Fitbit Comparison: Which Fitbit Activity Tracker Is Best for You?

An activity tracker can make a great gift for your mom, your friend, your gym teacher or even you.

Fitbit makes some of the most popular activity trackers, but before you buy one, use this guide to determine which model is best for your situation. We’ve listed eight Fitbit models to help you compare prices, features and functionality.

Fitbit Zip

• Price: $59.95 from Fitbit
• Features: The Zip, the least expensive tracker of the seven, is a small, water-resistant device that can be clipped onto clothing. It features an easy-to-read display, is sold in a variety of bright colors, and syncs wirelessly to compatible devices. It tracks steps, calories, distance, active minutes and time of day.
• Battery life: Four to six months
• Good fit for: Casual athletes who are looking for a simple, affordable and functional activity tracker.

Fitbit One

• Price: $99.95 from Fitbit
• Features: Like the Zip, the One can also be clipped onto clothing. It tracks steps, distance, calories burned, floors climbed, active minutes and sleep. It also features a clock and silent vibrating alarm. The product includes a simple OLED display and syncs wirelessly to compatible devices.
• Battery life: 10 to 14 days
• Good fit for: Fitness enthusiasts who want to monitor both their activity and their sleep, and don’t want to wear something on their wrist.

Fitbit Flex

• Price: $99.95 from Fitbit
• Features: The Flex is a sleek and stylish wristband that tracks sleep, steps, calories and distance traveled. It also includes a silent vibrating alarm and can sync wirelessly to compatible devices. It doesn’t have a traditional screen, but the slim wristband displays LED lights that show progress toward goals.
• Battery life: Up to five days
• Good fit for: People who want a water-resistant wristband, which allows fitness tracking to continue no matter the activity.

Fitbit Charge

• Price: $129.95 from Fitbit
• Features: The Charge is a step up (price-wise and feature-wise) from the One and the Flex. This model features tracks steps, distance, calories burned, floors climbed and active minutes. It features a clock, auto sleep detection, sleep tracking, a silent vibrating alarm and caller ID. The wristband has an OLED display and can wirelessly sync to compatible devices.
• Battery life: Seven to 10 days
• Good fit for: Dedicated athletes who want an all-encompassing sleep and activity tracker without having to pay the price of a more advanced smartwatch.

Fitbit Alta

• Price: $129.95 from Fitbit
• Features: The Fitbit Alta promises to be “the sleekest way to stay inspired.” This slim, stylish tracker is sold in black, blue, plum and teal. It offers all-day activity tracking, smart notifications, sleep monitoring and reminders to move. The water-resistant device also features an OLED tap display and wireless syncing to compatible devices.
• Battery life: Up to five days
• Good fit for: Newbies to the fitness tracker world. Although the Alta lacks some of the components of its more advanced counterparts, such as a heart rate monitor and GPS, it’s still a valuable tracker and arguably the most visually appealing Fitbit yet.

Fitbit Charge HR

• Price: $149.95 from Fitbit
• Features: The Charge HR is similar to the Fitbit Charge but also includes continuous heart rate monitoring. Like the Charge, it features caller ID, exercise tracking, wireless syncing, a water-resistant design and an OLED display.
• Battery life: Up to five days
• Good fit for: Serious athletes who want a reliable and multifaceted fitness assistant for less than $150.

Fitbit Blaze

• Price: $199.95 from Fitbit
• Features: The Blaze, Fitbit’s newest device, is a watch that provides a cross between an advanced fitness tracker and a basic smartwatch. For $199.95, the Blaze offers PurePulse Heart Rate readings, all-day activity tracking, sleep monitoring and workout summaries. Users can also enjoy wireless syncing to hundreds of devices, music control of mobile playlists, smart notifications (text, email, calendar) and a connected GPS system to map routes when synced with a compatible device.
• Battery life: Up to five days
• Good fit for: Sophisticated athletes who aren’t ready to make the leap to a more advanced smartwatch. The Blaze offers just enough smart features while keeping fitness the main priority.

Fitbit Surge

• Price: $249.95 from Fitbit
• Features: At the top of Fitbit’s fitness tracker line is the Surge, a $249.95 performance fitness GPS watch. Besides typical tracking, this watch has caller ID, text notifications, music control, continuous heart rate monitoring, GPS tracking and wireless syncing to compatible devices. The fancy features aren’t a substitute for tried and true fitness metrics, either; users can log their workouts, view exercise summaries, track distances, monitor calories burned, record floors climbed and calculate pace.
• Battery life: Up to seven days (GPS battery life up to 10 hours)
• Good fit for: People who want the bells and whistles of a smartwatch like the Apple Watch Sport but don’t want to pay almost $100 more.

For a more in-depth look at these Fitbit models, see:

• Fitbit Face-Off: Fitbit Charge vs. Fitbit Charge HR
• 5 Things You Didn’t Know Your Fitbit Flex Could Do
• Fitness Smartwatch Standoff: Fitbit Surge vs. Apple Watch Sport

Courtney Jespersen is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: courtney@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @courtneynerd.

This post has been updated. It was originally published Jan. 11, 2016.

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Top image via iStock.