Hands-on review: Fitbit Inspire 2

Fitbit's range of smart watches and fitness trackers is now so broad that you could say there's something for everyone.

From the Fitbit Ace for kids to the Inspire and the Charge  fitness trackers and the Sense, and Versa that resemble smartwatches, Fitbit's line is well-established as a line of fitness trackers and smartwatches.

The Fitbit Inspire is slated as a device for those people who are starting out on (or returning to) a focus on their health. They don't want a bulky smartwatch, they want something that's easy to use and has all the insights they need 'to improve their heart health, sleep quality and fitness habits', Fitbit says.

For anyone who wants to keep track of their health and their stress levels, the Inspire 2 is a lightweight tracker that will keep your health stats in check no matter if you're working, or doing a workout.

There are two touch-sensitive 'buttons' on either side of the tracker's face - you push these to bring the screen to life. At 1.7cm in length, the OLED display is just large enough to display the basic information. From the home screen, it's a couple of swipes down to access notification and all of the exercise features, Relax (breathing exercises for stress relief), timers, alarms, and settings.

Go back to the home screen and swipe up to access key stats like date, steps, active zone minutes, heart BPM, resting heart rate, calories burned, distance walked, sleep stats, weight, water, and pretty much all of the information as it's displayed in the Fitbit app.

Long press the side buttons to get a few extra options like Do Not Disturb, screen wake, water lock (for when you're swimming or showering), and toggling whether the Inspire 2 is on your wrist, or on a clip.

It is IPX8 water-resistant up to 50 metres, reflected in the design as there's not a speck of steel to be seen beyond the lugs that connect the tracker to the band.  That does mean that the watch buckle is plastic, however - it's by no means brittle or flimsy. You can also purchase a separate clip so you don't have to wear it on your wrist.

Fitbit's claim of 10-day battery life is pretty accurate, boosted by the device's small screen and low power output. Simplicity is a major factor in creating long-lasting devies.

One of the key differences between the Inspire 2 and its predecessor the Inspire HR is battery life – the HR could average, according to specs, only five days of battery life. From that alone, the Inspire 2 is a significant improvement, along with the additional features such as active zone minutes and sleep monitoring.

And unlike other Fitbit devices like the Charge, there is no inbuilt GPS or Fitbit Pay on the Inspire 2.  The Inspire 2 does come with a one-year free trial of Fitbit Premium, which offers a few more insights (like sleep insights) than the regular Fitbit features.

The Inspire 2 is a fitness tracker that is lightweight, water-resistant, and small enough to help you keep track of your health stats without the bulk of larger, more complicated alternatives.

The Inspire 2's RRP is NZ$199.95. You have a colour choice of black, desert rose, and lunar white.

Keep an eye out for my colleague's reviews of the Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa 3, coming soon.