Users can display some or all the daily totals on their customizable watch faces and easily change the targets to match their lifestyles. If I walk the dog while charging the device, I'd miss counting a few thousand steps!Įach of the Fitbits I tested contains a built-in Global Positioning System (GPS) and tracks simple metrics like daily steps, distance, calories burned, and floors climbed. The biggest “issue” was finding a time that I didn't want to wear the device, since wearing and charging are mutually exclusive. Best of all, these watches can last multiple days without requiring a charge. Luckily, both devices indicate when they are properly charging. Occasionally, the Charge 4 took a little bit of fiddling to get seated just right. I've struggled to connect another brand's smartwatch to its power adapter, often awakening to find that my watch did not charge at all and preventing my wearing it that day.įor both the Fitbits I tested, the charging connections were secure and easy to use right out of the box. Many smartwatches can't go 48 hours between charges, requiring users to plug them in overnight. While many consumer electronics share a charge port type, such as USB-C or Lightning (iOS), Fitbits use their own connections to power. The company also offers other watch bands and accessories, including a smart scale that can communicate with your Fitbit.īesides the tracker itself, each Fitbit comes with a charger. Fitbit recommends wearing the watch tighter on your wrist during exercise than other times to improve its skin-facing sensors, but I didn't find changing its position back and forth practical. Sometimes, putting on the Fitbit felt comfortable on other occasions, I felt like I had to adjust the band repeatedly to keep it from digging into my skin. Instead of pretending that one size fits all wrists, Charge 4 and Sense each come boxed with a small and large silicone band, which is a nice touch. Built-in GPS, heart-rate and sleep monitorsĪctive seniors who want a feature-rich, fitness-focused tracker with smartphone notification features.Activity, sleep, and heart rate monitoringĪctive seniors with minor sight issues who want a feature-rich, fitness-focused tracker with basic smartphone notification features.Seniors who want a stylish tracker with mid-range features. Seniors needing a no-frills tracker who want to try Fitbit Premium risk-free. Sleep, heart-rate and calorie-burn tracking.Seniors who want a solid but more affordable overall fitness tracker vs. Extra stress data tracking with Fitbit Premium subscription.Īctive seniors who want fitness motivation but don’t need EDA/ECG or skin-temp features.Seniors concerned with gaining better control of their overall stress levels, heart health, and fitness. If you're in the market but price-sensitive, some models go on sale bundled with a limited-time Fitbit Premium subscription that usually costs $10 per month or $80 per year.īelow is a closer look at some of Fitbit's popular product and services lineup, so you can decide which device is right for you and your goals. Surprisingly, what impressed me the most wasn't how Fitbits tracked my workouts so much as how they produced data when I was barely moving at all! Without further ado, let's get into my hands-on review of Fitbit. A monthly subscription unlocks even more features to help users meet their goals. Fitbit has also been included in wellness kits supporting senior health that have been distributed to Medicare recipients by some health plans.Īfter spending some time with two Fitbit models, I feel that the devices can inspire seniors to keep moving, get in better shape, lose weight, improve nutrition, reduce stress, and enjoy better sleep, all while keeping track of their overall health. Fitbit is currently working with several health plans in the Medicare Advantage realm, including UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and Senior Care Action Network. If you think Fitbits are more suited to young athletes in training, think again. Can your Timex do that? Some of their functions are so advanced that Fitbit products are currently being used in research studies to see if the data can help detect the early onset of infectious diseases like the flu and COVID-19. For example, the Fitbits I tested can track oxygen saturation, the amount of oxygen-carrying hemoglobin in the blood relative to the amount of hemoglobin not carrying oxygen. While it's common for mobile phones and other high-tech devices to track simple metrics such as the number of steps you've taken, some Fitbits monitor more sophisticated health data. A Fitbit is simply a wearable fitness tracker sold by the consumer electronics company Fitbit Inc.
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