Fitbit Edge and Fitbit Air: Google's New Fitness Trackers Compared
Image: Silbof / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
In short: Google now offers two affordable fitness trackers. The new Fitbit Edge costs €179.99, has a display, built-in GPS and up to seven days of battery. It can be pre-ordered now and arrives on 27 October. The Fitbit Air costs €99.99 and has no display at all. Neither needs a subscription, but the Gemini Health Coach requires Google Health Premium at €8.99 per month after three free months.
Fitbit Edge
The Edge has a 1.34-inch display with 46 percent more area than before, an aluminium case that is 11.6 mm thick and weighs 17.7 grams. It offers built-in GPS, an altimeter, more than 40 auto-detected workouts, ECG for AFib detection, blood oxygen, skin temperature and sleep tracking. It is the first Fitbit with a replaceable battery, although Google recommends that only experts swap it. There is no NFC, so no contactless payments. Battery life is up to seven days, or about two days with the always-on display; five minutes of charging gives a full day. It works with iPhones on iOS 16.4 or later and Android 11 or later.
Fitbit Air
The Air is Google's answer to Whoop: a screenless band that tracks heart rate, sleep and activity in the background. It is just 8.3 mm thin. Netzwelt ranked it first among screenless trackers, ahead of the Whoop MG, partly because it works without a subscription. It does not detect workouts automatically.
| Fitbit Edge | Fitbit Air | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €179.99 | €99.99 |
| Display | 1.34 inch | none |
| GPS | built in | via phone |
| ECG | yes | no |
Other screenless bands
In Netzwelt's test, the Whoop MG (€399, membership required) came second, followed by the Amazfit Helio Strap (€99, optional subscription), the Polar Loop (€179.90, no subscription) and the Luna Band (€149). The 12-gram Fitbit Air matched a Polar chest strap almost exactly, even during fast intervals.
Subscription and health data
Google Health Premium costs €8.99 per month after three free months; over two years that is more than the tracker itself. Blood pressure and insulin resistance trends are estimates, not medical measurements. Talk to a doctor if a value worries you.
Who should buy which?
Choose the Edge if you want stats on your wrist and phone-free GPS runs, the Air if you mainly track sleep and recovery. For a full smartwatch see the Galaxy Watch9 or the Apple Watch Series 12. More in the fitness tracker section.
Sources
