The best Fitbit 2022

The best Fitbit can help improve your sleep, workouts, daily movements, diet and even your breathing. Whether it's your first time buying a fitness tracker or smartwatch, or you want to upgrade from your current device without losing access to all your information stored on Fitbit Premium, Fitbit has a device in its stable for almost anyone.

In a market dominated by seriously pricey smartwatches that can often seem impenetrable with their wealth of complicated metrics, Fitbit offers a simpler solution. Everything is easy to understand thanks to Fitbit rolling all those metrics into simple “scores” such as Sleep, Stress and Daily Readiness, and the devices are simple to operate and often detect workouts like running and walking automatically. If you’re after a simple step count, sleep and calorie tracker with the option to dive deeper, the latest Fitbit might be right up your street.

It's worth noting this list is very likely to change in the coming weeks, as we get to put Fitbit's three new trackers to the test. The Fitbit Versa 4, Fitbit Inspire 3 and Fitnit Sense 2 were all recently unveiled, but have yet to hit shelves, and all three are likely to supplant the previous models on this list. Check back when the new devices launch for more information, as we'll have had hands-on-time with all three to help you make an informed decision. 

However, for now, we've put together a definitive list of the best Fitbit smartwatches we have tested, with the Fitbit Versa 3 leading the charge since it has the best price-to-performance ratio. Fitbit Premium is a potential "hidden" cost which needs to be taken into account. Take a moment to check out this guide, whether you're looking for the best fitness tracker, an excellent running watch, or the best Fitbit for seniors. There are some great beginner-friendly devices and cheap fitness trackers available as well. 

The best Fitbit 2022 – chosen by our experts

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The Fitbit Versa 3 is a great looking smartwatch, and (alongside the Sense) is one of the most powerful Fitbits around right now. It can give you handy smartphone notifications, make contactless payments, control your music, monitor your blood oxygen saturation, track your sleep, and guide you through breathing exercises when the pressure gets too much. It also tracks dozens of workout types, with GPS for outdoor cardio sessions, and in our tests it stood up well against dedicated sports watches.

Voice commands are supported too, with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant integration, and you can download additional third-party apps through the Fitbit App Gallery. We found that the Fitbit Versa 3 will need charging more often than some other watches in this list, but if you don't mind clipping on its charger every six days or so, it's easy to recommend.

It's all capped off with a 1.58in AMOLED display, which is exceptionally bright and clear, making it easy to read notifications and check your workout stats at a glance. We're not fans of the touch-sensitive 'button' on the side of the case, which can be tricky to tap, but it's a relatively minor issue.

It's quite possible that we'll see a Fitbit Versa 4 later this year, though details are scarce so far. We'll keep you updated as soon as we know more.

Read our full Fitbit Versa 3 review

(Image credit: Joseph Delves)

The Fitbit Inspire 2 is a small, slim little watch that will gently encourage you to make healthier choices throughout the day. That's whether that's getting up from your desk to stretch, grabbing an extra glass of water, or taking the stairs rather than the elevator.

It's the cheapest tracker in Fitbit's current stable and extremely easy to use, with a small but clear touchscreen operated using taps and swipes, and a single side button. It will track your heart rate and activity levels all day, with little celebration animations when you hit your target, and there are 20 exercise modes to choose from when it's time for a workout. Unfortunately, no GPS means to calculate any information about your route, you'll need to take your phone along.

There's sleep tracking as well, and all your stats will be nicely presented in the Fitbit app, where you check for patterns and set yourself goals. Crucially, even though this is the cheapest offering, all your vitals still go to the Fitbit ecosystem. We also found that it offers great sleep and activity tracking features alongside a litany of workout options, making it an excellent value.

Perhaps best of all, it can keep running for well over a week on a single charge, so you don't need to worry about plugging it in every night. A great choice if you're just starting to get more active and want a little encouragement. 

Read our full Fitbit Inspire 2 review

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The Fitbit Sense is a super advanced watch that can track your stress levels be measuring the conductivity of your skin (basically, changes in conductivity are a sign of adrenal activity, which means stress). This data syncs with the Fitbit app, where you can also record your mood and any factors that might have influenced how you're feeling so you can look for patterns.

The Sense is an excellent sports watch as well, with a huge range of activity tracking options. You can configure your favorite workouts so they appear as quick shortcuts when you press the touch-sensitive button on the left-hand side of the Sense's case, and there's on-board GPS to map runs, walks and bike rides.

It's a great-looking watch, with an almost identical design to the Fitbit Versa 3, but a different range of colors. The soft silicone strap makes it extremely comfortable to wear, even at night.

Our only complaint is that the step tracking was a little inconsistent during our testing, recording steps even though we've told the device we're taking part in a cycling activity. Otherwise, the Fitbit Sense is a superb watch that's easy to recommend. If you're looking for a device that offers similar features in a more compact package, the Fitbit Charge 5 also includes the same stress tracking sensor.

Read our full Fitbit Sense review

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The Fitbit Luxe is the company's smartest, sleekest fitness tracker to date.  It looks great but doesn't sacrifice features for style. It monitors steps, sleep, stress levels, heart rate, respiration, and workouts, and also features a blood oxygen saturation sensor. 

In our tests, the heart rate tracking was particularly impressive, rivaling that of a high-end running watch for high-intensity gym sessions. All these stats are shown on a super clear and bright AMOLED display (a big upgrade from the monochrome screen of watches like the Fitbit Inspire 2_ which shows your daily stats in full color with smooth animations. We were impressed by how much data Fitbit has managed to fit onto such a compact screen, and it's all clearly laid out and easy to navigate. 

Plus, we found the touch interface smooth and responsive. The more you wear your Fitbit, the more you'll get from it as it builds up a more complete picture of your health, lifestyle, and habits, and the Luxe is one that you won't want to take off.

Read our full Fitbit Luxe review

(Image credit: Future)

The Fitbit Charge 5 takes the best features from all of the company's other devices and rolls them into one sporty package. You get on-board GPS for tracking runs, walks and bike rides without carrying your phone; an EDA (electrodermal activity) sensor to measure changes in stress levels, an ECG app, and (like the Fitbit Luxe) a bright AMOLED display that makes it a pleasure to use.

The Charge 5 is a fitness tracker built for people who are starting to take their workouts seriously, but aren't ready to invest in a dedicated running watch or swimming watch. There's a great range of workout tracking modes (you can select your five favorites for quick access), and heart rate monitoring is particularly accurate. In our tests, it was as responsive as a premium sports watch.

Unlike the Fitbit Charge 4, the Charge 5 doesn't let you control your Spotify playlist or other music from your wrist, but that's a minor quibble, and it's an otherwise excellent fitness tracker. The ECG app wasn't available when the watch first came out as it needed approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but it's now unlocked and ready to use.

Read our full Fitbit Charge 5 review

(Image credit: Future)

The Charge 4 has now been superseded by the Charge 5, but is still a solid choice, particularly for runners on a budget. It looks smart enough for everyday wear, but has all the features you need for tracking workouts too, including on-board GPS. This is much more accurate than connected GPS (which piggybacks on your phone), and means you can leave your handset at home if you like.

There's also Fitbit Pay for contactless payments, and if you are carrying your phone, you can use the Charge 4 to control your Spotify playlist. When paired with the Fitbit App, the Charge 4 will also track Active Zone Minutes – a measure of exercise intensity. These are based on heart rate training zones, but simplified so they're easy to understand. You'll be set specific goals depending on your age and general fitness, which is a very handy way to make sure you're getting enough exercise each week.

During testing, we found the Fitbit Charge 4's interface to be superb, providing just enough information to be useful without feeling cluttered. It's very reasonably priced too, and can often be found very cheaply on Amazon. There's no color screen, but this is an excellent fitness tracker that has the features that really count.

Read our full Fitbit Charge 4 review

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The Fitbit Ace 3 is made just for kids, and encourages them to get more active. It tracks steps, plus fun activities like trampolining and school sports, with achievements to keep them engaged.

There's no all-day heart rate monitor (which makes sense, since kids' resting heart rate changes as they grow), and no calorie counting or GPS. However, if your kid has their own phone, they can use the Ace 3 to receive app notifications. The Ace 3 is designed for kids aged 6-13, and unlike some children's smartwatches there are designs that aren't adorned with cartoon characters, which means it's not embarrassing as they get older (though there's a special Minions edition if they'd prefer).  

In our tests, we were also pleased to find its band didn't irritate sensitive skin, which is an important factor when kids are going to be wearing it all day. We also appreciated the way the case protects the screen from damage; essential when kids are active.

Read our full Fitbit Ace 3 review

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The Fitbit Inspire HR, which was released a couple of years ago, is pretty simple, but if you're looking for your first Fitbit then it could be the perfect choice. It’s one of the cheapest Fitbits around right now, but still offers heart rate monitoring, step tracking, workout modes, and breathing sessions to help with mindfulness. 

It might not have the same breadth of features as the company's more recent devices, but there's still a lot to appreciate. Other highlights of the Fitbit Inspire HR include great battery life, which lasted us around five days during our testing and review, as well as a stylish design. It’s also waterproof, though it doesn't have a specific mode for tracking swimming.

It might be cheap, but it certainly doesn't look it. If you're not concerned with tools like GPS and contactless payments, the Fitbit Inspire HR is definitely worth adding to your shortlist.

Read our full Fitbit Inspire HR review

(Image credit: Future)

The Fitbit Versa 2 may be Fitbit's older smartwatch, but this oldie is still a goodie, especially to budget-minded consumers. It isn't as versatile as the new Versa 3, but it's still a great smartwatch with plenty of tools you'd expect to find in a much more expensive device. 

It has all the great fitness features like a heart rate tracker and exercise monitoring that you’ll get from any Fitbit. That's along with great extras like Amazon Alexa voice commands, smartphone notifications, and extra apps that you can download through the Fitbit app.

The Fitbit Versa 2 has better battery life than most smartwatches. It lasted us around five days on a single charge during testing. Then there's its lightweight design, which means it won’t weigh you down while exercising. There's no GPS, but that's the biggest drawback of this otherwise excellent little watch.

Read our full Fitbit Versa 2 review

How to choose the best Fitbit for you

Fitbit has several different models of smartwatches and fitness trackers, so the first thing you should figure out is if you want a simple fitness tracker for your activities and workouts or if you want a full-fledged watch with smart, fitness and health features.

Also consider the features you need. Many of its fitness trackers, for example, do not have GPS built-in. So, if you want something that can track your runs or hikes, you should go for one with GPS. On the other hand, if you need an ECG to monitor your heart, choose one with that feature included.

Of course, the price is also a factor, but the brilliance of Fitbit's products is that they are among the most affordable out there. Most of them are much more affordable than Apple's cheapest smartwatch, which means that unless you're on a very tight budget, you should have a few options available to you. Other important considerations are the design and ease of use.

How we test the best Fitbit

We put all Fitbit devices to the test in real-world conditions so you know exactly what to expect when making your choice. That way, we can tell you exactly how each one feels to use, how well they perform, and the data you can expect to receive each day. So, who better to help you find the best wrist-mounted fitness devices the brand has to offer on the market.

We wear each Fitbit day and night to obtain a full set of data and monitor how long the battery lasts in typical use on a full charge. We put each Fitbit to the test during a variety of indoor and outdoor workouts, comparing its heart rate and GPS measurements to those gathered by a high-end sports watch, and comparing the nightly sleep stats to those collected by a dedicated sleep tracker. 

Finally we compare each watch to the model that preceded it, and others in Fitbit's current line to help you make the best decision.

What is the best Fitbit watch for seniors?

Thanks to its premium health monitoring features, the Fitbit Sense gets our vote as the best Fitbit for seniors. This smartwatch comes with all the features of the Versa 3 and packs a few more that seniors will find very useful, including an ECG and skin temperature sensors.

Are Fitbits waterproof?

Yes, all Fitbit devices are water resistant to 50 meters, making them suitable for swimming, showering, bathing and handwashing. If you swim in the sea, make sure you rinse your Fitbit off well afterwards, as salt could damage the case and strap.

Do Fitbits work with iPhones?

Yes, Fitbits work with both iPhones and Android phones. Just download the Fitbit app from the App Store or Google Play, and your watch will connect to your phone without a hitch.

Do Fitbits track blood pressure?

No, but in April 2021 Fitbit began a study to investigate whether pulse arrival time (how long it takes for a pulse of blood to reach your wrist after a heartbeat) could be used to estimate blood pressure, so it may be a feature that we see in the future.

Which is better: Fitbit or Garmin?

We love Fitbit's simple approach and friendly UX, and there's a surprising wealth of detail in the metrics when you dive in. It's great for beginners, fitness fans and casual regular exercisers alike. However, Garmin's better for serious endurance athletes, with sophisticated GPS/route tools and more in-depth information. (Here's our pick of the best Garmin Watches.)