Compare the full range of Fitbits here.
Update: November 2019
I started with the Fitbit One five years ago, followed by the Fitbit . Since then, I’be purchased the Fitbit Charge for my husband and son. Because my husband won’t wear anything on his wrist, I stole his Charge and used it on and off for a while. But since the one I bought for my husband was too big for me to wear comfortably, I decided to buy a new one for myself.
I had to choose between the Fitbit Versa Lite, the Fitbit Versa 2, and the Fitbit Charge 3.
Ultimately, I chose the Fitbit Versa 2. The Versa 2 is $49 more than the Versa Lite, but for something I wear every day, it seemed well worth the extra money. Although the marketing heavily promotes the Alexa feature on the Versa 1, I was more interested in:
- the additional battery life, because I’m terrible at charging things. The Versa 2 gives you two days more of battery per charge (6 days vs. 4), which means less time looking for the charger. (I know, I know, just keep the charger in one place, yada yada).
- the looks. The Versa 2 comes in better colors–I chose petal/copper rose. The pink version of the Versa lite is more of a pastel pink and has silver trim.
- the better screen resolution on the Versa 2
If you’re not concerned about battery life or looks, the Fitbit Versa Lite does almost everything the Fitbit Versa 2 does except for Alexa. Both have robust fitness tracking features, and both have Bluetooth, call notifications, etc. If you don’t mind the extra $49, I’d definitely go for the Fitbit Versa 2.
Older Fitbits
Fitbit One vs. Fitbit Force – Why I Chose the Fitbit One
After a couple of years of use, my first-generation Fitbit finally broke, with a little help from my kid. It didn’t stop recording steps, but the casing cracked when my son tried to pry it apart, making it impossible to wear.
I was secretly happy, as I’d been eyeing the more recent Fitbit gadgets. I did considerable research comparing the Fitbit Flex, the Fitbit Force, the Fitbit One, and the Fitbit Zip. I chose the Fitbit One, and I’ll explain why:
The Fitbit One, like the original Fitbit, clips to your belt or bra. It tracks steps and distance, along with number of floors climbed (handy if you have stairs at home or at work and you want to be reminded to use them), calories burned, general activity level, and sleep patterns. It wirelessly syncs to your Mac or PC. And it also shows the time and will even wake you in the morning with a silent alarm. The online interface is better than ever, and the new itty-bitty syncing doc is much more convenient than the syncing hardware that went with the original Fitbit ultra. Now, you can easily keep the doc plugged into your Mac or PC at all times.
The Fitbit Force tracks all the same stuff as the One, with the added benefit of goal setting, and you wear it on your wrist like a watch. After reading a bunch of online reviews, I came to the conclusion that the Force is probably less accurate than the One because of its placement. With the Force, you run the risk of getting a higher than accurate reading on steps. For example, if I were wearing the Force right now, instead of the One, I might get steps for typing, or even for lifting my coffee cup to my mouth. Because accuracy is the most important thing to me, I chose the One, which, happily, is only $99.95 (as opposed to $129.95 for the Force).
However, if it’s important to you to have access to the readings at all times without sticking your hand down the front of your shirt, I’d recommend the Force, and accept that it may be giving your credit for a few steps you didn’t actually take.
The Fitbit Flex, which, like the Fitbit One, is priced at $99.95, tracks steps and sleep, but does not track floors climbed. It also doesn’t have a watch, and the display is, in my opinion, not very helpful. It uses dots, rather than numbers, so in order to know how many steps you’ve taken, you have to check your stats online. I think that of all the products in the Fitbit line, the Flex is the one that I wouldn’t recommend at all. If you want to go with a wristband, shell out the extra $29 to get a much better user experience.
Bargain option: The Fitbit Zip
If you’re looking for the least expensive option, the Fitbit Zip is a bargain at $59.95. It’s the cutest of the fitbits by far, and, like the One, it clips to your belt or bra. The big downside of the Zip is that it doesn’t track your sleep. Since sleep tracking is one of my favorite functions in the fitbit line (for example, I noticed that when I took prescription cough medicine after a bout with bronchitis, I slept WAY more than any other night), the Zip was a no-go for me.
Verdict: Fitbit One wins. Highly recommended
I’ve been using the Fitbit One daily since December 5, and I love it. It helps me to meet my goal of 10,000 steps a day, it’s comfortable to wear during the day as well as at night (a soft, stretchy, armband is provided for nighttime use), and the battery lasts forever. The syncing function is vastly improved over my first Fitbit. The Fitbit One is by far the best hundred bucks you’ll spend on fitness this year.