Fitbit has been kicking across the health subject lengthy earlier than some corporations had even picked up the ball. Due to that have, it has some glorious merchandise inside its portfolio, together with nice options throughout the board and software program that’s actually easy to make use of.

Whether or not you are contemplating the entry-level Encourage tracker – which we’re speaking about right here – or you’re about to make the leap on the corporate’s fully-featured flagship Fitbit Sense 2, Fitbit gadgets not often disappoint.

The Fitbit Encourage – now in its third iteration following on from the Encourage and Encourage HR that launched in 2019, and the Encourage 2 from 2021 – is the corporate’s most cost-effective health tracker. Must you purchase the Encourage 3 although, or would you be higher off spending just a little bit extra and shopping for the Luxe or Cost? This is what we predict.

Slim and easy design

• 39.32 x 18.6 x 11.75mm
• 5ATM
• Midnight Zen/Black, Lilac Bliss/Black and Morning Glow/Black

Fitbit upgraded the design of the Encourage 3 when it was launched in August 2022. It is a way more seamless end in comparison with earlier Encourage gadgets, leading to a stunning neat and tidy tracker that sits elegantly on the wrist and with an honest dose of subtlety too.

The Encourage 3 has a plastic physique making it rather less premium than the chrome steel Luxe, and it is just a little thicker in its physique too, but it surely’s slim and light-weight, making it very comfy to put on. You barely discover it actually, which fits for carrying it at evening too.

Whereas there aren’t any bodily buttons on the Encourage 3, there’s a capacitive contact button on the aspect of the rounded physique, which presents haptic suggestions when pushed. It is going to get up the show in addition to put it again to sleep, however you may also place your hand on high of the Encourage 3 to place it to sleep too and lift your hand to wake it.

Talking of the show, there may be an At all times On mode, which is an improve on the Encourage 2, and it is a color touchscreen too that provides loads of vibrancy and punch. It is also brilliant sufficient to see outdoors in sunny situations.

The responsiveness is not the very best although, and the show is small in comparison with the dimensions of the Encourage 3’s physique – it is round half so there may be positively no edge-to-edge design right here. Some will not discover, however you do need to be fairly exact the place you contact in an effort to flick by means of the menus relatively than flip the show off, which might be irritating when attempting to start out a exercise for instance.

On the underside of the Encourage 3’s physique, you will discover the center fee monitor. It is flush – which is way more comfy than older Fitbit gadgets just like the Alta the place the center fee sensor protruded from the underside. You may additionally discover the pins to alter the straps right here, permitting for numerous completely different seems to be because of the multitude of equipment obtainable.

The usual straps that include the Encourage 3 are a stunning, tender silicone and fixed with a buckle, making them good and safe. The straps additionally sit flush with the physique of the Encourage 3 relatively than having a small hole just like the Encourage 2 so the design has improved considerably total.

Options

• Exercise monitoring, sleep monitoring, 21 exercise modes
• Energetic Zone Minutes, Cardio Health Rating, Every day Readiness Rating, Stress Administration Rating
• SpO2, HR monitoring
• Smartphone notifications

The Fitbit Encourage 3 delivers all the identical options as its predecessor, but it surely provides a number of extras too for good measure. We talked about the At all times On show – one thing the Fitbit Luxe and Cost 5 each have – in addition to the colored touchscreen, however the Encourage 3 additionally presents SpO2 monitoring.

The SpO2 monitoring means the Encourage 3 is ready to monitor blood oxygen, or in less complicated phrases, the quantity of oxygen your physique is ready to produce when exercising. It is one thing you will discover on the higher-end Fitbit gadgets, in addition to costlier gadgets just like the Apple Watch Sequence 8.

Together with SpO2 monitoring, there may be 24/7 coronary heart fee monitoring, which tracks coronary heart fee variability, your resting coronary heart fee and can ship irregular coronary heart fee rhythm notifications. The Encourage 3 may also detect pores and skin temperature variation and respiration fee, in addition to provide guided respiration classes so there’s loads on board.

That is with out mentioning the fundamentals too, which embrace step monitoring, exercise monitoring, automated train monitoring, sleep monitoring – which Fitbit does brilliantly – and smartphone notifications. Smartphone notifications are on the easy aspect and you may’t do something with them, however you will at the very least know when a name is coming by means of otherwise you obtain a textual content.

Fitbit has a few helpful ‘Scores’ too, like Every day Readiness Rating, which can take note of your exercise and sleep to find out whether or not you’re prepared for extra, or whether or not you must have a relaxation. The Stress Administration Rating is sweet too, as is the Sleep Rating, although a few of these are locked behind Fitbit Premium, which you pay further for. You possibly can learn extra about Fitbit Premium in our separate characteristic.

Efficiency and battery life

• HR sensor, SpO2
• Related GPS
• 10-day battery

Fortunately you do not have to pay further for the options provided by the Encourage 3, solely the entry to the information and what which means to you. And that is nice as a result of efficiency is usually excellent and battery life is great.

Fitbit estimates the Encourage 3 will ship 10 days of battery life between each cost that is precisely what we obtained. We did not hold the At all times On show on nonetheless, so anticipate that quantity to drop barely if you happen to use that characteristic.

We did carry out a number of exercises although, a few of which used the Related GPS so that might have had an impression on the battery. Observe that the Encourage 3 makes use of Related GPS relatively than built-in GPS – which means you will have to have your telephone with you for a stroll or run in order for you the GPS mapping. If you’d like built-in GPS, you will want to contemplate the Cost 5, or one of many smartwatch fashions. With regards to exercises although, the Encourage 3 has automated train recognition on board so if you happen to overlook to start out monitoring a experience or stroll, it should decide it up.

When it comes to exercise monitoring, the Encourage 3 performs very effectively. It barely overestimates steps in our expertise, particularly in comparison with the Apple Watch Sequence 8, however calorie estimate and coronary heart fee monitoring is on par, even when total resting coronary heart fee is just a little greater. Contemplating the Watch Sequence 8 is 4 occasions the worth although, that is not unhealthy going.

Sleep monitoring can be glorious on Fitbit and it is automated too, which suggests you do not have to recollect to place your Encourage 3 into a selected mode to ensure that it to register sleep. It can also monitor sleep with minimal battery too – we obtained a full evening value of monitoring with our Encourage 3’s battery on six per cent. After we awoke, it had solely used two per cent too, so sleep monitoring has a really insignificant impression on the battery life. It presents an important breakdown of knowledge for sleep too and what it means so that is one space the Encourage 3 actually excels in, like most Fitbit gadgets.

Software program

• iOS and Android
• Fitbit app

There are a variety of issues you are able to do from the Fitbit Encourage 3 itself, similar to set an alarm, begin a exercise or verify smartphone notifications, but it surely’s the superb Fitbit app that will provide you with essentially the most out of your Encourage 3 after which some.

The app is suitable with Android and iOS and it is one of many strongest causes to purchase a Fitbit over a less expensive health tracker.

As we talked about, some options are locked behind the Fitbit Premium subscription service, which you get free for six months with the Encourage 3, however there may be nonetheless loads of knowledge outdoors of the subscription that’s introduced in a quite simple and simple to know means.

Like many health gadgets, loads of knowledge is collected – from steps and estimated energy burned, to resting coronary heart fee and sleep phases – but it surely’s the best way Fitbit particulars it that makes it helpful. Open up the At this time tab within the Fitbit app and you may see a breakdown of all of your metrics, Scores and you may click on on any of them to see extra knowledge.

The Uncover tab exhibits exercises, mindfulness, challenges and adventures, in addition to well being and health stats, whereas the group tab is the place you will discover a Feed displaying your Fitbit Buddy’s achievements. There’s additionally a Premium tab, which you’ll entry if you’re a subscriber, which particulars superior sleep analytics, sleep profile and Every day Readiness Rating, amongst different options.

We have now a Fitbit suggestions and tips characteristic that offers you a rundown of all the pieces you are able to do together with your Fitbit and the Fitbit app but it surely’s a reasonably simple to make use of app and there is loads on provide.

Verdict

The Fitbit Encourage 3 is unbelievable as an entry-level health tracker with a neat design and nice options for an honest value.

It overestimates steps just a little and it’s a tad excessive in its resting coronary heart fee estimations too, whereas the touchscreen ought to positively be twice the dimensions and extra responsive.

Total although, for those who desire a slim and delicate gadget that does an important job of sleep monitoring and exercise monitoring, the Encourage 3 is effectively value contemplating. It is a pretty gadget with an outstanding battery life, unbelievable software program help from the Fitbit app and stable efficiency.