Maintaining a healthy and active is crucial at every age. Fitbit has some amazing products designed to help people stay active in their senior years. Although the elderly have different needs and desires in fitness and health tracking, Fitbit has products that will suit the needs of every senior.
If you’re wondering how you’ll find the best Fitbit for seniors, I’ve got you covered. Here’s everything you need to know about the best Fitbit for seniors, the most important factors to consider, and some of the best Fitbit for seniors in the market.
Related: What is the Best Fitbit for a Man?
Table of Contents
What is a Fitbit?
A Fitbit is a fitness tracker equipped with a powerful built-in GPS and impressive connectivity with smartphones. These gadgets are manufactured and designed by Fitbit, a leading company in the wearable tech world.
These wearables are popular among athletes and those who want to lead an active lifestyle. Additionally, they are excellent additions to the lives of seniors because of the tons of health features they offer.
Fitbit devices depend on a built-in GPS to track your location. Once they get your location, they can calculate the distance you’ve walked in a specific period of time. Some models can even track the distance you jog, swim, and the calories burned.
Why Do Seniors Need Fitness Trackers?
Motivation
The best Fitbit for seniors can help you track your daily progress and monitor your activities. Seeing your daily improvements is a great motivator to keep you healthy and active.
Enhance Health
The best Fitbit for seniors tracks the fitness information in your body, including calories and heart rate. If the calories and the heart rate are on the higher side, the Fitbit tracker will alert you so you can change your lifestyle or get checked.
Reminder
Most senior guys forget to exercise, especially when their body feels rigid and tired. Having an easy-to-use Fitbit tracker that reminds you to exercise when you’ve been sitting for long is great, even if you may not follow it at all times.
Safety
Sometimes, the blood pressure and heart rate of seniors can go over the roof when working out. A monitor will alert you when this occurs so that you can slow down or stop it before it worsens.
Related: What is the Best Fitbit for a Woman?
Pros and Cons of Seniors Using a Fitbit
Pros
- These gadgets promote physical activity in cancer survivors.
- It can help regulate their energy intake and diets.
- They can help seniors set favorable fitness goals.
- Fitbit wearables and other technologies can prevent sedentarism in seniors.
Cons
- Fitbit wearables do not have the same health features and user-friendly interface as Apple smartwatches.
How Can Fitbit Work Without a Smartphone?
The main reason why most smartwatches on the market need to be connected to your smartphone is the GPS. The GPS is a built-in feature that most modern smartwatches possess.
But why is GPS so important for wearables?
GPS is important for all move-related activities you perform with your wearable on. If you want to monitor the distance you’ve walked/biked/ran, a built-in GPS is a must-have.
The popularity of standalone fitness trackers is on the rise for various reasons. Apart from the physical comfort of working out without your phone, there’s also the appeal of beaming less electromagnetic frequencies at your body. Moreover, smartwatches with built-in GPS tend to offer more precise data. This is because they rely on their own system to sync with the satellites seamlessly.
So, are there Fitbits that don’t need a phone? Yes. Some models have built-in GPS that helps you to get the best out of your device.
Best Fitbit for Senior Citizens Reviews
Fitbit Versa 2 Health and Fitness Smartwatch
If you’re looking for a great-looking Fitbit smartwatch for seniors, this is a great choice. The Fitbit Versa 2 Health and Fitness Smartwatch is an all-around gadget with all aspects of senior-friendliness. It has a large display that helps seniors to view a lot of information without struggle. This Fitbit is also water-resistant but not waterproof, meaning that it can withstand splashes of water and sweat, but it’s not suitable for underwater use.
Features
- 6 color options
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Built-in Alexa
- 20+ goal-based exercise modes
Pros
- Always-on display mode
- Large display
- Several exercise programs
- Easy-to-use display
- Water-resistant up to 50 meters
Cons
- The software may disappoint after an update
Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness and Activity Tracker
The Fitbit Charge 4 is the ultimate fitness tracker if you want real-time results. This fitness and activity tracker can monitor your heart rate, sleep, and blood oxygen level. It also has a built-in GPS that will display your pace and distance during rides, outdoor runs, hikes, and more. With this Fitbit tracker, you can take your fitness tracking to new heights, thanks to the 20+ goal-based exercise modes. Additionally, it has a battery life of 7 days, depending on your usage.
Features
- Built-in GPS
- 4 color options
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Active Zone Minutes
- 20+ goal-based exercise goals
Pros
- Detailed health monitoring
- Accurate tracking
- Affordable
- Long-lasting battery
Fitbit Charge 3 Fitness Activity Tracker
The Fitbit Charge 3 Fitness Activity Tracker comes packed with several easy-to-use features which are very attractive for seniors. It has 24/7 heart rate monitors that use Fitbit’s most advanced heart rate algorithms and sensors to give you real-time heart rate zones. It also comes with automatic step counting, next-level tracking, 15+ goal-based exercises, and tracks real-time distance and pace.
Features
- 15+ exercise modes
- Touchscreen display
Pros
- Water-resistant
- Sleep tracking
- Several exercise modes
- Long-lasting battery life
- 24/7 heart rate tracking
Cons
- Bulky
Fitbit Inspire HR Heart Rate and Fitness Tracker
This Fitbit tracker is the best bang for your buck and is a great option for seniors. It comes with a large, easy-to-read display that always shows your steps for the day and time. It’s intuitive and easy to use and is water-resistant up to 50 meters. It has impressive sleep tracking, which ensures that you get the sleep you deserve. You can also track your active minutes, steps, calories burned, and distance.
Features
- 3 color options
- Bluetooth 4.0
- Durable elastomer material
Pros
- Easy-to-use
- Automatic sleep tracking
- Long-lasting battery life
Cons
- Sync issues
- No 24/7 heart rate monitoring
Fitbit Inspire 2 Health & Fitness Tracker
The Fitbit Inspire 2 Health & Fitness Tracker is one of the most affordable Fitbit fitness trackers that come with impressive features and benefits. This is a great option and includes a 1-year free trial of Fitbit’s user-friendly app, which records your health data. It is water-resistant up to 50 meters and has an excellent battery life of up to 10 days. Additionally, it is a reliable sleep tracker, step tracker, and activity tracker.
Features
- 4 color options
- Active Zone Minutes
- Synthetic material
Pros
- Affordable and user-friendly
- Durable and comfortable
- One-year free trial of the Fitbit app
- Waterproof model
- Excellent battery
Cons
- It lacks some health features present in other models
FAQs
Can Elderly People Use Fitness Trackers?
Yes. Seniors and other adults can own fitness trackers like other people. It may be even more important if they want to have all their heart rate and sleep stats.
Are Fitbits for Seniors Expensive?
Fitbits for seniors come in various price ranges. It depends on your needs, the features, and your budget.
What is the Most Important feature in a Fitness Tracker for Older Adults?
This is highly subjective. For some older adults, their health stats are more crucial than fitness stats, but a good fitness tracker should have all the crucial features like sleep, heart rate, sport modes, activity tracking, etc.
Fitbit for the Elderly Buying Guide
Fitbit trackers come in basic to sophisticated forms depending on your budget and needs. In order to get the best Fitbit for seniors, here are some key features to keep in mind regardless of your style or budget.
Display and Screen
The best Fitbit trackers should have a large display and screen. Additionally, they should have an easy-to-view resolution. You don’t want a device whose screen fades in the sunlight. This makes it hard for seniors to view the data on the Fitbit.
Go for a device whose screen comes with an AMOLED display viewable in the dark and sunlight. You should also choose one with a sizeable display that makes stats and reminders easy to read.
Water-Resistant
Although the tracker may not handle a lot of water, it should be resistant to shower water and sweat. The best Fitbit tracker should not get damaged at slight contact with liquids.
User-Friendliness
One of the most important aspects you should keep in mind is the Fitbit’s interface. A Fitbit that’s difficult to use will not work well with seniors, especially if they have issues with new technology.
Battery Life
How long does the Fitbit stay before it demands a recharge? The best Fitbit should hold charge for at least three days to a month. Ensure that your device can track all your activities the whole day without draining the battery.
Fitness Tracking
A fitness tracker is worthless if it lacks fitness tracking features. Fortunately, most Fitbit models have fitness tracking features, including burnt calories, step count, distance traveled, and built-in sport modes. So ensure that your favorite tracker has all these capabilities.
Final Thoughts
The need for older adults to keep fit is equally important as for the younger population. Keeping track of daily activities is one of the best ways to keep seniors motivated to achieve optimal fitness levels. This is where Fitbit trackers for seniors come in.
