Finest Fitbit health trackers and watches in 2025

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In 2025, you may marvel if Fitbit remains to be related. Regardless of getting acquired by Google, Fitbit stays probably the most recognizable names within the business. Fitbit trackers aren’t meant for probably the most hardcore of athletes, however they’re nonetheless wonderful units for monitoring total exercise in addition to monitoring sure well being and wellness metrics like EKGs and blood oxygen ranges.

That mentioned, this can be a transitional interval from the Fitbit of outdated to no matter Fitbit can be sooner or later. 2023, specifically, was a messy 12 months. There have been a number of Fitbit server outages, and I wasn’t impressed with the choice to sunset legacy community features like challenges or the truth that all Fitbit accounts will quickly require you to log in via Google. Talking of which, the Fitbit-to-Google account migration started in 2023 and is required should you purchase newer merchandise just like the Fitbit Cost 6 or Google Pixel Watch 3. The Fitbit app additionally acquired a new, more Google-like makeover, which didn’t go over properly with many customers. (Google has since made changes primarily based on suggestions.) And in 2024, a lot of Fitbit’s management, together with co-founders James Park and Eric Friedman, left the company as roughly a thousand Google employees have been laid off.

You possibly can take a look at how Google has dealt with the Nest acquisition as a street map to how issues are going. The Googlefication of Fitbit will proceed, however there are causes to stay with its trackers within the meantime. Fitbit trackers are comparatively reasonably priced, particularly since they typically go on sale. All of the units additionally include a free trial to Fitbit Premium, the corporate’s subscription service that provides guided exercises, meditations, and entry to extra in-depth metrics. To date, it seems Google takes its Pixel Watch lineup significantly, too. With the Pixel Watch 2, the corporate expanded prolonged guarantee entry and improved replacement options. You simply must go in with eyes large open.

If you happen to’re not lifeless set on a Fitbit specifically, try our guide to the best fitness trackers and watches.

The existence of the Pixel Watch, now in its third era, has thrown a wrench into Fitbit’s smartwatch lineup. Technically, it’s a Google product, however Google owns Fitbit, in order that they’re all Google merchandise now. Fitbit powers the entire Pixel Watch’s well being and health options. However actually, that is the smartwatch that Fitbit by no means might handle to construct by itself.

The Pixel Watch 3 is a big replace over its predecessors. It lastly seems like Google’s not enjoying catch-up to its rivals. This 12 months, the screens are brighter, the bezels are smaller, and there’s now a 45mm dimension for bigger wrists. The bigger dimension doesn’t look chunky, both. Internally, the processor and well being sensors are the identical as final 12 months, although the third-gen gadget has an extremely wideband chip that lets you unlock Pixel telephones and a few BMW automobile fashions.

It’s acquired the identical lovely design with a round domed show that appears far more elegant than the squircle Versa or Sense smartwatches ever did. In your wrist, it seems like a watch, not a tracker dressed up as one. The show is a bit fragile for our style, however as 2023, you will get a Most popular Care prolonged guarantee within the US and Canada. That is one motive we advocate the Pixel Watch 3 over the unique since not less than you’ve got a extra reasonably priced fallback ought to one thing occur to your show. Google additionally introduced an possibility the place you possibly can skip buyer help and mail in broken, out-of-warranty Pixel Watch units for discounted replacements.

As for health options, the Pixel Watch 3 is significantly better for runners than it was once. It features a new operating dashboard, superior kind analytics, customized operating exercises, and even AI-generated exercise solutions. It’s additionally launched a brand new metric known as Cardio Load, which measures the depth of your exercises and suggests a goal primarily based in your health targets. It’s conceptually just like Garmin’s Coaching Load. The Every day Readiness Rating has additionally been revamped and is not locked behind the Fitbit Premium paywall. On the well being entrance, European customers now have Lack of Pulse. If the watch detects you’ve misplaced your pulse, it’ll name emergency providers in your behalf. The function isn’t obtainable but within the US, although, as FDA clearance remains to be pending.

Moreover, Google has strengthened the watch’s integrations with its personal providers in addition to different Pixel units. As an example, you’ve got offline Google Maps and a Google Residence Tile. You possibly can view your Nest Doorbell digicam feed or management your Google TV out of your wrist, and there’s additionally the choice to report audio with the Recorder app and switch it to your telephone. With Name Help, you should use your watch to inform anybody calling you want an additional second to select up the telephone.

If all you need is a health tracker that seems like a smartwatch, you possibly can think about the $229 Versa 4 because it’s the extra budget-friendly possibility. However there’s no actual level within the Sense 2 because the Pixel Watch 3 can do all the identical issues — and extra.

The Encourage line hasn’t at all times felt, properly, impressed. However the $99.95 Encourage 3 is completely different. With a colour OLED show, it’s harking back to the Fitbit Luxe of 2021, solely with a matte black plastic case as a substitute of a steel one. It’s a fantastic throwback to traditional Fitbits for individuals who solely need the fundamentals.

The Encourage 3 doesn’t overcomplicate issues. It’s a health band. You received’t get built-in GPS, contactless funds, or digital assistants. Nonetheless, what it lacks in smarts it makes up for with Fitbit’s superior sleep monitoring, stress administration options, and irregular coronary heart price notifications. The OLED show can be a step up from the Encourage 2’s monochrome display screen, and you continue to get 10 days of battery life. (Although it’s extra like two to 3 should you allow the always-on show.)

The Encourage 3 has quite a lot of equipment, together with a clip attachment if you wish to observe steps discreetly. There’s even a gold or silver mesh strap if you wish to gown it up a bit.

To be sincere, the Encourage 3 and Luxe are fairly comparable, they usually’re typically across the similar worth. It’ll boil down as to if you suppose the Luxe’s nicer case is value buying and selling half the battery life for — the Luxe will get an estimated 5 days as a substitute of 10.

Finest Fitbit health tracker

The Cost sequence has at all times been standard, and the $159.95 Cost 6 is not any exception. It’s Fitbit’s higher-end health band however simply competes with the costlier Versa 4 on options. It includes a colour OLED display screen plus an EKG and EDA sensor. You additionally get built-in GPS, NFC funds, and SpO2 sensors — the one factor you’re actually lacking is a digital assistant.

The one qualm we now have with the Cost 6 is the always-on show. Whereas it’s lovely, it’s a significant battery drain. The Cost 6 has an estimated seven days of battery life, however that dwindles right down to about two you probably have the always-on show enabled. This is identical challenge that we had with the Cost 5, but it surely’s pretty typical for Fitbit trackers lately.

Altogether, although, you’re getting a hell of quite a bit for the worth. It’s the one FDA-cleared EKG wearable you could find for underneath $200, and the one different Fitbits able to EKG and EDA readings are the Sense, Sense 2, and the Pixel Watch 2. So except you’re lifeless set on the smartwatch kind issue, the Cost 6 is the higher total deal.

In comparison with its predecessor, the Cost 6 additionally provides an improved coronary heart price algorithm, Bluetooth compatibility with some fitness center gear, and some apps — specifically Google Maps, Google Pockets, and YouTube Music. Whereas YouTube Music works properly, I’m not stoked that it requires an extra $11 month-to-month subscription. That mentioned, it’s higher than nothing, as Fitbit discontinued onboard music some time again.

By way of {hardware}, the Cost 6 additionally includes a haptic button as a substitute of an inductive groove. It’s not a bodily button, which is a bit of disappointing, but it surely’s extra dependable to date than the inductive groove, so I’d depend this as a web constructive.

You might technically get the Cost 5 at a reduction. Nonetheless, I’d solely do this if it’s considerably cheaper and worth is your essential consideration. The haptic button, whereas not what I wished, is much better than the inductive groove and you’ve got extra app choices. Flip-by-turn navigation can be useful for walks, and it not less than presents some type of music playback.

The $179.99 Fitbit Ace LTE isn’t actually a standard health tracker, although it does observe energetic minutes. As an alternative, it’s a smartwatch with a mixture of kid-friendly video games and actions and considerate, family-oriented communication options. It’s a walled backyard, however an lovable one.

As an alternative of rigorously monitoring well being stats, the Ace LTE tracks “energetic minutes,” which fill a cute progress meter known as a Noodle that runs across the face of the watch. Energetic minutes earn time with the Ace LTE’s built-in video games that, mixed with actions, unlock customizations to your child’s avatar (known as an Eejie) that lives within the watch, in addition to its little home. You can even unlock completely different video games and digital gadgets by connecting completely different watch straps.

With a $10/month subscription, you get real-time location monitoring and each voice and textual content messaging to preselected contacts by the Fitbit Ace app (moderately than the usual messaging and telephone apps). As of November 2024, that features different relations with Ace LTE watches, in addition to a household group chat between mother and father and youngsters.

I like that the Ace LTE is constructed extra like a cross-platform smartwatch for adults than different child watches we’ve used, just like the plasticky Garmin Bounce. It makes use of the identical charger because the Pixel Watch 3, and will get a couple of day’s value of battery on a cost. My youngsters get pleasure from it however aren’t obsessive about it — although they’ve been recognized to run laps up and down the hallway to earn extra recreation time.

Google says the Ace LTE is finest fitted to youngsters aged 7 to 11, and that sounds proper. My oldest is 10 now, and she or he’s been utilizing an Ace LTE for a couple of 12 months. As soon as she hits center college, I believe she’ll be annoyed that she will’t use it to speak to her mates. However for now it’s nice. We not too long ago acquired one for our 8-year-old, and it’s wild that they’ll textual content one another from their watches. It additionally means my 8-year-old can spam the group chat with emoji, however that’s positive too.

— Nathan Edwards, senior opinions editor

Must you even purchase a Fitbit proper now?

Fitbit formally turned a part of Google in 2021. Nothing modified in a single day, however technically, it’s Fitbit by Google now. The Fitbit-to-Google migration began in earnest in the summertime of 2023, and new customers can be requested to log into Fitbit utilizing their Google accounts. In 2025, this can be obligatory for everybody. In February 2023, Google angered longtime Fitbit users by shuttering longtime social features like Challenges and eradicating step streaks. (Step streaks have since been added back and expanded to Android.) In the meantime, the Versa 4 and Sense 2 weren’t as feature-rich at launch in comparison with their predecessors, main some to really feel that Google purposefully did this to place the highlight on its Pixel Watch. There have been additionally a number of main server outages in 2023.

There’s some rigidity right here and the way forward for Fitbit {hardware} is murky. Particularly given the truth that Google laid off about a thousand employees from its {hardware} departments spanning Pixel, Fitbit, and Nest. If you happen to’re shopping for a tracker for the primary time and wish it to final you some time, it’d make extra sense to go for a Garmin or Amazfit tracker. Equally, should you’re trying to improve to an older Versa or Sense smartwatch, you may wish to see the place the mud settles. Nonetheless, if you already know you desire a Fitbit, then go forward. If you happen to’re not in a rush or are undecided, now is just not a foul time to take a seat again and observe.

Replace, July seventh: Added Fitbit Ace LTE as finest Fitbit for teenagers, changing Fitbit Ace 3. Adjusted pricing and availability.