Fitness
Which Fitbit fitness tracker should you buy in 2024?
Fitbit
The Fitbit is one of the most popular fitness trackers on the market. But with five different options — plus the special basic Fitbit Ace 3 for kids — it can be hard to know which Fitbit makes the most sense for you, especially when a lot of the features overlap. For example, every Fitbit is water resistant down to 50 meters so you can work up a sweat or even take a swim while keeping your smartwatch or fitness tracker on your wrist.
They all offer a smart wake alarm, too. This handy feature that lets you set the general time you want to wake up in the morning and when it gets close to that time, your Fitbit will monitor for the optimal sleep stage and wake you up. That way, you can start your day feeling refreshed, rather than groggy.
So what are the important differences between each of the latest Fitbits on the market in 2024? Here’s a quick guide to help you figure out what each one can do so you can decide which one fits you best.
Best Fitbit for daily use: Fitbit Versa 4
Amazon
The Fitbit Versa 4 is a smartwatch and fitness tracker in one, featuring built-in Google apps like Google Maps and Google Wallet, along with the ability to make on-wrist calls when it’s connected to your phone via Bluetooth. You can also get text and calendar notifications as well as notifications from your other favorite apps.
The fitness tracker can track heart rate, skin temperature, breathing rate and blood oxygen levels while also tracking steps, calories burned, distance and other activity metrics throughout your day. It can track more than 40 exercises and even give you a personalized cardio fitness score based on how well your body uses oxygen during a workout. That way, you can get a better sense of what your current fitness level is and what you should focus on to improve it.
This makes it a great choice for anyone who wants a watch that can track their workouts and provide key performance and fitness insights but also gives you the versatility and functionality of an everyday smartwatch. The 4.4-star rated Fitbit Versa 4 is $200 on Amazon.
What we like about the Fitbit Versa 4:
- Convenient smartwatch features like on-wrist calling and app notifications, built-in Google Maps and your choice of Google Wallet or Fitbit pay.
- Track your heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, breathing and activity levels.
- Track heart rate variability and get notifications when your resting heart rate changes, which can be an early indicator of poor sleep quality, stress, overtraining or a potential heart condition worth consulting your doctor about.
$200 at Amazon
Best Fitbit for stress management: Fitbit Sense 2
Amazon
The Fitbit Sense 2 is the smartwatch that does it all. Answer calls on your wrist. Pay with Fitbit Pay or Google Wallet using your watch. Track your routes with built-in GPS. And, of course, it comes with all your essentials like heart rate, blood oxygen and activity tracking.
On top of those features, the Sense 2 adds an EDA sensor so you can take an ECG to get a more accurate heart rate reading. But the most standout feature that separates the Sense 2 from the pack is the all-day body response tracking.
Using the EDA sensor, skin temperature sensor and heart rate sensor, the Sense 2 constantly monitors for fluctuations in your stress level throughout the day. When it spikes, you’ll get a notification so you can pause to reflect or use the built-in mindfulness and breathing exercises to relax.
At the end of the day, you’ll get a report that shows when your physical stress levels spiked and dropped so you can better identify patterns around when, where and why you’re feeling stressed.
Regularly listed at $300, it’s usually the most expensive Fitbit in the lineup but those advanced health and wellness features make it worth the price for anyone who’s trying to improve their overall wellness alongside their workout performance.
Right now, you can get the premium stress management smartwatch at Amazon for just $200.
What we like about the Fitbit Sense 2:
- With on-wrist phone calls, built-in Alexa and notifications from your calendar, email and other apps, the Sense 2 is a fully-functional smartwatch with all the bells and whistles.
- The all-day body response tracking uses advanced tracking features to continuously monitor your physical stress levels so you can look for patterns and identify the best ways to reduce your stress.
- Use Fitbit Pay or Google Wallet with your watch.
$200 at Amazon
Best Fitbit for intense workouts and training sessions: Fitbit Charge 6
Amazon
The Fitbit Charge 6 is a slim, lightweight wearable — more so than other Fitbits. So it won’t feel clunky even when you’re running or lifting weights. It has Fitbit Pay and built-in GPS so you can go on a run without your phone, and still be able to navigate your way home (or pay for a coffee).
This makes the Charge 6 the ideal fitness tracker for athletes who don’t like the bulk of a smartwatch but still want some of that functionality.
The Charge 6 also has a skin temperature sensor and an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor so you’ll get detailed insights into your health and wellness. You can even take an ECG for a more accurate read on your heart. That said, the Charge 6 won’t continuously monitor changes in your skin’s electrical charge for an all-day body-response tracking like the Sense 2 above or the Pixel Watch 2 below.
You can get the popular fitness tracker for $140 on Amazon (reduced from $160). No wonder it’s earned over 2,000 five-star ratings on Amazon after being out for less than a year.
What we like about the Fitbit Charge 6:
- This fitness tracker includes all the most advanced features for health, fitness, stress and sleep tracking.
- The Charge 6 is the only Fitbit aside from the Sense 2 that comes with an EDA sensor so you can monitor your stress levels.
- The built-in GPS lets you track your route and navigate back home during your run or bike ride without your phone in tow.
$140 at Amazon
The best Fitbit for beginners: Fitbit Inspire 3
Amazon
The Fitbit Inspire 3 is a great introductory fitness tracker for people who are trying to incorporate more exercise into their routine. It’s lightweight and unobtrusive so you’ll barely notice it’s there, but it can still give you comprehensive insights into your overall health and fitness levels along with periodic reminders to get moving if you’ve been sitting too long.
The slim, lightweight Inspire 3 can go up to 10 days in between charges, giving it the longest battery life of any Fitbit. Part of that extended battery life is the result of ditching the built-in GPS you get with the Versa 4, Sense 2 and Charge 5. But you can still connect to your phone’s GPS via Bluetooth so you don’t completely lose that functionality.
Aside from GPS, the Inspire 3 is also missing a temperature sensor and EDA sensor but it still packs many of the advanced health and activity tracking features you look for in a Fitibit. That includes heart rate, blood oxygen levels and your daily activity levels. It can even send you notifications when your heart rhythm shows signs of being irregular.
At $100, the 4.4-star rated fitness tracker is also the most budget-friendly option from the Fitbit lineup (with the exception of the Fitbit Ace 3 which is built for kids).
What we like about the Fitbit Inspire 3:
- The battery lasts up to 10 days in between charges.
- The budget-friendly fitness tracker still offers the essentials like heart rate, blood oxygen and activity tracking.
- The slim, lightweight design is super comfortable for wearing all day long.
$100 at Amazon
A stylish Fitbit that doubles as jewelry: Fitbit Luxe
Amazon
The Fitbit Luxe is a fitness tracker designed for people who don’t like the look of fitness trackers. It’s slim, sleek and comes with a variety of stylish bands including a timeless gold stainless steel link band that looks more like a bracelet than a fitness tracker. You can also change the clock face on the display to better coordinate with your outfit for the day.
It’s not all about the looks, though. The Luxe also boasts all your fitness tracking essentials like heart rate, blood oxygen and activity. In terms of functionality, it’s on par with the Inspire 3 but with a shorter battery life.
Get the stylish fitness tracker while it’s on sale at Amazon for $98, reduced from its usual price of $130.
What we like about the Fitbit Luxe:
- The sleek, stylish fitness tracker that looks more like fashion accessory.
- Aside from the battery life, the fitness tracking features you get are on par with the Inspire 3.
- Customize the watch face to coordinate with your outfit.
$98 at Amazon
Honorable mention: Google Pixel Watch 2
Amazon
While it doesn’t have the Fitbit name, the Pixel Watch 2 does have Fitbit technology since Google bought the leading fitness tracker brand in 2019. That includes blood oxygen tracking, a skin temperature sensor and a continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) sensor. Like the Sense 2, the Pixel Watch 2 continuously measures changes in the electrical currents on the surface of your skin to help track your stress levels.
Those new sensors give the Pixel Watch 2 the ability to offer new health insights like a sleep score and daily readiness score. One of the most impressive additions is “body response,” a measure of stress and excitement that can send you a notification when it detects heightened stress and take you through guided breathing or mindfulness exercises to help you find your calm.
Beyond stress management, the new Pixel Watch 2 packs tons of new fitness tools. You can now do heart rate zone training with real-time feedback and coaching during your workout when you go above or below your target zone. You can also do pace training, with similar real-time alerts when you go above or below your target pace.
Get the stylish smartwatch at Amazon for $350.
Top features of the Pixel Watch 2:
- New Gmail and Calendar integrations let you reply to emails and accept or decline invites from your watch.
- Safety Check lets you set a timer for your watch to check in and, if you don’t confirm you’re ok, it will send your real-time location to your emergency contacts or contact emergency services for you.
- Google Assistant lets you request health and fitness insights with your voice.
- Automatic exercise detection is available for seven exercises.
- The improved aluminum housing is 30 grams lighter, making it more comfortable to wear while working out.
$350 at Amazon
Shop more top-rated fitness trackers on Amazon:
For Hobart teacher Mary Holton, health means everything.
She started feeling the squeeze from cost-of-living pressures when fuel prices spiked again.
“Going out for just fitness alone was a bit much,”
she said.
Mary Holton says since joining the group, her fitness across the board has improved. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Many Tasmanians are feeling cost-of-living pressures in a very physical way, with locals saying exercise routines are being dropped, health appointments delayed and wellbeing pushed to the bottom of the list as budgets tighten.
Ms Holton relies on multiple physiotherapy sessions each week, but says paid fitness classes simply are not an option.
“That costs … so to actually go to other classes as well, it’s out of my budget really.“
Ollie Mathewson conducts a free workout session. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
National data shows that almost half of Australians already fall short of minimum physical activity guidelines, and rising prices are making even basic care unaffordable for many.
Consultant clinical psychologist academic Kimberley Norris says this is exactly how unhealthy patterns begin.
“We tend to focus on the most stressful thing first … and health is one of those things we don’t think about until things go wrong,”
Professor Norris said.
Kimberley Norris says humans tend to focus on alleviating stress first and foremost, and warns de-prioritising health can become a cycle. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
For Ms Holton, going to a free workout group in her local community was a game-changer.
“Came down and absolutely loved it. It’s really nice to have a group and it just keeps growing,” she said.
Finding a free exercise group has drastically improved her health, as noted by her GP, and she is part of a growing trend.
Free exercise classes become a lifeline
At a community exercise class in South Arm, south-east of Hobart, the mood is upbeat, with laughter, movement, and a sense of relief.
Participation has more than doubled in the past year, with more than 100 Tasmanians now involved.
Trainer Ollie Mathewson said the surge was unmistakable.
“It’s free of charge for everybody … and over the last 12 months I’ve noticed a lot more people starting to come along,”
he said.
Ollie Mathewson says attendance at his classes has almost doubled over the past year. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Across greater Hobart, free and low-cost alternatives are multiplying and include walking groups, community-run circuits, and morning and afternoon fitness meet-ups.
Tasmanians are increasingly organising their own solutions.
Mr Mathewson said connections drive outcomes.
“A lot of people talk about weight and strength, which are obviously insanely important, having other people there to push you single every week makes it a hundred times easier.“
Professor Norris said one’s health can be prioritised for free.
“What we know about health is, it’s more about sustainable wellbeing, it’s about quality of life,” she said.
“So rather than focusing on how much you can deadlift, how far you can run, it’s about how your life has improved and how close your life is to the way you want to live it.”
She said free options were vital because once people stop moving, it becomes harder to start again.
“If we develop routines in which health is not a priority, then we almost get stuck in this cycle of health always being last.“
Health appointments being delayed or dropped
For some Tasmanians, the financial pressure is forcing even tougher choices.
Amy Dakin says she can’t even think about getting a gym membership with all the other costs of living on her mind. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Amy Dakin, who lives with a compromised immune system, often has no choice but to delay essential care.
“My health needs to be prioritised, but your bills come first, really,” she said.
Jordyn Rowbottom says she’s not the only one changing her hobbies to save on costs. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Jordyn Rowbottom has seen the same pattern around her.
“People are being forced to cut what they can access,”
she said.
Professor Norris warns that these short-term decisions can create long-term harm, not just for individuals, but for the broader health system.
She said the combination of financial pressure and reduced physical activity would create a public health challenge.
Trainers adapting to shrinking budgets
Personal trainer Nickola Orr works with clients across different income levels, ages and needs.
She said affordability now shapes almost every program she designs.
“You want to make sure they can get as much help as they can within their price range,”
she said.
Nickola Orr is concerned about access to fitness and health services in the face of rising cost pressures. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
With the median individual spend on fitness in Tasmania sitting at almost $600 last year, Ms Orr said the warning signs were already visible.
“We’re going to see more results of long-term neglect; higher injuries, more need for mental health assistance. It’s going to snowball.”
Her concerns echo Professor Norris’s academic findings that once healthy routines break down, the consequences ripple for years.
“The changes are very small … while they add up over time, there is no immediate impact,”
Ms Orr said.
Calls for more free and low-cost options
Mr Mathewson hopes the success of free community classes will inspire governments and private operators to expand accessible fitness programs.
“More free options would be a great thing. There are a few now, but there should be more,” he said.
The Tasmanian government has said it will release its 20-year preventive health strategy this month, titled The Health Revolution.
A Department of Health spokesperson said the strategy “will address the broader social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health and wellbeing”.
“Specific issues about access to health services and programs are being considered through the Access to Health Services project, a Commonwealth-State partnership.
“The Health Revolution will complement that project by addressing the root causes of poor health and the underlying conditions to make it easier for Tasmanians to live well.“
If you’ve been faithfully logging your 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week, you’re getting the recommended weekly about of cardio. But a new study1 suggests that for women in midlife, that standard benchmark may not be moving the needle on cardiovascular fitness as much as we’ve assumed. Here’s what you need to know.
EL MONTE, Calif. (KABC) — A boutique fitness gym in the San Gabriel Valley is focused on women’s empowerment, offering everything from dance fitness to pilates, yoga, zumba and circuit training. It’s called “Beastin Beauties” in El Monte.
“ Boutique fitness spaces here, it doesn’t exist here, so I needed to have this for the people in my community here, where I grew up,” said owner Jay Armada.
Members love working on their health and fitness alongside other women.
“You walk in and you feel like you’re able to let loose and inhibit it in a way that you don’t find in other places,” said member Esmeralda Cabral.
“It takes away the stresses of being in a space where you may feel judgment from others. And there’s a certain level of comfort as a woman that you wanna be able, especially if you’re starting a health journey or you’re reigniting it, you wanna have the comfort of being around under supportive women,” said member Ruby Rose Yepez, who also teaches yoga at the studio.
Women empowerment has been the theme all along, from Jay’s humble beginnings…
“ I want people to feel what I felt when I was going through my own journey. I had lost ninety-three pounds in a whole year and I just wanted everyone to feel that,” said Armada.
…to a huge setback in 2020 when the gym’s previous location burned down in a fire.
“ I thought I didn’t wanna do it anymore. Maybe it was a sign from God that you should just quit. But my community held me up and they just really made me believe in it again,” said Armada.
Now, her business is thriving, and she was just named the city’s Woman of the Year!
“ Community and connection here in this space is super, super important. Jay is not just about bringing people here for health. She brings people here to build the connections so that they feel that they’re part of a community,” said Yepez.
“You build a connection without even really trying. You’re all experiencing the same moments together. There’s always just so much fun happening,” said Cabral.
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