Workouts & Exercises

What Kind Of Fitbit Do I Have?

I’ve been interested in smartwatches and activity trackers (and yes, fitness apps too, the likes of Samsung Health or MyFitnesspal) for quite a while now. There’s something extremely cool about a wearable wrist strap that can give you reliable and accurate information about your day-to-day activity levels.

We’re definitely living in the future. Fitbit makes some of the best and most well-known activity trackers on the market today.

There are so many different models of Fitbits these days for different use-cases that it can be hard to know exactly which model you have and what its capabilities are. Well, fortunately for you, I’m kind of a nerd when it comes to these things and can help you understand what you’ve got on your wrist.

Quick Summary

Pick the Best Gadget For Your Budget

I have covered everything in detail below, but to figure out which of these wearables is smack-bang in your budget range, here’s a rundown of the different models in town.

The Different Types Of Fitbits And Their Abilities

Types Of Fitbit

So let’s get right into it. If you’re looking to determine which Fitbit you have, look no further!

I’ll even let you know what it can and can’t do.

Before we jump in, if you want to learn which Fitbit you have via a single list of images, you can check out JoesGE’s article here. If you want more in-depth information, keep on reading.

Fitbit Smartwatches

What Is Fitbit Smartwatches

To start off, I’m going to review the current Fitbit smartwatch offerings. The ones that look like these here.

Fitbit Sense

What Is Fitbit Sense

The Fitbit Sense is the most expensive, and most capable offering from Fitbit. It is their flagship smartwatch and has all of the bells and whistles that Fitbit currently offers.

It comes as an upgrade to their previous flagship model smartwatch, the Fitbit Versa series.

Identifiers

  • Large, square screen in middle of wristband

  • Looks like a watch vs an activity tracker

  • Back of watch has 4 copper sensors, 4 rectangular sensors, and one middle sensor

Features

  • Steps tracking

  • Floor tracking

  • Heart Rate tracking

  • Oxygen level tracking

  • Skin Temp tracking

  • Sleep tracking

  • Clock

  • Swim compatible

  • GPS equipped

  • Fitbit OS

  • Waterproof to 50m

  • 6+ day battery life

  • Smartwatch functionality

There are quite a few features that fall under the smartwatch functionality grouping here. If you’re looking for a smartwatch, this will not disappoint. The features are on par with the Apple Watch.

Fitbit Versa 3

What Is Fitbit Versa

The Fitbit Versa has almost as many features as the Sense and costs about $80 less than its successor.

Identifiers

  • Smartwatch shape

  • Identifiable as a smartwatch vs thin activity tracker

  • 4 copper sensors on back of watch face along with 4 glass-faced sensors

  • Speakers at top and bottom of back of watch

Features

  • Steps tracking

  • Floor tracking

  • Heart Rate tracking

  • Oxygen level tracking

  • Sleep tracking

  • Clock

  • Swim compatible

  • GPS equipped

  • Fitbit OS

  • Waterproof to 50m

  • 6+ day battery life

  • Smartwatch functionality

The primary functionality difference between the Sense and the Versa 3, is skin temperature monitoring. The models are fairly close in their features, so if you do not need skin temperature monitoring, you can save $80 by choosing the Versa 3 over the Sense.

Fitbit Activity Trackers

What Is Fitbit Activity Trackers

Fitbit’s activity trackers are barebones, and will not provide the same smartwatch functionality that is seen above. If you are looking solely for an activity tracker that will record all of your vitals, these are some of the best on the market today.

You can use it while using a stationary bike or an elliptical or you can use, as I did before, to determine how long to run on the treadmill.

I was using an incline treadmill which increases the metabolism manifold, and helps burn calories just like jumping jacks and other exercises and tone your butt and legs, but it can send your heart rate skyrocketing through the ceiling. So I wanted to know when to ramp things up and when to stop.

Fitbit Ace 3

What Is Fitbit Ace

The Fitbit Ace 3 is the current entry-level activity tracker offering from Fitbit. It is designed to be a simple product and is marketed towards children.

Identifiers

  • Rubber crash protection outer guard

  • Back sensor array: 3 copper dot sensors on top, glass sensors underneath, smaller white sensor under that, another glass sensor under that, small speaker array at bottom

  • Rectangular activity tracker shape

Features

  • Steps tracking

  • Floor tracking

  • Sleep tracking

  • Clock

  • GPS equipped (when connected to smartphone)

  • Water-resistant

  • 5-day battery life

Fitbit Inspire 2

What Is Fitbit Inspire 2

The Inspire 2 is the adult version of the Ace 3 and offers much of the same functionality. It does not have the same protective rubber guard casing as the Ace 3.

Identifiers

  • Thin rectangular screen

  • Matte plastic/rubber backing and strap

  • Back sensor array: 3 copper dot sensors on top, glass sensors underneath, smaller white sensor under that, another glass sensor under that, small speaker array at bottom

Features

  • Steps tracking

  • Floor tracking

  • Heart Rate tracking

  • Sleep tracking

  • Clock

  • Swim compatible

  • GPS equipped

  • Fitbit OS

  • Waterproof to 50m

  • 10-day battery life

  • Smartwatch functionality

This activity tracker offers every piece of technology Fitbit has to offer apart from oxygen and skin temp monitoring. All for under $100.

Fitbit Charge 4

What Is Fitbit Charge 4

The Charge 4 is the ultimate offering from Fitbit’s activity tracking division. It takes the features of the Inspire 2 and steps them up a notch to include oxygen level monitoring and a larger rectangular screen, making it ideal for tracking your cardio workout performance.

It also offers some smartwatch-type functionality as it lets you control Spotify and other streaming services from your watch.

Identifiers

  • The largest of the rectangular screens offered in an activity tracker from Fitbit

  • Diamond pattern on wristband

  • Displays time on front screen clearly

  • Back sensor array: 4 stacked box sensors on top of 3 horizontal dots at the bottom.

Features

  • Steps tracking

  • Floor tracking

  • Heart Rate tracking

  • Oxygen level tracking

  • Sleep tracking

  • Clock

  • Swim compatible

  • GPS equipped

  • Fitbit OS

  • Waterproof to 50m

  • 6+ day battery life

  • Spotify controls

  • Fitbit Pay

Discontinued Fitbit Models

How Discontinued Fitbit models Like

If you purchased a Fitbit or were gifted one that is no longer sold, it will be a bit harder to determine which one it is. This section will go over the different identifying characteristics of the lines of Fitbits that have been discontinued.

Fitbit Charge And Charge HR

What Is Fitbit Charge and Charge HR

The Charge and Charge HR are no longer sold and are the predecessors to the Charge 4.

Identifiers

  • Very small rectangular screen on top of wristband

  • 90% wristband

  • Button on side of screen

Fitbit Inspire And Inspire HR

What Is Fitbit Inspire and Inspire HR

The Inspire and Inspire HR are the predecessors to the current Inspire 2. They look almost the same as Inspire 2, so identifying them should be simple. Refer back to our section on Inspire 2.

Fitbit Alta And Alta HR

What Is Fitbit Alta and Alta HR

The Fitbit Alta was sold before the introduction of the Inspire series and has a very identifiable front/side bezel on the front of the main screen. Refer to the pictures below, and it will be very easy to tell if this is the model Fitbit you own.

Fitbit Flex And Flex 2

What Is Fitbit Flex and Flex 2

The Flex and Flex 2 are also easily identifiable as they do not look like any of the other offerings from Fitbit. They do not have screens on the front of the band and instead appear as mainly a wristband.

Both Flex and Flex 2 have 5 LED dots in the front. The Flex’s dots are arranged horizontally, whereas the Flex 2’s dots are arranged vertically across the front of the wristband.

Again, these will be very easy to identify, just refer to our pictures here.

Fitbit Surge / Blaze / Ionic – Smartwatches

What Is Fitbit Surge / Blaze / Ionic - Smartwatches

The Fitbit Surge, Blaze, and Ionics are Fitbit’s first attempts at making a smartwatch. Each of them features a large square front screen, that appears to be quite bulky.

To determine which of the 3 you have, just refer to the pictures below. There are slight differences in their bezels.

If You’re Still Having Trouble Identifying Your Fitbit… 

If our list and pictures have not helped you, and you are still having trouble identifying your Fitbit, there are 2 courses of action I can recommend.

Ask On The Fitbit Community Page

Ask on the Fitbit Community page

First, visit the Fitbit Community page, and see if you can identify it based on their images. Towards the top of the page are images that refer to all of their models of activity trackers and watches.

If you cannot identify it based on these images, you can simply start a new thread and post a picture asking for help.

It’s a fairly active community, and someone will surely be able to help you out with your question.

Try A Reverse Google Image Search

Try a reverse Google Image search

A reverse google image search is very easy to perform, and super-straightforward. If you haven’t tried one before, this will change the way you search the internet.

Simply go to www.images.google.com. Once you arrive, drag and drop an image from a folder or other webpage into the search bar.

Google will automatically search for images that look the same as your provided image.

You can add text to the image to help narrow the search results. Try Fitbit.

What Is The Most Accurate Or Best Type Of Fitbit You Can Buy?

What Is Accurate Type Of Fitbit

This depends entirely on your needs. If you’re in the market for a new Fitbit smartwatch or any other Fitbit wearable device (some people rather have a Fitbit on their ankle), it’s important to identify what features you’re looking for. You can visit the Fitbit website to view their current offerings and compare.

Best Fitbit Smartwatch

What Is Best FitBit

If you are looking for a Fitbit Smartwatch, I’d currently recommend the Fitbit Sense.

It has every single activity tracking sensor that Fitbit currently offers, and is priced extremely competitively against smartwatch offerings from other companies.

I used this watch while I was doing workout challenges like doing 1000 jumping jacks a day100 push-ups, 100 sit ups, 100 squats challenge, and doing squats everyday for 3 months and it was a great way to see how my body reacts to these somewhat hard challenges. But this device isn’t cool for challenges only, I have been using it for other fun exercises, like jumping on the trampoline.

It currently will cost you $299 to purchase new and will give you a top-of-the-line activity tracker and smartwatch all in one.

If you don’t need skin temperature tracking, the Versa 3 is the next best option at $229. The interface is well thought out, and it also compares very favorably to other smartwatch options on the market today.

Best Fitbit Activity Tracker

What Is Best Fitbit Activity Tracker

The Fitbit Charge 4 is currently the best activity tracker available on the market today. This includes offerings from companies other than Fitbit as well.

It does so much, that it is butting up against smartwatch territory. The only feature this activity tracker is missing is skin temperature tracking as this is newer technology from Fitbit. I imagine the Charge 5 will include this feature.

Outside of its activity tracking capabilities, the Charge 4 allows users to change tracks on Spotify from their wrist, and also uses Fitbit Pay. This lets you pay at stores without having to take out your credit card.

At $149, the Charge 4 is impossible to beat as a well-rounded activity tracker.

What Are The Best Alternatives To Fitbit Activity Trackers And Smartwatches?

 What Is Alternative Fitbit

I understand that despite their stellar reputation, Fitbit products may not be for everyone. I’ve got a few recommendations for those of you who prefer to stay away from the world of Fitbit.

Best Smartwatch Or Activity Tracker For Apple Enthusiasts

Best Tracker Watches

Well, you probably saw this one coming. It’s the Apple Watch Series 6. The latest and greatest offering from Apple.

The Apple Watch Series 6 beats the comparable Fitbit Sense in every category. It also has way more smartwatch features and is fully integrated into the Apple ecosystem. If you have an iPhone, and money for the Apple Watch, I’d highly recommend it!

The only downside to this purchase is that the Apple Watch Series 6 will cost you just about $400. So it is about $75-$100 more expensive than the Fitbit Sense we’re comparing it to.

Best Activity Tracker Alternative To The Fitbit Charge 4

What Is Tracker

At its $149 price point, with all of the features it offers, it is extremely hard to beat. The Garmin Vivosport is a solid alternative option, although it is slightly more expensive at $169.

The Vivosport gives you all of the features the Charge 4 offers, along with a well-designed touchscreen to control your music.

If you want to stay away from Fitbit, the Vivosport is a solid option.

Garmin is known for making quality products, and have recently found their way into the activity tracker and health monitoring market. Their activity trackers are considered some of the better trackers on the market and are praised for their durability and accuracy.

If you want to figure out whether you’re pumping out more calories than you’re taking in, then this device got your back. Speaking of which, as much as smartwatches and trackers will help you stay on top of your game as far as tracking your progress, do note that it all starts right in the kitchen…as they say, you are what you eat, and that means one thing – your diet.

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