When comparing Fitbit Zip vs Fitbit Alta, the Slant community recommends Fitbit Alta for most people. In the question“What are the best fitness trackers that pair with iPhones?” Fitbit Alta is ranked 5th while Fitbit Zip is ranked 8th. The most important reason people chose Fitbit Alta is:
For its size, the Alta fitness tracker has a large display. The display will show steps, distance, calories burned, active minutes, and sleep time. You can switch between these by tapping the side of the display (there is no button). The screen is easy to read at a glance while on the move except in bright settings.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Social component to help keep you motivated
The Zip keeps you motivated through friendly competition. Along with giving you a rank among your friends, you can also cheer them on or taunt them.
Pro Easy to hide under your clothes
The Fitbit Zip fitness tracker is very small, so you can easily wear it somewhere that it will be hidden (belt, pocket, bra strap, etc.). Unlike most trackers which have wrist bands, you don't have to worry about trying to make it blend in with what you're wearing.
Pro Fitbit app lets you track a variety of health-related stats
The app doesn't only display the stats from your device, it also lets you track a variety of different health-related stats by entering them manually. You can log your food for the day, how you slept, activity, weight, and more.
Pro Automatic synching that's easy to setup
The Fitbit Zip fitness tracker wirelessly syncs with both PC and smartphones via the Fitbit app. After getting it set up you don't even think about syncing, it's just automatic.
Pro Informative and clear display that's easy to read
For its size, the Alta fitness tracker has a large display. The display will show steps, distance, calories burned, active minutes, and sleep time. You can switch between these by tapping the side of the display (there is no button). The screen is easy to read at a glance while on the move except in bright settings.
Pro Many different wrist band options available to suit your taste
The Alta itself comes in 4 colors: black, teal, purple and plum.
While expensive, you can swap out the band. Classic bands cost $30, leather bands cost $60, and stainless steel bands cost $100.
Pro Reminds you to move every hour
The Alta will remind you about your move alerts each hour. By default, it suggests 250 steps each hour and it will vibrate 10 minutes before each hour is over to give you enough time to accomplish the micro-step goal.
Pro Will fit almost any wrist size
The Alta is available in three different sizes (small, large, and extra large). Each size can be adjusted by a minimum of 1 inch.
This is a great tracker for people with wrists below or above average size who may have trouble finding a comfortable fit with other trackers.
Pro Lightweight and comfortable to wear
As a result of the Alta having a slim design, it is both lightweight and very comfortable to wear.
Pro Week long battery life
The fitness tracker's battery can last a full week before you need to recharge it - quite a bit longer than most activity trackers.
Cons
Con Lacking many of the features that fitness trackers often offer
The Fitbit Zip only tracks distance, steps, and calories burned. It's basically a pedometer with a smart tracking platform you can use for manually tracking the rest of your day. It can't tell you stairs climbed or heart rate, and there is no alarm, sleep tracking, or GPS.
Con Issues with the battery not working
The contacts in the device are very sensitive. If you don't place the battery in just right, it will only work for a short period of time before the battery needs to be readjusted or replaced.
Even when following instructions provided by the company, some people report that still can't get it working properly. The battery may end up lasting days instead of the promised 4-6 months.
You can see how to properly change the battery here.
Con Easy to lose
The tiny size of the Fitbit Zip makes it very easy to lose track of.
Rather than a wrist watch like many other trackers, it only has a slide on clip. The clip is fairly secure for normal activity, but you may knock the tracker off without realizing it.
Con Lacks a rechargeable battery
The Fitbit Zip fitness tracker runs on a 3-volt lithium-ion battery that lasts between 4 and 6 months. It requires getting a new battery every time it runs out of charge.
Con Fairly basic features which limits the information you'll receive from the tracker
The Alta fitness tracker is designed to be more of a passive tracker for the Average Joe as opposed to a complete activity tracker for enthusiasts. There is no GPS or heart rate monitor, so the stats you get are limited to steps, rough distance traveled, estimated calories burned, active minutes, and sleep tracking.
Con The device cannot be used without a smartphone or a computer
In order to activate the device for usage, it must be paired with a smartphone and/or a PC (through a USB dongle), and an account must be registered through Fitbit.
Con Difficult to see the display when outdoors
The display is quite dim which makes it very difficult to read when in bright settings.
Con Display is off by default
To manually turn on the display you must double tap the side of the tracker which can be difficult to do properly.
It can also turned on automatically by the appropriate wrist/arm movement for checking the time.
There is no way to keep the display on so it may take some fumbling every time you want to look at the display.
