In my expertise, folks are likely to have robust opinions about health trackers: both they relish the chance to realize perception into their well being or they’re utterly against diving into all these numbers. In truth, I am someplace within the center. I wish to understand how my physique recuperated from a tense day, however I do not need my wristband to vibrate each time I spend a chronic interval slouching at my desk.
I figured the Fitbit Luxe May swimsuit my tastes as a comparatively inexpensive health tracker choice from a well-liked model that counts a few of my family and friends members as followers. I additionally hoped their newest tracker would come with adjustable customization choices so I might simply zoom in on the info I really cared about (learn: extra data on my sleep habits, much less analytics round water consumption). I put the system to the take a look at to seek out out if that was the case.
Fitbit Luxe Specs and Pricing
How I Examined the Fitbit Luxe
Establishing the system required some troubleshooting, however that was on me since I hadn’t up to date my cellphone’s working system in ages. As soon as I might discovered the problem with Fitbit’s easy-to-reach tech assist, I arrange the system. Then, I wore the Fitbit Luxe for seven weeks, maintaining it on throughout sleep, near-daily exercises, and all the pieces in between. I solely took it off to bathe, which, FTR, wasn’t mandatory for the reason that system is water-proof as much as 50 meters (about 165 toes).
Within the Fitbit app, you may discover statistics for the day, together with exercise 4 rings to fill much like these you may see on the Apple Watch. The rings correspond together with your steps, miles, energy burned, and “Lively zone minutes,” aka the variety of minutes you spent together with your coronary heart price at 111 beats per minute or larger. I personally discovered that they had been formidable numbers to hit — I by no means managed to shut all 4 rings on a single day — however you may modify your every day objectives to no matter feels proper in your life-style and exercise degree.
All through these nearly two months, I additionally had entry to options which are solely out there to Fitbit premium members who pay for an annual or month-to-month premium subscription. Signing up for the premium membership unlocks insights and content material, together with numerous further sleep analytics, a every day readiness rating (a sign of how prepared your physique is for a exercise), mindfulness audio clips, digital strolling/operating races, step-based challenges, and recipe movies.
Whereas non-premium customers have entry to twenty exercise movies from Fitbit, Physique57, Day by day, and extra, a premium membership consists of a whole bunch of exercises. I adopted together with a couple of stretching movies and listened to some meditations for sleep, however I primarily wore my Fitbit Luxe whereas performing my very own exercises. The wearable does a good job of selecting up in your exercise robotically when you begin transferring in order that you do not have to trouble manually logging them. On the draw back, the Fitbit Luxe shouldn’t be at all times correct in guessing what you had been as much as. For instance, the health tracker detected that I used to be strolling or utilizing an elliptical once I was really lifting weights.
The system has further options you is perhaps interested in even if you happen to’re not eager about recording your train. It has a interval monitoring characteristic which informs you about your common cycle size and common estimated ovulation and predicts when your subsequent interval will begin. With a stress administration characteristic, you’ve got the choice to enter how you are feeling on a scale of very calm to very careworn at any level through the day. I logged my stress ranges a number of occasions, together with once I felt exceptionally zen after a morning meditation or overwhelmed about my to-do listing. That gave the system the contact factors it wanted to start out offering a every day stress administration rating, letting me understand how effectively my physique recovered from stress on a given day based mostly on adjustments in my coronary heart price, my bodily exercise, and sleep patterns. You can too use the Fitbit Luxe to log your weight and meals and water intakes, which I didn’t make the most of.
As somebody who hates the considered a tracker clashing with my outfit, I appreciated that loads of Fitbit Luxe alternative bands can be found, each from Fitbit and third-party manufacturers. I alternated between the included silicone band, which let me twin with my coworker, and a silver chrome steel band that I assumed was extra fitted to dressier garments. You can too select from graphite or platinum chrome steel or gold watch heads.
What Units the Fitbit Luxe Other than Different Trackers
Given the comparatively low worth of the system, I used to be stunned by the variety of options it consists of, though most require a paid subscription. You’ll be able to actually get granular with monitoring and analyzing your well being metrics, wanting into how your resting coronary heart price, oxygen saturation, respiration price, and coronary heart price variability (HRV) change over time. I might think about this degree of element may very well be helpful to an athlete who needs to optimize their coaching and restoration, though I personally discover the general readiness rating (which is knowledgeable by your exercise, sleep, and HRV) ample.
Fitbit’s strategy to a sleep report is exclusive in that it pairs you with considered one of six animals based mostly in your sleep model over the course of the month. Whereas I am a tortoise since I spend lots of time in mattress total, my coworker discovered she’s a giraffe, an animal that hits the best ratio of deep and REM sleep, regardless of a shorter total sleep length, in keeping with the app.
The Fitbit Luxe and different Fitbit units may also stand out to those that wish to use an exercise tracker as a pseudo-accountability buddy. Not solely are you able to earn badges for reaching sure milestones, however you too can add mates and create teams with fellow Fitbit customers to ship encouragement. You will discover a extra intensive choice of teams than you’d with different trackers, starting from “Stress Much less” and “New Mothers” to “Vegetarian” and “New York.”
My Verdict On the Fitbit Luxe
Because of its flexibility, the Fitbit Luxe suited my wants, however I really feel prefer it’d additionally attraction to individuals who wish to rely extra closely on a health tracker than I do. You’ll be able to decide to a premium membership and join challenges, monitor each ounce of water you drink, and discover recipe inspiration. Or, you may slender your focus to closing your rings, tuning into your physique as your main information to the way you construction your exercise.