Are you looking to increase your physical activity levels, but don’t know where to start? The Fitbit Zip is a wireless activity tracker that can help you gain a better understanding of your current activity and provide the support you need to become more active.
The Fitbit Zip can track steps, distance, and burned calories. It will then sync those stats to your computer and smartphone. The device is fairly small and discreet; it can be clipped on your waistband or kept in your pocket. The Fitbit Zip is primarily an activity tracking device, but the app and website have additional tracking capabilities. In addition to exercise, you can track your water intake, weight, and food right on the app. This information doesn’t appear on your device, but it’s easily accessible on your smartphone. The website and app also includes graphs that help you visualize your progress over time.
The app and website include several motivational and social tools. You can add friends, which allows you to see their activity and cheer each other on. There is also a group feature, letting you compete against other Fitbit users. Another helpful feature is goal setting. Fitbit automatically sets personalized activity goals (such as steps or distance) for each user. If you have a specific goal in mind, you can easily edit your goal on the site. As you make progress toward your goals, you earn badges on your dashboard.
To view your data on the Fitbit Zip device, all you need to do is tap it. Each time you tap, the display rotates among different views: number of steps walked, calories burned, time, and distance traveled. There is also a cute cartoon face display that changes expressions based on your activity level throughout the day.
Pros: The device is small and it’s easy to wear every day. The display is really simple and provides just the right amount of information that you need to stay motivated to increase your activity. Many other websites and apps easily connect with Fitbit devices. For example, you can track your food in apps like Lose It! or MyFitness Pal and then your daily calorie allowance will be automatically modified based on your Fitbit activity. You can also connect Fitbit Zip with your Withings scale to monitor your weight progress.
Cons: Because the Fitbit Zip is so discreet, you might forget to remove it from your clothes before throwing it in the wash! Also, while the Fitbit device and app have simple user interfaces, the website can become a little overwhelming to navigate. You may also find the Fibit to be a little on pricy—while the Fitbit app (available for iOS and Android devices) is free, the Fitbit Zip device costs $59.99.
Overall consensus: The Fitbit Zip is a great little device for tracking basic activity levels. The app does a great job at helping you create small, realistic activity goals and provides useful tools and messaging to help keep you moving forward.
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