Flitbit Flex Review

Of the many perils of college life, few are as feared as the freshman fifteen. Whether you were a star athlete in high school or you are starting with a few fifteens to lose, you’re going to want to be mindful about your health and the notoriously unhealthy college lifestyle of late-night study sessions and “devil may care” cafeteria food nutrition.

Enter the Fitbit Flex, a wireless activity tracker that is purported to improve your sleep, make you fit and help you drop  pounds. The flex consists of two physical components, a black electronic component that tracks movement and a blue or black wristband that it fits snugly onto. The inconspicuous band is designed to be worn 24/7, even while sleeping and showering. Unlike some competing devices, there is little risk of losing it. During the day, the device records your steps and indicates your progress towards your activity goal.  At night, the Flex compiles a sleep report, telling you exactly when you woke up during the night, as well as how long it took you to fall asleep. This can be great for keeping you accountable for how much sleep you are actually getting.

The Flex can be particularly useful for students living in dorms. Beyond sleep tracking, the Fitbit Flex has a silent alarm feature that will wake you up without waking up your roommate. In my experience, it was silent enough that it won’t wake up anyone else in the room.

Although the Flex is a great device, it does have a few faults that hold it back from being perfect. For starters, the Flex depends on the user to engage and disengage sleep tracking. I’ve had days where I realized sleep tracking was still on after being up for hours. This is a major flaw for a device aiming for a “set and forget” experience. In addition, the battery life is about a week, which is a little too short for a device that is to be worn 24/7.

Overall, this device feels like it was tailor-made for the hectic lives of RIT students. The Flex should be a great companion for those looking to stay fit and maintain healthy sleep habits. Although a great device, a few minor faults may make it difficult to justify the $99 price tag. If getting in shape is a priority for you, the Fitbit Flex is a must buy. If not, save your money.