I replaced my Apple Watch with a $199 screenless tracker – and I’ll never go back
Updated
It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but I’m obsessed with fitness trackers.
I’m not talking about poring over my hourly results, knowing my PBs or splits or the best recoveries for a stellar heart rate. I mean, I’m obsessed with the actual wearable tech.
In particular, the Google Fitbit Air…
Google Fitbit Air Google
Let me explain. As a child, I loved sports and being active. At any opportunity when arriving at the beach with my dad, I would fling myself out of the open car door across the sand and into the surf.
Throughout my teenage years and 20s that love continued. However, as I entered my 30s and 40s, my priorities changed.
I’m not alone in this, with the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) revealing in its latest AusPlay National Participation Survey that adulthood and life stages result in activity shifts.
Yet, always in the back of my mind, I’ve wanted to regain my active self.
I wasn’t looking to wake up one day and tackle ultra-marathons or join virtual challenges where you set off on a quest from a bike or rower without leaving home.
Those things sound like fun, but they’re not me. I’m more into team sports, home yoga, long rides, mountain hikes and coastal walks with friends.
I first started reading about wearable tech in about 2015, when Apple dropped its first watch. With an Australian price of almost $500, it was well outside my budget.
Still, I was hooked. I watched on as the wearable tech market became flooded with the smartwatches merging with fitness trackers. The deluge included products from Samsung, Motorola, Huawei, Garmin, Fitbit, Withings, Misfit, Jawbone, Pebble and Microsoft.
After a few months of research (read that as finally overcoming choice paralysis), I settled on the Misfit Shine.
I wanted something that didn’t scream “look at me” or “I do sports”. I wanted a subtle device that wouldn’t give me grief if I had a bad day or week.
To me, the Misfit Shine was perfect. It recorded everything I needed – daily steps and sleep – all without a fuss
It became such an essential part of my routine that when I thought I lost it, I spent an hour in the dark scouring a park with a torch, tracking its Bluetooth signal until I found it.
I had three great years with my Shine. I reluctantly moved on in 2018 when I received an Apple Watch as a milestone birthday present.
The tech of my Shine had sadly lost its lustre and suddenly, I was focused on “closing my rings”.
In recent years, however, the battery life on my Apple Watch became a headache. It drained faster with every wear and I found myself charging it every night crossing my fingers it would survive the day. Even a factory reset only boosted its revival for a limited time.
Soon, my algorithm caught up with my real-life chats asking friends about upgrade recommendations and the search cycle began again.
This time, I felt better prepared. I knew what I wanted. I wanted something similar in fit and size to the Misfit Shine: sleek, affordable, with no focus on alerts or calls and no subscription.
There were plenty of options around, but nothing quite hit the mark.
The Whoop is screenless and skips phone calls, but it’s expensive and requires an ongoing subscription. Then came smart rings like the Oura Ring, the Samsung Galaxy Ring and the Ultrahuman Ring Air. I seriously considered them, but they still weren’t the right match.
It appeared what I was after didn’t actually exist.
Then I noticed the Google Fitbit Air – a lightweight, screenless fitness and wellness tracker. At $199, I was intrigued.
Google Fitbit Air
Google Fitbit Air Google
Key features: Continuous heart rate and sleep monitoring, a 7-day battery life, 50-metre water resistance and seamless cross-platform syncing with iOS and Android via the Google Health Connect.
After hours reading reviews and comparisons to Apple and other brands, I allowed myself to hope this was the one. I placed my order and joined the waitlist.
It sounds dramatic, but the moment I tried it on, it’s been a dream. The band and tracker are so lightweight there are times I forget I’m wearing it.
It’s been about a month since I started using the Google Fitbit Air and I feel lighter. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to be back playing sports, but I mean more mentally lighter.
Not having constant alerts, calls or even the time displayed made me realise how much I needed more of a lo-fi approach to my wearable tech.
The sleep tracking feature has been a standout. As a light sleeper, I struggled to wear previous fitness bands to bed. I really appreciate seeing the detailed breakdown of awake time, restlessness, and light sleep.
The step counter is solid, though it took a couple of days to sync up to my routine. I had read about this beforehand, so I made sure to hit my daily markers early on. Now, it works without a hitch.
The best part?
The Google Fitbit Air doesn’t force you into a subscription. While there is an optional upgrade tier, you can easily use the core features out of the box without paying extra.
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