The 2021 Best Fitbit Fitness Tracker: Which Fitbit is the right one for you?

 

(Pocket-lint) - For years, Fitbit has been around, sitting at the top of its fitness monitoring class, watching smugly as its rivals hope to boost brand awareness of the same nature. For many, a fitness tracker is commonly referred to as "a Fitbit" - this was the effect of this business - and Google is now buying it to add to its influence.

Each of the Fitbit trackers we've broken down, looking at how much each costs, what features it provides, and why you might consider buying each one. This list is all about helping you find out which Fitbit is most suitable for you and your lifestyle.

Quick summary 

Replacing the Zip, Flex and Alta, the Fitbit Inspire is the cheapest fitness tracker in Fitbit's range. It provides sleep and activity monitoring all day, alerts from smartphones, clock faces and interchangeable straps. It has a touchscreen monitor, is swim-proof and also provides automatic detection of exercise.

The Fitbit Inspire HR has a very similar design to the standard Inspire, but it incorporates tracking of heart rate, more advanced sleep details, VO2 Max, workout modes based on objectives and linked GPS. Other functions are the same as the Inspire, but because of the added features, it is a little more costly.

Compared to the Inspire and Inspire HR, the Fitbit Inspire 2 has a much more advanced design, providing much of the same features but doubling the battery life and adding Active Zone Minutes and Fast Answers for Android users.

The Fitbit Charge 3 provides all the Inspire HR does, including swim monitoring and goal-based exercise, but it has an altimeter and incorporates more sophisticated mobile alerts. For Fitbit Pay, there is also a Limited Edition model with NFC.

The Fitbit Charge 4 upgrades the Fitbit Charge 3, introduces NFC as standard, includes Spotify controls and built-in GPS, so it's easier as a standalone tracker to reliably monitor workouts.

In terms of features and price, the Fitbit Versa Lite Edition moves into smartwatch territory, providing a middle ground between the Charge 3 and the regular Versa 2 smartwatch. The Versa Lite Version, like swim proofing, has the same characteristics as the Charge 3, but it adds games. It loses, however, Fitbit Pay, as well as an altimeter.

The next step up in the Fitbit smartwatch market is the Fitbit Versa 2. It provides all the Versa Lite Version has, but, along with Fitbit Pay and built-in Alexa, it puts the altimeter back in. There is still no built-in GPS, but there is phone-free music on the Versa 2 that the Charge 3 and Versa Lite Editions do not have.

The Fitbit Versa 3 is a Versa 2 update, with the inclusion of Google Assistant as an option on top of Alexa, a built-in call-taking speaker, Pure Pulse 2.0 heart rate technology and, most importantly, built-in GPS.

The Fitbit Ionic is more like a sportswatch than a smartwatch in its style. It has built-in GPS, water resistance of up to 50 meters, smartphone alerts and mobile payments, as well as all the features seen on other Fitbit devices. No voice helpers though.

The Fitbit Sense is Fitbit's all-singing, all-dancing smartwatch with a range of on-board sensors. Along with an EDA sensor for stress control, the ability to take an ECG and a skin temperature sensor, it has all Versa 3 offers.

The very best Fitbit trackers available right now

Fitbit Inspire 2

The Inspire 2 succeeds the Inspire HR and Inspire - below - with smoother, curvier edges and an inductive button over a tactile button offering a more refined interface.

It provides all the same features as the Inspire HR, including all-day activity tracking, sleep score advanced sleep tracking, workout modes, female health tracking and alerts from smartphones.

However, it doubles the Inspire HR's battery life to 10 days, while adding Active Zone Minutes and Fast Answers for Android users as well.

In Black, Lunar White, Desert Poppy, The Inspire 2 arrives.

Fitbit Inspire

The Fitbit Inspire is Fitbit's entry-level fitness tracker and provides basic activity monitoring, along with basic sleep tracking, including steps and calories burned.

For mobile alerts and an on-screen dashboard, there is a display that displays similar stats to what you will see in the Fitbit app. The Inspire also provides up to 50 meters of waterproofing, but no swim monitoring, and it does not measure elevation or heart rate either.

Slim, slim and smaller than the Charge 3 is the Inspire. It also provides interchangeable bands, allowing for a different look, as well as the ability to clip it with a particular accessory to clothing, and it is reported to have a battery life of five days. The Inspire connects via Bluetooth to the Fitbit app, as with all Fitbit devices, providing a range of more comprehensive stats and data.

Two shades, Black and Sangria, are eligible for the Fitbit Inspire.

Fitbit Inspire HR

The Fitbit Inspire HR features a design very similar to the Inspire, which means a compact and elegant waterproof wearable with a mobile feedback and progress monitor.

However, it integrates heart rate monitoring and swim tracking, along with a color-matched buckle for a safer fastening, and it also includes related GPS, guided breathing sessions, goal-based exercise modes and VO2 Max.

The Inspire HR also has more advanced sleep tracking information than the Inspire, but it still lacks elevation details and does not provide Active Zone Minutes like the newer Inspire 2, or a battery life as good as that.

The Inspire HR comes in three colours, namely white, black, lilac and black.

Fitbit Charge 4

The Fitbit Charge 4 is an upgrade to the Fitbit Charge 3, introducing a few new features, the largest of which is GPS integration. You had to use the GPS on your phone before, but you can now get that straight from the unit on the Charge 4, providing position tracking, speed and distance, as well as altimeter elevation change.

As a standalone unit, that makes it a better exercise tracker overall, better than the Inspire models or the Charge 3. It also introduces support for Fitbit Pay in NFC, something that was previously available only on Charge 3 special edition models, so it's extra convenience. Adding to the convenience is control of Spotify, while music can not be downloaded to this system.

The battery is rated for seven days, but without the GPS, which has a significant effect on life. It will track up to 5 hours of GPS activities, so it will cover a lot of events, such as 5 or 10 km runs, but it will not cover anything longer, and it will take up a lot of battery life.

All the other Charge 3 metrics are included - sleep monitoring, steps, etc. - but Charge 4 has added active zone minutes to focus on enhancing heart health through the activities, irrespective of steps. Rather than relying on steps as a measure, it is best positioned to reward varied behaviors.

Fitbit Charge 3

The Fitbit Charge 3 is the successor to the Charge 2, updating and streamlining its design, while introducing up to 50 meters of waterproofing and swim tracking, such as the Inspire HR. Compared to the Charge 2, there is a 40% larger and brighter OLED display and it is touch-enabled, rather than just tap-enabled, enabling users to swipe through all the metrics they can find in the Fitbit app, including the Fitbit app.

All the features of the Inspire HR are on board, including Linked GPS and continuous heart rate tracking, but with the Charge 3, including elevation data and the option of an NFC-enabled model, you'll also get a few extras.

The Charge 3 also has Run Detect with auto stop, meaning that runners can stop at lights without hitting their workout pause manually. Smartphone alerts are also a little more advanced than Android users' Inspire HR with Fast Responses.

Two regular options are available for the Charge 3, Graphite with a Black Strap or Rose Gold with a Blue Grey Strap. Two NFC-enabled Special Edition versions are also available, offering Fitbit Pay. The Limited Edition versions have the same case choices, but a white perforated sports strap is available for the graphite, while a purple cloth strap is available for the rose gold.

Fitbit Versa Lite Edition

The Fitbit Versa Lite Version in the Fitbit portfolio is the first step from a fitness tracker to a smartwatch. It includes many of the same characteristics as the Charge 3, including waterproofing, monitoring heart rate, sleep phases, swim tracking, and linked GPS, although it lacks elevation data and Fitbit Pay capabilities.

However, it has the ability to install some third party applications, something that separates it from the Fee, and it also looks more like a watch than an activity tracker. In addition, like other Fitbit products, the Versa Lite Edition comes with interchangeable straps and it has the option of designer accessories too.

Fitbit Versa 3

The Fitbit Versa 3 replaces the Versa 2 - below - but some of the key features missing from the system for 2019 are included.

Along with the built-in GPS, there is a built-in speaker for taking calls and there is also Google Assistant on top of Amazon Alexa.

Along with all the other features you would expect from a Fitbit smartwatch, including all-day activity tracking, sleep tracking and smartphone notifications, you will also find rapid charging on the Versa 3. Fitbit Pay as standard and Pure Pulse 2.0 heart rate technology are also available, such as the Sense (below).

There are three colours available for the Fitbit Versa 3: Pink Clay and Soft Gold Aluminium, Black and Black Aluminium, Midnight and Soft Gold Aluminum.

Fitbit Versa 2

Although part of the same family, the Fitbit Versa 2 is a step up from the Versa Lite Model, offering a more lifestyle and less obviously sporty smartwatch than the Ionic (below). The Versa 2 offers a metal body waterproofed to 50m with rounded corners and a domed back, like the Versa Lite Version, and it comes with interchangeable belts.

All the same features are on board as the Versa Lite Version, but the Fitbit Versa 2 offers a couple more compared to the Lite iteration, as you would expect. These include elevation details such as Charge 3, Alexa built-in, music storage, Always On show mode, Sleep Mode, and Spotify support.

As with the Lite model, however, the Versa still only offers Linked GPS - if you want Fitbit's built-in GPS, you will need the Charge 4, Versa 3, Sense or Ionic. However, support for mobile updates is on board, with quick response support for Android, and Fitbit Pay support is also available.

The Fitbit Versa is available in five shades, including Carbon Aluminium with a Black Band, Mist Grey Aluminium with a Stone Strap, or Copper Rose Aluminium with a Petal Strap, Bordeaux Strap, or Emerald Strap. There are also two versions of the Special Edition that come with both a knit strap and a standard strap.

Fitbit Sense

The Fitbit Sense is the most experienced smartwatch in the business, following a style similar to the Versa family but offering more features.

It has all the features of the Versa 3, along with a stress monitoring EDA sensor, the ability to take an ECG (until approval) and a temperature sensor for the skin.

The Sense smartwatch, along with these extra sensors, has built-in GPS, both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice assistants, and it also promises a battery life of six days.

There is also a built-in speaker, which allows voice assistants for Bluetooth calls and answers, and there is also the Pure Pulse 2.0 heart rate technology, which can monitor high and low heart rate and alert you when your normal levels are above or below.

Two colours of carbon and graphite stainless steel or lunar white and gold stainless steel are available for the Fitbit Context.

Fitbit Ionic

The Fitbit Ionic looks more like a sportswatch in style and provides all the features available on both Charge 3 and Versa 2 (except Alexa), while incorporating a few features such as built-in GPS. However, it loses out on some of the features supported by the new Sense smartwatch.

It comes with partner applications such as Strava and provides workouts such as the Versa and Sense devices on-screen. For a premium look, the Ionic also has interchangeable straps and a unibody made of aero-space aluminium.

It is said that the Fitbit Ionic has a 4-day battery life and provides expanded mobile updates to include applications such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Gmail, such as the Versa family, Inspire family and Charge 3 and 4. The Ionic comes in three shades, each of which is compatible with the two leather straps and three separately available sports straps.