- The Google Fitbit Air costs an impressively-economical £84.99 and can be used without a subscription (unlike Whoop).
- It will be compatible with Android and iOS, as well as able to be used in sync with the Google Pixel Watch.
- The Google Fitbit Air is now available for pre-order on Amazon or the Google Store, and will ship on May 26.
Today, we can confirm the rumours that have been floating around for a few months: There is a new Fitbit offering from Google. Yes, it’s screenless. Yes, it’s what NBA superstar Steph Curry has been wearing on his wrist recently. It is called the Google Fitbit Air, and we have to admit, it’s got us pretty stoked.
We’ve always been big fans of Fitbit over here at Men’s Health, but not much has changed since we last updated the guide of our favourite Fitbit trackers a couple years ago because it last made a new device in 2023. The brand seemed to be all but done when it was absorbed into the Google ecosystem, in favour of the Google Pixel Watch, which has continually earned a spot in our Best Fitness Trackers Guide. So when we were invited to get an early peek at Fitbit’s re-launch, we jumped at the chance.
This wearable device marks a new evolution and a reinvigoration of the Fitbit brand, which began with clip-on activity trackers and later expanded into slim smartwatch-like devices like the Charge, Versa, and Sense. Fitbit’s wearables were at the forefront of counting steps, monitoring heart rate, and tracking sleep. The Google Fitbit Air promises to do all of that and more, adding features such as customised fitness plans, adaptive workout recommendations, and additional recovery insights. Basically, an around-the-clock wellness guidance system compatible with both Android and iOS.
Recently, the market has been flooded with screenless fitness trackers, led by the Whoop, which offer health insights without all of the notifications and distractions—as well as extended battery life since there’s no need to power a screen. But none have really been worth noting until this new Google Fitbit Air, namely because of its integration with Google and other Google-owned devices.
But the even bigger draw is that it’s significantly cheaper than a Whoop in that the Fitbit Air can be used without a subscription (Whoop cannot be used without a subscription, and that costs between £169 and £349 a year). Google is giving buyers three months of Google Health Premium though, which unlocks expanded AI-powered coaching and personalised wellness features designed to adapt continuously to users’ schedules, habits, and long-term health goals.
One of the features that has me more excited is the ability to easily remove the Fitbit control unit from the strap, making it easy to swap out bands if you want to change the look on your wrist. For anyone familiar with screen-less trackers, you might know that this is not always a pleasant process. Google recognised this, and found a way to streamline the design so that you could fully utilise all its looks.
On top of that, Google enlisted a stacked team of Google Health advisors, topped off by one of the most elite athletes in the world in the form of Steph Curry. Being someone with a flair for style, it’s no surprise that Google also gave him his own unique Rye colourway of the Fitbit Air, in one of their performance bands.
If you’re a Fitbit fan like me, this all sounds great, and there will likely be a good few of you who pre-order without a second thought. Especially when it only costs a fraction of most fitness trackers on the market.
I have a unit en route and promise that I’ll be sharing my thoughts on the device as soon as I’m able. Time will tell if it can go head-to-head with the Whoop, and really be an affordable screenless fitness tracker that’s got the performance we’re looking for.
PRE-ORDER THE GOOGLE FITBIT AIR
Charles Thorp is the Fitness and Reviews Editor at Men’s Health, where he shares the best product recommendations in gym equipment, recovery tools, supplements, and more. Following an early life in athletics, Charles became a NASM-certified trainer and began writing programs alongside the most respected coaches in the world. Since entering the world of fitness content, Charles has had the opportunity to learn from and train alongside high performance individuals from the NFL, UFC, NBA, Formula 1, CrossFit, US Olympics, and Navy SEALs. When he’s not writing about training programs or gear, he can be seen at the gym or in the wild, putting them to the test.
