Best Fitbit 2024 for health and fitness tracking reviewed & ranked

The best Fitbits count steps, track sleep and estimate calories: find the best Fitbit for you using our comprehensive guide

Best Fitbit: Pictured here, a young athletic man doing Russian Twists with a dumbbell in his hands wearing the Sense 2
(Image credit: Fitbit)

The best Fitbits have a well-deserved reputation for being stylish and having a slew of health and fitness features – no wonder they are regarded highly by casual exercisers and people who would like to find out more about their general health and well-being. Here, you'll find the definitive list of the best Fitbit fitness tracker and health smartwatches, reviewed and ranked by T3's resident Fitbit experts.

Many people associate the best Fitbits with the best fitness trackers, mainly because the California-based fitness company is the biggest player in that market by a considerable margin. And while Fitbit produces some of the best fitness bands, it's also known for its smartwatches and even bathroom scales. Better still, all Fitbit devices feed data into the Fitbit app, one of the most user-friendly health apps on the market, even in 2023.

Looking for a device to track sleep? Many Fitbits are among the best sleep trackers; we even examined how Fitbit tracks sleep. Some of the best running watches also track sleep reasonably accurately; check those out, too. Lastly, although we tried to explain as clearly as possible which Fitbit below is good for what purpose, we also have a dedicated guide on choosing the right Fitbit for you.

Best Fitbits to buy right now

Why you can trust T3 Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Fitbit Sense 2 review

(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Best Fitbit smartwatch overall

Specifications

Quoted battery life: 6+ days
Heart-rate tracking: Yes
Sleep tracking: Yes
GPS: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Touchscreen: Yes
Ambient light sensor: Yes
Water resistance: up to 50 metres
NFC payments: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes
Smartphone notifications: Yes
Female health tracking: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Beautiful, dainty design
+
Premium build quality and materials used
+
Excellent sleep and stress-tracking performance
+
Updated user interface is easy to navigate

Reasons to avoid

-
No WiFi connectivity
-
No music storage or even control options
-
No third-party app support (currently, not even for Google products)

The Fitbit Sense 2 is an excellent health smartwatch, even better than its predecessor. It has a better stress tracking system, a more user-friendly interface, a physical button, and the same handsome design we all admire. Better still, the watch didn’t change the features that worked well, including passive activity tracking, sleep tracking, etc.

Sadly, some of the changes aren’t as welcome as others. The exclusion of WiFi support is a big no-no, not just because it makes music listening on the watch impossible, but because it also takes longer to update the watch. The fact that the WiFi integration is in the watch but cannot be turned on is nothing short of infuriating. 

That said, it’s hard not to recommend the Fitbit Sense 2 as it’s just so pretty and user-friendly. Sure, it might be slower than the most cutting-edge wearables nowadays, and it certainly won’t replace the Garmin Forerunner 255 as anyone’s go-to training partner, but as a health-forward smartwatch, it’d be hard to find a better and more handsome option as the Fitbit Sense 2.

Read our full Fitbit Sense 2 review

Fitbit Versa 3 worn on a wristT3 Best Buy Award badge


(Image credit: Michelle Rae Uy)
Best Fitbit for exercise

Specifications

Quoted battery life: 5+ days
Heart-rate tracking: Yes
Sleep tracking: Yes
GPS: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Touchscreen: Yes
Ambient light sensor: Yes
Water resistance: up to 50 metres
NFC payments: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes
Smartphone notifications: Yes
Female health tracking: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Improved GPS and heart rate tracking
+
Attractive design
+
Long battery life

Reasons to avoid

-
Lacks features from Fitbit Sense – but we don't think that matters

Fitbit Versa has long been the best smartwatch-styled Fitbit, but Versa 3 adds some long-demanded features and makes everything from the Versa lineage a bit slicker. Most importantly, there is improved heart-rate tracking accuracy during intense exercise, built-in GPS – which is also fairly accurate for a smartwatch, though it is not the fastest to connect – and the option of an always-on screen.

With those additions, plus support for Active Zone Minutes, which rewards you for more intense workouts, this is a much better Fitbit for those who are a bit more serious about their fitness goals. However, Versa 3 is also great for those who want a stylish and slick smartwatch for notifications and contactless payments but don't want to pay for an Apple Watch – or don't use iPhones. See how it compares to its successor here: Fitbit Versa 3 vs Versa 4.

Read our full Fitbit Versa 3 review

Fitbit Charge 5 in between some green leavesT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Matt Kollat)
Best Fitbit fitness tracker

Specifications

Quoted battery life: Up to 7 days
Heart-rate tracking: Yes
Sleep tracking: Yes
GPS: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Touchscreen: Yes
Ambient light sensor: Yes
Water resistance: up to 50 metres
Bluetooth: Yes
Smartphone notifications: Yes
Female health tracking: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
AMOLED screen is pretty
+
6-month Fitbit Premium subscription included in the price
+
Excellent sleep tracking capabilities
+
Comfortable to wear

Reasons to avoid

-
HR tracking/GPS issues
-
Expensive

The Fitbit Charge 5 is a capable fitness tracker. It has a built-in GPS, an optical heart rate sensor, an AMOLED touchscreen and a comfortable band that doesn't make you all itchy after an hour or so.

As well as tracking heart rate 24/7, the Charge 5 can monitor sleep, blood oxygen levels (SpO2), skin temperature, breathing rate and Active Zone Minutes. It can also score your body's ability to recover/train through its Daily Readiness Score. This feature is similar to the Strain Score in the Whoop 4.0 and is based on heart rate variability.

The Charge 5 is swim-proof, although don't expect it to measure anything accurately when you're underwater. At least you don't have to be afraid to wear it when you're doing the washing up.

The not-so-low price includes six months of Fitbit Premium subscription, which is excellent because the Daily Readiness Score and advanced sleep metrics are only available to Premium users. You can find a ton of workouts and mindfulness exercises in Premium from Deepak Chopra and Will Smith too.

Read our full Fitbit Charge 5 review

Fitbit Inspire 3 review

(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)

4. Fitbit Inspire 3

Best cheap Fitbit fitness tracker

Specifications

Quoted battery life: up to 10 days
Heart-rate tracking: Yes
Sleep tracking: Yes
GPS: Via connected phone
Waterproof: Yes
Touchscreen: Yes
Water resistance: Yes, up to 50 metres
Smartphone notifications: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Colour screen
+
Monitors blood oxygen levels
+
Can send irregular heart rate warnings (aFib)
+
Updated physical design is more in-line with Fitbit's overall design direction (and looks pretty, too)
+
Super lightweight — you can hardly feel it on your wrist

Reasons to avoid

-
There are many cheaper fitness trackers with similar functionality
-
Admittedly, the tracker form limits (i.e. small screen) what data is available to view on the wearable

Is the Inspire 3 the best Fitbit or even the best fitness tracker? No, it isn't, but it's a much more capable fitness tracker than it used to be. It has a colour touchscreen display, updated sensors, can track heart rate variability, sleep, changes in skin temperature, on top of other metrics most fitness trackers should be able to monitor nowadays, such as heart rate, steps, calories burned and more.

Better still, it's easy to operate the fitness tracker using the touchscreen and the two capacitive buttons (or, more like, touch-sensitive areas) on the side. You won't be able to access a lot of information on the little screen, though, and many of the features the Inspire 3 provides data for are only available in Fitbit Premium, but since it comes with a one-year Fitbit Premium subscription included in the price, accessing these features shouldn't be an issue.

Should you upgrade from the Fitbit Inspire 2 to the Inspire 3? Absolutely. It's much better both in terms of user-friendliness and feature-richness. And unlike the Fitbit Sense 2 and the Versa 4, the Inspire 3 doesn't miss out on features because of the Pixel Watch. Highly recommended as a mid-range fitness band for everyday fitness tracking.

Read our full Fitbit Inspire 3 review

Also consider: the Fitbit Inspire 2 is a decent fitness and sleep tracker that's now much cheaper thanks to the release of its successor. And it also comes with a 1-year Fitbit Premium subscription! Read our full Fitbit Inspire 2 review. We compared the two here: Fitbit Inspire 2 vs Inspire 3.

Fitbit Versa 4 review

(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Best Fitbit for fitness tracking

Specifications

Quoted battery life: up to 6 days
Heart-rate tracking: Yes
Sleep tracking: Yes
GPS: Built-in
Waterproof: Yes
Touchscreen: Yes
Water resistance: Yes, up to 50 metres
Smartphone notifications: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Physical button makes it easier to operate the watch
+
Updated interface is more user friendly
+
40+ sports modes

Reasons to avoid

-
No third-party app support
-
No WiFi
-
Heart rate tracking accuracy issues

Although the Fitbit Versa 4 is far from being the best Fitbit, it's a decent smartwatch and has a better user interface and physical design than its predecessor. It features over 40 sports modes, has built-in GPS, and the battery life is also decent (up to six days). The Fitbit Versa 4 also tracks sleep, stress, and certain activities (e.g. walking) automatically. Not to mention, it looks dainty, like most Fitbits – sounds pretty good, right?

In reality, the Fitbit Versa 4 is more Sense 2 Lite than a sportier version of the Versa 3. Yes, there are plenty of sports modes, but other than that, it's 'just' the same as the Sense 2 but with fewer sensors and features. It even looks the same. That said, it's cheaper than the Sense 2 and feared towards people with sportier lifestyles, so if you find a good Fitbit Versa 4 deal, it's worth checking out.

Read our full Fitbit Versa 4 review

Fitbit Charge 4 worn on a wristT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Fitbit)

6. Fitbit Charge 4

Best last-gen Fitbit fitness tracker

Specifications

Quoted battery life: 5+ days
Heart-rate tracking: Yes
Sleep tracking: Yes
GPS: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Touchscreen: Yes
Ambient light sensor: Yes
Water resistance: up to 50 metres
NFC payments: Yes (Versa and special Edition only)
Bluetooth: Yes
Smartphone notifications: Yes
Female health tracking: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Solid cardio tracking
+
Phone notifications
+
GPS built in
+
Strong battery life

Reasons to avoid

-
Not terribly chic
-
No always-on screen

The waterproof and compact Fitbit Charge 4 hasn't got a built-in GPS chip, and it lacks the finesse of its successor, but it provides a decent fitness tracker experience and a reasonable price point.

Notifications are better handled than on the Charge 3, and it feels a bit slicker all around, in fact. However, the fact that you cannot set the screen to always be on, even during a workout, feels like a missed opportunity. To see how this Fitbit compare to our number one Fitbit fitness tracker choice, check out T3's Fitbit Versa 3 vs Fitbit Charge 4 comparison feature.

Fitbit Ace 3 worn by a childT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Fitbit)
Best Fitbit for kids

Specifications

Quoted battery life: up to 5 days
Heart-rate tracking: Yes
Sleep tracking: Yes
Waterproof: Yes
Touchscreen: Yes
Water resistance: up to 50 metres
NFC payments: No
Bluetooth: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Great battery life
+
Soft, super durable strap
+
Responsive touchscreen
+
Makes exercise and healthy habits fun

Reasons to avoid

-
Not many games
-
Black and white screen

The Fitbit Ace 3 builds upon another great tracker – the Fitbit Ace 2 – by adding better battery life and some next extra features for more accurate tracking to become the best kids' smartwatch. While it packs a punch feature-wise, the watch also looks great, and because there are no specific character or movie tie-ins, it offers longevity. It may even be acceptable to teenagers (maybe).

The Ace series of fitness trackers have always been great for motivating kids with funny animations/competitions, and thankfully, Ace 3 does this pretty well, too: for example, a little disco ball drops down on the screen to celebrate 10,000 steps walked in a day, to the delight of most sub-10-yo children.

Should you set up a family account in the Fitbit App, you can keep tabs on your child's activity while the kids can delight themselves in collecting virtual badges on their profile. Fun for the whole family, indeed.

Read our full Fitbit Ace 3 review

Person riding a bicycle wearing the Fitbit Versa 2T3 Approved badge


(Image credit: Fitbit)

8. Fitbit Versa 2

Best cheap Fitbit smartwatch

Specifications

Quoted battery life: 5+ days
Heart-rate tracking: Yes
Sleep tracking: Yes
GPS: Via connected phone
Waterproof: Yes
Touchscreen: Yes
Ambient light sensor: Yes
Water resistance: up to 50 metres
NFC payments: Yes (Versa and special Edition only)
Bluetooth: Yes
Smartphone notifications: Yes
Female health tracking: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
A wearable you'll want to wear
+
The full range of Fitbit features

Reasons to avoid

-
GPS is via your smartphone only

Versa 2 has a mute version of Amazon Alexa, which obeys your commands in the usual way, but replies to queries via text only. It's also waterproof and features tracking of your swims, too, which is good news for swimmers. Those wanting workout motivation might like the on-wrist video workouts of the Versa 2. You do quickly find that trying to watch a virtual personal trainer who sits on your wrist is not the easiest way to learn new exercises, mind you.

To see how this smartwatch compares to its successor, be sure to check out T3's Fitbit Versa 2 vs Fitbit Versa 3 comparison feature. Also, should you buy the Fitbit Versa 2 on Black Friday? That's the question. It's sold for cheap these days; no wonder it's still so popular, despite the ageing design. 

FAQ

Which is the best Fitbit to buy?

Our top recommendation for most users is the Fitbit Versa 3. Those requiring a band rather than a watch should head straight to Fitbit Charge 5. These are the best Fitbits for more serious exercise since they have GPS built-in, better heart-rate tracking, and a focus on 'active minutes' instead of steps taken.

Despite doubts over the accuracy of its step counting and calorie calculations, what keeps Fitbit popular is its well-established social network, slick app and an ongoing stream of new devices that offer the Fitbit experience in a variety of shapes, sizes and prices. 100% accuracy is not an essential thing in a fitness tracker.

The real keys to success are wearability, a good, motivational app, a wide range of features, and, if the stats aren't necessarily bang-on accurate, they are at least consistent in the way that they are inaccurate. In that case, you can tell if you are improving, maintaining or – heaven forbid – deteriorating in terms of activity and fitness. The Fitbits Versa 3 delivers all that in spades.

What is the most advanced Fitbit?

The 'most advanced Fitbit' title goes to the Sense 2, Fitbit's flagship model at the moment. It has all the features of the Fitbit Versa 4 but also adds continuous stress tracking (via its cEDA sensor), a skin temperature sensor and an ECG app to the mix. Most of these features have received the FDA and CE stamp of approval (US and EU, respectively) to be used by people who haven't got any cardiovascular medical history. That said, the Sense 2 isn't a medical device, and Fitbit never claimed it was.

Which Fitbit is best value for money?

We would argue that the best value Fitbit for money at the moment is the Fitbit Inspire 2, especially if you're new to Fitbit. This straightforward fitness band tracks heart rate 24/7, features Fitbit's Active Zone Minutes system and adds a free 1-year Fitbit Premium trial for new Premium users, through which you can get personalised guidance access 'exclusive' insights and sleep tools in the Fitbit App.

Is it worth buying Fitbit Versa?

Fitbit Versa used to be the pinnacle Fitbit wearable until the Fitbit Sense was announced. Now, not being the best Fitbit anymore, it's been re-branded as a fitness-forward smartwatch, so if you tend to be more active, the Fitbit Versa is the one you want to get. That said, the latest iteration of the watch, the Fitbit Versa 4, although advanced in terms of sensors, actually lost some key features, such as WiFi, which makes it less of a smartwatch than its predecessor, the Fitbit Versa 3. Therefore, we'd recommend buying the Fitbit Versa 3 instead, especially since that sells for less nowadays.

Matt Kollat
Section Editor | Active

Matt Kollat is a journalist and content creator who works for T3.com and its magazine counterpart as an Active Editor. His areas of expertise include wearables, drones, fitness equipment, nutrition and outdoor gear. He joined T3 in 2019. His byline appears in several publications, including Techradar and Fit&Well, and more. Matt also collaborated with other content creators (e.g. Garage Gym Reviews) and judged many awards, such as the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance's ESSNawards. When he isn't working out, running or cycling, you'll find him roaming the countryside and trying out new podcasting and content creation equipment.

With contributions from