The best Fitbit for your fitness and health

In 2022, Fitbit’s current range of devices is designed to fit all budgets, health goals, and lifestyles. You can find basic trackers meant to monitor the simplest metrics, as well as smartwatches that can take EKGs and generate wellness reports for your doctors.

You may be wondering if Fitbit is still relevant after more than a decade in the game. But while there are more smartwatches and fitness trackers out there than ever, Fitbit remains one of the most recognizable names in the industry. A big plus in Fitbit’s favor is the relative affordability of all its products. It also has a huge community of 31 million active users, making it a beginner-friendly platform. All devices come with a free trial of Fitbit Premium, the company’s subscription service that adds guided workouts, meditations and access to more detailed metrics.

This wide range of products can be a bit difficult to navigate. Is a Versa 2 still worth buying in 2022? What is the difference between the Inspire 2 and the Luxe?

Without worries. We’ve tested every Fitbit tracker and smartwatch on the block. Whether you’re just starting your fitness journey or a veteran trying to upgrade, here’s what to buy.

The best Fitbit for most people

Ironically, the Versa 3 is the fourth smartwatch in the Versa family in as many years. That should give you an idea of ​​how popular the smartwatch has been for the company. It may not be the flagship, but it hits the sweet spot between form, function and price.

The $229.99 Versa 3 includes the typical sensors you’d expect from a modern smartwatch, including continuous heart rate monitoring and SpO2 sensors. It also adds built-in GPS, one of the biggest omissions from the previous Versas, and a microphone and speaker. For digital assistants, you can choose between Alexa and Google Assistant. It also has NFC payments and comes with a 90-day trial for Fitbit Premium.

Compared to the Versa 2, the Versa 3 was an iterative update. But if you look at the big picture, this is a solid option. The design is flattering, you get most of the features that matter and the extra savings over the $329.95 Sense they are totally worth it. If you are looking for a Versa, this is the one to go for. (We do not recommend the Versa 2, However. While you can still buy it on Fitbit’s website, the company has already started scaling back support even though it has many of the same components as the Versa 3.)

This is not to say that Fitbit’s flagship, the Sense, it is a bad product. The main difference is that Sense adds EKG readings and an electrodermal activity sensor; the latter reads microscopic levels of sweat on your skin to determine your stress levels. In fact, Sense is actually one of the best mental health tracking tools out there today. However, unless it is a high priority for you, it is not what much more useful than keeping a regular diary of your thoughts and moods. Until Fitbit develops these features a bit more, they’re not what we’d call “must-haves.”

The most elegant Fitbit

Image: Fitbit

It’s in the name. The $149.95 Luxe is reminiscent of the now-discontinued Alta, one of the company’s best-looking trackers in its 14-year history. It has a slim design, a brilliant OLED screen, and the most stylish accessories of the bunch.

As a tracker, the Luxe keeps things casual. While you get continuous heart rate monitoring and SpO2 sensors, you rely on your phone for GPS. You also won’t get contactless payments or access to a digital assistant. It’s not the most accurate of Fitbit’s trackers when it comes to distance, but you’ll get a good enough picture of your activity overall.

The Luxe is the best option for someone who just wants to monitor their overall activity levels, but also wants something that can easily go from the gym to a formal event. It’s also a good option if you have small wrists and don’t want an overwhelming tracker.

Your other option here is the Fitbit Inspire 2. The Inspire 2, however… isn’t very inspired. As a budget option from Fitbit, it’s about $50 less, and its main selling point is that you get 10 days of battery life versus five days on the Luxe. However, the screen is harder to read, so keep that in mind when choosing between the two.

The best Fitbit for the price.

Like the Versa, the $179.95 Charge is one of Fitbit’s most beloved lineups. That said, the Charge 5 is the biggest fitness band update we’ve seen in a long time. There’s now a color OLED screen, plus an EKG and EDA sensor. You also get built-in GPS, NFC payments, SpO2 sensors – the only thing you’re really missing is a digital assistant.

The only drawback we have with the Charge 5 is the always-on display. While it is beautiful, it consumes a lot of battery. The Charge 5 has an estimated seven days of battery life, but that drops to about two if you have always-on display enabled. That’s a shame because OLED is much easier on the eyes than the Charge 4’s monochrome LED display.

All in all, though, you get a lot for the price. It’s not easy to find an FDA-approved EKG for less than $200. In fact, this is probably the only one available right now. The only other Fitbit capable of EKG and EDA readings is the $299.95 Sense. So unless you’re dead set on the smartwatch form factor, the Charge 5 is the best deal overall.

If you’re trying to decide between the Charge 5 and Versa 3, it comes down to what you value most: economy and convenience or smarter features and battery life. If it’s the former, then the Charge 5 is your best bet. If it’s the latter, then the Versa 3 is worth it. Both will give you similar health tracking experiences, though the Charge 5 packs in a little more thanks to EKG and EDA sensors. (But as I mentioned earlier, most people probably won’t use these sensors that much.)

The best Fitbit for kids

Image: Fitbit

That covers pretty much every Fitbit you can buy right now. The only one we haven’t touched so far, and the only one I haven’t tried myself, is the $79.95 Ace 3. That’s the Fitbit tracker for kids, and it’s the only Fitbit available for minors. It’s a basic tracker with a sturdy bumper and comes with parental controls. It has better battery life than its predecessor, but it doesn’t come with GPS. Also, while it does have heart rate sensors, it’s not an actively tracked metric for kids. Instead, it is used to determine how many “active minutes” they are receiving. Overall, it’s a decent option for parents whose top priority is making sure their kids get enough daily exercise. However, if you want to track location, you’ll have to look for something other than a Fitbit.