Village Gamer

California connected health & fitness developer Fitbit has announced the national Canadian launch of its best-selling products. For the first time, Fitbit’s wearable health devices, including the popular Fitbit One clip, the newly released Fitbit Flex wristband and its wireless scale will be available at Best Buy Canada, Future Shop and London Drugs stores across the country and online with other major retailers, including Sport Chek joining later this summer. This launch brings the full line of Fitbit products to the Canadian retail market, giving consumers the chance to try out the full Fitbit product line and the new Fitbit Flex Activity + Sleep Wristband—the first and only wristband activity tracker available with Bluetooth 4.0 for real-time syncing, making it the perfect way to fit fitness into a busy, on-the-go lifestyle.

Slim, Stylish, Flexible Wristband

Flex is the most advanced wireless activity wristband on the market, offering Fitbit’s proven technology, accuracy and durability, all in a slim, lightweight wristband design. During the day, Flex tracks your steps, distance and calories burned. Its LED lights show how your day is stacking up against your goals. At night, Flex measures your sleep cycle to help you see how to sleep better. This wristband is, of course, flexible—comfortable enough to wear all day and night, durable enough to wear in the shower or rain.

Fitbit Flex features include:

• Know your stats: Tracks steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes. Active minutes tracks moderate-intensity aerobic activity, which the Center for Disease Control recommends 150 minutes of each week.
• Catching ZZZs: Measures quality of sleep (number of hours, how many times you wake up and offers a sleep efficiency index) and uses a silent vibrating alarm to gently wake you, and not your partner.
• Sync on the go with Bluetooth 4.0: The first and only wristband to sync via Bluetooth 4.0 to iPhone 4S and 5 and select Android devices, like the Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy S4 and Note II. Android users can even tap the NFC-enabled Flex on a phone to automatically launch the Fitbit app. On iOS, real-time syncing lets you watch your stats increase automatically. Flex also syncs wirelessly and automatically to your computer.
• Flexible to match your mood: A variety of colorful, interchangeable wristbands (Black, Slate, Teal, Tangerine, Navy) allow you to personalize your Flex.
• Mobile, online and social motivation: The Fitbit app and online tools show activity charts, leaderboards and more, allowing you to set and adjust goals, view progress and earn badges. Connect with friends and family for support or friendly competition.
• Motivating notifications: Five LED lights offer instant visual gratification as you reach 20-percent increments toward your goals throughout the day. Vibrating notifications celebrate with you as you hit your daily goal.
• Multiple partners: Besides logging weight, food and more on Fitbit.com and Fitbit’s apps, Fitbit also integrates with many popular health and fitness apps, including Endomondo, LoseIt, MapMyFitness, MyFitnessPal and Sparkpeople, enabling you to share data from other favorite apps.

Fitbit Flex ($99.95 CAD) and the full Fitbit product line is available starting today at major Canadian retailers and select Apple stores, as well as online at Fitbit.com and Amazon.ca. Flex trackers are sold in Black or Slate bands, and you can purchase accessory packs (Teal, Tangerine, Navy) for $29.95 CAD for all three or $14.95 CAD for one color.

“We are incredibly excited to expand our presence to retail stores in Canada—there’s been a demand for sometime now, as people have been ordering our products from the States, so we’re thrilled they can now get them at a local retailer,” says James Park, CEO and co-founder of Fitbit. “We’ve worked hard to develop the most seamless, versatile and accurate activity trackers, and with the addition of Flex, we truly have a product line that fits any lifestyle.”

Robust Product Line

Canadians are now able to purchase Fitbit’s other connected health and fitness products in retail locations near them.

• Fitbit Zip: A small clip that comes in five fun colors, keeps users going with a motivating smiley face, tracking steps taken, calories burned and distance traveled; syncs wirelessly to select iOS and Android devices ($59.95 CAD).
• Fitbit One: A sleek, advanced clip tracker that measures everything Zip does, with the addition of sleep tracking and stairs climbed; syncs wirelessly to select iOS and Android devices ($99.95 CAD).
• Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale: High-end performance scale that tracks weight, BMI and body fat percentage over time; taps into your home wireless network and privately uploads information automatically each time you step on the scale ($129.95 CAD).

“I’ve been using Fitbit products with my clients for a long time,” said Toronto native and personal trainer, Harley Pasternak, author of Canada’s best-selling book The Body Reset Diet. “Keeping track of how active you are throughout the day is such an effective way to stay engaged with your health, and Fitbit’s products are powerful tools that help my clients reach their health and fitness goals.”