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Fitbit vs Garmin: A battle between two health giants that’s been debated for a while.
Fitbit is one of the vital well-known health tracker firms on the market. The model title has been given the “Kleenex effect” by many, in that folks check with their health trackers as “a Fitbit” it doesn’t matter what model of health tracker they’re truly sporting. Garmin is extra well-known for its health smartwatches which have extra superior options for extra severe athletes.
Since we final spoke concerning the Fitbit vs Garmin debate, issues have modified. Lots. The two firms was once in most of the identical product classes and compete immediately with each other, however that’s not essentially the case anymore. Fitbit has primarily cornered the low-end smartwatch and health tracker markets (no less than within the US), whereas Garmin is far and away the chief within the GPS health watch house.
Oh, and Google introduced its plans to amass Fitbit in November 2019, so the way forward for Fitbit’s {hardware} {hardware} and companies is a little bit muddy. We explored some concepts concerning the acquisition right here, so take a look at our evaluation in case you’re excited by studying extra concerning the Google-Fitbit deal.
Right now, although, we’re evaluating Fitbit vs Garmin. Let’s get to it!
Fitbit vs Garmin: Fitness trackers
As said, issues have modified a bit in recent times. Fitbit is nonetheless releasing a number of health trackers yearly, whereas Garmin has slowed this a part of its product portfolio as of late. Fitbit at the moment has 4 newer health trackers for sale on its web site. Garmin has 4 as nicely, however three of them are fairly previous.
Fitbit health trackers
- Fitbit Charge 4 (Amazon): The Fitbit Charge 4 is the corporate’s flagship health tracker. It’s the primary Fitbit tracker with onboard GPS — one thing customers have been clamoring for for years. All Charge Four fashions have entry to Fitbit Pay and include many smartwatch options present in units just like the Versa Three or Sense.
- Fitbit Inspire 2 (Amazon): The Fitbit Inspire 2 is Fitbit’s barebones health tracker. It’s good for primary exercise monitoring, however don’t count on a lot out of the show or design. The actual profit of shopping for an Inspire 2 is the free yr of Fitbit Premium thrown in with every buy.
- Fitbit Charge 3 (Amazon): The Fitbit Charge 3 is primarily a less expensive Charge 4. It has practically the identical design and have set, solely the Charge Three doesn’t have onboard GPS. You’ll additionally have to spring for the particular version mannequin if you would like Fitbit Pay help. If you’re doing that, in fact, you would possibly as nicely simply purchase the Charge 4.
- Fitbit Inspire HR (Amazon): The Fitbit Inspire HR and Inspire (under) have taken the place of the Alta collection in Fitbit’s lineup. The Inspire HR is smaller than the Charge Four and has fewer options and a worse show, however makes up for these issues with a good spec sheet.
- Fitbit Inspire (Amazon): The Fitbit Inspire is the identical precise factor because the Inspire HR, simply with out the coronary heart fee sensor.
- Fitbit Ace 2 (Amazon): The Fitbit Ace 2 is Fitbit’s second kid-friendly health tracker. It’s similar to the Fitbit Inspire, however with a extra sturdy kind issue. It can observe your kids’s exercise all through the day, present bedtime alerts, silent alarms, and extra.
- What concerning the Fitbit Zip? Fitbit hasn’t launched a real follow-up to the clip-on Zip health tracker, however there’s a good different. The firm sells clip-on equipment for the Fitbit Inspire (non-HR mannequin) that primarily flip the system right into a Fitbit Zip.
Also learn: The most typical Fitbit issues and repair them
Garmin health trackers
Garmin vivosport (left) and vivosmart 4 (right)
- Garmin Vivosmart 4 (Amazon): The Vivosmart 4 is Garmin’s newest exercise tracker. It’s small, has a a lot improved show over its predecessor, and it has a built-in pulse oximeter. Recently, Garmin rolled out related GPS performance to it, too.
- Garmin Vivosport (Amazon): The Garmin Vivosport is a couple of years previous at this level, however it’s the corporate’s strongest health tracker. It has a built-in GPS and coronary heart fee sensor, it’s correct, waterproof, and it’s fairly low cost as a result of it’s been in the marketplace since 2017.
- Garmin Vivofit 4 (Amazon): The Vivofit 4 is additionally a pair years previous, however it’s nonetheless a stable low cost health tracker. It has one-year battery life, an at all times on show, and it’s waterproof. We simply want it had ANT+ HR sensor help (its predecessor did), and barely higher exercise monitoring capabilities.
- Garmin Vivofit Jr. 3 (Amazon): The Vivofit Jr. 3 is the newest kid-friendly health tracker from Garmin. It has a much bigger show for exhibiting extra exercise data, in addition to new designs from Marvel and Disney.
- Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2 (Amazon): This is Garmin’s last-gen health tracker for youngsters. It is available in a bunch of enjoyable designs, it’s swim-friendly, has a one-year battery life, and can hold observe of your kids’s steps taken and sleep.
Related: The finest Fitbit alternate options
What if you would like one thing a bit extra highly effective than the units listed above? Something with a much bigger display screen? Luckily each firms have you ever coated.
Fitbit vs Garmin: Smartwatches and sport watches
Fitbit is nonetheless comparatively new to the smartwatch market, with solely three units out right now. The firm’s units are bettering with each iteration, however they’re nonetheless notably behind different manufacturers in relation to smartwatch options.
Fitbit smartwatches and sports activities watches
Credit: Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority
- Fitbit Sense (Amazon): The jury’s nonetheless out as as to whether or not the Fitbit Sense is truly definitely worth the hefty value, however it’s no less than Fitbit’s most experimental wearable thus far. It comes with an EDA sensor for stress monitoring, an ECG monitor, and a pores and skin temperature sensor that may present early indicators of sickness.
- Fitbit Versa 3 (Amazon): Aren’t within the EDA, ECG, and pores and skin temperature sensors? The Fitbit Versa 3 is for you. It’s primarily the identical health watch, minus the extras.
- Fitbit Versa 2 (Amazon): The Fitbit Versa 2 is Fitbit’s second actual try at a smartwatch for the plenty. It’s small, mild, offers you smartphone notifications, and even has Amazon Alexa in-built. The OLED show is an enormous enchancment over the first-gen Versa, too. It’s an excellent health tracker, although sadly there’s no built-in GPS.
- Fitbit Ionic (Amazon): The Fitbit Ionic is the corporate’s first-ever smartwatch, whose capabilities have now been surpassed by the newer and sleeker Fitbit Sense and Versa 3.
- Fitbit Versa Lite (Amazon): The Fitbit Versa Lite is primarily a less expensive Versa (first-gen) with a couple of much less options. There’s no music storage, no Fitbit Pay, and no Wi-Fi help. We totally advocate the Versa 2 over the Versa Lite at this level, however this watch could be discovered on sale very often.
- Fitbit Versa (Amazon): The authentic Fitbit Versa is rising lengthy within the tooth at this level. It’s the corporate’s first smartwatch for the plenty and may typically be discovered on sale on Amazon. It’s nonetheless a really succesful health tracker, although we do advocate the Versa 2 line over the unique Versa, fingers down.
Smartwatches and sports activities watches are Garmin’s bread and butter. We’re going to speak concerning the firm’s 5 important health watch collection, however do observe that the corporate sells lots extra units on its web site.
Garmin smartwatches and sports activities watches
- Garmin Venu (Amazon): The Garmin Venu is the corporate’s first AMOLED show smartwatch. It’s primarily the identical system because the Vivoactive 4 (under), solely with a higher-resolution show and barely shorter battery life.
- Garmin Vivoactive Four and 4S (Amazon): The Garmin Vivoactive 4 is a unbelievable multisport watch. It has built-in GPS, week-long battery life, music storage and Garmin Pay, and Garmin’s new breathwork workouts which might be truly fairly helpful.
- Garmin Venu Sq (Amazon): Interested within the Garmin Venu however need one thing a bit cheaper? The Garmin Venu Sq is the watch for you. It affords a lot of the identical options as the unique Venu however swaps out an LCD show for the higher-end AMOLED. Read all concerning the variations right here.
- Garmin Vivomove Three and 3S (Amazon): Garmin’s hybrid smartwatch, the Vivomove, acquired an enormous improve in 2019. The Garmin Vivomove Three and 3S now have Garmin Pay help, pulse oximeter sensors, and convey again the hidden shows beneath the watch face.
- Garmin Forerunner 245, 645, 745, and 945 (Amazon): If you’re a runner, look no additional than the Garmin Forerunner lineup. Depending in your price range, the Forerunner 245, 645, or 945 could have one thing that fits your wants.
- Garmin Fenix 6 collection (Amazon): There are loads of fashions within the Garmin Fenix 6 collection, so that you’re certain to search out one thing that fits your wants. These high-end multisport watches are for athletes that spend most of their time outside.
- Garmin Instinct (Amazon): The Garmin Instinct line is for those that don’t want a smartwatch or an enormous show, however nonetheless need one thing that’ll observe excursions within the nice outside. There’s even a solar-powered mannequin that primarily by no means runs out of battery.
Fitbit vs Garmin: Activity and well being monitoring
Credit: Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority
No matter which ecosystem you select, all of those units will hold observe of the fundamentals: steps taken, energy burned, and sleep. They’ll additionally observe your distance traveled, however solely those with GPS (Sense, Versa 3, Charge 4, Ionic, Vivosport, Instinct, and all of Garmin’s operating watches) gives you correct distance metrics. The units that function built-in GPS sensors can even provide you with tempo, cadence, and elevation particulars.
The Fitbit Versa and Versa 2, Charge 3, Inspire 2, Inspire HR, Garmin Vivosmart 4, and Vivomove Three and 3S all have related GPS, permitting you to trace correct distance and tempo metrics in case you carry your telephone with you on a run. Unfortunately, neither the Garmin Vivofit Four nor the Fitbit Inspire have any GPS performance.
All units listed above will observe your complete time asleep, in addition to sleep levels, together with how typically you spend in REM, mild, and deep sleep, and the way a lot time you’re awake all through the night time. Fitbit units gives you a 30-day common of your sleeping habits (in comparison with Garmin’s seven-day common), in addition to a benchmark to match towards different folks your age.
Also learn: The finest sleep trackers | The finest sleep monitoring apps for Android
Also, in case you’re a Fitbit Premium subscriber, your Fitbit gives you entry to sleeping coronary heart fee knowledge and restlessness. Newer Garmin units just like the Venu, Vivoactive 4, and Vivosmart Four all have pulse oximeters (SpO2) in-built, which is able to observe your blood-oxygen saturation ranges all through the day and night time. The Fitbit Sense and Versa Three have SpO2 screens as nicely, which have been only in the near past enabled for computerized SpO2 monitoring. Older Fitbits just like the Versa 2, Versa, and Ionic have SpO2 sensors, however they’re solely utilized for extra Sleep Score particulars.
Additionally, the Garmin Venu and Vivoactive Four units include respiration fee (or respiratory fee) monitoring.
Side observe: Garmin’s app does inform you how a lot sleep you need to be getting in comparison with different customers, however it’s tucked away within the Insights tab. It’s straightforward to miss as a result of it’s not within the Sleep part, the place you’d assume it needs to be situated.
Credit: Jimmy Westenberg / Android Authority
If you requested me a couple of years in the past which firm has the higher sleep trackers, I might have answered Fitbit, fingers down. That all modified after Garmin launched superior sleep monitoring in mid-2018. Now, each firms are at roughly the identical degree, give or take a couple of options.
Both ecosystems provide you with a strategy to control your stress, however every firm’s method is totally different. For most Fitbit units, you get a function known as Relax which walks you thru a collection of guided respiratory workouts that will help you relax in case you’re too careworn. Fitbit’s units use the coronary heart fee sensor that will help you comply with alongside throughout respiratory workouts. When the train is executed, Fitbit units don’t truly do something with this data, not like Garmin units. The Fitbit Sense has an EDA sensor, which tracks your physique’s electrodermal exercise which may mirror your stress ranges.
Quite a few Garmin wearables function all-day stress monitoring based mostly in your coronary heart fee variability. This allows you to see while you’re essentially the most or least careworn all through the day — a helpful metric for those that discover (or don’t discover) patterns of their temper. Garmin does supply guided respiratory workouts on a couple of of its units, however it doesn’t make the most of the guts fee monitor that will help you comply with alongside.
However, on newer Garmin units there’s a exercise mode known as breathwork, and these aren’t your commonplace stress-relief respiratory workouts, both. Once you choose breathwork, you’ll be requested to decide on which sort of breathwork you’d wish to concentrate on: coherence, chill out and focus (lengthy and brief variations), or tranquility. From right here, your watch will stroll you thru quite a lot of respiratory patterns that will help you chill out or focus.
Also learn: Garmin Index S2 good scale overview: Very good, very expensive
Both ecosystems present their very own variations of menstrual cycle monitoring for ladies. Fitbit’s model is known as feminine well being monitoring, and permits ladies to trace their intervals, fertile home windows, ovulation days, and feminine well being signs. This is all made higher by the Fitbit app, which can be utilized to talk with different ladies about any points they could have.
Also learn: Fitbit feminine well being monitoring: Everything you want to know
Garmin’s function is known as menstrual cycle monitoring and lets customers log interval begin and finish dates, bodily and emotional signs, make private notes, and extra. Garmin makes it some extent to remind customers that this function is for all varieties of customers, whether or not their cycle is common, irregular, or in the event that they’re transitioning into menopause. Garmin units may even observe customers’ pregnancies, too.
Both firms present some form of on-device, guided exercises. Only a restricted variety of on-screen exercises can be found out of the field on the Sense, Versa 3, Versa 2, Versa, and Ionic, however extra could be added in case you’re a Fitbit Premium subscriber (extra on that later).
Garmin’s newer watches (Venu, Vivoactive 4/4S) help animated, on-device exercises. Cardio, energy, yoga, and Pilates exercises are all obtainable on-device, and extra can be found to obtain by Garmin Connect.
Fitbit vs Garmin: Smart options
Fitness merchandise aren’t simply health merchandise any extra — most of them additionally double as smartwatches. At the very least, they’ve a couple of smartwatch options that make our lives a bit simpler.
Both Garmin and Fitbit units help smartphone notifications on Android and iOS, however solely Android customers can reply to and delete messages from their wearables. The Fitbit Sense and Versa Three actually have a scaled-back model of Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa baked in, which suggests the watches help voice replies and have the flexibility to look issues on the web
Garmin units don’t include any type of voice assistant.
Most Garmin and Fitbit watches additionally help onboard music storage, however Fitbit has one obtrusive draw back: no offline Spotify help. Garmin helps Spotify in addition to Amazon Music, Deezer, and iHeartRadio, whereas Fitbit solely helps native music, Pandora, or Deezer.
Quite a lot of apps can be downloaded to Garmin and Fitbit units, together with Uber, Strava, and extra. Contactless cost help is obtainable on most Garmin and Fitbit units too, within the type of Garmin Pay and Fitbit Pay.
Fitbit vs Garmin: Apps
Your resolution to decide on Fitbit or Garmin will most certainly rely upon which health product you need, however it’s essential to maintain smartphone apps in thoughts, too. After all, this is the place you’ll investigate cross-check efficiency stats, each day and weekly exercise metrics, and extra.
The Fitbit app is essentially the most person pleasant possibility of the 2. Once you open it up, you’ll be introduced with a house display screen that’s straightforward on the eyes and easy to navigate. Your each day stats are proven on the prime, and you’ll scroll all the way down to see your latest train and sleep. If you wish to take a look at efficiency or sleep metrics over time, simply click on on the class right from the principle display screen and also you’ll see all of your earlier exercise. This makes it straightforward to make use of for first-timers, as you don’t have to scroll by totally different tabs or menus to search out what you need.
The Garmin Connect app has improved loads over the previous few years, however it’s nonetheless a bit extra sophisticated. The important display screen on Garmin Connect will show your each day exercise metrics, and clicking on each offers you extra data and your historical past. It’s far more information-dense than Fitbit’s app, which can be an excellent or dangerous factor relying on what sort of person you’re. I truly like how a lot information Garmin’s app shows on every display screen, however I’ve additionally been utilizing Garmin units for years, so I’m used to it by now.
Fitbit’s app is the most effective health apps round. Garmin’s is good, however a little bit too information-dense for some.
On prime of the already information-dense house display screen, Garmin Connect additionally has a slide-out menu on the facet that permits you to see exercise, well being, and efficiency stats, in addition to customized exercises, insights, and extra. This is mainly an overflow menu for issues that Garmin couldn’t match within the backside tab.
Garmin’s app shows extra post-workout data, whereas Fitbit’s looks as if it’s geared extra in direction of newcomers or individuals who desire a easy overview of their each day exercise. If you need all of the health metrics obtainable, we’d counsel going with Garmin. However, each ecosystems even have web sites that show much more of your exercise metrics in case you want extra that what’s offered in both app.
Both apps function menus on the backside that assist you to rapidly soar into your challenges, notifications, and extra. Garmin Connect encompasses a helpful calendar that permits you to soar again to any date you’d wish to see your exercise for that day. Fitbit’s app allows you to look again at your exercise historical past too, however you want to scroll again sooner or later at a time. It’s simply simpler to leap round in Garmin’s app.
Related: The finest smartwatch offers we may discover
Garmin Connect might have a leg up on the calendar, however Fitbit knocks it out of the park with social options. Fitbit’s group tab allows you to join with different Fitbit homeowners which have related pursuits to you. You can touch upon different customers’ pictures, be part of teams, and extra. It’s mainly a whole social community contained in the Fitbit app, and it’s superior.
Garmin’s app allows you to be part of teams too, however it’s not practically as social as Fitbit’s.
Fitbit additionally wins when it comes to third-party app help. Dozens of third-party smartphone apps work with Fitbit’s app — like MyFitnessPal, MapMyRun, Weight Watchers, and extra — so all of your Fitbit knowledge will routinely sync along with your favourite well being and health functions. I’ve additionally observed third-party health apps on Fitbit’s ecosystem are usually higher high quality. Fitbit is nonetheless comparatively new to the smartwatch house, so there aren’t a ton of watch apps obtainable for Fitbit’s smartwatches but. The quantity has grown immensely since Fitbit first launched its app retailer, which is an important signal for the way forward for the ecosystem.
A good quantity of third-party apps are additionally obtainable on Garmin’s watches and health trackers, which could be discovered within the Garmin Connect IQ app (sure, there’s an entire totally different smartphone app simply for downloading third-party apps).
Third-party watch faces are additionally obtainable on Garmin and Fitbit units. There are a ton to select from, however each ecosystems present a horrible looking out expertise. Syncing watch faces on Fitbit units is a laggy mess. Garmin isn’t out of the woods, both — each ecosystems’ units take a very long time to sync.
Premium options
Fitbit has just lately switched up its enterprise mannequin. It’s now providing a subscription service known as Fitbit Premium, which, for $9.99 a month or $79.99 a yr, will get you entry to guided exercise packages, superior well being and health insights, superior sleep instruments, and dynamic exercises based mostly in your efficiency.
You can join for a free trial of Fitbit Premium on the hyperlink under, and take a look at our full overview for extra particulars.
Garmin affords loads of this stuff for free. Garmin Coach coaching plans, which come free with the acquisition of many Garmin watches, aid you prepare for a 5K, 10Okay, or half marathon with the assistance of three skilled runners. It truly helped me run my first half marathon!
Fitbit vs Garmin: Which ecosystem is right for you?
So, which ecosystem is higher? Where must you spend your hard-earned money? Unfortunately there’s no definitive reply to that. It all relies on what sort of person you’re and what you want out of a health system.
It’s laborious to not steer extra informal customers — the parents who simply need a greater concept of their each day exercise — in direction of Fitbit. The app is simpler to grasp, Fitbit units are stellar health trackers, and for essentially the most half they’re extra trendy. But there are many choices in Fitbit’s lineup if you wish to go roughly superior along with your health monitoring. The Sense is there for your high-end GPS smartwatch wants, whereas the Inspire 2 is there in case you simply desire a easy health tracker.
It’s laborious to not steer extra informal customers in direction of Fitbit, whereas folks excited by extra superior options will wish to take a look at Garmin’s lineup.
That’s to not say Garmin needs to be counted out for extra informal customers both. The Vivosmart 4 is a good entry-level tracker in case you want a Fitbit different. Though, Garmin actually shines with its GPS watches. Seriously, there’s one thing in Garmin’s lineup for all varieties of superior customers. Plus, Garmin’s app offers you as a lot data — graphs, charts, you title it — because it presumably can after every exercise. If you wish to go all-in on health monitoring and want these minute particulars, we’d counsel Garmin.
Whichever ecosystem you select, we expect you’ll be simply high-quality — each Fitbit and Garmin supply a variety of units, companies, and apps that shouldn’t have any downside suiting most individuals’s wants.
Alright, now it’s your flip — which ecosystem is your favourite?
Next: How to get in form along with your health tracker in simply 7 minutes… a day
(This story has not been edited by Newslivenation workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)