Fitbit Alternatives

Fitbit has become a default way to refer to a fitness tracker you wear on your wrist, but in fact Fitbit is just one of the companies that make these trackers.

If you’re looking for a similar product, there are plenty of alternatives to Fitbit for you to choose between.

We’re guessing that you’ll want your Fitbit equivalent to have similar if not the same functions and features, but that’s not to say that a Fitbit alternative will be a Fitbit knockoff – many Fitbit type devices have their own style and appeal.

To help you select the best alternative to Fitbit, we’ve rounded up a selection of the best Fitbit type watches.

Our brief may have been to find a Fitbut substitute, but we think we’ve found some options to rival or even beat the original. We’ve also given you a run-down of features to look for in Fitbit like devices.

Best Golf GPS Watches

Samsung Galaxy Active Smart Watch

Withings Pulse HR Health & Fitness Tracker

Xiaomi Mi Band 4 Fitness Tracker

Amazfit GTS Fitness Smartwatch

Garmin Vivosmart 4 Fitness Activity Tracker

Honor Band 5 Fitness Tracker

Samsung Galaxy Active Smart Watch

Highlights

  • Simple design with unisex appeal
  • Can automatically detect up to 6 exercises and track up to 39 more
  • Analyses sleep patterns
  • Can be synced with a compatible smartphone

We like the clean and simple lines of this Samsung watch, with a sleek face and choice of strap colours.

You can choose between a range of displays and it’s easy to use the touchscreen to move between menus and functions.

This smartwatch will automatically detect up to 6 exercises and track up to 39 more, including those you’d expect like running, cycling and swimming.

It also helps you to keep an eye on your overall health, by tracking your sleep patterns and your heart rate.

You’ll even get a real-time alert if it detects a high or low heart rate, so you can manage it proactively.

Charging is wireless, and the amount of time you’ll get from one charge depends on how you’re using the watch – the 90 hours of low usage will drop down to just 15 hours using the watch to track outdoor activities with GPS.

There are also a limited but useful range of third-party apps such as Spotify, and you can sync this watch with a compatible smartphone to see notifications on screen.

Overall it looks good and performs well, so this smartwatch is a smart choice.

Specifications

Material:Silicone
Case Diameter:40 mm
Watch Strap:20 mm, Silicone
Battery Life:Low usage: up to 90 hours ; Outdoor workout time with GPS: up to 15 hours

Specifications

Pros

  • Touchscreen controlled
  • Will send a real-time alert if a high or low heart rate is detected
  • Customisable watch face with choice of displays
  • Wireless charging

Cons

  • Fairly limited storage (4GB)
  • No rotating bezel for those who prefer that method of control

Watches Like Fitbit Buying Guide

Technology

Within the compact design that fits neatly on your wrist, fitness trackers squeeze in an impressive amount of technology. At a basic level, fitness trackers need to measure your motion, using a 3-axis accelerometer to track movement in every direction. Some will also use a gyroscope to measure your orientation and rotation. The data which is collected from these can be used to show the number of steps or activity you’ve completed, plus data such as calories burned. There can be some variance here, simply because every body is slightly different so your stride or stroke won’t be the same as the person next to you. Then there’s the sensor which measures your heart rate. There are a few ways of doing this, such as using an optical sensor which shines a light onto your skin and measures your pulse through it. Another sensor you’re likely to find is an altimeter to measure altitude – this is what allows you to see elevation gain on a run, or the number of flights of stairs you’ve walked up and down.

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