The 7 best Fitbits: Comparison guide

A Fitbit is a device that people can wear around their wrist to measure their daily steps, heart rate, and more. There are several types of Fitbits, with different features and styles.
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Best for smart features: Fitbit Versa 3
Fitbit Versa 3
Best for heart health tracking: Fitbit Sense
Fitbit Sense
Best for exercise measurement: Fitbit Charge 4
Fitbit Charge 4
Best for long battery life: Fitbit Inspire 2
Fitbit Inspire 2
Best for workout optimization: Fitbit Charge 5
Fitbit Charge 5
Best swim tracking: Fitbit Luxe
Fitbit Luxe
Best for kids: Fitbit Ace 3
Fitbit Ace 3
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What is a Fitbit?
Fitbit is an American company that produces activity monitoring devices. People may refer to these activity monitoring devices as Fitbits.
Fitbits motivate people by measuring their progress toward their health and fitness goals. These devices usually allow people to track their achievements during exercise and assess the data via the Fitbit smartphone app.
People wear a Fitbit on their wrist to track their daily steps and help them improve their health and fitness.
Depending on the specific model of Fitbit, a person may also use it for:
tracking their sleeping patterns
monitoring and tracking their heart rate
heart rate
keeping track of the level of oxygen in their blood
oxygen in their blood
GPS tracking during exercise
storing and listening to music
receiving call and text notifications
paying for items when out and about
Many Fitbits are available, with various features.
Can a Fitbit help improve your health?
Some people find that Fitbits help motivate them to walk more regularly. Walking regularly can have positive effects on a person’s fitness and general health.
Walking
A 2020 study suggests that adults who take 8,000 or more steps each day have a lower risk of death from numerous diseases than those who take fewer than 4,000 steps each day.
2020 study
This finding builds on evidence from a 2015 study, which showed that regular walking was associated with decreased mortality for males aged 65–74 years.
2015 study
A 2019 study found that the use of pedometers — a device that tracks a person’s daily steps, similar to a Fitbit — can positively affect a person’s health. In the study, older adults who took part in a 12-week walking program with a pedometer were less likely to experience heart problems and fractures than the control group.
2019 study
pedometers
heart problems
fractures
Therefore, tracking steps may encourage a person to walk more.
Another 2015 study showed that Fitbits could motivate people to exercise more frequently. This study included 51 postmenopausal women and found that participants with a Fitbit increased their overall physical activity and number of steps each week compared with participants using standard pedometers.
2015 study
postmenopausal
It is worth mentioning that some studies have shown that not all Fitbit measurements are 100% accurate.
One 2018 study notes that although Fitbits are a useful tool for motivating people to become more active, their measurements are not always entirely accurate.
2018 study
A 2019 study concluded that Fitbits were not as accurate as medical-grade devices, and users should also be aware of potential data security risks. The researchers identified a vulnerability in Fitbit software that may make users’ data easier to access or change by malicious third-party applications on the Fitbit.
2019 study
Therefore, it is advisable for people to use discretion when considering Fitbit measurements and not rely on them to inform healthcare decisions. Users may also wish to consider which applications they allow read and write permissions to when using a Fitbit.
The best Fitbits of 2022
Please note that the writer of this article has not tried these products. All information presented is purely research-based and correct at the time of publication.
Medical News Today follows a strict product selection and vetting process. Learn more here.
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Fitbit Versa 3
The Fitbit Versa 3 allows a user to track their steps and heart rate and monitor the oxygen levels in their blood. It also has built-in GPS to track a user’s pace and distance when exercising.
The “Active Zone” feature means that the Fitbit buzzes when the person enters their personalized target heart rate zone.
The Fitbit Versa 3 also has various functions that a person can use during sleep. It can measure the duration of light, deep, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, as well as skin temperature and breathing rate.
sleep
rapid eye movement (REM)
This model is also water-resistant up to 50 meters (m) and offers call, text, and app notifications. The device has a 6-day battery life. A person can listen to music on apps, and they can load credit and debit cards to the Fitbit and make payments with it.
This model also allows people to take Bluetooth calls hands-free from their wrist if their smartphone is nearby.
The Fitbit Versa 3 costs $229.95.
detailed sleep tracking
wide range of smart features
numerous heart health insights
more expensive than other model
short Premium membership period
shorter battery life than other models
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Fitbit Sense
The Fitbit Sense has many similar features to the Versa 3. The two models share the same GPS and heart rate tracking functionality and offer the same sleep options. Both also have the Active Zone feature and can monitor the oxygen levels in a user’s blood.
The Sense model also has the same battery life, Bluetooth call functionality, apps, payments, and waterproofing as the Versa 3.
However, Sense has some features that Versa 3 does not.
For example, Fitbit Sense has an EDA Scan app that detects electrodermal activity and can display a graph in the Fitbit app to show a person’s response to stress.
stress
The Sense model is also compatible with an ECG app that detects abnormal changes in heart rate. Anyone who notices irregularities in their heart rate can share these data with a doctor if necessary.
ECG
The Fitbit Sense includes a 6-month Fitbit Premium membership and a 6-month subscription to Calm for guided meditation. Fitbit claims that the Sense model is the only smartwatch to offer a Calm subscription.
Calm
The Fitbit Sense costs $299.95.
includes 6-months Premium and Calm subscription
ECG app included
features two stress response insights
most expensive model
shorter battery life than other models
larger design than other models
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Fitbit Charge 4
The Charge 4 is shaped more like a fitness band than the previous two Fitbits. It measures heart rate, pace, and distance while a person is exercising.
This model provides the same Active Zone feature as the two models above and allows a person to record select exercises and see the workout details in the Fitbit app.
The Charge 4 has similar sleep functions to the previous two models. However, it does not measure skin temperature.
The Fitbit Charge 4 features a variety of apps, music streaming options, and payment functionality. However, it does not offer a user the chance to take phone calls.
The Charge 4 also has a 7-day battery life and is water-resistant up to 50 m.
The Fitbit Charge 4 costs $149.95.
smaller and more streamlined design
more affordable than other models
more workout options
does not measure skin temperature
cannot use to make calls
newer models available
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Fitbit Inspire 2
The Fitbit Inspire 2 has a slim, streamlined design with a monochrome display. As a fitness tracker, it lacks some smartwatch features that users can find on other Fitbit models.
The Inspire 2 allows users to count their steps and track their heart and breathing rate during exercise. It also has the Active Zone feature and offers a cardio fitness score to users.
The Inspire 2 displays the number of calories that a person burns throughout the day and has sleep functions similar to those of the Charge 4 model.
It also has a 10-day battery life, meaning that it has the longest battery life of the products on this list.
The Fitbit Inspire 2 costs $99.95.
affordable price
long Premium membership period
10-day battery life
call and text notifications only work when smartphone is nearby
lacks smartwatch features
small display may be difficult for some users to navigate
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Fitbit Charge 5
The Fitbit Charge 5 builds on the features of the Fitbit Charge 4 and offers even more detailed insights into the user’s workouts.
With a Premium membership, a person can optimize their activity and workout routine with the Daily Readiness feature. This provides a personalized score that uses data from a person’s exercise, sleep, and heart rate variability trackers to let them know if their body is ready for a workout or if they should take a day to recover.
During workouts, the Fitbit Charge 5 uses GPS and workout data to produce an intensity map. This shows a person how the intensity of their pace and heart rate changed throughout their workout. The Active Zone Minutes feature helps a person keep within their target heart rate zone during exercise to optimize its benefits.
With a Premium membership, it is possible to engage with guided audio workouts and get workout, mindfulness, and challenge recommendations based on the user’s insights.
mindfulness
The Fitbit Charge 5 does not support Spotify playlists, unlike the Fitbit Charge 4. It has a battery life of up to 7 days, and people can use the device to make payments and get notifications for calls, texts, and calendar alerts.
The Fitbit Charge 5 costs $179.95.
features workout intensity maps
stress management apps
workout, mindfulness, and challenge recommendations
reply function to call and text notifications only available for Android users
many insights only available with a Premium membership
does not support Spotify playlists
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Fitbit Luxe
The Fitbit Luxe is the most stylish Fitbit model. It includes a wide range of accessories and bands made from leather, stainless steel, and woven fabric. The gorjana for Luxe Parker Link Bracelet design aims to make the Fitbit look more like a piece of jewelry than a smartwatch or fitness tracker.
This model shares many features with other Fitbits, including blood oxygen and heart rate monitoring, workout readiness scores, and 20 exercise modes. It also includes Active Zone minutes to notify the user when they have entered their target heart rate zone during a workout.
To use GPS tracking while walking, running, and cycling, a person will need to connect the Fitbit Luxe to their phone. However, the Fitbit Luxe adds automatic swim tracking to the usual 50 m water resistance common across all Fitbit models. This tracker records how long the user has been swimming.
The Fitbit Luxe has a shorter battery life than most other Fitbit models of up to 5 days.
The Fitbit Luxe costs $149.95 with standard bands and $199.95 with the stainless steel jewelry bracelet.
stylish band design options
guided breathing sessions
workout readiness scores and Active Zone minutes alerts
no built-in GPS function
short battery life
limited edition jewelry design costs more
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Fitbit Ace 3
The Fitbit Ace 3 is designed for children aged 6 years and over and features a range of apps that involve the whole family.
With a Fitbit family account, parents and carers can see a child’s activity and approve any connections they have made in Parent View. Kid View allows younger users to access their individual accounts, view their activity stats, and see their badges.
The Fitbit Ace 3 can also sync to a child’s smartphone, so they can get social notifications, and parents can easily contact them.
The Fitbit Ace 3 aims to keep exercise fun. For example, it gives younger users incentives to move with virtual badges, personalized avatars, and step challenges. Parents can also set reminders to urge kids to move and stretch if they have been sitting down for a long time.
Sleep tracking and bedtime reminders allow parents and carers to check on a child’s sleep habits and help them build healthy sleep patterns.
This activity tracker is water-resistant up to 50 m and is suitable to wear while swimming.
The Fitbit Ace 3 costs $79.95.
secure Parent View keeps young users safe
incentives to make exercise fun for children
smartphone notifications enabled
one wristband size
Fitbit recommends charging the tracker every few days
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Product comparisons
Fitbit Versa 3
Fitbit Sense
Fitbit Charge 4
Fitbit Inspire 2
Fitbit Charge 5
Fitbit Luxe
Fitbit Ace 3
How to choose
When shopping for Fitbits, a person may wish to consider the following factors:
Features: People will use a Fitbit for different reasons, such as sleep tracking or heart rate monitoring. Newer functions include mindfulness apps and guided breathing exercises. People should consider what the primary uses of their Fitbit will be and check how each model’s features could best suit their needs.
Cost: Price can vary widely between Fitbit models, ranging between $79–299. A person should consider balancing the features that they need and their budget when choosing the best Fitbit for them.
Battery life: A device’s battery life will change depending on how a person uses it. Certain functions available with Fitbits can drain the battery more quickly than others, such as continuous GPS.
Alternatives to Fitbits 
People who are unsure about buying a Fitbit can find similar features on offer in numerous other products.
For example, various fitness trackers are available that record detailed data when a person is exercising. Many offer smartwatch functions and come with apps similar to the Fitbit app.
Learn about the best fitness trackers here.
Learn about the best fitness trackers here.
Another alternative that some people may wish to consider is a more simple pedometer. These are often more affordable than fitness trackers and Fitbits but still allow users to track their steps, distance covered, and calories burned throughout the day.
There are also smartphone apps that can offer similar services to these products.
smartphone apps
Summary
Fitbits can motivate a person to exercise more often. They can also give a person a greater understanding of their fitness progress over time.
A person should choose a Fitbit based on their personal preferences.
Some may want a more simple model that offers basic data tracking, has good battery life, and is durable and waterproof. However, more experienced athletes may wish to choose a Fitbit that can provide more detailed data and in-depth analysis during exercise.