Journey to the combine, with the Fitbit Force (J/K)

“Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Fans Voices program and have been provided with a wireless device and six months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.”

No, I’m not in peak physical condition and training the NFL Combine but with the Fitbit Force, at least I can be honest with my overall fitness level and aspire to improve. The Fitbit Force is a water resistant fitness tracker, that tracks your steps, how far you walked/ran, calories burned, flights of stairs you climbed, etc… and it tells time and has a silent alarm clock.

It has a sleek design and it’s comfortable to wear. I’ve seen reviews from people about the band irritating skin but that’s not the case for me. I wear it loosely around my wrist similarly to how I used to wear the Livestrong band. I wear it everyday and it’s now my go to timepiece.

With the Fitbit app, which can be downloaded on Google Play, you can pair the device via NFC and sync your stats. On the app, you can change the settings and features you see on your wrist.

Although I recommend the Fitbit Force, I am a little skeptical about the device’s accuracy. I’ve used advanced fitness trackers before and monitoring was always consistent. For example, in more advanced fitness trackers I usually hit 5 miles between 10,500-11,000 steps. With the Fitbit, in the same amount of steps it will usually track around 4.8 miles. The inaccuracies could a result of me wearing the Fitbit Force loosely around my wrist like a Livestrong band. When wearing a fitness tracker, it’s usually recommended you wear it comfortably around your wrist like a watch.

Lastly, one feature that is missing is that it doesn’t track an activity like cycling or lifting weights automatically. I hope this feature is a matter of a software upgrade. It also comes with a proprietary USB cord to charge or sync with your computer. I wish this was a standard USB so I can charge it whenever I want. The battery will last you about a week.

Who is this device for? It’s for someone who aspires to understand their own fitness level and aspires to live a healthier lifestyle… which should mean everyone! If you’re training for the marathon (or the NFL combine) I’d recommend a gps-enabled fitness tracker with all the bells and whistles. The Fitbit Force is for the average person.

The verdict: I love it. It’s unassuming , utilitarian and I can wear it all day. Plus it’s water resistant which means if I’m working out and sweating, it won’t malfunction. You can probably wash the dishes but I wouldn’t go swimming with it on.