Fitbit One adds Bluetooth sync and silent alarm; the one life tracker to buy (review)

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Fitbit One retail package

I don't get many comments on my life tracking device articles, but I still continue to buy them and post my thoughts because I think they serve a valuable role in getting people up and out of their seats. I recently reviewed the new Jawbone UP and then bought my own light blue one. I was going to just stick with the new UP, but then saw that Fitbit made several improvements in their latest tracker so I bought the new Fitbit One a couple of weeks ago and have been putting it through its paces. I think the Fitbit One may be my new ultimate tracker, but let's take a walk through it and see what you think.

What is improved in the new Fitbit One compared to the Fitbit Ultra?

To start with, the form factor of the Fitbit One is much sleeker than the Ultra and the clip is an additional accessory and not integrated like it is on the Ultra. I liked the integrated clip design of the Ultra, but since I am primarily carrying the One in my small jeans pocket I find I like the more compact design. The display is brighter and sharper on the One. I also LOVE that vibration is now supported for a silent alarm to wake me in the morning. Another MAJOR improvement is the ability to sync the Fitbit One with an iOS device via Bluetooth (Android support is coming). I'll discuss these new features in my detailed review below.

Form factor and data comparison with others

For most of this year, the Nike+ Fuelband was my preferred activity tracker. It has a great design and I like the wristband form factor. However, it doesn't do much in the way of collecting useful data and the closed ecosystem limited its usefulness. When Jawbone improved the UP, I moved to using that device and found it much more useful than the Fuelband. The UP collects and helps manage movement, sleep, and meal data and comes in the wristband form factor. I am wearing my light blue UP band right now and like most everything about it. I don't like that it only syncs to my iPhone via a rather clunky 3.5mm headset jack connection, there is only an iOS app so you cannot view any data in a web browser, and there is no support for 3rd party applications so you can't integrate workouts tracked by other devices or use other meal tracking apps. The Fitbit One is definitely the most open of these three devices and also collects and manages more data.