The Fitbit Luxe is more of a fashion accessory than a fitness tracker. Its features may be limited, but whatever it lacks compared to a full-fledged smartwatch, it makes up for in accuracy and reliability.
Back in April, consumer electronics company Fitbit announced its latest fashion-forward wristband that tracks the essentials – stress, sleep, activities, breathing, and heart rate. The Luxe tracker can be paired with a luxury bracelet from fine jewelry brand Gorjana and has been available since June, retailing for P8,490.
Fitness trackers work well if they’re worn all the time, and thanks to its sleek profile and lightweight form factor, wearing the Luxe tracker is a treat. The aesthetic language follows Fitbit’s “Biologic Industrial Design Language” seen on the Inspire 2 and Versa 3, taking inspiration from soft-edged forms and steering away from solid lines.
Despite its smaller screen real estate, the Luxe features an AMOLED color display with automatic brightness adjustment that is highly responsive to touch and has smooth animations. When paired with the Fitbit companion app, users gain access to a wide selection of digital and analog-themed watch face designs.
There are six workout modes available on the device which are customizable inside the app. Some of the pre-loaded exercises include walk, run, swim, cycle, general workout, and treadmill. If users forget to select a workout mode, the Luxe can easily detect exercise types thanks to its SmartTrack feature. This comes in handy especially for accurate tracking even without manual selecting a mode.
When it comes to heart rate measurements, the Luxe tracker performed well as it is able to match our results from the more advanced Versa 3. Without a paired smartphone, it can log running activities with its accelerometer, but needs to work in tandem with the smartphone’s GPS for a more detailed reading on total distance.
The social aspect happens when Luxe users connect with friends and challenge them with activity goals like the number of steps or distance ran. There are also animations programmed on the Luxe whenever the user accomplishes an activity target for the day.
The advertised five days of battery life on the Luxe is also right on the money, although it can be extended if Fitbit omitted the color display. This battery life further deteriorates with the blood oxygen saturation monitoring. The USB charger that the Luxe uses unfortunately is incompatible with other Fitbit devices, but conveniently charges on the rear and uses a strong magnet for secure charging.
Conclusion
The Fitbit Luxe is not the smartwatch you wear in gym clothes, it’s the tracker that pairs well with business casual and black-tie events. It’s stylish and chic, especially if you go for the Lunar White variant or the pricier Parker Link bracelet by Gorjana. It is more expensive than the conventional tracker, but it doubles as jewelry and customers get what they pay for.
The device is highly-reliant on a paired smartphone, especially since it lacks onboard GPS, and is recommended to be used in tandem with Fitbit Premium for the full experience. Fitness buffs will have to look into dedicated sports watches, but users who are looking for a good-looking tracker and prioritizes cardio will feel at home with the Fitbit Luxe.
