Best Fitbit trackers and smartwatches (October 2018)
Fitbit, currently one of the most well-known names in the fitness tracking world, has seven different trackers on sale right now. Which of them is the best Fitbit device for you? Should you pick up one of the new fashion-forward devices like the Alta HR or Charge 3, or should you consider a smartwatch device like the Versa or Ionic?
Related:
- Best fitness trackers
- Best Fitbit alternatives
- Best kid’s fitness trackers
- Best fitness trackers for women
With devices ranging anywhere from $60-$300, there’s certainly a wide range of options from which to choose. So with that said, read on to find out which one is the best Fitbit device.
Upcoming
Fitbit Charge 3
Fitbit officially announced the Charge 3 in August 2018. With a number of hardware and software improvements this time around, the Charge 3 is probably the biggest update to the Charge line since, well, ever!
The Charge 3 is much classier than the Charge 2. It comes with an upgraded touchscreen OLED display that’s 40-percent bigger than its predecessor’s. It also has a 5ATM water resistance rating and all-new on-device software. That’s exciting, because the Charge 2’s interface was quite difficult to use at times.
It comes with a working relative SpO2 sensor too, which can help indicate early signs of health issues like allergies, asthma, or sleep apnea. While there’s no GPS on board, you can pair it with a phone to use GPS connectivity when you go out for a run.
Finally, Fitbit made sure to include the new female health tracking suite and quick replies from the device, making this more like a smartwatch than any other Fitbit fitness tracker.
The Fitbit Charge 3 is slated to arrive in October 2018.
The best Fitbit tracker
Fitbit Versa
If you were underwhelmed by Fitbit’s first smartwatch offering, the Versa might be just the thing for you.
The Fitbit Versa is much better looking and more compact than the Ionic, and it doesn’t cost as much money. Now, that lower price tag will get you fewer features (no GPS, for instance), but that’s the whole point of this smartwatch — the Versa is a smartwatch for everyone.
Don’t miss: Fitbit Versa review | Fitbit Versa vs Ionic
With the recent addition of quick replies, you can now reply to just about every app notification you receive on your wrist. The Versa also recently received Fitbit’s female health tracking suite, making this a much more powerful health tracker for women.
The Versa also brings Fitbit OS 2.0, 24/7 heart rate tracking, on-screen workouts with Fitbit Coach, over 15 exercise modes, Connected GPS, and swim tracking thanks to its 5ATM rating. There’s also room to store your music, and if you spring for the Special Edition model you’ll have access to Fitbit Pay. It’s not as powerful than the Ionic due to the lack of a built-in GPS, but we think the design of the watch puts it ahead of the pack.
Fitbit Ionic
This is the best Fitbit you can buy if you need something with a GPS. It’s an incredible fitness and sleep tracker, comes with a built-in GPS, allows you to pay for things from your wrist, and it’s water resistant. If you don’t care about smartwatch features and are looking for a high-end Fitbit device, buy the Ionic.
More: Fitbit Ionic review | Best GPS running watches
Just like the Fitbit Versa, the Ionic now has support for quick replies for notifications and female health tracking features.
Software issues aside, the Ionic is one heck of a fitness watch. It’s available now on Amazon and Fitbit.com for $269.95, and comes in three different color options.
Fitbit Charge 2
If you’re buying a fitness tracker in this price range, it’s hard not to consider the Charge 2.
It’s clear Fitbit really focused on design when making the Charge 2. This device not only looks more like a piece of jewelry and less like a standard fitness tracker this time around, you also have the option to change out the bands if you’d like.
See also: Fitbit Charge 2 review | Fitbit Charge 2 vs Charge HR
The Charge 2 also has a bigger display this time, meaning you get more room for smartphone notifications. Plus, Fitbit also introduced a few new features to the Charge 2 that should help users stay healthy and relaxed overtime: Cardio Fitness Level, which will give you a cardiovascular rating based on an estimate of your VO2 Max, and Relax, a new on-device guided breathing feature that will walk you through short breathing exercises to help you lower blood pressure, reduce stress and lessen anxiety.
Overall, it’s an all-around great fitness tracker, especially considering its sub-$150 price point.
Fitbit Alta HR
2016’s Fitbit Alta has been one of our favorite fitness trackers since launch, mainly due to the sleek, stylish design that many other Fitbit devices lack. But what if you’re looking for a device similar to the Alta, but can’t go without a heart rate sensor? You’ll want to check out the Fitbit Alta HR, the company’s slimmest activity tracker with a heart rate monitor.
The new Alta HR brings the company’s own PurePulse heart rate technology to a slimmer form factor. Fitbit supposedly developed a new chip for the Alta HR that reduced the size and number of components needed, allowing for a 25% slimmer design than the Charge 2. With a built-in heart rate sensor, you’ll be able to better track your calories burned, non-step exercises like yoga and spinning, and also see real-time heart rate zones on your wrist. Having a heart rate sensor on your activity tracker really does make a world of difference.
See also: Fitbit Alta HR review | Best heart rate monitors and watches
Alongside the Alta HR, Fitbit also introduced two new sleeping features, Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights. Sleep Stages utilizes the heart rate sensor to estimate the amount of time you spend in light, deep and REM sleep, as well as the time you spend awake each night. Sleep Insights, on the other hand, uses all the data your Fitbit collects to provide personalized guidance on how to better improve your sleep. If you’re interested in learning more about Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights, more details can be found here.
If you need a slim fitness tracker and Fitbit device that doesn’t skimp on the features, the Alta HR is for you.
Best budget Fitbit tracker
Fitbit Flex 2
The Fitbit Flex 2 is a well-designed fitness tracker with a lot of neat features that serves as an introduction to Fitbit’s excellent software and ecosystem. It’s a small, convenient device that can take on any look to match your style and will easily survive a dip in the pool. While it might lack advanced features, it is nevertheless smarter than you might expect thanks to the highly capable app and brilliant activity autodetection.
This Fitbit device isn’t perfect, though. Serious gym rats will be disappointed at the lack of tracking for strength workouts, battery life could be longer and the notifications are somewhat pointless in most situations.
Read and watch: Fitbit Flex 2 review | Fitbit vs Garmin
But if you like the svelte and versatile design and you’re just looking for something that will reliably track your steps and activity, then you might not need those extra features anyway. And in that case, the Fitbit Flex 2 is probably one of the best basic trackers available.
You can purchase it on Amazon in Black, Lavender and Magenta color options for just $59.95.
Best Fitbit for kids
Fitbit Ace
Child obesity is on the rise, and Fitbit wants to do something about it. That’s why it launched the new Fitbit Ace fitness tracker for kids.
On the surface, you may think this is a repackaged Fitbit Alta HR — and you’d be correct. But the Ace features an all-new feature set designed specifically for kids ages eight and up. This device can keep track of your children’s steps taken, active minutes, and sleep stats, and you can even customize daily step and active minute goals. The Ace features move reminders to help them remember to move if they’ve been sitting too long. Kids will receive celebratory messages and collectible badges if they achieve their goals.
Read more: Best fitness trackers for kids
Fitbit also introduced a new Fitbit family account alongside the Ace. This allows parents to keep a closer eye on their children’s activity, progress, and friend requests in the Fitbit app. There’s also a new child view setting, which limits what data your child sees in the app.
The Fitbit Ace is now available from Fitbit’s official page for $99.95.
So there you have it — our guide to the best Fitbit devices! Are we missing something? Have you tried a Fitbit device in the past? If so, what are your experiences? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Next: The most common Fitbit problems and how to fix them
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