Last Updated on January 20, 2021 by James Matthews
Recent events have opened our eyes to the true importance of good health and wellness. The time we spent in our homes during the pandemic made us look into our bodies and had us re-assessing our habits. This has led us to the collecting and re-cultivating of habits and routines, most of which involve health and fitness.
The growing demand for effective yet convenient tools that can help you get into the workout groove has introduced us to the world of fitness devices – specifically, wearables. However, the large demand also means that there is a growing market of products in the supply chain. A good number of brands have risen to prominence in the industry, with Fitbit being the one of the original fitness wearables, and Amazon’s Halo being one of the latest.
When it comes to Amazon Halo vs. Fitbit we will weigh several factors including your goal, budget, and personal preferences. This way, you can make the most out of your purchase decision.
Let’s get started.
Fitbit
First known under the name of Healthy Metric Research Inc., Fitbit is known for its accuracy in measuring and analyzing health data. It has appealed greatly to the masses and its target market, growing exponentially after Google took over. This acquisition has solidified the market for health tracking services and wearable fitness devices, making Fitbit a frontrunner for this flourishing tech battleground alongside Apple.
Key Features
Take note that this is the complete set of features, and some Fitbit devices may not have all of the features included in this list.
- SmartTrack or workout tracking
- Sleep and sleep stage tracking
- PurePulse or heart rate tracking
- On-wrist temperature tracking sensor
- Built-in GPS or location tracker
Fitbit Membership
Getting a premium membership from Fitbit not only allows you to optimize all the integrated features of the product. It also opens you to a community of like-minded fitness enthusiasts. Since the brand is well-loved by the masses and is affordable and economical, you can expect to have a larger network of users to connect with. You can also expect promotions like the free 90-day trial to the subscription so you can experience Fitbit for yourself.
The brand offers a monthly premium of $9.99 and an annual premium of $79.99, the latter of which comes with a 30% discount. It also allows you access to a multitude of write-ups that can inform you of various fitness essentials.
Upon subscribing, you can look forward to the detailed analysis of your health and fitness data as well as personalized insights on how you can improve your routines. Getting the premium subscription also extends to all of your Fitbit devices without any additional cost.
Fitbit Benefits
One of the core features that the Fitbit has to offer is their device’s sleep stage tracking system that can accurately factor in heart rate to your sleep dynamic. Through simplified graphics displayed on a monochrome screen, users are given ample information regarding their sleep data.
This allows Fitbit to generate insights that can guide users to have better sleep and feel more rested when they wake up. Fitbit also utilizes silent alarms and a waking system set right at the last stage of the sleep cycle, improving restfulness.
Aside from the promise of optimizing your sleep and resting time, Fitbit is primarily a fitness wearable that encourages you to get on your feet every day. It pushes its users to get into active zones by reminding them of daily and weekly challenges. This includes the 10,000 step challenge that coaxes users to reach the recommended 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of intense activity per week.
This is one effective way to push users to get their body’s required physical activity so they can achieve better wellness.
Fitbit also takes note of your current heart rate then categorizes your activities into physical zones. It is a way to re-assess how you can maximize the benefits of every activity or workout, whether it be in the low-energy zone or in the high-energy zone.
The application also offers a one-on-one coaching session where you are given personalized insights after your fitness data is analyzed.
The Fitbit is also quite proud of its great connectivity features, especially their GPS location tracker which not only helps you detect your specific whereabouts but also track your progress from particular reference points.
Pros:
- Fitbit has a longer battery life that can last from 4 up to 10 days of working out.
- The brand is known for its streamline design and sleek hardware styles and color palettes.
- The device is lightweight, comfortable to wear, and thoroughly waterproofed.
- The brand updates its products with new versions and models, thus creating a growing product list.
- One of the high-quality brands that remain affordable and economical.
- Its monochrome display is simple and gives users quick access to the information they need during their workouts.
Cons:
- Fitbit devices vary with their features list.
- Not all of their devices have integrated sensor technology.
Amazon Halo
This new AI-powered fitness tracker by Amazon offers a new take on improved health and wellness unlike any other. Being one of the latest contenders in the market, it’s almost as if they took the best parts of other brands, then included a few cutting edge additions.
Aside from the usual sleep and heart rate tracking, Amazon included temperature sensors and voice tone analytics to calibrate your physical and emotional state. Their systems are even patterned to have a feature similar to the DEXA scan. This utilizes dual-energy absorptiometry to analyze the composition of your body fat as compared to your muscles and total mass.
Key Features
- Accelerometer, or pace tracking
- Activity tracking
- Sleep insight and sleep stage tracking
- Labs or challenges for health improvement
- Temperature tracking sensor
- Tone analysis
- Screenless design and LED light notifications
Amazon Halo Membership
Unlike other brands that offer a membership that comes with a product, Amazon Halo sells their wearable at $99.99 with the addition of a $3.99 monthly membership subscription for the user to access all benefits and features.
Somehow, the deal helps users cut costs since the membership is considered free for the first six months of use. After the first six months, you will then be billed the regular fee plus taxes.
Then again, since it is under a rather large company, there are early access promotions that put the product on sale at $64.99. The subscriptions come with a screenless fitness band that logs all your data while displaying everything to your mobile app for reduced distractions when working out.
Amazon Halo Benefits
Upon its entry into the market, Amazon’s Halo has already made its mark as one of the best. If your goal is overall wellness and holistic improvement, this might just be the fitness wearable for you.
Its seamless design is quite similar to that of the Whoop, only that it does not have a screen that displays that all the data of your activity. This was a particular move on the part of Amazon since their goal was to reduce, if not eliminate, distraction on the part of the user.
Since you will need to use your phone to see the information, you will be more inclined to focus on your workout and be in the moment than to be dependent on the numbers that show up.
One feature that makes Amazon Halo one of the cutting edge wearables is their focus on body fat percentage. The app essentially creates a virtual 3D rendering of your body to analyze your body composition. This approach is very similar to that of dual-energy absorptiometry in a DEXA scan. Halo does this by having the user take a picture of their body in form-fitting clothing. Then the image is processed in under a minute.
Last but not the least, the Halo also includes the essentials of the typical fitness wearable, and that includes trackers for your sleeping dynamic and your heart rate. It also includes an activity log that allows its users to look at their progress from a daily, weekly, and monthly perspective which can be a great way to motivate them.
Pros:
- Their technology is so far the latest, most innovative, and experimental.
- Its novel features explore new ways for users to achieve better health through holistic growth and wellness.
- It’s designed for less distraction.
- The application displays well-interpreted and presented data that is easy to understand so you can make necessary improvements.
Cons:
- The device takes pictures of your body as part of the lean mass and fat mass analysis.
- You will have to rely on the mobile app to see your activity and workout insights because of the fitness band’s screenless design.
Halo Final Verdict
We can say that both Fitbit and Halo work effectively depending on the user’s needs and preferences. Now that we have all that out of the way, we can evaluate the differences accordingly.
Generally, both of these brands offer the essentials that any fitness enthusiast needs to further improve or maintain their routine. These wearables are great for analyzing health data and are quite comprehensive in presenting vital information.
These attributes make both the Fitbit and the Halo great investments. However, there are a number of issues here and there, with a few of them rooted in the fact that novelty may not always mean efficiency.
Amazon’s Halo is incredibly cutting edge and innovative. However their body composition rendering feature has had its users both amazed and worried. The current climate with internet companies selling your data has had many wondering how secure these files are. This is especially important considering that these are 3D shots of their bodies.
Although founders and executives claim that this information is classified as confidential, some have opted for something more conventional like Fitbit.
Another feature that amazes and surprises users of fitness wearables is the built-in tone analyzing device in the Halo. This device analyzes the tone of your speech and delivery without recording your dialogue.
Amazon claims they added the feature to help improve your overall well-being, including your ability to communicate. However, this did not sit well with many fitness enthusiasts, athletes, and trainers who generally consider it an unnecessary addition.
Conclusion
In the case of Fitbit and Halo, it’s safe to assume that if you prefer something conventional, then Fitbit is the way to go. This fitness wearable from Google has had its impact on the masses because of how intuitive it is to use and how it sticks to the essentials.
Then again, if you want to have additional cutting edge data and experimental features, then Amazon Halo’s band and app are what you need.
The fitness industry offers a lot of solutions to target your health and wellness, but always keep in mind that you can only achieve any goal by setting your mind to it. These tools make for great investments if you yourself are determined to be better. That being said, we hope this review has been a helpful guide to you when choosing between Amazon Halo vs. Fitbit
