Fitbit Flex 2
Last updated: July 17, 2020
This budget-friendly buy offers the basic Fitbit features in a discreet band. It's a great starter fitness tracker, as it records steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes. It does not include a heart rate sensor or built-in GPS. Its waterproof capabilities also add convenience, allowing users to wear their Fitbit in up to 50 meters of freshwater or saltwater.
We looked at the top Fitbits and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Fitbit you should buy.
Product Details
Key Takeaway: The Fitbit Flex 2 is a perfect first fitness tracker, with waterproof protection and a discreet band.
In our analysis of 61 expert reviews, the Fitbit Flex 2 placed 4th when we looked at the top 7 products in the category. For the full ranking, see below.Expert Reviews
What reviewers liked
Flex 2 is a handy way to tally-up your gym sessions and jogs without doing so manually. It also separates out longer walks. This is one of the best bits of the Fitbit software, making what are effectively quite simple measurements of your arm movements seem a whole lot richer. You can find exactly how long it took you to walk to the train station on the way to work, for example.
The Flex 2 is a decent improvement over the original Flex, with the addition of waterproofing making it a much easier device to live with – even if you’re not a regular swimmer.
The Flex 2 is the first Fitbit you can wear in the shower and while swimming. It's waterproof down to 50 meters (about 165 feet) and can be used in both fresh water and salt water.
FitBit's app is bright, eye-catching, and full of relevant information, but the real seller here is its social aspect.
- IGN
The Flex 2 was so slim and lightweight in the small classic band that I barely noticed it while wearing it for a day or two.
The real killer app of the new Fitbit Flex 2, however, is that it is swim-proof. The Flex 2 is Fitbit’s first truly waterproof device, and can give you a rough idea of how many laps, yards, or even miles you swim. It is waterproof up to 50m.
The very affordable Fitbit Flex 2 tracks your movement automatically, and it does a pretty good job of recognizing and measuring activities.
We love that it is waterproof and can be worn while swimming.
One of the key points about this tracker is that it's great for swimmers due to being waterproof.
With the Flex 2, Fitbit upgrades its original entry-level fitness tracker with a fully waterproof design.
Flex 2 really is a slim little tracker that's hardly noticeable at all on the wrist, which is a nice change of pace.
- Wearable
What reviewers didn't like
What the Fitbit Flex 2 lacks are any extra bits of fitness hardware. There’s no heart rate sensor and no GPS, so if you want those you’ll have to buy one of Fitbit’s more expensive wearables.
Part of the issue is that there’s no loop through which to thread the strap, meaning you have to line up the buttons with the holes; it’s trickier than you might think especially for anyone with restricted motor control.
Lacks of GPS or heart rate tracking.
FitBit Flex 2 has obvious limitations. for one, there's absolutely no way to initiate tracking for a particular activity.
- IGN
Call and text notifications could be glitchy with Android devices.
Battery life isn’t great with things like Swim Tracking and Reminders to Move tracking on
It lacks a heart-rate monitor, which means that the sleep data you get is rudimentary—just how long you slept, not how deeply.
It doesn't track heart rate or have a screen.
This tracker does not have GPS or heart rate function.
There's no built-in GPS or heart-rate monitoring
There's no heart rate monitor or ConnectedGPS, which means you won't get running distances even if you take your phone along for the ride.
- Wearable
View our Fitbit buying guide for in-depth advice and recommendations.