If there’s one thing we know about Fitbit fitness trackers, it’s that they’re not just for younger people who need the motivation to exercise and keep fit. They’re also good for senior citizens who would like to keep moving and keep fit irrespective of old age.
At the end of the day, every last one of us should really maintain a healthy lifestyle, whether we’re young or old.
Since fitness trackers are quite handy in providing the guide and motivation that we need to keep moving and keep fit, it makes a lot of sense to have something for the elderly.
But why Fitbit exactly?
Because, if you think about it, Fitbit is a household name that’s always on top of the game. That means whatever Fitbit you buy for a senior citizen will definitely give you the value for your money.
Before you continue, you can also check out this post about using a fitness tracker to find a lost kid.
Best Fitbit for Seniors Reviews
Whether you’re a retired citizen and you need a fitness tracker with a reminder to move or you’re an elderly who wants to keep working out with the help of an activity monitor, here are the top Fitbits to consider.
1. Fitbit Charge 3
The last of Fitbit’s, an improved version of the Charge 2, with a few modifications that make it even more functional.
This one comes with no female health tracking. But it still makes a decent option for a senior audience that needs a general fitness and activity tracking device.
Unlike the original Charge and Charge 2, model 3 features a higher resolution for better readability and a very smooth and responsive touch-sensitive display for easy navigation.
Instead of a colored display, Fitbit chooses to make it black and white instead. While this improves battery life so you can get more runtime from a single charge, content isn’t nearly as crisp as what you get from Fitbit Versa.
Fitbit Charge 3 offers better notification than its predecessor, allowing you to get full call alerts and even read an entire text message from your contact. As of this writing, you can’t use this device to answer phone calls, Fitbit promised it, but hasn’t delivered.
On tracking, Charge 3 includes smart workout-tracking, features guided breathing, can count steps when walking or running, and has a 24/7 heart rate monitor.
In addition, Fitbit Charge 3 also includes an SPO2 sensor, which checks the amount of oxygen in your bloodstream to help you know if you’re sick otherwise.
- Waterproof up to 5 ATM, you’d have to swim up to 164 feet deep to destroy this device
- Battery life is 7 days, a good enough runtime to use the device for a week on a single charge
- Heart rate monitor and SPO2 sensors included
- Touch-sensitive and responsive screen with improved notification and readability experience
- NFC Payments available on Fitbit Charge 3 Special Edition
- No on-board GPS system
- Swiping doesn’t work 100% of the time
- You can charge it only with Fitbit’s proprietary charger
2. Fitbit Versa Standard Edition Smartwatch
The Versa Smartwatch may be limited in features, but it’s of the more likely accurate activity trackers Fitbit has ever built. For the price, you get a step counter, calories counter, a waterproof design, 15 exercise modes, a sleep tracker, and a heart rate monitor. Thanks to these features, the Versa is downright the best alternative to Fitbit Ionic, which is an expensive pick.
Fitbit Versa doesn’t feature a built-in GPS system. But since it pairs well with your phone’s, you can still use it to get accurate mileage, pace, and splits from biking and /or running.
Female health tracking in a fitness tracker is a pure game changer. And it’s inclusion in the Versa means you can use the device to not only log your period symptoms but also gain more insight into your health. If anything is cool about this, it’s the ability to get insightful health reports on a watch face. So cool! But it’s still at the very basic level and there’s still more Fitbit should do to make this feature robust.
Give a big green tick to Fitbit Versa for its waterproof design. Water-resistant up to 50 meters deep, it’s easy to see why its fan base praises it for being such a badass watch when it comes to swimming. It simply takes a lot of water to destroy this watch, which means that if you take good care of it, it could last forever. Swim mode is among the exercise options you get. Switch to this, dive into a pool, and you’ll be able to display the length swam, meters swam, and the time spent swimming.
- Smaller and lighter, with a clear display that makes fitness stats easy to read
- Includes female health tracking features, which makes it an ideal option to include on this list
- You can take it swimming because it’s waterproof up to 50 meters deep
- Works quite well with Android and iOS app
- Battery life better than Apple Watch, but poor compared to other Fitbit models
- Not access to Fitbit Pay, and you don’t get access to on-screen workouts
- Doesn’t include an onboard GPS
3. Fitbit Versa Lite Edition Smartwatch
With a silver aluminum casing and white silicone strap that easily appeals to the female audience, the Fitbit Versa Lite Edition looks exactly like the original model. With a touch-sensitive display that feels very responsive and a smooth button on the left, this model is quite easy to navigate.
Add to this its robust performance, from helping you monitor your health to helping set and hit your fitness goals, and what you get is the best Fitbit for seniors ever created.
On notification, Fitbit lets you pair the Versa Lite Edition with your smartphone, so you can see text, calls, and calendar alerts straight from the watch. If you like, you can also reply to text messages right from the watch instead of from your Android device.
For health and fitness tracking, Fitbit Versa Lite Edition includes an SPO2, a heart rate monitor, and an ambient light sensor. It can count calories burned, steps walked, total distance covered, as well as floors climbed.
You’ll also love this fitness tracker because it’s waterproof. Rated 5 ATM, this model can stand up to even the deepest swimming pool you’ve ever seen.
- An easier to set up fitness smartwatch with a bigger screen
- Clear display that supports custom notification, see stats like heart rate, sleep, steps, and other alerts on the go
- Sleek and lightweight model, very easy to use straight out of the box
- Lightweight model that’s easy to use straight out of the box
- Gives you access to tons of useful apps, which rightfully justifies the price
- 24/7 heart rate monitor gives you stats that you can use to optimize your workout
- A four-day battery life isn’t really the best of Fitbit, it could have been better
- Sleep tracking isn’t always accurate
4. Fitbit Ionic Watch
While Fitbit’s attempt to make the Ionic a smartwatch didn’t thrive nearly as much, at least they made sure the model is a fitness and an activity tracker at its very foundation. Don’t expect this one to be even close to Apple Watch Series 4. And with its price significantly down over the years, it’s simply the best deal for the elderly persons who don’t mind at least more premium built-ins for less.
It sports an aluminum build with three buttons for navigation. And its display is touch-sensitive and quite responsive. Unlike Fitbit Charge 3, which displays data in a monochrome format, the Ionic has a colored screen with a brightness level of close to 1000 nits.
The model’s onboard GPS is a great addition, which enables women who are into running to track distance and even map routes on the go. In addition, this watch includes an automatic pause, which halts when you’ve stopped running and resumes as soon as you back at running again.
Fitbit Ionic Watch’s heart rate monitor is more accurate than other models. And that’s because its HR algorithm is closer to the skin, which makes it possible for the watch to sense every pulse.
The tailored workout, which you get via the Fitbit Coach, while not nearly as robust, motivates you to try different workouts on the go. With complete onscreen guidance right on your wrist, exercising on a regular basis has never been this fun.
- All-day activity tracker, good for monitoring rides, runs, workouts, swim and sleep
- Includes an onboard GPS for distance tracking and route mapping
- Includes music storage for your favorite workout playlist
- The battery life isn’t that bad
- With limited smart features, Fitbit Ionic doesn’t come close to what you’d expect from a smartwatch
- A rather clunky design with an uncomfortable strap
- Sometimes the screen doesn’t respond well
5. Fitbit Inspire HR Fitness Tracker
Fitbit Inspire HR is the cheapest fitness tracker the brand has ever built for senior citizens. For just under $100, you get a simple, lightweight fitness tracker available in black, white, and lilac tone.
Even at such a price, Fitbit doesn’t sacrifice performance nearly as much. For easy navigation, they’ve made the monochrome display touch-sensitive and very responsive.
Which makes it a good option to consider if you’re on a budget and would rather stick with a Fitbit instead of its alternatives.
The Inspire HR feels basic at its best but plays its role quite effectively. At the very least, the goal of this device is to inspire fitness in every female audience. And it does so quite well.
To put this into perspective, the device includes a vibration motor, a heart rate monitor, and an accelerometer, all linked to basic fitness tracking. Buy the inspire HR if you would like to track distance covered, count steps, monitor your sleep, and check your cardio fitness levels.
Inspire HR also features a well-built dashboard, which displays information such as your current heart rate, your hydration levels, and female health.
To ensure it stands up to the deepest pool you’ll ever go to, Fitbit ensures that the Inspire HR for senior men and women has a water-resistant rating of 5 ATM.
- Includes a smart tracker, which automatically recognizes workout and tracks it for you
- Allows you to set fitness goals and get alerts each time you meet the set target
- Good for sleep tracking and you can use the app for more detailed sleep analysis – like REM, light, and deep sleep, and awake time
- 5-day battery life, good runtime that eliminates the need for regular charging
- Small, lightweight, functional, and inexpensive
- No on-boarding GPS system
- I think the battery life could use an upgrade
- Notifications aren’t that easy to read
Choosing a Fitbit for Senior Citizens
Now that we’ve outlined the best Fitbit that you can buy for elderly persons, it’s time to know how to choose one. The good news is, choosing a Fitbit is a no brainer.
First, determine the features that are important to you. If you need a Fitbit for basic fitness tracking, any model, except Fitbit Ace and Fitbit Ace 2, should be fine for you. If you need a Fitbit with a heart rate monitor, choose something like the Fitbit Inspire HR.
Second, check the price of the device. Fitbit prices its fitness watches differently based on the number of smart features. Doing your research will help you to know the features you’re paying for and how much you are likely to pay.
Conclusion
It’s a good thing to see that Fitbit has also considered senior citizens when designing its fitness watches and activity trackers. Now anyone in the world can buy and use a Fitbit regardless of their age.
