The Fitbit Luxe has taken the crown as TechRadar's new best fitness tracker of 2021, and for good reason: it looks great, has all the most important features you need from an activity band, and is a pleasure to wear.
The Luxe isn't the most powerful, feature-packed Fitbit around; that accolade goes to the Versa 3 and Sense, both of which are fully-fledged smartwatches, with features like contactless payments through Fitbit Pay, music players, and downloadable third-party apps.
The Luxe does, however, have all the essential tools for monitoring your health and wellbeing, including all-day heart rate tracking, stress monitoring (complete with breathing exercises if you're feeling the pressure), workout tracking, hydration logging, sleep monitoring, and (if you need it) period tracking.
All of this data is shown on the tracker's bright, high-res AMOLED display, which leaves the monochrome screen of the Fitbit Inspire 2 in the shade. For a full roundup of the differences between the two similar-looking fitness trackers, see our complete guide: Fitbit Luxe vs Fitbit Inspire 2.
The Fitbit app gives you even more tools, including food logging, instructor-led workouts, and general tips to nudge you towards healthier habits. The Luxe comes with a free trial of Fitbit Premium too, which unlocks extra meditation sessions, recipes and tools for analyzing historic data and creating personal wellness reports.
Finger on the pulse
You wouldn't typically expect a lightweight fitness tracker to match a dedicated running watch when it comes to biometrics, but the Luxe surprised us with the accuracy and responsiveness of its heart rate monitor. During intense spin sessions, its readings were only a couple of beats per minute different from the high end Garmin watch we used as a control, and the Luxe responded quickly as we moved between heart rate zones.
A fitness tracker works best when you wear it every day – and ideally every night as well. That's where the Luxe really excels. While many fitness trackers are fine for the gym and casual settings, their silicone straps and plastic cases look a little out place when things get more formal. The Luxe looks smart and mature by comparison. It's extremely small, supplied in a range of subtle colors, and has a premium stainless steel case rather than shiny plastic.
The only real downside is that the Luxe lacks on-board GPS, which means you'll have to connect it to your phone in order to track your walking, running and cycling routes. That's not an issue for casual recreational activities, but if you're training for an event then you may want to invest in a dedicated running watch (the new entry-level Garmin Forerunner 55 is a good choice for new runners).
For everything else, the Fitbit Luxe is easy to recommend, and should definitely be high on your list when you're planning to invest in a new fitness tracker.
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