It’s one of the frequent New Yr’s resolutions, however how do you really begin and preserve a superb health routine? Throughout books, magazines, TV and social media, you’ll discover an unimaginable quantity of data, however the recommendation is commonly conflicting.
Crucial factor to get proper is consistency, which might be troublesome when motivation is low. Nevertheless, a smartwatch or health tracker might help with this – recording your exercises and different exercise and monitoring progress in direction of health objectives is a superb incentive to maintain going.
Regardless of being purchased by Google in 2021, Fitbit stays a number one model in terms of each forms of wearable. Its gadgets stay fairly completely different to the Pixel Watch 3 though it has been confirmed Fitbit received’t make smartwatch fashion gadgets going ahead.
Google can be but to experiment with low cost health trackers, one thing Fitbit excels in and the place it’ll proceed to focus. Most Fitbits can be utilized to rely steps, monitor coronary heart fee, monitor sleep and report many various kinds of exercise. It’s also possible to compete towards family and friends as half of a giant on-line group.
Nevertheless, this a catch. The complete expertise requires a Fitbit Premium subscription, which prices £7.99/$9.99 per thirty days or £79.99/$79.99 per 12 months after an preliminary 90-day free trial.
In change, you get on-demand exercises, recipes, extra superior sleep monitoring, numerous challenges and ‘Day by day Readiness’ rating (which makes use of numerous metrics that will help you determine when you’re prepared for a exercise or must prioritise restoration). You may nonetheless have a superb expertise with out it, although.
On this article, we’ll assist you to determine which Fitbit is best for you. We’ve reviewed and ranked the highest 10 choices under, whilst you’ll discover detailed shopping for recommendation on the backside of the web page. You may additionally wish to think about a funds smartwatch or good ring.
Why it’s best to belief us: We carry out in-depth, real-world testing on each new wearable health tracker Fitbit releases. We put on it day and evening for per week or extra to trace motion and train, check out all of its further options and put on it to mattress for sleep monitoring. We will evaluate findings with the numerous rival trackers and watches we’ve examined.
Finest Fitbits 2024
1. Fitbit Encourage 3 – Finest Easy Fitbit
Professionals
- At all times-on color display
- Fashionable & comfy
- Complete monitoring
- Good battery life & charging
Cons
- Tiny display
- Brief charging wire
- No GPS
Value When Reviewed:
$99.95
The Encourage 3 is one of the best model but of Fitbit’s easy health band, including a color display for the primary time. It’s refined and cozy and comes with three strap color choices.
Monitoring is computerized and in our checks was very correct for steps and coronary heart fee, the 2 foremost metrics you’ll get from the Encourage 3. With the always-on show turned off you’ll be able to eke 10 days of battery life earlier than charging too.
As that is on the cheaper finish of the Fitbit vary there isn’t a GPS built-in, so i you wish to monitor the GPS route of your runs or cycles you’ll need to take your telephone with you. And though the display is now in color it is vitally small in deed so is simply good for glancing on the time or primary health stats. Although it could actually show smartphone notifications, it’s too tiny.
As with each Fitbit, you’ll be able to solely dig deeply into your day and evening monitoring stats when you pay for Fitbit Premium. However in order for you the Fitbit fundamentals and nothing else, that is the Fitbit for you.
2. Fitbit Cost 6 – Finest Premium Tracker
Professionals
- Google Maps & Fitbit Pay
- Fashionable
Cons
- Linked reasonably than built-in GPS
- Some options require Premium subscription
Value When Reviewed:
$159.95
With the Cost 6, Fitbit has added helpful Google apps to the acquainted health tracker expertise.
Now you can entry Google Maps, Google Pay and YouTube Music straight out of your wrist, which is nice…supplied you employ these companies. It’s a disgrace that no various music streaming companies can be found.
Nonetheless, there’s loads to love elsewhere, together with a complicated coronary heart fee sensor, ECGs and EDA stress monitoring. It may be used to trace greater than 40 train modes (some mechanically) and your sleep.
The facet button is nice for navigation, whilst you may even sync it with some fitness center gear for personalised suggestions. The {hardware} is essentially unchanged, and solely actually let down by the inconsistent built-in GPS.
As with all Fitbits, you’ll want a Premium subscription for the total expertise, and there are some occasional bugs. However on the entire, this can be a superb health tracker.
Learn our full
Fitbit Cost 6 evaluation
3. Fitbit Versa 4 – Finest Fitbit Smartwatch
Professionals
- Good battery life
- Bodily button
- Alexa built-in
Cons
- Some options locked behind Premium subscription
- No Google Assistant or music management
- Some Bluetooth connection issues
- No third-party apps
Value When Reviewed:
$199.95
The Fitbit Versa 4 is sweet, nevertheless it’s weirdly inferior to the Versa 3 that got here out in 2020. Similar to with the Fitbit Sense 2, Fitbit determined to take away music controls and third-party app help from the Versa 4 regardless of being options of the Versa 3. It’s a bizarre determination that makes us hesitate to name the Versa 4 a smartwatch – it’s extra a health tracker that appears like a watch.
Fortunately it’s a fantastic health tracker and the earlier generations are discontinued so that is your foremost selection for a smartwatch-style aside from the Sense 2.
With in-built GPS you’ll be able to simply monitor run, swim, and cycle routes, whereas battery life is sweet sufficient to get not less than three days in case you are hammering it, and probably extra in case you are a lightweight person.
It has a bodily facet button as an alternative of the fiddly contact button on the older mannequin, and it has Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant – however no Google Assistant, regardless of Google now proudly owning Fitbit.
Learn our full
Fitbit Versa 4 evaluation
4. Fitbit Sense 2 – Newest However Not Biggest
Professionals
- Improved software program
- Deep metric monitoring
- Stable battery life
Cons
- Clunky person expertise
- No music controls
- No third celebration apps
Value When Reviewed:
$249.95
The Fitbit Sense 2 is the sequel to 2020’s Fitbit Sense, however the brand new mannequin is 2 steps ahead and one step again. The Sense 2 doesn’t have entry to 3rd celebration apps corresponding to Starbucks and Spotify, and nor does it have music controls for altering the monitor in your telephone – all issues the first-gen product has.
We’re sure it’s because Google – who owns Fitbit – needs apps and smartphone controls to be unique to its Pixel Watch. However it’s very irritating that the Sense 2 doesn’t have options of older Fitbits, making it much less helpful.
That’s a disgrace as a result of the Sense 2 has superior construct high quality and is a beautiful slim smartwatch. It tracks all of your core metrics and is the one Fitbit, together with the primary Sense, to additionally monitor your stress by means of a ‘physique response’ sensor that may measure pores and skin temperature and different indicators to try to hep you perceive your stressors.
It’s intelligent, however telling you you’re pressured would possibly make you extra pressured. We additionally hesitate to name the Sense 2 a smartwatch as a result of Google has stripped it of smartwatch options. You’re oddly higher off shopping for the unique Fitbit Sense.
Learn our full
Fitbit Sense 2 evaluation
5. Fitbit Ace 3 – Finest Fitbit For Youngsters
Professionals
- Designed for youths
- Father or mother and Child Views
Cons
- Lacks coronary heart monitor
- Much less options than others
- Monochrome
Value When Reviewed:
$79.95
The Fitbit Ace 3 is designed particularly for youthful kids. It’s a well-priced if primary exercise tracker. It lacks a lot of the extra superior well being measurements that you simply’ll discover on the pricier Fitbits nevertheless it has sufficient to inspire a household to up their train.
Till not too long ago, kids below 13 weren’t allowed to have a private Fitbit account. Now the minimal age is 6 – so long as you employ the Fitbit Ace 3, which measures Steps and Energetic Time, plus primary sleep monitoring.
Particular household account options imply children (and oldsters) can monitor their primary exercise stats by means of safe Child View and Father or mother Views; the place they’ll see their progress, compete in challenges, and earn badges.
The Ace 3 is about train, not weight reduction – Fitbit hides the calorie counter to cease kids from obsessing about their weight.
Older children would possibly want a Fitbit that does extra, corresponding to measuring their coronary heart fee. The Fitbit Encourage 2 would possibly lack the Ace 3’s wraparound silicone padding nevertheless it affords a giant bunch of options, together with train modes, Cardio Ranges, Sleep Rating, Guided Respiratory and for simply £20/US$20 additional, and we’d suggest this for older or extra accountable kids.
Learn our full
Fitbit Ace 3 evaluation
6. Fitbit Luxe – Inexpensive & Trendy
Professionals
- Health and wellness options
- Color touchscreen
- Style equipment
- Stainless Metal case
Value When Reviewed:
$99.95
The Fitbit Luxe’s function set covers all of the health and wellness fundamentals – steps, energy burned, Energetic Zone Minutes, distance travelled, coronary heart fee, sleep monitoring, swim monitoring, guided rest respiration, the power to auto-detect exercises, and smartphone notifications.
The color touchscreen is basically the Luxe’s standout function in Fitbit’s vary of trackers.
Perhaps the Luxe stands for “Encourage 3 Deluxe”, as that’s what you get with the superior stainless-steel construct and color display; an improved Encourage 3 construct however with primarily the identical fitness-tracking options.
The power to decorate it up with jewelry accent choices will attraction to many. However when you’re after probably the most reasonably priced Fitbit, we suggest the Encourage 3.
Learn our full
Fitbit Luxe evaluation
7. Fitbit Aria Air – Finest Fitbit good scale
Cons
- Different scales have extra metrics
If you happen to couldn’t care much less about physique fats proportion and different weight and physique statistics, and simply need your weight to be mechanically synced to your Fitbit app, then the Fitbit Aria Air is the size for you, and can prevent a good bit on the marginally extra ready Aria 2.
You additionally get your Physique Mass Index (BMI), too, however nothing else.
If you wish to dig deeper and monitor your physique fats proportion and a raft of different metrics corresponding to physique fats proportion, water %, muscle & bone mass, then have a look at our different greatest digital good scales critiques.
Learn our full
Fitbit Aria Air evaluation
Your shopping for information for Fitbits in 2024
Why ought to I get a health tracker?
The advantages of getting extra train can’t be exaggerated. Going for normal walks reduces the danger of coronary heart assault or stroke by 31%. A examine of 650,000 individuals discovered that being lively for simply 11 minutes a day after the age of 40 yielded 1.8 years of added life expectancy. Being lively for an hour or extra a day elevated life expectancy by 4.2 years.
Train strengthens bones, boosts the immune system, lessens the danger of getting diabetes and a variety of cancers (corresponding to breast most cancers), improves temper, and staves off senility. There’s in all probability not a single organ within the physique that doesn’t profit from train.
A wholesome coronary heart in our youth and center age lowers the danger of creating dementia later in life, in accordance with a examine by Oxford College.
And it’s not simply bodily – a 30-minute stroll can stop a build-up of stress in the course of the day, as cardio actions assist hold ranges of the stress hormone cortisol in examine.
10,000 steps a day is the usual really helpful aim, though this has little scientific foundation. What’s really extra necessary is what number of minutes you’re lively in a day – specialists suggest not less than 150 minutes per week. It’s particularly necessary in case your train is on a motorcycle, the place steps don’t actually matter.
Until you need a fully-fledged smartwatch, a health tracker is among the best methods to remain on monitor together with your well being objectives. And regardless of being purchased by Google in 2019, Fitbit stays the main identify in terms of health trackers.
What different options does a Fitbit have?
All Fitbits can measure Energetic Minutes, however different options typically fluctuate between fashions.
The extra refined Energetic Zone Minutes measurement is these days out there throughout newer Fitbits, together with all fashions of Sense and Versa, plus Encourage 2 and later, Encourage 2 and later and Luxe.
Most Fitbits even have a 24-hour heart-rate monitor (Encourage HR, Encourage 2, Encourage 3, Luxe, Cost 4, Cost 5, Cost 6, Ionic, Versa Lite, Versa 2, Versa 3, Versa 4, Sense and Sense 2) function Coronary heart Charge Zones, Cardio Health Stage, and Guided Respiratory Classes.
Additionally they present superior Sleep Levels knowledge, together with length of Gentle, Deep and REM sleep, plus give a Sleep Rating. These with out the HR (Ace 3, Ace 2, Encourage 1) provide extra primary sleep monitoring.
Be taught extra in our separate Fitbit scores and measurements explainer.
Which options do I want on a Fitbit?
All Fitbits have a built-in alarm, ATM water resistance, accelerometer and the power to inform you of incoming calls and notifications and when you must transfer. Nevertheless, the next all fluctuate significantly between fashions:
- Altimeter – lets you measure stairs or top climbed
- Constructed-in GPS – lets you report location knowledge with no need to be linked to your telephone
- Coronary heart fee monitor
- Blood oxygen monitor
- Cardio Health Stage – cardiovascular health metric primarily based in your VO2 Max
- Six-axis gyroscope – can extra precisely monitor swim strokes and laps
- Constructed-in speaker and microphone – lets you reply calls out of your wrist
- Automated exercise detection – knowledge recorded even once you don’t manually begin a exercise
- Sleep monitoring
- Guided respiration classes
- Feminine well being monitoring
- Discover your Fitbit – makes use of Tile community
- Fitbit Pay – changed with Google Pay on some fashions
- Third-party app help – contains Spotify on some fashions
- Fitbit Coach app – gives on-screen video exercises
- Voice assistant help – Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant
If a number of of those options are essential for you, be sure that the Fitbit you’re considering of shopping for has it. If doubtful, learn the total critiques linked to for every of the highest 10 above to study extra.
Do all Fitbits use the identical app?
Sure. They’re all suitable with the identical iPhone and Android apps. Regardless of Google’s buy of Fitbit in 2021, that appears to stay the case for the foreseeable.
The app shows all of your every day and historic stats in stunning graphs, that broaden in panorama orientation, in addition to show in portrait view. It’s right here that Fitbit actually beats its activity-tracking rivals.
The desktop dashboard is one other visually enticing and informative place to observe your exercise and health statistics.
And as an incentive, you’ll be able to hyperlink with pals, household and colleagues to compete towards one another on the leaderboard, get entangled in every day or weekly Challenges and Adventures, and win badges decided by passing objectives, and historic milestones. These features of the Fitbit system actually set it aside from many different trackers.
Ought to I get Fitbit Premium?
It relies upon what you’re on the lookout for from a Fitbit. After an preliminary 90-day free trial, Fitbit Premium prices £7.99/$9.99 per thirty days or £79.99/$79.99 per 12 months.
In comparison with the free model, it provides the next:
- Day by day Readiness Rating – offers you an concept every morning whether or not you’re prepared for a exercise or needs to be resting as an alternative
- Exercise movies and audio
- Extra detailed sleep knowledge – simply an general rating on free model
- Sleep Profile – month-to-month evaluation of key sleep metrics
- Extra detailed stress administration knowledge – simply an general rating on free model
- Mindfulness classes
- Wellness Report – reveals how exercise, sleep, stress and many others is impacting your physique
- Recipes and diet suggestions
- Emergency Sharing, Fall Detection and Security Examine when with out your telephone – solely on 4G LTE watches