November 14, 2012
Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback! If you've already bought into the Fitbit ecosystem with an Ultra or earlier Fitbit and you have a Bluetooth Smart compatible smartphone (iOS only for now; Android coming when Google opens up the APIs), the upgrade to One is a no-brainer. Syncing on the go is automatic and painless. It's nice to open up the iOS app or website and know the information I'm seeing is up to date.The new form-factor is awesome and should prove to be more durable over time. The clip is separated from the tracker, so that resolves the cracking issues on the previous Ultra tracker. The clip also seems way more secure and can be almost difficult to put on sometimes, but once it's on, it's not going anywhere. However, the new secure clip makes it more difficult to clip on thicker things like belts. I keep my tracker in the clip and keep it in my change pocket of my jeans. If I'm not wearing pants with a change pocket, I clip it on the regular pocket.Unfortunately, sleep tracking is still very much a gimmick. The included sleep wristband is of much higher quality than what came with the Ultra, but that's about where the improvements stop. I've seen better analysis from other apps and sleep trackers. I'm positive the data the tracker gathers about sleep is accurate, I just wish the website would provide more useful analysis. It would be interesting to easily see how late I go sleep affects sleep quality, etc.The new vibration feature of the One is also a gimmick in my book. Yeah, the vibration alarm works and Fitbit provides a multitude of alarm repeat options, but I don't personally find it useful. I would like to see the vibration be used as a smart alarm, where it wakes you up at the best point of your sleep cycle. It would also be awesome if the tracker vibrated if you've been inactive for a while, reminding you to get up and move around a bit. Both of these features should be just software enhancements, so I'm hoping a Fitbit has a plan to make the vibration more useful in the future.Overall, the Fitbit One is a solid device and I highly recommend it. Like any fitness device, it's not going to magically make you healthier, but it awesome tool to help track progress and keep you motivated. When used in conjunction with other fitness tools in the Fitbit ecosystem, it's powerful enough to give you an overall picture of your activity level and help you reach your fitness goals. I've lost 50lbs in the past year using the Fitbit Ultra tracker, and I look forward to losing even more using the Fitbit One.