Why I Switched From A Jawbone Up To A FitBit Force

Since last year I have taken a turn when it comes to my physical health. Not to say I have any issues but rather turning things around to ensure I don’t in the future. Exercise, diet, activities, attitude and awareness are all part of the program. Sitting back and thinking a few visits to the gym will do it isn’t enough, you need to know about the data. The more information you can get about your physical health the better I think. In the current and near future world of smaller, more powerful technology the next big thing is biometric monitoring. Devices, gadgets, applications that help you get information about your body that has never been available before outside of a lab setting. A simple wrist worn device is all you need to get going.

About 6 months ago I spent many, many weeks reviewing and researching the devices that were on the market for biometric/activity monitoring. Those reviews came down to three devices, Nike FuelBand, FitBit Flex and the Jawbone Up. The Nike was over priced and their fuel number was confusing and made no sense so I ruled that out. FitBit Flex was a very close second but I chose the Jawbone Up mainly because I knew many people who had the Up.

Jump ahead to January and Mrs. Binary Blogger is recovering after giving birth to our second child, a daughter, and itching to get her pre-pregnancy running shape back. She was getting into the motivation to get a device and did her research and locked on to the new FitBit Force. I tried to get her to take a look at the Jawbone since I already had one, sharing and competing would be easier, but upon the research and reviews the FitBit Force was by far the better device.

My biggest gripe with the Jawbone was you had to plug it into your phone to sync where others were wireless. Since I purchased the Up they released an Up 24 model with wireless sync but too little too late and still are missing the second problem I had with it. No web access to your data. Jawbone was only on the phone app which was a pain. Fitbit allows you to access you data, connect with friends on the web. In addition they have a dongle that you can use with your PC to wirelessly sync with your PC too as well as your phone. A big plus.

From a feature function comparison here’s why I chose the FitBit Force over the Up. Digital display. End of story. I can see how many steps I am at, how many flights of stairs I am at, activity time and a clock. Hands down this is a game changer. Now in the middle of the day I can see exactly where I am at with my goals, I can see how many steps it is from point A to point B in my day, how many miles I have traveled and I can adjust my activity accordingly. To get the same return from the Jawbone I need to take off the band, pull the cover off the jack, plug it in and sync it. The FitBit Force priced at $129, it’s right in the middle of the others out there and less than the Up 24 which has no digital display.

Needles to say both myself and Mrs. Binary are owners and users of the FitBit Force. My Jawbone Up is on Ebay waiting to be sold.

However, if Apple released an iWatch that has this capability in it and work with my iPhone in geeky ways, I will switch to that. But until then I am 100% a FitBit Force supporter.

If you are looking for an activity device, you can’t go wrong with a FitBit Force.

End of Line.

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Binary Blogger

Binary Blogger has spent 20 years in the Information Security space currently providing security solutions and evangelism to clients. From early web application programming, system administration, senior management to enterprise consulting I provide practical security analysis and solutions to help companies and individuals figure out HOW to be secure every day.

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