Fitbit Sense buyer’s guide: Everything you need to know

The original Versa was far from perfect, but things have continued to get better with every successor. The Versa 2 was solid, and the most recent addition to the series — the Fitbit Versa 3 — is excellent. However, headlining the company’s smartwatch portfolio is the Fitbit Sense. It brings all the features you’d expect from a high-end smartwatch but is also the most expensive Fitbit yet. Here’s everything you need to know about Fitbit Sense.

Fitbit Sense at a glance

Fitbit Sense

Manage your stress and heart health

The Fitbit Sense is Fitbit’s flagship health-focused smartwatch. It has built-in ECG, GPS, and heart rate sensors, plus a new EDA Scan app that measures your body’s stress levels. This is by far Fitbit’s most advanced health watch so far.

The Fitbit Sense was launched alongside the Versa 3 in August 2020. It may not share the “Versa” moniker, but it’s definitely a part of the same lineup, only with more features. It’s essentially the Pro iteration of the Versa 3, but I’m glad Fitbit decided not to go that route while giving its high-end smartwatch a potential series of its own down the road.

However, it earns its health-focused bona fides by adding an EDA (electrodermal activity) sensor for stress tracking, a medically certified ECG (electrocardiogram) monitor, and a skin temperature sensor. It’s certainly not the first smartwatch to come with these features, but it’s great to see Fitbit keeping up with the competition in this regard.

See more: The best Fitbit trackers and smartwatches

The Fitbit Sense is certainly worth buying. But at close $300, it’s the most expensive Fitbit yet, so it depends on how much you’re willing to spend and whether the extra features are worth the surcharge.

The three additions — the EDA sensor, ECG monitor, and skin temperature sensor — aren’t up to scratch just yet and show the growing pains you’d see with any first-generation implementation. The EDA sensor’s stress tracking information is quite basic and not particularly accurate for now, at least compared to other watches that use heart rate variability for stress metrics. The ECG and skin temperature are useful but likely niche features for most users. The Fitbit Versa 3 is essentially the same device for $70 cheaper if you could do without the extras.

The other consideration is its premium smartwatch pricing itself. The Fitbit Sense is far from a glorified fitness tracker, but its smart features are still somewhat lacking compared to the competition. It gets the basic smartwatch features right. You can get smartphone notifications and respond to them if you have an Android device. You can use contactless payments via Fitbit Pay and download and store music on the watch (even though Spotify support is still missing). However, app selection remains limited, Fitbit OS is sometimes quite laggy, and it’s just not as capable as a smartwatch as others on the market.

The Fitbit Sense is ideal for:

• Anyone looking for an excellent fitness tracker
• Anyone who considers features like the ECG monitor, EDA sensor, and skin temperature sensors as “must-haves”
• Anyone already invested in the Fitbit ecosystem (Fitbit Premium in particular)
• Anyone looking for a worthy alternative to Garmin watches, the Apple Watch, or Samsung smartwatches

The Fitbit Sense may not be for you if:

• You’re looking for full-fledged smartwatch features
• You are looking for a budget-friendly watch

See also: The best smartwatches you can get in 2021

He adds that Fitbit might not have done enough to justify Sense’s higher price tag over the similarly capable Versa 3. The extra features are useful, but the EDA sensor and available information “is not there yet.” He concludes by saying, “if Fitbit wants to compete in a world where the Apple Watch exists, it needs to be on its A-game. Right now, it feels like Fitbit is playing for the B-team.”

What other reviewers from around the web think

Here’s what other reviewers from around the web have to say about the Fitbit Sense.

• Cnet’s Lexy Savvides and Scott Stein have mixed feelings about the Fitbit Sense. They say that “if you want a health device to monitor your daily stats, and also wanted ECG on a Fitbit, this is your watch.” However, if you can do with the extra features, the Versa 3 is more than up to the task and is a great and cheaper alternative. “That way, you’ll save some dollars and wait for Fitbit to iron out the kinks for the next generation of Sense.”
• PCMag’s Angela Moscaritolo says the Fitbit Sense seems like a timely release given the ongoing pandemic. She adds that “while it’s first and foremost a health-tracking wearable, the Sense offers a few nice smartwatch features.” the ability to check your blood oxygen saturation level, heart rate, skin temperature, and stress level are useful features to have at this time. However, she says it’s the Sense’s high price point “that might give you pause,” considering the competition it’s up against.
• TechRadar’s Cat Ellis says that “the Fitbit Sense is one of the best Fitbits around right now, and builds on the success of the Fitbit Versa line with several thoughtful new upgrades.” She says it’s designed to put your well-being front and center and succeeds in helping make changes to improve your physical and mental health. However, she adds that the Fitbit Sense “isn’t perfect, though,” and the Fitbit companion app could use some work in particular.