Just a head’s up that this is NOT a sponsored post. I received a Bellabeat Activity Tracker a month ago as a “bonus” in a campaign package. Bellabeat has no idea who I am, no do they care, haha. So while I did get this unit for free, it wasn’t given to me by Bellabeat. And while all my reviews are honest, it was important for me to point out this is most definitely not sponsored.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way…
Bellabeat Activity Tracker Review
So as I mentioned above, I got a BellaBeat tracker a month ago. I was really excited when I heard it was going to be included in the package from Renew Life as it was the one fitness tracker I really wanted to try out but hadn’t yet had the opportunity to do so.
A few people even commented on my pretty bracelet when I posted this picture – surprise! That’s my Bellabeat!
What makes Bellabeat different?
So I think it’s obvious what sets this tracker apart visually. It’s a wood and metal “leaf” that can be worn as a wrap bracelet (as seen above), clipped on your clothes,
or hanging like a pendant from a necklace. While I still love my Fitbit Blaze there is no denying it’s a bit bulky and utilitarian looking. Even with the metal strap, I bought to swap out when I’m not working out, it’s still fairly bulky on my small wrists. Which is what really drew me to the Bellabeat, it’s beautiful!
As someone who is actively looking to track her resting heart rate or RHR (as it is just one indicator I can use to ensure I don’t slip back into overtraining). The Bellabeat isn’t the best option for me on a day-to-day basis because it doesn’t track your heart rate, but it certainly makes for a much nicer option for days when I want to leave the Fitbit at home but still want credit for me steps, I want to give my wrists a break or simply want to have a more beautiful option for tracking purposes.
How does it perform?
I don’t normally wear it to teach classes, but I did wear it every day for two weeks in order to get an idea of how it compares data-wise to my Blaze. As I wore it mostly on my clothes versus on my wrist during that test period (I didn’t think sweat and the nice leather bracelet would be a good combo) I expected there to be a slight difference in step counts.
The first couple of days I did actually wear it on my wrist and then moved to wear it on my clothes. What was interesting is when I moved it to my clothes, my step count was consistently higher than my Fitbit steps count. But while on my wrist, it was consistently less (keep in mind they were on opposite wrists).
Bellabeat is on the left, Fitbit on the right. The top row is when the Bellabeat activity tracker was on my wrist, the second row while it was clipped on my clothes.
Bellabeat versus FitBit
I’ve heard that Fitbit seems to typically “undercount” steps by up to 25%. I know I’ve found that to be true compared to other trackers I’ve used, so that wasn’t a huge surprise even though I was expecting a different result. So as far as step count goes, I think it does a pretty great job.
When it comes to sleep tracking, it took the Bellabeat about a week to figure me out. The first night it thought I had only slept 2 hours when it was really more like 7, and the next night it thought I slept 13 hours (!!) when it was really 9, but by the end of the first week it was coming up with sleep times quite like my Fitbit.
One big difference in the sleep tracking is that Fitbit tries to track your sleep cycles giving you more insight into how restful your sleep is, while the Bellabeat is unable to do that.
Another great feature on the Bellabeat is the ability to track your cycles. I use a separate app to do that, but for those who don’t this makes for a great extra feature.
Now a big plus of the Bellabeat is that the battery lasts for up to 6 months before it needs to be replaced, unlike other trackers that need to be charged every few days to a week, which means it’s super low maintenance in comparison!
So to wrap it up, here are the pros and cons of the Bellabeat Activity tracker which may help you decide if it is the right tracker for you
Pros
- Is pretty and more feminine than most other trackers
- The battery lasts up to 6 months
- Step count appears to be pretty accurate
- Give you a variety of ways you can wear it
- Doubles as a cycle tracker
Cons
- No heart rate tracking
- No GPS tracking for runners/cyclists
- No music capabilities or phone notifications (this honestly may be considered a pro…)
- No enhanced sleep tracking
All-in-all, if I were talking to the old Suzi, that girl who worked in an office, worked out a couple of times/week but was more interested in tracking her daily movement and basic sleep and not a hard-core exerciser and someone who needs to track he RHR and whatnot – I’d go for the Bellabeat.
As it is, with my active job I feel the Fitbit is still my best choice for the working hours, but I am very happy to be able to switch over to the Bellabeat on the weekend and vacations when RHR really isn’t a concern.
So it depends on who you are, but I think the Bellabeat activity tracker definitely is a great option for the average user. It sure is pretty and does a great job.
Here are some other activity tracker reviews I’ve done
Disclosure: Once again, this is not a sponsored post, but this post does contain affiliate links. Making a purchase through one of these links will help support me and this site so I thank you!