We all could use a little wrist candy in our lives, whether it’s a Timex, a cringe leather braid from the boardwalk, or even a rubber Livestrong bracelet. These all speak to my soul in a special way, or have served a purpose in my life at some point. (God, I used to be obsessed with those rubber “I Love Boobies” bracelets from Zumiez.) But these days, I’d like to think of myself as a sophisticated, mature woman who wants to get ~swole~ and look svelte—and that’s where smartwatches come in.
Smartwatches have been dominating the tech and fitness industry for quite some time now; Apple watches and Samsung’s Galaxy watches are part of almost every tech bro’s uniform. Being a runner, I’ve been wanting to cop a high-tech smartwatch to act as my fitness tracker without making myself seethe with regret after spending a boatload of money. I’ve been eyeing the Garmin Vivoactive 4 for a while, but with its hefty price tag, I’d rather Santa just put that in my stocking. I pride myself in finding the best bang for my buck, so I'm happy to share my latest score: the Fitbit Inspire, the best budget smartwatch in the game.
The Fitbit Inspire is a fitness tracker and waterproof watch that tracks steps, calories burned, monitors your heart rate, reminds you to get moving, and records workouts including running, walking, and swimming. We love ~innovation~ when it comes to our sacred snoozing routine, so if you hate alarm clocks that scare the shit outta you with their high-pitched blaring, this watch can also wake you up by quietly buzzing on your wrist. Plus, the battery life will last up to five days from a single charge, depending on how often you use it.
Running is my go-to workout, and I just needed something to track my mileage without blowing a hefty chunk of my paycheck. To be honest, I wasn’t sure about this watch when I first bought it. Fitness trackers often get a bad rap for not being accurate, but peeps, the Fitbit Inspire is right on the money when it comes to mileage—praise the lord. How do I know? Well, I ran a race with various routes that I knew the exact mileage of, and upon checking my tracked miles through the watch and downloadable app, I found that it was very precise. Several reviewers on Amazon even say they prefer it over Garmin smartwatches, which are the Holy Grail of fitness trackers among the running community. “I used Garmin for years and I liked it—it's a good solid product,” writes one reviewer. “But, our medical insurance rates are dependent on our staying active, so I really needed something that I could count on.” As far as I can tell, the Inspire is just as reliable as more expensive trackers, so why pay more?
I also appreciate the simple interface of the watch which makes it very user-friendly, especially if you’re new to smartwatches. All the functions on the touchscreen are simple and straightforward, and the watch also comes with a small and large strap so it can snugly to any-sized wrist.
My TL;DR is thus: The Fitbit Inspire blows more expensive fitness trackers out of the water. There’s no reason to splurge if you can get what you need out of a more affordable device. With a 4.4-star rating from over 17,000 reviews on Amazon, I think it’s safe to say plenty of fellow fitness comrades agree with me. Sure, more fancy options might look cooler and seem more appealing, but I [clap] don’t [clap] care [clap]. I love the Fitbit Inspire and don’t plan on upgrading anytime soon.
The Fitbit Inspire is available for purchase on Amazon.
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