Fitbit Sense 2
MSRP $300.00
“The Fitbit Sense 2 is a highly capable smartwatch with a strong array of sensors that put the concentrate on fitness and health.”
Pros
- Highly responsive interface
- Excellent display
- Rugged and highly water-resistant
- Advanced fitness and health tracking
- Comfortable to wear
Cons
- A bit pricey
- Audio quality for calls isn’t great
When I feel of fitness trackers, I immediately consider Fitbit. It is a brand that has turn out to be synonymous with step counting and general fitness statistics gathering, but Fitbit makes devices which might be greater than mere data harvesters. The Fitbit Sense 2 is a full-blown smartwatch, offering lots of the features you search for in a wrist-mounted smart device. Given Fitbit’s established prowess at constructing great fitness tracking devices, it’s secure to assume that the Sense 2 will perform well in that regard, but can it even be an important smartwatch at the identical time?
Fitbit Sense 2 design and luxury
The Sense 2 has a distinctly high-end feel and look. It’s a visibly classy smartwatch, particularly with the optional Brother Velles leather band. I tested the soft gold aluminum-colored Sense 2, nevertheless it’s also available in platinum aluminum and graphite aluminum colours, alongside a big selection of optional band colours and materials.
Andy Zahn / Digital Trends
I’m very sensitive to watches, and coming from the ultra-light and exceptionally comfortable Fitbit Encourage 3, I wasn’t looking forward to using a bigger device on my wrist. Nonetheless, I used to be pleasantly surprised to search out that the Sense 2 is kind of comfortable to wear. Each the infinity bands I tested and the Brother Velles leather band were great, and while I discovered the leather band to be barely more comfortable, the infinity band that ships with the Sense 2 feels good, too, and I like the revolutionary clasp system.
The means of attaching and detaching watch bands is one of the best of any Fitbit system I’ve used. The locking mechanism is simple to detach, but additionally very secure. If you happen to wish to swap out bands for various scenarios and styles, the Sense 2 is right.
Fitbit Sense 2 setup process
While initial setup was a breeze, getting all of the features of the Sense 2 up and running took a little bit of work. You might have to undergo and grant numerous permissions before the watch will probably be fully functional. While it was type of a headache to diagnose why certain things weren’t working and dig through the app to activate them properly, I do appreciate that this process enables a greater degree of user knowledge of knowledge collection by the Sense 2.
Fitbit Sense 2 battery life
The Fitbit Sense 2 is rated to last over six days on a single charge, and based on my time wearing the device, I think this figure to be accurate. It’s roughly what you’d expect from the unique Fitbit Sense, though remember that it should vary based on how you utilize the device. It’s not quite up there with the incredible battery lifetime of the Encourage 3, nevertheless it’s greater than acceptable, considering how way more powerful the Sense 2 is than the Encourage 3. Just 12 minutes of fast charging will get you a whole 24 hours’ value of juice.
Fitbit Sense 2 display
Andy Zahn / Digital Trends
The Sense 2 contains a really gorgeous display, with deep blacks and vibrant colours, and is vivid enough to make use of in harsh daylight conditions. It’s easy to read at a look, and the many available watch faces look great.
Fitbit Sense 2 performance and features
Andy Zahn / Digital Trends
Touchscreen responsiveness within the Sense 2 is amazingly good, with none noticeable lag or touch recognition issues. Navigating menus is slick and intuitive, as is the operation of the newly redesigned physical button. Motion detection to get up the display also works reliably.
Call audio is functional, but not great in comparison with the speakers and microphone on my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, or my Samsung Galaxy Buds 2. I discovered that I had to carry the watch near my face to take care of reasonable microphone quality, and the output from the built-in speaker is reasonably crackly. It’s there in the event you need it though, and it’s a pleasant feature to have.
By way of durability and water resistance, the Sense 2 is remarkably tough. It’s water-resistant right down to 164 feet underwater and is rated to operate between -14 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit. I wore the Sense 2 on a very rugged off-trail route — finding adventure, exploring, and documenting a distant ancient forest. This involved descending and ascending cliffs, crawling through thickets of devil’s club, and a dunk in a waterfall. The watch got here through with out a scratch.
Andy Zahn / Digital Trends
The various fitness sensors of the Sense 2 performed admirably. My impression is that this watch is much more accurate than the Encourage 3, which I praised for the accuracy of its sensors. This device harvests a powerful amount of knowledge to assist monitor your health with.
Like other Fitbit devices, the Sense 2 tracks your steps and heart rate, but its sensor array goes much farther than that. The Sense 2 includes a novel Body Response sensor designed to detect and manage stress. This sensor tracks ElectroDermal activity, heart rate, heart rate variability, and skin temperature. Through the use of this data, the Sense 2 is supposed to aid you be more aware of what causes you stress and thereby reduce it over time.
This device harvests a powerful amount of knowledge with which to assist monitor your health.
Andy Zahn / Digital Trends
The Sense 2 can even help detect atrial fibrillation using an electrocardiogram app, and is even able to measuring blood oxygen levels. While none of this is meant for serious medical use, the big selection of sensors, combined with powerful analytic software, enables the Sense 2 to be a priceless companion for keeping track of each your fitness and overall health. The more you engage with it, corresponding to logging your food and water consumption and participation in various activities, the simpler it’s.
Numerous features weren’t available on the time of testing, corresponding to Google Maps and Google Pay integration. Fitbit Pay and Amazon Alexa are already available, as is the power to see and reply to notifications out of your phone. It must be noted that the power to reply to notifications and texts is barely available on Android.
Fitbit Sense 2 app and premium subscription
The Fitbit app is a vital companion to the Sense 2, and it’s great each for adjusting settings and permissions, in addition to monitoring the numerous stats harvested from the watch. A Fitbit Premium subscription ($10 per 30 days, or $80 per yr) gets you access to a bunch of additional features, including a day by day readiness rating, sleep profile, and wellness report, amongst many other benefits. The Sense 2 features a six-month Fitbit Premium subscription.
Fitbit Sense 2 price and availability
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Available now at $300, the Sense 2 isn’t low cost, but its design and extensive feature set justify that cost. If you happen to’re searching for a inexpensive fitness tracker, the Fitbit Encourage 3 is a improbable option at a 3rd of the worth of the Sense 2, albeit at the price of lots of the bells and whistles present in the Sense 2.
Each a feature-rich fitness tracker and a compelling smartwatch
The Fitbit Sense 2 is packed to bursting with useful features, all wrapped up in a stupendous and comfy package. The flexibility to trace a wide selection of metrics gathered from its myriad sensors, all processed into comprehensible information by its advanced software is extremely compelling. If you happen to’re searching for one of the best fitness and health-focused smartwatch, that is the one to purchase.
Editors’ Recommendations
