Today is day 12 of our 12 Days of Christmas gifts feature. Day 12 means it is high time to check out the Fitbit Ionic.
The Fitbit Ionic is an entirely different device from the Fitbit Blaze. It is the first product coming out of Fitbit since it acquired Pebble and many of its engineers. It is the first Fitbit device that is water resistant. It is also the first to offer a mobile payments solution via Fitbit Pay. It has a built-in GPS, stores music and has Bluetooth connectivity for headphones.
Fitbit has introduced a refreshing design
In terms of design, the Fitbit Ionic looks like a futuristic watch and offers a clear and bright display. Since Fitbit doesn’t make smartphones or computers, their design for the Ionic isn’t informed by this and it is quite elegant and dressy albeit on the masculine side.
Made from aluminum and Gorilla Glass 3 on a curved display, it is a design that contours around a wrist better. Below are these are the heart rate sensors. The Ionic has a traditional digital watch look and feel and the watch faces they offer are clear and easy to read. The latest software update brings more apps as well as watchfaces which adds more functionality.
Fitbit Ionic also has the easiest strap replacement system I’ve tested. You simply plug in new straps and you are good to go. You do need to give a firm push to ensure the mechanism catches, but otherwise, it is easy to go from the sporty rubber strap to a dressy Horween leather strap.
Superior Battery Life
Battery life is impressive. I’ve experienced up to four days of use on a single charge. This is with gym routines every other day as well as using the Ionic to track activity and steps daily as well as sleep, something Fitbit has excelled in for some time now.
Having a waterproof Fitbit watch has been a huge advantage for me. My young son has started learning to swim and we spend a lot of time in the pool. The Ionic can sense the pool length and tracks activity whenever I am doing laps. Fitbit Ionic is water-resistant up to 50 meters and is sweat, rain and splash-proof.
It is also helpful to see notifications, messages and emails come in while I’m in the pool and away from my iPhone.
Some Great Step-up for Fitbit users
The Fitbit Ionic is a great step up for Fitbit users wanting a more personal and all-around solution that doesn’t scream ‘fitness tracker,’ and also serves as a watch.
Waterproofing and swim tracking features are huge, so is the ability to play 300 songs, make mobile payments, use a dedicated GPS and a battery that lasts for days.
The Fitbit Ionic really shines in a gym environment or when used for running without an accompanying smartphone. Being able to switch bands easily is a bonus which also makes it more personal.
As a smartwatch, the Fitbit Ionic is ideal for user who don’t want to be mired in watch apps replicating what is already on their phone. It does notifications, but with little option to respond or act on the notifications as they come in.
The Fitbit Ionic is just one of many wearables and fitness trackers available at Best Buy.
Check out all 12 of our gifts suggestions
