Fitbit Encourage 3 review: my latest favorite fitness tracker

Fitbit Encourage 3

MSRP $100.00

“The Fitbit Encourage 3 ofers accurate fitness tracking with a very comfortable and light-weight design.”

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Very comfortable
  • Accurate fitness sensors
  • Battery lasts over per week and not using a recharge
  • Reasonably priced price point

Cons

  • Lacks an altimeter
  • Charger is hard to disconnect

It’s hard to drop pounds and stay healthy if you happen to don’t keep track of your physical condition on a each day basis, which is why it’s a great idea to take a position in a fitness tracker, similar to the Fitbit Encourage 3. The Encourage 3 is certainly one of the smaller, lighter, and cheaper products in Fitbit’s lineup, and the query is whether or not or not it might probably offer every little thing you would like in a fitness tracker despite its minimalist design.

Design and luxury

The Fitbit Inspire 3 in use.Andy Zahn / Digital Trends

The very first thing I noticed concerning the Encourage 3 was how lightweight it’s, and the second thing was how its small size and weight make it rather more comfortable than every other smartwatch I’ve ever used. I actually liked the Fitbit Charge 4 I used to wear, but I’m easily irritated by watches and ceaselessly took it off. With the Encourage 3, I often forget it’s even there, and I rarely feel the necessity to remove it.

The Encourage 3 comes with each an extended and a brief band, each product of a soft rubbery material. I even have abnormally large wrists, however the longer of the 2 included bands fit with two extra notches to spare.

The Fitbit Inspire 3 with stainless steel band on a rock.Andy Zahn / Digital Trends

Unfortunately, the optional stainless-steel band that Fitbit sells is one size suits most, which on this case didn’t mean me. I’m a giant fan of the texture of the default rubberized band, which is offered in Midnight Zen, Lilac Bliss, and Morning Glow.

Battery life

After a full week of constant use, the Encourage 3 was only all the way down to 40% of battery life, though I used to be impatient and only initially charged it to 90%. Extrapolating based on the quantity of battery drained over per week’s time, and depending on usage, the Encourage 3 offers roughly two weeks of use before it must be recharged. That’s excellent, considering that Fitbit advertises the Encourage 3 as having a 10-day battery life.

Display

The Fitbit Inspire 3.Andy Zahn / Digital Trends

The brand new AMOLED display of the Encourage 3 is gorgeous, offering vivid colours and deep blacks. It’s also vivid enough to see in harsh sunlight. The actual surface area of the display only takes up a small portion of the watch face, with large bezels on all sides, but it surely’s perfectly adequate, and I never felt prefer it was too small.

Performance and features

The Fitbit Inspire 3 leaning on a rock.Andy Zahn / Digital Trends

Pinching the Encourage 3 to wake it up works reliably with good force feedback, and motion activation is similarly reliable. The touchscreen is responsive and straightforward to navigate despite its small size.

The actual fitness tracking accuracy of the Encourage 3 is admittedly impressive. I used to be capable of walk along and watch the step counter log every step perfectly, and the center rate sensor seems more precise than those present in other trackers I’ve used. Once I wore the device while ziplining, I used to be capable of see exactly where my heart rate spiked while riding the lines. Sleep tracking is similarly improved over my previous experience with other fitness trackers.

The fitness tracking accuracy of the Encourage 3 is admittedly impressive.

My only real complaints with the Encourage 3 are that it might probably be a bit difficult to detach from its charging cradle, and that the device lacks an altimeter. Nonetheless, these issues are fairly minor.

I actually liked the relief mode on the Encourage 3, where it guides you thru a number of minutes of slow, measured respiratory. With this feature, I used to be able to scale back my heart rate from 76 beats per minute to 70. Using the exercise mode to trace a particular activity can also be useful, as are the alarm and time functions built into the wearable. I also just like the “find my phone” feature, which sounds an alarm in your phone if it’s connected to the Encourage 3, enabling you to locate it more easily.

App and premium subscription

The sensor array of the Fitbit Inspire 3.Andy Zahn / Digital Trends

The Fitbit app is a crucial a part of the package, and it’s pretty much as good as ever. I credit using the app at the side of the Charge 4 for helping me lose quite a lot of weight in 2020, and it really works just as well with the Encourage 3. My strategy is to make use of the info generated by the Fitbit to assist me judge and regulate my intake of food and water. This fashion, I can determine how much I can eat without exceeding my caloric expenditure on daily basis and be more aware of the nutrients I’m taking in.

Having many excellent graphical representations available within the app to gauge my health and fitness progress is incredibly helpful. I find that the more conscious of my health I’m, the more encouraged I can be to pursue and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The free version of the app is great, but if you happen to spring for the $10 -per-month (or $80=per-year) premium subscription, you get a wealth of additional fitness analytics and content. This includes advanced sleep analytics, wellness reports, and mindfulness sessions, in addition to games, recipes, and video workouts.

Price and availability

The Encourage 3 is offered today for $100, which looks like a bargain considering the standard and features of the device. There are few compromises in its design that may not have also been necessitated by its diminutive size.

The Fitbit Encourage 3 is my latest favorite fitness tracker

The Fitbit Inspire 3 in use.Andy Zahn / Digital Trends

Perhaps the very best praise I may give the Fitbit Encourage 3 is that it’s a fitness tracker and smartwatch I’ll actually wear and use. It achieves what no other watch (smart or otherwise) has been capable of offer me, which is 24/7 comfort. Add on to that the superb battery life and all of the fitness metrics and functionality I would like, and the Encourage 3 is nearly perfect for me. It’s a straightforward device, but sometimes easy is healthier.

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