2015 Review: Apple Watch vs FitBit Flex

Note: As of October 2015, I am no longer a Weight Watchers member, so I am not entirely sure if my method to sync your Apple Watch to Weight Watchers still works.

Since this review, FitBit has stepped up their game and introduced a ton of new trackers to their line that can give the Apple Watch a good run for its money.

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Since I last talked about fitness trackers a lot has happened! I stopped using the Weight Watchers ActiveLink, Weight Watchers finally allowed other fitness trackers to track Activity Points, and I got an Apple Watch which has replaced my FitBit.

FitBit Flex

Pros

• It’s cheaper in price compared to the Apple Watch. The Flex is $99.95, and even their most expensive model the Surge is $249.95. You also might be able to get it cheaper if you buy it at Weight Watchers. My mom got hers there for $39.95.
• Doesn’t rely on an iPhone to work.
• Tracks all your activity and sleep.
• Battery lasts for about five days

Cons

• Doesn’t tell time.
• Doesn’t make the best fashion accessory. While I’ve started to see other color options for the bands, they’re still not what I would call cute. They look like a weird bracelet. The only band that I’ve been impressed with has been those from the Tory Burch line.
• Seems to easily wear down over time. My black band broke after a couple of months.
• It can be kind of difficult to snap the clasp on the band. I think this is why my mom has been reluctant to wear her Flex because putting the band on is kind of a pain.
• Has issues consistently syncing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to either restart my phone or restart the FitBit itself to get it to sync. Sometimes it would go for days without syncing. It was starting to have this issue daily right before I got my Apple Watch.

Apple Watch

Pros

• Tells time (it’s a watch after all). This was my big bummer about the Flex.
• Lots of options to accessorize, and I imagine it will keep growing.
• Reminds you to move! As someone whose job is sitting at a desk all day, it’s nice to have those reminders to move, even if it’s just standing for a minute. I’ve been getting in the habit of every time my Apple Watch tells me to stand, I either go refill my water bottle or take a quick walk around the building.
• It does all the things! Works with other apps, lets you receive notifications for text messages, lets you make phone calls, the features list goes on.

Cons

• They’re pricey. They range from $349 (Sport) to $17,000 (Edition) depending upon which model, band, and size you get.
• Doesn’t track sleep – at least not yet from what I’ve read. That might change in the future. – You can now! I use an app called Sleep++ and Sync Solver can sync your sleep data from there to your FitBit.
• Battery lasts for 18 hours. You have to charge it daily.
• It’s dependent on your iPhone

The Verdict?

Ultimately I chose the Apple Watch over the FitBit because of the fact it tells time plus a whole lot more. I’m not big on wearing a ton of things on my wrists, so an all-in-one device that looks good is the best fit for me. And once I found out it could track my Weight Watcher points it sealed the deal for me.

I did like the challenges with my friends on FitBit, plus I still use the Aria scale, so I found a way to sync my HealthKit info with FitBit: Sync Solver.

Additional Resources

• Apple Health and Fitness
• 16 essential fitness apps that work with Apple Health
• Sync Apple Watch Steps to Fitbit
• Weight Watchers Leverages iOS 8 And HealthKit With New Features
• Sleep++ uses your Apple Watch to track your sleep
• How does Fitbit find its way back to fitness and financial success?

How to Sync Apple Watch to Weight Watchers

In case you were wondering…

1. To sync your Apple Health app with Weight Watchers, go to More
2. Tap on the ⚙ gear
3. Tap on Activity Sync
4. Tap the pill next to Health app so that it’s green.
5. Then go to Health App › Sources › Weight Watchers and make sure all fields are enabled.