What Color Fitbit Should I Get Quiz
The best Fitbit 2021: the perfect fitness tracker for every budget
Included in this guide:
If you're looking for a new Fitbit, you've come to the right place – we've put the whole range of watches to the test to bring you a definitive list of the very best. We've put all these Fitbits through their paces in real world conditions, during workouts and everyday life, so you know exactly how each one feels to use, and the data you can expect to receive each day.
In July 2021, the Fitbit Luxe took the title as our number one rated Fitbit. The best fitness tracker is one that you're happy to wear all day, and with its crisp OLED display and premium design, the Luxe fits the bill perfectly.
There's now another option too: the Fitbit Charge 5, which is a fitness tracker built for anyone who's starting to take their workouts seriously. it has a sleek new design with a metal case and smooth silicone Infinity Band, plus on-board GPS, and the stress-tracking and ECG sensors of the Fitbit Sense.
We're expecting to see some great Black Friday Fitbit deals this year. Fitbit itself usually offers some pretty impressive discounts, but the biggest savings are usually at third-party retailers like Amazon, particularly on the weekend of Black Friday itself. We'll be rounding up all the very best Black Friday deals as soon as they land, so stick with us to avoid missing out.
The best Fitbits
Fitbit's new fashion-forward fitness tracker is also its best
Specifications
Screen: Yes
Heart rate tracker: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Activity tracking: Yes
GPS: No
Battery life: Up to 7 days
Compatibility: Android/iOS
Reasons to buy
+Super accurate heart rate monitoring +Crisp, vivid AMOLED display +Modern, stylish design
Reasons to avoid
-No on-board GPS to track runs
The Fitbit Luxe is the company's smartest, sleekest fitness tracker to date, and the best Fitbit you can buy today.
The Fitbit Luxe looks great, but doesn't sacrifice features for style. It monitors steps, sleep, stress levels, heart rate, respiration and workouts, and also features a blood oxygen saturation sensor that will be enabled with a future firmware update.
All these stats are shown on a super clear and bright AMOLED display, which displays your daily stats in full color with smooth animations. It has a premium stainless steel case, and comes with either a soft silicone band or a gold-toned stainless steel bracelet by jewelry designer Gorjana.
The more you wear your Fitbit, the more you'll get from it as it builds up a more complete picture of your health, lifestyle and habits, and the Luxe is one that you won't want to take off.
Read our full Fitbit Luxe review
The best Fitbit if you're getting serious about sports
Specifications
Screen: Yes
Heart rate tracker: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Activity tracking: Yes
GPS: Yes
Battery life: Up to 7 days
Compatibility: Android/iOS
Reasons to buy
+On-board GPS +EDA stress monitor +Bright, crisp display
Reasons to avoid
-No music controls -ECG not available at launch
The Fitbit Charge 5 takes the best features from all of the company's other devices and rolls them into one sporty package. You get on-board GPS for tracking runs, walks and bike rides without carrying your phone; an EDA (electrodermal activity) sensor to measure changes in stress levels, an ECG app, and a bright AMOLED display that makes it a pleasure to use.
The Charge 5 is a fitness tracker built for people who are starting to take their workouts seriously, but aren't yet prepared to invest in a dedicated running watch or swimming watch. There's a great range of workout tracking modes (you can select your five favorites for quick access), and heart rate monitoring is particularly accurate. In our tests, it was as responsive as a premium sports watch.
It's not quite perfect; unlike the Fitbit Charge 4, there's no way to control your Spotify playlist or other music from your wrist, and the ECG app wasn't available when the Charge 5 first started shipping in September 2021. Those aren't huge quibbles though (hopefully the ECG sensor will be enabled soon), and it's an otherwise excellent fitness tracker.
Read our full Fitbit Charge 5 review
Fitbit's premium smartwatch, now with GPS
Specifications
Screen: Yes
Heart rate tracker: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Activity tracking: Yes
GPS: Yes
Battery life: Up to 6 days
Compatibility: Android/iOS
Reasons to buy
+Great-looking display +Built-in GPS for tracking runs +Lightweight and comfortable
Reasons to avoid
-Poorly designed side button
The Fitbit Versa 3 is a great looking smartwatch, and (alongside the Sense) is one of the most powerful Fitbits around right now. It can give you handy smartphone notifications, make contactless payments, control your music, monitor your blood oxygen saturation, track your sleep, and guide you through breathing exercises when the pressure gets too much. It also tracks dozens of workout types, with GPS for outdoor cardio sessions, and in our tests it stood up well against dedicated sports watches.
Voice commands are supported too, with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant integration, and you can download additional third-party apps through the Fitbit App Gallery. The Fitbit Versa 3 will need charging more often than some other watches in this list, but if you don't mind clipping on its charger every six days or so, it's easy to recommend.
It's all capped off with a 1.58in AMOLED display, which is exceptionally bright and clear, making it easy to read notifications and check your workout stats at a glance. We're not fans of the touch-sensitive 'button' on the side of the case, which can be tricky to tap, but it's a relatively minor issue.
We're expecting to see a new Fitbit Versa 4 next year, and the company's recent purchase by Google means it could be a vastly improved new smartwatch. We'll keep you updated as soon as we know more.
Read our full Fitbit Versa 3 review
A stylish smartwatch to help manage your mental wellbeing
Specifications
Screen: Yes
Heart rate tracker: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Activity tracking: Yes
GPS: Yes
Battery life: Up to 6 days
Compatibility: Android/iOS/Windows
Reasons to buy
+Detailed mood and stress logging +Very comfortable to wear +On-board GPS to track runs
Reasons to avoid
-Step counts not 100% accurate
The Fitbit Sense is a super advanced watch that can track your stress levels be measuring the conductivity of your skin (basically, changes in conductivity are a sign of adrenal activity, which means stress). This data syncs with the Fitbit app, where you can also record your mood and any factors that might have influenced how you're feeling so you can look for patterns.
The Sense is an excellent sports watch as well, witha huge range of activity tracking options. You can configure your favorite workouts so they appear as quick shortcuts when you press the touch-sensitive button on the left-hand side of the Sense's case, and there's on-board GPS to map runs, walks and bike rides.
It's a great looking watch, with an almost identical design to the Fitbit Versa 3, but a different range of colors. Its soft silicone strap that makes it extremely comfortable to wear, even at night.
Our only complaint is that the step tracking can be a little inconsistent, recording steps even though you've told the device you're taking part in a cycling activity. Otherwise the Fitbit Sense is a superb watch that's easy to recommend.
Read our full Fitbit Sense review
Great health tracking if you need a nudge to get more active
Specifications
Screen: Yes
Heart rate tracker: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Activity tracking: Yes
GPS: Yes, through phone
Battery life: Up to 10 days
Compatibility: Android/iOS
Reasons to buy
+Very simple to use +Over a week of battery life +All-day heart rate tracking
Reasons to avoid
-No on-board GPS for running
The Fitbit Inspire 2 is a small, slim little watch that will gently encourage you to make healthier choices throughout the day – whether that's getting up from your desk to stretch, grabbing an extra glass of water, or taking the stairs rather than the elevator.
It's extremely easy to use, with a small but clear touchscreen operated using taps and swipes, and a single side button. It will track your heart rate and activity levels all day, with little celebration animations when you hit your target, and there are 20 exercise modes to choose from when it's time for a workout.
There's sleep tracking as well, and all your stats will be nicely presented in the Fitbit app, where you check for patterns and set yourself goals.
Perhaps best of all, it can keep running for well over a week on a single charge, so you don't need to worry about plugging it in every night. A great choice if you're just starting to get more active and wants a little encouragement.
Read our full Fitbit Inspire 2 review
A small, slim Fitbit with GPS for tracking workouts
Specifications
Screen: Yes
Heart rate tracker: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Activity tracking: Yes
GPS: Yes
Battery life: Up to 7 days
Compatibility: Android/iOS
Reasons to buy
+On-board GPS for tracking runs +Fitbit Pay for contactless payments +Spotify controls for music streaming
Reasons to avoid
-No color screen -May soon be replaced
The Charge 4 has now been superseded by the Charge 5, but is still a solid choicem particularly for runners on a budget. It looks smart enough for everyday wear, but has all the features you need for tracking workouts too, including on-board GPS. This is much more accurate than connected GPS (which piggybacks on your phone), and means you can leave your handset at home if you like.
There's also Fitbit Pay for contactless payments, and if you are carrying your phone, you can use the Charge 4 to control your Spotify playlist.
When paired with the Fitbit App, the Charge 4 will also track Active Zone Minutes – a measure of exercise intensity. These are based on heart rate training zones, but simplified so they're easy to understand. You'll be set specific goals depending on your age and general fitness, which is a very handy way to make sure you're getting enough exercise each week.
The Fitbit Charge 4 is very reasonably priced too, and can often be found very cheaply on Amazon. There's no color screen, but this is a superb fitness tracker that has the features that really count.
Read our full Fitbit Charge 4 review
The best Fitbit fitness tracker for kids
Specifications
Screen: Yes
Heart rate tracker: No
Waterproof: Yes
Activity tracking: Yes
GPS: No
Battery life: 8 days
Compatibility: Android/iOS
Reasons to buy
+Tracks a wide range of activities +Screen is well protected +Tasteful all-ages design
Reasons to avoid
-Short charging cable
The Fitbit Ace 3 is made just for kids, and encourages them to get more active. It tracks steps, plus fun activities like trampolining and school sports, with achievements to keep them engaged.
There's no all-day heart rate monitor (which makes sense, since kids' resting heart rate changes as they grow), and no calorie counting or GPS. However, if your kid has their own phone, they can use the Ace 3 to receive app notifications.
The Ace 3 is designed for kids aged 6-13, and unlike some children's smartwatches there are designs that aren't adorned with cartoon characters, which means it's not embarrassing as they get older (though there's a special Minions edition if they'd prefer).
In our tests, we were also pleased to find its band didn't irritate sensitive skin, which is an important factor when kids are going to be wearing it all day. We also appreciated the way the case protects the screen from damage; essential when kids are active.
Read our full Fitbit Ace 3 review
Inspiration to get off the sofa
Specifications
Screen: Yes
Heart rate tracker: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Activity tracking: Yes
GPS: Yes, through phone
Battery life: 5 days
Compatibility: Android/iOS/Windows
Reasons to buy
+Smart design for a low price +Guided breathing exercises
Reasons to avoid
-No swim tracking mode -No on-board GPS to track runs
The Fitbit Inspire HR, which was released a couple of years ago, is pretty simple, but if you're looking for your first Fitbit then it could be the perfect choice.
It's one of the cheapest Fitbits around right now, but still offers heart rate monitoring, step tracking, workout modes, and breathing sessions to help with mindfulness. It might not have the same breadth of features as the company's more recent devices, but there's still a lot to appreciate.
Other highlights of the Fitbit Inspire HR include great battery life (it lasted around five days in our tests) and a stylish design. It might be cheap, but it certainly doesn't look it. It's also waterproof, though it doesn't have a specific mode for tracking swimming.
If you're not concerned with tools like GPS and contactless payments, the Fitbit Inspire HR is definitely worth adding to your shortlist.
Read our full Fitbit Inspire HR review
A Fitbit that puts Alexa and more on your wrist
Specifications
Screen: Yes
Heart rate tracker: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Activity tracking: Yes
GPS: No, only connected
Battery life: 5 days
Compatibility: Android/iOS/Windows
Reasons to buy
+Improved lightweight design +Always-on display option
Reasons to avoid
-No on-board GPS to track runs -No offline Spotify playback
The Fitbit Versa 2 isn't as versatile as the new Versa 3, but it's still a great smartwatch with plenty of tools you'd expect to find in a much more expensive device.
It has all the great fitness features like a heart rate tracker and exercise monitoring that you'll get from any Fitbit, along with great extras like Amazon Alexa voice commands, smartphone notifications, and extra apps that you can download through the Fitbit app.
The Fitbit Versa 2 has better battery life than most smartwatches, lasting around five days on a single charge, and with its lightweight design it won't weigh you down while exercising. There's no GPS, but that's the biggest drawback of this otherwise excellent little watch.
Read our full Fitbit Versa 2 review
Fitbit's first true smartwatch is still going strong
Specifications
Screen: Yes
Heart rate tracker: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Activity tracking: Yes
GPS: Yes
Battery life: 3-4 days
Compatibility: Android/iOS
Reasons to buy
+Bright, clear display +On-board GPS for outdoor workouts
Reasons to avoid
-Touchscreen is slow to react -Outdated design
Although it's now a few years old, the Fitbit Ionic has stood the test of time, and can tackle running, weight lifting, swimming and much, much more.
Dedicated workout programs and Fitbit Pay are among the other highlights of the Ionic, and it was one of the first Fitbit devices to feature on-board GPS, so you can track runs, walks and bike rides without carrying your phone.
Unfortunately, the Ionic now looks rather dated, with bright colors and hard angles rather than the smooth, ergonomic lines of Fitbit's newer devices. It's also expensive; the Fitbit Charge 4 offers almost exactly the same features (albeit with a somewhat smaller screen) for a fraction of the price.
It's also worth bearing in mind that the Ionic's touchscreen can be a bit laggy sometimes. Newer Fitbits are much more responsive.
Read our full Fitbit Ionic review
Are Fitbits waterproof?
Yes, all Fitbit devices are water resistant to 50 meters, making them suitable for swimming, showering, bathing and handwashing. If you swim in the sea, make sure you rinse your Fitbit off well afterwards, as salt could damage the case and strap.
Do Fitbits work with iPhones?
Yes, Fitbits work with both iPhones and Android phones. Just download the Fitbit app from the App Store or Google Play, and your watch will connect to your phone without a hitch.
Do Fitbits track blood pressure?
No, but in April 2021 Fitbit began a study to investigate whether pulse arrival time (how long it takes for a pulse of blood to reach your wrist after a heartbeat) could be used to estimate blood pressure, so it may be a feature that we see in the future.
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Cat is the fitness and wellbeing editor at TechRadar. She's been a technology journalist for 11 years, and cut her teeth on magazines including PC Plus and PC Format before joining TechRadar. She's a trained run leader, and enjoys nothing more than lacing up her shoes and hitting the pavement. If you have a story about fitness trackers, treadmills, running shoes, e-bikes, or any other fitness tech, drop her a line.
What Color Fitbit Should I Get Quiz
Source: https://www.techradar.com/best/the-best-fitbit