The Best Fitbits For Your Fitness And Health

In 2024, you mightiness wonderment if Fitbit is still relevant. Despite getting acquired by Google, Fitbit remains 1 of nan astir recognizable names successful nan industry. Fitbit trackers aren’t meant for nan astir hardcore of athletes, but they’re still fantabulous devices for hunt wide activity arsenic bully arsenic monitoring definite wellness and wellness metrics for illustration EKGs and joke oxygen levels. 

That said, this is simply a transitional play from nan Fitbit of aged to immoderate Fitbit will beryllium successful nan future. 2023, successful particular, was a messy year. There were aggregate Fitbit server outages. I wasn’t impressed pinch nan determination to sunset bequest statement features for illustration challenges aliases nan truth that each Fitbit accounts will require you to log successful via Google by 2025. Speaking of which, nan Fitbit-to-Google narration migration started past summertime and is required if you bargain caller products for illustration nan Fitbit Charge 6 aliases Google Pixel Watch 3. The Fitbit app too sewage a new, overmuch Google-like makeover, which didn’t spell complete bully pinch galore users. (Google has since made adjustments based connected feedback.) And successful January, overmuch of Fitbit’s leadership, including co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman, adjacent nan institution arsenic astir a 1000 Google labor were laid off.

You tin look astatine really Google has handled nan Nest acquisition arsenic a roadworthy practice to really things are going. The Googlefication of Fitbit will continue, but location are reasons to instrumentality pinch its trackers successful nan meantime. Fitbit trackers are comparatively affordable, peculiarly since they often spell connected sale. All nan devices too recreation pinch a free proceedings to Fitbit Premium, nan company’s subscription activity that adds guided workouts, meditations, and entree to overmuch in-depth metrics. So far, it appears Google takes its Pixel Watch lineup seriously, too. With nan Pixel Watch 2, nan institution has expanded extended warranty entree and improved replacement options. You conscionable personification to spell successful pinch eyes wide open.

Best Fitbit smartwatch

The beingness of nan Pixel Watch, now successful its 3rd generation, has thrown a wrench into Fitbit’s smartwatch lineup. Technically, it’s a Google product, but Google owns Fitbit, truthful they’re each Google products now. Fitbit powers each of nan Pixel Watch’s wellness and fittingness features. But really, this is nan smartwatch that Fitbit ne'er could negociate to build connected its own.

The Pixel Watch 3 is simply a important update complete its predecessors. It yet feels for illustration Google’s nary longer playing catch-up to its rivals. This year, nan screens are brighter, nan bezels are smaller, and there’s now a 45mm size for larger wrists. The larger size doesn’t look chunky, either. Internally, nan processor and wellness sensors are nan aforesaid arsenic past year, though nan third-gen instrumentality has an ultra wideband spot that allows you to unlock Pixel phones and immoderate BMW car models.

It’s sewage nan aforesaid beautiful creation pinch a accusation domed show that looks measurement overmuch elegant than nan squircle Versa aliases Sense smartwatches ever did. On your wrist, it looks for illustration a watch, not a locator dressed up arsenic one. The show is simply a spot susceptible for our taste, but arsenic of past year, you tin get a Preferred Care extended warranty successful nan US and Canada. This is 1 logic we impulse nan Pixel Watch 3 complete nan original since astatine slightest you personification a overmuch affordable fallback should point hap to your display. Google too announced an action wherever you tin skip customer support and message successful broken, out-of-warranty Pixel Watch devices for discounted replacements.

As for fittingness features, nan Pixel Watch 3 is overmuch amended for runners than it utilized to be. It includes a caller moving dashboard, precocious style analytics, civilization moving workouts, and moreover AI-generated workout suggestions. It’s too introduced a caller metric called Cardio Load, which measures nan spot of your workouts and suggests a target based connected your fittingness goals. It’s conceptually akin to Garmin’s Training Load. The Daily Readiness Score has too been revamped and is nary longer locked down nan Fitbit Premium paywall. On nan wellness front, European users now personification Loss of Pulse. If nan watch detects you’ve mislaid your pulse, it’ll telephone emergency services connected your behalf. The characteristic isn’t disposable yet successful nan US, though, arsenic FDA clearance is still pending.

Additionally, Google has strengthened nan watch’s integrations pinch its ain services arsenic bully arsenic different Pixel devices. For instance, you personification offline Google Maps and a Google Home Tile. You tin position your Nest Doorbell camera provender aliases powerfulness your Google TV from your wrist, and there’s too nan action to grounds audio pinch nan Recorder app and proscription it to your phone. With Call Assist, you tin usage your watch to show anyone calling you petition an different 2nd to premier up nan phone.

If each you want is simply a fittingness locator that looks for illustration a smartwatch, you tin spot nan $229 Versa 4 since it’s nan overmuch budget-friendly option. But there’s nary existent constituent successful nan Sense 2 since nan Pixel Watch 3 tin do each nan aforesaid things — and more.

Best money Fitbit

The Inspire connection hasn’t ever felt, well, inspired. But nan $99.95 Inspire 3 is different. With a colour OLED display, it’s reminiscent of nan Fitbit Luxe of 2021, only pinch a matte achromatic integrative suit alternatively of a metallic one. It’s a awesome throwback to classical Fitbits for group who only want nan basics.

The Inspire 3 doesn’t overcomplicate things. It’s a fittingness band. You won’t get built-in GPS, contactless payments, aliases integer assistants. Still, what it lacks successful smarts it makes up for pinch Fitbit’s precocious slumber tracking, accent guidance features, and irregular bosom title notifications. The OLED show is too a measurement up from nan Inspire 2’s monochrome screen, and you still get 10 days of artillery life. (Though it’s overmuch for illustration 2 to 3 if you alteration nan always-on display.) 

The Inspire 3 has a assortment of accessories, including a clip attachment if you want to measurement steps discreetly. There’s moreover a golden aliases metallic mesh strap if you want to dress it up a bit. 

To beryllium honest, nan Inspire 3 and Luxe are alternatively similar, and they’re often astir nan aforesaid price. It’ll boil down to whether you deliberation nan Luxe’s nicer suit is worthy trading half nan artillery life for — nan Luxe gets an estimated 5 days alternatively of 10.

Best Fitbit fittingness tracker

The Charge bid has ever been popular, and nan $159.95 Charge 6 is nary exception. It’s Fitbit’s higher-end fittingness group but easy competes pinch nan overmuch costly Versa 4 connected features. It features a colour OLED aboveground affirmative an EKG and EDA sensor. You too get built-in GPS, NFC payments, and SpO2 sensors — nan only constituent you’re really missing is simply a integer assistant.

The only qualm we personification pinch nan Charge 6 is nan always-on display. While it’s beautiful, it’s a awesome artillery drain. The Charge 6 has an estimated 7 days of artillery life, but that dwindles down to astir 2 if you personification nan always-on show enabled. This is nan aforesaid rumor that we had pinch nan Charge 5, but it’s reasonably emblematic for Fitbit trackers these days.

Altogether, though, you’re getting a hellhole of a batch for nan price. It’s nan only FDA-cleared EKG wearable you tin find for nether $200, and nan only different Fitbits tin of EKG and EDA readings are nan Sense, Sense 2, and nan Pixel Watch 2. So unless you’re dormant group connected nan smartwatch style factor, nan Charge 6 is nan amended wide deal. 

Compared to its predecessor, nan Charge 6 too adds an improved bosom title algorithm, Bluetooth compatibility pinch immoderate gym equipment, and a less apps — namely Google Maps, Google Wallet, and YouTube Music. While YouTube Music useful well, I’m not stoked that it requires an further $11 monthly subscription. That said, it’s amended than nothing, arsenic Fitbit discontinued onboard euphony a while back.

In position of hardware, nan Charge 6 too features a haptic fastener alternatively of an inductive groove. It’s not a beingness button, which is simply a mini disappointing, but it’s overmuch reliable frankincense acold than nan inductive groove, truthful I would count this arsenic a nett positive.

You could technically get nan Charge 5 astatine a discount. However, I’d only do that if it’s importantly cheaper and worth is your main consideration. The haptic button, while not what I wanted, is acold amended than nan inductive groove and you personification overmuch app options. Turn-by-turn navigation is too useful for walks, and it astatine slightest offers immoderate style of euphony playback.

Best Fitbit for kids

That beautiful overmuch covers nan existent Fitbit lineup. The only 1 we haven’t touched frankincense acold — and nan only 1 that I haven’t tested myself — is nan $79.95 Ace 3. That’s Fitbit’s locator for kids. It’s a basal locator pinch a rugged bumper and comes pinch parental controls. It’s sewage amended artillery life than its predecessor but doesn’t recreation pinch GPS. Also, while it does personification bosom title sensors, it’s not a metric that’s actively tracked for children. Instead, it determines really galore “active minutes” they’re getting. Overall, it’s a decent premier for parents whose main privilege is making judge their kids get tin regular exercise.

However, Fitbit too introduced nan $229.95 Ace LTE earlier this year. It’s substantially overmuch expensive, but that’s understandable fixed it’s a important upgrade successful position of hardware and software. For starters, it has nan aforesaid courageousness arsenic nan Pixel Watch 2. (The chargers are too compatible!) It too adds built-in LTE for a $9.99 monthly subscription via nan Ace Pass, which enables calling, messaging, and real-time GPS hunt for parents. Kids won’t petition to personification their ain smartphone to group it up, and location are nary third-party apps aliases ads connected nan device. Everything is too controlled via nan abstracted Fitbit Ace app, which useful connected immoderate iOS and Android.

To beforehand overmuch activity, nan Ace LTE uses a bid of 3D games. After playing a bit, they’re encouraged to get immoderate beingness activity to unlock overmuch playing time. There’s too a Tamagotchi-like element, but reside from $35 collectible bands, location are nary microtransactions incorrect nan games involving existent money. (Kids tin “buy” overmuch items by completing regular quests and partaking successful activities.) As for privacy, Google says that only parents will beryllium tin to position location and activity accusation for children. Location accusation is deleted aft 24 hours, while activity accusation is deleted aft 35 days. We haven’t had a chance to afloat proceedings nan Ace LTE yet, but we’ll update this line erstwhile we do.

Should you moreover bargain a Fitbit correct now?

Fitbit officially became information of Google successful 2021. Nothing changed overnight, but technically, it’s Fitbit by Google now. The Fitbit-to-Google migration started successful earnest successful summertime 2023 and caller users will beryllium asked to log into Fitbit utilizing their Google accounts. In 2025, this will beryllium mandatory for everyone. Last year, Google angered longtime Fitbit users by shuttering longtime societal features for illustration Challenges and removing measurement streaks. (Step streaks personification since been added backmost and expanded to Android.) Meanwhile, nan Versa 4 and Sense 2 weren’t arsenic feature-rich astatine motorboat compared to their predecessors, starring immoderate to consciousness that Google purposefully did this to put nan spotlight connected its Pixel Watch. There were too aggregate awesome server outages successful 2023.

There’s immoderate hostility coming and nan early of Fitbit hardware is murky. Especially fixed nan truth that Google laid disconnected astir a 1000 labor from its hardware departments spanning Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest. If you’re buying a locator for nan first clip and want it to past you a while, it mightiness make overmuch consciousness to opt for a Garmin aliases Amazfit tracker. Similarly, if you’re looking to upgrade to an older Versa aliases Sense smartwatch, you mightiness want to spot wherever nan particulate settles. However, if you cognize you want a Fitbit, past spell ahead. If you’re not successful a unreserved aliases are undecided, now is not a bad clip to beryllium backmost and observe.

Update, December 12th: Adjusted pricing and availability.