Fitbit Luxe review: A tiny fitness tracker that punches above its weight

Fitbit is stepping up its vogue recreation with the Luxe, a slim health tracker that might move for jewellery. The $150 Luxe presents lots of Fitbit’s greatest well being and health options, like sleep monitoring and goal-based exercises, in a wearable designed for smaller wrists. But it faces competitors from Fitbit’s personal less-expensive band-based trackers just like the Inspire 2 and Charge 4 which have longer battery life and related (or further) options, even when they do not look nearly as good.

There’s been a spot available in the market for trendy trackers that a number of wearables have tried to fill, just like the Garmin Lily or the (a lot) dearer Apple Watch Hermes. The Luxe feels prefer it takes somewhat of each and tries to be a crossover system. You get a handsome health band, however you additionally get a every day well being coach in order for you it, too. The Luxe is greatest seen as a fashion-ready variant of the Inspire 2, perhaps, with a nicer display screen, however it’s not Fitbit’s greatest tracker for the worth.

Like

  • Sleek, light-weight tracker that appears like jewellery
  • Same health, sleep and stress monitoring as different Fitbits
  • More than 5 days’ battery life

Don’t Like

  • Screen and textual content could also be too small for some individuals
  • Buttonless navigation may be complicated
  • No music controls

Luxe type at a luxe value

The Luxe has a stainless-steel body that makes it look stylish even when worn with the usual silicone band. But the large drawcard is pairing it with different steel or leather-based bands to actually make this really feel extra like a vogue accent. The Gorjana stainless-steel hyperlink bracelet is $100 and a few of the leather-based straps price between $50-$70. (If you have an interest within the hyperlink bracelet, I’d counsel shopping for it within the bundle with the tracker to avoid wasting $50.)

Even with the nicer-looking bands, the Luxe is extremely comfy to put on. I’d go as far as to say it is essentially the most “invisible” Fitbit I’ve worn lately as a result of I nearly neglect I’m carrying it. It’s slim and does not get in the way in which throughout sleep. Plus, you will not should take it off for over 5 days as a result of the battery lasts that lengthy.


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But it’s fairly small, so it will not go well with all wrists. The shade AMOLED touchscreen is very nice to have a look at, though in the event you wrestle studying small textual content you might have issue studying your stats with out glasses. In broad daylight I may make out the display screen when checking the time or my exercise stats, however the ambient mild sensor is somewhat sluggish to kick in to spice up the brightness to max.

Unlike different Fitbit trackers, there are no bodily buttons on the Luxe, so that you navigate completely utilizing the touchscreen. Double faucet on the display screen to return, or swipe proper on most screens to get again to the clock face. It’s a bit complicated and I’ve undoubtedly began many unintentional exercises simply by attempting to return and test the time.

Health and well-being monitoring is what you are right here for

Fitbit’s sleep monitoring is superb. After you put on the Luxe to mattress, you will get a sleep rating out of 100 within the morning that takes into consideration the standard of your relaxation. On high of the breakdown of time spent in numerous sleep zones — REM, mild and deep — the Luxe additionally tracks metrics like respiratory price, resting coronary heart price and pores and skin temperature variation at evening. This is similar as discovered on dearer Fitbits just like the Versa 3 and Sense, with the Fitbit app offering a complete breakdown of what every metric means. The Luxe will quickly get blood oxygen (SpO2) monitoring at evening, too.

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Your nightly sleep rating within the Fitbit app.


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Stress monitoring works in an identical strategy to sleep monitoring, however is not as mature but. First seen on the Fitbit Sense, stress administration on the Luxe provides you a every day rating out of 100 after having worn the tracker constantly for a number of days. It’s calculated by your sleep high quality, total exercise degree and responsiveness in an identical strategy to the Sense, however that watch additionally takes into consideration readings from an electrodermal exercise (or EDA) sensor.

At first, I discovered the stress administration rating a bit complicated. I wasn’t certain what to do with it and the decrease the rating, the much less careworn I believed I used to be speculated to be. It’s really the reverse: the next quantity is best. But now I like to consider my stress administration rating much less in regards to the phrase stress, however extra as an indicator of my readiness. If I get a low rating, I’ll take it simple and take a relaxation day or perhaps strive a meditation session to assist enhance my sleep. The next rating means I must be able to push myself on a exercise. Over time, you could possibly use the rating as a little bit of a benchmark and see how mindfulness actions may have an effect on it (and hopefully how you are feeling, too). I’m nonetheless not offered on it being a must have function for me, however I’m excited to see the way it evolves with time. The stress administration rating can be obtainable on different Fitbit gadgets just like the Versa sequence, Charge 4 and Inspire 2.

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The stress administration rating reveals up every day within the Fitbit app.


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The key to unlocking extra perception into these mysterious scores and metrics is Fitbit Premium, the $10 month-to-month subscription service that provides every thing from exercise applications to meditation classes and even consuming applications. But you additionally get deeper insights into sleep, stress and developments on the well being metrics dashboard. A 6-month trial is included with the Luxe, which I feel is the correct quantity of time to work out if that is definitely worth the ongoing funding. As a knowledge geek, the extra element on sleep is essentially the most helpful half to me, however for first-timers to the world of Fitbit, guided exercises and even Deepak Chopra’s Mindful Method could also be extra tempting. You may use these movies together with the guided respiratory app on the Luxe, too.

The Luxe additionally comes with menstrual monitoring and the choice to log blood glucose ranges within the Fitbit app.

The identical nice Fitbit health monitoring, however with out GPS

Fitness monitoring on the Luxe works in an identical strategy to latest Fitbits. There are 20 exercise sorts, though the Luxe can solely retailer 6 at a time. Use the app to swap exercises out and in of these slots. Goal-based exercises can be found, so you will get an alert in the event you hit a set calorie, distance or Active Zone Minute objective for instance. Active Zone Minutes are Fitbit’s method of calculating reasonable to intense bodily exercise and is meant to be a extra correct illustration of your health in comparison with steps alone. You’ll additionally have the ability to see your cardio health rating (or VO2 Max) within the Fitbit app.

The Luxe can be water-proof as much as 50 meters (164 ft) so there will not be any problem utilizing it whereas swimming. That mentioned, I’m undecided how the extra ornamental bands will maintain up with water contact, so most likely greatest to stay to the silicone band.

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The display screen is seen in vibrant daylight, however it does not present up as effectively on digicam.


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Due to its small measurement, the Luxe misses out on built-in GPS. Instead, it depends on linked GPS which suggests you will have to take your cellphone on any out of doors exercise to trace route data. Fitbit’s most likely not anticipating runners or cyclists like me to gravitate towards the Luxe for out of doors exercises (there’s the Charge 4 for that) however it’s nonetheless a function I miss if I’m in search of a do-it-all tracker. For what it is price, the linked GPS locked on rapidly when beginning a exercise.

I examined the center price sensor on the Luxe in opposition to a chest strap, the gold customary for shopper coronary heart price monitoring. My resting coronary heart price on the Luxe matched up effectively, although throughout a cardio exercise like a brisk stroll or run, the center price sensor did lag behind the strap a number of seconds. This is just not uncommon for optical sensors worn on the wrist, however chances are you’ll wish to think about a extra run-specific tracker or smartwatch in the event you want that exact coronary heart price on the watch face throughout your run.

You will not get many good options on the Luxe

The Luxe is not speculated to take the place of a smartwatch. It does the fundamentals: alarms, timers, seeing incoming calls and notifications out of your iPhone or Android. Notification replies with fast responses can solely be despatched out of your wrist when paired with Android. But that is about it. If you need music management, Fitbit Pay for cell funds, or elevation monitoring, take a look at one other Fitbit. The Luxe does not have them. You can swap out watch faces within the Fitbit app, although the choice is not as in depth as a few of Fitbit’s different smartwatches.

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Some of the watch faces on the Luxe.


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This is Fitbit’s first wearable since being acquired by Google, however there aren’t many clues as to what’s coming subsequent for this integration. The Fitbit app nonetheless seems to be and acts the identical as for earlier gadgets. There’s a quick pairing mode when utilizing Android, however that is about it. We’ll want to attend and see what Fitbit options will find yourself included in Google’s new Wear OS watches.

Style and substance, however it’s not a one-size-fits-all tracker

After nearly two weeks with the Fitbit Luxe, I actually get pleasure from carrying it. But I’m not completely certain who it is for. Unless you are particularly in search of a fairly health band with a shade AMOLED display screen (and are ready to spend $200 to get that jewelry-like look), the cheaper Inspire 2 or Charge 4 supply many of the identical options because the Luxe for much less. You may even elevate the look of these trackers with steel bands in the event you wished to make them fancier. But it is very nice to have extra choices for these of us with smaller wrists, and the Luxe is a welcome addition to the rising area of trendy health watches.

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