Consumer activity trackers are inexpensive, user friendly, and reasonably accurate, so it's not surprising that as their public profile has grown, so have the number of researchers using them in clinical trials. We did a search of ClinicalTrials.gov for "Fitbit" -- just one of the activity trackers out there, but one of the most popular and high profile -- and found a surprising number of in-progress trials.

In some of these, the Fitbit device is the intervention being tested. In others, it's an outcome measure in use by both the intervention and control group. And the trials deal with a wide range of health conditions, including diabetes, cancer, cystic fibrosis and arthritis. Read on for our roundup of 21 ongoing clinical trials using Fitbit activity trackers.

The Fitbit Blaze has a modern, techy look, it is lightweight and only a few millimeters thick, the display is vivid and colorful, and it has been a real pleasure to wear it 24/7 during my testing period. Several people have seen it on my wrist and have been impressed by the functionality I have showed them. Fitbit has a real winner here with the Fitbit Blaze and if you are an active consumer I highly recommend you consider it.

Fitbit has tapped the duo behind Public School to elevate the design of its fitness trackers. Since hitting the market, the wristband health devices definitely haven't been known for enhancing style, but if anyone can change that it's Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne.

The coveted New York brand will be upgrading the Fitbit Alta, a slim cuff with interchangeable wristbands that the company recently introduced. The first Public School design will be debuted during its Fall/Winter 2016 show this weekend at New York Fashion Week.

Ftbit is proving once again that they’re design-conscious and current. After a spring 2014 collaboration with Tory Burch on accessories for the Fitbit Flex tracker, the tech brand has announced a new of-the-moment collaboration. The designer this time around? Public School.

In fact, Burch is still working with the brand on a future release, and the choice of Public School — designed by Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne — was strategic, so as not to compete with her following. Theirs is a sportier, edgier urban aesthetic that appeals to both sexes, in particular younger Millennials and men. Their collection is sure to make the Fitbit much cooler and sought after. They’re putting the Public School treatment on the new Fitbit Alta, which is a slim cuff with interchangeable bands.

Fitbit is pretty much the company that comes to mind when talking about activity tracking wearables, and many would say the Charge HR helped give the company the household name it has today. The Fitbit Charge HR has been on the market since January 2015, and still serves as one of the company’s flagship activity trackers. This device offers continuous heart rate monitoring, detailed activity tracking, sleep tracking and information on your resting heart rate, making this somewhat of an all-in-one wearable that aims to satisfy everyone’s needs.

With Fitbit's Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale, you can measure your weight, body mass index, lean mass, and body fat percentage. Setting, tracking, and reaching goals has never been easier: The scale is compatible with all Fitbit trackers and the Fitbit app, including Calorie Coaching. Your short- and long-term fitness and health trends are mapped on easy-to-read charts and graphs so you can easily follow your progress.

The Fitbit Alta helps you keep on track with your New Year’s resolution by tracking daily movement, sleep activity, and even reminding you when you have been sitting on the couch too long. Another feature that makes the Alta stand out is the interchangeable band, which can be swapped out for silicone, leather, or metal bands sold separately.

There are a ton of these wearables out there, many of which behave similarly, but for now, our top pick is still the Fitbit Charge HR. It’s relatively accurate, comfortable, and easy to read. It’s aided by a user-friendly (and immensely popular) software suite. It automatically tracks your sleeping habits. And, as its name suggests, it continuously monitors your heart rate, giving you a good indication of your general health.

Fitbit has announced Alta, its best-looking wearable yet...its roots are still settled in fitness, but along with the Fitbit Blaze, the popular fitness tracker company has now rounded out its upcoming 2016 offering with a more affordable but equally impressive tracker.

The Alta is light on new features, but that’s not the play here — Fitbit is trying to create a more fashion-forward wearable for its team of designers (and Tory Burch) to play around with, and it looks like they’ve had some success.

At first blush, the Alta is just a sleeker, more refined version of the Fitbit Flex. The unit itself is made of stainless steel and has an OLED touch display that can be used to view fitness stats and the time. Like the Flex, the unit is small and nested into an interchangeable band, with Fitbit likely banking on users seeing the Alta as a seasonal fashion statement in addition to a fitness tracker. They had some pretty terrific band designs for the Flex, so we figure it’s a pretty safe bet that will continue with the Alta.

The Fitbit Alta, released today, is a fitness wearable that’s well, more wearable.

Fitness trackers work best when you wear them consistently, but many of the devices on the market don’t blend easily with an upscale outfit. The Alta answers that issue with a sleek design that could easily work with a cocktail dress. The display pops into rubber bands for working out and stainless steel or natural grain leather for when you want a more polished look.

Fitbit’s new tracker is slimmer and sleeker than most of the company’s other fitness bands, and can track wearers’ steps taken, calories burned and other health metrics. The Alta is compatible with Fitbit’s new high-end bands, including leather and stainless steel options. Wearers with multiple bands can swap the Alta’s internal tracker between them, using a sports watch-style band at the gym and a steel version at work, for instance.

The Alta seems like a solid choice for wearers who want a general purpose fitness tracker that won’t feel bulky or burdensome. During a brief workout using the Alta, I could barely remember I was wearing a fitness tracker since it felt so lightweight.

Fitbit is kind of the OG of the fitness tracker world, yet they’re still doing some pretty cool, innovative things. Last month at CES, they unveiled the Fitbit Blaze, the fitness watch that will rival the Apple Watch. This morning, Fitbit officially announced the launch of their brand-new wearable, and it’s their most stylish effort yet. Meet the Alta ($130), a slim activity tracking bangle that would be a welcome addition to any arm party.

After looking at all this, it seems the Fitbit Blaze is a perfect blend of the original Fitbit and the Apple iWatch. It gives you access to the most-used functions on your smartphone, but in a more streamlined, fitness-centric package. The idea is that those who buy wearables are more often looking for the fitness/health component than a smaller version of their phone. In that way, I think it's safe to say the Blaze bests the Apple Watch in the fitness tracker market, especially because of its flexible wearability and its much lower price tag.

In addition, the Blaze boasts enhanced fitness features such as the Fitbit's FitStar app, which features on-screen workouts, as well as Connected GPS, PurePulse heart rate tracking, and SmartTrack automatic exercise recognition to help users stay motivated.

The fitness-tracker company rode out to meet its competitors head-on earlier this week, introducing a new smartwatch of its own, called the Fitbit Blaze. The watch is fitness-focused, but it also has some essential smartwatch capabilities such as displaying your calendar and text messages, as well as alerting you when your phone rings. It's the first device with a color touchscreen that Fitbit has ever made.

Fitbit tackles the smartwatch challenge in a way that’s perfectly faithful to its core mission—placing fitness front and center while providing an array of useful, everyday features. The Blaze covers the fitness essentials, including activity tracking, run/bike/hike logging (via your synced smartphone’s GPS), and persistent heart-rate monitoring, then adds much more (integrated workouts, sophisticated sleep monitoring).

Fitbit is known for its barebones activity trackers, but now the startup's ready to step out of its comfort zone. Enter the FitbitBlaze, a fully-fledged smartwatch with a sleek design, color touchscreen, interchangeable watch faces and removable straps. Best of all, it's only $200.

Like the entire Fitbit product line, the Blaze is first focused on health tracking; you won't find third-party apps on this watch although you can see incoming messages and calls from your phone. Blaze has an integrated heart rate sensor for continuous, automatic tracking, for example and monitors daily steps, distance, calories burned, floors climbed and active minutes.

To learn more about their performance, we added some elements to our standard fitness-tracker test protocol. The result: Both the Fitbit Charge HR and Fitbit Surge passed our tests handily, accurately recording heart rates at everything from a leisurely walk up to a fast run.

Blaze is a smart fitness watch from the wearable innovator, that has been making activity trackers and getting people up and in motion since 2009. Fitbit has been a company that looks at both form and function and that continues with the Blaze. The all-in-one timepiece is versatile, fashionable and fits the lifestyle of most with giving users the information and notifications they need most, all while keeping things fun.

There's a new kid in town, and it might be worth the wait. Fitbit just raised the bar—er, band—with their latest device: the Fitbit Blaze. This touchscreen smart fitness watch rivals the Apple Watch in design and functionality, and comes with a price tag of just $200. (We’re already sold!)

The thing is, our early look at the Blaze, which goes on sale this spring, is promising. The device gets a color touchscreen, with three side buttons to control it, mounted on a slim chassis. That touchscreen’s usability is key, as tabbing through menus via buttons is onerous. It keeps the continuous heart-rate monitoring of Fitbit’s other top-end models. As with the Apple Watch, users can swap the Blaze’s band, with options including a silicon rubber sport strap ($30), a leather strap ($100), and a metal bracelet ($130). It's water resistant, which basically means it's splash-proof. Fitbit is offering the Blaze in three sizes: small, large, and extra-large.

The Blaze emphasizes personalization, so you can pop it out of its frame to go from a workout-friendly, sweat-resistant elastomer strap to a more stylish leather or stainless steel link band—though you will have to pay extra. The $199 Fitbit Blaze will come with a black, blue, or purple elastomer strap while the premium bands will sell separately as accessories. Leather bands come with stainless steel frames available in black, camel, or gray for $99.95, and the stainless steel link band and silver frame will cost $129.95. So if you want the metallic look, you will need to spend more, but it's still a good deal considering the Apple Watch Sport starts at $349.

Though the Blaze includes Fitbit’s high-end tracking systems, like its PurePulse heart rate tech and GPS compatibility, the company is clearly angling the Blaze as something that stays on a person’s wrist long after a morning workout. Its color touchscreen interface—the first ever from Fitbit—is fairly intuitive, and helps you sort relevant health information (heart rate, namely) in the gym or in the office.

Speaking at a press event, Fitbit co-founder and CEO James Park said the Fitbit Blaze balances fitness and style and gives users more motivation for meeting their fitness goals through coaching and gamification

Fitbit has long been known for their popular fitness wearables. The ability to measure steps, track sleep and compete in challenges against friends has made products like the Fitbit Flex, Charge, and Charge HR among the most popular workout companions. Today the company hopes that same popularity will bleed into their upcoming smartwatch, The Fitbit Blaze.

Fitbit has a brand new smartwatch at CES 2016, and it’s starting to look a lot like a certain competitor. But, don’t confuse the Fitbit Blaze for the Apple Watch — this is still a fitness tracker first, with an integrated personal Fitbit trainer. Guided instructions and gif-like animated images spice up your workout right from the watch face itself, no bulky phone required. Gorgeous interchangeable bands made of leather, stainless steel and high-performance elastomer make this the most fashionable Fitbit yet.

Fitbit's fitness trackers are the industry leaders for a reason: They're simple, reliable and jam-packed with features that are tailored to fitness enthusiasts. They're just not much to look at, with clunky designs and black-and-white screens. President Obama wears one, and it goes perfectly with his tan suit and mom jeans.

Today, the company that built its riches from those very same activity trackers is unveiling the Fitbit Blaze, a real bonafide smartwatch that's much more advanced than anything Fitbit's ever done. It comes complete with a color touchscreen, interchangeable watchfaces, a slim design and lots of different strap designs. But unlike most of its rivals, it won't support a slew of apps and it has a proprietary OS, not something like Android Wear. Instead, the Blaze pares down the typical smartwatch functions to the bare necessities of call management, text and calendar alerts plus music controls. The rest of the watch is dedicated to the feature that Fitbit knows best: Fitness.Fitbit's latest tracker, the Blaze, seems directly aimed at the smartwatch lovers. The Blaze will be available in March for $200. (International prices aren't available yet, but this roughly converts to about £135 or AU$280.) It leans on style, with a dash of extra watch-style smarts. And you can change the design. The center part of Blaze pops out and can be swapped into other bands and accessories.

Fitbit's latest tracker, the Blaze, seems directly aimed at the smartwatch lovers. The Blaze will be available in March for $200. (International prices aren't available yet, but this roughly converts to about £135 or AU$280.) It leans on style, with a dash of extra watch-style smarts. And you can change the design. The center part of Blaze pops out and can be swapped into other bands and accessories.

Barclays, GoDaddy.com and BMC Software are just some of the latest corporate customers that Fitbit is adding to its roster, as it builds out a small but fast-growing corporate wellness business.

In just a day, I became addicted to the sleek app, which outlined my total steps, miles, calories burned, active minutes, and more, along with added features to track sleep, meal plans, water consumption (keep drinking that H2O, folks!), competitions with friends, and more. In fact, having a Fitbit has motivated me from going to around 7,000 steps a day, to averaging well over 15,000 steps a day.

That step counter has turned out to be pretty hot stuff. As I see it now that adorable little band of rubber has done much more than promote a healthier lifestyle. It's promoted a healthier relationship between Hubby and me -- a couple who celebrated our silver wedding anniversary this past August.

Everybody and their cat has a Fitbit, but did you know it does more than just track step counts or mileage? There are many other things a Fitbit can do, that you’ve probably never thought about.

Instead of saving all your activity for the 45 minutes you're at the gym, sneak in steps all day long. Invest in a pedometer or a Fitbit and try to hit at least 10,000 steps a day. This way, if you miss a workout, you’ll know you’ve already fit in some movement, and it won’t throw your progress totally off track.

From smart-watches to fitness trackers, it’s increasingly common to see people sporting wearable technology on their wrists. Fitbit is one of the leading brands in the fitness category and is experiencing 250% year-over-year growth. Their fitness-tracking technology lets Fitbit engage with their customers in very meaningful ways. It also gives users remarkable access to information to help them reach their goals. With initiatives like their latest Fit for Good campaign, they’re also harnessing the power of their customers to make the world a better, healthier place.

Fitbit CEO James Park has previously touted the company’s commitment to update existing products with new features as a key differentiator for the leading wearable company.

SmartTrack is not only an example of Park’s willingness to add value to the company’s current product line, instead of relying on a yearly hardware release cycle to introduce new features, but it also sets the Fitbit line apart from its competitors.

I've tested activity tracking devices and apps from Misfit, Garmin, Polar, Microsoft, and Apple (the Watch), among others. But Fitbit is still my favorite. With a Fitbit Charge HR ($150), you can track your heart rate along with exercise, steps, and sleep (sleep tracking starts and stops automatically).

Otherwise, you don't even need a Fitbit device to track your steps. The Fitbit app on some iOS, Android and Windows mobile devices does the trick thanks to its MobileTrack feature. And Fitbit's leaderboard, on which you can see how many steps your friends took during the past seven days, is a powerful motivator to keep moving.

Although the fitness tracker market is relatively new, Fitbit has come to quickly dominate the field. That's largely because Fitbit devices are easy to use, accurate and affordable. Still, within Fitbit's lineup are six different devices, ranging from the $59 Fitbit Zip to the $249 Fitbit Surge.

Fitbit is the brand that comes to mind when people think fitness trackers. In addition to being able to track steps, distance, calories burned, and sleep, the Charge HR features an optical heart-rate sensor that continuously checks your pulse.

The campaign is already accepting signups, you just need to visit the FitForGood website to start the process. You'll need to log into your Fitbit account and connect it to the campaign, as well as select the charity you'd like your steps to count toward.

If you're already wearing a Fitbit, this is an easy way to use something you're already doing -- counting your steps -- and contribute to a bigger cause.

Need a little motivation to get moving this week? Strap on your Fitbit and log steps not only for your own good, but also to help fight diabetes, heart problems, and multiple sclerosis...If you’re a fit Men’s Fitness reader, you probably are already logging 10,000 steps a day and getting in well over the recommended 30–minutes of activity a day. Why not pivot that into a good deed?

Employees work in an open office layout, with desks and meeting rooms around the perimeter. No one has an office, including CEO James Park, who, according to Rosa, likes to roam around and spend time with different teams. Meeting rooms follow different naming conventions, depending on where they are in the office. Some are named after trails, others after sports teams, exercises and foods. Workers can book the rooms with Nook tablets outside each room.

Fitbit looks to fill its offices with down-to-earth people who are very good at what they do — and care about fitness, according to Rosa.

With increased competition on the consumer front, Fitbit’s corporate wellness program could not come at a better time. Participation and engagement are two challenges an employer faces when rolling out a corporate wellness program, according to Fitbit Wellness vice-president and general manager Amy McDonough.

Barclays, GoDaddy.com and BMC Software are just some of the latest corporate customers that Fitbit is adding to its roster, as it builds out a small but fast-growing corporate wellness business.

President Obama was first spotted wearing the Fitbit Surge in March of this year, which means if he's been wearing it regularly, that it has been nearly eight months of Fitbit-ing for him.

President Obama was first spotted wearing the Fitbit Surge in March of this year, which means if he's been wearing it regularly, that it has been nearly eight months of Fitbit-ing for him.

Hall, who along with her husband is sponsored by Fitbit, shared some race-day data with us from her Surge GPS watch:

• Miles covered: 26.27 (How’s that for an impressive job cutting the tangents?)
• Average pace: 5:46 per mile
• Average heart rate: 172 bpm
• Calories burned: 1,397
• Calorie burn rate: 9.25 calories/minute
• Total steps taken during the race: 28,541

Sara Hall wore a FitBit Surge during the race - take a look at what a pro's data looks like.

The high adoption of Fitbit can be attributed to a combination of its hardware and software but, when you peel back the covers, it's the software that enables Fitbit's success. The combination of machine learning, which gives consumers accurate data and insights, and the added apps layer, which allows users to act on those insights, creates a winning formula.

Fitbit has become synonymous with activity tracking. The models are easy to wear and super easy to use.

The exercise tracker showed his daily number of steps ranged from 14,442 to 35,582, more than triple the “magic” Fitbit goal of 10,000 steps a day.

Fitbit is adding two new colors for its Surge and Charge HR models, plus new colors for its line with Tory Burch.Fitbit revealed two new colors for its latest wearable devices that will start to roll out just in time for the holiday season.

With the new Fitbit for Windows 10 Mobile, users will be able to track their daily steps and distance directly from their smartphones thanks to MobileTrack for supported Lumia devices.

On the other hand, the Surge has so many features, you may find it difficult to resist. It’s hard not to wear it day and night while it monitors your heart rate, ground covered, vertical gain, calories, and sleep patterns.

James Park is a man who knows how to stay calm under pressure, a trait he originally planned to parlay into a medical career. Instead, his tranquil demeanor has helped guide Fitbit to the forefront of the wearable industry, selling 4.5 million units and pulling in more than $400 million in revenue in its first quarter as a public company.

One specific characteristic of the U.S. market that's helping driving coins towards Fitbit's coffers is high health insurance costs. "It was a big win for us," noted Park, referring to a recent deal with retailer Target which will offer Fitbits to its 335,000 employees. "Corporate wellness is a big thing. In the U.S. in particular health insurance costs is a big thing. Companies are looking for any way — piece of technology — to help their employees get healthier".

An update to the Fitbit Surge will arrive later this week with a handful of improvements that will better help the watch compete with running watches from Garmin and Polar.

Starting Wednesday, the Fitbit Surge — a large, GPS- and heart rate-sensing Fitbit that's aimed at athletes and fitness enthusiasts — will get a software update that will introduce a variety of new running-related features called "Run Cues." The Surge will now send an alert to the wearer when he or she has reached a predetermined distance. Lap, distance, and heart rate information will be available with a glance at the watch face during a run, and the Surge will (finally) have a timer and a stopwatch.

The Surge will also get a battery boost: it will now last 10 hours in active mode, which means it's using GPS during a workout, compared with five-hour active battery life prior to the update.

Luckily, with companies like FitBit coming to the forefront to show in their advertising that "fit" doesn't have a singular definition, things are changing for the better.

We are neither a software company nor a hardware company--it's the dynamic of the two. The great hardware makes the bracelet very wearable and fashioncentric, and the software collects the data and makes the experience, so the Fitbit magic is that both sides go hand in hand.

I started Housewalking when I began wearing a Fitbit to track my daily steps. In order to hit my daily 10,000-step mark (the recommended number), I started walking around my house whenever I could to rack up those steps.

For students who want a better gauge of their daily physical activity, the Fitbit HR Charge can record steps taken, floors climbed and calories burned, as well as monitor heart rate and track sleep patterns.

The fitness tracker company Fitbit today announced a new Windows 10 app. The app is available for the desktop and tablet at the Windows Store now.

Using the new app, users can access and log their personalized health data in real time, Fitbit said. The app helps Windows users track their steps, activity, exercise, food, weight, and sleep.

Fitbit are currently probably the most well known fitness tracker company and likewise, are also the company who sells the most. As the Fitbit Charge HR was recently awarded best Fitness Tracker by Appcessories, it is not too surprising that the company remains the go-to company for anything fitness wearable-related.

Currently, Fitbit owns 83% of the market in the UK, in France that number is 50% and in Germany it’s 32%. The market has also seen unprecedented growth in the recent year, and Fitbit has grown as much as 531% in the UK. That’s pretty insane. Recently the company went public, and is now a publicly-traded company on the stock exchange. So Fitbit has a bright future, and we can’t wait to see what products the company has to show off at the next trade show!

Fitbit hasn't just changed how consumers view their own health goals, it's also changed the way HR views corporate wellness programs. In the past, if HR wanted to organize a wellness event, it required paperwork, pedometers, handwritten notes and a lot of time and energy for HR workers, on top of their other duties. Employees would have to fill out forms outlining their exercise for the past month, which lent itself to limited accountability and a lack of verification. With the Fitbit program, all of that is taken care of for HR, so they can simply get down to analyzing the data.

The new certification makes it possible for Fitbit to target HIPAA-covered entities, such as self-insured employers, with its wellness program. The certification also validates Fitbit’s approach to keeping user information private and secure—a fact Park hasn’t shied away from mentioning in the past—by following the same standards and practices insurance providers and doctors must follow.

Retail giant Target Corp. will offer activity trackers from Fitbit Inc. to its 335,000 U.S. employees, becoming the latest firm looking to the inexpensive wearable devices as a way to improve its workers’ fitness and reduce health-care costs.

Look at how Fitbit has branded itself and allied with events and kept the messaging simple and straightforward to end users," Llamas says. "The devices are not an end, but a means to an end and part of your life -- smart move.

Fitbit’s wearable activity trackers challenge our modern-day inertia, lacing into our La-Z-Boy ways with every counted step. Studies show the wristbands boost the physical activity of just about anyone they’re slapped on—including recess-going children, post-menopausal women, and sedentary adults.

Fitbit Charge detects elevation as part of its readings which is not the case with Jawbone UP24. So when the user climbs staircases and ramps, Fitbit measures that work including it in the daily walk tracker.

The page resembles a Google Trends for sports, shows the a host of information on the most popular workouts among different locations and demographics.

The page resembles a Google Trends for sports, shows the a host of information on the most popular workouts among different locations and demographics.

How do you make a FitBit look cute? Well, Jordin Sparks wore a fitness tracker out and about in New York City this week, and I think she may have cracked the code.

Fitness tracker maker Fitbit looked at data on workouts among people in the U.S., Australia, Canada and Britain to see what we do to stay in shape.

Seven in 10 Fitbit users worldwide walk for fitness, according to the recently released Fitbit Activity Index, making it by far the most popular workout. When it comes to other exercise, running was No. 1 for Fitbit users in the U.S., Canada, Australia and U.K.

In one study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, older, overweight women who used a Fitbit activity tracker ended up walking farther than those who counted their steps on a pedometer.

“The experience of using a Fitbit is so engaging that, pretty soon, moving more became a breeze for me.”

Not considering price, my favorite activity tracker is the Fitbit Charge HR

“My Fitbit got very excited for me as I was smashing all my steps and distance targets.”

“It’s getting to you across multiple touch points and at the moments you most want it. It’s not easy, but the beauty of Fitbit is we’re always on. Our consumers are very engaged and passionate and open to getting this kind of content from us.”

“Samantha Carisch and Taylor Sinclair wore Fitbit heart rate trackers as they got married. Doesn’t sound like your typical wedding, right? Well, it only gets more unique from there.”

Park: From a product, business, and tech perspective, I think the whole idea of all these health and fitness wearables and sensors is that you can cover insights that weren’t possible or very practical before. So our products definitely enable the discovery of new insights and trends based on biometric data. And with the IPO I thought it was a pretty interesting opportunity to highlight the capability of what these devices are today and can become in the future.

One of the most stylish and functional wristbands on the market, the Fitbit Charge HR is more gym-friendly than its predecessors thanks to the built-in heart-rate sensor, which provides continuous information in real time.

Is it a bad thing to head out for a run not because we love the endorphin rush, but because we’re desperate to outpace our Fitbit friends?

We flew across the country to run witih him and to find out what exactly does go through his mind, along with 17 other things. Plus, we talked about how he uses the new Fitbit Surge in his training.

Fitbit is at the top of the fitness tracker market.

In terms of comprehensiveness the Fitbit Charge HR is one of the best options, as it includes a heart rate monitor for 24/7 bpm readings.

The $150 Fitbit Charge HR is the fitness tracker we'd recommend for most people. According to our tests — which included 60 hours of research and 10 days of real-world testing — the Charge HR is more accurate at counting steps than most other wrist-worn trackers, and it works seamlessly with Fitbit's popular social ecosystem.

I also have amazing new fitness gear, since Harley has a partnership with Fitbit, and they sent me their high-end smartwatch and their fancy scale.

Fitbit doesn’t see itself as a hardware company or a wearable company, but rather as a consumer health and wellness company that happens to sell wearables — for now.

The Fitbit Surge is the most complete fitness tracker yet. Not only does it have a continuous heart-rate monitor and a GPS sensor, but it can also deliver notifications from your smartphone.

Fitbit had been a leader in activity tracking and with its three newest products it remains a serious contender for the space on your wrist.

I got the Fitbit a few months after I got the baby. They were each other’s opposite in almost every way. The baby was chubby, giggly magic; the Fitbit was sleek, emotionless science.

Apple, Jawbone and other tech companies are struggling to overcome Fitbit’s lead in the fitness trackers sector. Fitbit outsold Apple Watch online in May, with 850,000 Fitbit devices sold compared to 777,000 Apple Watches sold, according to a report out this week from Slice Intelligence.

The ideal choice for the average fitness fan is the Charge. It might lack the heart rate monitoring of the Charge HR but it's not a deal breaker for many at that price.

With a GPS, sensors for key activity data, and the ability to accept texts and notifications from your phone, the Surge ($250) delivers a lot of information.

If you've ever taken off your activity tracker because it clashes with your outfit (we get it), check this out: Count your steps in style with Tory Burch's Fitbit accessories, including the brass-based Metal Fret Pendant and Metal Hinged Bracelet or Silicone Printed Bracelets. Each accessory houses a miniscule Fitbit Flex, which monitors distance traveled, calories burned, sleep and more, sending up-to-the-minute stats to your computer, tablet or smartphone.

After months of research and debate, Business Insider has released the Silicon Valley 100, the who's who of the most prominent, and coolest, people in Silicon Valley.

If you want good accuracy for those metrics without having to carry a smartphone, you need a runner's watch with built-in GPS, such as the Fitbit Surge.

This is a really, really good fitness tracker and it's reasonably priced for what it can do. Not only that, it's very accurate, it's super easy to use, and it's not bad looking. Fitbit really did a good job with this one, and I wouldn't hesitate to call it the best Fitbit yet.

Fitbit is one of the most well known names in the fitness tracking world, which is why its products seem so tempting. Available in most major stores, you can easily walk in, pick a tracker up and immediately start counting every step you take.

The Fitbit Flex ($100) is a slim, minimalistic wristband. It tracks your activity level, sleep quality, calories burned, and distance traveled; you can program the lights on the band to indicate real-time progress on hitting your goals.

The Charge HR is the clear winner.

Fitbit Charge HR: if you're looking for a dedicated activity tracker, this is the best overall option.

The $150 Fitbit Charge HR is the fitness tracker we'd recommend for most people. According to our tests — which included 60 hours of research and 10 days of real-world testing — the Charge HR is more accurate at counting steps than most other wrist-worn trackers, and it works seamlessly with Fitbit's popular social ecosystem.

The Charge HR is an activity-recording wristband and heart rate monitor. It works seamlessly with your mobile phone or computer to give you all the details in a well-thought-out display as it keeps track of you workouts, steps and stairs climbed.

Packed with multiple sensors that enable it to keep track of a user’s steps, distance, calories burned, sleep, and heart rate, the Fitbit Surge is the perfect gift for the technophile dad who wants to stay in shape.

We like the Fitbit Surge... for all its bells and whistles (GPS, heart rate monitor, activity and sleep tracking, call and text notifications) plus its sleek look.

The Fitbit Surge is the right choice for people who want a wrist-integrated heart rate monitor, or those who need to get notifications during their workouts

Stop rolling your eyes when Dad pats his stomach and claims that the “Dad Bod” is in. Instead, subtly help him get in shape.

Yet unlike other tech firms with soaring sales growth, the firm was able to burst into the black after three years of diminishing net losses, recording $131.8 million in net income in 2014. The company’s ability to boost its profit margins stems from its ability to generate explosive revenue growth, however, rather than from any particular cost cutting effort, according to Zerella.

"Fitbit is one of the more impressive companies we’ve analyzed in the past few years, from a financial perspective," Brian Hamilton, CEO of Sageworks, a Raleigh, North Carolina—based research firm, wrote in a statement. "Unlike most tech IPOs we’ve seen in the past few years, they’re actually making money."

The Charge HR, as you’ve probably figured out, is the tracker I finally bought for myself.

I can’t be without my Fitbit Charge HR or my food scale. I’m happy to say I never gave up eating foods I love

The latest ad... follows a guy who sees a pretty woman run by his front stoop and tries to keep up. He can't. But then he throws a Fitbit Charge HR with PurePulse Technology... and not only is he in better shape, he's ready to try and keep up with the woman again.

The personal health tracking giant, Fitbit, announced today that its devices and app will sync automatically with social fitness site Strava.

Today Fitbit announced that its Surge GPS watch with its wrist-based heart-rate monitor now auto-uploads to Strava. The FitBit Surge can be set for Bike or Run modes, with built-in GPS providing speed and distance metrics, plus an LED-based monitor giving heart-rate data.

Fitbit, the industry leader in connected health and fitness, announced this week a seamless automatic sync with Strava, the leader in the community of runners and cyclists. This is another in a trend of new partnerships between fitness industry hardware and software data tracking capabilities.

Tonight’s episode of The Amazing Race will be dictated by the Fitbits on the contestants’ wrists. CBS has long been tracking contestants on its reality shows, and Fitbit Charge activity data has been referenced all season on a leader board, but tonight there’s full on integration with the challenge.

It’s the software and features that will make you fall in love with [the Fitbit Surge]. There is a wealth of collected information for you to see – steps taken, your heartrate, how many total miles you’ve traveled in a day, how many calories you’ve burned, and how many floors you’ve climbed.

"I'm thrilled about this," McHale says. "It's the easiest charity to contribute to, which works out perfectly for me because I am about as scatterbrained as they come. You wear your Fitbit, you go online and you sign up for it on the Fitbit website, and for every calorie you burn, it tracks it on your phone and every calorie goes to buying meals for America's hungry.

For two players, Hunter Pence of the Giants and Dee Gordon of the Marlins, their early Spring Training work will also benefit others. As part of Fitbit Celebrity Challenges, Pence and Gordon are having their steps tracked Feb. 23-27. The athlete who has the most steps tracked at the end of the week will have a $10,000 donation to the American Heart Association written in his name.

Fitbit has organized a week-long Celebrity Challenge to raise money for the American Heart Association. San Francisco's Hunter Pence and Miami's Dee Gordonare facing off against each other this week to see who can clock the most steps over a five-day period. The winner of the Challenge will have $10,000 donated in their name to the American Heart Association.

In the first-ever Fitbit Celebrity Challenge, the activity-tracker company challenged two of SI Swimsuit's own to a fitness challenge for the ages. Current SI Swimsuit rookie Erin Heatherton and three-time SI Swimsuit alum Hilary Rhoda were faced with the task of sweating it out in a five-day step challenge, to get their name on Fitbit's donation to the American Heart Association.

[Marc Benioff and Michael Dell] are squaring off in Fitbit's third Celebrity Challenge, competing in a fundraiser for the American Heart Association to see who logs more steps on their fitness-tracking device in five days. Fitbit will donate $10,000 in the name of the winner to the AHA.

Find a winter fitness activity you love — cross-country skiing, running, snowboarding — and you'll be more likely to stick to your stepping year-round.

That's one key takeaway from Fitbit's number crunching of the most- and least-active states in the winter based on users of the company's fitness trackers.

Cold weather doesn't force everyone into hibernation and exercise avoidance, new data from fitness tracker manufacturer Fitbit shows.

[Surge is] a device with the style and functionality that Apple lovers would be proud to have.

If you just got your first activity tracker, whether a Fitbit or some other device, you're about to become aware of your body and fitness level in a whole new light!

We’re happy with the overall performance of the Fitbit Surge in our tests, and think it’s a sportswatch that deserves serious consideration for the functions that it harbours.

Introduce him to the world of wearable tech with this fitness tracker that monitors steps, calories, sleep, and more.

I’ve been going nuts over my Fitbit and started challenging all my friends who try to beat me. I’m thinking: ‘How could you have 10,000 more steps than me? You’re cheating!’ One day I did 16,000 steps, that was pretty good.

Fitbit had already boosted the price range and size of the IPO on Tuesday amid stronger-than-expected demand.

Wearables like Fitbit's health and fitness trackers may not be as ubiquitous as smartphones, but they are becoming must-have devices for millions of people.

The way Clavier sees it, if Fitbit continues to build innovative products and execute on its growth strategy, the presence of new market entrants, big and small, won't matter much.

Fitbit is one of the only companies that has gone public this year that can say it is turning a profit.

These three products break down into three different types: every day, active, and performance. In other words, Fitbit is growing as a company to make not just activity trackers, but also GPS sports watches.

Shares of Fitbit (FIT) surged in its first day of trading Thursday as the wearable health-tracking device maker launched it initial public offering.

Eagerness for the IPO is apparent in the demand for FitBit stock.

If you'll recall, the company announced a trio of new devices last fall, so that provided an extra push. What's also interesting about Fitbit going public is that nowadays software startups and services are typically the ones making the move to be publicly traded. The decision to file for IPO is made less often by hardware companies.

Meanwhile, it has been crushing the competition in the open market. "Every time I look at our data they have a larger and larger share of our digital fitness market," said Ben Arnold, NPD analyst.

"It's about the consumer brand of Fitbit. It's really synonymous with health and fitness tracking and it's about creating really simple to use products that people love to use."

The company’s finances are in good shape. Fitbit sports rising revenues, and growing profits.

Fitbit CEO James Park told CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" ahead of the IPO that he believes his company can stay competitive even as Apple and other electronics makers ramp up marketing for all-purpose wearables like the Apple Watch.

"Focus is always a great thing." (Walt Mossberg, executive editor, Re/code)

Running ahead: Fitbit has the first-mover advantage. It is a pioneer in the wearable fitness tech field that allows people to track their health and workouts as well as coaching advice. Fitbit offers a range of products that catering to everyone from amateurs to athletes.

Fitbit offers a line of six wearables, either wrist-based or clip-on devices, plus accessories. They range in price from $59.95 to $249.95.

"The core mission is a health and fitness mission in which we're helping people do that with data, inspiration and guidance."

Shares in the maker of wearable fitness trackers surged in first-day trading Thursday.

Fitbit is a market leader that has strong brand recognition and a loyal client base

I think FitBit is going to bring wearables to the mainstream.

That trend appears to show few signs of slowing in the near term.

I don't care what business you're in -- that's absolutely incredible, said Luis Rincon, co-founder and CEO of Wearables.com, a research and review site of wearable technology.

Fitbit is the second U.S. wearable technology company to go public, following action camera-maker GoPro Inc's hugely successful listing around this time last year.

"The best way to build an incredible company is to stay focused." (Fitbit CEO, James Park)

The so-called one-day ‘pop’ validated what has been among the year’s most hotly sought offerings, and would rank Fitbit’s flotation as the best performing debut of the year by a company of its size: outpacing GoDaddy and Virtu Financial.

Shares began trading under the FIT ticker symbol at $30.40, more than 50% above the initial public offering price of $20.

Jim added he knows people are worried about Apple (AAPL) competing against Fitbit, but he says ‘I actually believe Mr. Park when he says the category is bigger than that. This is a wellness story.’

"We have a wide range of products...We have different sizes and different form factors, we have a great partnership with Tory Burch, we're cross-platform compatible, so I feel really great and comfortable about our product positioning." (Fitbit CEO, James Park)

"We're all working to grow consumer awareness and just great for people in general." (Fitbit CEO James Park)

"I have a lot of gratitude for everyone at Fitbit who’s been with us on this journey, and our employees, our investors, and our customers. It’s really very exciting." (Fitbit CEO James Park)

Fitbit's IPO - shares shot up 60 percent on their debut on Thursday - underscores a growing craze for wearable technology and gives the company ammunition to defend its turf.

Individuals know they should take 10,000 steps each day to stay in healthy. Fitbit tracks the users’ points based on the number of steps they take during the day to earn performance “badges” for that day that expire at 12 midnight.

A high-performance wristband that delivers all-day activity tracking and motivates you with real-time stats. It keeps dad connected to incoming calls with Caller ID when his phone is nearby.

For the Fitness Junkee: a FitBit Surge Superwatch to help him track his workout, calories, heart rate or anything else he hopes to achieve while trying to stay healthy.

Looking to splurge on something awesome? Go for this Fitbit Charge. It tracks all activity, monitors sleep, syncs wirelessly to all smartphones, and has a super long battery life.

The Fitbit deal has turned out to be more popular than many expected, including the company, which along with raising the price of the deal twice, is also selling more shares than expected.

In addition to tracking users’ heart rates and steps, the newer devices offer access to email, text messages and other applications.

"We are the only company that's entirely focused on this space," he said. "And it's not just wearables. That's a good buzzword, but we're looking for various products and services that can help consumers improve their health and activity levels." (Fitbit CFO, Bill Zerella)

Knowing that not everyone can make it to the gym during the afternoon window, and by analyzing traffic patterns of more than one million Fitbit users, the 7-8 a.m. hour was identified as the second best time to visit the gym.

The Fitbit Surge... lets you know who's calling or texting you while you run, while continuously monitoring heart rate and letting you flip through songs in your workout playlist.

Today, wearable fitness trackers efficiently measure your heart rate. Take the Fitbit Charge HR, for example. It uses a special light hidden under the wristband to detect blood volume changes, counting each time your heart beats and instantly computing your beats per minute. At the touch of the button you can know your heart rate—whether you're lying in bed or crossing a finish line.

[There are] so many different options that are sleeker, more beautiful, and just much better for women.

[Abigail Spencer] does resistance training three times a week, weight trains, loves to bike around Venice Beach and lives by the steps her Fitbit tracks. “The Fitbit made me realize how sedentary I was becoming,” she says. “I couldn’t believe how little I was moving in my daily life.”

“When fitness becomes a special event that you do two to three hours per week—that’s an issue,” says Pasternak, who recommends slipping on a Fitbit

With summer vacation (and swimsuit season) coming up, we asked the folks at Fitbit to give us the rundown on how many steps these popular travel activities will earn you.

As noted by longtime Verge friend Joanna Stern, The Wall Street Journal's latest interview with President Obama reveals that our commander-in-chief is sporting a Fitbit Surge.

Gift your mother Tory Burch's Fitbit pendant necklace ($175) in whichever finish she prefers — silver, yellow gold, or rose gold.

The Tory Burch for Fitbit Fret Double-Wrap Bracelet is the most elegant way to wear a fitness tracker. It took home the Fashion 2.0 Award forBest Wearable Tech.

Fitbit not only has a great internal corporate wellness program but also helps other companies harness the power of their fitness trackers to create customized, engaging programs.

Fitness tracking aficionados have flocked to the Fitbit Flex activity tracker. Its small design and competitive features get users hooked, but what we love most about the device is the chic accessories from Tory Burch that are available for this tiny tracker. The Metal Hinged Bracelet and Pendant Necklace are a favorite amongst fashion-forward girls, and the line of printed silicone bracelets are pretty cute as well.

I'm definitely a fan of the Charge HR: it's heart rate-measuring capabilities — both during a workout and when I'm doing nothing at all — are useful, the app is simple and informative, and its design is subtle enough to wear with almost anything.

I love the always on touch screen that stays on the stat that I want to monitor. I love that I can easily track walks and hikes with the built in GPS and I really like the continuous heart rate monitor and automatic sleep tracking. I think the Fitbit Surge is the best tracker on the market.

With its built-in heart rate sensor and GPS features, the Surge is one of the most comprehensive fitness trackers on the market. And Fitbit has done a fairly good job of helping users make sense of all the extra data that the Surge tracks.

In short, the Fitbit Surge gets you most of the stuff you'll likely want in a smartwatch today... Strangely, the Fitbit Surge reminds me more of the original iPod concept then any high-profile Apple product currently in the market. It does a few things well and doesn't try to be everything to everyone.

Without a doubt, the new heart-rate tracking feature in the Charge HR and Surge is the best I’ve used in a fitness device. Instead of only logging my heart’s activity only when prompted or at seemingly sporadic times, Fitbit has figured out a way to measure my heart rate using an optical heart monitor every five seconds without causing battery life to suffer.

The Fitness gadget helps people train smarter all day long with built-in GPS that tracks distance, pace, elevation, route reviews, and split times; PurePulse to measure heart rate; and other metrics such as steps taken, calories burned, active minutes, floors climbed, and workout intensity.

The Tory Burch for FitBit line boasts wrap bracelets and necklaces that are perfectly sized to hold the FitBit Flex, with a more stylish flare.

It’s hard enough to sneak in a lunch break during the day — let alone a workout. But, for San Francisco-based wearable company Fitbit, midday exercise isn't a pipe dream, it's an important part of the culture.

That's why we asked five Fitbit employees to share their best tips for making your workday more active.

The Fitbit Surge sport watch will soon be able to track more than just your runs. Fitbit announced on Monday that an upcoming update will add tracking support for outdoor cycling.

An April update to the GPS fitness watch will let it track outdoor bike runs, so you'll know if you beat your previous best time or got your heart thumping on that uphill route. On the mobile app, you'll also have a history that shows whether or not that last ride was as intense as you thought it was.

Fitbit just rolled out a small but significant update that gives Fitbit users the ability to use multiple devices on the same account. A person could wear a Fitbit Flex to work and then a Fitbit Surge at the gym. You know, business during the day and party at night.

We loved the collaborators' release of the navy silicone bracelet with red hearts ($38) for Valentine's Day this year, and now the team has released an even better accessory: a double-wrap bracelet available in four different colors so your Fitbit will look chic no matter what you're wearing.

While the scale isn't anyone's favorite household accessory, you might actually be excited to step on this souped-up version.

Fitbit announced a trio of new fitness trackers back in the fall, and today, the company is making moves to improve how those gadgets tackle workouts. The wearable maker acquired FitStar, an app that serves up video-based personal training sessions on your mobile device.

Fitbit is buying FitStar, an app that specializes in crafting custom exercise programs based on a user's body data and activity history.

The two companies have been working together to integrate each other's services for a while, and in the wake of the deal those connections will deepen.

The Charge HR is a good tool for monitoring daily activity and moderate workouts, and for getting better insight into what your body is doing while you’re focused on, well, living life.

Fitbit is partnering with Feeding America, a nationwide network of 200 food banks that provides food to more than 46 million people. The goal of the partnership is for participants, wearing a Fitbit device, to burn 1 billion calories, and Fitbit will donate 1.5 million meals to Feeding America.

"This fitness-focused wearable boasts an optical heart-rate monitor and tracks your hike with GPS. It syncs with your phone and gives you text notifications too."

The newest kids in the fitness club includes the $249.95 Surge, which lets fitness fanatics make their workout a bit more fun with text alerts, caller ID, and music control. Kind of motivates you to hit the gym, right? The new collection also includes the $129.95 Fitbit Charge and $149.95 Fitbit Charge HR. Of course the new devices also come with technical features to help us all get into shape.

Although this device looks more like a watch than your typical fitness tracker, it's way more than that: On top of the base offerings of the Charge and Charge HR, the Surge adds in GPS and a few smart watch features. It can readily track multiple workout types, it'll show you incoming text messages, and you'll be able to control your music straight from the device. Now you'll be able to map your outdoor runs without logging into a new app or using another device.

Fitbit's Surge looks like a brilliant balance between fitness tracking and basic smartwatch features with a great battery life, too.

Fitbit unveiled a trio of new trackers on Monday -- Charge, Charge HR and Surge -- designed for everyone from casual joggers to cross-training fiends.

Employees get to enjoy some pretty awesome perks, from healthy lunches catered weekly to free Zumba and yoga classes on the premises.

Fitness trackers can monitor how many steps are taken by the wearer every day, but they can also provide insightful information about aggregate behavior, including the states where people walk the most.

Last year, we told you about some pretty Tory Burch accessories to make wearing your Fitbit Flex more stylish and less utilitarian. The Tory Burch for Fitbit Silicone Printed Bracelet is still more feminine than the standard Flex bracelets, but it’s touch enough to stand up to a workout.

Hannah Simone tracks calories burned with Tory Burch for Fitbit’s adjustable silicone band.

In early 2015, the Charge will be joined by the $150 Charge HR, which includes just about everything in the Charge but adds an embedded heartrate monitor. Which, in turn, allows the Charge HR to keep tabs your calorie burn even when you aren't clearly taking steps by tracking the intensity of your workout.

Monday, Fitbit announced three new fitness wristbands for data-hungry gym rats, runners, or anyone who wants a little more insight into their workout.

Fitbit promises 5 days of battery life while the Charge HR monitors heart rate continuously, even during sleep. Its continuous all-day tracking is something most heart rate-enabled fitness bands don't do.

Fitbit also today announced the integration of Microsoft’s Cortana voice-activation feature to allow verbal logs on its devices when linked to Windows Phone applications.

The company has packed the highest end model, the Surge, with eight sensors that continuously monitor health statistics and the wearer’s location to create a comprehensive log of activity throughout the day.

Fitbit fans, rejoice! The company known for its fitness trackers has released not just one, but three new devices. In a blog post, Fitbit says the innovative activity- and sleep-tracking products are meant "to help reach everyday, active or performance health and fitness goals.

The Surge is big addition for Fibit. It’s more smartwatch than activity tracker and is clearly designed to appeal to fitness fanatics. The Surge also has a heart-rate monitor and built-in GPS capabilities that can track pace, distance, and elevation.

When you’re in the zone at the gym, you can see at a glance if it’s worth fumbling to unearth your phone from some hard-to-reach pocket

I’ve been using the Fitbit Charge (fitbit.com) to track my sleep patterns, and it’s made me realize that I don’t sleep through the night without interruption, so that’s a problem I need to address (maybe stop drinking coffee earlier in the day, or invest in a new pillow?)

The Fitbit Charge is an excellent fitness tracker, powered by the outstanding Fitbit website and mobile apps.

Cheryl Strayed touches a slate-gray band on her wrist. “My Fitbit,” she says. “We’re going to get our 10,000 steps.” Strayed and I are heading out for a stroll in Portland, Oregon, in the kind of weather for which that city is famous: not raining, but not not-raining, and certainly not ­certainly-not-going-to-rain. Strayed is undeterred, either because she’s lived here for nearly two decades, or because she once walked for 94 days in every conceivable meteorological condition, or because she really wants those 10,000 steps. She is wearing jeans and hiking boots — the lightweight kind that work for bumming around a city, or anyway around this city — and no coat, and the Fitbit.

Fitbit Tracking Devices got an identity makeover from Tory Burch, who turned the smart bracelet into a swish pendant.

All told, the Surge is one of the best devices out there for athletes looking for a feature-packed fitness tracker.

Fitbit once again masters tracking with the Surge. Not only does it count steps, calories burned, distance traveled, stairs climbed and sleep cycle, it lets you call out types of workouts, like running, hiking, pilates, spinning and so on.

Fitbit's early fitness trackers were reliable for keeping tabs on steps, but the Surge is the company's first proper smartwatch, and it has some impressive features, including GPS, an altimeter, and a heart-rate sensor. The backlit touchscreen will display text messages and incoming calls, but most exciting, Fitbit promises seven days of use on a single charge – considerably more juice than other smart watches we tested.

the Tory Burch Fitbit bands turned the Flex into something that women might actually be willing to wear 24/7, which is great news.

The Surge is a wonderful activity tracker that elevates the Fitbit brand a tremendous degree. For the first time, it offers runners and other exercise enthusiasts the more advanced functionality they expect from a GPS watch. Because it's in the Fitbit family, Surge users get all the benefits that come with the best fitness-tracking app on the market, such as a supportive community and integration with dozens of other apps and services.

When it comes to fitness, you never want to leave the house unprepared. Luckily, Tory Burch and Fitbit know how to pair a fitness tracker with a cocktail dress — an accessory collection, released last year, that includes a pendant and bracelets with compartments for your Fitbit Flex tracker ($100, sold separately). New for 2015: a navy silicone cover scattered with cute red hearts. Dare we say it's time to drop hints now for the perfect Valentine's Day gift? Check out the new design, as well as the rest of the collection, ahead.

The Fitbit was literally the entire way I did it. I did it by walking. I got a thing...like a little message/email saying, "you've walked Japan"…and that's not even all of what I've walked…steps is like the Fitbit way…and I've averaged 20,000 steps a day, so that's how I did it.

Cheryl Strayed touches a slate-gray band on her wrist. "My Fitbit," she says. "We're going to get our 10,000 steps."... She is wearing jeans and hiking boots — the lightweight kind that work for bumming around a city, or anyway around this city — and no coat, and the Fitbit. "I'm obsessed with it," she says of this last item. "I was so glad when you said you wanted to walk." (I had proposed a hike, for obvious reasons, but even for Strayed, the weather forecast was a bit bleak for that.) "My favorite thing to do when I get together with my girlfriends is to go for a walk. I'm always like, "Can we go for a walk, can we go for a walk?" and they're like, "Let's get a drink." I love to drink, don't get me wrong, but I want to walk."

What I love about [the Fitbit Charge] is not only is it easy to use, you put it on your wrist, but this also helps track and monitor your sleep as well. It even has a function that wakes you up with a vibration, so if you like to get up a little bit earlier, and your spouse perhaps has a later time, you're not gonna be disturbed. So this is a great all-in-one fitness tracker.

There are a lot of fitness tracking devices out there, but the Fitbit is our favorite. Fitbits come in a few varieties and they range from a simple clip-on tracker to a more advanced wristband.

It looks like real jewelry, so, unlike the athletic band, it blends seamlessly with a workday look.

Know someone who is looking to get in shape this holiday season? Fitbit's latest product, Charge, will do the trick. The fitness tracker offers real-time activity stats, sleep monitoring, seamless syncing, caller ID, and serious battery life (seven to 10 days). We couldn't think of a better, uh, fit for the techie health nut on your list.

If you're shopping for someone who's focused on results, consider a Fitbit. The trackers cover a range of capabilities and prices, so you can find one that best fits your budget. For $59.95, you can snag the Fitbit Zip, which tracks the wearer's steps, distance and calories burned. For $129.95 you can get the new Fitbit Charge, which also monitors floors climbed, active minutes and sleep.

We're glad to see that the two trackers that really epitomized the idea of fitness tracker as fashion accessory have gotten more options.

Want a great first-look at our three brand new products? Good Morning America features Charge, Charge HR and Surge.

Whether it be a new pair of cool shoes, a new piece of workout tech (like the new Fitbit Charge) a new workout or a new piece of equipment, having something to make your workouts feel (or look) different can sometimes re-awaken your workout vibe.

The Charge HR adds only one feature, but it's an important one -- a heart rate monitor. The wrist-worn LED pulse tracker might not be quite as accurate as a chest strap, but it's certainly more comfortable and more convenient... This should be a huge boon to those with slightly more active lifestyles that want a better idea of how many calories they're burning and want to track heart rate goals during workouts.

Once upon a time, Fitbit (see disclosure) made simple fitness trackers but now the leading tracker company is preparing the Surge, which is Fitbit’s first smartwatch. It’s still a fitness tracker, first and foremost, but you can’t miss its square-shaped black-and-white backlit LED screen.

The highly competitive fitness tracker arena is becoming even more so with market-leader Fitbit's announcement Monday of three new wrist-based activity trackers.

It’s one giant step past step-counting. With new key new features such as continuous heart-rate monitoring and touch screens, as well as an improvement to the already slick design, Fibtbit’s latest trackers offer lots of new features for fitness fans.

[PurePulse] is definitely an attractive feature — while some fitness trackers monitor heart rate while you're going for a run, it's less common for a device to track it at all times. This creates a huge pool of information that can reveal a lot about your health — sometimes you're resting heart rate is more telling than it during high intensity times.

Two devices — the Charge HR and the Surge — include some powerful new technology that should allow users to get a picture of their health at all hours of the day.

When I spoke with Harley Pasternak, one of the most in-demand trainers in Hollywood, he said the first thing I needed to do was to get a Fitbit to measure my daily steps. To maintain weight, he advises his clients to move at least 10,000 steps a day (along with strength and core work); to lose, 14,000 steps a day. “This is a lifestyle commitment,” he told me. “And these people understand the importance of exercise, nutrition, and especially rest. Lack of sleep makes you less apt to engage in physical activity and more prone to making poor eating choices.”

On the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, author David Rose touts Fitbit as "a way to keep everybody healthy." Rose is the author of the new book, "Enchanted Objects."

The cast of 'Married With Children' got together for a special reunion featuring the cast of the original show. Christina Applegate was spotted with her Fitbit: "The fact that your [Katey Sagal's] body is better now than it was then makes me sick, because I’m wearing a Fitbit trying to get rid of all my baby weight.” Go Christina!

The sporty smart wristband tracks your steps, how well you sleep and calories burned in a day. The Tory Burch bracelets come in pink, blue, gold brass and a variety of prints. Each costs about $38.

Fitbit, the Jolly Rancher-sized fitness tracker that's worn as either a bracelet or a clip-on, has been collaborating with luxury brand Tory Burch. Together, they have created a small golden cage for the Fitbit that doubles as a pendant for a necklace, and a similar Fitbit cage for the wrist, in the form of a hinged metal bracelet, which retails for $195.

High style is going hi-tech...with Tory Burch. Tory Burch partnered with SF-based Fitbit. It sold out within the first three hours.

My Fitbit holds me accountable and gives me credit for achieving my objectives. It's like my own personal audience who applauds me for a job well done.

This got me thinking about how I could hold myself accountable in other ways that related to my career. How I could tap some human accountability masters to join me in my quest so we could inspire each other to achieve our personal goals? As an executive coach, I have always subscribed to the philosophy of building your Personal Board of Directors and I have added a new resource member to that team. Who is your Career-Fit Master?

At the Consumer Electronics Show earlier this year it was clear Microsoft had a problem: exciting new hardware like Pebble, Nest, and various fitness bands were not fully supported on Windows. Companies appeared to be ignoring Microsoft’s platforms in favor of iOS and Android. Thanks to Windows Phone 8.1, that might be about to change. Bluetooth support is greatly improved with the 8.1 update, and Fitbit is the first to take advantage of it with a new mobile syncing app for Windows Phone 8.1.

Fitbit’s Windows Phone 8.1 app will be available in the Store today, and just like its iOS and Android counterparts it will automatically sync Fitbit activity wirelessly. The app has real-time and historical data, with graphs and progress tracking. You can also log more than 350,000 different foods to keep count of more than just activity. The introduction of a Windows Phone app now means Fitbit supports nearly 100 mobile devices, with 72 Android, 9 iOS, and 17 Windows devices. You'll need both Windows Phone 8.1 and the Lumia Cyan update to use the Fitbit app fully, but both are rolling out to devices at the moment.

Fitbit (see disclosure), however, is deviating from the trend. A Windows Phone 8.1 version of the app is set to debut in Microsoft’s app store on Monday (here’s the link though the app wasn’t live at publication time), offering direct Bluetooth synchronization and the full set of features offered on the Android and iOS versions. So why is Fitbit taking the leap to Windows? When a startup gets bigger it starts looking into expanding its potential market. At that point Windows start making more sense, especially if you’re eyeballing Europe where WP8 penetration is higher thanks to Nokia’s former presence.

If you've been holding back on buying a Windows Phone because you weren't able to use your Fitbit with it, that excuse is officially gone. Fitbit is launching a version of its app for Windows Phone on Monday, letting users sync and share their fitness data via a native app. Fitbit for Windows Phone pairs with a wearable activity tracker like the Fitbit Flex, keeping track of the wearer's activity. When you launch the app, you'll be able to see how many steps you've walked, the number of calories burned and — assuming you wear it to bed — sleep quality, too.

If you've wanted to use activity-tracking wearables that pair with your phone, you've typically had to use Android or iOS. Windows Phone has some third-party apps that can fill in, but they're imperfect at best. As of today, though, an official solution is at hand -- Fitbit has released its own Windows Phone 8.1 app. You can now sync trackers like the Flex, One and Zip to your Microsoft-powered device to get real-time step and sleep monitoring, complete with a step counter on your home screen if you set up the Live Tile. Other Fitbit fundamentals are also here, including food logging, leaderboards and messaging.

We've just lost yet another excuse to put off getting into shape: Fitbit is coming to Windows Phone 8.1 devices.The app is near-identical to its iOS and Android incarnations: pair your smartphone over Bluetooth with a Fitbit device like the Flex or the One, and your data will sync automatically. You can then use the app to monitor progress on your fitness goals by checking in on the steps you've taken and the calories you've burned, or log how much food and water you've had today.

While we didn’t mind the athletic look of the original wristbands, these designs add an undeniable chic-factor to wearing a fitness monitor. The accessories are intended for the Flex band, which features a removable tracker that can be easily integrated into the various pieces. While there aren’t any future designer collaborations planned at this time, we'd be excited to see Fitbit roll out more accessories with fitness-loving designers such as Norma Kamali and Cynthia Rowley. Burch has also announced that she’s planning an activewear line with yoga, running, golf, and tennis apparel for 2015.

"Wearable technology is an exciting new category," said the designer in a statement. "We’re thrilled to be partnering with Fitbit to offer a unique collection of accessories that transform the fitness tracker into a stylish piece of jewelry that is versatile enough to go from day to evening.” The collection includes a $175 brass pendant, a $195 brass bracelet, and a $38 silicone bracelet, featuring Burch's signature prints. The accessories will be available on Burch's site and in her stores, and on Fitbit.com.

While fitness trackers become increasingly popular, their bands have developed a reputation for having a cheap, rubbery look. To make the technology nighttime ready and more like jewelry than something you'd wear to the gym, Tory Burch worked with the company to develop four accessories that house the Fitbit's core, which pops out of the wristband. The core is where the device houses its sensors that track activity, sleep cycle and so on.

The Tory accessories, including the colored logo bands and metal necklace seen above, are $38 and $175, respectively, and the cuff, seen below, retails for $195 (the FitBit tracker is not included). You can preorder them all on the Tory Burch or FitBit sites, as well as in some stores, and then sit back and wait—products will begin shipping next month.

The Burchified accessories collection includes a brass-metal hinge bracelet with open fretwork ($195), a silicone printed bracelet with a cutout T for Tory in her signature blue and pink ($38), and a brass pendant necklace ($198). The Fitbit Flex tracks steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, minutes active, and time spent sleeping, and it's sold separately from Burch’s jewelry, which acts as a snood for the tracker. In a statement, Burch called the pieces “versatile enough to go from day to evening.”

All the benefits that you are getting from the tracker are amplified by being able to track your results on the scale. It helps you take control. A lot of times people are afraid of scales, but we like to think about scales as our friends

I look back on the days I averaged only thirty thousand steps, and think, Honestly, how lazy can you get? When I hit thirty-five thousand steps a day, Fitbit sent me an e-badge, and then one for forty thousand, and forty-five thousand. Now I’m up to sixty thousand, which is twenty-five and a half miles.

The FLEX is a game-changer, and if your pops could use a subtle message to move away from the couch this year, it’ll work wonders. What appears to be a simple wristband is actually crammed with some mind-blowing tech—it tracks your steps, calories burned, the distance you’ve traveled, how many hours you’ve slept, even the quality of your sleep. And it presents all of that information in a simple, gorgeously designed interface that you can access anytime on your iPhone or desktop. Pair it with the Fitbit Aria—a wi-fi enabled scale—and it’ll sync his weight and body-fat percentage to help him keep track of his weight-loss goals.

We LOVE this slim, stylish device to track your activity levels and calories burned. It’s brilliant! Since it syncs wirelessly to your computer or smartphone, it’s also a fun way to challenge your friends to stay active and keep each other accountable!

Along with the Flex and the Aria, to get the most out of your experience, there is a smart-phone app and a fantastic web interface, and everything is integrated together. I highly recommend them. Want to lose yourself in weight and fitness data? Fitbit has you covered.

I wear it all the time, so I don’t have to remember to set it up, or put it on every day. Being part of my home network means that Jenny and I are linked to each other, and our Aria, so we never have to go out of our way to update our information.

This year, I got a Fitbit. You walk 10,000 steps and it sends you an email saying, “That’s great! A lot of people don’t walk that far. Do you think you can walk 5,000 more steps?” And so I say, “I bet I can!” A week ago, I walked 60,000 steps. That’s 25.5 miles. I’m completely obsessed. It’s like a sickness; I’ve been Fitbit-ten. It will be the summer of the Fitbit because it can’t go on. It just can’t.

For any grad. With school finally over, graduates should be eager to get their noses out of books and into the fresh air. As they find jobs and steady into daily routines, it's important they find time for exercise. Fitbit Zip is small device that can be clipped on clothing; it tracks steps, distance and calories burned, and syncs wirelessly with a person's computer or smartphone to upload fitness data, allowing the user to track goals or compete with friends.

I know what you’re thinking: “Golf isn’t exercise.” Well, I’ve got news for you. It’s exhausting exercise – as long as you don’t take the cart everywhere! In fact, walking a round of golf (18 holes) takes approximately 14,000 steps, which is 7 miles! Next time you play, bring your Fitbit and see how many steps you take.

HTC CEO Peter Chou lost 5kg testing out the Fitbit integration, and even spent several weeks walking around with an M8-shaped block of wood in his pocket. "I tried to simulate when I take it out, how it feels when I put it on my ear, and when I talk."

Here's the hard truth: Heart disease is the number one killer of all women. There are a number of ways you can boost your heart health, one of which is staying active. In fact, the AHA recommends taking 10,000 steps per day to improve your overall health and lower your risk of heart disease—which is why investing in a good tracker can help you protect your ticker. The Fitbit Flex keeps tabs on crucial stats—like your steps, distance, sleep, and calories burned.

The Fitbit Flex is comfortable to wear, and all the information is motivating. Fitbit's aria scale monitors weight, body fat and BMI.

The Fitbit One Tracks all your most important stats – steps, distance, calories, stairs and sleep, and you see all the info in real-time. Plus, if you also have a Fitbit, you and your mom can use it to compete with each other and cheer each other on.

The Fitbit Flex Red wristband benefits the American Heart Association.

Get her a fitbit. Tell her you want her to be healthy, get in her 10,000 steps a day and help other moms stay healthy, too.

The Fitbit Flex makes it easier than ever for your active mom to achieve her goals, whether she's aiming to run a half-marathon or hit 10,000 steps a day.

Sync your Fitbit device to your mobile device for a visual translation into charts and graphs, all at the touch of a button.

A Wall Street Journal reporter recently asked three Olympic hopefuls to wear a Fitbit for a week—while they were in full training mode—and then hand them over for a little analysis. The elite athletes' results were predictably ridiculous: Freestyle skier Grete Eliassen burned 7,601 calories in one day; freestyle moguls star Heather McPhie took nearly 20,000 steps within 24 hours.

Fitbit has teamed with the designer Tory Burch to make new trackers that look like stylish jewelry.

This hack from Netflix’s internal Hack Day uses the data from a Fitbit to determine when you’ve fallen asleep while watching a streaming movie, and pauses your flick at that spot.

Even your fitness routine's going high-fashion. Fitbit and Tory Burch have partnered up to launch an exclusive collection of pendants, bracelets and wristbands that will hold the Fitbit Flex tracker that monitors your physical activity and calories burned, among other things.

I jumped at the opportunity to work at Fitbit. Plus, I was inspired by the opportunity to work on products that help people become healthier and lead more active lives. After having been here for four years, it's still refreshing to work with a team that's passionate and continues to believe in its product and mission.

RadioShack believes that fitness can be fun and guests got to see and experience the latest wearable devices to keep them motivated and active in 2014 including the Fitbit Zip Wireless Activity Tracker and the Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity and Sleep Wristband that measures personal metrics including real-time stats where you can monitor steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, stairs climbed and active minutes throughout the day.

NPD now says Fitbit has 77% of the market for full-body activity trackers despite potent competition from Jawbone, Nike’s Fuelband, and others, he said, as well as 50% market share for digital fitness devices such as those made by Garmin and others.

Take 10,000 steps every day. Get a Fitbit or there’s an app for your phone. That’s it, move more. It has nothing to do with going to the gym. And that’s without adding any more time to your day.

This activity tracker wins for its simple and effective design and for making walking fun (really). Five dots light up in succession as you inch closer to your goal; once you reach it, the device vibrates and lights up in a celebration that is truly gratifying, especially since Fitbit Flex is more accurate at measuring steps than most other trackers. Bottom line: A device you didn’t know you needed but will not be able to live without.

...my conclusion is that the Fitbit Flex is actually the best all-around band for your buck. It’s pretty accurate. Its wireless data-syncing is amazingly fast. It works with both iPhone and Android. It records sleep, if you’re into that, and it has a comprehensive food-tracking system. It’s comfortable, and it’s the least expensive at $100.

Every morning when I get up, I’ll read the One’s display to see how long I slept. Then I’ll reset it by holding down the button for a few seconds to let it know I’m done sleeping. After that I jump on the Aria scale, which, as anyone know who’s trying to lose a few pounds like me, can be an “interesting” experience. Aria tells me my weight and BMI and then syncs directly with the cloud.

After getting dressed, I’ll make sure I pop the One into my pocket. I have goals setup for steps, so, like checking a smartphone for social media updates, I’m constantly checking the One’s tiny display to see where I am during the day with my number of steps and derived calories. If I haven’t met my goals, I will literally change what I’m doing. I’ll take the stairs more. I’ll walk to something versus driving. I’ll take the long way instead of the short-cut. At the airport, I’ll walk versus taking the people movers.

Fitbit Flex has been such a positive change in my fitness routine.

Better get organized! To mimic Jordana's look, best-selling Author Harley suggests writing down everything you eat and how much you work out. Try a fitness tracker down like Fitbit that can even sync those stats with your phone.

The Chicago Achievers Project helped dozens of people achieve their goals by getting fit and eating right. Now, Fit Club trainer Andrea Metcalf will give us all the results.

Fitbit has partnered with luxury fashion brand Tory Burch to design a custom model of its Flex tracker for the high-end designer. The slim, feminine device tracks your steps, distance traveled and calories burned during the day. At night it tracks your sleep quality and even acts as an alarm clock.

Fitbit Flex – an essential tool for a fit lifestyle.

Even your fitness routine's going high-fashion. Fitbit and Tory Burch have partnered up to launch an exclusive collection of pendants, bracelets and wristbands that will hold the Fitbit Flex tracker, which is a wireless device that monitors your physical activity and calories burned, among other things.

By working with Fitbit, HTC benefits from the expertise of one of the biggest players in the game

Fitbit will be able to keep you abreast of how many steps you've taken without you having to go into the app. Oh, and the Fitbit app does harvest movement data from the phone's internal sensors, just like it does on the iPhone 5S

Without a tracker, you can use the Fitbit app and website to count calories, log your weight, and record other health information, such as your blood pressure and glucose levels. If you do own a Fitbit, however, you can upload the data it collects to the mobile app through Bluetooth.

Yes, walking to work can be a drag — but not if you focus on the health benefits. Burning calories gets a little more exciting with Fitbit's sleek wireless wristbands.

Oh my gosh, I love my Fitbit. It keeps track of my steps, my calories burned, monitors my sleep, and more. So awesome. Any mom would love one of these.

Re/code chatted with the company’s co-founder and CEO, James Park, to ask him how [Fitbit MobileTrack] works, where he positions Fitbit in the growing activity-tracking market (surprise: No. 1) and his take on future wearables.

Now Fitbit is taking steps to turn its Flex fitness tracker into a legit fashion accessory. The company is partnering with Tory Burch, maker of high-end women's fashion pieces, to design a line of bracelets and necklaces that will be able to hold the little Flex bug.

Wearable computing devices are definitely one of the standout categories of this year’s International CES. But not all wearables are as fashion forward as we’d like them to be, a problem Fitbit hopes to address via a new partnership with fashion label Tory Burch.

Fitbit is already a leader in consumer wearables. In fact, its products... accounted for 67 percent of units sold in the activity-tracking category last year, according to recent data from the NPD Group.

Fitbit CEO James Park had trouble drawing attention at his first CES two years ago for his first activity monitor. Now his company claims two-thirds of a rapidly growing market.

I would say at the top of my personal list might be something called the Fitbit Flex, which is a wristband that measures how active I've been. And the answer is, I'm not nearly as active as I should be. It cost $100. It counts steps. If I wear it to bed, it gives me an idea of how well and how long I slept that night, and it's very, very simple.

I say this without shame: I am in love with my new Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity and Sleep Wristband. It’s a tiny wristband (that’s cool-looking, not like those clunky black heart monitors) that’s actually an amazing health device that syncs to your computer or phone. Until the new Fitbit Force hits stores later this month, it’s the best wearable monitoring device on the market. During the day, it tracks your activity — calories burned, distance walked, whatever your fitness goal is — and at night it tracks your sleep — how often you wake up, how long you sleep — and then wakes you up in the morning. It’s like the perfect one-night stand, except if you love it as much as I do, you’ll want to marry it.

Fitbit Flex is the ultimate gift for the health conscious man in your life. Worn as a wristband, the smart accessory can track the number of steps you take, the number of calories you burn, and the amount of minutes you spend undergoing physical activity each day. The FITBIT Flex also monitors your sleep activity and can even gently wake you up in the morning.

A smart pedometer. I recommend the sleek and sophisticated Fitbit (various models, starting at $99.95) for wellness walkers who are aiming for the recommended 10,000 steps a day. This product is beautiful, can feed fitness data to your iPhone and even helps track sleep patterns so you can learn to rest better. Sold at fitbit.com and elsewhere.

[The study] found that step tracking with the Fitbit was easy and cost-effective to implement, and preliminary data suggests that collecting step data could help hospitals determine the appropriate length of stay for a patient recovering from surgery.

That premise led to the inclusion of FitBit technology in the Mayo Clinic’s app, not the first time FitBit technology was utilized. The device previously was used to predict surgical recovery times and evaluate the condition of recovering patients.

The Fitbit Flex is a simple way to track steps, sleep, and calories. The Flex's strap design makes it light and comfortable to wear. It also offers handy Bluetooth syncing, and Fitbit’s platform gives plenty ways to analyze your stats.

Getting in shape doesn't happen overnight. One good workout or one day of healthful eating on its own won't change your body. Only through consistent vigilance and good habits can we keep fit. And that's why I love the Fitbit line of products so dearly. They fit into everyday life. The latest from Fitbit, and by far the best fitness tracking gadget I've seen in its class, is the new Fitbit One ($99.95 direct).

Although the Fitbit Aria is a good looking scale and its basic functionality alone probably makes it worth the $129.95 (which isn’t that big a premium over a decent standalone bathroom scale), it’s in the connectivity that it really shines. Step on this scale in the morning and all your stats are automatically uploaded to your Fitbit account and now that data is even more valuable. Combined with a Fitbit activity tracker and an app to track food input and the Fitbit Aria is a powerful weight management tool, much more than an ordinary scale. As part of your Fitbit account, you receive notifications of pending milestones and receive badges to recognize key goals. If that’s not sufficient motivation or you really like to share, you can set the thing up to tweet your stats or post them on Facebook.

The Fitbit Zip tracks steps, calories, and syncs with PCs and smartphones. It’s affordable, water resistant, and links to Fitbit’s powerful fitness analysis tools in the cloud.

In well-defined markets, it’s rare to see a breakthrough device. And yet here we are. There are a lot of sleep and activity trackers to choose from right now, but none better than the Fitbit Flex. It is the most wearable, best-syncing device in the scrum, with the best app to boot. And it does all this at a great price.

The Flex is very similar to the Fitbit One, but smaller and housed and without a display. And instead of wearing it on your belt, bra or pocket, you slide it in and out of a slim, rubberized wristband.

Fitbit Flex: Fitness bands are the easiest entry point into wearables, because everyone knows that if you want to be cool, go where the jocks go. All of my athlete friends in college wore plastic stopwatches around to clock their pace on runs, and they worked out smarter and harder than the rest of us who tooled around on the elliptical for half an hour. Fitness bands are a useful extension of that, tracking diet and sleep in addition to exercise. There are a number of fitness trackers out there now, but the Fitbit Flex seems like a winner. Jawbone UP has been prone to malfunctioning, while Nike Fuelband dropped its Android companion app. Minimalist and sporty, the Fitbit Flex also nails the aesthetics of fitness tracking. It’s respectable while still telling the world, “Yeah, I work out.”

The device: The bendable, comfortable Fitbit Flex, released in May, is a rubberized bracelet with a tiny display of five glowing white dots that let you know how close you’ve come to reaching your goal.

Should you buy it? Absolutely—if you’re looking for a step counter, you’ll not find a more elegant solution.

Best activity tracker that doesn’t take a Master’s degree to set up properly: Fitbit Zip. Comfy and light-weight to wear, the Fitbit Zip is also a breeze to set up. You can seriously go from package to using it and synced to your computer in like 10 minutes without having to really “read” any directions. And the smilie faces on it are so encouraging!

But the Fitbit's real draw is its stealth wearability

I have a new Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale that automatically uploads my weight, body fat, and BMIto an online chart, a reminder that simple numbers aren’t everything. Every day I can look at my report and see my progress, trends, overall progress—and weight loss. To be honest, it had never occurred to me to actually write down my weight daily, but seeing the numbers changing over time is really encouraging, even though my weight loss is very slow. I have to remind myself that 2 ounces here and 8 ounces there adds up over time.

In fact, I recently saw a "low" number on the scale that I haven’t seen in a very long time! That motivated me to make good choices for the rest of the day.

Tracking the minutia of your body composition becomes a sort of game with the Aria Wi-Fi scale, egged on by Fitbit's quirky badges, goals, and the ability to expose your data to friends and strangers alike on a variety of social media platforms. While the Aria scale can be used separately from the $99.95 Fitbit Ultra fitness and sleep tracker, combined they provide an unparalleled view into your overall fitness level that could motivate some to lead a more active and healthy lifestyle. It certainly works for me.

There's something oddly motivational about seeing my sleep patterns and food intake mapped against the caloric expenditures (captured by my Fitbit Ultra) and body composition (measured by the Aria). It motivates me to get off the couch and merrily climb stairs or walk to the market — activities I might otherwise avoid or moan about.

Small, light, and easy to carry, the Fitbit Ultra effortlessly tracks your basic daily activity level. It has a host of online analytical tools, it tracks sleep quality, and it boasts both Android and iOS mobile apps.

You can't improve what you can't measure, and the Fitbit Aria is currently our favorite device for keeping tabs on weight-related health stats. Your detailed weight, BMI, and body fat percentage graphs are automatically uploaded via WiFi to your private Fitbit account, where you can monitor your results with the latest fad diet or get more meaningful (and actionable) longer-term trends about your body -- something you just can't easily do with a traditional scale. And unlike the Withings wireless scale, the Aria is smaller, feels sturdier, has better, more stable feet, and has a much better site for viewing your progress.

The Fitbit Zip is a smaller tool for motivation. It doesn’t utilize a rechargeable battery like the One. It uses a coin battery that can last you anywhere from 4 to 6 months. It monitors your steps taken, calories burned, distance traveled.

It counted my steps like a choreographer, right out of the box. Although you can set your stride length in the web dashboard, I never found reason to do so. Counting was consistently accurate enough: within three to seven steps for every 100 I took. The calories burned counter is useful as well, especially when you use it with the app’s food-tracking feature.

Just in time for New Year's resolutions, these beefed-up pedometers track more than steps. The Fitbit Zip (left, $60) tracks steps, calories and distance, and lets you compete against friends.

Postage-stamp-size, it syncs to an online dashboard that tracks overall progress and even awards achievement badges.

Zip… makes it easy and fun to track your every move.

The Fitbit Zip is a great introductory gear for those who want to exercise more with minimal effort. When you wear a fitness gadget, your subconscious just becomes infinitely more aware of your daily activities. You want to please the tongue-sticking face on that little device, and if that means taking 2,000 more steps in a day, you’ll do it. I do believe the science is purely in your head, and a constant reminder that sits in your pocket is a nice way to start. The Zip is designed to keep you motivated to move, and will make a neat gadget to treat yourself with, or as a gift for those looking to have more fun with fitness.

Getting in shape doesn't happen overnight. One good workout or one day of healthful eating on its own won't change your body. Only through consistent vigilance and good habits can we keep fit. And that's why I love the Fitbit line of products so dearly. They fit into everyday life. The latest from Fitbit, and by far the best fitness tracking gadget I've seen in its class, is the new Fitbit One

The One packs a few more features. In addition to its old functionality — tracking steps, distance, floors climbed, calories burned, sleep quality — it now includes a silent vibrating alarm clock. Unlike other silent alarms, such as the Up's, this one doesn't time the alarm to your sleep cycle, instead waking you at the time specified. More welcomed though is the seamless syncing with Bluetooth 4.0, which will automatically send your health data to your dashboard.

The itty-bitty, activity-tracking device that people have raved about steps up its 24-7 abilities in the latest version, "One." Not only does it track your steps and calories burned, but it now features more advanced sleep graphs, a redesigned wrist band, and a silent alarm that gently buzzes your wrist when it's time to wake up.

Not getting enough ZZZs? The Fitbit One monitors all the usual fitness stats plus your sleep cycle, graphing how long you snoozed, how often you woke up, and ultimately spitting out a sleep quality score, so you can see what's working and what's not.

As you'd expect from an app this fastidious, its tone is more matter-of-fact than cheerleadery. When the Fitbit app told me that I had taken 11,342 steps in one day, the information triggered more of a chin rub than a fist pump. But sometimes you just want a tiny tracker that tells it like it is. For that, the Fitbit One knocks it out of the park.

With the Fitbit One, the company took all of its experience in this arena and crafted it into its most compelling device yet. It can synchronize wirelessly with your smartphone and has a smoother, pebble-like design. Instead of building the clip directly into the device, the One includes a small, removable clip “jacket” — a helpful addition, since it prevents the device itself from getting damaged if the clip gets caught in your clothing.

Dr. Matthew Sims has lost 55 pounds since June. How did he lose the weight?

"I don't have to go running; I don't have to go doing 20 mile bicycle rides; I just walk," he explains.

And Sims sure walks a lot. He walks more than 10 miles a day, one step at a time. He says he's motivated by the Fitbit, one of the last est wearable fitness trackers on the market.