So, last year I bought I got a Withings Pulse and was very optimistic / hopeful about how it would work out. It was a new product, the website was still being built, and there were regular software updates to the device.

Unfortunately, the Pulse has failed to live up to my expectations.

1. The pulse rate measurement portion of the device stopped working several months ago. I didn’t use it frequently, but it was annoying that it completely stopped working.

2. The website never developed a way for me to download my data. As that was what made me want to stop using the FitBit, that was a huge problem for me.

3. You cannot edit your data. This means that if you forget to turn off the sleep timer, it says you slept for 12 or 18 or whatever hours. I have obsessive compulsive disorder, so this bothered me IMMENSELY. Immensely, as in, I stopped using the sleep timer completely, because I couldn’t bear to see the incorrect sleep times.

4. Although you are supposed to be able to compare data with other Pulse users, Michael and I haven’t yet gotten that feature to work. So I’m collecting data in a void. Which would be okay if the data was accessible to me to download. But it’s not.

5. The altimeter is off. Michael and I spent a day doing the exact same things, and his altimeter recorded twice the height mine did, when, if anything I should have had a few more flights of stairs than he did. Plus, it gives the distance in feet, instead of flights of stairs. I can grok flights of stairs, but a change in elevation measured in feet means next to nothing to me.

So, I need another pedometer.

After a lot of research, I purchased two: The Omron HJ-32 and the Ozeri 4×3 Sport Digital Pocket 3D Pedometer.

The Ozeri was immediately sent back. First, there was no way to download the data, but more importantly, it did NOT (as stated in the description) count flights of stairs climbed. If I can’t download the data, then I’d have to type it all into a spread sheet, and… just… no. Which is too bad, because it was a nice pedometer.

So now, I’m carrying around four pedometers:
1. My original Omron HJ-720
2. The Withings Pulse
3. My old Fitbit Ultra
4. The Omron HJ-32

These are four very different Pedometers, with four different ways of moving the data from the Pedometer to a computer.

1. The Omron HJ-720 is a dual axis pedometer. This means that it measures most accurately in an upright position (such as sitting in a belt clip). It does not have an altimeter, so it only measures steps, not stairs. Data transfer is done by plugging the pedometer into a mini USB cable, you then open the Omron program on your computer, and tell the Omron Health Management Software to grab all the data from the pedometer.

2. The Withings Pulse uses a 3D motion sensor and has an altimeter, and can be placed anywhere on your body in any direction, and measures steps and altitude. The Pulse uses bluetooth to transmit data from the pedometer to your cell phone, and then your cell phone transfers that data to the Withings website. Which means that you must have a cell phone with a bluetooth connection, and you have to leave your bluetooth on all the time if you want it to sync automatically. I had problems with the pedometer automatically syncing data with the website.

3. The Fitbit Ultra has a 3D motion sensor and an altimeter, so it can be placed anywhere on your body in any direction and measures steps and stairs. The device transmits the data wirelessly to the base station plugged into your computer and from there to the FitBit website. The data is never actually on your computer, it just passes through your computer to the FitBit website. Unless you have multiple base stations, the data is transmitted only when you are near your computer.

4. The Omron HJ-32 (I love Omron, but they do NOT have catchy pedometer names) is a tri-axis pedometer, which means it can be placed anywhere on your body in any direction, but does not have an altimeter, so it only measures steps, not stairs or altitude. It is essentially a USB stick with an attached pedometer. You pull off the cap, plug it into your computer on which you have installed the software, and your data is pulled from the pedometer and put on the Omron website. From the website you can then download you data.

All four pedometers come with belt clips, but I have them stuck in my pocket (because I generally don’t wear a belt).

The FitBit has the easiest data transfer–it happens without you having to do anything.

The Omron is best for giving you your data, in a format you can manipulate as you please.

The FitBit is best if you want to compete and compare with friends and family. There are tons of people using the FitBit. (I don’t know anyone else using an Omron.)

The Omron (at least the HJ-720–we’ll see about the HJ-32) is the sturdiest pedometer I’ve ever seen. I bought mine in 2009 and it still works. I’ve put it through the washer at least twice, dropped it countless times, and it still works perfectly. The FitBit Ultra had problems charging and with the outside case cracking. Not all the features of the Withings still work, although the pedometer still functions as it did when I first bought it. I am pretty sure that neither the FitBit nor the Pulse would survive a trip through the washer.

Pedometers with data display:

Pedometers compared to a tube of lip balm:

Pedometers stacked atop my Galaxy S4 (in an Otterbox case):

Pedometers with charging cables or data transfer cables:

Never fear, I’ll have data comparisons coming up next soon.