Best Fitbit for women: The top Fitbits for health, wellness and smashing your goals
If you’re in the market for a stellar fitness tracker at an affordable price, here’s our pick of the best Fitbits for women
Fitbit offers a well-known range of much-lauded fitness trackers. The issue? There are more options than you can shake a stick at. And though the range is ostensibly unisex, there are subtle nuances between models that make some options a better fit for women.
Whether you’re after sleek and pared back, or highly functional for peak performance, we decode the best Fitbits for women out there.
How to choose the best Fitbit for you
The first thing to consider is functionality. Do you want a good old-fashioned fitness tracker? Or are you looking for more of a feature-rich smartwatch-inspired device? Fitbits of the more pared-back ilk, such as the Versa, tend to be physically smaller and less imposing on smaller wrists. The high-functionality smartwatch-style Fitbits, meanwhile, such as the Sense or Ionic, are a bit clunkier – they may sit prominently on some wrists – but if it’s features and performance you’re after, they’re your best bet.
Second, how active are you? The suite of Fitbits on offer come equipped with sleep-monitoring and activity-tracking features, but if you get further afield with your exercise, you might want to seek out the bigger range of exercise modes offered by higher-spec models.
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What’s your heart (rate) telling you? Most Fitbits offer heart-rate monitoring of some capacity, although more basic models such as the Alta and the Inspire don’t, so have a think how important that feature is to you. Some models, like the Fitbit Sense or Versa 3, boast a “multipath” heart-rate sensor that purports to offer more finely tuned readings. Similarly, some devices come with built-in GPS, permitting you to go for phone-free runs, while others depend on connectivity to your smartphone – something to bear in mind if you’re looking to shed yourself of gadgets while exercising.
And finally, a special mention for style. Gone are the identikit black bands of yore – nowadays you can fit your Fitbit to your aesthetic, whether you’re after slick and sporty, slim and elegant, or full “House of Gucci”.
The best Fitbits for women to buy in 2023
1. Fitbit Inspire 3: The best overall
Price when reviewed: £84 | Check price at Amazon
When it comes to combining functionality and aesthetics, the Fitbit Inspire 3 has it all. In fact, we crowned it Fibit’s best product of last year, in our glowing Fitbit Inspire 3 review. The compact device offers more of Fitbit’s bread and butter – incentivising activity and fitness tracking – with a few notable upgrades. The device now comes with a colour screen and lets you monitor your blood oxygen level, while a purported ten days of battery life on one charge is an impressive bonus. You also get 6 months of Fitbit Premium membership thrown in for free.
We had one small gripe with the screen: small being the operative word. But if you’re someone with more diminutive wrists and want something unassuming and elegant you can wear to the gym, office or cocktail bar, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is a fantastic fit. Comfortably in the sub-£100 range, this is an all-rounder on all fronts, including value for money.
2. Fitbit Sense: The best for wellness
Price when reviewed: £190 | Check price at Amazon
Some studies suggest that the number of women suffering work-related stress is 50% higher than among men of the same age. If keeping on top of your wellbeing is a priority for you, look no further than the Fitbit Sense. The Sense comes equipped with an EDA sensor (that’s electrodermal, to the uninitiated) to measure your stress levels and has also been endowed with the multipath heart-rate sensor and the ability to take ECGs, so users can keep an eye on their mental health and cardiac functionality when out and about.
The Sense has a temperature-reading sensor, which is great for discerning whether you have a fever, and can be useful – though obligatory word of caution – for tracking your menstrual cycle. Temperature rises can happen as a result of the hormone changes that drive ovulation, though Fitbit itself admits the device is sensitive to spikes in room temperature.
Don’t worry about being caught short, either: the Sense has six days of battery life and comes with GPS, making it a great high-spec option for busy, health-attuned women.
3. Fitbit Versa 3: The best for multitasking
Price when reviewed: £120 | Check price at Amazon
If women are the doyennes of multitasking, the Fitbit Versa 3 is a smartwatch-style salve that makes all that life-juggling a whole lot easier. The Versa 3 can track your fitness levels while you take phone calls from it – and an imminent update will soon bring the Google Assistant to the model in the UK.
Concerned about your heart rate with so much on your plate? The Versa 3’s multipath sensor is an upgraded heart-rate monitor that purports to offer more accurate, detailed readings. Plus, its stylish and lightweight casing make it perfect for everyday wear.
4. Fitbit Luxe: The best for aesthetics
Price when reviewed: £179 | Check price at Amazon
What the Fitbit Luxe lacks in substance – and we’ll say this up front: no GPS, a petite screen and left wanting accuracy on the heart-rate-tracking front – it more than makes up for in style. This slim-build, elegant fitness tracker can be purchased in futuristic gold for a Balenciaga-esque look, or a Hermes dupe gold link bracelet.
And while it won’t be taking an ECG any time soon, it does a commendable job of activity and sleep tracking, with a very decent battery life for its (relatively) modest price. If you’re looking to put your best, er, forearm forward this season, the many iterations of the Fitbit Luxe are worth a muse.
5. Fitbit Inspire 2: The best on a budget
Price when reviewed: £44 | Check price at Amazon
The pocket-sized Inspire 2 will keep your pockets happy, too. It’s a neat, self-contained model boasting a commendable battery life and a surprisingly sharp screen. Straps are interchangeable but you’ll need to stick to Inspire-specific straps (you can’t just switch straps between models), although Fitbit does offer two strap sizes in the box, so those with slender wrists can enjoy a snug fit too.
If you’re an athlete, this probably isn’t the fitness tracker for you, but it’s a fantastic price for a compact, entry-level offering that initiates you into the Fitbit community. Plus there’s a free year of Fitbit Premium thrown in to sweeten the deal; that’s more than enough time to get some serious momentum on your fitness goals.
