In 2022, Fitbit’s current range of devices aims to fit every budget, health goal, and lifestyle. You can find a basic tracker for monitoring the simplest metrics and a smartwatch that can get an EKG and generate a doctor’s wellness report.
After more than 10 years in the game, you may be wondering if Fitbit is still relevant. While smartwatches and fitness trackers are growing like never before, Fitbit is one of the most famous names in the industry. A big plus in favor of Fitbit is the relative affordability of all products. It also has a huge community of 31 million active users, making it a platform for beginners. All devices come with a free trial of Fitbit Premium. This is the company’s subscription service that adds access to guided workouts, meditation, and more detailed metrics.
This wide range of products can be a bit difficult to navigate. Is it still worth buying Versa2 in 2022? What’s the difference between the Inspire 2 and the Luxe?
No worries. I’ve tested all Fitbit trackers and smartwatches on the block. Whether you’re just starting your fitness journey or a veteran looking to upgrade, you’ll need to buy it here.
The best Fitbit for most people
Ironically, the Versa 3 is the fourth smartwatch in the Versa family. It should give you an idea of how popular smartwatches are for the company. It may not be a flagship, but it’s a sweet spot between shape, function, and price.
The $ 229.99 Versa 3 pack contains the typical sensors you’d expect from a modern smartwatch, including continuous heart rate monitoring and a SpO2 sensor. It also adds one of the biggest abbreviations from the previous Versas, the built-in GPS, as well as a microphone and speakers. For Digital Assistant, you can choose between Alexa and Google Assistant. It is also paid by NFC and comes with a 90-day trial version of Fitbit Premium.
Compared to the Versa 2, the Versa 3 was an iterative update. But the big picture is that this is a solid choice.The design is flattering, getting most of the key features and saving even more compared to the $ 329.95 Sense. It’s worth it. If you are looking for Versa, this is your choice. (However, we don’t recommend Versa 2. You can buy it on the Fitbit website, but despite the many same components as Versa 3, the company has already begun to reduce support.)
This isn’t to say that Fitbit’s flagship product, Sense, is a bad product. The main difference is that Sense adds EKG measurements and skin electrical activity sensors. The latter reads the microscopic sweat level of your skin to determine your stress level. In fact, Sense is one of the best mental health tracking tools on the market today.However, this is not the case unless it is a high priority for you That Much more convenient than keeping a regular diary of your thoughts and moods. These aren’t what we call “essential” until Fitbit embodies these features a bit more.
The most stylish Fitbit
As the name implies. The $ 149.95 Luxe is reminiscent of the now obsolete Alta. It’s one of the company’s best-looking trackers in 14 years of history. It features a slim design, a bright OLED screen, and the most sophisticated accessories.
As a tracker, Luxe keeps things casual. While continuous heart rate monitoring and SpO2 sensors are available, GPS relies on mobile phones. You also do not receive contactless payments or access to digital assistants. It’s not the most accurate Fitbit tracker when it comes to distance, but it does give you a good picture of your entire activity.
Luxe is a great option if you want to monitor your overall activity level, but also need something that makes it easy to move from the gym to a formal event. Also suitable if you have a petite wrist and don’t need an overwhelming tracker.
Another option here is Fitbit Inspire 2. However, Inspire 2… is not very stimulated. As a Fitbit budget option, it’s about $ 50 cheaper, and its main selling point is getting a 10-day battery in 5 days for Luxe. However, the screen is hard to see, so be careful when choosing one.
Fitbit for the best price
Like the Versa, the $ 179.95 Charge is one of Fitbit’s most beloved lineups. That said, the Charge 5 is the most important update of the fitness band we’ve seen for a while. Currently, in addition to color OLED screens, there are EKG and EDA sensors. It also has built-in GPS, NFC payments and SpO2 sensors. All that’s really missing is the digital assistant.
The only problem with the Charge 5 is the always-on display. It’s beautiful, but it’s a major battery drain. The Charge 5 has an estimated battery life of 7 days, but enabling the always-on display reduces battery life by about 2 days. That’s a shame because OLEDs are much easier to the eye than the Charge 4’s monochrome LED screens.
But overall, you’re getting so much at that price. Finding an FDA-approved EKG that can be worn for less than $ 200 is not easy. In fact, this is probably the only one currently available. The only other Fitbit that can read EKG and EDA is the $ 299.95 Sense. So unless you’re completely obsessed with the smartwatch form factor, Charge 5 is a better overall deal.
If you’re trying to decide between a Charge 5 or a Versa 3, it’s summarized in what you value more: savings and comfort, or smarter features and battery life. In the former case, Charge 5 is the best bet. In the latter case, the Versa 3 is worth the extra moula. Both offer a similar health tracking experience, but thanks to the EKG and EDA sensors, Charge 5 is packed a bit extra. (But, as mentioned earlier, most people probably don’t use these sensors that much.)
The best Fitbit for kids
It covers almost all Fitbits currently available for purchase. The only thing I haven’t touched on so far, and the one I haven’t tested myself, is the $ 79.95 Ace 3. This is a Fitbit tracker for kids, a single Fitbit available to minors. A basic tracker with a sturdy bumper and comes with parental controls. It has a longer battery life than its predecessor, but does not come with GPS. Also, although there is a heart rate sensor, it is not an indicator that actively tracks the child. Instead, it is used to determine the number of “active minutes” you are getting. Overall, it is a decent choice for parents whose primary priority is to ensure that their children do enough daily exercise. However, if you need location tracking, you’ll have to look for something other than Fitbit.