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Wednesday 17 January 2018

Which Fitbit is right for you? (January 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 2, or should you consider an older one like the Surge or Blaze?

Related: Best fitness trackers

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.


The best Fitbit device

Fitbit Ionic

Best Fitbit

This is the best Fitbit you can buy, period. 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.

Don’t miss: Fitbit Ionic review | Best GPS running watches

The software still needs some work, however. Fitbit OS is laggy and notifications are limited right now. And if you compare the Ionic’s smart features to other smartwatches on the market, there’s no contest—there are better devices out there.

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.

Runner-up

Fitbit Charge 2

Best Fitbit

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.

Honorable mention

Fitbit Alta HR

Best Fitbit

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 on a budget

Fitbit Flex 2

Best Fitbit

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

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 smartwatch alternative

Fitbit Blaze

Best Fitbit

The Blaze might not be the best Fitbit device out there, but it’s still darn good at a handful of things.

It has a touchscreen display, interchangeable bands, and it arguably looks more like a smartwatch than it does a fitness tracker. It can also feed you notifications from your smartphone via Bluetooth. You can get call, text and calendar notifications, though you aren’t able to get Facebook, Twitter, email or basically anything else. Not that anyone needs Twitter mentions on their wrists when they’re on a run, but the option would be nice, at least.

More: Fitbit Blaze review

Other than notifications, the Blaze does a lot of other things right. It’ll get you five days of battery on a single charge, features a display that’s bright and clear enough to see outdoors, and it’s comfortable enough to wear all day. There are also leather and metal band options if you’re looking to wear it to work or out to dinner.


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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