technology news: Best Fitbit to buy: Here's what our editors are using!

Fitbit is one of the most popular wearables on the planet. Here's what the Mobile Nations editor's wear, and why.

There are lots of reasons to get a Fitbit. More than just a fitness-focused wearable, it comes a whole social platform that its some 21 million users can all be a part of. For some, it means bragging rights over their friends, for others it's a way to keep motivated to stay in shape.

It's also a favorite among the Mobile Nations editors at iMore, Android Central, CrackBerry, and Windows Central. So, if you're looking to buy a Fitbit but aren't sure which one to get, we can help!

We've rounded up our Fitbit wearing colleagues and they're here to tell you what they wear and why they like it so much. Let's get to it!

Let's get to it!

Kevin Michaluk

Why do I like Fitbit in general? Because of the Friends and Challenges. It's not about the tracking, as lots of products can do that. What makes the difference is that I can compete with my co-workers, friends, family, nieces and nephews. Whenever I have a challenge on a week or weekend I do way more steps and I'm more conscious of my physical activities. And now Fitbit has sold enough of them that you're almost guaranteed to know people who have them.

My favorite model is the Fitbit Charge HR. I can wear it all day easily, even at the computer. It's easy to take on and off when I have to and the band is durable. I also really like having the heart rate all the time. It's comfortable enough to sleep with for tracking, though I don't always do this. Also, fashion-wise, because I like to wear mechanical watches, I wear this on the opposite wrist along with another leather bracelet and it blends in well. It's not trying to define my style, it just blends in. The battery life is good enough, I only need to charge it maybe twice a week. And a pro tip: Leave your charger in the bathroom and charge it when you shower (that's when you know you'll be taking it off consistently.)

While the Charge HR is my favorite, I've used enough of the various Fitbit products to have some opinions on all of them:

Fitbit Flex

Likes: Lots of colors of bands which is great. Can coordinate colors for different wardrobes and occasions.
Dislikes: I have trouble putting it on sometimes with the way the clasp is designed and have broken the clasp on numerous occasions. Taking the bit out of the bracelet for charging is kind of annoying. It is actually is less comfortable to wear at a computer than the Charge/Charge HR.

Fitbit Surge

Likes: If I'm hardcore training (such as getting ready for a half marathon), I like the built-in GPS.
Dislikes: It's big and watch-like — it looks and feels more like a sports/heart rate monitor watch. The Surge doesn't have that all day wearability that I desire, but some of my more athletic friends are all about the Surge.

Fitbit One

Likes: Price is good, especially if you just care most about tracking your daily steps.
Dislikes: Because it's not strapped to my wrist, I've lost them before :(

Fitbit Blaze:

This one takes the most common smartwatch tasks and puts them in a Fitbit without trying to do too much. It provides a lot of customization options, but it's not for me, though — it starts to define your style. I prefer my fitness tracker to just blend in with my own style. At least for now, maybe some day that will change.

James Falconer

Having been a Fitbit user for many years now, I can safely say their fitness products (and apps) keep getting better and better. I'm invested in their ecosystem, and have cycled through the Fitbit One, Flex, and Charge. Heck, I even have the Aria wireless scale (to tell me how fat — or not fat — I am). These days I'm sporting the Charge HR on my left wrist. I rarely (if ever) go a day without wearing it.

The Charge HR is actually quite comfortable. It's not too bulky, is easy to take on and off, and stays put on my wrist. I can actually work with it on without feeling uncomfortable.

The heart rate tracking is actually really good. I use it when I'm out for a run or workout to keep me on track. I have never had an issue with this feature, it works as advertised.

The Charge makes key data glanceable. You can set the display to show you whatever information you like (time, current heart rate, steps, etc.) when you raise your wrist as you would a watch. I usually set this to the time, but if I'm out for a run I might set it to distance, steps, or heart rate. No matter the situation this is easily tweaked from within the Fitbit app.

On that note, the apps are just plain solid. I've used both the Android and iPhone apps, and the detailed data is great. It easily lets me go back to monitor progress, pick up on trends, and more. But most important is the social aspect. I enjoy entering competitions with friends and colleagues, and the extra motivation can really push you to put in that extra workout, or push that little bit harder to win the day!

Alicia Erlich

I spend most of my time working in my cubicle, so I wear the Fitbit Flex to help with my day-to-day fitness goals.

Motivation is a key aspect of the Flex. Not only do I have myself to rely on, but there is also the added benefit of social interaction. I can connect with my friends who cheer on my accomplishments. That's not to say that the Flex doesn't do typical fitness tracker things like tracking my step count and distance towards my daily goal. If I do reach that goal, there's a sense of accomplishment. If I don't, I try to make up for it the following day. As such, I find myself opting out of public transportation and walking more even for minor errands.

I chose the Flex for two reasons. The first being I already use a smartwatch, so having a tracker with a built-in clock was unnecessary. The second is for the sleep monitoring capability. I tend to ignore the recommended number of hours one needs for a good night's sleep due. On average I think I was getting five or six hours depending on what I was working on during the week. Using the tracker, I can see not only the duration but the quality as well. I am aware of how much sleep I get on a daily basis and have learned to plan my schedule accordingly.

While I cannot always find the time to exercise at the gym, my Flex helps me to stay fit and reach my fitness goals in other ways.

Michelle Haag

I've been a Fitbit user off an on for years now. I started with a Fitbit One, moved briefly to a Fitbit Charge HR and then upgraded to the Fitbit Surge shortly after. Working from home, you'd think it's easy to get 10k steps in daily, but it tends to have the opposite effect. Some days I find myself wondering if I even moved at all. Wearing a Fitbit helps me stay accountable and motivates me to hit step goals to ensure I'm getting in at least the bare minimum of activity.

I often participate in the weekly challenges with my Fitbit wearing friends. A little friendly competition always helps me get in gear. I also appreciate how Fitbit integrates with other apps like Pact and MyFitnessPal.

I just upgraded from the Surge to the Blaze, and so far I'm loving it! I liked the touchscreen features of the Surge, but it was kind of bulky for me. The Blaze is solving that problem for me, plus the on-screen workouts are going to be super useful during the day when I just need a quick break and a little activity. And I'm looking forward to buying bands so I can switch up the look!

Rich Edmonds

Fitbit is the most popular form of wearable available today and it's clear to see why when you strap one to your wrist, or attach another option to a piece of clothing. Coupling the company's trackers with the connected scales and social platform enables you to conveniently check out how you're progressing through selected fitness programs, or to boast about how many steps you managed to rack up during that evening stroll.

I enjoy using Fitbit due to the battery life of the Flex, as well as having the official app available cross-platform. I was relatively unfit compared to my younger years, but sticking to a strict regime, watching what I eat and noting it down on the Fitbit website (which counts your calories and whatnot), as well as ensuring I'm smashing all my set goals really turned things around.

I'm now in the frame of mind to head out each and every day for a run or walk, which is especially important for someone who sits at their desk for a number of hours in the morning and afternoon. Should you be looking for an easy-to-use tracker with a platform to really expand upon, look no further than Fitbit.

DJ Reyes

While I use a smartwatch, I prefer to use a dedicated fitness tracker for tracking my overall fitness. Right now my current choice of fitness device is the Fitbit Flex. It's simple, not too big and it lets me track my steps as well as my sleep. My initial reason for picking one up is because a lot of the Mobile Nations team owned one and Fitbit offers a great way of competing with your friends, family and colleagues through challenges. It's certainly a great motivator and seeing a colleague's name further up on the list always makes me aim to get my step count up. Fitbit also has a sleep tracker, and while I was not really into tracking my sleep before owning a Fitbit Flex, I've found it to be very helpful and does lead me to try and sleep better.

I do have plans to upgrade my Flex to a newer model. I have been eyeing the Charge HR, mainly due to the heart rate monitor but with the new models announced, I am holding out a little while to see what the reviews say about them. While I've thought about other brands of fitness tracker, I'm very partial to the Fitbit brand and the motivation I get from competing with the Mobile Nations team.

Marc Lagace

Being relatively new to wearing a Fitbit, I can't help wishing I had jumped on the bandwagon sooner. I spent my university and college years piling on the pounds through pizza, beer, and a sedentary lifestyle marked by Netflix and an aversion to going to the gym.

Now in my late-20s, I've decided to finally focus on improving my health by setting better lifestyle habits for myself. I've been wearing the Fitbit Surge for the past month or so as part of my overall fitness plan along with eating healthier and hitting the gym.

And the Fitbit Surge has definitely played a role in getting me off the couch, thanks in larger part to the Fitbit Friends and Challenges. It motivates me to use my standing desk at work and to go for walks as I try and keep pace in challenges. I've also appreciated reviewing the activity data from my workouts and tracking the calories I burn at my weekly dodgeball league. I've yet to use the built-in GPS much as it's been too icy outside to go for runs, but once the sidewalks have cleared I'm eager to have the Surge literally track my path to better fitness.

Aesthetically, I've never really seen the point in wearing a watch — smartphones are essentially modern pocket watches — but I've actually come to enjoy wearing the Surge. On top of looking stylish on my wrist, I can get quick info about my recent activity (or inactivity) from just briefly glancing at the watch face. And I've found it's comfortable enough to wear to bed for the sleep tracking features—a data set I value and have previously attempted to track via clunkier smartphone apps in the past.

That's ultimately my favorite part about the Fitbit experience. It's designed to track your steps, sleep, and active minutes automatically so I don't have to fuddle around in the Fitbit app too much. You just wear it and go.

If you're interested in any of these for yourselves, hit up the link below to check out Amazon's dedicated Fitbit store.

Fitbit Store at Amazon