Fitbit introduced new hardware and updated existing products in 2020. The Fitbit Sense was one of the most innovative new wearables, so we are diving into our official Fitbit Sense review. It is hard to believe that the Fitbit Ionic Fitbit was launched over three years ago. Fitbit has made a lot of progress in a short time. They have refined their hardware design and FitbitOS operating systems, and created a compelling story about why you should wear a Fitbit watch instead of a Galaxy Watch or something with Wear OS. The Fitbit Sense was released in late 2020. This was Fitbit's vision of the future of smartwatches. The Fitbit Sense does everything the Fitbits do, including activity monitoring and sleep monitoring. But it also has a lot of additional sensors that can help you get a better understanding of your health. Fitbit wants the Sense not to be a tool for logging your runs, but a comprehensive solution for your health monitoring. VPN Deals: Monthly plans starting at $1 and a lifetime license for $16 The Sense is Fitbit's most ambitious product. When everything works as it should, it can be quite an impressive experience. Despite this, I wish Fitbit had spent more time fixing performance and software bugs before it decided to take the new route it is taking.
Fitbit Sense at a glance. The bottom line: Sense may be the most powerful Fitbit wearable ever released. However, while it tries a lot more exciting things, it still struggles to grasp the basics. The usual activity/sleep tracking features remain as good as ever. And with temperature sensors and an EDA, you can track more aspects of your health than ever. Although it's a very exciting piece of tech, there are a few performance and software issues that make it questionable whether the Sense is worth the extra cost. The Good Comfortable and lightweight.
OLED display looks fantastic
Temperature and EDA sensors
GPS and NFC built-in
Watch and charger bands have been vastly improved by The Bad Choppy
The Fitbit app is rife with bugs
SpO2 tracking works only with certain watch faces
Amazon launched many features at $279
Best Buy: $300
Walmart: $279
Fitbit Sense Price and Availability
Source: Fitbit
The Fitbit Sense was officially announced in September 2020. The Fitbit Sense's retail price was $330. This is the highest-priced Fitbit device. It can be found at many retailers for as low $250 as $250. Sometimes, even lower. It has hovered around $230 at most retailers since Amazon's Prime Day 2021 events. Fitbit Sense: Design & display
Source: Joe Maring/Android Central
The Fitbit Sense looks very similar to the Versa 2 and the Versa 3 last year. The Fitbit Sense Fitbit is another compact squircle watch, but it has some notable improvements.
Let's begin with the most beloved improvement, which is the watch band system. Fitbit still uses proprietary watch bands but rather than having to deal with a frustrating pin design, watch bands snap in place and pop out at the touch of a button. This is the best Fitbit band design ever for smartwatches. Let's hope the company sticks to it and doesn’t create another one a few years later.
Fitbit also updated the charging accessory for its Sense. The clunky cradle used by the Versa watches in the past was difficult to use. It wasn't a great design and it didn't work well. Fitbit Sense replaces this with a smaller, more intuitive magnetic charger. Although I wish that Qi wireless charging was available for universal charging, this is a significant improvement and one I am thrilled to have seen. This smartwatch is by far the most beautiful Fitbit yet. The Sense is a home-run. It looks great in metal/glass, is super light, and fits perfectly on my small wrists. The Sense is a smaller and more comfortable Apple Watch Series 4 44mm model. The faux button on the side that allows you to access shortcuts and go to the Sense's homescreen is the only thing I don't like about the design. Fitbit chose to give you a smaller, vibrating button on the side rather than giving you a real button. Although it provides a lot of tactile feedback, I found it difficult to use. Although I realize that a button-less design is more appealing and cleaner, there's nothing like a physical button.
Source: Joe Maring/Android Central
It's amazing to see the Fitbit Sense display. The OLED panel is stunning with vivid colors and blacks as well as crisp text. Versa 2 introduced an always-on display. It looks great with some watch faces showing color in this mode. The only problem I have is the way you wake it up. Regardless of whether you have the Sense enabled for always-on display, you can only activate the entire display by moving your wrist or pressing the fake side button. This wrist gesture works great for me, and Fitbit deserves credit. It is a strange and confusing oversight that you can't tap the screen to activate it. There have been many times when I want to use the screen from my desk, but don't want the "button" to force me to do that. Although it may seem minor, it is a significant issue that affects your quality of life. Fitbit Sense Performance and Battery Life
Source: Joe Maring/Android Central
Fitbit doesn’t talk about the processors that it uses to make its watches like Apple and Samsung. It's difficult to assess the performance of a Fitbit Watch. However, with each model, it is expected that things will become more fluid and responsive. Unfortunately, that's not the case with Fitbit Sense.
Every Fitbit watch has been tried, but the Sense felt choppy and inconsistent after I had worn it for about a week. This is not something you would expect from a wearable as expensive as the Sense. The app can take a while to open and animations may not be smooth. It also takes a bit longer for certain gestures (such as pulling down the notification shade, or swiping up in order to see your health shortcuts) to be recognized. Although Fitbit smartwatches are slower than their competitors, the Versa series' affordable price has always made me more open to accepting them. The Fitbit Sense has a great battery life. Fitbit's battery life is still a strength. The Fitbit Sense claims it can last for six days on a single charge. While your mileage may vary depending on how you use the Sense, it is said that it has great endurance. The Sense lasted me five days without needing to be charged during my testing. This included setting up the watch and wearing it every night for sleep tracking, taking EDA readings to monitor stress levels, and activating the always-on display. You should be able reach the six-day mark if you don't turn on the Always-On mode. Fitbit Sense: Health monitoring
Source: Joe Maring/Android Central
You are likely to be interested in a Fitbit to help you live healthier and more active lives. Fitbit has a large number of features, and the Sense offers all the standard Fitbit functions you would expect from a modern fitness watch. These include: Activity tracking throughout the day
Automated workout detection
Sleep tracking
Monitoring your heart rate 24/7
Tracking your menstrual cycle. I don't have the time or patience to go into all aspects of my health in depth, but I can say that Fitbit's current health tracking system is the best I've seen. It's possible to look at your steps for the day and, in the next moment, see your breathing patterns for the week. You can get a lot out of the basic Fitbit app, but you can also sign up for the Fitbit Premium service if you want more. The cost is $9.99/month, or $79.99/year, depending on which plan you choose. Premium subscribers get six months free when they buy Fitbit Sense. Fitbit Premium includes advanced health insights, a Wellness Report that you can share to your healthcare provider, guided Health Programs, advanced sleep tracking and many other benefits. Fitbit has done a great job updating the Fitbit Sense and Versa 3 in the past few months. The company announced in September 2021 that Fitbit Premium users would now be able to access up to 30 pieces from Calm's mindfulness app. The Fitbit Sense will allow users to pair their sessions with the EDA Scan app. Fitbit now offers noise and snore detection capabilities in addition to its new Calm products. This function is meant to alert the user if they are snoring, or if their bedroom is noisy. It's an excellent feature, as both of these factors can affect your sleep quality. The Fitbit Sense's built-in microphone can be used to detect noise and snore. It will analyze your room for any noises, including those coming from you or others. The Premium membership offers a great way to enhance your Fitbit experience. The Health Metrics Dashboard was previously only available to Fitbit Premium members. This dashboard provides a deeper look into your heart rate variability, breathing rate, and SpO2 levels. Fitbit now announces that the dashboard will be free for all Fitbit users. This is a welcomed addition. Although it does reduce some of the premium features, I don't mind Fitbit making these insights available to all users. While the core elements of a fitness tracker still work well and are as reliable as ever, Fitbit has begun to explore new areas with the Sense. The temperature sensor on Sense is the first. It monitors your body temperature each night that you wear it. The Fitbit app can be accessed in the morning to show you how your temperature has changed over the night. The Fitbit app works in the background and doesn't require you to be concerned about it. It can detect fevers or new periods, and Fitbit hopes it will help you recognize them. Notably, Versa 3, Versa 2, Versa Lite and Ionic can show you your skin temperature variation in the Health Metrics section. However, Sense provides a more precise and detailed view of your body's temp.
Source: Joe Maring/Android Central
The Fitbit Sense EDA sensor is the second and most notable. EDA stands for "electrodermal activation," which refers to how your skin's electrical levels change over time. EDA is a key component of polygraph tests and can be used to monitor your body's response to stress. Simply open Fitbit Sense's EDA Scan app and place your hand on the entire watch. Then, take two minutes to calm down. Once the test is completed, you can rate your stress levels and continue with your day. Even if you don’t do an EDA scan every day, the Fitbit app will still give you a Stress Management score. This rating is based on your heart’s responsiveness, exertion balance and sleep patterns. Fitbit allows you to log your mood at any time. This will allow you to see how your stress levels relate to your current mood and give you a better understanding about your body's stress.
This is all very interesting information. If you are consistent about logging your mood throughout your day, you might be able to draw connections to the days that you were most stressed or calm. You can then use those to your advantage. I didn't get any useful information from the feature during my week of testing. Although it is nice to have a visual for this type of thing, I cannot say that it has changed my daily habits in any meaningful way.
Source: Joe Maring/Android Central
This is also true for someone who has never had any mental health issues. Although I do get stressed, especially during the worst year of my life, I am able to manage it with minimal problems. I find it a little troubling to see how the Sense might impact someone suffering from depression or anxiety. It is almost like you are gaming your stress to reduce it to one number. It could be argued that people are more interested in Fitbit Premium and more likely to use guided breathing sessions, but it could also mean that they feel more stressed. It is possible that some users may see it as an alternative to getting treatment or talking to a therapist. This is very troubling. Fitbit should explore new avenues for health monitoring/tracking. It's a positive thing to make mental health something that we are more open to discussing. The EDA/stress features are not a huge benefit, particularly when the core elements of the Sense experience feel very unpolished. Fitbit Sense Software
Source: Joe Maring/Android Central
Unpolished was a word that I used a lot in my Fitbit Sense review. It primarily revolves about Fitbit's software, both on the Sense and with the Fitbit companion application. Fitbit has made some improvements over the years, but there is still much to be done. Let's begin with FitbitOS. Although I mentioned the slow performance of FitbitOS, there are some quirks that I don't like about it. One of these is how you track your SpO2. Although the Fitbit Sense can monitor your blood oxygen levels, it isn't easy to understand how. I was shocked to discover that SpO2 levels can only be monitored when you are asleep and when Fitbit has the SpO2 watch face selected. It's a cumbersome system.
Source: Joe Maring/Android Central
It is frustrating not being able to manually log your SPO2 at any given time. However, having it done during the night while you sleep makes it more accurate than just doing one reading every hour. This functionality is only available on one watch face, which I don't understand. You can't use the same watch face throughout the day, but you still need to track your SpO2. This means that you will have to change the face of your watch every time you get up and go to bed. Fitbit claims that this will change in the next months. Users will be able to track SpO2 regardless if their watch faces are set. It's great that you heard this, but there is no release date. For now, it will be an issue you have to live with.
You can only have five watch faces loaded on the Sense at a time. You can choose a watch face that you don't see in the list, or you can go into the Fitbit App to find it and then enable it. This combined with the fact that it takes so long to change a watch's face (my Sense refused to load the SpO2 one night), will mean you'll likely stick with the default to avoid all the hassle. There's also the Fitbit app. It's very attractive to look at, and it has a lot of useful information, including health data, guided workouts and diet plans. There is also a friend system and tons more. Although it's one of the most appealing aspects of Fitbit's fitness bands or watches, it also has its share of issues.
Here are the problems we have encountered between my Fitbit Sense and Daniel's AC Fitbit.
Many apps for the Sense needed to be updated out of the box. Until they were, sleep and stress tracking wouldn't work.
There were instances where the app wouldn't load on all pages. This required that the app be closed manually.
The app was stuck at the splash screen, and would not open fully until forced to stop. Stability issues with FitbitOS are not new. This is why my mom had to switch from Fitbit to a Wear OS watch. With the Sense, it feels even more buggy. It can be frustrating because Fitbit can still be a powerful health platform that is easy to use. The magic of Fitbit is lost when there are a bunch of bugs and glitches on a daily basis.
Source: Joe Maring/Android Central
Although it was frustrating at first that some of the promised features weren't available at launch, these have been added along with other updates to make the Sense a more appealing purchase. Below is a list of major updates since late 2020. The ECG app for checking for atrial fibrillation was available to Sense watches approximately one month after its release.
In November 2020, Sense owners were able to use Google Assistant as an alternate voice assistant to Alexa. The availability of both virtual assistants is expanding to new countries.
Owners of Sense can now hear the responses of Alexa or Google Assistant through their watch's speaker.
Owners of the Sense can now use the microphone and speaker to make phone calls or dictate replies to text messages.
Now, Sense owners can see their SpO2 stats on their watches rather than in the Fitbit app.
Watch owners of the Sense can now swap faces in the app, rather than only on the watch.
High and low heart rate notifications can be personalized by Sense owners.
Fitbit Premium subscribers who own Sense can take part in the new Snore- and Noise detection experiments
Hindi characters now supported
Since launch, notification reliability, app shortcuts and always-on display functionality were all improved.
Users of Sense can now access Calm mindfulness app to reduce stress and sleep, and pair it up with EDA Scan.
Sense users now have the ability to use the Snore & Noise Detect function to detect if they are snoring. It's not surprising that Sense users didn't get many promised features at launch. I feel like Fitbit rushed to make the Sense a reality before it was ready for prime time. The company has made a significant effort to fulfill these promises after launch. Fitbit Sense: The competition
Source: Andrew Martonik / Android Central
The Fitbit Versa 3 is the more affordable competitor to the Fitbit Sense. The Versa 3 is identical in design, battery life and basic features to the Sense. It lacks some of the more advanced sensors. Versa 3 doesn't have EDA and ECG features, but it has all the other same features for about $100 less. You can save money by going the Versa route if you are okay with these omissions. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is another option. The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is another option. It integrates with Samsung Health and offers a more intuitive experience when it comes down to smartwatchy things. The Tizen interface is more responsive and fluid, notifications are better handled, and Spotify songs can be saved to the watch for offline playing.
The Garmin Venu 2 is an excellent choice if you are looking for one of the best health watches on market. Serious athletes tend to trust Garmin watches more when it comes accuracy in their health features. The Venu is no exception. It has the usual activity tracking but also respiration tracking, blood-oxygen sensors, and more. Fitbit Sense: Should You Buy It?
Source: Joe Maring/Android Central
This smartwatch is a great choice if you need a long-lasting battery. While many smartwatches get only a few days, the Fitbit Sense lasts for over a week. You can expect to get anywhere from five to six days battery life depending on how you use it. Access to tons of fitness and health tools. The Sense has a built-in GPS, stress management tools, guided workouts in Fitbit, and many other tools. All you need to live a healthier lifestyle are available right here. Sense comes with six months of Fitbit Premium for free, which gives you access to a lot more content and useful data. The Fitbit Sense is a great watch for those who prefer smaller watches and lighter watches. It is lightweight and compact so it doesn't look weird on small wrists. This watch is not recommended if you want something fast and responsive. If speed is your top priority, the Fitbit Sense can get hung up on even the most basic tasks. Fitbit Sense is more focused on smartwatch features than fitness-focused ones. While Fitbit Sense excels in the health category, it's not the best for other tasks. It lacks app selection and basic notification handling. EDA and ECG tech are not important features of Fitbit Sense. EDA is the most notable feature. ECG is also not. You don't have to care about EDA or ECG tech but still want the Fitbit experience. If this is you, the Versa 3 will be a better choice. 3.5/5 In many ways, the Fitbit Sense wearable is unlike any other. The temperature sensor allows you to monitor your vital health information in real time. While I am not a fan of the EDA/stress management tools, Fitbit is eager to expand its reach beyond the exercise and step goals. This smartwatch is the first I've ever seen that attempts to do something no one has before. Fitbit deserves my highest praise. Fitbit failed to address long-standing problems. Fitbit set its sights on the new sensors and went full steam ahead with them, but didn't address problems that could affect the basic functions of the watch. It's one of the best-equipped health watches that you can purchase in 2021. For someone who wants to monitor multiple aspects of their health, it's a great choice. The Sense's new sensors are worth the extra cost, but the slew software problems make it difficult to decide whether they're worth the additional expense. The Fitbit Sense has many things I love, but at $330 it is not the wearable I will be recommending to others.
Fitbit Sense: The Fitbit Sense smartwatch is among the most advanced on the market, with many features to help you manage your mental and physical health. Fitbit's ambitious goals are well appreciated. However, the unrelenting bugs in the software and clunky software show that there is still much to do. Amazon: $279
Best Buy: $300
Walmart: $279
Review Changelog, October 2021. This article was first published in September 2020. The following modifications were made to the article in May 2021. Recent sales reflect the updated pricing.
Additional mention of ECG feature/firmware updates.
Revised "Missing features" section. The following changes were made to it in July 2021. Recent sales reflect the updated pricing.
SpO2 and clock face change on-wrist were also mentioned. Also, Google Assistant verbal responses, snore analysis, and Hindi language support were added.
Changed the "Missing features" section to "Updated features". The following changes were made to it in October 2021. Recent sales reflect the updated pricing.
Calm updates added to the article
New noise detection and snoring capabilities were also mentioned.
