The Fitbit Flex and the Flex 2 are affordable fitness trackers that sync up to your smartphones or laptops to provide you with all of your fitness information. The idea is to monitor all aspects of one’s activity and generate enough data to be able to construct a fitness plan and keep on track of achieving fitness goals.
I will be comparing both of these fitness trackers by breaking down their main features and understanding how they benefit us, the users. You will find that some features will be the same in both trackers. While it is important for us to learn about their similarities and highlight their differences.
Table of Contents
Fitbit Flex Activity Tracker
- Ability to Transfer Data
- The Flex can transfer data to laptops and smartphones. Bluetooth is used to transfer data from the tracker to the chosen device.
- Accuracy
- This band is designed to be slipped on your wrist and worn throughout the day. The very first trackers on the market were designed to be worn directly on clothing.
- They tend to be a little more accurate than wrist trackers. You do move your hands a lot more than your body while sitting or resting. This makes the accuracy of the Flex a little off as it overestimates the wearer’s daily steps.
- Battery life
- You can charge your Fitbit Flex using a USB cable plug suited for an outlet in the wall or on your computer. Once charged you can wear the device for up to 5 days before it runs out of battery.
- Aesthetics
- The band is slim and made of plastic that can bend and move easily. It isn’t the most discreet thing to wear but the band can be changed. The tracker doesn’t have a display and therefore doesn’t show you any real-time data.
- Sleep Tracking
- Unfortunately, the Flex doesn’t assess the quality of your sleep like most of the Fitbit fitness band successors. However, it can identify movement made during your sleep cycle and all of this information is tallied towards your daily step and calorie count.
- Water Resistance
- You can wear the band in the shower worry-free. That gives you peace of mind. There is nothing worse than forgetting about taking off non-waterproof watches and gadgets before showering.
- Alarm Clock
- If you wish to wake up to a gentle vibration you can set an alarm through your phone and the band will vibrate gently at the chosen time to wake you up.
PROS
- A strong band strap that does not unclasp on its own.
- Waterproof
- No distracting phone calls and notifications
- Really long battery life
CONS
- It looks like a fitness tracker not ideally suited to be worn for other occasions
- It does not include a watch
- Is plain looking
Fitbit Flex 2 Activity tracker
- Sleep Tracking.
- The tracking ability installed in this device aids you both in your exercise regimen as well as achieving optimal sleeping goals with bedtime reminders designed to support in that area. There is no better way of staying in shape than by nurturing your body providing it with enough sleep.
- Water Proof
- The band is optimally designed to be waterproof so you can track your swimming goal. You can forget all about it so you have no worries when you take a shower, wash your hands and workout.
- Notifications
- The LED lights will flash and vibrate every time to prompt you when there is anything new for you to check on your phone. There is no screen on the device so you do not have the convenience of reading the actual notifications.
- Reminders to Move
- Having a desk job means that you probably won’t get as many steps in during the day as you would like to. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to achieve your step goals. With the help of the Flex 2, you will get regular polite reminders to walk if you have not reached 250 steps in a given hour.
- Battery life
- All-day long and through the night, the Flex 2 tracks your activity without needing to be charged for a whole 5 days.
- Goal Celebrations
- Positive reinforcement encourages ongoing progress and is always welcome when we are on a journey to self-improvement. The Flex 2 celebrates your milestones via the app.
PROS
- The band looks more like a bracelet than a fitness tracker, which means it can be worn with everyday appare
- Battery life is up to 5 days
- Durable band
- Its features are not distracting when compared to social media on your smartphone
CONS
- Does not automatically provide the current status on the screen without having to enter the app
- Tracks basic activity
Winner – Fitbit Flex 2
It is pretty obvious that both of these bands are designed to enable you to keep tabs on your fitness achievements. Between the two of them, the Fitbit Flex 2 is crowned the winner today.
When what you are looking for is a simple tracker that isn’t going to scream “Look at me! Over here! Look at me!” throughout the day, that is the benefit you have when using the Flex 2.
Its simplicity includes the ability to blend into the background while efficiently collecting the desired reliable data to keep you in the right direction on your fitness journey.
