Fitbit Alta

A basic fitness tracker that looks good, but doesn’t really do much to stand out

Fitbit's most stylish and comfortable tracker yet ; Battery lasts five days ; Automatic activity tracking ; Wide variety of band options

No stair or heart rate tracking ; Some bands are difficult to put on

In the end, the Alta is a big leap forward for Fitbit in terms of design, yet it's in some ways a step back in functionality. But for a company that's mostly been focused on technology over looks for the past few years, that's probably a wise compromise.

Striking design ; Easily customizable ; Week-long battery life

Tap-sensitive screen isn't sensitive enough ; Not waterproof ; Pretty limited offering overall

Fitbit's Alta has it where it counts, namely the killer week-long battery life, customizable styles, and the solid Fitbit companion app as a backbone. But there are a few frustrating design choices that keep this from being a "must-have."

More attractive design options ; Leading ecosystem ; Excellent app

Not for serious athletes ; Screen slightly laggy ; Still quite thick

More fashionable Fitbit ; Auto-tracks exercise and sleep ; Week-long battery life

Tap-screen display ; No heart-rate sensors ; No software leaps since 2015

Slim design. Swappable bands. Accurate fitness stats. Delivers idle alerts and smartphone notifications.

Sometimes unresponsive. Display is tough to see in direct sunlight. No heart rate monitoring, GPS, or stair climbing. Not waterproof.

Comparisons and Conclusions Fitbit currently has six wrist-worn fitness trackers in its lineup —four of which are priced similarly —so which is the right one for you? If you're a marathoner, you're going to want to stick with the $250 GPS-enabled...

Best Fitbit design to date, excellent 5-day battery life, comfortable to wear, nice display, notifications, accurate step-tracking, fantastic app platform

No heart-rate monitoring, no altimeter, no waterproofing, inaccurate distance-tracking, display not always super responsive nor visible in bright light

The Fitbit Alta sits on the fence compared to the wider activity tracker market. It misses out some key features, such heart-rate monitoring, elevation data, GPS and waterproofing.

Genuinely motivating step reminders ; Accurate sleep-monitoring ; Excellently connected app ; Grown-up form factor

No waterproofing ; No heart rate monitor ; Screen collects scratches

This slimmed-down stylish tracker delivers basic data but lacks a beating heart.

The Fitbit Alta is a stylish fitness tracker with swappable bands, basic phone notifications and week-long battery life. The new "Move" alerts bring something new. Fitbit's software is still one of our favorites, and has the largest social base as well.

There's no heart-rate sensor, and it can't be worn in the shower. The tracker is expensive for what it can do and so are the accessory straps. The display is difficult to see outdoors and is susceptible to scratches, and notifications are hard to read.

While ultimately a more stylish (but heart-rate free) version of the older Charge HR, the Fitbit Alta is a winning fitness tracker with solid style appeal.