The most effective all-round finances health tracker

At just below $100, the Fitbit Encourage 3 proves as soon as once more that instruments for a wholesome way of life must be accessible to everybody. Fitbit’s newly designed pebble tablet races forward with a vibrant, colourful show, superior sleep monitoring, and SpO2 monitoring to ship a snug, inexpensive tracker that covers all of the fundamentals in a cohesive, user-friendly approach. It is not the most cost effective health tracker, however for anybody on the lookout for a comfortingly dependable entry-level band, it is price the additional spend.

The Fitbit Encourage 3 is a sight for sore eyes. With a vibrant, colourful touchscreen, a slimmer, rounded aesthetic, and loads of monitoring options to assist hold you energetic, Fitbit’s entry-level health tracker for 2022 could also be the perfect worth Fitbit for brand spanking new customers. It’s inexpensive and cozy, and it comes with six months of free entry to Fitbit Premium. Discover out extra in our Fitbit Encourage 3 review.

About this Fitbit Encourage 3 review: I used the Fitbit Encourage 3 for six days. It was paired with my Samsung Galaxy A51 throughout this review. The Fitbit Encourage 3 review unit was offered to Android Authority by Fitbit.

What it is advisable to know concerning the Fitbit Encourage 3

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• Fitbit Encourage 3: $99 / £84 / €129

Fitbit launched the Encourage 3 on August 24, 2022 alongside the Versa 4 and Sense 2 smartwatches. Maintaining with the competitors, the Encourage 2 successor is a redesigned, finances health tracker which now encompasses a full-color touchscreen with an elective always-on mode. Beneath its vibrant new show, the gadget tracks customers’ coronary heart charges, sleep, each day exercise, and exercises. With vibrant menus and icons, it gives stress administration instruments, progressive alarms, and good notifications. The brand new technology additionally offers SpO2 monitoring. Nevertheless, what’s maybe most spectacular is that even with a brand new show and options, customers will nonetheless get ~10-day battery life.

Equally, Fitbit doesn’t need anybody to should compromise their finances both. The Encourage 3 is out there for the very same $99 price ticket that the Encourage 2 launched at in 2020. The Encourage 3 additionally comes with six free months of Fitbit Premium for brand spanking new and present customers. This worth makes the Encourage 3 the perfect primary tracker from Fitbit for anybody new to health monitoring. For a extra superior monitoring expertise although, buyers will nonetheless have to look to the flagship Cost collection. Not like on the Cost 5, you received’t discover built-in GPS on the Encourage 3 nor an ECG or EDA sensor.

If the Encourage 3 seems like what you’re after, you should purchase your individual tracker ranging from mid-September 2022 from Fitbit and different main retailers. The tracker itself is simply accessible in black however ships with a silicone band in three colour decisions: Morning glow, Lilac Bliss, and Midnight Zen.

What’s good?

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When the Encourage 2 launched, we known as the gadget “uninspiring.” Now two years later, Fitbit has delivered a revamped Encourage 3 — take a look at the stark distinction within the picture above. I received’t declare the latest technology will get you coaching for the Olympics, however it simply would possibly get you off the sofa.

With a vibrant, colourful new touchscreen and constantly prompting vibrations, the Encourage 3 is equal elements motivational and useful. Most significantly, it’s a light-weight, entry-level gadget that’s good for anybody who needs to trace the fundamentals with out coping with the cumbersome software program expertise you get with most inexpensive health trackers.

Beginning with the tracker’s new show, the Encourage 3 brings colour and curiosity to a beforehand drab lineup. Customers can personalize their gadget with a lot of accessible watch faces within the Fitbit app. These are largely simplistic however function pops of colour that capitalize on the brand new show. Many additionally function on-screen information similar to step counts or coronary heart price for checking stats at a look.

Moreover, Fitbit didn’t simply slap a brand new display screen on its outdated mannequin. The Encourage 3 encompasses a full overhaul, placing a profile that’s each longer and thinner. The tablet can also be rounded reasonably than flat at every finish, mimicking the pebble-shaped tablet of the Fitbit Luxe. The result’s a extra enticing impression that seamlessly blends with bands and equipment.

The Fitbit Encourage 3 additionally gives an always-on show mode to maintain your watch face viewable always. As always-on shows are likely to do, this setting vastly depletes the battery life, nevertheless, chopping ten days of use right down to about three. Fortunately, Fitbit made alternating show modes extraordinarily handy. Simply swipe down on the watch face to allow/disable “Auto wake.” Maintain swiping to entry your Settings menu and allow/disable “At all times-On.”

A brighter, colourful, touchscreen show and a variety of bands kinds remodel the Encourage 3 into a gorgeous accent for on a regular basis put on.

You may even set a predetermined schedule to streamline battery saving. All through the testing interval for this review, I sometimes used the always-on show whereas understanding to control my measurables with out fussing with the gadget. The Encourage 3 additionally boasts an ambient gentle sensor for adjusting the brightness to your environment, a really welcome spec we didn’t see on Xiaomi’s final finances tracker, for instance.

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The Encourage 3 Fitbit ships with a basic band in certainly one of three colours: Morning Glow, Lilac Bliss, and Midnight Zen. Along with these basic bands, Fitbit sells quite a lot of equipment together with translucent bands in Chili Pepper and Deep Dive ($34.95), and chrome steel mesh bands in platinum and delicate gold ($69.95) — you’ll be able to see the latter and the Deep Dive band pictured on this review. Alternatively, Fitbit additionally sells an Encourage 3 clip ($19.95) for attaching the tracker to your waistline or sports activities bra. Contemplating the Encourage 3 has such a light-weight, unobtrusive design, I can’t see myself choosing the 90s beeper belt clip. That stated, versatility isn’t a nasty factor, and hey, possibly you don’t need the tan line.

Whereas Fitbit’s fashion-conscious Luxe tracker is out there in a number of finishes, the Encourage 3 tablet is simply accessible in black. Consequently, including a metallic bracelet solely elevates the band thus far. However, the iridescent bands are fairly distinctive and mix properly with the pebble. All through this Encourage 3 review, the Deep Dive band offered a way more fascinating look than a basic band. I particularly appreciated the addition of a blue metallic clasp (reasonably than a silver one) for a cohesive end.

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Most significantly, the entire Encourage 3 equipment are extremely snug. The bands are neat sufficient to put on day and night time which is essential as a result of Fitbit’s sleep monitoring is unmatched. Anybody remotely excited by evaluating their relaxation will discover a top-tier expertise with the Encourage 3. Not solely does the tracker document all of the necessities, however its slim profile additionally makes it one of many best gadgets to put on to mattress. The Encourage 3 mechanically tracks your whole time asleep plus your time spent in gentle, deep, and REM sleep phases. Within the morning, the gadget additionally registers a Sleep Rating, which represents the standard of your sleep.

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I used to be particularly impressed with the Fitbit Encourage 3’s sleep monitoring whereas touring. Due to my distinctive talent for reserving probably the most depressing flight paths doable, I allowed myself three hours of sleep on one Saturday night time earlier than a really early take-off on the next Sunday morning. I crashed just a few hours later (me sleeping, not the aircraft!) after discovering the in-flight film choice to be subpar. Then, within the terminal throughout my layover, I fell asleep once more for about an hour earlier than waking up desperately afraid I had missed boarding. Like a dependable good friend, the Fitbit Encourage 3 tracked all of this habits flawlessly. It was particularly useful on Sunday night to know precisely how a lot sleep I had (or hadn’t) gotten so I may modify my sleep routine with the intention to be well-rested on Monday morning. If my haphazard snoozing didn’t throw off the gadget, I don’t know what would.

With a Premium membership, Fitbit now gives even deeper evaluation by Sleep Profile. This new program analyzes your sleep habits on a month-to-month foundation and matches you with an cute sleep animal avatar. To obtain a Sleep Profile it is advisable to log 14 nights of sleep earlier than the primary of the month. As such, I used to be not capable of finding out my Sleep Profile inside the time-frame of this review however I’m desirous to see my outcomes on October 1 (fingers crossed for one thing A) cute or B) unique). Regardless, it’s nice to see these options come to an entry-tier tracker for superior sleep monitoring, albeit behind the Fitbit Premium paywall.

Along with monitoring your shut-eye, the Fitbit Encourage 3 also can make it easier to decide when to grab the day. With Good Wake alarms, customers can set a wake-up time and the gadget will vibrate in the course of the optimum sleep stage inside 30-minutes. This implies getting up at the perfect time to your physique whereas permitting any bedfellows their relaxation.

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When you’re up, the Fitbit Encourage 3 will mechanically observe all of the fundamentals. On the health entrance, that features Lively Zone Minutes, steps, distance, and energy, plus 24/7 coronary heart price monitoring for monitoring your beats at relaxation and through exercise. In case your resting price is very excessive or low, the gadget will notify you within the Fitbit app. Likewise, Fitbit will notify you of coronary heart price irregularities which may be indicators of atrial fibrillation (AFib). I didn’t expertise any of those notifications throughout my review however they are often extremely priceless to anybody with a coronary heart situation.

Whereas the show is the plain improve at a look, the place the Encourage 3 actually shines over the Encourage 2 is the addition of on-wrist SpO2 monitoring. Monitoring SpO2 helps you identify how properly blood oxygen is distributed in your physique and could be a sturdy indicator of general wellness. Quite a lot of current finances trackers have added steady SpO2 performance, so Fitbit is definitely holding tempo right here. This sensor just isn’t a licensed medical gadget, nevertheless, and shouldn’t be relied on in lieu of medical consideration. Regardless, the addition of this estimate proper in your show means holding tabs on SpO2 with out turning to the Fitbit app all through your day.

Along with dependable coronary heart price monitoring, the Encourage 3 provides on-wrist SpO2 monitoring.

Not that I’ve any qualms with the Fitbit app. Fitbit’s companion app is among the many greatest within the enterprise, particularly for these new to monitoring. It’s genuinely one of many Encourage 3’s greatest promoting factors, and a $100 entry price for entry to this ecosystem is a relative discount if you’d like a user-friendly but highly effective look into your well being information. Faucet into the Fitbit app to review your exercise stats, log your menstrual cycle, or enter hydration information. Fitbit offers an approachable breakdown of your well being metrics, specializing in the fundamentals and offering insights that received’t overwhelm new customers. You may even be part of teams within the Neighborhood tab to attach with like-minded Fitbit customers.

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With a Premium membership, each the Encourage 3 and the Fitbit app supply much more instruments and companies. For instance, on wrist, customers will discover two-minute leisure classes for managing stress. Premium members can dive into an entire library of mindfulness content material and meditation movies. You’ll additionally discover exercise movies, dietary recipes, and guided applications. I’m presently dedicated to a Push-Up Prep program whereas actively avoiding the one titled Kick Your Salt Behavior.

Different subscription-only options embrace Fitbit’s Day by day Readiness Rating for figuring out how ready you’re for exercise, Wellness Reviews for downloading a PDF overview of your well being information, and superior sleep analytics together with Sleep Profile, as talked about earlier than. Paying customers also can gamify their health journey with challenges and or add curiosity to step monitoring with digital adventures.

Due to its superb battery life, you’ll be able to benefit from the Fitbit Encourage 3’s highly effective instruments with out stressing about discovering time to cost it up.

Lastly, each single one of many Encourage 3’s options is amplified by the truth that they’re at all times available. The Fitbit Encourage 3 nonetheless gives ten days of battery life regardless of its vibrant show. This implies passively benefitting from Fitbit’s highly effective instruments with out stressing about discovering time to cost up. After eight days of heavy use, together with a while spent in always-on mode, I nonetheless had just below 5% left. This blows away the costlier Cost 5 and even week-long-lasting finances trackers just like the Xiaomi Mi Band 7.

In line with Fitbit, the Encourage 3 ought to take about two hours to recharge from zero to full energy. I solely needed to cost the tracker as soon as throughout my testing and it didn’t take fairly that lengthy. Even when it had, with such an rare have to plug in, two hours doesn’t seem to be an enormous trouble.

What’s not so good?

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As a smartphone companion, the Fitbit Encourage 3 stays restricted in scope. Good options embrace name, textual content, and app notifications that are helpful for a heads up in case your telephone isn’t close by. Should you’ve misplaced your telephone in a pile of laundry or left it within the subsequent room, you should use the tracker’s Discover My Telephone function to find it with out anybody’s assist. Past that, the Fitbit Encourage 3 doesn’t supply a lot else. You received’t discover voice assistant assist or NFC assist for digital funds. You additionally received’t discover music controls or music storage. Regardless of being the primary Encourage launched underneath a now Google-owned Fitbit, you shouldn’t maintain your breath for Google Maps or Google Pay assist both, as these options have solely been promised for Fitbit’s latest flagship smartwatches.

The Fitbit Encourage 3 is a quite simple tracker with restricted smartwatch options and comparatively primary well being instruments.

Put merely, the Fitbit Encourage 3 just isn’t the selection for anybody who needs a full-featured gadget to sync instruments to their wrists — it’s simply not the correct wearable for managing duties with no telephone. The Encourage 3 is a finances tracker for primary (albeit strong) exercise and sleep monitoring. Although up to date, it’s nonetheless Fitbit’s entry-level health tracker, and also you merely received’t discover each device on board.

For electrodermal exercise (EDA) and electrocardiogram (ECG) sensors, you’ll have to spring for the Cost 5. For on-wrist calling, third-party apps, and assistants, you’ll want to save lots of up for a Fitbit Sense 2 or Versa 4. However, it’s a disgrace we couldn’t get one or two of those options thrown in contemplating the Encourage 3’s larger asking worth in comparison with the cheaper competitors — particularly NFC for cellular funds.

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Essentially the most disappointing miss, nevertheless, is that the Fitbit Encourage 3 doesn’t have built-in GPS. This isn’t uncommon at this worth level however it will’ve pushed the Encourage 3 into must-buy territory for a a lot wider viewers, because it’s an omission that probably retains the gadget out of play for frequent runners and cyclists. It’s also a function that might have helped justify the Encourage 3’s worth differential over cheaper finances trackers just like the Xiaomi Mi Band 7 and Huawei Band 7.

As a substitute, anybody utilizing the Encourage 3 might want to carry their telephone with them on rides or runs with the intention to make the most of related GPS. Fortuitously, every time I started a exercise the method was easy and fast. I discover that lengthy waits for a GPS sign present an excessive amount of time to ponder whether or not a run is basically needed, so this was encouraging not less than. The Encourage 3 options greater than twenty exercise modes, with auto-detection accessible for the most well-liked ones, which is loads for anybody with an off-the-cuff curiosity in health. Some trackers now supply upwards of 100 sport modes, although Fitbit’s choice covers the most typical actions. However, in the event you see your self dipping into an out-of-the-box, area of interest exercise anytime quickly, the Encourage 3 might not have you ever lined.

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Lastly, the Encourage 3 comes with a six-month free Fitbit Premium membership granting customers entry to Day by day Readiness Rating, Sleep Profile, video exercises, mindfulness classes, and extra. As talked about above, many of those options deliver immense worth to any Fitbit, together with the Encourage 3. However what occurs as soon as the six months are up? At $9.99 a month, a Fitbit Premium membership isn’t low-cost, and with out the membership, the Encourage 3 loses a few of its shine. Consumers have to take a tough have a look at what the gadget gives with out Premium entry earlier than spending their money — you’ll find out extra in our in-depth Fitbit Premium information. I’d be one of many first in line to tout Fitbit’s companion app and ecosystem, however I’m additionally positively a fan of single transaction purchases, which isn’t utterly the case right here.

It’s no shock to see close-rival Garmin emphasize its no-subscription mannequin as many individuals don’t love the continuing monetary dedication Fitbit Premium requires. Anybody who would like a clear, no-strings-attached tracker could also be within the Vivosmart 5 ($159). We discovered the gadget barely overpriced for what it gives, however Garmin is a trusted model with respected health monitoring and as talked about, no inner paywalls, which may offset the marginally larger preliminary asking worth.

Fitbit Encourage 3 specs

Fitbit Encourage 3 review: The decision

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The Fitbit Encourage 3 is the perfect worth gadget for anybody new to health monitoring but in addition calls for a pleasantly holistic {hardware} and software program expertise. It might not be probably the most superior wearable you’ll be able to strap onto your wrist, nor the most cost effective, however it gives almost the whole lot you’d need in a primary tracker with none main caveats. This consists of a gorgeous show, spectacular battery life, 24/7 well being and exercise monitoring, and sleep monitoring. The gadget’s worth additionally closely banks on Fitbit’s companion app which is stuffed with insights however is easy and approachable for newbies. Add in Premium options and buyers will discover a well-rounded expertise (not less than for six months).

That stated, the budget-tracker house isn’t brief on competitors. Xiaomi’s newest tracker, the Mi Band 7 ($50), additionally constructed on the collection’ success with a powerful function set at an important worth. If it’s accessible in your area, Huawei additionally isn’t far behind with its personal Band 7 (£49).

In gentle of those opponents, Fitbit wanted to spice up its finances lineup this yr. Proper on cue, the addition of a colourful show and SpO2 monitoring brings the Encourage lineup again into the race. With these packing containers checked, Fitbit’s stellar sleep monitoring and trusted analytics shine as excellent options that hold the corporate a step above, particularly if you issue within the tracker-to-app fumbles made by so many sub-$100 health trackers. Constructed-in GPS and NFC fee assist would’ve tipped the Encourage 3 in direction of perfection however even with out them, it will get a straightforward suggestion from us.

The Encourage 3 is equal elements motivational and useful, boosted by Fitbit’s unmatched sleep monitoring and a dependable companion app.

If you wish to avoid wasting money however stick to Fitbit, the Encourage 2 ($99) could also be much less enticing and lacks an SpO2 sensor, however it shares most of the Encourage 3’s different core options and comes with a one-year free Premium membership (double the Encourage 3’s six-month trial), all at a cheaper price. Whereas nonetheless formally listed at $99 MSRP on Fitbit’s web site, it’s now constantly discounted and can little question go down additional now it’s been changed in Fitbit’s lineup. Moreover, the Fitbit Cost 5 ($119 at Amazon) gives extra instruments and options for anybody critical about monitoring their well being and health. Constructed-in GPS alone makes the gadget rather more enticing to athletes who constantly run or cycle open air.

In brief, the Encourage 3 is a particularly spectacular entry-level health tracker from a trusted model that provides all of the fundamentals in a well-designed bundle. It might value just a little additional than the most cost effective finances trackers which have related general {hardware} however the cohesion between the precise tracker, your well being information, and the end-user expertise is price the additional spend. Its companion app isn’t overly complicated, its sleep monitoring is phenomenal, and its bodily presence on-wrist is minimal. If you’re new to monitoring and simply need an summary of your exercise, you’ll be very proud of this buy. You probably have an ageing mother or father who isn’t significantly tech savvy, or an adolescent who doesn’t want one other app-filled display screen of their life, the Encourage 3 could also be your good companion.

Fitbit Encourage 3

Wonderful show • Lengthy-lasting battery • Comfy design

Fitbit covers all of the fundamentals, now on a brighter show.

The Fitbit Encourage 3 smartwatch is slim and has a vibrant and enticing show. A powerful battery powers it for as much as 10 days. Get probably the most out of this smartwatch with a Fitbit premium subscription.

Prime Fitbit Encourage 3 questions and solutions

Is the Fitbit Encourage 3 waterproof?

The Fitbit Encourage 3 options water resistance as much as 50m making it secure to put on into the pool and underneath the bathe head.

Does the Fitbit Encourage 3 assist any voice assistants?

The Fitbit Encourage 3 doesn’t function any voice assistant assist.

Does the Fitbit Encourage 3 supply Fitbit Pay?

Sadly, the Fitbit Encourage 3 doesn’t function assist for Fitbit Pay. For this function, buyers might want to spring for the Fitbit Cost 5.

Do you want a Fitbit Premium membership to make use of the Fitbit Encourage 3?

A Fitbit Premium membership just isn’t required to make use of the Encourage 3, however you’ll lose entry to a few of Fitbit’s greatest elective options. Fitbit Premium prices $9.99 per thirty days, although every Fitbit Encourage 3 buy comes with six months free for brand spanking new and present customers.

Is the Fitbit Encourage 3 appropriate with iOS?

Sure. The Fitbit Encourage 3 is appropriate with Apple iOS 14 or larger and Android 10 or larger

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