Fitbits are some of the best Android smartwatches and fitness wearables you can buy, keeping you on top of your fitness goals and tracking your health affordably. Let's not forget the battery life: These things can last for days without needing a charge, unlike an Apple Watch that needs to be recharged practically daily. Our favorite of the lineup is the Fitbit Charge 6 thanks to its slim and sleek design packing loads of features. But Fitbits come in all sorts of styles and sizes, so you can find one that best fits your vibe.
TL;DR – These Are the Best Fitbits:
Similarly to other smartwatches and fitness trackers, Fitbits count steps, monitor your heart rate, track your sleep patterns, and a whole lot more. On top of that, they’re incredibly user-friendly and sync up with your phone. Some even make great Apple Watch alternatives.
It’s important to note that Google owns Fitbit and has made several changes to the fitness tracker brand, including requiring a Google account and cutting social features like Challenges, Adventures, and Open Group a few years ago. It's also been removing the music functionality and some third-party apps, pushing people after smartwatch features to the Goole Pixel Watch.
Still, Fitbits make excellent tools for those on a health and fitness journey. Take a look at our top picks below:
Best Fitbit Fitness Band
Best Fitbit Smartwatch
Best Health Monitoring Fitbit
Best Budget Fitbit
Best Premium Fitbit
Best Fitbit for Kids
Best Stylish Fitbit
Best Fitbit Alternative
Most Fitbits share the same set of core features: tracking steps, exercise, and activity level, as well as provide at least a rudimentary sort of sleep tracking, and approximate a calorie count as well. From that basic set, though, trackers can vary quite a bit, with simpler models clocking in under $100 and advanced smartwatch models costing $200 or more.
These days, virtually all fitness bands can conveniently detect when you’re starting common kinds of exercise, but not all trackers are equipped to measure every kind of exercise. If you’re a swimmer or want to track stairs, your options will narrow significantly. And if you want to leave your phone at home when you go for a jog, look for models with integrated GPS (and perhaps even the ability to store or stream music).
The key takeaway is that you don’t need a tracker bristling with sensors that can do everything – it depends upon what you want to track. If you never swim, you obviously don’t need swim tracking. If you’re mainly trying to get your 10,000 steps in and don’t do intense workouts, you probably don’t need a heart rate monitor.
Since most fitness trackers go on your wrist, some try to replicate some smartwatch functionality. Many bands can display phone call and text notifications, for example, but the best smartwatch experience comes from a fitness tracker that’s actually shaped like a watch, with a large screen, support for apps, and perhaps even the option to show on-screen workout while you exercise.
Finally, keep an eye on battery life. While most Fitbits run for at least a few days on a charge, some can go over a week. And that’s not necessarily true of non-Fitbit trackers. The Apple Watch, for example, needs to be charged daily.
While the Fitbit device itself is a big part of the equation, don't forget that Fitbit also has a large community of active users. Getting a Fitbit will let you join the community, sharing exercise tips, troubleshooting issues with devices, and plenty more. Although, as we mentioned, Google has cut some of those features. There's also Fitbit Premum, which can offer guided workouts to help you reach your fitness goals.
What are the disadvantages of a Fitbit?
Although Fitbits are great tools to track your fitness activity and help motivate you to reach your fitness goals, everything isn’t perfect. Its sensors and tracking aren’t always 100% accurate, so you must view the information provided with some skepticism. Also, most Fitbits cannot connect to cellular networks, so to use certain apps and features, you’ll need to be connected over Wi-Fi or paired via Bluetooth with your smartphone. Plus, accessing some advanced health data and tracking requires a subscription, adding an additional expense to make the most of your Fitbit.
Does your Fitbit require a subscription?
Fitbits don’t require a subscription to use most features, but a Premium Membership Plan for $9.99/month unlocks more detailed health data and fitness classes. With this subscription, you’ll get a daily readiness score to know when to exercise, recipes, a sleep profile, mindfulness sessions, audio/video workouts, and more. But if you’re just looking to get all the traditional tracking and fitness basics, there’s no need for a Premium Membership.
What are some upcoming Fitbits?
The Google-owned Fitbit has been slow to release new models of these budget-friendly fitness trackers. Instead, Google is focusing more attention on its Google Watch lineup, most recently announcing the Galaxy Watch 8 Series models.
Dave Johnson has been writing about gaming and tech since the days of the Palm Pilot. See him shout into the Twitter void @davejoh.
Danielle Abraham is a freelance writer and unpaid music historian.
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