Fitbit vs Garmin

Years ago I got a Fitbit and compared it with the BodyMedia Fit I used to wear. I wore the fitbit then a new fit bit for years. I bought a new Garmin for running but then my Fitbit stopped charging or it'll charge after fiddling with it for 45 minutes. So I started to wear both and decided to compare that data.

I am using a Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate and Garmin vivoactive 3

I am so shocked how different the data is.  The Garmin has 1500 fewer steps in a day. The Garmin says I sleep longer too. It doesn't have all the little wake-ups I usually have.

When I first started wearing both I took screen shots and made a collage.

I have run 1 time since I got the Garmin. When I ran I used fitbit, mapmyrun, and Garmin. 

Fitbit is usually low for distance so I'm surprised that one has it as the furthest. I need to run again to compare again. I wish my old Garmin worked for a comparison to that too.  Garmin had a distance of 1.01, Fitbit 1.16, and maapmyrun said 1.07. The times were slightly different because it's hard to start and stop so many devices at the same time.

I do like that I get more notifications on the Garmin than on the fitbit. I only got texts on the fitbit but I get facebook messages, google hangouts ,and whatsapp. 

Fitbit VS BodyMedia Fit

I just got a Fitbit Charge HR and years ago I got a BodyMedia fit Core. (Before that I had the BodyMedia Fit Advantage back when it was gowear fit)

I have had the fitbit about 24 hours and have logged 2 workouts. I have not calibrated it for steps yet (well for stride length). This is with the default they use based on my height and weirdly enough it ad my height as 5'6.9" instead of 5'7".

This is from a cize workout. I took screen shots from my computer and my phone so there are a lot.  I forgot to stop the fitbit so it was a 59 minute workout even though it was actually shorter. I did the same time for the bodymedia fit (well 1 minute longer)  The calorie burn was 317 calories for bodymedia fit and was 236 for fitbit. That is a huge difference!

I find it odd how the graph is different and more detailed and has colors when you view it on a phone versus on a computer. I wish I had the colors on the computer!

I added notes to my picture collage so that I could easily see later and also easily share on facebook.

I expected a huge difference again but this time it was only 10 calories off for the workout. That's pretty darn close! Fitbit does base theirs off of steps and dancing the steps are weird so that could be why. I will need to calibrate and try all again.  I have until September 23 before I'll be charged for another month on BodyMedia fit.  

One thing that was close was sleep!  BodyMedia fit counted lying down watching Big Brother so it seems that my efficiency is low but it really wasn't. Usually BMF doesn't count lying down watching TV so I must have been extra restful when Poly was on me.  I'm enjoying this data.

Do you have a fitness tracker? Which one and what do you like best?  I'm still trying to figure this thing out.