Jawbone Verses Fitbit
By Efren Martinez
These days, there are a number of wearable fitness trackers on the market. In 2011, two of the most popular trackers debuted, the Fitbit and the Jawbone. Both do pretty much the same thing. They track your everyday activities such as steps taken, distance traveled, active minutes, sleep, and most important, calories burned. But how accurate are they? I put them back to back and found that although both are great tools for weight loss and fitness, they aren’t as accurate in distance as my Garmin which goes by GPS. And keep in mind that just because you have a GPS tracker doesn’t mean your mileage is spot on, either. Recently I put them all to the test and went on an 8 mile run. I used a phone app called “Map My Run”,a Fitbit on one arm, a Jawbone on the other arm, along with my Garmin fitness watch on my wrist. In the end, the results in distances and calories burned varied quite a bit from all the fitness trackers. For my 8 mile run, “Map My Fitness” logged my run at 9.1 miles, the Jawbone logged the same run at 6.8 and the Fitbit logged it at 7.4; but my Garmin watch that uses GPS did turn out to be the most accurate out of them all. It logged me at 8.2 miles.
As a Tri-athlete my Garmin would be my most important fitness tool. As for weight loss, I would recommend the Fitbit verses a Jawbone. Don’t get me wrong, the Jawbone does a great job, similar to the Fitbit in helping you keep track of your calories consumed and sleep, which are very important when it comes to weight loss. The reason I favored the Fitbit over the Jawbone is because it is waterproof and its popularity. Statistically, more people use the Fitbit verses any other fitness tracker. This is a great advantage when it comes to challenging more of the people you know for your Fitbit fitness social website. Studies have shown that when it comes to weight loss you are more likely to succeed when 2 or more of you are working toward the same goals.
Regardless of which trackers you decide to use, use them wisely. Your standard Fitbit comes with a push-in clasp that can easily snap off. This has happened to me more than once when I’ve taken off my sweater or a wrist sweatband. The Jawbone bracelet isn’t all that much better, it too can easily snag off while undressing. My advice would be to separately purchase a better clasp for either one so you don’t lose it.
Ultimately, the best fitness tracker in my opinion is you. It is you who has decided to live a healthier lifestyle through fitness and nutrition, and as long as you stay true to your goals, your results will be more than a post on a social website; most importantly it leads to a healthier you. (Always consult with your doctor before starting any kind of fitness program.)
