Dead Fitbit, what next?

[AK Granola]

My cheapo Fitbit just died. I used it to track miles and tell time, with the occasional glance at my pulse. Considering whether to get another cheapo or get a watch that also has GPS. Any current suggestions? I searched a few old threads, but all the models discussed are no longer sold. Counting miles and telling time are still the primary needs. I carry a phone but it usually packed away while walking.

[BlackHatGuy]

What’s your spending limit?

[AK Granola]

Spending – about $250 max? Not sure if that’s reasonable or not. The only proper watches I even own – all analog – were ones I inherited (and never wear). So I don’t really know what they cost.

[Kevin Babione]

If you’re considering a smartwatch (GPS, heart rate monitor, etc) the other thing to think about is the phone to which you would sync it (Apple or Android) or if you might want some of the functionality completely independent of your phone.

[Mark Verber]

Fathers day is coming so a lot of watches are on sale for the next couple of weeks… this is a good time to buy,.

first observation: there are no GPS watches in that price range which can keep the GPS running for more than ~16 hours, and without GPS for 5 days with one exception:

Garmin Instinct which is on sale right now for $199 numerous online stores.  If you want a Casio G-Watch with GPS and a heart rate monitor + altimeter,  barometer, compass and a battery the could give you detailed GPS and maps for ~14hours, low resolution GPS for almost 2 days, and more than a week without GPS, this is your watch.

Personally, I want more from my watch. At least some integration with my phone for notifications/alerts and fitness metrics for when I run, bike, and swim.  I think the most well rounded / value priced choice would be VivoActive 3 which you should be able to find on sale for $130.

More general thoughts at https://verber.com/sport-watches/

If you want all the details start with https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/11/sports-technology-buyers.html and dig into Ray’s site. I don’t buy any sport tech until Ray has given it a positive review.

 

 

[Garrett]

Suunto Ambit3 Peak $211 on Amazon

I only use the watch for training purposes, not so much for in the backcountry. The Gaia app gets used for that.

[Pedestrian]

+1 on the Suunto Ambit3 Peak.

But, only if you care about the amazing feature set it offers.

I personally could care less about phone integration, music, blah, blah, etc

I own an Ambit3 Peak and use it exclusively as a watch for hiking, running, backpacking etc. I’ve used it a since 2017 (after buying it used here on BPL) for all my activities.

It does NOT have a wrist HR sensor; for HR you must use the chest strap from Suunto or but a third party Bluetooth optical HR sensor (Polar etc).

It’s also been around a few years so it will probably not get great support from Suunto for very much longer but it does have a large hard core user base that’s very vocal on the Suunto forums so Suunto would not want to tick them off too much.

To learn more about the Ambit3 Peak, check out Andrew Skurka’s review and in-depth usage settings for running, hiking, backpacking etc

The Ambit3 Peak can be configured to last for several days depending on the activity….

Start with the link below and then check out his more detailed posts:

https://andrewskurka.com/long-term-review-suunto-ambit3-peak-gps-sport-watch/

BTW, it does NOT do step counts…….

It is a hard core GPS sports watch…..with a significant learning curve. Nothing like a Fitbit.

BTW, Ray Maker’s site (dcrainmaker.com) is excellent but it can be overwhelming for someone not familiar with that world. Andrew Skurka’s  site is much more accessible for someone coming from hiking/backpacking background.

 

 

 

 

 

[Todd T]

First, be sure the Fitbit is really dead.  Take two fingers and lightly touch your other wrist just below the thumb.  Feel anything?

[Roger Caffin]

If you don’t feel anything, it may be something other than the Fitbit which is dead.
Any ‘off’ smells?

Cheer

[Brad Rogers]

After my second Fitbit died (the first replaced under warranty) I bought a Garmin Forerunner 935 and have been supper happy with it the past two and a half years and I’ve worn it 24/7 (I charge it when I take a shower) so it’s been pretty durable.  To be honest, some of the cheaper Garmin running watches have most of the same features and can be had at or below your budget.

[AK Granola]

Yes dears, I’m still breathing! Current heartrate 75, after coffee and stairs. Resting is 60. How do I know? The ol Fitbit came back to life. Resurrection. It’s got lots of loose parts which I just taped back together with Tenacious tape and that seemed to do the trick. Hopefully I can get another 6 months out of it. Reports of its death are premature.

I had started looking at watches on REI, and thanks for the suggestions, everyone. Most models do so much more than I want. An altimeter would be sort of nice, but as long as I know where I am on the map, I sort of know how high I am anyway, roughly. I won’t log things onto a computer, connect with a phone, etc. I fuss around all day on a computer, so evenings and weekends I want away from them. It is fun when my husband geeks out on data, so that we know our average speed, maximum speed, time resting, overall speed and mileage, yada yada. But not my gig.

I really only want to be able to tell time (an alarm would also be nice, although I don’t use one now), and know how many miles I’ve gone. Mostly I’m getting my daily walking in on a mix of roads and trails, but can’t accurately estimate distance without the Fitbit. I don’t have a map. The Fitbit keeps me honest.

Finding an electronic device that does what I want and only that is probably impossible. We bought a new truck last year and I hate, hate all the electronics, most of which are unnecessary. We finally figured out how to turn off the lane-change warning, thank goodness, because swerving around potholes is just how we have to drive; the roads may or may not be fixed. Having something beeping and distracting when we’re skirting cyclists on the shoulder or avoiding a car-eating pothole in the road is more dangerous. What it doesn’t have that would be handy would be a distance alarm. Say you have 37.5 miles to go to a turn for a trailhead (which won’t have a sign, just a road). You can try to watch the odometer but wouldn’t it be nice to set a distance alarm that would warn you when you are within 1/4 mile? That doesn’t exist. I often overshoot and have to backtrack. Not a huge problem, but if you’re putting in features, that would be a nice one.

Another good feature, which we have on our old Corolla but not on our new truck, is headlights that turn on when the engine is on, and off when it’s off. So simple! No forgetting. Why would they get rid of that feature! The new vehicle doesn’t beep when you leave the lights on and open the driver’s door, so you don’t even get a warning to turn them off.

I’m not opposed to electronics features, just wish I could choose the ones I want, and decline those I don’t. At least for now, the old junky Fitbit will have to do. thanks y’all.

[William Kerber]

Not sure which Fitbit you have, but I have a Fitbit Charge 2 HR that went through the washer and dryer cycles. Some of the display lit up, but it wouldn’t track steps or perform any other function. I found a youtube video where a guy said to put it in its charger and then depress the side button until you see it shutdown and light back up (reboot). That was 18 months and it’s still working fine.

[Dan]

I’ve given up tracking miles on backpacking trips, since I can’t justify the battery usage for something that is essentially unnecessary. I use a G-shock to tell time (and for an alarm occasionally) and Gaia app on my phone for GPS back-up. For dayhikes and jogging, I have a Garmin that is great for training and tracking miles, but pointless for backpacking unless I wanted to carry some sort of charging system, which doesn’t interest me at all.

I know this isn’t answering your questions, but I will just say that for many years, I felt it was necessary to track miles, but at some point I gave it up, and found it didn’t really affect my enjoyment or safety.

[Author]

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