Skip to main content

Fitbit Luxe review: Beautifully designed, yet modest in size

fitbit luxe review 6 of 10
Fitbit Luxe review: Beautifully designed, yet modest in size
MSRP $150.00
“You'll fall in love with the minimalist look of the Luxe, while it tracks everything in the background.”
Pros
  • Minimalist design makes it discreet
  • Sharp looking AMOLED display
  • Exceptional battery life
Cons
  • Lacks Fitbit Pay

It’s hard for me to believe that it’s been five long years since I last reviewed a Fitbit. That seemed like ages ago, but I suppose the reason why I stopped checking them out was because smartwatches began to rise in popularity — showing me that they, too, were more than capable with health tracking.

One of the early Fitbits I fell in love with was the Flex because it was discreet and didn’t draw as much attention as a smartwatch, which is probably the same reason that attracts me to the company’s latest tracker, the Luxe. There’s no arguing the need for a fashion-forward design, but the Luxe is competing in a time when smartwatches have substantially evolved to effectively more than cover the features in a standard fitness tracker.

Design

Looking at my wrist, there’s a permanent untanned portion leftover by the Apple Watch that once adorned the spot. It’s a reminder of the overwhelming nature of some smartwatch designs. With the Fitbit Luxe in its place, though, I forget the sweetness of the minimalist look. I went with the black/graphite stainless steel version of the Luxe, which I have to say is a refreshing change. The black rubbery band has a subtle contrast against the graphite stainless steel chassis.

Fitbit Luxe AMOLED screen showing off a notification.
John Velasco / Digital Trends

While my particular color edition of the Luxe favors a more neutral tone, something I appreciate because it remains discreet and doesn’t draw attention like other smartwatches, Fitbit offers it in two other colorful combinations — orchid/platinum stainless steel and lunar white/soft gold stainless steel.

And finally, there’s the Fitbit Luxe Special Edition, which features a gold stainless steel Parker Link Bracelet in favor of the standard rubbery band. Sure, it has a sophisticated look that effectively masks the tracker to make it look more like a piece of jewelry. While it’s not something I’d go after, I know it can appeal to individuals that don’t want to blatantly flaunt a piece of tech gear on them.

Display

Without question, the crown jewel of the Luxe is its gorgeous AMOLED display. It’s tiny, probably less than an inch diagonal by my estimate, but that doesn’t take away from its vibrant colors, sharp details, and accurate touch responses. Its size perfectly matches its purpose: a fitness tracker that’s there to capture information in the background — all while looking and remaining discreet on my wrist.

Fitbit Luxe showing resting heart rate while worn on wrist.
John Velasco / Digital Trends

Getting acquainted with the touchscreen’s operation doesn’t require much investment, as it heavily relies on the typical swipes used by other smartwatches. It’s fairly responsive and I do enjoy some of the minor touches, like how the screen automatically turns on when you raise the Luxe towards you, as well as covering the display with your palm to quickly turn it off.

This is the first time I’ve used a Fitbit with a color screen and it’s an upgrade I’m happy with While I’ve been mesmerized by the iridescence and larger size of other fitness tracker displays (the Samsung Gear Fit comes to mind), I find the more modest nature and smaller size of the Luxe’s AMOLED display to be equally compelling.

Software

As with other modern fitness trackers, the Luxe provides all of the most relevant health stats on the unit itself without the need to check on a smartphone. It’s convenient to say the least, but there are some ‘lite’ smartwatch functions at your disposal — like setting timers and alarms, starting workout routines, and receiving notifications. With the latter, you can actually choose what apps you want notifications from, which is handy so that you’re not constantly bombarded by irrelevant things.

Over on the app side of things, the Fitbit app is just as rich in information and detail as it was when I last used it. Everything the Luxe tracks, the app breaks it all down. I’m particularly impressed by its sleep tracking, which gives me a sleep score similar to what Sleep Number beds offer.

However, I’m still a little shocked that the Luxe can be fooled into thinking I’ve taken steps, when in fact, I’ve simply moved my hand in a side-to-side motion. This isn’t a problem isolated to just Fitbit trackers, but it’s something I thought would’ve been remedied somehow by now. I really don’t think it amounts to anything substantial in my experience, but I can clearly see how the tracking can be skewed if you do this frequently.

Features

As you’d expect, the Fitbit Luxe functions similar to other fitness trackers. That means it tracks steps, resting/active heart rate, your sleep, and exercises. All of this is fantastic, something I expect from any fitness tracker nowadays. Still, it’s missing one critical feature I think that could add a little bit more utility to its arsenal.

I forget the sweetness of the minimalist look.

I’m talking about a baked-in mobile payment solution. In this case, it would’ve been Fitbit Pay, something that’s available on its other smartwatch-esque trackers. I personally have relied heavily on mobile payment solutions like Apple Pay and Google Pay, even more when situations arise when I don’t have my phone on me by chance. Fitbit Pay would’ve tremendously added value to the Luxe, but it’s unfortunately absent.

Battery Life

Fitbit’s rating of up to 5 days is still better than most smartwatches. Take the Apple Watch for example that I use, which requires nightly charges. Amazingly, the Luxe managed to best even Fitbit’s ambitious claim by going nearly 7 full days before a recharge. In order to reduce battery drain, I only set notifications for text messages and one mobile game I play religiously. As much as I detest proprietary chargers, I understand the reasoning behind them, so you’ll want to pay extra attention to not lose the one here with the Luxe.

Our take

I still have a sweet spot for the Fitbit Flex. It was the early days for fitness trackers, and much like it, the Luxe brings back some of that nostalgia. In fact, it seems to me that the Luxe is the modern-day upgrade to the little ol’ tracker I fell in love with many years ago.

The price isn’t too shabby either. With a price tag of $150, the Luxe isn’t excessively costly in comparison to the $279 starting cost of the Apple Watch SE. While I crave more features, fitness trackers such as this one have merit in the sense that they focus on the primary fitness stuff before anything else.

Is there a better alternative?

Functionally, most smartwatches can be better alternatives if they’re relatively close in price. The Mobvoi TicWatch E3 and Apple Watch SE come to mind, but the trade-off for having superior utility is that battery life is nowhere close to what the Luxe offers.

Alternatively, the Fitbit Charge 4 would be a similar offering to the Luxe, but comes with a lower price tag and support for Fitbit Pay.

How long will it last?

Fitbit designed the Luxe to be water-resistant up to 50m, so the occasional shower or hand washing won’t do a thing to it. The rubbery band may wear over time, but thankfully it’s something that can be easily swapped.

For other defects that could happen, Fitbit offers a 1-year limited warranty that would cover them.

Should you buy it?

Yes, if you really love its minimalist design. It tracks for nearly every major health metric at the moment, but it’ll also gain oxygen saturation monitoring with a future update.

John Velasco
John is the Smart Home editor at Digital Trends covering all of the latest tech in this emerging market. From uncovering some…
Fitbit’s AFib detection is here and it could save your life
Fitbit Charge

Fitbit's atrial fibrillation (AFib) detection feature is finally live following its FDA approval and is poised to do a lot of good for its users. AFib is a heart condition where a person's heartbeat rhythm is irregular making them much more susceptible to things like strokes, heart attacks, and other critical heart conditions. Now that your Fitbit is able to detect AFib, the wearable tech might just save your life.

AFib affects millions of people globally, but it's difficult to detect in its early stages due to a general lack of noticeable symptoms before severe ones take over and threaten the lives of those affected. Luckily, Fitbit's AFib detection feature can notice irregular heartbeats and alert the wearer if they're displaying symptoms of AFib.

Read more
The best fitness trackers for kids
garmin vivofit jr 2 deals marvel avengers

If you've been around kids for a while, you know they love gadgets. Many parents are concerned their children are gripped by technology, but this doesn't always have to be a bad thing. Devices like fitness trackers can be useful for kids to encourage movement in a way that's actually fun, and they can help keep them fit and outside in a way not usually associated with technology as a whole. Intrigued? Here's a roundup of the best fitness trackers for kids.
Best fitness trackers for kids
Fitbit Ace 3

Fan of Fitbit and want to get one for your kid? Consider the Fitbit Ace 3, a kids' version of the classic Fitbit fitness tracker. It tracks the number of steps taken, monitors movement, sends activity reminders, and even has bedtime alarms to make the parents' job easier. The tracker is waterproof so you don't have to worry about accidental spillage, and the kids can even take it swimming.

Read more
Fitbit Luxe gets major updates with SpO2 measurement and always-on display
The Fitbit Luxe tracker has received major updates Credits: Fitbit official.

 The Fitbit Luxe launched in July 2021 and was reviewed by our smart home editor, John Velasco, as a beautifully designed and modestly sized fitness tracker. It has now received two major updates bringing new features to the table. 
Version 1.151.16 has added SpO2 measurements that allow users to track their blood oxygen saturation levels when asleep. SpO2 tracking is currently available in devices such as the Fitbit Charge 4, Charge 5, Fitbit Versa 2, and the Fitbit Versa 3, so it's nice to see it roll out to other devices in Fitbit's lineup.  To use the function, check the SpO2 tile on the watch face or the Health metrics tab on the mobile app. Additionally, Fitbit has published a detailed manual on tracking Sp02 levels with this model.
The second major update enables always-on-display functionality. As the name suggests, users no longer need to wake up their Luxe trackers to check the time or their workout tracking data. To use the feature, it's essential to enable the updated display functionality in Settings. You'll be warned that the feature can increase battery drain, so keep that in mind if runtime is important to you. 
The new Fitbit Luxe Fitbit
Apart from these two updates, there are several smaller ones. A bigger font size has been added to the trackers' screen, along with a series of bug fixes and patches. These updates are being rolled out on an incremental basis and may take some time to reach particular regions. To check if an update is available for the device, you should be able to see a pink banner when you log into the Fitbit App, and you'll be notified of further updates once they're available.
 

Read more