5 wearables you should buy instead of the Fitbit Edge

The Fitbit Edge was announced earlier this month and is only days away from hitting store shelves. The new wearable builds on the success of the Fitbit Air. The Edge offers largely the same tracking experience you get with the Air, but pairs it with an interactive AMOLED display.

As enticing as the Fitbit Edge is, it’s far from the only option out there. If you’re looking for Fitbit Edge alternatives, here are five devices worth another look.

The Fitbit Edge is an excellent device if you want more than ultra-basic fitness tracking, but don’t necessarily need deeper app support and more robust smart features. If you wish the Edge had a few more apps or features, your best bet might be to upgrade to a smartwatch.

The Google Pixel Watch 5 is a natural alternative to the Fitbit Edge. Team Google is building both, and many of the fitness features on board will look similar. The big difference is that you get the full Android Wear experience, including third-party apps, microphone and speaker capabilities, and the full power of Google Gemini. The larger display on the Pixel Watch 5 is also much easier to navigate. You even get some additional sensors, including NFC for digital payments via Google Wallet.

Of course, nothing is perfect. The Pixel Watch 5 won’t compete with the Edge’s 7-day battery life and, unlike Fitbit, it doesn’t have iOS support. It’s also a bit more expensive at around $399, which is a lot harder to swallow than the Edge’s $180 asking price.

While the Fitbit Edge gets its fair share of attention, it was the Fitbit Air that kicked off this newer Fitbit generation. Google decided the world wanted powerful fitness features in a cheaper, no-frills package, and it’s a formula that’s actually worked very well for the company.

The two devices are actually quite similar when it comes to tracking fitness data, although the Edge adds an ambient light sensor to the mix. Battery life is almost identical too, with up to seven days on the Edge as long as the always-on display feature is turned off.

What really sets these two fitness trackers apart is the display, or lack of one in the case of the Fitbit Air. The result is a very small and light band that works well but requires an app to actually examine the data. If you don’t mind using the Edge as a watch and don’t mind regularly pulling out your phone, you’ll save about $80 here.

The Samsung Galaxy Fit 3 is a highly affordable fitness tracker with a price of around $70. Samsung’s budget darling not only has a 1.6-inch AMOLED display and battery life of up to two weeks, but it even manages to price itself lower than Fitbit’s screenless Air model.

As you might guess, the Galaxy Fit 3 makes cuts elsewhere to achieve rock-bottom prices. It offers heart rate monitoring, SpO2, sleep tracking and other basics, but it also cuts out some key features like continuous heart rate monitoring, skin temperature and ECG.

The Fit 3 may not have as many advanced fitness features, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Some people want high-end sensors but don’t care about a display, while others want the whole package. Fitbit covers both of these scenarios well between its Air and Edge models, but what about people who only care about more basic fitness tracking features, but want basic notifications, the ability to see data from their wrist, and a screen that also lets it double as a watch? This is exactly the space that the Galaxy Fit 3 occupies.

Some people want the benefit of fitness tracking without necessarily carrying a device that sticks out like a sore throat. If you’re looking for something that blends seamlessly and is barely noticeable, the Oura Ring 5 might be worth another look.

Like the Fitbit Air, there’s obviously no display here, but what really makes the Oura Ring 5 stand out is its design, materials, size and weight. Finally, a smart ring that actually looks like real jewelry.

It doesn’t just look good; it’s also capable of handling basic fitness tracking features and yet still manages about 6 to 9 days of battery life. Just be aware that it doesn’t go nearly as deep down the fitness track as other options on this list, but it makes up for it by offering arguably one of the best sleep tracking experiences on the market.

The Oura Ring 5 is great if you want something less intrusive on your body, but be aware that it’s also more expensive at $399, with a $5.99 subscription required if you want to make the most of the device.

The Fitbit Charge 6 might be a few years old now, but it’s still one of the most obvious alternatives to the Fitbit Edge. The two trackers have a lot in common, including many of the same basic fitness sensors.

The Edge pulls ahead by offering some extras like blood pressure trend reports and loss of pulse detection. Also, its display is bigger, brighter and a little easier to interact with. Battery life is pretty comparable across the two trackers, though the Edge has a slight edge that could translate to an extra day of battery life.

If I’m being honest, the Edge is a stronger, more comfortable and lighter device. The good news is that these benefits are small enough that the Charge 6 is still a great value. Not only can you find it on places like Amazon for around $135 (about $25 less than MSRP), but it also supports digital payments. This is a big difference, because the Edge has removed NFC altogether.