The best Fitbits to buy in 2025

It's fair to ask whether you should buy a Fitbit watch or tracker in 2025. Since Google acquired Fitbit, we've only seen a handful of new devices, with no new Sense, Versa, or Inspire since 2022; only the Charge 6 (2023) and Ace LTE kids watch (2024) are relatively recent.

While the hardware has dried up, the Fitbit app continues to get new updates. Last year, Fitbit added Cardio & Target Load; this summer, Fitbit improved its behind-the-scenes sleep algorithm for all Fitbits. And this October, the app will get a Gemini-powered Fitbit health coach, which will answer your health and fitness questions and generate personalized training plans. Even if the hardware is old, the insights and guidance aren't.

That being said, only the Pixel Watch series has the full list of new Fitbit app features, plus hardware upgrades like dual-frequency GPS. If you have an Android phone and don't mind frequent charging, the Pixel Watch 4 is the best Fitbit watch, even if it's not in the name.

Anyone with an iPhone, a strict budget, or a preference for longer-lived watches, however, can skip the Pixel Watch series for a cheaper Fitbit. The money you save can go toward years of Fitbit Premium.

Michael Hicks

Michael Hicks is Android Central's resident smartwatch geek, having reviewed or tested dozens of wearables from Samsung, Google, Apple, Garmin, Fitbit, Coros, Polar, Withings, Amazfit, and others. He spends his free time running or hiking while wearing several watches at once, testing which is most accurate.

At a glance

Best overall

Anyone looking for a true Fitbit-branded watch — especially for iOS — can skip ahead. But keep in mind that Google itself considers the Pixel Watch 4 to be a Fitbit watch, and there's little likelihood of a new Fitbit Sense or Versa anytime soon unless Google's policy changes. For the best Fitbit experience, you'll need a Pixel Watch 4.

The Watch 4 comes in two sizes, each display 3X as bright as most 1,000-nit Fitbits. A Sense or Versa gives you a mic & speaker for calls, but the days of Google Assistant on Fitbits are gone, while the Watch 4 has smarter Gemini commands that sync with your Calendar, Maps, Gmail, and smart home tech like Nest Doorbells or Google TV. The same goes for music: Google restricted playback controls on Fitbit watches to YouTube Music, while the Pixel Watch gets proper music storage or playback for more apps.

Google originally borrowed the Sense 2's impressive health sensors for the Pixel Watch 2, but it gave the Watch 3 a new HR algorithm that's better at high-intensity workouts, and the Watch 4 received dual-band GPS tracking for more accurate training results than the GPS-only Fitbits. Our Pixel Watch 4 fitness test shows how well it performs.

On the fitness front, any Fitbit owner can enjoy Premium workout videos, and will get Gemini recommendations soon. But for guided, custom workouts on the watch itself, only the Pixel Watch 4 or 3 has that capability, showing in real time what your heart rate or pace should be.

And for safety features, Google has only brought fall & car crash detection, safety check-ins with family, and Loss of Pulse detection to recent Pixel Watches, with only the Pixel Watch 4 LTE adding satellite SOS to call emergency services if you're in a cellular dead zone.

Basically, the Pixel Watch 4 is the best Fitbit watch because Google has crammed every health and fitness feature into it, while other Fitbits are restricted to older tech and limited smarts beyond Google apps. You'll have to accept that it only lasts about 1.5–2 days per charge and that it's slightly heavier than most Fitbits, but the Pixel Watch 4

Best Fitbit tracker

Let's put aside the Pixel Watch 4 and focus on true Fitbit-branded products that work with both iOS and Android. Now, the question really becomes this: should you buy a fitness tracker or smartwatch? The Sense 2 and Versa 4 give you a mic and speaker, plus a more conveniently large AMOLED display to swipe through data and apps. Despite that, we'll still point you towards the Charge 6 first.

The Charge 6 has all-day heart rate and sleep tracking, built-in GPS tracking instead of connected GPS, NFC for tap-to-pay transactions, and automatic workout detection. All of this, along with the petite 1-inch AMOLED touch display, is virtually unchanged from the Charge 5; even the bands are interchangeable.

So what's new? The biggest change is the focus on Google: the Charge 6 has a basic Maps function to point you towards your destination, Google Wallet instead of Fitbit Pay, and YouTube Music playback controls (though no other streaming service is supported, frustratingly). Google also borrowed some AI tricks from the Pixel Watch series to make the heart rate monitor "60% more accurate readings during vigorous activities like HIIT, spinning, and rowing."

Beyond that, the Charge 6 has a capacitive button that lets you activate the display, go back to the main watch face, or swap between data during a workout. Compared to the finicky capacitive buttons on the Versa 3 and Sense, the Charge 6's button is much more reliable. In our Fitbit Charge 6 review, we noted that the button "works as it should, without being prone to accidental presses like a physical button," and that it's much more convenient than having to always double-tap the Charge 5 display to activate it.

Overall, we called the Fitbit Charge 6 the best fitness tracker across brands for a reason. It's comfortable to wear and has tricks that no other petite band offers. For sleep tracking, it's not as comfortable as the Inspire 3, but it's a close second and gives you a much more functional display. Generally speaking, this is the true Fitbit we'd recommend first if you're OK with a thinner screen.

Best Fitbit watch

The Fitbit Sense 2 packs an impressive number of health sensors, including skin temperature and blood oxygen to determine the quality of your sleep, a cEDA sensor to continuously track your stress levels, and an ECG and heart rate monitor to actively and passively check for atrial fibrillation.

It displays all of this information in an easily accessible manner, either on the watch directly or from the Fitbit app on your phone. Fitbit and Google worked together to improve the user interface, bringing some of the UI design elements from Wear OS to the Fitbit OS. You also get a proper button instead of the original Sense's finicky capacitive button, though no crown controls.

Compared to the original Sense, you've lost music playback controls, limited third-party apps, Wi-Fi downloads, and Google Assistant support; you'll have to settle for Bluetooth and Alexa commands. At least you get Google Wallet, Google Maps, and YouTube Music, but these are available on cheaper Fitbits; the Sense 2 is pricey enough that you might reasonably expect more smarts, like what you'd get on an Amazfit watch.

Compared to the Charge 6, it costs twice as much and has comparable battery life, but you'll appreciate the larger display and built-in mic and speaker for Bluetooth calls. Match it up against the Pixel Watch 4, and it's much tricker. That costs $150 more — and the Sense 2 is frequently discounted — but it has a wider range of Google apps, Gemini, and a laundry list of other smarts. But if you own an iPhone or want more than two days of battery life, the Sense 2 is the no-brainer choice.

Best midrange

The Fitbit Versa 4 is the most basic, streamlined watch in the lineup. It has the same design, display, button, and band as the Sense 2, but without the cEDA sensor for stress data, ECG for AFib detection, skin temperature for sleep insights, altimeter for elevation data, or gyroscope for more accurate step and workout tracking.

Despite that, you're still getting the same HR sensor for workouts, sleep analysis, high/low HR warnings, and irregular heart rhythm detection, along with blood oxygen data. For anyone trying to save money, that'll give you more than enough data without the bells and whistles; for anyone who wants Fitbit to have the most data possible to judge your health, it won't be enough.

The Versa 4 has the same Wear OS-esque UI and three Google apps, along with the mic & speaker for calling and Alexa commands; it also had its last-gen support for Google Assistant, Wi-Fi, music controls, and other smarts removed. Because the Versa 4 costs less, you might be more willing to accept the limited smarts compared to the pricier Sense 2.

Ultimately, the Versa 4 is an attractive, lightweight, and affordable shell for Fitbit Premium and heart rate tracking, around the same price as the Charge 6 if you prefer a larger display but don't need the bells and whistles.

Best on a budget

If you like the idea of the Charge 6, but it's still too rich for your blood, take a look at the Fitbit Inspire 3. Not only is this the most affordable Fitbit you can buy, it's also the lightest. It's so light that you might forget you're wearing the thing!

That small size means you miss out on the built-in GPS and easier to read notifications from the Charge 6, but it'll work just fine if you run with your phone and can rely on Connected GPS. This is easily the best Fitbit for budget shoppers who want a wide array of features at an affordable price.

Outside of the missing GPS, the Inspire 3 comes with Fitbit's essentials: It tracks your all-day activity and sleep and automatically detects exercises. 24/7 heart-rate monitoring is included, too, as is a six-month membership to Fitbit Premium at no added cost! Combine all of that with up to 10 days of battery on a single charge, and you end up with a really capable tracker.

As wonderful as the Inspire 3 is, it is more utilitarian than fashion-focused; we wish we could still recommend the Fitbit Luxe with its more stylish steel finish, but it's too old to recommend anymore. And the Charge 6, while heavier and pricier, has a larger array of sensors and apps that make it more useful.

Best for kids

Living a healthy lifestyle is just as crucial for your kids as it is for you. So, Fitbit has a tracker specifically for kids with the Fitbit Ace LTE. But it's also for parents since it comes with a subscription and 4G LTE connectivity so kids can keep in touch with the parental units and vice versa.

Instead of getting a younger child a cell phone, consider this smartwatch that allows them to send and receive calls and messages to and from up to 20 approved contacts. It also offers 24/7 GPS tracking so parents can keep an eye on location.

From a fitness perspective, kids can track physical activity and receive rewards for their movement. This includes items in 3D interactive games that can be played right on the wrist (don't worry, you can disable these during school hours) along with an adorable Eejie character that's like a 21st Century version of the Tamagotchi. Kids can keep on top of progress through their own activity ring design called a Noodle.

The only thing missing from this smartwatch is sleep tracking, presumably because of battery life: since it's a connected watch, it only lasts for about 16 hours, which means your little ones will need to recharge overnight and slap it back onto the wrist in the morning. This smartwatch also requires a Fitbit Ace Pass subscription. If you want something without connectivity, you can alternatively consider the Fitbit Ace 3, which has tons of great features for kids, too. Or, look into the best kids smartwatches for other functionality like on-wrist phone calls or geofencing.

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How to choose

As you can see, there isn't really a perfect Fitbit watch. Each Fitbit-branded device has strengths — affordability, comfort, compatibility with iOS and Android, and app insights — and weaknesses — limited smarts, older hardware, and the mandatory subscription after the 6-month trial. The Pixel Watch 4 easily has the best hardware, but its battery-guzzling hardware and Android restriction will turn off plenty of Fitbit veterans.

So, how do you choose the best Fitbit for you? For starters, decide what you plan to use it for. If it's mainly for health and sleep insights, an Inspire 3 or Charge 6 will be more comfortable for sleep tracking and general use, and will cost you less than a full-blown watch. But neither has a large, bright display suited for reading notifications easily.

If it's for both training and smarts, the Pixel Watch 4 is the only proper choice, though the Watch 4 vs. Watch 3 gap is fairly small if you'd rather save money on the last-gen version. It also gives you the best version of Fitbit's health sensors, though the Sense 2 comes closest for a broad range of insights.

For younger kids who don't have a smartphone yet, the Fitbit Ace LTE is a great choice to stay connected with them and offer some motivation to stay healthy. For older kids, though, any Fitbit will be about the same; they may prefer something smarter or more stylish, but it depends on the person.

Ultimately, there's a Fitbit spectrum starting with the cutting-edge, short-lived Pixel Watch 4 and ending with the cheap, lightweight, and simple Fitbit Inspire 3. Hopefully, this guide has broken down every key feature at every level, since only you can decide what your priority is.

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