Which Fitbit Fitness Tracker is Best for You?

For a fitness tracker with the latest high-tech features, Fitbit is one of the first brands that  come to mind. That’s because their product line is the most popular brand of fitness trackers on the market. Their top-notch designs and newest tracking capabilities are what makes them the number one choice for many people. Below are some of the latest Fitbit releases, as well as their health tracking capabilities and features, including comparisons like Charge 3 vs Charge 2.

A Brief History, Up to Fitbit 2019

For the last 10 years, Fitbit has had a solid track record of bringing the latest fitness devices to market and has served customers with their fitness data right on their smartphones.

These first Fitbit device was launched in 2009 and it was simply called the Fitbit. The next devices included the Fitbit Ultra, Flex, and One.

They were all improvements on their original device. Fitbit has improved models each year, bringing new more classy and sleek fitness trackers to the market.

Recent Trends

Fitbit has, in the last two years (from mid-2017 to late 2018) released four classic wearable devices to the market. In 2017 it rolled out the Fitbit Charge 2 and Fitbit Flex in the same year. Next was Alta HR and the famous Fitbit Ionic.

Then, in early 2018, the company released the Fitbit Versa and the most recent release is the awesome Fitbit Charge 3. These are the most recent devices from Fitbit, but don’t forget about the Fitbit Ace, which is a fitness tracker specifically for kids.

Let’s look next at each of them, from their capabilities to comparisons between their features.

Fitbit Charge 3

This is the lastest Fitbit. The Charge 3 is loaded with cool features. Firstly, it has a bigger screen than the Charge 2 and Charge 1.

It also has a 7-day battery life, which is 2 days more than its predecessor. The Fitbit Charge 3 will track all your fitness activities. Plus, its waterproof design means it’s also great for water-based activities, such as swimming.

The Charge 3 even has a pulse-tracker to keep you up to date on your cardio and fitness progress. You can also keep track of your other fitness goals, whether it’s in cycling, weight training workouts, yoga, and even guided breathing exercises.

Charge 3 vs Charge 2

In comparison to the Charge 2, the Charge 3 has a sleeker, slimmer shape. It also has softer wrist-bands than the 2nd generation model so it fits on your wrist comfortably while doing your favorite sports activity.

Moreover, the Charge 3’s screen is about 40% larger than the Charge 2. It has a higher resolution too and, unlike the Charge 2, it features a touchscreen. With the 2 model, unfortunately, you could only really tap it to change what was on display.

The Charge 3’s special feature is that it is Fitbit Pay-compatible. Fitbit Pay is Fitbit’s payment platform offering, allowing the user to pay for goods at a compatible POS system.

The main similarity between the two Charge series devices is that they both have interchangeable wrist bands, allowing you to customize the look or color of your device. Mobile Mob have a great selection of wrist bands available for both devices.

But even though the Charge 3 is a more improved version of Charge 2, this does not make Charge 2 an inferior fitness tracker in any way. At around half the price of the Charge 3, it makes for a very good alternative if you don’t quite have the budget for the 3rd generation device.

Also, the Charge 2 has unique features and capabilities, including:

• Guided breathing
• OLED screen
• VO2 Max-enabled data tracker

When comparing it to the Alta HR, the Charge 2 has a more shiny and fashionable design but clasps the same way on the wrist as Charge 3. Generally, it has a cool display that is large enough to fit and feel better on the wrist than Surge.

Fitbit Versa

A replacement for the older Fitbit Blaze, the Versa is one of Fitbit’s best smartwatches. It has a sleeker and more curvaceous design than other Fitbit smartwatches like the Ionic. The display’s dimensions are 1.34 inches by a thickness of 11.2mm.

The standard Versa edition comes in grey, black, or rose gold, while the more expensive Special Edition comes in either charcoal black or rose gold. The Versa has interchangeable straps and its design is more unisex than the Ionic model.

Lastly, the Fitbit Versa has a 4+ day battery life, a pulse monitor, swim tracker, sleep tracker and inbuilt GPS (when paired with your smartphone). It also has access to access to Fitbit gallery, Fitbit Coach and Fitbit Pay.

Fitbit Ionic

The Fitbit Ionic hails as the company’s flagship smartwatch and is the most sought-after smart tracking device in the series. With it, enjoy a 4-day battery life and fancy sleep tracking technology.

Users that prefer goal-oriented activities will benefit from the Ionic as it has an inside coach app to help you with indoor workouts. The Fitbit Ionic is also:

• Fitbit Pay-compatible
• Water resistant
• Has in-built GPS tracker
• Swim tracker
• Pulse rate checker
• Smart tracker

Plus, it comes with dedicated coach guided training pieces, a women’s health tracker and an app store. With built-in GPS, this fitness tracker is best for outdoor activities like running. Though it’s not so pocket-friendly, it is long-lasting and has a lot of value for the price point.

Fitbit Alta HR

You may have heard of the Fitbit Alta HR as it was the fitness tracker of the year in 2017. It was the star of the show back then for the sleep tracking and pulse rate functions. For example, there’s an accelerometer to measure the amount of sleep of the user.

What’s great about the Alta HR is the design; it’s slimmer than many other fitness trackers. Unfortunately that’s also cause for its drawback of the rather small screen, which can be hard to read in bright light. The screen displays calls and messages, as well as calendar notifications.

The Alta HR is a good choice if you aren’t very stats-minded because it does not have guided breathing, GPS linkage or a VO2 Max-tracker. Instead, it looks after your overall fitness and wellness while omitting complex statistics. It makes a great sports accessory because it’s one of the most affordable fitness trackers; not everybody has the budget for a top of the range model.

Fitness Tracker Verdict

Fitbit has satisfied its many customers by giving them high-tech fitness trackers that are durable, user-friendly, have great features, and are cost-effective.

We are expecting to see the company’s next-big-thing this year and it’s almost certain that a Charge 4 could hit the shelves at some point in 2019. It would be a step up from the Charge 3. Let’s wait and see. Fitbit has been making improvements, such as the Charge 3 vs Charge 2, so hopefully that trend continues. For now though, the Charge 3 is still the star of the show and wins my vote as the best Fitbit.