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Fitbit’s Encourage 3 is the model’s most elementary and simple health tracker. Though it’s extra superior than a pedometer, the expertise isn’t far off. It lacks the smartwatch options present in Fitbit’s Sense 2 and Versa 4 and would not have built-in GPS just like the Cost 5.
However the no-frills expertise is what Fitbit is aiming for with the Encourage 3, and it is a wearable aimed toward those that take into account themselves a newbie or need one thing inexpensive. General, it is a easy health tracker that also affords loads of well being and health data like sleep, stress, and menstrual cycle monitoring.
To get an actual sense of whether or not the Encourage 3 is definitely worth the funding, I wore the tracker as my every day wearable for a number of weeks. Whereas I discovered the expertise to be usually good, I did have a couple of minor gripes that make it troublesome to advocate in opposition to among the finest Fitbits.
A fundamental but acquainted design
The Fitbit Encourage 3 is an unassuming gadget. It has a black silicone band that is snug and safe in opposition to your pores and skin, however is not so thick or tight that it is noticeable in the course of a exercise. I discovered it straightforward to placed on in comparison with different bigger clothes, and largely forgot I used to be sporting it. It additionally comes with an additional bigger band for these with larger wrists.
The tracker itself could be very small (1.5 inches by 0.73 inches) and has a small coloration display. You need to faucet either side or double-tap the display to deliver up the watch face, which I discovered somewhat irritating once I simply needed to rapidly view the time or my tracked exercise stats.
There’s additionally a little bit of a studying curve wanted to make use of the vertical and horizontal swipe that navigates the menus. I discovered the method clumsy initially, particularly once I simply needed to check out my coronary heart fee or exercise length. As an alternative of rapidly swiping to those screens, I needed to memorize the precise gestures. That is superb ultimately, however it’ll look somewhat completely different for brand new customers.
Moreover, the watch would not present fast entry to every of the 21 native train choices within the Fitbit ecosystem. You possibly can solely view six on your private home display at a time, and you will have to manually change the exercise menu to see the others by the Fitbit app. The entire time to do that takes about 5 minutes.
Whereas the essential black coloration goes with most garments and the sleekness is a step up from bulkier garments, its lack of formal choices for teams means I most likely would not put on it in exterior of coaching. You can change the strap to one of many higher Encourage 3 bands however the selection is missing. Nonetheless, the general consolation and measurement of the gadget make it an awesome choice for these in search of a sporty all-day wearable.
Its superior well being and wellness monitoring is a spotlight
Well being and wellness monitoring is the place the Encourage 3 shines. Monitoring is obtainable not just for the fundamentals like step depend and exercises, but in addition for extra superior metrics like respiratory fee, coronary heart fee variability, pores and skin temperature, oxygen saturation, and resting coronary heart fee. Most of this monitoring requires sporting the gadget whereas sleeping, so the truth that it has a cushty band is a bonus.
As for sleep monitoring, I discovered the Encourage 3 did an satisfactory job of recognizing once I went to mattress and the way lengthy I slept. I observed that it tended to register some sleep classes as being a bit shorter than they really have been, however total it did not work any higher or worse than the app that I take advantage of on my telephone known as Sleep Cycle and Rise.
I used to be additionally intrigued by Fitbit’s new Day by day Readiness Rating function. The rating is supposed to be a sign of how effectively you possibly can count on your physique to carry out primarily based on the info it collects on the quantity of exercise you have accomplished, the standard of your sleep, and extra.
The info collected and the rating it generates are meant that will help you make higher decisions about the way you deal with your self each day, particularly when deciding what sort of train you may do.
For instance, the every day readiness rating would imply how ready my physique was for bodily exercise every day. Any rating beneath 30 indicated that I ought to prioritize relaxation over coaching, whereas a rating above 64 meant that I might push myself to extra intense ranges of train. Having this sort of every day perception goes past simply desirous to depend a step and it has made me really feel higher about my total exercise routine.
It is vital to notice that many development knowledge (like sleep monitoring) is barely accessible when you have a premium Fitbit subscription. You get six months included when shopping for the gadget, so you will get an concept of how helpful the info is earlier than you determine to pay for it.
It is a first rate exercise tracker that will go away hardcore athletes wanting extra
The Encourage 3 does a good job of exercise monitoring, however I believed it was somewhat irritating to solely have entry to 6 trackable actions on the house display, which I might see as a draw back main for multi-sport customers. It is a tedious expertise that requires going into the app to regulate these seen actions on a regular basis.
However I encountered a extra severe dealbreaker: its lack of built-in GPS. Having GPS entry is a obligation for severe athletes who need extra than simply backdoor estimates of distance, step and calorie knowledge. Not solely is it an excellent factor to have when you do not need your telephone with you, but it surely’s additionally the surest approach to get correct monitoring data concerning tempo and complete exercise time.
GPS has additionally change into commonplace on so lots of the finest health trackers that it appears odd {that a} wearable would not to see her. The Encourage 3 permits the usage of GPS when synced to a telephone, however I do not at all times wish to take my smartphone with me throughout a exercise, particularly whereas operating. After I did, nevertheless, I discovered that the GPS synced virtually immediately.
Battery life is its finest function and lasts as much as 10 consecutive days
With regards to nice options, the battery lifetime of the Encourage 3 deserves some severe acknowledgment. Fitbit touts it as having a 10-day battery life and after testing that declare myself, it is spot on.
I wore the gadget virtually 24/7, in mattress whereas I slept, in addition to all through the work day, and had no downside getting not less than 10 days on a single cost. And when the battery lastly hit 0%, it recharged to 100% in simply over an hour. Fitbit has at all times accomplished effectively within the battery life division, and the Encourage 3 isn’t any completely different.
Ought to I purchase it?
General, the Fitbit Encourage 3 is an satisfactory health tracker that gives fundamental details about your well being and exercise ranges. The modern design and long-lasting battery make it splendid for all-day (and all-night) use, and it is nice for giving an summary of your total well being.
However whether or not or not it is a sensible funding largely depends upon your private targets and wishes. Its lack of built-in GPS places it behind related choices from Fitbit just like the Cost 5, and in order for you a tool that gives deeper health and wellness insights, the extra intuitive Sense 2 is a greater choice. Nevertheless, it prices extra.
Nevertheless, in case you’re in search of a wearable gadget that precisely tracks your exercises, data your fundamental every day metrics like steps taken and energy burned, and has a long-lasting battery, that is the very best health tracker for you.
The Fitbit Encourage 3 is a dependable health tracker that can serve customers effectively, particularly new wearers or these beginning a exercise routine, so long as their wants are fundamental. However something past easy metrics requires an improve.
