The best Fitbits of 2024 to upgrade your health and fitness game

Whether you’re starting out on your fitness journey or you have a well-worn regimen that you’ve followed for years, finding a way to keep track of all your hard work can be a great tool to keep you motivated. A fitness tracker is a popular way to do this, and for many, Fitbit is among the best-known brands in the sector.

Fitbit has been around since 2007 and by November 2023 had the second largest market share by any individual brand. It claimed 9 per cent of the fitness tracker and smartwatch market, second only to Apple on 19 per cent. In 2021, Fitbit was acquired by Google, and much of its health-tracking tech was subsequently incorporated into the Pixel Watch.

Fitbits have come a long way since the launch of the original Fitbit Tracker in 2009. With advanced sensors, a user-friendly app, and a relatively affordable price, there’s a reason the best Fitbits remain so popular. As the company has grown, the variety of Fitbits has expanded as well. There are now a range of fitness trackers and smartwatches to choose from. So, before you splash the cash, it’s worth taking some time to see how the various models differ and work out which one will be the best Fitbit for your needs.

Why choose Fitbit?

Fitbits offers a wide variety of health-tracking metrics, including heart rate, sleep, blood oxygen, stress, step count, and estimated calorie burn. The Fitbit app then interprets all that data to provide plenty of added insights, allowing you to view your progress over time.

The app is comprehensive, and if you’re willing to pay for Fitbit Premium, you can access recipes, workouts, mindfulness sessions, and additional health and fitness metrics. While most fitness trackers offer many of the same metrics, few are as user-friendly as Fitbit, and even fewer have the same level of depth in their supporting apps.

Given how much Fitbits have to offer, there’s almost certainly something suitable for almost anyone. But the best Fitbit for one person, might not be the best for another. We’ve put together our favourites to help you decide which is most suitable for you.

The best Fitbits

All prices are correct at the time of writing. Prices, stock and deals are subject to change without notice.

Buyer’s Guide:

How do I know which Fitbit is best for me?

What’s your budget?

Working out how much you are willing to spend will also make your decision easier. If you don’t want to spend a lot, then cheaper fitness trackers like the Inspire 3 or Charge 6 will probably be more suitable than the more expensive models such as the Sense 2 or Pixel Watch 2.

Conversely, if you’re willing to spend a bit more, that gives you access to features that you would potentially miss out on with those cheaper devices.

What features do you need?

It’s important to decide which features you regard as essential, nice to have, or irrelevant. If you aren’t bothered about smartwatch features such as making calls, then you probably don’t need to spend more on a Versa or Sense smartwatch. If your exercise routine focuses on being at the gym, do you really need built-in GPS? If not, then an Inspire 3 might do everything you want. Is checking your heart health important, or are you more concerned about tracking your step count to try and increase your activity levels? Figuring out the essentials to fit in with your lifestyle and habits will help you narrow down your choice.

What are your goals?

The features you need will be linked to your goals. If you’re just getting started on a fitness journey, you may not need all the bells and whistles, and something that just tracks your activity levels may suffice.

Conversely, if you already exercise regularly, you might need something with more advanced features. For example, maybe you have a target time in mind for your next 10k run. In that case, a device that offers features such as pace training, like the Pixel Watch 2, may be more suitable for you.

What’s your design preference?

Fitbits come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so decide whether you prefer the slim and lightweight feel of a fitness tracker, or if you prefer the look of a smartwatch, which is bigger and more like a traditional wristwatch. Also think about whether you’d prefer a touchscreen or buttons to navigate around the device.

FAQ: Your Fitbit questions answered

Is Fitbit battery life good?

The battery life on Fitbits is respectable, although not the best on the market. For comparison, some of the best Garmin watches will last at least a couple of weeks, while the Huawei Band 7 – one of the best budget fitness trackers - also lasts up to 14 days. Typically, you should expect most Fitbits to last around five to seven days between charges, with the Fitbit Inspire 3 lasting up to 10 days. This will depend on how you use it, and which features you turn on or off.

What about Fitbit smart notifications?

Fitbits are designed to alert you to app notifications, phone calls or text messages. The more basic fitness trackers won’t do much more than this, while the more advanced devices – such as the Sense 2 – will also allow you to make and receive calls on your wrist, via Bluetooth.

The Sense 2, Versa 4 and Charge 6 also incorporate Google Maps and Google Wallet functionality.

Can I use a Fitbit for contactless payments?

Yes, Fitbits support contactless payments. Older models use Fitbit Pay, and newer models incorporate Google Wallet.

Note: Google has confirmed that Fitbit Pay is being discontinued, and will cease to operate from July 29, 2024. This will eventually be replaced by Google Wallet, which is far more widely accepted. Any devices launched after November 2022 will automatically use Google Wallet, while users of older devices will be prompted to set up Google Wallet to replace Fitbit Pay.

Are Fitbits waterproof?

According to Google, most Fitbit devices are water resistant to 50 metres, meaning they are fine to take swimming or wearing during an intense and sweaty gym session. You will need to bear in mind the type of strap you are wearing, as leather, metal and woven materials aren’t designed to get wet. If you plan on regularly getting your Fitbit wet, we recommend choosing a silicon strap.

How accurate are Fitbits?

No smartwatch or fitness tracker is completely accurate all the time. Over the years, as sensors have become more sophisticated, and the amount of data available to these companies has grown, it’s fair to say that accuracy has improved significantly.

The real question is whether these devices are accurate enough. While Google provides its own guide to Fitbit accuracy, academic studies suggest that Fitbits provide “acceptable accuracy” when it comes to step counts but are potentially less reliable when estimating energy expenditure.

We suggest using any data you get from your Fitbit (or any other tracker) as a guideline rather than as definitive. You can still use these devices to help motivate you and give you a sense of your general activity levels. If you see that you’re taking more steps per day than a month ago, chances are that will be an accurate reflection of increased activity levels, even if the specific numbers aren’t perfect.

Do Fitbits come with GPS?

Fitbit fitness trackers and smartwatches use one of two types of GPS: built-in GPS, where a GPS tracker is incorporated into the device, or connected GPS, which uses the GPS on your phone to track where you are. More premium models, such as the Sense 2 and Charge 6, have built-in GPS, which tends to be more accurate. Less expensive models such as the Inspire 3 use connected GPS, which is slightly less precise, but does make the device itself marginally cheaper.

What health and fitness monitoring features does a Fitbit offer?

Fitbit is well known for its comprehensive health and fitness tracking metrics. While specific features vary between models, and some features are only available on Fitbit Premium, the following can all be measured by Fitbit devices:

• Blood oxygen tracking.

• Heart rate monitoring, including resting heart rate, heart rate variability, irregular heart rhythm notifications, and an ECG (electrocardiogram) app.

• Menstrual health tracking.

• Skin temperature.

• Sleep tracking, including a breakdown of sleep stages and sleep profile.

• Stress management score.

• Active zone minutes (which tracks your time in heart rate zones during exercise).

• Exercise tracking.

• Step, distance and calorie estimates.

• Daily readiness score – this tells you whether your body is ready to work out or needs time for recovery.

What Fitbit accessories are there?

As with most brands, Fitbit makes sure that you can add a degree of personality to your device, primarily with swappable wristbands. Different materials, colours, and designs are available for your chosen Fitbit. There are plenty of third-party options available as well.

Fitbits come with a proprietary charger designed to work specifically with certain devices. The charger used for the Charge 5 and 6 is different to the charger for the Inspire 3, for instance. Some Fitbits, including the Sense 2, Versa 4, Charge 5 and Charge 6, are also compatible with some wireless chargers.

What devices are Fitbits compatible with?

Most Fitbits are compatible with Android and iOS devices, phones and tablets. In other words, if the relevant app store has a Fitbit app available to download, your Fitbit will work with your device. The one notable exception is the Pixel Watch series, which is only compatible with Android devices.

What’s next for Fitbit?

Wearable technology has come a long way since the early days of fitness trackers. But there’s still plenty of room for further development. A big trend now is smart rings, such as the Oura Ring, and Samsung’s new Galaxy Ring, which is set for release later in 2024. Is it possible that Fitbit might introduce a smart ring of its own?

Beyond that, companies are constantly finding ways to make sensors more accurate and introduce new features as well. We’d love to see improved battery life, and 24-hour temperature tracking (as opposed to night-time only) would be useful for potentially indicating onset of illness, as well as helping manage your exercise load.

Steven Shaw is a Senior Digital Writer covering tech and fitness. Steven writes how-to guides, explainers, reviews and best-of listicles covering a wide range of topics. He has several years of experience writing about fitness tech, mobile phones, and gaming.

When Steven isn’t writing, he’s probably testing a new smartwatch or fitness tracker, putting it through its paces with a variety of strength training, HIIT, or yoga. He also loves putting on a podcast and going for a long walk.

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