of a health toolkit you really do have a fantastic setup to help you lose weight and keep fit. I highly recommend this and while I’m still trying to workout some of the activity monitoring settings it’s easy to use and is just a simple way to monitor your lifestyle.