Hello! How are you; I hope you are enjoying the day so far. Today, I am re-sharing this post with updated information – comparing two fitness tools: fitness alta and apple watch. They don’t make Alta anymore, though Luxe is similar here.
Apple Watch vs. Fitbit Alta
Something that helped me a lot with my motivation to move and stay active throughout the day was my Apple Watch. I’m a huge fan of fitness trackers – I’ve used several Fitbit models, the Tom-Tom Spark 3, Garmins, Polars, I’m a bit of a fitness tracker nerd – and my latest favorite is the Apple Watch. It’s sporty yet cute enough to wear every day, and the stats and interface are amazing.
When I switched to the Apple Watch, I mostly wore a Fitbit, and more recently the FitBit Alta. I like that the Alta is much smaller than other fitness trackers and gave me similar stats (plus the heart rate model tracks your heart rate). I’ve been a Fitbit fan for years and consistently use Fitbit as an efficient way to track my steps and workout stats. I’ve been eyeing the Apple Watch for about a year, but wasn’t sure if the cost would be worth switching.
When we first moved to Valdosta, we attended an auction for Liv’s new school and on one of the tables was an Apple Watch. I decided to leave it in the hands of fate. A few mint yups later, and lingering around the auction table, I was the proud new owner of a Apple Watch (and a pair of Prada sunglasses. Yolo. <— do people still wear that? ha)
Here’s my Apple Watch vs. Fitbit Alta review:
Interface:
The Fitbit interface is simple. It tells you everything you need to know (steps, distance, calories burned) without any extra bells and whistles. If you log into the app, you can also track sleep data, which can be extremely insightful.
The Apple Watch takes things to the next level. Your goals for the day are divided into small circles: movement goals (calories burned), standing (I think it’s moving for 5 minutes every hour), and training (30 minutes of activity per day). It’s SO satisfying to see the circles build up throughout the day and an easy way to take a look and check how you’re doing.
Since the Apple Watch is obviously… a watch… you can also change the face to a picture in your camera roll or any of their collection (some of them move, like jellyfish and butterflies). It’s fun to face change into Minnie Mouse when we’re at Disney World. 😉
Sleep monitoring:
To be perfectly honest, I haven’t used this feature on the Apple watch. As a mom, I find sleep tracking to be one of the most depressing things ever. Ignorance is bliss.
I used this while wearing the Alta and it was helpful to see how much deep sleep I was getting versus light/disrupted sleep.
Battery life:
Here is where Fitbit wins. My Alta would easily last a couple of days and my Apple Watch lasts about a day and a half. This means I either have to charge it overnight or take a lunchtime charging break, which is kind of annoying.
Training mode:
The activity tracker is next level stuff and one of the reasons I LOVE it Apple Watch. You can choose swim, indoor walk, outdoor walk, bike, indoor spin or fast start and it will target your stats based on your activity. It also tracks heart rate, which I find to be pretty accurate. Sometimes when I sweat profusely, it slips around my wrist and doesn’t read it well. I like being able to tell it what I’m doing so it can provide more relevant information. For example, if I’m out, it includes distance and pace in my stats.
MUSIC:
The Fitbit charge is much more limited in this aspect, so it’s one of the Apple Watch’s huge perks. It shows the music I’m currently playing from my phone and I can adjust the volume. This is SO AWESOME while teaching a class because I can turn the music down for a more thorough workout and turn up the volume for an intense part of the workout.
The Apple Watch also syncs my text messages and I can answer the phone from it (and talk to the watch). I find that with these features, I’m not on my phone nearly as much. I don’t constantly check to see if I have missed messages or calls.
Plan:
Both have their advantages. Alta (now Luxe) looks more indestructible and is still small and chic. You can swap out the Fitbit bands and make it as fancy as you want.
The Apple Watch it looks a bit more technological, but ultimately it looks like a beautiful watch. I love that you can swap out the bracelets and change the look of the watch.
Conclusion:
I feel like with anything else, you have to find what works for you and what you prefer. When I wear a fitness tracker, I feel more motivated to take small steps throughout the day and really aim to hit those 10k steps. The Alta is a great tracker (and less expensive than the Apple Watch), and the Apple Watch provides a bit more information, settings, and options. They’re both awesome in their own way, but for now, I use and love the Apple Watch.
Do you use a gym? Which one is your very favorite? What exercise goals do you set for yourself each day?
I aim to get 10,000 steps – some days are super easy and others challenging – and get in my 30 minutes of movement.
ho ho
Gina
