How to pick the best fitbit for your needs
Fitbit has rightfully become a household name as far fitness trackers are concerned. Some people will even refer to all fitness trackers as Fitbits not knowing that Fitbit is actually a single company with its own line of successful products.
The best part about Fitbit is that the company has invested so much in making sure that everyone gets something that is in tune with their unique needs. If you are looking for a fitness tracker that’s perfect for outdoor exercises, then Fitbit definitely has a myriad of options for you. If you need one that is perfect for the gym or general indoor workouts, then you’ll also get something for you. Also, if fitness is a continuous process to you and you need a comfortable tracker that you can wear during the day and at night, then Fitbit will also you hook you up with various options that are more than capable of matching up to that lifestyle.
Something else really brilliant about Fitbit is that they’ve managed to create fitness trackers at all price points. What’s even better is the fact that all the fitness trackers perform really well regardless of the price tag. Of course, if you are going for the most affordable trackers, you’ll have to compromise on a few features, but even after that, you’ll still get the mandatory functions with a few extras thrown in to deliver maximum value.
Which is the Best Fitbit?
The best Fitbit at the moment has to be the Fitbit Charge 2. This incredible piece of tech is designed to keep track of your everyday activities. It is more than capable of detecting active times and monitoring your heart rate, calories burned, and various other vitals. Other than its remarkable performance, we also love the Fitbit Charge 2 for how well it is designed. It looks gorgeous, it feels premium, and it is also very comfortable – as it should – since it is meant to be used throughout the day. Here is a breakdown of what else you can expect from this fitness tracker:
1.Fitbit Charge 2
The Fitbit Charge 2 is a must-have for all fitness enthusiasts that want to track their fitness levels continuously. The tracker uses Purepulse Continuous to monitor your heart rate automatically. It’s worth noting that this tracker uses a wrist-based heart rate tracker, which is much more comfortable as compared to chest straps. The fact that it is also automated means that for as long as you are wearing the tracker, you should never worry about switching the tracker’s heart rate on as is the case with other fitness trackers.
The Fitbit Charge 2 is engineered with smart tech that detects and tracks different fitness exercises. This is further supported by GPS-capability which allows you to link the tracker to your smartphone where you’ll receive real-time stats on the crisp OLED display. Some of the workouts that can be monitored here include biking, running, weights, etc. The tracker will also give you stats on the distance covered, calories burned, steps, floors climbed, and overall active minutes. With all this data, it should become much easier for you to determine how fit you are and what you can do to improve your fitness. To make it even easier for you to monitor your fitness, Fitbit Charge 2 comes with a Cardio Fitness Score that you can personalize to get accurate data on your cardio fitness levels.
Once the day comes to an end, and it’s time to rest, the Fitbit Charge 2 will remain useful by monitoring your sleep. This device will track how well you are sleeping and for how long. It is also designed with a smooth vibrating alarm that you’ll find much friendlier than your traditional alarms.
You’ll also appreciate the various features added here to make your fitness life fun and relaxing. The tracker offers guided breathing sessions which use your heart rate to give you moments of unparalleled calmness. You can also use the Fitbit Health and Fitness App to increase the functionality of the tracker and its synchronization to your Windows, iOS, and Android devices. The Fitbit App also allows you to set your fitness goals and load data like food and weight. This helps in preparing a comprehensive and accurate data on your fitness. You can also get Guided Coaching that helps you to do various workouts through videos.
Other Features
- Comes with a big OLED display
- Brings texts, calls, and calendar to your wrist
- Multi-sport modes
- SmartTrack
- Connect to your friends and family
- Personalized Insights
- Personalized Cardio Fitness Score
- Compatible with Android, iOS and Windows devices
- Reminders to Move
2.Fitbit Versa Smart Watch
The Fitbit Versa SmartWatch has achieved the perfect balance between a smartwatch that brings your phone functions to your wrist and smart sensors that will keep your fitness journey on track. Therefore, if you are in the market looking for a Fitbit Charge 2 alternative that offers better compatibility with your smartphone without compromising on fitness sensors, then the Fitbit Versa Smartwatch is a great option.
In terms of fitness, the smartwatch has sufficient tech to monitor your heart rate 24/7 thanks to PurePulse and sleep trackers. It also comes with more than 15 exercises modes for both indoor and outdoor workouts. With all this, it should comfortably keep track of activities such as running, swimming, floors climbed and much more. Speaking of swimming, you’ll also love the fact that Fitbit Versa is swim-proof up to 50m.
To improve tracking of different aspects of your fitness, the Fitbit Versa Smartwatch can also be connected to your smartphone’s GPS. This will provide real-time stats on distance and pace.
When it comes to pulling the functions of your smartphone, the Fitbit versa is more than satisfactory. First, the watch will give you access to various apps and not just the basic call, text, and calendar alerts as is common with most other trackers. With this particular gadget, you can also gain access to your weather, sports, social, finance, fitness, and many other apps.
The watch can also store more than 300 songs which you can access and play directly from it. The watch can also connect to Pandora stations, but you will need to subscribe before you can access the stations. This should keep you entertained as you continue to work out. The watch also provides on-screen workouts that will coach you through different types of workouts. The smartwatch is compatible with some of the best Bluetooth headphones allowing you to listen to your on-screen coach and songs in rich sounds.
Fitbit has also thrown something extra here for all the female users. Through the Fitbit app, you can log data on your periods and symptoms, and this will enable you to monitor your cycles conveniently through the smartwatch.
Other Features
- 15+ exercise modes
- Over 4-days of battery life
- Ergonomic design
- Lightweight
- SmartTrack automatically tracks selected workouts and sports
- Water-resistant (up to 50 meters)
3. Fitbit Flex 2
The two Fitbits discussed above are all going for more than $140. If you are looking for a fantastic Fitbit that checks all the relevant boxes but without breaking your bank, then the Fitbit Flex 2 is a good option. For less than $100, you will get this amazing piece of tech from Fitbit that comes with all the right sensors to improve your everyday fitness.
The Fitbit Flex 2 features a compact and highly ergonomic design. It is very lightweight, and we love it for that, but part of the compromises that had to be done to keep it compact and affordable is excluding a big display. In its place, you will have get color-coded LED display lights. Working with these lights may seem a bit complex at first, but after reading the guide and interacting with the tracker for a while, we’re confident that you will get the hang of it.
The Fitbit Flex 2 comes with SmartTrack tech, which detects different exercises automatically and starts tracking all the relevant stats. Some of the workouts that are recognizable by the SmartTrack include aerobics, running, swimming, and other sports. The tech will then relay the data to your Fitbit app from which you can see a summary of everything you’ve achieved from the workouts.
Flex 2 is also designed for all-day tracking. It’s first made to be super comfortable in your wrist, enabling you to work throughout the day and sleep wearing it without feeling any discomforts. It also has an effective sensor to track different aspects, such as active minutes, distance, steps, and calories burned. At night, the tracker will automatically monitor how well you sleep and for how long. You can also set personalized sleeping goals with bedtime reminders and smooth alarms.
The Fitbit Flex 2 may not have a display, but it still does a decent job of relaying your smartphone notifications. You can customize the tracker to receive call and text notifications which will come to your wrist in the form of flashing color-codes. This should make sure that you are constantly aware of the vital incoming notifications throughout the day.
Other Features
- Reminders to move
- Supports the Fitbit Health and Fitness App
- Guided coaching
- Personalized insights
- Connect to your friends and family
- Swim-proof
- 5-days battery life
- Wireless syncing