Fitbit as a manufacturer may not have many devices on the market, but they are easily one of the most well known names in the fitness tracking industry. And while their standalone dedicated app is fantastic, there are many third party applications that interface very well with their trackers.
And since I am always looking for the latest greatest apps that will complement my fitness tracking, I decided to do a little digging. Much to my dismay, I realized that there are so many fitness apps on the market, it can be tough to sort out the ones that are worth using and the ones that are "shovel wear".
So I went ahead and created this list of my top 10 favorite apps for Fitbit trackers. All the apps on this list should interface perfectly with any Fitbit tracker.
Strava
Strava pairs well with many GPS based devices, but it's also a solid app for fitness trackers as well. It is best used for tracking, guiding, and analyzing running/cycling. Strava will also keep a detailed map of where you travel and will allow you to compare your stats with past runs or the runs of others. Their web-based application is also pretty solid. But to get the full feature set I recommend purchasing the premium version which allows you to track your power data if you're a cyclist, and pace and heart rate analysis if you're a runner. The premium version also offers a "sufferer score" which is interesting because it lets you know exactly how hard you're working, and a fitness and freshness portion, which is great for someone who uses a power meter. It will tell you when you are at your peak proficiency so you can better gauge your overall performance level.
I also like their GPX download function, which allows you to see what others have done in your area and download their exact routes for motivation. Lastly, the app syncs very well with any fit that tracker. You will get credit for your active minutes in your calorie counter,
Map My Run
Mapmyrun is pretty much the de facto standard of running apps. It's great for tracking and creating your own routes, and has many standard features like training logs and group encouragement. However where the app really shines is its built in routes, which are an aggregate of everyone else who is used the app and will allow you to choose a route that is in your general location. The web based interface also allows you to add your own. Lastly, the app has its own built in food log that will sync with your Fitbit app.
My Fitness Pal
This app is great for one thing: counting calories. Essentially, it is a giant food database that allows you to map out your meals for the day and create an overall calorie plan. It boasts one of the largest food databases ive ever seen, with over 1 million different individual food items. I especially like the fact that it has the ability to be able to add recipes via the web, which cuts down on manual entry time.
It also syncs very well with the Fitbit app. It will share calories burned and will share your meal summary/exercise data as well.
Fitstar Personal Trainer
Fit Star is a unique personal training style app with a variety of built in workouts that will keep you on the move. Essentially, the app is like a training DVD but more interactive. You follow the on screen trainer through a series of workouts and at the end of the training session you'll be asked to give a score depending on how well you are able to keep up with the workout. The app then personalizes your workout depending on your fitness level.
It also has a "freestyle" session function which is useful for people on the go, in that it allows you to do a quick 5 to 7 minute workout no matter where you are or what you're doing.
Fit star integrates with your online fit pit account and will exchange your session data/calories burned between the two.
Thermo's Hydration App
If you are an active person, there is nothing more important than water intake. Without adequate water intake, you will not be able to workout at full intensity and maybe become dehydrated before your workout is finished. And while that should be obvious, I often times find myself forgetting about hydrating myself before a workout or wind up hydrating too late, which can be bad as well.
The Thermo Smart lid is essentially a hydration reminder and utilizes the newly added water intake portion of the Fitbit app. If you have a Thermos smart lid, you don't have to enter in your water intake manually - the lid will automatically update your stats on the fly.
Lost it!
At its core, Lose It! is a weight loss app. But it can do much more than simply count calories. But the emphasis seems to be about total wellness, as the app can keep track of your sleep, Exercise, BMI, and macro nutrient intake.
The app also features a challenge mode which basically allows you to compete with other people for how many pounds you want to shave off. I also like the fact that you can simply scan a bar code on any food product and it will upload it into your food log. Additionally, the calories your Fitbit tracker records will sync up with Lose it! to give you a better idea of your overall progress.
Find My Fitbit
While it's nice to have a fitness tracker, what happens if you lose it? That's were Find My Fitbit comes in handy. The app has a sleek and intuitive interface that can sync up to 10 different Fitbits and uses Bluetooth to locate any lost trackers. The App will show a bar graph to indicate how close or far away you are from your lost fit bit.
Fitabase
Fitabase is an app that's ideal for to people who love raw data and spreadsheets. The app allows you to see and track fitness data of all types pretty much in real time.
It is especially useful for someone who is in charge of managing multiple Fitbit users, as it allows you to create your own project and monitor the your users in real time. You'll be able to see essentially everything about the devices, such as battery level, steps, calories, and graph data.
And speaking of graphs, the app also has many different maps and graphs that will let you to visualize your moments of high activity or see a weekly trend.
Endomondo
This app is a good pick for any dedicated fitness fanatic. I use this one a lot for tracking activities that aren't included with certain fitness trackers, as the app has over 40 built in activities that range from badminton all the way to ice skating..
Endomodo is compatible with pretty much all of your fit bit data so it is a nice stand in if you prefer not to use the standard Fitbit app.
Drivebit
The Drive bit app is useful for those that have a long commute time. Since many Fitbits erroneously log bumpy rides as steps, many apps contain a drive time portion that allows you to omit this activity from your daily goal. This app allows you to log your driving activities with the tap of a button and eliminates the irritating need to manually input your drive time into your fitness app.
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