Best Fitbit alternatives: Garmin, Samsung, Xiaomi, and more
Fitbit might be one of the most popular fitness tracking companies in the world, but it isn’t the only one out there. Garmin, Samsung, Xiaomi, and many other companies make comparable or even better devices for the money. Whether you’re looking for a smartwatch like the Fitbit Ionic or Versa 2, or a Fitbit Charge 4 alternative, we’ve got you covered. Here are the best Fitbit alternatives you can buy right now.
Best Fitbit alternatives (in no particular order):
Note: We will update this best Fitbit alternatives list as more devices hit the market.
Fitbit Charge 4 and Fitbit Charge 3 alternative: Garmin Vivosmart 4
If you’re looking for a Fitbit Charge 4, Fitbit Charge 3, or Fitbit Inspire HR alternative, consider the Garmin Vivosmart 4.
Though the appearance is a little bland, this device has many of the features that make the Charge 4 so great. The Vivosmart 4 offers fantastic sleep metrics, an interesting and quite useful Body Battery score, and a decent heart rate monitor. What’s less common on a device this price is the pulse oximeter sensor, which can show you your blood oxygen saturation. That, in turn, can offer some useful health insights — especially during sleep.
Also read: Do fitness trackers really work? Probably, but it’s not as simple as you think!
Previously, the big achilles heel for this device was lack of any GPS support, meaning you couldn’t even connect to your phone’s location. That’s changed in a recent update though, which is great news for fans. The Vivosmart 4 now has connected GPS.
Throw in a few smart feature such as notifications, text response option, weather, and the ability to control music on your phone, and this is a compelling package.
Samsung Galaxy Fit
The Samsung Galaxy Fit is a slim and light fitness tracker that has a beautiful AMOLED display and a lightweight design. Other killer features include 5ATM water resistance, a fairly accurate heart rate monitor, week-long battery life, and Samsung Health which provides ample social features and training programs. Perhaps the most compelling feature is the price.
Also read: Best Samsung fitness trackers: What are your current options?
We had mainly good things to say in our full Samsung Galaxy Fit review, though we did note that the setup process could be a little fiddly.
Fitbit Versa 2 alternative: Apple Watch Series 2
The Fitbit Versa and Versa 2 are great fitness trackers and smartwatches, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth looking into alternatives. The Apple Watch Series 2 might not be the latest or greatest from Apple, but it is the closest match for the Versa 2 from a pricing standpoint. If you’re happy with slightly older tech, this now represents fantastic value for money.
See also: Best smartwatches | Fitbit Versa vs Ionic
Despite being a few generations old, the Series 2 is still a versatile fitness tracker and smartwatch. It comes with a pretty accurate heart rate monitor, activity tracking, a microphone, speaker, 5ATM water resistance, and GPS. GPS is a big win here, seeing as that’s missing on the Versa 2. The speaker and microphone also let you do things you just can’t with most other devices, such as taking calls. Then there is the huge range of great apps that look impressive on the small screen.
The Apple Watch Series 2 is a looker thanks to the aluminum chassis and customizable straps. Off course, anything Apple is going to be a fashion statement.
Unfortunately, there is no “always on” mode for the watch face, which is a letdown for some. The battery life could also be stronger. And of course you’ll need an iOS device in order to get the most from it. But if you can live with these limitations, you’ll get a fantastic health tracker and smartwatch here.
Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music
Garmin’s Vivoactive 3 Music is no longer the latest and greatest from Garmin, but it’s still a fantastic fitness tracker and running watch. And now with a lower price, it’s also a great Fitbit Ionic alternative.
Everything you loved about the standard Vivoactive 3 is here. Its bright touchscreen display is easy to read outdoors. Like the Ionic, the Vivoactive 3 Music will give you all the smartphone notifications you could ask for, plus music control and weather information right on your wrist. The music variant adds support for storing up to 500 songs. You can load up your favorite songs, or download playlists from iHeartRadio or Spotify.
Further reading: Best GPS running watches
There are a total of 15 activity tracking profiles built in, so most athletes will be covered here (though don’t expect greatness from the weightlifting mode!). It also has an accurate GPS and heart rate monitor, a battery that lasts around five days on a single charge, and stress tracking.
Fitbit Blaze/Fitbit Ionic alternative: Garmin Vivoactive 4 and 4S
The Garmin Vivoactive 3 was one of our favorite fitness trackers for a long time, and the Vivoactive 4 looks set to repeat that trick. The device features the same great software as other Garmin trackers, and the same excellent ecosystem of apps. You’ll once again get a heart rate monitor, built-in GPS, seven-day battery life, and 5ATM water resistance. We also see the return of music playback (including Spotify support) which came with the Vivoactive 3 Music. All this in another sleek package that looks like you’re wearing an actual watch!
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Looking for something for slimmer wrists? The Vivoactive 4S variant has you covered there too.
What’s new this time around is the pulse oximeter sensor for measuring blood oxygen, along with all-day stress tracking and Body Battery. The screen has also received a slight upgrade.
Garmin Venu
A recent addition to Garmin’s lineup of excellent fitness trackers, the Garmin Venu is a top-end fitness tracker with a price to match ($399 at the time of writing). For that entry cost though, you’ll get a beautiful OLED screen, Garmin Pay support, music storage, five-day battery life, and great fitness tracking features.
Next: The most common Fitbit problems and how to fix them
All the usual suspects are present and correct: there’s heart rate tracking, GPS (plus GLONASS), sleep monitoring, activity tracking, 5ATM water resistance, etc. But there are the more interesting features, such as the pulse ox sensor, unique breathwork exercises, and stress tracking. It’s essentially the same multisport watch as the Vivoactive 4 (above), but with an OLED display and slightly shorter battery life.
This is a fantastic package, if you can stomach the price.
Fitbit Inspire HR Alternative: Xiaomi Mi Band 4
The Fitbit Inspire HR is a great budget option from Fitbit that offers a heart rate monitor, great battery, and connected GPS; all for under $100.
But if you really want to see some impressive value, look no further than the Xiaomi Mi Band 4. This device is insanely affordable at $40, which is amazing considering that it comes with a color screen, heart rate sensor, 20-day battery life, connected GPS, and plenty more features. It looks a bit simple perhaps, but it does everything you really need to keep in shape for a fraction of the cost. And it even has basic smartwatch features! What’s not to like?
There you have it, our list of the best Fitbit alternatives Did we miss anything?
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Android, Apple, Fitbit, fitness trackers, Gadget, Garmin, Samsung, smartwatches, Technology, The Best, Wearables
Android, Apple, Fitbit, fitness trackers, Gadget, Garmin, Samsung, smartwatches, Technology, The Best, Wearables
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