The square fitness watch Fitbit Sense at a glance

Read our Fitbit Sense review and decide if you love this watch

Smartwatch with a fitness tracker is a growing landscape. More people are getting conscious of their health, tracking everything on the go from blood pressure, heart rate, blood oxygen level, sleep patterns, and even electrocardiogram.

Fitbit is among the trusted names in the industry, which added Fitbit Sense to its line-up. They have come a long way since the Fitbit Zip pedometer.

This is more than just a smartwatch but a reliable fitness tracker all in one on-wrist wearable. This Fitbit Sense review should help you determine if this health smartwatch truly lives up to your expectations.

Design and Looks

The cutting-edge design of Fitbit Sense will make an excellent addition to your personal accessories. A polished stainless-steel ring provides elegance to your personal looks while doing various physical activities. The custom AMOLED display gives a crystal crisp dashboard with high contrast so that every detail on the Gorilla Glass 3 screen is clear even during the daytime while consuming less energy and saving battery life. The classy design makes every piece of the Sense perfect for everyday wear.

Fitbit Sense design with the square front

Wellness Tracking Features

The fitness tracking features is the core strength that puts the Fitbit Sense in the spotlight. It has more comprehensive wellness metrics that every health-conscious individual would truly appreciate to have one every day and everywhere.

While the Fitbit Versa 3 has acclaimed the popularity due to the fitness trackers, the Sense provides more with three significant additions. One of them is the EDA sensor. ECG monitor is another awesome feature that sets it apart from the rest. Finally, the skin temperature sensor. We will look at each new feature to appreciate the product.

Fitbit Sense tracks a lot of different metrics

Stress Tracker and Electro Dermal Activity (EDA) Sensor

If you have constant exposure to stress at work or in your personal life, you will appreciate the EDA Scan that detects your body’s electrodermal activities. The feature may indicate, in an illuminated graph, the response of your body to stress. Thus, allowing you to manage stress better. The EDA Scan detects the electrical changes of your skin’s sweat level when you place your palm over the device. You can pair the app with the guided mindfulness sessions and check how your body responds to meditation, yoga, and relaxation. Over time, you will see your progress and gauge it against your emotional improvements.

Electrocardiogram (ECG) Monitor

The FDA-certified ECG Monitor is a ground-breaking innovation of Fitbit Sense, the first feature of the brand in its line-up. You can quickly read your ECG in 30 seconds, and screen for early signs of atrial fibrillation, or aFib. You must first go through a short Heart Rhythm Assessment in the app. Once you are done, the ECG app will show up on the screen. To get your ECG reading, just take a seat, and relax and place your index finger and thumb on the opposing corners of the Sense. What’s more, you can share the results of your ECG scan with your doctor using the app.

Skin Temperature Sensor

Another distinct addition to Fitbit Sense is the skin temperature sensor that lets you track the internal changes of the body. The app will show the changing skin temperature level in 30 days to arrive at a personal baseline as your benchmark.

Skin temperature and Sleep Tracking

Other Health Tracking Features

Oxygen Saturation (SpO2) Monitor

Fitbit added a signature SpO2 clock face monitor that lets you measure the estimated blood oxygen saturation, which indicates the amount of red blood cells the oxygen is carrying. The information is very important for some individuals since it indicates how the body is properly metabolizing energy at any given time.

Heart Rate Monitor

Heart rate tracking is one of the core features of Fitbit Sense. It is equipped with 24/7 Hearth Rate Tracking with PurePulse 2.0 that delivers continuous tracking of the heart rate during sleep, exercises, and all activities of the day. The PurePulse tracker checks the real-time level of your heart rate and tells you if it is too low or excessively high in comparison with your baseline. This will give you early signs of arrhythmia.

Similarly, the Heart Rate Zone will give you real-time heart rate stats on the screen, in conjunction with your daily activities, and tells you when you are in a cardio zone or in the fat burn zone. You can also dial the effort down or up based on your goal.

If you are subscribed to the premium, you will have access to the Heart Rate Variability (HRV) that shows potential signs of fatigue, illness, or stress. The Workout Intensity Map will check your heart rate zones all throughout the route of your outdoor exercises and shows you the intensity map, so you will know which area of the route your heart exert more effort.

Menstrual Health Tracking

Women will surely appreciate the fitness smartwatch more, especially those with irregular menstrual cycles that can sometimes affect the day. Fitbit Sense has a Menstrual Health Tracking feature that lets you log periods and records the symptoms. You can further track your ovulation and check patterns in your cycle so you can prepare in advance for the down days ahead.

Fitbit Sense in use

Exercise Activities

The smartwatch features more than 20 goal-based exercise modes plus SmartTrack. You can choose between different exercise modes and get real-time stats during workouts. Alternatively, you can let the SmartTrack recognize automatically and monitor your strenuous physical activities and exercises.

More Salient Basic Features

Fitbit Sense nails the smartwatch basics with features that provide convenience to your daily lifestyle. The Fitbit Pay lets you do cashless shopping by simply tapping the smartwatch for scanning to pay for your groceries and shopping. No need to get your wallet out of your pocket and search for the right card. The simple tap and pay works seamlessly and very convenient.

The Voice Assistant allows you to connect with Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant. Thus, giving you complete control of various smart home devices right on your wrist. The Voice Assistant can also check the weather and set alarms and bedtime reminders by just speaking to your smartwatch.

You can also connect the Fitbit wearable with your iPhone or Android smartphone, and easily check the text messages instantly on your device and dictate your text response with the Voice Assistant. Phone calls are also made easier. The built-in microphone guarantees that your voice is crystal clear on the other end of the line.

Color options:Carbon and Graphite or White and Gold

Charging and Battery Life

Charging is not much of a problem at all with a 6-day window for your next charge. It will only take up from one up to two hours to fully charge the device, and you can enjoy another six days of use. But if time is against your tide and you need a quick charge for the day, just charge it on for twelve full minutes, and you have a whole day of continuous use.

However, turning on the ‘always on’ mode may significantly shorten the battery life and reduce it by as much half the regular life.

Unboxing

Unboxing is a critical yet exciting part of the buying process. Your first impression of the product at a quick glance will make or break your day. When you open the box, Fitbit Sense will not disappoint as you will see the product as advertised. But when you start surfing through the features, that is the time you will appreciate the product and give worth to what you paid for.

So, what’s in the box? Once you unbox, you will see the elegant presentation of the Sense at the core, with the extra infinity band on the right side and the charger on the left. A short manual is included for guidance during the first use and setup.

Pros and Cons of Fitbit Sense

It is not a perfect device without a flaw. There are obvious limitations and features of similar devices not found in the Sense. For a quick glance at the advantages and disadvantages, below are the pros and cons.

Pros of Fitbit Sense

• Clear and bright AMOLED display.
• Long battery life of 6 days, about three times longer than Apple Watch.
• Has a quick 12-minute charging for a whole day of use or 2 hours for a full charge.
• New ECG feature.
• New Skin Temperature Sensor
• Improved watch bands and charger.
• Voice Assistant gives you control of your home smart devices.

Cons of the Sense by Fitbit

• Battery cut short if the ‘always on’ mode is turned on.
• Requires a Fitbit Premium subscription to maximize the features.
• Requires a smartphone to connect to a cellular network, unlike Apple Watch.

Review Recommendation

The Fitbit Sense has practically everything you need for wellness tracking and for your lifestyle needs. You have quick access to critical health metrics like the electrocardiogram, heart rate, and blood oxygen saturation. Simultaneously, it gives you full control of various smart devices at home by simply talking to your device.

If you forgot to bring your wallet while shopping, you have nothing to worry about because you can pay using the Sense. While the expensive cost remains a big hindrance, but you surely enjoy the numerous benefits for a small investment to pay. Indeed, it makes sense to invest in the Fitbit Sense.

Watch before you buy

Shop it on Amazon

Here’s what others have said about this popular Amazon Choice product:

“Best Fitbit yet” by Roger Z.

“Most comfortable fitbit I’ve worn. Love the screen and the options.” by cfb

“Can’t quite understand all the negative reviews…..” Paul Malkemus