Fitbit is known as fitness tracker brand to weight loss lover. Specially during COVID19 isolation, home wellbeing tracking via fitbit. What is good in fitbit side by side comparison chart 2021? Stress tracking, mindfulness via an electrodermal activity sensor, ECG, temperature monitoring all join blood oxygen, 24/7 heart rate, top sleep tracking and, of course, your step count. There’s also GPS, loads of workout modes, and it will kick your data out to platforms like Strava if you hook them up. Fitbit has put an added focus on its Fitbit Premium, so subscribers to the $79.99 a year service will get even more data. Find here everything you need to know in fitbit side by side comparison chart 2022.
Best Seller in UK
Popular in US
fitbit side by side comparison chart 2022
Device | Price | GPS | HR | ECG | Swim | SpO2 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fitbit Sense | $329.99 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Fitbit Charge 4 | $149.99 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Fitbit Versa 3 | $229.99 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Fitbit Inspire 2 | $99.95 | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Fitbit Inspire | $69.95 | No | No | No | Yes | No |
Fitbit Versa Lite | $159.99 | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Fitbit Ace 2 | $69.95 | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
Features & Specs – fitbit side by side comparison chart 2022
fitbit Sense
KEY FEATURES
- ECG Monitor
- Electrodermal Activity (EDA) sensor
- Works with Amazon Alexa
SPECIFICATIONS
- Brand: Fitbit
- Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
- Color Screen: Yes
- Notification Support: Yes
- Battery Life: Six days
- Integrations: Amazon Alexa, MyFitnessPal, Strava
PROS
- Six-day battery life
- Additional sensors focused on health monitoring
CONS
- Most expensive Fitbit, almost comparable to Apple Watch prices
- Lack of integration with Apple Health or Google Fit
fitbit Charge 4
KEY FEATURES
- Built-in GPS
- Continous heart rate monitoring
- Fitbit Pay support
SPECIFICATIONS
- Brand: Fitbit
- Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
- Color Screen: No
- Notification Support: Yes
- Battery Life: Seven days
- Integrations: MyFitnessPal, Strava
PROS
- Seven-day battery life
- Comprehensive fitness tracking
- Some smartwatch-style features
CONS
- Lack of color screen
fitbit Inspire 2
KEY FEATURES
- Heart rate monitoring
- Sleep tracking
- Exercise tracking
SPECIFICATIONS
- Brand: Fitbit
- Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
- Color Screen: No
- Notification Support: Yes
- Battery Life: 10 days
- Integrations: MyFitnessPal, Strava
PROS
- 10-day battery life
- Most affordable device in the Fitbit range
CONS
- No support for Fitbit Pay
- No on-board GPS
fitbit Versa 3
KEY FEATURES
- Runs Fitbit OS smartwatch operating system
- Built-in speaker for receiving calls
- Notification mirroring and quick-reply support
SPECIFICATIONS
- Brand: Fitbit
- Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
- Color Screen: Yes
- Notification Support: Yes
- Battery Life: Six days
- Integrations: Amazon Alexa, MyFitnessPal, Strava
PROS
- Built-in GPS
- Long battery life
- Can store music for offline playback without a smartphone
CONS
- Lack of integration with Apple Health or Google Fit
- Fitbit Pay not supported by the majority of banks
fitbit Versa Lite
KEY FEATURES
- Fitbit OS smartwatch software
- Large color touchscreen
- Water-resistant to 50m
SPECIFICATIONS
- Brand: Fitbit
- Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
- Color Screen: Yes
- Notification Support: Yes
- Battery Life: Four days
- Integrations: MyFitnessPal, Strava
PROS
- Affordable price
- Notification mirroring and quick-reply support
CONS
- No Wi-Fi support
- Doesn’t support Fitbit Pay due to lack of NFC
- No altimeter, so can’t track floors climbed
Is fitbit Sense real upgrade?
Best Fitbit for health tool
The Fitbit Sense sits at the top of the pile for sheer number of features, and stands out especially for its detailed health functions – and for its heftier price tag.
These include an Electrodermal Activity (EDA) sensor that can measure the intensity of emotion (important for stress management), Electrocardiogram (ECG) app to assess your heart for heart-rhythm irregularity, and a Skin Temperature sensor that can be used to indicate the onset of a fever or illness.
The Sense is the only Fitbit to offer High and Low heart-rate notifications.
It boasts all the fitness features and smart apps found in the other Fitbits (and is more accurate at swim tracking with its gyroscope) and is the standout Fitbit smartwatch for health measurements and insights, although some readings require a Fitbit Premium subscription.
Can Fitbit Charge 4 measure Sp02 blood-oxygen readings?
The Charge 4 is easily our best all-round Fitbit activity tracker, and indeed a match for even Fitbit’s smartwatches. It covers all the basics – tracking steps, distance, calories burned, hourly activity, floors climbed, heart rate, swim-tracking, and advanced sleep, not to mention it has most of the top-end exercise features too, including Active Zone Minutes.
Yes, it lacks the larger, easier-to-read colour screen you get with a Fitbit smartwatch, but its built-in GPS means it’s a tracker that can match the pricier smartwatches.
It can take Sp02 blood-oxygen readings just like the Fitbit smartwatches, but not take calls like the Sense and Versa 3 can.
Choose the Charge 4 if you can live with the smaller, monochrome screen.
Similarities – fitbit side by side comparison chart 2022
fitbit Sense | fitbit Versa 3 | fitbit Charge 4 | fitbit Inspire 2 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Steps & Activity | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Calories burned | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Floor climbed | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sleep tracking & silent alram | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Sleep stages (light, deep, REM) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Female health tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Guided breathing sessions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Smart track (auto excercise recognition) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Reminders to move | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Hourly activity | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Swim tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
From fitbit side by side comparison chart 2022 – which is good for me –
For kids below the age of 13, the Ace 2 is a well-designed, basic starter tracker. It’s recommended for children aged 6 up, and there are special Parent and Kid views, plus family challenges and virtual badges to be won. Its strap is smaller than even the Small size options with the other trackers, but we found the other Fitbits fit a child’s wrist just as well.
While it’s in Fitbit’s terms and conditions that children aged under 13 should use only the Ace, there are plenty of kids out there wearing other models – parents just need to set-up the child’s account using an older birth year.
The cheapest Fitbit wristband is the Inspire 2, but this lacks some features of the more expensive Fitbits, such as an altimeter to measure floors climbed and built-in GPS. But it is remarkably stuffed full of fitness functions for an entry-level device, and includes a heart-rate monitor so can measure your Cardio Fitness scores and Active Zone minutes, as well as insightful Sleep Stages recording. It can also be worn as a clip as well as a wristband, although the clip accessory costs an extra £19.99/$19.95.
If you do jog, run or exercise in any way as well as walking we think that it’s worth paying for the extra heart-rate-monitoring functionality you get with all the latest Fitbits, except the Ace 2 and older Inspire 1.
Monitoring heart rate can also be used if weight loss is one of your key goals. The heart-rate function also gives you much more detailed Sleep analysis – see further on for more details of this increasingly important health metric.
The Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 have buil-in microphones and work with Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant voice controls – the older Versa 2 works with Alexa only.
The Sense and Versa 3 also boast a speaker, and can receive phone calls when your iPhone or Android is close by. Phone calls on the wrist work surprisingly well.
If you’re looking for weight tracking, then check out our Fitbit Aria Air review. These scalessync with the trackers to add measurements of your weight.
Why Fitbit?
As well as being ideal for keeping on top of your own health and wellness, Fitbits are fantastic gifts. As our society becomes more health-conscious, fitness trackers are becoming more popular each year, and Fitbit is easily the standout brand of the wearables market. Here are some of the key benefits of Fitbit models.
- Sleek Design: Every model is modern, and made to look sharp. Thanks to the top-of-the-line materials, you probably won’t even notice you’re wearing one because they are so lightweight.
- Outstanding Performance: These devices go well beyond the usual calorie/step-counters that are on the market. There are prompts when you’ve been physically inactive for too long, GPS tracking to plan and monitor your runs, and heart-rate sensors to help you train more efficiently. As a bonus, you won’t need to charge your Fitbit everyday (some models offer up to an impressive 7 days of battery life).
- Innovative Technology: With a variety of built-in sensors, heart-rate monitoring, wireless syncing, and split-screen comparisons, Fitbits have the latest, cutting-edge technology built in to make monitoring your health easier than ever before.
- Different Price Points: There’s a Fitbit at every price point. You’ll be able to find one in your budget, whether you want to spend a little or a lot.
Compare fitbits feature (fitbit side by side comparison 2022)
To get a clear picture of which device best suits your needs, you need to see how they stack up in each category.
Design
When it comes to appearance, it’s important to consider comfort and versatility as well as aesthetics. Most models will give you some kind of choice regarding the band design from the get-go, so when it comes to comfort, it’s really up to you whether you prefer a more sporty, rubber band or chunkier, mesh material. You can also purchase additional, interchangeable bands if you want to mix things up further down the line. There’s now an inclusive selection of designs (depending on the model), from sporty bands to sleek woven leather and stainless steel mesh.
Features
All the devices track distance, calories, steps and sleep, but they differ in some individual features. A major difference between models is that some have a built-in GPS for real-time pace and distance tracking—such as the Charge 4—and others need a phone connection to track this information. Most models have 24/7 heart-rate tracking so you can keep on top of your stats throughout the day. Most also have the ability to track other essential data such as detailed sleep monitoring and reports as well as female health tracking tracking. Many offer music connectivity whether that’s via music storage or streaming via Spotify or another streaming service. You can also use most of their models with Fitbit Premium, their subscription app which offers workout programs and plans for every goal and ability level. It costs after the free trial, but advanced and personalized health and sleep insights are a welcome addition.
Battery Life
Battery life can be very important, depending on how much you travel and plan to use the device. Of all the models the Charge 4 wins in this regard, with 7 days of battery life. Most other models fall between 4-6 days of battery life.
Water Resistance
All Fitbit trackers and smartwatches are water-resistant, which means they are rain-proof, splash-proof and sweat-proof. You can swim or shower with most Fitbit devices (expect Ace) including the Inspire, Ionic, and Versa series models. These models are swim-proof in a lake, pool, or ocean up to 50 meters.
Other features – fitbit side by side comparison 2022
All Fitbits have an accelerometer that measures motion patterns to determine your calories burned, distance travelled, and steps taken. (The Fitbit Ace 2 does not show calories burned, as Fitbit doesn’t want to add to a child’s possible weight anxiety issues.) All monitor sleep quality, but those with a heart-rate monitor give much more sleep detail.
Alarm
All the Fitbits also contain a vibration motor, which allows it to vibrate when alarms are set to go off.
Floors climbed
The Charge 4, Versa 2, Versa 3, Sense and Ionic boast an altimeter that measures stairs (or height) climbed. The Ace 2 and Inspire 2 do not include an altimeter.
GPS
The Fitbit Sense, Versa 3 and Charge 4 are the only models in the lineup to have GPS built-in, without the need for a smartphone to be linked. Users can see distance, pace and elevation climbed, and review routes and split times. Like the Inspire 2, the older Inspire HR, Versa Lite and Versa 2 can connect to the GPS on your smartphone.
Heart-rate monitor
All current Fitbits monitor your heart rate on your wrist. They use Fitbit’s PurePulse technology that gives continuous, automatic, wrist-based heart rate, plus simplified heart-rate zones (Fat Burn, Cardio and Peak). The Versa 3 and Sense use the updated and more accurate PurePulse 2.0.
Additionally, these heart-rate-tracking Fitbits feature Cardio Fitness Level, which provides a snapshot of your cardiovascular fitness. Based on estimated VO2 Max – calculated by your user profile, heart rate and exercise data – you can see how your fitness level relates to others of the same age and gender, and get guidance on how to improve over time.
The Charge 4, Versa 2, Versa 3, Sense and Ionic can also monitor the amount of oxygen in the blood (an important health indicator) with their Sp02 sensor.
Water Resistance and Swim Tracking
All the Fitbits are water-resistant up to 50 metres. The Inspire HR, Inspire 2, Charge 4, Versa 2, Versa 3 (not the Versa Lite edition) and Ionic will track your basic swimming metrics (laps, calories, etc) using distance to estimate strokes and laps. The new Fitbit Sense has a 6-axis gyroscope to more accurately track strokes and laps while swimming.
Caller ID and text messages
All the Fitbits show Caller ID when linked to a smartphone. All the wristbands except the Ace 2 also display text notifications and Calendar Events on its display.
Automatic sport recognition
The Inspire HR, Inspire 2, Charge 4, Versa Lite, Versa 2, Versa 3, Sense and Ionic feature multi-sport exercise tracking. They know when you are cycling, running, hiking or playing sports including football, tennis and basketball. They will also recognise aerobic workouts such as Zumba, cardio-kickboxing and dance workouts, and log the workout in the Fitbit app along with an exercise summary.
SmartTrack automatically recognises and records workouts and captures all of the stats: how long you were active, calories burned and heart rate zones. By default, it recognises activities when you’ve been moving for more than 15 minutes. You can change this to anywhere from 10 to 90 minutes.
Reminder to Move
This is available on all the wristband Fitbit trackers. It encourages you to meet a mini-step goal of 250 steps each hour (approximately 2-3 minutes of walking). These prompts can be personalised to your schedule; for example, they can be put on “Do Not Disturb” during long meetings or appointments. And, of course, they won’t wake you at night.
It’s a great motivator to get up and move around, even if just for a stroll to get a glass of water or make a cup of tea. Studies have linked excessive sitting with being overweight and obese, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, and early death – I bet that made you sit up…
Sleep tracking
All the Fitbits check your sleep, too. They measure the time you spend asleep and check the quality of sleep – noting when you are restless or wake up during the night. Fitbit’s newer Sleep Stages measurements (on Inspire HR, Inspire 2, Charge 4, Versa Lite, Versa 2, Versa 3, Sense and Ionic) utilise heart-rate variability to estimate the amount of time you spend in Light, Deep and REM sleep, as well as time awake each night, to better understand your sleep quality. Sleep Score rates each night’s sleep from 0 to 100.
This is one of the great benefits of a tracker with a heart monitor, and sleep is now recognised as a major health metric. I actually look at this more than some of the other more obvious fitness metrics. Six to eight hours a day is the recommended amount of sleep you should be aiming for. Improved sleep has immediate benefits to your memory, attention, cognitive function, and decision-making capacity, as well as helping to avoid type 2 diabetes and putting on weight. Sleep deprivation causes our appetite to go up and we feel less full, making weight gain more likely.
Sleep can make us happier, improve heart health, boost memory, even reduce the risk of dementia. it is vital for restoring energy levels, washing out toxins from the brain and boosting the immune system.
Relax Guided Breathing
The Inspire HR, Inspire 2, Charge 4, Versa Lite, Versa 2, Versa 3, Sense and Ionic offer Relax Guided Breathing Sessions that can help calm your body and mind through two- and five-minute sessions personalised to your breathing rate. The benefits of guided breathing practice are supposed to help reduce stress and anxiety, as well as lower blood pressure. Add it to your daily routine, and you’ll quickly feel the benefits. Long-term insulin resistance (caused by stress triggering the brain’s hypothalamus readying your body for action) contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes and obesity, so even light meditation has physical as well as mental benefits to our health.
Female Health Tracking
All but the Ace 2 offer Female Health Tracking, which helps women understand their body by using the tracker with the Fitbit app to follow their cycle, record symptoms and more.
Apps
Apps are available on the Fitbit smartwatches (Versa Lite, Versa 2, Versa 3, Sense, and Ionic), including Weather, plus extra third-party apps can be purchased via the Fitbit mobile app. All smartwatches except the Versa Lite also boast the Fitbit Coach app for on-screen video workouts. The Charge 4 also includes a more basic Weather app, and Agenda for calendars.
The Versa 3 and Sense also feature Amazon Alexa voice assistant, Google Assistant (“coming soon”) and Spotify music. The Versa 2 also includes Spotify controls and Alexa. Charge 4 includes Spotify only. You need to be a Spotify Premium subscriber to take advantage of this feature.
Fitbit Pay
Fitbit Pay is available for Charge 4, Versa 2, Versa 3, Sense and Ionic – but not the Ace 2 or Inspire 2, or the older Inspire 1 and HR or Versa Lite. This allows for contactless payments directly from the wearable. However, the list of compatible UK banks is very small right now, including Santander, Starling and Revolut – see the whole list here for all countries.
Battery life – fitbit side by side comparison chart 2022
- All models have rechargeable batteries. Here’s roughly how long each lasts between charges:
- Ace 2: up to 5 days
- Inspire: up to 5 days
- Inspire HR: up to 5 days
- Inspire 2: up to 10 days
- Charge 4: Up to 7 days (up to five hours using GPS)
- Versa Lite: 5 days +
- Versa 2: 6 days +
- Versa 3: 6 days +
- Sense: 6 days +
- Ionic: Up to 5 days (will reduce depending on the use of GPS)