2023 Fitbit Model Comparison – which Fitbit should I buy?

Looking for a Fitbit model comparison? You’re in the right place. A lot of people look to buy a fitness tracker or smartwatch to get healthier, fitter, and maybe lose weight. There is a lot to choose from and each device is packed with benefits.

Many people find themselves asking – which is the best Fitbit for me?

Fitbit has been around since 2007 and is the most recognized brand for fitness trackers. As such, they’re also considered one of the best products around for tracking your activities. There are plenty of options for all budgets and features that you need. 

We aim to have all the current devices compared in this comparison. The general guideline in comparing and choosing the right Fitbit is to start from the need. There are many Fitbit smartwatches and trackers. If you’re after the look – choose a band that suits from the likes of the Charge 5, Inspire, Alta or Fitbit Luxe. If functionality and advanced health tracking are what you’re after then consider the Fitbit Sense 2 or the Versa 4 for comparison.

At a glance comparison table of Current Fitbit Models

What Makes Fitbit a Good Fitness Tracker Choice?

Fitbit is a great choice. Not only because they know what to put into a decent smartwatch but also because they are constantly upgrading their devices with models to fit with the changes in technology and style. Their tracking capabilities are loved worldwide. Google now owns Fitbit so you get the backing of a large company that invests in the quality of its products.

They are easy to use and come with a great companion app that gives you informative charts and graphs to help you understand how much you have exercised, what you have eaten, and how much water you have had to drink each day and night. They’ll even track your specific activity via the dedicated sports modes.

Fitbit Charge 5

With its compact design and clean rectangular display, the Fitbit Charge series falls between the Inspire and Versa lines, offering a wide range of features for such a compact gadget. Pre-orders are open now, and it’s expected to start shipping between September and November 2021. It costs less than $200 for those looking for a slightly more advanced but not budget-busting device.

The Fitbit Charge 5 offers a vivid, colorful AMOLED display, SpO2 monitoring, vibration capabilities, optic heart rate sensors, stress management, Bluetooth, sleep tracking, and even fitness applications. It also has a 50-meter water resistance rating.

The new Fitbit Charge is a great choice for individuals seeking a complete health and fitness tracker. This is particularly true considering its plethoras of additional capabilities, such as NFC for easy wireless payments, GPS for geolocation, and potentially life-saving ECG and EDA sensors.

Shop deals and choose your favorite store to make an online purchase.

Fitbit Charge 5 Advanced Health & Fitness Tracker with Built-in GPS, Stress Management Tools,...

Check Amazon Price

Fitbit Sense 2

Due to its thinner, lighter design and the addition of a sensor that continuously tracks your stress levels, Fitbit claims that the Sense 2 smartwatch is the most advanced tracker company has ever produced.

Fitbit, which was recently acquired by Google, has revealed that Google Maps and Google Wallet will soon be available for use in its Sense 2 turn-by-turn navigation software and contactless payment app, respectively.

The Fitbit Sense 2’s sensors enable the monitoring of vital signs such as heart rate, heart rate variability, and even skin temperature. Fitbit has added a sensor to measure “body reaction” for the first time ever.

The left side of the Sense 2 now has a genuine button in place of the previous capacitive one with vibration feedback. It is 15% lighter and 10% thinner than the original. Fitbit promises the battery will last up to six days, depending on how you use it and whether or not you enable features like the always-on display.

The wristwatch, which includes stress-management software, is designed to give users a comprehensive picture of their emotional and physical well-being.

Stress monitoring

Similar to the original Sense watch, the Sense 2 measures your level of stress via electrodermal activity (EDA) responses on your skin. You can accomplish this by placing your hand on the watch’s casing as it measures.

The Sense 2 has a body response sensor that measures continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) throughout the day in addition to on-the-spot electrodermal activity (EDA), heart rate, and skin temperature data.

The most recent software update for Sense 2 now offers practical advice to help you manage your stress in addition to stress measurement. If the watch notices a “body reaction,” as described by Fitbit, it will notify you.

These “bodily responses,” might be brought on by stress, excitement, or drugs like caffeine that cause a stress reaction in your body.

The alerts are intended to increase awareness, and the Fitibt app may then offer instructions on how to handle and recognise stress factors. You have the option to send them immediately, at the end of the day, or at the end of the week.

Through Sense 2, alerts for atrial fibrillation and other aberrant heart rhythms can be sent (afib). Atrial Fibrillation is a heart condition where the SA Node, located at the upper part of our right atrial, and is responsible for generating our Sinus pulse, is malfunctioning. This causes a Fibrillation of our heart’s Atrials. If not taken care of by our cardiologist, this can be a life threatening situation. It is fortunate that Fitbit sends us an alert in this situation. Only countries where it has been approved by the appropriate health authorities may utilise this technology.

The Sense 2 analyses your sleep and gives you a customised Sleep Profile, a new feature added in 2015. This is similar to how many Fitbits do.

Price

As with all Fitbit products, getting more in-depth insights and trends from your data necessitates a Fitbit Premium subscription. The monthly subscription charge is $9.99 (£7.99/€8.99) or the annual fee is $79.99 (£79.99/€79.99) following the introductory six-month trial.

Monitoring

Sense 2 is capable of all the activity monitoring features one would anticipate from a fitness-oriented wearable in addition to its focus on mental health. The overall number of activities it can record increases to forty with the addition of twenty more modes, including dance and weightlifting. You can track your run, walk, or bike ride without carrying your phone thanks to the built-in GPS.

The software has been updated with a tile-based user interface which you can customise to give you the most pertinent and detailed information.

Compare prices and choose your favorite supplier from this list:

Fitbit Versa 4

The Fitbit Versa 4 is slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, Versa 3. This was the primary change that was made to the device.

The band attachment and the new, physical button have been moved higher on the left side of the body so that the Versa 4 rests as near to the wrist as possible.

Features and tracking

While it is functionally identical to the Fitbit Sense 2, this wristwatch has a stronger emphasis on fitness and sports than its predecessor did. When it comes to the best Fitbit, it seems to be a toss-up between the two options. We’ll have to do more testing on each of them to make a final decision.

The 40 workout modes on the Versa 4 are expanded by another 20 to include activities like weightlifting and dance. If you have an Android phone, it will send you app alerts and enable smart answers to messages.

It can keep track of the amount of time you spend each day in what Fitbit calls your “active zone,” which is when you are exerting a moderate to high amount of physical effort so that you can see your progress toward your fitness goals. You may set your target heart rate and receive notifications when you enter and leave target zones while working out.

As an added bonus, the Versa 4 may alert you to atrial fibrillation (afib), an abnormal heart rhythm that can increase your risk of stroke and other health problems if left untreated. This technology has just recently passed certification in the United Kingdom and is thus restricted to usage in nations where the relevant health authorities have given their approval.

Fitbit Premium

Again, to get the most out of your Versa 4, you’ll need to pay either $9.99/£7.99/€8.99 per month for Fitbit Premium, or $79.99/£79.99/€79.99 for the whole year. With the help of the subscription service, the gadget may provide you a “daily readiness score” to help you decide whether or not to work out on a given day. Fitbit will recommend you what activities to do every day based on your body. If you get a high Readiness score it means you are ready for higher intense workout and low- a lower workout. Purchase a Versa 4 and get six months of Premium at no additional cost, whether you’re a new or existing customer.

You can utilise Premium to get entry to paid-only fitness guides and courses. Like most Fitbits, the Versa 4 can keep track of your sleep and, if you upgrade to Premium, it will even provide a detailed Sleep Profile for you.

NFC

In addition to Premium, Fitbit has announced that the Versa 4 will soon support Google Wallet and Google Maps, the latter of which will add turn-by-turn navigation to the wrist.

Since Google recently acquired Fitbit, this makes perfect sense. Fitbit Pay, the company’s own contactless payment software for its wearables, somehow doesn’t support many big banks, so it’s fantastic to see Google Wallet on the horizon.

The changes made to the Versa 4 are rather minimal, so if you already own a Versa 3, it may not be necessary to upgrade. Google Wallet and Google Maps upgrades will also be made available for older watches. The Fitbit Sense 2 is the most feature-rich device in the Fitbit line.

Fitbit Versa 2

When the Fitbit Versa 3 came out, it was the start of Fitbit’s foray into new and exciting smart features, and it also offered Amazon Alexa direct to your wrist. It features a larger screen than a more traditional fitness tracker and a colour screen for easy navigation.

Before the Fitbit Versa 3, there was the Versa 2. Which is still available. It comes in five different color choices and offers a week of battery life so that you don’t need to stress about charging when you are busy with life. The strap is comfortable, and the device is incredibly light so that you can almost forget that you have it on. While the Versa 3 has now been released, the Versa 2 is still a great device and well worth considering.

You guessed it, compatible with iOS and Android smartphones.

Fitbit Versa Special Edition and Fitbit Versa Lite

Both versions are now replaced with the newer Versa 3. The Versa Lite Edition offers core fitness and other smart tracking which include activity, sleep and heart rate, notifications and apps. It is meant for ease of use with a one-button design and a choice of band colours. It lacks in music, floor climbing, on-screen workouts and swimming. Though you do still get sleep stages, sleep score and breathing exercises.

The Special Edition includes all Versa Lite Edition and Previous Versa standard features plus NFC payments with Fitbit Pay and additional custom bands.

Fitbit Inspire 3

Fitbit started out with a humble fitness tracker, and the Fitbit Inspire 3 is the newest model to hit the market. It is small and compact and features a whopping ten-day battery life for you to enjoy tracking your activities without having to plug in each nice.

The most obvious new component of the Inspire 3 is its enhanced screen. Along with the Inspire model’s first-ever colour display, the new always-on feature now makes it possible to access information without having to wake the device up.

Fitbit claims that you’ll get “3+ days with basic settings,” though. This is perhaps a reference to battery life. When not using the always-on mode, the Inspire 2 advertises a battery life of up to 10 days.

Another important advancement is the SpO2 sensor, which can measure blood oxygen saturation levels. Cheap fitness trackers do not frequently provide this capability.

This information, when coupled with a conventional heart rate monitor, can help you “respond to various conditions, such as alcohol, altitude, coffee, or a cold, so you can take action to feel your best.”

If you’re unfamiliar with Fitbit and fitness trackers, the device uses various sensors to monitor activity, “Active Zone Minutes,” calories burned, distance traveled, heart rate, and steps. It contains a SmartWake alarm that could wake you up at the right time, facilitates relaxation through breathing exercises, and might act as a reminder to get up and move around.

The Inspire 3 and its predecessor share the same aesthetic. The tracker is available in a variety of colours, and a selection of straps, including a stainless steel mesh band, is also available. If you’re engaged in any activity, such as boxing, that prevents you from wearing the Inspire 3 on your wrist, you can always choose to utilise the clip.

As usual, the tracker is designed to be worn constantly so that both waking and sleeping behaviour may be monitored. Additionally, it maintains its water resistance for 50 meters.

You can still get the Inspire 2 on eBay or Amazon.

Fitbit Charge 4

The Fitbit Charge 4 is one of the best Fitbit models. It packs a punch and offers great functions like Fitbit Pay, notifications, and alarms. The device comes with a great battery life that can last up to seven days if you do not use all the features regularly. However, even with a lot of use, you can still look forward to only charging every three to five days.

The great thing about this model is that it is water-resistant and features an in-built GPS system to help you navigate your exercise. You can track a decent number of different activities, and the step counter will keep track of all the other moves you make throughout the day. With four different colour choices, this fitness tracker may not be the cheapest or the newest, but it is still well worth considering!

iOS and Android compatible. You can get a good deal on the Charge 4 on eBay or try Amazon.

Fitbit Luxe

The Fitbit Luxe is basically a refined Fitbit Inspire 2 with a few useful additional features. Its tiny display has certain drawbacks, yet it is clear, crisp, and appealing. (Note, this should not be confused with the similarly named Garmin Vivomove Luxe, which is considerably more expensive).

It’s also one of the latest newcomers from Fitbit. It is a very good-looking bracelet alternative. Pick from black, lunar white, orchid, or a special edition, beautiful, true bracelet style.

It features a five-day battery life and is water-resistant (up to 50m) and swim-proof. In terms of tracking, it has features that may not be as sophisticated but still are robust and comprehensive. It offers heart rate, SpO2, stress management, swim tracking, sleep tracking, and many other common Fitbit features. If you can wait for a little, and this is the watch you want, we think it’s worth it.

The Luxe works well in daily usage. Offering the above health monitoring plus access to more data through the app. Also, during hard exercises, heart rate tracking is especially excellent, matching the quickness and accuracy of a specialised sports smartwatch.

Because this is a fitness tracker instead of a full-fledged smartwatch like the Fitbit Sense or Versa 3. Unfortunately, it doesn’t include capabilities like making calls from your wrist contactless payments using Fitbit Pay. More, the Luxe is about keeping track of your health and promoting better habits (mental and physical and mental). And it does this well.

There’s no onboard GPS, so you’ll have to depend on either the Luxe’s accelerometer or your smartphone’s GPS. Which isn’t ideal. But the major disadvantage is that the display is so small that you can’t see much data at once. You’ll have to go into the applications to see any previous information.

iOS and Android compatible.

Advantages

• A capable, good-looking tracker
• You get the features and benefits of using a Fitbit

Disadvantages

• The Charge 5 is more advanced and has a bigger screen
• being a tracker, it’s not a full-fledged smartwatch
• No GPS

Fitbit Ace 3

Fitbit Ace 3 Activity-Tracker for Kids 6+, Blue Astro Green, One Size

Check Amazon Price

Only a few of fitness trackers are specifically developed for children. With parental settings, the Fitbit Ace 3 helps parents establish acceptable health objectives for their children ages 8 and up, just like Garmin’s Vivofit Junior models. It’s not like Fitbit’s adult-oriented fitness bands, which show metrics like calorie burn and body fat percentage, are available to children. Instead, the Fitbit Ace 2 provides activity-based unlockable achievements and awards.

For youngsters, Fitbit Ace is a way to get them moving instead of watching television. Your child’s interest will be captured by the game-based goals and the brightly coloured band alternatives. If the Ace 3 is what you’re after, you may also want to read our expectations from the upcoming release of the Fitbit Ace 4.

Read More: Best Kids Fitbit Watches in 2022
Read: Latest Fitbit Rumors for 2022/2023

Frequently Asked Questions

What are key features needed to make a good fitness tracker?

When shopping for a fitness tracker, it’s important to know what to look for. There are some features that are standard for the fitness tracker genre, but some trackers have luxury features too.

Typical fitness tracker features:

• Heart rate sensor
• Calories burned
• Pedometer
• Durable design
• Waterproof to 5ATM
• At least 24 hours of battery life

Other common features:

• GPS features
• Cellular
• SpO2 sensors
• Compass, Altimeter, and Barometer

Luxury fitness tracker features:

• ECG monitor
• Workout coaching
• Sleep tracking
• Stress management
• Voice Assistant

Is there a Fitbit helpline?

Fitbit has a direct helpline that you can reach out to for any of your questions or issues. There are a number of different ways you can contact them. On their support page, you will find the following ways to reach out.

Live Chat: 24 hours a day on fitbit.com

Call: 24 hours a day at 1 (877) 623-4997

Fitbit Community Online for questions already answered.

What are the disadvantages of Fitbit?

Fitbit offers many advantages but as with any fitness tracker, there are downfalls. Some are unique to Fitbit while others are more general such as developing an obsession with the metrics.

Disadvantages

• Fitbit provides a great overview but is not fool proof for metrics being slightly inaccurate either over or under estimation.
• Compared to other fitness trackers, Fitbit doesn’t have some of the super metrics that other smartwatches may have.
• Fitbit is tied to the fitness industry and is used less as a smartwatch compared to it’s competitors.

Is there a monthly fee for Fitbit?

When Fitbit introduced Fitbit premium, users learned that it came at a price. Fitbit premium is the only service that charges a monthly fee for using its services. The monthly fee is $9.99 per month or $80 per year. Keep in mind that they are still offering a free three-month trial!

What do you get first this price that is different from just using Fitbit regularly?

Fitbit Premium offers 150 guided workouts that are not available to non-subscribers. They come from major fitness brands such as Yoga Studio, Popsugar Fitness, Daily Burn, barre3, and more.

The premium subscription also offers advanced insights and guided lessons on mindful eating, sleep improvement, and how to obtain your goals. To keep motivation up they also offer a competition mode where you go up against other users and friends.

How do I contact Fitbit about problems?

While you can use any of the contact resources we have listed above, you can also log into your Fitbit account and report the problem there. You may find the fastest help by taking advantage of their 24/7 Live Chat or phone line by getting to someone immediately.

Is Fitbit a reliable brand?

Fitbit is currently one of the most impressive fitness tracker manufacturers around. Their smartwatches and trackers rival other top brands like Apple and Garmin, proving their success in the industry. 

Fitbit wasn’t always an industry leader. In their first few years as a brand, they struggled to keep up, however, with determination and innovation their products beat expectations and became competitors on the global market.

This brand is a reliable brand and their watches are used by athletes and fitness fanatics worldwide. With accurate trackers and efficient design, these smartwatches are essential to complement your workout regime. 

Which Fitbit model is the most popular?

When it comes to fitness trackers or bands, the Fitbit Charge 5 is the most popular model by Fitbit. However, if you’re looking for a smartwatch option, the Fitbit Versa 3 is a more popular model. These two smartwatches are the most popular sellers from the company, so make sure you explore both to see which fits your needs best. 

Fitbit smartwatches troubleshooting

If you’re an existing Fitbit owner, we’ve complied a quick series of fast troubleshooting articles which could help you:

• How to reset a Fitbit
• How to set up a new Fitbit
• How to turn Fitbit smartwatches

Assistance And Incident Detection

More and more high-end smartwatches are adding incident detection and assistance features to their devices, but where does Fitbit stand with this topic? Unfortunately, this modern smartwatch company has yet to add this high-tech software to their watches and fitness trackers yet. 

Since many of the watches from this brand feature premium services like ECG monitors and Fitbitpay, it’s surprising that the health-focused brand hasn’t got round to adding incident detection yet. Fans of the brand hope to see these features added in the next launch, as these services would complete the package for many Fitbit devices.

Fitbit Model Alternatives

Huawei

If GPS is mandatory, the Huawei Watch Fit Elegant is a viable alternative fitness-based smartwatch. It has a lot of the same fitness and sleep tracking. Plus it features a stainless steel casing and a similar AMOLED display and it’s a lot less expensive. Fitbit’s user interface, however, is more polished. And this, along with its established app, may give the Luxe the lead.

If you need something more affordable, there’s also the Huawei Honor Band 6 which rivals the likes of the Charge 4.

Xiaomi

Xiaomi is known for producing quality trackers and smartwatches at affordable prices. They pose a real threat to Fitbit. With offerings such as the Mi Band 7 giving the Inspire 2 some competition.

See how Fitbit stacks up against Xiaomi.

Garmin

We couldn’t do a Fitbit model comparison without mentioning Garmin. Known as the king of sports watches, Garmin produces data-heavy devices for serious athletes. Though they’ve also begun making more affordable, simpler devices.

See out full Garmin Model Comparison hereBest Garmin Watches in 2022

Apple

Last but not least we have Apple Watches. Apple is the most popular smartwatch with the most sales. It’s the best one in terms of integration with Apple phones and is considered an extension of your phone with lots of phone apps actually running on your watch as well. It offers many health and fitness features, in many cases to a better level than the Fitbit bands. The main drawback is the price. Apple Watches are usually priced at $400-$800 depending on the model from the SE 2, the Apple Watch 8 and the ultra-durable Apple Watch Ultra.

For Reference – See how the older models compare

Read more: How to turn off and reset a Fitbit watch

Fitbit Model Comparison Conclusion

Fitbit caters to almost every health and fitness need. There’s a model for beginners to more experienced fitness enthusiasts. As well as your physical health, Fitbit is one of the first brands to introduce mental well-being into their tracking.

If you’re looking for a simple pedometer or something that will give you deeper insights, there’s a Fitbit for you. We hope we have helped you compare them.

Follow Us

Last Updated on December 9, 2022

Maygen( Editor )

Maygen is a multifaceted writer, proofreader, and experienced smartwatch industry writing and editing professional.

We appreciate her work, contribution to our blog, marketing skills, editing, and expert writing abilities which are second to none.

Truly adept in content strategy and content creation which has immense contribution to our blog.