just started going for a few long walks and all I want is something simple to record how far I have gone, I have a tom-tom spark but the battery life isn’t great, I don’t need a permeant display, I see fit bits are popular but don’t know much about them
cheers

I know you said wrist, but why not just use a phone? You’re probably already carrying it anyway 🙂

You’re probably already carrying it anyway

And its probably already recording your distance every day too

Above points are very valid but I love my Fitbit Blaze – great app and the screen gives me little nudges to stay active – and I am mildly addicted to hitting the 10k steps a day (so much so I will manually add a few steps to make it green if I get, say, 9,998 steps in a day). I have also been known to walk around the bedroom before bed to hit 10k 🙂

My wife has a Fitbit Blaze and while it’s a nice bit of kit the battery life doesn’t seem that great. She’s probably going to replace it with a Vivoactive HR, which is what both my wife and I use. Not the cheapest option but very versatile (does running, cycling, walking and swimming as well as other sports) and battery life is excellent.

I find the google fit app pretty accurate on my phone. It also integrates well with other applications like Endomondo etc

I use one of these

Stylish and functional. The fixie of power walking.

My wife has a Fitbit Blaze and while it’s a nice bit of kit the battery life doesn’t seem that great. She’s probably going to replace it with a Vivoactive HR, which is what both my wife and I use.

That’s confusing.

Anyway, vivofit 2 user here. Battery life: not sure, currently 1 year and still going strong.

I just use an iPhone, it records distance walked and elevation by default – has a dedicated co-processor doing it 24/7.

That’s confusing.

Two wives – because he’s epic.

No one else read walking as ****? Thought that’s a rather niche bit of equipment.

No one else read walking as ****? Thought that’s a rather niche bit of equipment

Fitbit counts that towards your steps anyway

Two wives – because he’s epic.

It should have said “what my daughter and I use”.

Two wives! One is bad enough…

so much so I will manually add a few steps

How do you “manually add”?

Just use https://www.google.co.uk/maps/ and the Measure Distance option.
Then you won’t have wasted your dosh on something when the novelty wears off.

How do you “manually add”?

I do it on the desktop app – details here

Mrs SWSD has the Garmin version of the fitbit (can’t remember what its called). Its good for recording activity (ie. the number of steps taken) but its not that accurate at recording distance, at least not compared to a proper GPS.

Over 10 miles it can be as much as a mile out.

But a Fitbit isn’t trying to be a GPS, just like a GPS doesn’t make a good fitness tracker.

I personally have no need for a GPS but I find my Blaze invaluable in tracking my activities/sleep/egg timer etc.

But a Fitbit isn’t trying to be a GPS, just like a GPS doesn’t make a good fitness tracker.

Quite right, they are very good at recording activity. But OP asked about recording mileage. Just pointing out they aren’t particularly accurate at doing that.

Runtastic on the phone is free.

I would also just use my phone. If I want to see how far I am walking I just use Strava.

Just missed out on a couple of KOMs on my last walk.