Hands-on review: Fitbit Ace 3 - Fitbit’s newest fitness tracker for kids
In a time when every phone company produces their own fitness tracker or smartwatch, Fitbit has consistently landed itself at the top of the game with a wide range of watches.
When people usually think about smartwatches and fitness trackers, they immediately think of these as a product for adults. Fitbit's Ace 3 has changed that perception.
With the help of our resident child reviewer Aviraj (who wore the older Ace 2 for an entire year), we put the Ace 3 to a proper test.
Design
Just like the Ace 2, the Ace 3 is perfectly designed for its target demographic. The tracker itself is a small pebble-sized screen that sits inside a silicone band. It is available in two colour combinations: Cosmic Blue with Astro Green and Black with Sport red. The two colours are a great choice and a refreshing change from the usual "pink" and "blue" that companies produce for kids.
The band is also a one size fits all; however, it is important to note that Avi said that the new band felt softer and did not hurt his hand like the old one occasionally did. He also loved the new red and black design and thought it was "cooler".
The great thing about the design of the Ace 3 is that the tracker itself can be removed and placed in different bands very easily. This gives the child the option to swap out the band to the colour they feel like wearing that day. It also encourages creativity to match colours, while making the kid more excited about wearing the band.
Fitbit is also releasing a line of "Minion" themed bands later this year that will definitely be a hit.
We are not sure how accurate this is, but Avi claimed that the new screen is much smoother to operate. He said that the touch felt more responsive than the Ace 2.
Features
Just like its predecessor, the Ace 3 does everything it possibly could to motivate kids to move. It operates just like you would expect a Fitbit tracker to, but simpler and with fun animations. To be honest, I was kind of jealous!
The tracker counts steps, sends moving reminders, sleep tracks, sends bedtime reminders, has call alerts, has a timer and stopwatch, has wireless sync and it is even waterproof!
I never doubt Fitbit when it comes to features, but the Ace 3 is just perfect. The moving notifications specifically are beneficial. Avi gets up and runs around every hour just so his Fitbit is happy, which is great for his health. His parents could not get him to do that before the tracker.
When the Ace 2 first came out, the only way to operate it was from the parent's account. This year, however, you need the parent account for the original set up, but after that, there is a "Kid view" option that allows parents to download the application on the child's phone or iPad and give kids the option to view their stats, badges and chose between different clock faces.
Verdict
I can say with full confidence that anybody with a child over six years of age should get this. It is a great way to motivate them to move and be healthy. It is a great way to track their movement and their sleep schedule, all while looking very sleek.
