Fitbit Ultra

Get moving…
$95 – $100 per unit; Buy on AMAZON

 

The Fitbit Ultra is a great concept for providing motivation to get off the couch.  This very small device measures the number of steps you take and stairs you climb in a given day.  From that information, it estimates the number of calories burned and transmits this information wirelessly to the Fitbit website when you are near the included transmitter.  From the website you can review all of your statistics, even including sleep efficiency.  There is also a social aspect to the Fitbit that allows you to connect, share information or compete with friends.  Fitbit has integrated with other sites as well, such as, Lose It!, Myfitnesspal, Foursquare and Microsoft’s Health Vault.  These connections allow the sharing of information between sites and allows the usefulness of the Fitbit to be continually expanded.

I purchased the Fitbit Ultra after reading many positive reviews and used the device for one week.  I was looking for motivation to be a bit more active and the Fitbit did accomplish this goal.  Unfortunately, I had continual problems with my device.  It would work for 2 – 3 days and then stop connecting to the Fitbit website.  I would reset the device and it would work for another 2 – 3 days.  I contacted Technical Support and after waiting six days for a response, they replied and asked me to reset the device.  I replied that I had done this and after waiting another five days, they could offer no assistance other than to replace the device.

 

I will point out that I was using a Mac and the latest version of OS X Lion.  When troubleshooting this problem on my own, I found their own forums littered with people having this same issue while using the Mac operating system so at this point, I decided to return the device.  Their support of Microsoft Windows seems much better.  But, what I quickly discovered is that I was able to keep the routine that I had developed in my week with the Fitbit Ultra.  It is now one month later and I’ve continued to maintain the same activity level thanks not to the Fitbit but to the results that I have seen by combining this increase in activity with a healthy diet.

 

Pros:

  • Simple and automatic.
  • Small device, easily to conceal.
  • Provides instant information on your daily activity level.

 

Cons:

  • Weak Mac support.
  • Poor technical support.

 

For me, the Fitbit Ultra was a start to becoming more active but overall I did this on my own and have not needed the Fitbit to maintain this level of activity.  If you have tried a fitness program multiple times in the past and not been successful then the Fitbit Ultra might be worth a look but for the majority of people, I think simply being honest about our activity levels and making a commitment to improve them is all that we need.

 

Do I recommend: Neutral

 

Where to buy, get more information and read additional reviews: AMAZON

 

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