I’m a big fan of my wearables. It just kind of happened but for years I’ve been wearing either a Huawei Watch or, more recently, my Fitbit Versa. I had seen Fitbits years ago and was stunned to see how far they had come since. Today, Fitbit unveiled a new device with a new goal in mind. The Fitbit Luxe is a fashion-first fitness tracker designed to track your activity and look great too. Here’s what we learned from the launch.
The Fitbit Luxe
Fitness wearables have never really cracked the whole idea of style. Apple ploughed their own route with an anti-traditional style. My Huawei Watch looks like a watch and I like that. Fitbit is one of the lucky companies to have cornered so much of the market that when you see their devices on someones wrist, you know what it is too. It’s a style of its own. But what about people who just want a bit of style or want to track their activity when out dressed to the nines.
This is why Fitbit has developed the Luxe.
The Luxe is a simple fitness wearable. I mean simple in terms of design form, not features as this gadget is functionality rich.
As was the case with the Sense, Fitbit is continuing their split focus on fitness and wellness. The pandemic has been a stressor for all of us and a survey found that 50% percent of us felt the physical and mental effects of stress. This new wearable from Fitbit gives you stress management tools in a neat little tracker, including Fitbit’s Stress Management Score based on activity levels, sleep and heart rate. You also get breathing rate, heart rate variability (HRV), resting heart rate (RHR), skin temperature and oxygen saturation (SpO2) measurements from the Luxe, the last of which will be made available with an update.
The Luxe offers Fitbit’s first colour screen, is completely buttonless, is the thinest tracker ever from Fitbit, and promises up to five days of battery. It does sing memories of the Samsung Galaxy Gear Fit, a wearable that was popular back in my phone shop days.
The Luxe is undeniably more modern and stylish and as I flagged at the outset, this really is a fashion-first wearable packed with Fitbit features. There’s a wide range of stylish straps to pair with the Luxe including a stunning modern luxury bracelet from Laguna Beach-based jewellery brand gorjana.
It’s clear as day that Fitbit’s goal here is to create a fitness wearable that’s not only offering a clear window into your activity and well-being but that can also easily be mistaken for a piece of jewellery. This will be a welcome change for many who’ve only ever seen wearables and big, chunky lumps of plastic and steel.
Fitbit Luxe Pricing Ireland
The Fitbit Luxe is available to pre-order today from Fitbit.com and major retailers. For a tracker, it’s a bit on the pricy side at €149.95. This does include a free trial of Fitbit Premium, but that’s only ok. Not something I’d be rushing out to pay for and won’t add massive value for many. That’s not to say the Luxe isn’t worth the outlay. I’ll be reserving judgement for when we get hands on.
The gorjana for Fitbit Luxe Special Edition is available for pre-order today, launching in June, and will set you back €199.95.