I just want to say, thank you so much for taking the time to add SDH captions to your videos. Even the attention to detail with the RUclips chapters. You are awesome.
great video and you capture the key points really well: 1. Its an incomplete product 2. user experience meta-navigation leaves you lost too often 3. data vs information balance is all over the place Overall, I am disappointed with it right now. Shame but hey there you go. Thanks again
That button deserves a lot more credit.. If you wear your watch on the left hand, youre supposed to use your thumb. Its a rather smart placement, as using your thumb doesnt require you to turn/crank your wrist at all. Probably the most comfortable way to touch a watch button. And if you wear it on your right, you basically do the same motion, but use the side of your pointer finger, with the nail kind of rubbing against the skin on the top of your wrist. And you can use your thumb on the otherside to give the watch some stability
I have a Fitbit Sense and the face came off in August 2021, 10 months later the replacement did the same thing. I never get it wet, I do sleep with it on for sleep tracking and such. Fitbit said they will give me 35% off on a third watch, will not replace it. I have owned many watches from this company but I will never own another one again!! Starting my search for a new fitness tracker!
@@_TeaMaster I never tried anything but Suunto and Garmin and if you ask me: my Suunto 2S was with me for 7 years and I sold it in MINT condition ;-) Oh, not even once hung
Just ordered mine the other day after I found out my health insurance gives us a 20% discount on Fitbits. Was torn between this and the Apple Watch 6. Figured I would give this a try, since I’m still a little salty since my series 3 apple just died unexpectedly a few weeks ago. Thanks for the review!!
Thanks so much! I had pre-ordered on Amazon but after some digging I found some site that my health insurance had partnered with to give credits for taking quizes, signing up for challenges, etc., and one of the rewards that I was able to grab was a 25% coupon code. I was able to order a sense with one and save about $70 even after an expedited shipping fee, so cancelled my Amazon order. It looks like it's going to ship on the 25th, which was when my Amazon order was going to, so I'll be getting it the same time as I would have.
Yea the subscription really rubs me the wrong way. They locked away information I already had into sub only information. Like their whole point of buying the thing is to get all of that data. What a useless piece of shit. I really wish Microsoft Band came back. If only I wasn't already so invested into the Fitbit ecosystem with their weight scale too
@alan agreed. I just realized that yesterday when I was looking for the app which will work with the fitbit watch and someone mentioned that the subscription price is too high and not to mention it makes no sense in the first place. Which other fitness smart watches would you recommend?
Great deep review. Incomparable with all other reviews on RUclips for this "Sense". I had the intention to buy one for my daughter but looks like this first sense has way many problems.
Thanks for your review. I just canceled my pre ordered sense. You saved my money. I just can’t believe they require monthly subscription for your data.
Side note - me and my family all purchased the sense to compete with steps, etc., we found out at 22 months exactly, all of them stopped working - not sure if it was the battery or the internals. Luckily we each purchased the 2 year warranty, and were each able to get replacement watches - otherwise durable😊
I just got it and I like it. You are right, however, the they need to explain better, clearer and simpler what the various metrics do, and what they recommend based on them.
I just bought the sense for my hubby. He’s an android user, so iwatch is a no go. Battery life is supposed to last days vs my iwatch. Sometimes I don’t take it to work because I forgot to charge it the night before. And plenty of times has died on me during my work shift because charging for a few min before work is not enough. I almost want get one for myself tbh just for the battery life. It looks so damn good too and it seems to be thinner too, lays flatter and less bulky. Love it. And also you can get it for $199.
Sigh, i had higher hopes for this. Every freaking watch for Android has some downsides. Now i have to consider Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 as an viable Option again. Huawei is destroyed by the sanctions.... Garmin Prices are way over the top and Ratings on Amazon are still way too mixed. Tough decision to buy an accurate smartwatch. Apple should just give us Android compatibility!
Garmin Vivoactive 4 is pretty accurate and not that expensive 👍 Galaxy Watch 3 seems as inacurate as the old Galaxy Watch Active 2 according to other youtubers...
@@arshaq4471 Absolutely right, but the questioneer considers Sense/Galaxy Watch 3 so i thougt he wants a bit more stylish/smartwatch like Fitnesstracker 🤔😉
My versa stopped syncing with my phone recently and then found out that my phone is not officially compatible, despite it being a Pixel (3a)! I'm hoping that with the Google acquisition, we will be seeing more development resources that can work out some of the issues you mentioned as well as syncing issues that will at least allow for these to be deemed compatible by all android devices with a certain version of BT rather than specific phone models, which seems like a really sleazy way to get out of actually supporting issues inherent with their product. I mean come on, what other bluetooth devices out there state they are only compatible with a serious of 20 models of phone/table? Anyway thanks for the review.
The lack of explanation on this watch is frustrating ! I’m new to this technology and it’s confusing and I feel for the price there should be a book with this watch giving clarity , explaining features and results . Thank you for your video , it’s helped me understand a little bit better
Thank you for your very detailed review. I was hoping for a warning about my stress level: bp has changed enough to trigger an alert, or increase in heart rate, rise in temperature. Instead, it appears they have given a two minute mindfulness exercise that could calm you down. Your demonstration of the GSR was eye opening. Maybe what I need is coming in a year or two.
It gives alerts if heart rate goes above whatever you set. I don't get a temp like 99.7 but will show if core temp is off compared to normal. Can do ecg at any time and also get oxygen level at any time. I to wanted something for blood pressure. I get panic attacks/anxiety and am trying to figure out my cause.. doesn't seem to be medical after 18 grand in Dr bills but would like to have current measurements when I'm feeling attack happen and to manage what it's doing to body then to let me relax. As u said hopefully next version but so far this has been at least somewhat helpful.
The inductive button is easy to press for me on my Sense. I use my thumb not my pointer finger. Not an issue for me. For the stress score, you need to click on the “learn more” link to figure out why you got your score and what impacts it.
I showed the learn more link images, it doesn’t actually show you your score details, those are just generic examples. And, if you read them you’ll realize they’re mostly circles. For example for exertion balance it literally says a low balance could be two totally different things, but doesn’t tell you which of those things your score is.
DC Rainmaker When I click on Learn More in my app, I get a complete explanation of my scores. Perhaps you were missing an update to the app or the firmware.
Not sure what to say, on all the latest updates. The ‘learn more’ link simply renders a generic help page with generic scores, which is why it shows two scores (low and high) for each section. I’d you click in your own scores nearly the smiley face. It just shows the three part number text, not any actual explanation.
DC Rainmaker I’m not sure what you’re looking at but I get detailed information of my daily stress score. It works for me, but I’m a Premium member. Did you do these tests with a Premium account?
Yes, you can see premium at the top of my screens. When you say ‘details’, what do you mean? Simply the three score numbers, or actual descriptive text for each?
It is not just that a watch face is required, you need to sleep 3hrs at least and wait 1hr for processing before geting a SpO2 number. It really bad watch many people are returning it. Check their forum for all the complaints, a lot of negative reviews on google playstore.
Thanks so much for the video!!! i really almost buy the fitbit sense. all i care is the accuracy of the heart rate tracking and thats the main reason why i wanna buy a smartwatch. Its so disappointed to see it failed every time in the accuracy test.
So glad I watched this before buying one. The is a new level of privacy concerns. I wish you good luck in the future if you give this company this much of your personal information. Remember you can't take this information back! They will have it forever!
Thanks Ray! Accuracy issues are why I stop using my Fitbit Ionic. The floor data was off by a factor of 3 and heartrate was also wildly off. BTW-I just confirmed that on the DC Rainmaker Analyzer and ironically the Swim 2 heartrate data was no better when compared to a heartrate strap connected to a Wahoo Elemnt.
It could, though I'd argue the AW5 was substantially closer than Fitbit appears to be with Sense. So that turn will take longer than Apple. Apple appeared to have a relatively narrow issue, compared to this seems to struggle in a variety of circumstances.
Thank you for the information, very informative! My charge 3 just broke so I am shopping around and after seeing this I will probably go for another type of smartwatch. I like the stats but am definitely not shelling out for both the sense and premium, and accuracy is a big factor for me.
Accuracy is a big thing for me too. My fitbit charge 3 also broke but it was a manufacturer defect. I had it for almost 2 years and the screen slowly faded away. Fitbit gave me a credit of $150 and wanted to put it towards the Sense but now I don't know. I have 30 days to use the credit too
@@monicak8195 I have a similar situation going on. My screen started getting lines across it slowly and then suddenly the entire screen was broken, with lines and the greyscale messed up. I would've assumed I had broken it but I didn't hit my wrist against anything and there was no visible cracks or anything. Fitbit gave me a 35% off coupon to use in the next 30 days. I'm thinking of maybe getting a Versa but I'm still not sure.
@@eugeniaj6904 The same thing happened with my Charge 2. The screen started messing up last week (or a few weeks ago, I don't remember exactly) so I began to shop for a new smartwatch. Placed an order for Versa 3 yesterday, and the screen on my Charge 2 just went off totally all of a sudden today. (I wonder if Fitbit did it on purpose, forcing you to upgrade) Now that I've read this review, I'm hesitating if I should cancel my order (I'm not sure if the shop that I ordered from allows cancellation) and go for Garmin Venu SQ instead... I am not a serious athlete but the inaccuracy kinda bothers me.. :/ Thank you DCR for the indepth review!
@@eugeniaj6904 I ended up ordering the sense... i figured I may as well.. and there is a 45 day I think return policy so if I don't like it I can get a full refund. Good luck choosing a device which suits you. 🙂
Glad to know I was not alone in disliking this watch. I left a fair, but negative review on Best Buy's site (where I ordered it for my fiancee) calling it what is is... a half-baked product and it somehow managed to get 25 "unhelpful" votes, and 2 comments calling me dumb (in so many words).
@@Dcrainmaker It is unfortunate too because I have made some pretty bad tech purchases in the past (remember the Blackberry Playbook? lol) but I have never felt the need to justify a purchase by calling out people who had a bad experience. $330 USD to save a spot for promised features is a very steep entry cost, especially with companies like Apple shipping with all of the promised features day-one. All the same, I appreciate the review!
Thanks for your great review. I canceled my order on Amazon. I am a Fitbit Ionic owner and will wait, provably try Garmin in the future. Let's wait and see. But by now your review was decisive for me ... Thanks again for your great work ...
So... overall between this and the Apple series 6 as far as accuracy and execution, you’d go with the 6 right? Ty I keep going back and forth between the two.
My Ionic just randomly died after about two years. I've been waiting for the Sense to be shipped to me but it doesn't look promising based on the reviews I've seen.
@@jeffzest8393 I bought Versa 3 because HR accuracy wasn't that important to me and because the extra the Sense offers wasn't worth £100 more. GPS accuracy seems good and the price is reasonable.
Great video! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the watch. I am currently looking into to replace my Versa 1 gen and this review definately helped me to form an opinion. Just one thing I found that wasn't so correct, is that the SpO2 sensor works, even if you don't have that specific watch face loaded. It is just really hidden deep in the metrics. You would have to navigate to your sleep tracking on the app, then go into a specific day and scroll all the way down. There too you can find the data. BUT: I think you are totaly right, that it is annoying, that it only measures SpO2 while sleeping. You can't turn it on manually and check during times where you would like to. It feels a little like "why even bother" but OK. The only good thing is, that the ECG feature is now cleared to be used in the EU. But still a huge price for something that other watches just do better and for a similar or even cheaper price.
Thanks! Just to clarify though, that's actually not the same thing. You're looking at variation in that data stat, which doesn't give you SpO2 levels, but rather, variation on them. Whereas the SpO2 clock face gives you the specific SpO2 value (% wise).
@@Dcrainmaker Thanks for clarifying that. I didn't consider that. But then again, I don't really use that feature, as it gives me no real explanation what to do with it.
I have been considering getting a smartwatch to monitor stress and heart rate. I'm 56, prior military and I have extreme stress at times(no reason why, just have extreme anxiety).. Hope they get one that is worthy, still waiting. Ty for the information
I was hyped for this device but... now I'm a little disappointed. It's great to have EDA and what not but it would be nice to give some more serious analytics on it or at least what I means? That's a wee bit annoying that Google Assistant and phone calls won't be available until the end of the year. And the HR is bad? WHAT? The only good thing about this product is ECG on launch... and if the HR readings are flacky..
Great review. Made me cancel my order. ECG isn’t even delivered until later??? 🤦🏽♂️ that’s what I need it for right now. ----- UPDATE: EH I got it anyhow. I'm trying it out now. It's kind of ugly, interface is not that good. But, I'm gonna let the health metrics do the talking. So, let's see.
@@jamesloom so, I reorderd ir..and I have it...Interface is clunky, it looks kinda ugly, need to get used to it. Trying to see if I wanna keep this. I would keep it if the metrics are worth it...I'm just gotta wear it for a few days and try to see if they are.
Aman Bansil - Crush The Wealth Gap if you have or have seen a versa in person, can you tell me if it is bulkier than a versa? I love my versa but have been considering upgrading to this eventually once the ECG is in place and active.
Jennifer J I’m sorry, I’m not sure. I switched from a Fitbit Alta HR to this. It’s a strange form factor and it’s clunky. It’s like using something from 2008. Perhaps I’m too used to Apple devices. The Alta just had a basic display and I liked it because I just left it on for metrics. This Sense is trying to be a smart watch too, which it’s not doing that well, for my own personal, Apple/Google pixel biased taste (i.e. buttery smooth UIs/screens). I’m trying to see if the Heath metrics are worth it. I think I’ll def do a review of this thing soon on my channel.
Jennifer J - hi, I saw this comment on Reddit from someone that may be relevant to your question: “I came from the Versa 2, so the Sense is basically the same form factor without a physical button and easier method of changing the bands. There's some things i prefer from the old UI, but the new one isn't that bad.”
What is the best smartwatch or tracker with an always-on display currently on the market or coming soon? Will be used for moderate walking/running, but mostly while playing hockey.
Hi, thank you for the great review, i hit the subscribe button! Has the sensor accuracy become any better? Has the watch received any software updates?
@ 2:30 Why do you reach for the button with your index instead of your thumb? Don’t you use your thumb for the left-side buttons on your Polar/Garmin/etc. watches?
I used both, but it doesn't really matter, you're thumb basically has to go *under* the edge of the watch, which means you bend your thumb such that it presses into the arm. And this all ignores what happens when try and use it with a long-sleeve shirt/coat.
DC Rainmaker And then you should just say so instead angling your hand in an unnatural way for comedic effect. Funnily enough I bet the Fitbit design team see it as a feature. I am assuming the reasoning was: 1. the button is unsightly; 2. the button sometimes catches fabric; 3. the button sometimes gets pressed involuntarily. Solution: let’s hide and recess it a little. I think your reviews are the most detailed and informative in the space - and I’d never buy sports electronic without having a look at your opinion on them. And you’re funny too. That was just petty and a cheap shot.
@@AlexRochette I think you're way overthinking it, I certainly wasn't trying to be funny. Shooting watches on camera is tricky to avoid covering the watch/etc... It's silly stuff people would never think about like putting fabric above the camera to reduce reflections, or having the camera at a very slight angle, or putting a box up higher, or...or...or. I'm just doing the best I can do without reshooting things 12 times. Ultimately, the button was universally panned by almost every reviewer as annoying, clumsy to use, and poorly thought out.
Garmin at heart but have been with Fitbit for almost 2 years now, and I am so relieved I waited with this one! Looking at my community feed I see the kind of user that Fitbit is presenting its data to though, and I mean absolutely no offense by saying this, but it does make a lot more sense (unintended..) looking at it that way. It's easy to use and understand and for those who aren't necessarily interested in tracking their cadence or nerding out on heatmaps, yet still creates a decent image of overall health and fitness. Personally, I'm out. Can't wait to see how I've been doing while not tracking my cadence lol
Can it wake you up during the optimal sleep phase? Does it automatically determine when you fall asleep and wake up? Can it automatically set the alarm as soon as you fall asleep?
your inspirational video inspires me to buy those products than it inspires me to buy products watching the official videos..... thanks for it....keep it up
Yeah. I was looking for a "smart"watch. Mainly to be able to look at basics like notifications, perhaps weather, control music playback without having to take my phone out. I've tried cheap chinese smart watches but while the watches themselves do the job the apps are nasty power hungry beasts. Figured if I'm to pay a lot for a smart watch then I might just as well get a nice premium one with nice stainless case. Fitbit Sense looks great! Well... Quickly I realized that I just couldn't swap the strap for a standard stainless or cheap Chinese ceramic as it's proprietary. I also discovered about the premium stuff which to be honest has put me off if the band didn't. As you say it's impossible to find out what "premium" covers and what you can do with "free" vs "premium" - it's very muddy. I get the impression that once you're into their system they'll "force" you to pay quite a heavy subscription as if the watch itself wasn't expensive enough. So next thing I'll try the Amazfit Bip S (in the mail system right now). Not as flashy but on paper it'll do what I ask for and it's very reasonably priced. Now I just cross my fingers that the app is great and not a power hog. Should the app be great I might very well try out their Stratos 3 too. The kind of always on displays found on Bip and Stratos series is just appealing to me. While transflective screens are not as flashy they do allow for complex always on screens. No more awkvard gestures to wake it up and only needs power every two weeks or less.
Super helpful review-thanks! Just got the Sense after having a Garmin 645 and I have a lot of the same feelings. Love the added features but I'm hoping for updates that include more robust insights from the data. Does anyone know if updates can increase HR accuracy or is this a hardware issue?
@@samygold100 I don't believe an update for HR accuracy exists at this point. After some time with the watch and doing some simultaneous testing with chest straps I can say that the HR is a "good estimate." These wrist HR monitors are relatively young speaking historically and there is much to learn in the variables that affect a good HR read. Sleep tracking is good but again, not quite as scientifically sound as marketing would have you think. Again, it's a "good estimate" for aiding you in the improvement of broad trends.
Jenni Lynn Have you inquired about cardiac ablation for SVT or either not suitable for you or do not want to risk complications? I had ablation for atrial flutter and checked for SVT but did not notice. Have had a history of tachycardia, but until the flutter I believe most were normal sinus rhythm. I just purchased the watch, but after just a short time wearing my wrist hurt.
Thank you so much for this review, it really helped me! I was really interested in the Fitbit Sense when I first heard about it. I am dealing with stress/anxiety so this was interesting to me. But now that I have more info about it, I know that I will just get the Fitbit Versa 3. Cause this will be my first fitbit and I also don’t want fitbit premium. Thankyou so much!
Please look at comments in the fitbit forum before buying. There are a lot of people having bad experience with this watch, you can read the reviews on google playstore.
Very good analysis ...I hope that James Spark (fitfit ceo) will listen to your video and improve the software and features ....there’s a lot of quick fixes that could be done. I just bought the Fitbit sense (an upgrade from my old Fitbit charge 3) and there was so many bugs and so many issues.... I had to contact their customer service many times and they always responded with irrelevant answers...I wasted so much time providing printscreen error messages ....I was so fed up after a while that I decided to buy an Apple Watch.... for the extra 200$, it’s really worth it ... too bad Fitbit can’t adapt and provide a quality watch ...
Does this mean you prefer an AW 6 over a Fitbit Sense, or are there other competitors (eg Forerunner)? Would be nice to hear/see a comparison on what you consider the current top watches.
Dang, that accuracy is a let down. Was going to pick this up Friday to hopefully get better HR accuracy then my versa 2. Guess that’s not happening now.
DC Rainmaker no worries. Might have saved me the frustration. Kinda contemplating the AW series 6 now after your accuracy with that one looked spot on with their new sensor. Just don’t like how they don’t show the heart rate at all times like the Fitbits do
Tim Bennett definitely! i have the charge 3 and recently got the AW SE. The AW does not have continuous heart rate monitoring. Even the sleep tracking is very basic and nowhere close as my charge 3. Such a letdown.
Please let me know where I can find a store to help me to adjust the right time and right date ? I am here a Fitbit office, but the front desk said that I need to call them. , but the contact. Phone number couldn’t went through….this watch can’t be used for a few month and nowhere to find a help from fitbit
I guess it depends if you are rigth handed or left handed. I wear my watch on my right hand, put my index finger on the left side of the watch, where the button is, and my thumb on the bottom right corner.....it works fine for me....but I put it on my left wrist and yea.....kind of awkward.
@@mojox1 search on Aliexpress for a shop called jelly comb. They have over 30 models. I have one, measures heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen sat, GPS etc etc for 25 USD.
Thank you for the review always informative, can it compete with apple and Garmin? the good thing about Fitbit brand that’s wearable not bulky but the functionality of it needed some serious work. Hope they take notes from you.
Setting aside the sensor issues, I think they can compete - but they need to finish the product. This is clearly beta-level at this point. It's just not ready for the masses (or, reviewers as it was).
To be honest the only acceptable wrist based HR is apple and polar the rest are ok but work will with chest strap if are looking for the perfect data, that’s my humble opinion, I don’t know if Fitbit sense connect to external HR?
I'm here to find out if I *have* to have the undesirable SpO2 watch face to use the Breathing Rate, Health Rate Variability & Skin Temp functions. Disappointing to find out that not only is it *not* the watch face I want ~ it's laggy, doesn't work very well *and* is a battery hog. Also, I agree that it's just bizarre that to use certain health monitoring functions, I have to 1) give up the watch face I chose and 2) select one specific face. Every other Fitbit feature functions independently of the watch face. I could've selected any one and that wouldn't have removed or added basic features. It's weird, and, IMHO not a good idea. Having finished the video, I'm 80% (?) sure I need the undesirable watch face to use the new features... even though I've got "Premium." That's frustrating, too, that not only have I paid, I still can't use new features because I have to use the undesirable watch face. Oh, and today (9.25.20), I too got the Breathing Rate 'Learn More' explanation in Dutch when I clicked on the button, lol. It's in English now.
I like your review, after having a garmin and a Fitbit and apple watch. I still think Fitbit is better for general health and wellness. Garmin gives you tons of data, but unless your an athlete it can be overwhelming not to mention it doesn't really give you any guidance as to what that data means. Apple watch is great as far as a smart watch but it's actual wellness is lacking. I think Apple sees that and that's why the 6 is expanding on fitness instead of relying on 3rd party apps. It's one big health feature was ecg/ekg but was lacking in spo2 and blood oxygen reading as well. And the rings though great it's hard to extrapolate the data in it into a fitness routine or program, I think that's why they're creating apple fitness.
This is the most expensive Fitbit to date and it's still just around 300$, same price range as the fr245, and a fr245 won't give you much data at all, only the very basic ones.
Garmins are way too expensive when comparing with watches towards the general population, like apple watch and fitbit. The versa 3 is only 230$ similar to the very very barebone fr45.
As much as I want the Fitbit Sense, I think I'll stick with my Ionic for now. It seems there are some software issues that need to be fixed. In addition; I'm not sure if I need that much sensor tracking, but that's not a deal-breaker for me. Plus, I really like ability to answer calls on the watch. I can see myself using that often.
Have you done a video on what specific data is included "without" the monthly premium fees on the newer Fitbits? In particular with regard to the sleep data? I'm kind of in the market to replace what I have and my better judgement is telling me go for what would be my first Apple watch but the sleep data seems more comprehensive on my old Fitbit app? Thanks for the time spent doing these videos.
@@Dcrainmaker Oh wow... nice... I've had mine for 10 months, and I like that feature... I wish it could do it all the time... Or, when you selected it to do it... thanks for the details...
You don't need the spo2 watch face for the spo2 function to work. I have a versa 2 and my nightly spo2 readings appeared in the sleep logs once I updated the OS. The readings even appeared retroactively in older sleep logs
@@Dcrainmaker but that clock face, at least on the other watches, only shows you the average reading from your last sleep session. It does not show you a live reading of your blood oxygen saturation. It's only showing you the same thing your sleep records do.
The Sense is a nice watch tto start out with,, but something interesting happened at the end of the trial period. I guess I let too much time go by, I thought all I would have is. basic features, but alll I have the load diamond with hiccups & no way to reset!
My ionic died after only 2.5yrs!! Was looking at sense but think this has made me think it’s over priced for the features that it sounds like I’m not really going to get much use from! So think I may just go for the versa 3 as seems like this is closer to the ionic now it has built in GPS? Anyone thoughts on this? Thank you!
Hi, may I ask how would you comment on the on-screen workouts? It’s one of the features that made me settle for the Versa 3 (pre-ordered, yet to pick up) as opposed to Charge 4. But that was before I found out about the Garmin Venu, the animated workouts of which seem even better.
Hey, man! I only trust 2 people in this world, Bradley Cooper and yourself. And since Cooper won't answer me, hoping you can weigh in. Was wondering if you could tell me if the accuracy is better/worse/same for HR and GPS accuracy between the Garmin Venu and Fenix 5 Plus. I know they have different heart rate sensors. Can get each for around 250.00. Average exerciser (run, walk, cycle), but looking for accuracy mostly. Also looked at the 945, but night be now watch than I need. Thanks again for all of the work that you put into your videos!
Hey, nice review. I am wondering if you had to choose between galaxy watch 3 and fitbit sense which you would choose? Do you think fitbit can address those problems with heart accuracy? Apple watch is not an option for me because I do not own an iphone and I do not want to own. I am about to buy a smartwatch and I am looking the best option for tracking mostly strength training and running on the treadmill but at the same time something that can track also my health (specifically reporting heart issues and have a very good sleep tracking. If it can help indicate a possibility of sleep apnea that would be perfect. Do you have any smartwatch on your mind to suggest? Thanks for the help
@@nsevv sorry to tell you that they do have heart rate monitor. I have had my versa light for 2 years with a heart rate monitor. You have to find a clock face that shows the heart rate, there are tons that are greet. And I don’t subscribe to the premium membership, I am cheap.
Hi everyone. Does anyone know if you can do TIMED interval training? I know there's heartrate etc. My wife needs to run for 4mins, walk for two. Does this watch happen to have that capability?
@@Dcrainmaker Yes, please! I am supposed to pick up my Versa 3 tomorrow but am seriously considering if I should cancel my order now that I've seen your review. Currently struggling between Venu SQ and Versa 3. My Charge 2 just died today so I am in desperate need of a new watch. Thanks for the thorough review!
I just want to say, thank you so much for taking the time to add SDH captions to your videos. Even the attention to detail with the RUclips chapters. You are awesome.
great video and you capture the key points really well:
1. Its an incomplete product
2. user experience meta-navigation leaves you lost too often
3. data vs information balance is all over the place
Overall, I am disappointed with it right now. Shame but hey there you go. Thanks again
That button deserves a lot more credit.. If you wear your watch on the left hand, youre supposed to use your thumb. Its a rather smart placement, as using your thumb doesnt require you to turn/crank your wrist at all. Probably the most comfortable way to touch a watch button.
And if you wear it on your right, you basically do the same motion, but use the side of your pointer finger, with the nail kind of rubbing against the skin on the top of your wrist. And you can use your thumb on the otherside to give the watch some stability
I have a Fitbit Sense and the face came off in August 2021, 10 months later the replacement did the same thing. I never get it wet, I do sleep with it on for sleep tracking and such. Fitbit said they will give me 35% off on a third watch, will not replace it. I have owned many watches from this company but I will never own another one again!! Starting my search for a new fitness tracker!
features: missing
accuracy: missing
ergonomics: missing
what did I miss?
thank you Ray for unbiased review
Thanks, I try!
Expensive
Zygfryd Homonto build quality, it is a Fitbit watch, they die in a couple of months
@@_TeaMaster I never tried anything but Suunto and Garmin and if you ask me: my Suunto 2S was with me for 7 years and I sold it in MINT condition ;-) Oh, not even once hung
Just ordered mine the other day after I found out my health insurance gives us a 20% discount on Fitbits. Was torn between this and the Apple Watch 6. Figured I would give this a try, since I’m still a little salty since my series 3 apple just died unexpectedly a few weeks ago. Thanks for the review!!
bro u did a big mistake. Thats all I can say.
Thanks so much! I had pre-ordered on Amazon but after some digging I found some site that my health insurance had partnered with to give credits for taking quizes, signing up for challenges, etc., and one of the rewards that I was able to grab was a 25% coupon code. I was able to order a sense with one and save about $70 even after an expedited shipping fee, so cancelled my Amazon order. It looks like it's going to ship on the 25th, which was when my Amazon order was going to, so I'll be getting it the same time as I would have.
@@heatherwalksandruns how do you have the sense already?
@@dvdmon mind sharing which website id like to check my insurance
@@dvdmon i looked and mg health insurance pairs with fitbit but only can get the versa 2. very interested in which website you used
Paying so much for a watch and then you still need to pay for a subscription - for me an absolute no-go!👎👎👎👎
AND the Data is inacurate for the Heartrate at least...
Yea the subscription really rubs me the wrong way. They locked away information I already had into sub only information. Like their whole point of buying the thing is to get all of that data. What a useless piece of shit. I really wish Microsoft Band came back. If only I wasn't already so invested into the Fitbit ecosystem with their weight scale too
I dont pay and I love my fit bit it has an app a tracks my fitpoints for Weight watchers
@alan agreed. I just realized that yesterday when I was looking for the app which will work with the fitbit watch and someone mentioned that the subscription price is too high and not to mention it makes no sense in the first place.
Which other fitness smart watches would you recommend?
@@SHABSOL my app is free i dont buy the extra subscription
Great deep review. Incomparable with all other reviews on RUclips for this "Sense". I had the intention to buy one for my daughter but looks like this first sense has way many problems.
Nope. It's 👍 great!
Thanks for your review. I just canceled my pre ordered sense. You saved my money. I just can’t believe they require monthly subscription for your data.
Thanks for watching, appreciate it!
Side note - me and my family all purchased the sense to compete with steps, etc., we found out at 22 months exactly, all of them stopped working - not sure if it was the battery or the internals.
Luckily we each purchased the 2 year warranty, and were each able to get replacement watches - otherwise durable😊
I just got it and I like it. You are right, however, the they need to explain better, clearer and simpler what the various metrics do, and what they recommend based on them.
I just bought the sense for my hubby. He’s an android user, so iwatch is a no go. Battery life is supposed to last days vs my iwatch. Sometimes I don’t take it to work because I forgot to charge it the night before. And plenty of times has died on me during my work shift because charging for a few min before work is not enough. I almost want get one for myself tbh just for the battery life. It looks so damn good too and it seems to be thinner too, lays flatter and less bulky. Love it. And also you can get it for $199.
Depending on the face you chose (like if you are using the a a SpO2 , it’s maybe 3 days battery life)
Sigh, i had higher hopes for this. Every freaking watch for Android has some downsides. Now i have to consider Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 as an viable Option again. Huawei is destroyed by the sanctions.... Garmin Prices are way over the top and Ratings on Amazon are still way too mixed. Tough decision to buy an accurate smartwatch. Apple should just give us Android compatibility!
Bro get the fitbit charge 4. It's the best choice for now.
@@arshaq4471 I have the Charge 3 and if the Charge 4 is anything like that it is cr@p!!!
Garmin Vivoactive 4 is pretty accurate and not that expensive 👍 Galaxy Watch 3 seems as inacurate as the old Galaxy Watch Active 2 according to other youtubers...
@@residentCJ I would suggest the forerunner series. It's better for fitness tracking.
@@arshaq4471 Absolutely right, but the questioneer considers Sense/Galaxy Watch 3 so i thougt he wants a bit more stylish/smartwatch like Fitnesstracker 🤔😉
My versa stopped syncing with my phone recently and then found out that my phone is not officially compatible, despite it being a Pixel (3a)! I'm hoping that with the Google acquisition, we will be seeing more development resources that can work out some of the issues you mentioned as well as syncing issues that will at least allow for these to be deemed compatible by all android devices with a certain version of BT rather than specific phone models, which seems like a really sleazy way to get out of actually supporting issues inherent with their product. I mean come on, what other bluetooth devices out there state they are only compatible with a serious of 20 models of phone/table? Anyway thanks for the review.
Recommendation for a similar watch that is health oriented with stressmanagement and sleep recording?
Huawei Watch Fit
The lack of explanation on this watch is frustrating ! I’m new to this technology and it’s confusing and I feel for the price there should be a book with this watch giving clarity , explaining features and results . Thank you for your video , it’s helped me understand a little bit better
Thank you for your very detailed review. I was hoping for a warning about my stress level: bp has changed enough to trigger an alert, or increase in heart rate, rise in temperature. Instead, it appears they have given a two minute mindfulness exercise that could calm you down. Your demonstration of the GSR was eye opening. Maybe what I need is coming in a year or two.
It gives alerts if heart rate goes above whatever you set. I don't get a temp like 99.7 but will show if core temp is off compared to normal. Can do ecg at any time and also get oxygen level at any time. I to wanted something for blood pressure. I get panic attacks/anxiety and am trying to figure out my cause.. doesn't seem to be medical after 18 grand in Dr bills but would like to have current measurements when I'm feeling attack happen and to manage what it's doing to body then to let me relax. As u said hopefully next version but so far this has been at least somewhat helpful.
The inductive button is easy to press for me on my Sense. I use my thumb not my pointer finger. Not an issue for me.
For the stress score, you need to click on the “learn more” link to figure out why you got your score and what impacts it.
I showed the learn more link images, it doesn’t actually show you your score details, those are just generic examples. And, if you read them you’ll realize they’re mostly circles. For example for exertion balance it literally says a low balance could be two totally different things, but doesn’t tell you which of those things your score is.
DC Rainmaker When I click on Learn More in my app, I get a complete explanation of my scores. Perhaps you were missing an update to the app or the firmware.
Not sure what to say, on all the latest updates. The ‘learn more’ link simply renders a generic help page with generic scores, which is why it shows two scores (low and high) for each section. I’d you click in your own scores nearly the smiley face. It just shows the three part number text, not any actual explanation.
DC Rainmaker I’m not sure what you’re looking at but I get detailed information of my daily stress score. It works for me, but I’m a Premium member. Did you do these tests with a Premium account?
Yes, you can see premium at the top of my screens. When you say ‘details’, what do you mean? Simply the three score numbers, or actual descriptive text for each?
Fitbit should include the ability to pair with external HR straps. They have never done it before though.
I agree, everyone else does at this point.
DC Rainmaker Except Wear OS, but they don’t qualify in any discussion on fitness metrics.
Great, in-depth review! Weird that a specific watch face is required to measure SpO2.
Thanks! Indeed, it was such a bummer.
It is not just that a watch face is required, you need to sleep 3hrs at least and wait 1hr for processing before geting a SpO2 number. It really bad watch many people are returning it. Check their forum for all the complaints, a lot of negative reviews on google playstore.
Hey!
Pleas make a video about the versa 3..
been looking for this from you! thank you for the detailed review!
Thanks!
@@Dcrainmaker thanks for what?
Wouldn't go running without being able to call for help if something happens. So I still need to bring the mobile.
You don’t have to say “hey Alexa” ... once you tap the icon it’s listening.
Thank you for the review! Excellent!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks so much for the video!!! i really almost buy the fitbit sense. all i care is the accuracy of the heart rate tracking and thats the main reason why i wanna buy a smartwatch. Its so disappointed to see it failed every time in the accuracy test.
Good choice.. the sense is trash with accuracy sad to say.. and I looove Fitbit so I’m super disappointed about this
So glad I watched this before buying one. The is a new level of privacy concerns. I wish you good luck in the future if you give this company this much of your personal information.
Remember you can't take this information back! They will have it forever!
How do you really know that the mic is really turned off?
Thanks Ray! Accuracy issues are why I stop using my Fitbit Ionic. The floor data was off by a factor of 3 and heartrate was also wildly off. BTW-I just confirmed that on the DC Rainmaker Analyzer and ironically the Swim 2 heartrate data was no better when compared to a heartrate strap connected to a Wahoo Elemnt.
I have heard no experts question accuracy; in fact, heard the opposite.
Check reviews on fitbit google playstore and all the complaints on their forum. Stay away.
Do you think accuracy will change as it changed with software update which happened with Apple Watch series 5?
BRAWL STAR GAMER ya Will it improve?
It could, though I'd argue the AW5 was substantially closer than Fitbit appears to be with Sense. So that turn will take longer than Apple. Apple appeared to have a relatively narrow issue, compared to this seems to struggle in a variety of circumstances.
DC Rainmaker okay
Why do you think not accurate? Actually, it is certified by FDA.
@@jeffzest8393 Only the ECG functionality is certified by the FDA, not any of the other functions. And we haven't seen ECG yet.
Thank you for the information, very informative! My charge 3 just broke so I am shopping around and after seeing this I will probably go for another type of smartwatch. I like the stats but am definitely not shelling out for both the sense and premium, and accuracy is a big factor for me.
Accuracy is a big thing for me too.
My fitbit charge 3 also broke but it was a manufacturer defect. I had it for almost 2 years and the screen slowly faded away. Fitbit gave me a credit of $150 and wanted to put it towards the Sense but now I don't know. I have 30 days to use the credit too
@@monicak8195 I have a similar situation going on. My screen started getting lines across it slowly and then suddenly the entire screen was broken, with lines and the greyscale messed up. I would've assumed I had broken it but I didn't hit my wrist against anything and there was no visible cracks or anything. Fitbit gave me a 35% off coupon to use in the next 30 days. I'm thinking of maybe getting a Versa but I'm still not sure.
@@eugeniaj6904 The same thing happened with my Charge 2. The screen started messing up last week (or a few weeks ago, I don't remember exactly) so I began to shop for a new smartwatch. Placed an order for Versa 3 yesterday, and the screen on my Charge 2 just went off totally all of a sudden today. (I wonder if Fitbit did it on purpose, forcing you to upgrade) Now that I've read this review, I'm hesitating if I should cancel my order (I'm not sure if the shop that I ordered from allows cancellation) and go for Garmin Venu SQ instead... I am not a serious athlete but the inaccuracy kinda bothers me.. :/ Thank you DCR for the indepth review!
@@eugeniaj6904 I ended up ordering the sense... i figured I may as well.. and there is a 45 day I think return policy so if I don't like it I can get a full refund.
Good luck choosing a device which suits you. 🙂
@@monicak8195 please read reviews on Google playstore and all the complaints on fitbit forums.
Glad to know I was not alone in disliking this watch. I left a fair, but negative review on Best Buy's site (where I ordered it for my fiancee) calling it what is is... a half-baked product and it somehow managed to get 25 "unhelpful" votes, and 2 comments calling me dumb (in so many words).
Yeah, it seems there a bit of an army out there of folks that are doing such...
@@Dcrainmaker It is unfortunate too because I have made some pretty bad tech purchases in the past (remember the Blackberry Playbook? lol) but I have never felt the need to justify a purchase by calling out people who had a bad experience. $330 USD to save a spot for promised features is a very steep entry cost, especially with companies like Apple shipping with all of the promised features day-one. All the same, I appreciate the review!
Thanks for your great review. I canceled my order on Amazon. I am a Fitbit Ionic owner and will wait, provably try Garmin in the future. Let's wait and see. But by now your review was decisive for me ... Thanks again for your great work ...
What did he say to discourage you?!
Thanks for saving me from a $329 mistake :)
So... overall between this and the Apple series 6 as far as accuracy and execution, you’d go with the 6 right? Ty I keep going back and forth between the two.
You should do a review of sense vs ionic. Would be more useful for us with ionics sir!
My Ionic just randomly died after about two years. I've been waiting for the Sense to be shipped to me but it doesn't look promising based on the reviews I've seen.
Sense is terrible, just read the reviews on google playstore and on fitbit forums.
2:38 The button Placement is maybe For the People Who wear it on The Right Hand And i Am loving that . 😁😁
At this point I feel the versa 3 is better value foroney as it has 2 of the 3 sensors which seperate it from sense (except EDA) what do you think?
Will have to pickup a Versa 3 and check it out.
Please explain. Sense has everything the Versa does and more.
That's exactly what I thought,I've just bought the Versa 3.
Wayne dunn if so, why would you buy the Versa?
@@jeffzest8393 I bought Versa 3 because HR accuracy wasn't that important to me and because the extra the Sense offers wasn't worth £100 more. GPS accuracy seems good and the price is reasonable.
Great video! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the watch. I am currently looking into to replace my Versa 1 gen and this review definately helped me to form an opinion. Just one thing I found that wasn't so correct, is that the SpO2 sensor works, even if you don't have that specific watch face loaded. It is just really hidden deep in the metrics. You would have to navigate to your sleep tracking on the app, then go into a specific day and scroll all the way down. There too you can find the data. BUT: I think you are totaly right, that it is annoying, that it only measures SpO2 while sleeping. You can't turn it on manually and check during times where you would like to. It feels a little like "why even bother" but OK. The only good thing is, that the ECG feature is now cleared to be used in the EU. But still a huge price for something that other watches just do better and for a similar or even cheaper price.
Thanks! Just to clarify though, that's actually not the same thing. You're looking at variation in that data stat, which doesn't give you SpO2 levels, but rather, variation on them. Whereas the SpO2 clock face gives you the specific SpO2 value (% wise).
@@Dcrainmaker Thanks for clarifying that. I didn't consider that. But then again, I don't really use that feature, as it gives me no real explanation what to do with it.
You can use the ECG feature anywhere just set location to US in your settings and profile too.
😅
I have been considering getting a smartwatch to monitor stress and heart rate. I'm 56, prior military and I have extreme stress at times(no reason why, just have extreme anxiety)..
Hope they get one that is worthy, still waiting. Ty for the information
I was hyped for this device but... now I'm a little disappointed. It's great to have EDA and what not but it would be nice to give some more serious analytics on it or at least what I means?
That's a wee bit annoying that Google Assistant and phone calls won't be available until the end of the year.
And the HR is bad? WHAT? The only good thing about this product is ECG on launch... and if the HR readings are flacky..
Great review. Made me cancel my order. ECG isn’t even delivered until later??? 🤦🏽♂️ that’s what I need it for right now. ----- UPDATE: EH I got it anyhow. I'm trying it out now. It's kind of ugly, interface is not that good. But, I'm gonna let the health metrics do the talking. So, let's see.
@@jamesloom so, I reorderd ir..and I have it...Interface is clunky, it looks kinda ugly, need to get used to it. Trying to see if I wanna keep this. I would keep it if the metrics are worth it...I'm just gotta wear it for a few days and try to see if they are.
Aman Bansil - Crush The Wealth Gap if you have or have seen a versa in person, can you tell me if it is bulkier than a versa? I love my versa but have been considering upgrading to this eventually once the ECG is in place and active.
Jennifer J I’m sorry, I’m not sure. I switched from a Fitbit Alta HR to this. It’s a strange form factor and it’s clunky. It’s like using something from 2008. Perhaps I’m too used to Apple devices. The Alta just had a basic display and I liked it because I just left it on for metrics. This Sense is trying to be a smart watch too, which it’s not doing that well, for my own personal, Apple/Google pixel biased taste (i.e. buttery smooth UIs/screens). I’m trying to see if the Heath metrics are worth it. I think I’ll def do a review of this thing soon on my channel.
Jennifer J - hi, I saw this comment on Reddit from someone that may be relevant to your question: “I came from the Versa 2, so the Sense is basically the same form factor without a physical button and easier method of changing the bands. There's some things i prefer from the old UI, but the new one isn't that bad.”
lol you all over the place man
What is the best smartwatch or tracker with an always-on display currently on the market or coming soon? Will be used for moderate walking/running, but mostly while playing hockey.
Would like to know too
probably the new apple watch series 6. if you dont really need the always on display theres the SE which is 279$
I’m biased, but would definitely recommend looking into Garmin watches, such as the vivoactive series and Forerunners
@@TOMMYOOST yeah I kinda figured that. Unfortunately I don't have an iPhone which is why I've gone down this alternative tracker/smartwatch hole lol.
@@TOMMYOOST Must have iphone.
Hi, thank you for the great review, i hit the subscribe button! Has the sensor accuracy become any better? Has the watch received any software updates?
It is getting worse after a recent update many watches started facing new problems.
@@nsevv what sort of new issues? How about now in Feb 2021?
Thank you for an in-depth evaluation of the Fitbit Sense, it has been very helpful.
@ 2:30 Why do you reach for the button with your index instead of your thumb? Don’t you use your thumb for the left-side buttons on your Polar/Garmin/etc. watches?
HA! At 11:50 you use your thumb just fine. No awkwardness there!
I used both, but it doesn't really matter, you're thumb basically has to go *under* the edge of the watch, which means you bend your thumb such that it presses into the arm. And this all ignores what happens when try and use it with a long-sleeve shirt/coat.
DC Rainmaker And then you should just say so instead angling your hand in an unnatural way for comedic effect.
Funnily enough I bet the Fitbit design team see it as a feature. I am assuming the reasoning was: 1. the button is unsightly; 2. the button sometimes catches fabric; 3. the button sometimes gets pressed involuntarily. Solution: let’s hide and recess it a little.
I think your reviews are the most detailed and informative in the space - and I’d never buy sports electronic without having a look at your opinion on them. And you’re funny too. That was just petty and a cheap shot.
@@AlexRochette I think you're way overthinking it, I certainly wasn't trying to be funny. Shooting watches on camera is tricky to avoid covering the watch/etc... It's silly stuff people would never think about like putting fabric above the camera to reduce reflections, or having the camera at a very slight angle, or putting a box up higher, or...or...or. I'm just doing the best I can do without reshooting things 12 times. Ultimately, the button was universally panned by almost every reviewer as annoying, clumsy to use, and poorly thought out.
Garmin at heart but have been with Fitbit for almost 2 years now, and I am so relieved I waited with this one! Looking at my community feed I see the kind of user that Fitbit is presenting its data to though, and I mean absolutely no offense by saying this, but it does make a lot more sense (unintended..) looking at it that way. It's easy to use and understand and for those who aren't necessarily interested in tracking their cadence or nerding out on heatmaps, yet still creates a decent image of overall health and fitness. Personally, I'm out. Can't wait to see how I've been doing while not tracking my cadence lol
The review is from 9/2020, please keep that in mind.
Can it wake you up during the optimal sleep phase? Does it automatically determine when you fall asleep and wake up? Can it automatically set the alarm as soon as you fall asleep?
Why would you push the button with first finger when you can press it with your thumb???😊
You recommend to buy it or not?
Not at this point.
Super awesome, thorough review. Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
For me great video as usual 👍👍
Thanks 👍
your inspirational video inspires me to buy those products than it inspires me to buy products watching the official videos..... thanks for it....keep it up
Yeah. I was looking for a "smart"watch. Mainly to be able to look at basics like notifications, perhaps weather, control music playback without having to take my phone out.
I've tried cheap chinese smart watches but while the watches themselves do the job the apps are nasty power hungry beasts. Figured if I'm to pay a lot for a smart watch then I might just as well get a nice premium one with nice stainless case. Fitbit Sense looks great! Well... Quickly I realized that I just couldn't swap the strap for a standard stainless or cheap Chinese ceramic as it's proprietary. I also discovered about the premium stuff which to be honest has put me off if the band didn't. As you say it's impossible to find out what "premium" covers and what you can do with "free" vs "premium" - it's very muddy. I get the impression that once you're into their system they'll "force" you to pay quite a heavy subscription as if the watch itself wasn't expensive enough.
So next thing I'll try the Amazfit Bip S (in the mail system right now). Not as flashy but on paper it'll do what I ask for and it's very reasonably priced. Now I just cross my fingers that the app is great and not a power hog. Should the app be great I might very well try out their Stratos 3 too. The kind of always on displays found on Bip and Stratos series is just appealing to me. While transflective screens are not as flashy they do allow for complex always on screens. No more awkvard gestures to wake it up and only needs power every two weeks or less.
Super helpful review-thanks! Just got the Sense after having a Garmin 645 and I have a lot of the same feelings. Love the added features but I'm hoping for updates that include more robust insights from the data. Does anyone know if updates can increase HR accuracy or is this a hardware issue?
So how is it so far? Is sleep tracking accurate? Did you get the new update that fixes any inaacuracy issues?
@@samygold100 I don't believe an update for HR accuracy exists at this point. After some time with the watch and doing some simultaneous testing with chest straps I can say that the HR is a "good estimate." These wrist HR monitors are relatively young speaking historically and there is much to learn in the variables that affect a good HR read. Sleep tracking is good but again, not quite as scientifically sound as marketing would have you think. Again, it's a "good estimate" for aiding you in the improvement of broad trends.
The price is likely to come down. I have SVT so this would be perfect.
Hello Angel I can help you with SVT, email me on f.ghaoui@hotmail.com
@@fadighaoui4831 www.alivecor.com/ Most likely more accurate, plus can send readout to medical professionals, even in a short amount of time.
I have SVT as well, so I'm hoping this will work well. Carrying my KardiaMobile, along with my watch, isn't the most convenient.
Jenni Lynn Have you inquired about cardiac ablation for SVT or either not suitable for you or do not want to risk complications? I had ablation for atrial flutter and checked for SVT but did not notice. Have had a history of tachycardia, but until the flutter I believe most were normal sinus rhythm. I just purchased the watch, but after just a short time wearing my wrist hurt.
There are a lot of issues with this watch, check the reviews on google playstore and on their forums.
Love the intro music
Thanks!!
DC Rainmaker Fitbit made some updates. Are u planning to do a new review with the updated vers?
What's your favorite 2020 watch so far? Why?
Wish someone did a review comparing all the top model from each company, quality feature comparison, not the price.
@@nsevv exactly, I want to see also how productive is the smartwatch not just fitness stuff.
Great review. Cancelled my pre-order.
I also pre ordered. When will Google Assistant come and will more Google apps come (soon)?
Thanks for the video info. My watch is finally on Fahrenheit
Really great review thank you, as it helped in make a decision on my purchase.
Thank you so much for this review, it really helped me! I was really interested in the Fitbit Sense when I first heard about it. I am dealing with stress/anxiety so this was interesting to me. But now that I have more info about it, I know that I will just get the Fitbit Versa 3. Cause this will be my first fitbit and I also don’t want fitbit premium. Thankyou so much!
Please look at comments in the fitbit forum before buying. There are a lot of people having bad experience with this watch, you can read the reviews on google playstore.
First good review for Sense, the in-depth graphs are awesome, thx 👍😁
The watch is really buggy, check out fitbit forum and reviews on google playstore
I can’t believe they actually sell this. Feels like it should have stayed in house for about six months more
Why?
Why wouldn't you use your thumb 👍 to touch the button? Using the first finger seems odd
11:21 Hey, Ray! Stop bothering my Alexa! 😋
Haha...in retrospect I should have come up with something way funnier.
Very good analysis ...I hope that James Spark (fitfit ceo) will listen to your video and improve the software and features ....there’s a lot of quick fixes that could be done. I just bought the Fitbit sense (an upgrade from my old Fitbit charge 3) and there was so many bugs and so many issues.... I had to contact their customer service many times and they always responded with irrelevant answers...I wasted so much time providing printscreen error messages ....I was so fed up after a while that I decided to buy an Apple Watch.... for the extra 200$, it’s really worth it ... too bad Fitbit can’t adapt and provide a quality watch ...
Very disasapointed. Is there any other good alternative for sports use, with ecg and for non IPhone users?
I'm looking for the same thing. Did you find one yet?
Liked your review - good parts and bad parts of the sense - thanks
Thank you, I have had several fitbits over the years and the HRMs have been pitiful. Time to look for something other than a fitbit.
The breathing rate HRV and skin temps are not new to this watch they are new to the fit bit OS and app because they have become avail on Versas too.
Does this mean you prefer an AW 6 over a Fitbit Sense, or are there other competitors (eg Forerunner)? Would be nice to hear/see a comparison on what you consider the current top watches.
Easily AW6 over Fitbit Sense. For sport watches in the Garmin lineup you could look at the Venu or FR245 as more sport-focused offerings.
Dang, that accuracy is a let down. Was going to pick this up Friday to hopefully get better HR accuracy then my versa 2. Guess that’s not happening now.
Sorry to disappoint! :(
DC Rainmaker no worries. Might have saved me the frustration. Kinda contemplating the AW series 6 now after your accuracy with that one looked spot on with their new sensor. Just don’t like how they don’t show the heart rate at all times like the Fitbits do
Tim Bennett same
Tim Bennett I ended up buying both AW3 + fitbit charge 4 😂😂
Tim Bennett definitely! i have the charge 3 and recently got the AW SE. The AW does not have continuous heart rate monitoring. Even the sleep tracking is very basic and nowhere close as my charge 3. Such a letdown.
Please let me know where I can find a store to help me to adjust the right time and right date ? I am here a Fitbit office, but the front desk said that I need to call them. , but the contact. Phone number couldn’t went through….this watch can’t be used for a few month and nowhere to find a help from fitbit
I hope Fitbit watches this and takes your advice !
They rarely do, even their CEO James Park is not responding.
First time I've seen a human press a watch side button in that position with their index finger...and not their thumb...lol
I guess it depends if you are rigth handed or left handed. I wear my watch on my right hand, put my index finger on the left side of the watch, where the button is, and my thumb on the bottom right corner.....it works fine for me....but I put it on my left wrist and yea.....kind of awkward.
You need to get out more!
There are tons of Chinese products with some having even more features at 10% of this unit's price.
do you have some brand names for example?
@@mojox1 search on Aliexpress for a shop called jelly comb. They have over 30 models. I have one, measures heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen sat, GPS etc etc for 25 USD.
@@OmidRahat But not a large developer community. Apps are a big plus for a smartwatch.
Thank you for the review always informative, can it compete with apple and Garmin? the good thing about Fitbit brand that’s wearable not bulky but the functionality of it needed some serious work. Hope they take notes from you.
But if the heart rate sensor is so inaccurate, the rest doesn't really matter anymore. They need to fix this asap :/
Setting aside the sensor issues, I think they can compete - but they need to finish the product. This is clearly beta-level at this point. It's just not ready for the masses (or, reviewers as it was).
@Victor Hugo Never count on that fixing all the stuff you want/need
@Victor Hugo yep
To be honest the only acceptable wrist based HR is apple and polar the rest are ok but work will with chest strap if are looking for the perfect data, that’s my humble opinion, I don’t know if Fitbit sense connect to external HR?
I'm here to find out if I *have* to have the undesirable SpO2 watch face to use the Breathing Rate, Health Rate Variability & Skin Temp functions. Disappointing to find out that not only is it *not* the watch face I want ~ it's laggy, doesn't work very well *and* is a battery hog. Also, I agree that it's just bizarre that to use certain health monitoring functions, I have to 1) give up the watch face I chose and 2) select one specific face. Every other Fitbit feature functions independently of the watch face. I could've selected any one and that wouldn't have removed or added basic features. It's weird, and, IMHO not a good idea. Having finished the video, I'm 80% (?) sure I need the undesirable watch face to use the new features... even though I've got "Premium." That's frustrating, too, that not only have I paid, I still can't use new features because I have to use the undesirable watch face. Oh, and today (9.25.20), I too got the Breathing Rate 'Learn More' explanation in Dutch when I clicked on the button, lol. It's in English now.
My Alexa gave me a current weather forecast when he asked his watch
Thanks for this honest review
I like your review, after having a garmin and a Fitbit and apple watch. I still think Fitbit is better for general health and wellness. Garmin gives you tons of data, but unless your an athlete it can be overwhelming not to mention it doesn't really give you any guidance as to what that data means. Apple watch is great as far as a smart watch but it's actual wellness is lacking. I think Apple sees that and that's why the 6 is expanding on fitness instead of relying on 3rd party apps. It's one big health feature was ecg/ekg but was lacking in spo2 and blood oxygen reading as well. And the rings though great it's hard to extrapolate the data in it into a fitness routine or program, I think that's why they're creating apple fitness.
Xion Pentagast AW6 has SPO2.
This is the most expensive Fitbit to date and it's still just around 300$, same price range as the fr245, and a fr245 won't give you much data at all, only the very basic ones.
Garmins are way too expensive when comparing with watches towards the general population, like apple watch and fitbit. The versa 3 is only 230$ similar to the very very barebone fr45.
@@Nakameguro97 yeah I know mentioned it
As much as I want the Fitbit Sense, I think I'll stick with my Ionic for now. It seems there are some software issues that need to be fixed. In addition; I'm not sure if I need that much sensor tracking, but that's not a deal-breaker for me. Plus, I really like ability to answer calls on the watch. I can see myself using that often.
Yeah it'll be interesting to see how all the features come to fruition.
What needs to be fixed?! EKG is coming in October.
@@jeffzest8393 Watch the review, I talk about the significant issues with the optical HR sensor (which...is the basis for everything).
DC Rainmaker ok, I will watch again.
Ionic just got a worldwide recall. Get back $299 if you send it back to them!
Hi, is it better than Garmin Venu..considering the price point and features..
Have you done a video on what specific data is included "without" the monthly premium fees on the newer Fitbits? In particular with regard to the sleep data? I'm kind of in the market to replace what I have and my better judgement is telling me go for what would be my first Apple watch but the sleep data seems more comprehensive on my old Fitbit app? Thanks for the time spent doing these videos.
Yup! Check out my Fitbit Charge 5 vs Garmin Vivosmart 5 video. It actually details every single item that Fitbit charges for and how much.
CORRECTION: - the SpO2 sensor works, even if you don't have that specific watch face loaded.
It didn’t then. That change came as a specific result of my review and others pointing out the absurdity of it.
@@Dcrainmaker Oh wow... nice... I've had mine for 10 months, and I like that feature... I wish it could do it all the time... Or, when you selected it to do it... thanks for the details...
You don't need the spo2 watch face for the spo2 function to work. I have a versa 2 and my nightly spo2 readings appeared in the sleep logs once I updated the OS. The readings even appeared retroactively in older sleep logs
No, that’s SpO2 variation, which is basically telling you if the values are going up or down. But doesn’t actually tell you the values.
@@Dcrainmaker but that clock face, at least on the other watches, only shows you the average reading from your last sleep session. It does not show you a live reading of your blood oxygen saturation. It's only showing you the same thing your sleep records do.
The Sense is a nice watch tto start out with,, but something interesting happened at the end of the trial period. I guess I let too much time go by, I thought all I would have is. basic features, but alll I have the load diamond with hiccups & no way to reset!
My ionic died after only 2.5yrs!! Was looking at sense but think this has made me think it’s over priced for the features that it sounds like I’m not really going to get much use from! So think I may just go for the versa 3 as seems like this is closer to the ionic now it has built in GPS? Anyone thoughts on this? Thank you!
This is probably a stupid question... which is better, the Fitbit Sense or the Garmin Venu? Which should I get?
it says button only at 2:20 and you complain about it, but there are other options, but you either do not show them or move the face to fast
Hi, may I ask how would you comment on the on-screen workouts? It’s one of the features that made me settle for the Versa 3 (pre-ordered, yet to pick up) as opposed to Charge 4. But that was before I found out about the Garmin Venu, the animated workouts of which seem even better.
Garmin is better
Would you suggest the Garmin venu or if these watches?
Hey, man! I only trust 2 people in this world, Bradley Cooper and yourself. And since Cooper won't answer me, hoping you can weigh in.
Was wondering if you could tell me if the accuracy is better/worse/same for HR and GPS accuracy between the Garmin Venu and Fenix 5 Plus. I know they have different heart rate sensors. Can get each for around 250.00. Average exerciser (run, walk, cycle), but looking for accuracy mostly.
Also looked at the 945, but night be now watch than I need.
Thanks again for all of the work that you put into your videos!
Hey, nice review. I am wondering if you had to choose between galaxy watch 3 and fitbit sense which you would choose? Do you think fitbit can address those problems with heart accuracy? Apple watch is not an option for me because I do not own an iphone and I do not want to own. I am about to buy a smartwatch and I am looking the best option for tracking mostly strength training and running on the treadmill but at the same time something that can track also my health (specifically reporting heart issues and have a very good sleep tracking. If it can help indicate a possibility of sleep apnea that would be perfect. Do you have any smartwatch on your mind to suggest? Thanks for the help
I had the Samsung 3 watch. I'm switching because Samsung won't connect to my weight watchers app.
Fitbit have no heart, the premium service is an example of them trying to find new ways to gouge more money.
@@nsevv sorry to tell you that they do have heart rate monitor. I have had my versa light for 2 years with a heart rate monitor. You have to find a clock face that shows the heart rate, there are tons that are greet. And I don’t subscribe to the premium membership, I am cheap.
Great review as always. Could you pair a chest strap with this to improve HR accuracy data ?
Hi everyone. Does anyone know if you can do TIMED interval training? I know there's heartrate etc. My wife needs to run for 4mins, walk for two. Does this watch happen to have that capability?
For the price I would've loved to see blood pressure monitoring on top of what is offered.
Please make a comparison fitbit versa 3 vs garmin venu sq
Yup, Versa 3 arrives tomorrow!
@@Dcrainmaker Yes, please! I am supposed to pick up my Versa 3 tomorrow but am seriously considering if I should cancel my order now that I've seen your review. Currently struggling between Venu SQ and Versa 3. My Charge 2 just died today so I am in desperate need of a new watch. Thanks for the thorough review!