Best Fitbit 2019: 8 awesome choices for avid and casual gym goers

Which is the best Fitbit? We rank every Fitbit we’ve reviewed

Looking to grab a Fitbit fitness tracker to help monitor your workouts and sleeping habits? Well there are plenty to choose from.

The iconic fitness brand has been releasing new devices at a near frenzied pace. Just this week we saw it unveil it’s affordable smartwatch, the Fitbit Versa Lite and new lightweight dedicated Fitbit Inspire and Fitbit Inspire HR trackers.

We haven’t had a chance to review the new trackers, but from what we’ve saw during out hands-on previews they all look like great affordable choices for newbie athletes and lightweight smartwatch fans on a strict budget.

If none of them float your boat, there are still plenty of great options. As it stands the Fitbit Charge 3 is the best overall Fitbit we’ve currently tested and an ideal for casual and mid-level gym goers and runners.

The regular Versa is also a great option if you want something a little more affordable with smartwatch functionality, though the lack of GPS will be an issue for outdoor runners and cyclists.

If none of these sound like quite the right fit, then don’t worry, there are still plenty of other Fitbits to choose from.

Scroll down to see our pics of the best Fitbit trackers and smartwatches currently available.

How we test fitbits

We use every Fitbit we test for at least a fortnight before scoring. During that time, we test any smart features it has and check its tracking capabilities against other wearables. We also check things like heart-rate readings against proper HRM straps. All distance tracking is done on a standardised route, which we know is 5km.

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1. Fitbit Charge 3

Fitbit’s best ever tracker

Pros:

• Attractive design
• Larger, sharper display
• Great battery life
• Water-resistant

Cons:

• Some might miss built-in GPS

If you the fancy bells and whistles of more expensive fitness trackers and running watches, then the Charge 3 is the way to go.

Even while Fitbit is pushing smartwatches like the Versa and Ionic, it knows there’s still a market for more approachable fitness trackers that do the basics, and do them well.

The Charge 3 has a design that easily blends in and that is actually quite attractive – for a fitness tracker. The display is bigger and richer in information when compared to the Charge 2, it’s now water-resistant and supports swim tracking, and the battery life has improved.

Its launch price is also slightly cheaper than the Charge 2 at £129.99 versus £139.99.

Whether or not you’ll miss the built-in GPS is probably down to whether or not you plan on bringing your phone along anyway.

2. Fitbit Versa

Sleek smartwatch with accurate tracking

Pros:

• Excellent battery life
• Slick, comfortable design
• Lots of tracking options
• Swim-proof
• Bright, clear screen

Cons:

• No built-in GPS
• Shortage of apps
• Passive notifications

The Fitbit Versa is the company’s second attempt at a smartwatch, following in the footsteps of the Ionic. The Versa addresses many of the criticisms of Fitbit’s first smartwatch offering. It’s far better-looking, more lifestyle-friendly and has a similar feature-set – and all of this comes wrapped up in a device that costs significantly less money.

You can use it to monitor a huge range of activities too, including swimming, and it’s easy to use. Battery life is another feather in its cap; most other smartwatches on the market don’t come close.

Some users will find the lack of apps frustrating, and it’s disappointing that we’re still having to wait for features that we expect from a smartwatch, such as quick replies to messages.

The lack of built-in GPS is also a big miss and means you’ll be tethered to your phone when you’re out running. Although not the worst thing in the world, we’d prefer it not to be necessary.

3. Fitbit Alta HR

The best looking fitbit

Pros:

• Attractive and sleek design
• Sleep Stages information is useful
• Comfortable
• Long battery life

Cons:

• Basic exercise tracking
• No Connected GPS
• Slightly unresponsive display

Like the Flex 2, the Fitbit Alta HR largely covers the basics in terms of activity tracking. The Alta HR is an updated version of the Alta, which adds a heart rate monitor without sacrificing its slim form.

It’s evident in the discreet design, interchangeable strap with leather options, and stainless steel body. Unlike the Flex 2, it comes with an OLED display, so you can view your vital statistics and data direct from your wrist, alongside some basic smartphone notifications.

The big addition with the Alta HR is new Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights. These use the heart rate monitor and accelerometer data to better track your sleep, including telling you how much time you spend in each sleep phase. 
Since the Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights functions are coming to the similarly priced Charge 2, the Alta HR’s main draw is its sleek and attractive design. If you want more detailed insight into your exercise, however, the Charge 2 is the better choice of the two models.

4. Fitbit Ionic

Powerful running watch with GPS

Pros:

• Lightweight and comfortable
• Solid exercise tracking including swimming
• Typical Fitbit activity and sleep tracking
• Gorgeous screen
• Impressive battery life

Cons:

• Shortage of apps
• Occasionally slow OS
• Passive notifications
• Tedious music transfer
• Quick release strap quality control

While the Fitbit Ionic is considered Fitbit’s first fully-fledged smartwatch, the truth is at launch it was a little lacking on smartwatch smarts, although that’s been gradually improving since its original release. Fitbit debuted Fitbit Labs, which is its test bed for new app ideas and features. Some of these are fun, such as a virtual pet you care for by ensuring you get enough steps each day.

With the Fitbit Ionic, the exercise and activity tracking is the best you’ll get from any Fitbit tracker on the market. As you would expect from a top-end model, there’s built-in GPS, which is missing from the Fitbit Versa, onboard storage for your music and even contactless payments, so you can leave your phone behind for your next workout. Although with the latter be sure your bank is supported.

You can also get all of your smartphone notifications delivered straight to your wrist for added convenience.

5. Fitbit Ace

Perfect for kids

Pros:

• Light and comfortable
• Easy to use
• Good battery life
• Safety conscious app

Cons:

• Friends need to be added to Family Account

Fitbit’s first dedicated Kids wearable is an Alta with some added kid-friendly smarts. These include less focus on calorie burn, but a bigger look at basic step-counting and sleep.

It’s light and comfortable to wear, though might be too small for those kids towards the end of suggested age-range, and lasts multiple days without needing a charge.

6. Fitbit Surge

Durable and water resistant

Pros:

• Durable and water resistant
• Quick and accurate GPS tracking
• Accurate resting and continuous heart rate tracking

Cons:

• Inconsistent sleep tracking
• Battery life is not great
• Drab unattractive design

Fitbit refers to the Fitbit Surge, as a “super fitness watch.” Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean it will automatically make you super-fit – you’ll still need to put in the hard graft.

The Surge includes most of the features you’ll find on Fitbit’s other trackers, including all-day activity and sleep tracking, automatic exercise tracking, smartphone notifications, and up to seven-day battery life. But the real addition, which will make it appeal to more hardened runners and cyclists, is GPS.

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It means the ability to accurately track distance and pace, giving you more biometric detail, as well as the ability to map out your route without having to bring your phone. If you’re building up to a marathon pace, or looking to run your fastest 10K, accurate distance and pace recordings will be vital alongside the heart rate data to monitor your fitness and effort.

7. Fitbit Flex 2

Great for basic tracking

Pros:

• Sleeker design
• Comfortable to wear
• Waterproof
• Long battery life

Cons:

• Basic exercise tracking
• Basic notifications can be improved
• Fiddly clasp

The Fitbit Flex 2 improves over the original Fitbit Flex with a far slicker design. The tracker itself is smaller and you can customise it with interchangeable bands and accessories. You can even wear the Fitbit Flex 2 as a pendant through an optional necklace accessory.

The big addition is water resistance to 50m, which is a first for Fitbit. You can wear the Fitbit Flex 2 while swimming and built-in lap counting is included. It also has automatic exercise recognition, too. You can expect up to five days of battery life, which is great.

8. Fitbit Charge 2

Replaced by the Fitbit Charge 3, but still a great budget option

Pros:

• Interchangeable bands
• Large display for at-a-glance information
• Comfortable to wear
• Consistent tracking
• Cardio Fitness score is a useful metric
• 5-day battery life
• Updated with Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights

Cons:

• No GPS (GPS Connected mode requires your smartphone)
• Gesture recognition is ropey
• Basic notifications

Unlike the original Charge, which was available as Charge HR and standard Charge models, there’s just one Charge 2. This is because the heart rate monitor now comes as standard, helping to simplify things.

Otherwise, there have been a raft of improvements over the original Charge model, including a much larger display. This allows for greater at-a-glance information as well as basic notifications from your connected smartphone. The bands are also now interchangeable, meaning you can dress the Charge 2 up or down, depending on the occasion. Bands range from elastomer to fancier leather options.

Built-in GPS is still lacking, but connected GPS that uses your phone is available if you want to map your running routes. The Charge 2 can also provide you a Cardio Fitness Level score, which is based on your VO₂ Max. This is a useful metric to gauge your fitness and a way to keep tabs on your progress. Other new additions include a Breathe mode, which is designed to help you relax.

Related: What is VO2 Max?

The Sleep Stages and Sleep Insights that debuted with the Alta HR have also begun rolling out to the Charge 2 for better sleep tracking. The new feature does a much better job of letting you know if you’re getting enough quality sleep.

Unless the sleeker design of the Alta HR is more important for you, the Charge 2 is a more fully featured tracker for the same money.

Which Fitbit is best?

This is the first question you should ask whenever buying a Fitbit. Despite having “fit” in the name, not every Fitbit is specifically designed with hardcore athletes in mind. Many of the company’s devices are designed for casual gym goers, or people just getting into a fitness regime. This means they are generally fine for most casual joggers or cyclists, but more serious athletes would be better off checking out a more specialist fitness track.

Equally, if all you care about is smart functionality, you’d probably be better off checking out a dedicated smartwatch, like the Apple Watch or one of the multitude of Android Wear devices.

You can check out our current picks of the best for both categories in the guides below.

• Best fitness trackers
• Best running watches
• Best smartwatches

Have you bought a Fitbit from this list? Let us know on Twitter @TrustedReviews

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