2014-11-09-tracking-steps-and-more-fitbit-flex-vs.html

---
layout: post
title: 'Tracking Steps and More: Fitbit Flex vs LG G Watch'
date: '2014-11-09T09:04:00.000-05:00'
author: Carlo
tags:
- Flex
- fitness tracking
- Android Wear
- Sleep as Android
- Smartwatch
- Steps
- G Watch
- Pedometer
- Fitbit
- LG G Watch
modified_time: '2014-11-09T09:04:58.261-05:00'
blogger_id: tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1115978604548657664.post-5242205624252345295
blogger_orig_url: https://thewahlstedts.blogspot.com/2014/11/tracking-steps-and-more-fitbit-flex-vs.html
---

A little while back I purchased an LG G Watch because it was a good deal. However, this also means that it wasn't a brand new product. Not wanting to gift something that had issues, I wore the watch for a few days.<br /><br />Let me first step back and say, I've been wearing a Fitbit Flex for about six months now. It's been extremely useful for me because it not only tracks how active I am, but also the quality and quantity of my sleep. My one complaint about it is that when wearing something on my wrist, I'd prefer that it also show the time.<br /><br />While there are a lot of trackers out there for these types of things, until Fitbit's recent product announcements, it's been hard to find one that fits just those three basic needs. Even when there is a product like that, the battery only lasts a few days. If it doesn't last a week, it's not a viable product.<br /><br />However, since the chance presented itself to test the watch, I took it. There are a lot of reviews out there about Android Wear and the different watches that support it. However, I don't see many comparing it to the current de facto standard in activity trackers, the Fitbit.<br /><br />Before we talk about steps comparison, let me quickly say that Android Wear has no good functionality to track sleep built in. There is <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.urbandroid.sleep.full.key&amp;hl=en" target="_blank">an app that comes close</a>&nbsp;but&nbsp;the current offering is <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/sleepasandroid/doc/integration" target="_blank">somewhat lacking</a>. If you want a watch who's battery will last you from one morning to the next, you probably can't use the app with it. Not to mention, to this point, most Android Wear watches are made to sleep with.<br /><br />So, how did the LG G Watch do with tracking steps? Actually better than I expected. Below you can see the chart comparing the two. I wore both on my non-dominant hand:<br /><br /><br /><table style="width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><th></th><th>Arrived at Work</th><th>Morning Walk</th><th>After Lunch</th><th>End of the Day</th></tr><tr><td height="50">Fitbit Flex:</td><td style="text-align: center;">553</td><td style="text-align: center;">2,336</td><td style="text-align: center;">3,854</td><td style="text-align: center;">6,163</td></tr><tr><td>LG G Watch:</td><td style="text-align: center;">852</td><td style="text-align: center;">2,681</td><td style="text-align: center;">4,051</td><td style="text-align: center;">6,355</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />There are a few things to point out. The difference in steps after arriving at work, was solely because I shook my protein shake on the way to work. This is something that could easily be corrected in an Android Wear firmware release (this test was done before the recent update to hide notifications). You'll notice that difference carried over the rest of the day and stayed pretty much consistent.