Fitbit Inspire 2

Background

Taking its inspiration from some of the older original Fitbit fitness trackers, the Inspire 2 offers a little design development from models like the Flex. With some excellent basic functionality, it’s a wonderful fitness tracker to choose in today’s smartwatch market.

Features

The Fitbit Inspire 2 has some basic smartwatch and fitness tracking features. For a start, the platform is motivationally effective and fun. Similarly, the Inspire 2 offers most of the same apps as the older models, including the ability to participate in adventures – mapping your steps to real-world routes where you can unlock pictures and facts along on the way. Additionally, you can enjoy Fitbit’s new Active Minutes feature.

This adds a little more excitement to your workout and you can also join challenges with your friends who also own a Fitbit. Alternatively, you can pay a subscription fee to join the Fitbit Coach service with its guided workouts.

The Inspire 2 also tracks sleep patterns, including deeper functionality of some of the later incarnations. It can break down sleep into deep sleep and REM.

The other main extra offered by the Inspire 2 is notifications including call and SMS alerts. You can quickly see snippets of your messages. There is a vibrate function which allows you to use the device as a silent reminder or alarm. There’s also a countdown timer and stopwatch integrated into the design.

Design

The Inspire 2 is similar in style and design to the Fitbit Alta, although its band is wider at 1.47 inches. Furthermore, this watch is very subtle but it’s instantly identifiable as a Fitbit at a glance. The strap is simple to replace and there are a range of bands to pick from. Both large and small strap sizes are also available.

The silicone strap comes as standard. When worn loosely, this device is so comfortable you often forget it’s there.

The Inspire is controlled by both buttons and the touchscreen. The interface is intuitive and suitable for everyone to use although the display is basic with a monochrome OLED.

Fitness Tracking

It’s important to be aware that the Inspire 2 isn’t supposed to be used as a training device, so if you go in with these expectations you won’t be disappointed. The concept behind this device is to inspire people to get moving and walk more. For this purpose, only a limited range of sensors are required, so they are the only ones incorporated into this smartwatch.

The Inspire 2 boasts a three-axis accelerometer and heart rate sensor as well as sleep tracking. There isn’t any Wi-Fi or GPS.ou can only track your calories burnt, step count, distance travelled and active minutes. This is perfect for someone who simply wants to give their everyday activity level a boost.

The Inspire 2 may be capable of auto-detecting activities such as walking, running and cycling, but it isn’t recommended for any kind of serious fitness training.

Advantages

• Stylish and slim design
• Simple sleep monitoring functions
• Comfortable to wear
• Low price
• Intuitive design
• Wide range of straps to choose from

Disadvantages

• No GPS

Competition

There are numerous devices out there which are worthy competitors to the Fitbit Inspire 2, although most are more costly.

Nevertheless, the extra expense is outweighed by the additional features and functionality they provide. If you’re a fan of the Fitbit brand but would prefer upgraded fitness tracking functionality, the Versa 3 could be a good choice for you. It offers a lot more in terms of sports tracking as well as handy connected GPS and even the ability to speak to Amazon Alexa through your watch.

In Summary

If you only need a very basic step counter that’s comfortable to wear and looks pretty good on your wrist, the Fitbit Inspire 2 is a good choice for you. However, if you’re serious about your sports tracking or simply want something a bit more up to date for your money, you should probably look elsewhere.

Check out our comparison of all the current Fitbit models on offer to see which one is right for you.