- Liling Tan
Fitbit Luxe Review: Slimmest Tracker With Big Offerings
The Fitbit Luxe is the first smart fitness and wellness tracker I've used and it wow-ed me so much that it changed the way I view smartwatches.
When I first got my hands on the Fitbit Luxe, my first thought was, "the screen is so small!" It is inevitable, given that it is Fitbit's "thinnest touchscreen tracker to date", so it is only expected that it comes with a smaller screen compared to other fitness trackers. Its sleek, premium-looking design makes it look like a fashion accessory that matches most of what one will wear when going out. It comes with various strap options besides the Lunar White/ Soft Gold Stainless Steel that I got, there's also Black/Graphite Stainless Steel, Orchid/Platinum Stainless Steel and the Special Edition gorjana Soft Gold Stainless Steel Parker Link Bracelet.
It is actually very easy to navigate through the extensive options on the screen. You can swipe left, right, up or down for more options like Timers, Heart Rate or notifications. Now before I embark on an activity like cycling or pilates, I will just swipe to the activity option on the watch instead of using external apps on my smartphone.
Using the Fitbit Luxe allows more accurate tracking like heart rate and calories lost. It even notifies me if I go into Fat Burn mode, which helped me in understanding how my body works while in activity. The tracker will also vibrate a little to give prompts or reminders if I stay inactive for too long. Besides using it to track when I do physical activities, I also use it to track my menstrual cycle, stress levels as well as my Sleep Score.
In this case, it certainly helps that the watch is very compact so wearing it to sleep doesn't have much effect - especially for someone like me who has the tendency to just remove the watch as soon as I get home. Monitoring my Sleep Score helps me to better understand my sleep quality and be more aware of my sleeping times. Fitbit also sends a weekly statistics summary via email to give users an overview which helps to keep more clarity in monitoring their health.
When you download the Fitbit app, you can easily pair the fitness tracker so you can customise your information and the watch interface and options. The app provides a very detailed and user-friendly interface for users to play around with, like customising the clock face on the watch.
If you want to monitor your activities and healthy more regularly, the app itself provides more detailed information compared to the watch.
The Luxe can also be connected to your phone for calls, text and smartphone notifications - which I did not opt to do as I prefer minimal disruptions, especially when I am in the midst of an activity. The battery life is very decent; Fitbit claims that it can go up to six days of battery life, but I've personally pushed it up to seven days, perhaps because I did not connect it for smartphone notifications.
One of the things I like is having the Mindfulness activity that allows me to take mindful breaks with the watch giving vibration prompts. I am pleasantly surprised by how much this dainty fitness tracker can offer - it may be small but it's a big offering.
The Fitbit Luxe is available in one size at S$198 and the Special Edition comes in at S$298. You can find out more on their product website.
Written by Liling Tan