Fitbit Ionic has been on the receiving end of approval and disapproval from thousands of people. So depending on whom you ask about it, mixed reaction is definitely something to expect.
If you ask us what we think about the Ionic, we’ll admin that it isn’t the best performer in its category. But it’s not bad either. Sure, it has a galore of premium features but it has a number of drawbacks that undermine its performance.
Just to be clear, Fitbit’s goal was to try to make the Ionic the first smartwatch in its brand’s his story. But it failed to match up to the demands of smartwatch market. In fact, Apple Watch Series is still way ahead of Fitbit Ionic to this very day.
While it doesn’t qualify for a spot in the best smartwatch category, Fitbit Ionic is a good fitness tracker at its core, with few premium features that extend its functionality to a smartwatch level.
Before we get down to Fitbit Ionic reviews, let’s look at its benefits and drawbacks.
Things We Like About Fitbit Ionic
Things We Didn’t Like About Fitbit Ionic
Design
With a square design for the bezel, Fitbit Ionic feels like an old school device trying so hard to fit in the space of cool devices. But there’s nothing wrong with that anyway. Maintaining this design only means that Fitbit is trying give you a choice you can accept or refuse in favor of its other stylish and fashionable models.
We do think that the square shape also gives you an analog feel, but that’s our take on the first impression of the device anyway.
Ionic’s display is about 1.45 inches and it has a resolution of about 250 pixels. That’s fairly enough for such a small screen, so you won’t struggle to see the content displayed. It’s also slightly tinted and up to 1000 nits brighter, so it should be easy to view.
Tinting the screen was a good thing to do during the design stage, At least it helps to ensure that light doesn’t bounce off and get to your eyes. The result is a good viewing experience, even under bright sunlight.
Features
1. Built-in GPS System
Fitbit Ionic features a built-in GPS system that allows you to track distance and map routes in real time. To eliminate faulty GPS reports, especially on high altitudes, the Ionic utilizes Russian Glonass, which works really well for the device.
Fitbit Ionic is the only fitness tracker in the brand’s collection to have a built-in GPS. The rest use connected GPS, which means you must bring your phone with you if you need to track distance, location, and pace in real time.
2. Waterproof
Fitness tracker brand always use the term water-resistant and waterproof interchangeably. But they don’t always mean the same thing. Waterproof means the ability to stand up to water regardless of the depth. Water-resistance, on the other hand, means the ability to resist spills.
With that idea in mind, it’s important to note that Fitbit Ionic is a waterproof fitness tracker, with a resistance depth of 50 meters. Like the rest of waterproof Fitbit devices, you’d have to swim 163 feet deep to destroy this device.
Swimmers can now keep track of how much calories they burn and still have a record of laps they make while performing their strokes. Keep in mind that the touch feature cannot work while in water, so you’ll have to use buttons instead.
3. SPO2 Sensor
The tracker comes with a SPO2 sensor that tracks oxygen levels circulating across the body. The sensor does emit and absorb back light wave going through blood vessels. With this, it’s able to get a good estimate of just how much oxygen is in your bloodstream.
Anything recorded below 95% by the SPO2 sensor has poor blood oxygenation. So you need to take advantage of this feature and use it as often as you can, as it helps a great deal to ensure your health is in check.
4. Guided Workouts
The tracker comes as a rebrand of Fitstar Personal Trainers App, also known as Fitbit Coach Application. Moreover, there are more than 40 workouts available on this smartwatch, so you can now say “bye-bye” to searching YouTube for fitness tutorial videos. You don’t even have to buy fitness DVDs anymore.
Most of the videos and audios are 7 minutes long.
What you have to do to get the most out of the guided workout is to make sure you follow the on screen instruction to a tee to complete one that interests you.
Fitbit Ionic also has a Coach App. But it’s a paid for mobile application. If you’re someone who’s interested in auto coaching straight from your wrist, then you should consider this one. You do get a 90-day free trial, but payable every month after your trial ends.
Ease of Use
Not all of us are tech savvies. If a device is hard to use, it becomes a pain on the neck to deal with. But if it’s easy to use, it becomes the real deal. Fitbit Ionic isn’t easy to get your head around at first. But once you set it up, everything else becomes easy.
Price
Of all the things we can say we don’t like about Fitbit Ionic smart fitness watch, design and cost happen to appear on top of our list. Fitbit Ionic, both the standard and the adidas models, are by far the most expensive devices in the Fitbit product line.
To be fair, price may not be an issue for you if you’re not a budget. But if you are looking for a cheap fitness tracker, then you may want to consider an alternative.
Good alternatives include the good old Letscom fitness tracker and Lintelek, all which cost under $100 but perform well just like Fitbit Charge 3.
The Competition
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can Fitbit Ionic track female health?
Yes, the female health-tracking feature is available on three Fitbit devices: the Ionic, Versa, and Charge 3. This means you can use the Ionic to keep track of your menstrual cycle. For this feature to walk workout set “Female Health Tracking” as default.
For the tracker to predict menstrual information, you will have to log details about your menstrual symptoms as all these from the Fitbit App.
2. Will I experience connectivity issues with Fitbit Ionic?
Since fitness trackers work in conjunction with other devices. And as such it’s always important to make sure they have good connectivity.
You may experience some difficulty pairing the Ionic with your PC or smartphone. But it’s important to remember that this doesn’t happen all the time. Moreover, once you establish a connection, things always end up working smoothly.
Also, this Fitbit fitness tracker can pair with your Bluetooth. Once connected, you can use it to receive calendar, call, and text alerts. However, you can’t use it to reply to text or answer calls.
3. How comfortable is this fitness tracker?
Fitbit Ionic isn’t the most lightweight device in the brand’s fitness trackers series. But it isn’t heavy either. In fact, it’s so comfortable that you can wear it for an entire day without feeling the burned on your wrist. It’s simply one of the best fitness trackers for all-day tracking.
4. Does Fitbit Ionic have a decent battery life?
Fitbit Ionic should record not less than 4 days of battery life after a full charge. If the GPS is on, then it should serve for at least 2 days.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for a fitness tracker with a built-in GPS system, then Fitbit Ionic is the best option to consider. One of the things we’ve loved about this model is that Fitbit paid very close attention to details as far as the design is concerned.
Because the device has a close and stable contact with the skin, expect the data to be very accurate. From heart rate monitor and step counter to multiple sports mode and a mobile payment, Fitbit Ionic has everything you need in a fitness and activity tracker.
