We are very proud to have had the opportunity to test the Fitbit Sense connected watch. After ten days in the company of this beautiful high-tech object, we will offer you here an enthusiastic introduction. Since the smartphone revolution, these portable screens have enhanced the user experience. While phones have specialized in the instantaneous transmission of information, the functionality of smartwatches revolves more around health. Whether monitoring the vagaries of the body or increasing its performance, these electronic jewelry-assistants have quickly become more democratic. As such, Fitbit is one of the flagship brands of connected bracelets at low prices. However, after the Versa 2 and the Versa 3, their Sense connected watch will rather look at the top of the range. It is therefore with pleasure that we moved, sweated, worked and even slept with the device on the wrist…

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Technical specifications of the Fitbit Sense smartwatch

Hopping unboxing of the Fitbit Sense smartwatch

We are not going to dwell too much on the box whose panels you will simply unfold to discover your smartwatch. As far as accessories are concerned, it's minimalist: a longer spare strap and the charging tip. Of course, there is also a small instruction manual. That said, to guide you, you will have to download the application on your smartphone sooner. And that's good, because we don't appreciate the clutter caused by unnecessary equipment. However, we will simply notice that the cable is delivered without a charger as such, an increasingly common practice among manufacturers...

Fitbit Sense connected watch: a design that is both elegant and sporty

Honestly, from afar, the photo scared us a little. So here's what it is in reality: the screen is a square black medallion on stainless steel, with rounded corners, and surrounded by pale gilding. In off mode, the set projects curvaceous reflections onto the retina, for a striking jewel effect. Consequently, we would tend to be frightened by its fragility. We reassure you: it is not. Indeed, to scratch it, it will be necessary to get up early, because for us, neither friction nor shock caused visible damage. Admittedly, we didn't try to make a fire either by hitting it against a flint, but you get the idea… As for the bracelet, the one we received is lunar white, according to the name of the brand.

For our part, the color seemed arbitrary to us, rather evoking that of well chewed gum. In addition, we have seen more practical to put on the wrist: strangely, the rubber band wraps inwards, on the skin side. Not serious, but it's a helping hand to take… This contrasting assessment shows a big plus for the screen and a little minus for the bracelet, however far from being unbearable to wear. Besides, as you can see above, it doesn't even clash with flowered shirts. It will therefore fit just as well with t-shirts, jackets, vests, dresses, tunics and other frock coats... Despite everything, the most stylish can have another model delivered, although some are sold for nearly €50. , a good sixth of the price of the smartwatch…

And here is the behind the scenes. On this subject, the Fitbit app advises you to have clean wrists before putting on your smartwatch. Logical, since in the opposite case, you risk distorting the measurements of the sensor.

First use of the Fitbit Sense smartwatch

We're not going to hide it from you: the moment of activating the smartwatch for the first time was not the most fun. It was only then that the celebrations took place. Before synchronization, the watch will need to be placed on its charging stand. Note in this regard that the autonomy, unlike our Huawei GT, is clearly not 6 days, as advertised. Instead, expect 3.5 days at best. Fortunately, the charge is very fast, which compensates for this small disappointment.

A laborious but smooth synchronization

Not that this step was difficult, but relatively slow to set up. By comparison, our personal Huawei GT connected in a flash – admittedly, that was on a smartphone of the same brand. In short, basically plan an activity that makes you wait twenty or thirty minutes while it grinds. Let's take this opportunity to point out that, throughout our test, the synchronization between the watch and the app experienced latencies. Nothing too bad, we are not to the nearest second, but let's say that you will sometimes experience the expression "everything comes at the right time to who knows how to wait". This was especially the case for sleep analyzes and measurements of physical activity.

An Interface with a polished design, served by good ergonomics

When we finally embark on the festivities, the least we can say is that we are not disappointed. The icons, on a black background, are brightly colored and the animations of an eye-catching fluidity. You navigate, of course, by swiping your finger across the screen, the response to which rarely fails. However, you might get a little lost on the first approach. Without giving you the diagram of the tree-like path to each screen, we must at least discuss the essentials with you: the (un)locking function. It is not the most intuitive, because it is not provided by any button. In fact, a simple flick of the wrist up or down (depending on its placement) serves as the activation mechanism. Like this :

Indeed, this simple folding movement is enough to exert pressure on the touch sensor located under the watch. As feedback, you'll feel a slight vibration, and the screen will turn on (or turn off, depending). Once you get the hang of it, it's pretty addicting. So don't dislocate your wrist! Note that this command also serves as a return to the home screen.

In this regard, if you are not thrilled with the factory version, you can download dozens of others for free from the mobile application. We, survivalists of the last hour, we headed for the disturbing but friendly Vault Boy from the Fallout universe.

List of features already installed on the Fitbit Sense connected watch

Might as well keep it simple. Here are the applications that the watch offers from the outset, listed in descending order of frequency of use. Of course, we are only reporting our personal case, and it is very likely that your own use of the smartwatch differs in every way from ours:

Of course, we cannot give you a detailed account of each option. Especially since there are others to download from a small range offered on the smartphone application. But we will take stock of those that seem to us to bring real added value to the Fitbit smartwatch!

Fitbit Mobile Application: validated user experience!

There would be things to say about this interface, but we will get to the point, at least as much as our subjectivity allows. At the beginning, one can be frightened by the quantity of information, but the catch in hand is done as naturally as gradually. Here from left to right, the welcome screen (customizable!) and the same page after a scroll. Note that you will be able to scroll the date to see your status from the day before and that of other past days.

The design, embroidered in white and light-toned colors, seems to be soothing. The user is very well directed there. We want to discover one by one all the available options in order to integrate them into our routine. The only brake on your interactive wanderings: the Fitbit Premium subscription which, despite the offer of six months free, came like a cutthroat to sap our enthusiasm a bit. That said, even if 9 € per month should probably be justified by bluffing improvements, it is clear that all the free paraphernalia has already given us plenty to keep us busy!

See also, on the left panel, all the configurations that you can make from the mobile phone. In particular, you can register your credit card for contactless payments (a gadget, but practical!), set up a voice assistant or even organize your playlists to go running without the phone! Unfortunately for us, we did not have access to YouTube Music, but Spotify and Deezer users will be happy, at least if they have something to listen to via Bluetooth (you can see us coming: a quick look at our connected headphones comparison required, right?)

Health monitoring from 7 to 77 years old, with the Fitbit Sense connected watch

The health features of the Fitbit obviously include the great classics. Thus, you will be able, at least initially, to follow the evolution of your:

At first, the watch suggests that you take your 250 steps per hour, via a notification. It is of course possible to configure several reminders of the same kind, and to remove this one, for any reason whatsoever. It's all about routine and mental load. However, the advantage of this kind of connected devices is that they notify everything that you were already doing good without thinking about it. Moreover, the tone remains ultimately quite neutral, both for the good news and for the invitations to try changes in your lifestyle.

Sleep and skin temperature tracking

We who own a Huawei GT, we already knew the measurements of this type of sensor. With criteria of time and sleep levels, you receive analysis in the form of a score. And we have reason to believe the Fitbit Sense is more accurate than our usual watch. Indeed, it better identifies the phases of awakening, and its notes, generally more varied, correspond more to our feelings. Below, the Monday bar corresponds to insomnia. That of Saturday reports the day after an aperitif (always confined within the rules!), but we know how much alcohol deteriorates sleep... As for the skin temperature sensor, it displays very stable results, fluctuating barely 0.2 C° overnight. In the event of a difference close to 1°C, perhaps it would be a good idea to be attentive to possible symptoms of a flat tire?

Stress management, well-being and meditation sessions

Unlike sleep analysis, you are the one who initiates your anti-stress measures and activities. For this, you can check the electrodermal activity (AED) of your body. As a general rule, the calmer you are, the less there is (in order to laugh a little, activate this function in front of each new announcement from the government)… Alternatively, you can practice the minutes of mindfulness, a sort of introduction to meditation . The watch guides you, and it takes two minutes (customizable time). We have to admit here that we have personally been able, through this, to neutralize some inappropriate waves.

Prevention of physical inactivity and heart problems

With “France on the move”, we know them, the famous 5000, 7500, 10,000 steps/day…! By default, the application offers you to perform 250 per hour. But there are no rules: you set your goals. We will refrain from making a topo on the multiple benefits of walking; just know that the watch can serve as a reminder and reward via medals and weekly reports (notifications by email optional). As for heart health, strongly linked to activity, the watch includes an electrocardiogram (ECG). It measures resting heart rate, and can detect rhythm abnormalities. Nothing equivalent to a real medical examination, but if, over time and without explanation, the anomalies persist, go quickly to heat the vital card. Finally, we will voluntarily go over hydration and calories ingested, which depend more on the mobile app than on the smartwatch.

In “Fitbit Sense connected watch”, there is “Fit”

You may have a weekly workout that you want to stick with over time. However, a good way to give consistency to your efforts before enjoying their substantial results is to note your sessions. The Fitbit Sense, like any self-respecting sports smartwatch, takes care of it for you!

Total calories burned: a motivating indicator

Among the details of his reports, there is one that we particularly appreciated. In fact, when you create a user account, you enter your weight, height and gender to help the device visualize your physiology. Thus, it manages to calculate your basal metabolism (to the nearest 200 kcal), ie what you spend daily as energy without doing anything. For example, we are at a constant 1662 kcal/d, the watch adds the calories burned to this figure daily. It is therefore very practical to get an idea of ​​your calorie deficit (and to somewhat inflate your impression of activity)!

A large number of activities available

We see an overview below on the left: the Fitbit Sense connected watch, thanks in particular to its integrated GPS, offers a varied activity monitoring. Thus, you have Running, Walking, Yoga, Bodybuilding, Pilate, Golf, Tennis, Kickboxing, Swimming modes, and the list is not finished… Of course, we do not know the difference in calculation between the different disciplines. Either way, it gives precise visibility into what you've done in your week/month/year (decade…quarter of a century…). It should also be noted that the watch is able to detect the moments when your carnal envelope is set in motion. It thus records your minutes of activity independently. And to mark a pause, a flick of the wrist is enough to interrupt the timer. The screen will then naturally display the options “continue” and “end training”.

Activity intensity and heart rate trend

Each time you start a sports activity, the smartwatch seeks to measure the time and intensity of the effort, in particular through the heart rate. In this way, you are free to adapt your training to your needs, according to what the device has been able to identify. In addition, the latter keeps your cardiac reaction data in order to assign you an (umpteenth) score according to your age (top right). Keep in mind, however, that these measurements, although close to reality, are often inaccurate, and that only a long-term curve study is really intended to inform you about your performance and your state of health. In addition, remember that this kind of interface calls less for increasing your training volume than for perpetuating it and adjusting it intelligently.

Why invest in a Fitbit Sense?

In absolute terms, as a connected watch, we didn't have much to complain about with the Fitbit Sense. Certainly, we have seen better in terms of autonomy, and the synchronization latencies can be a little frustrating. But the real question lies in the price. Indeed, if you count 300€ + 50€ for a possible new bracelet + the subscription at almost 10 €/month for a feature bonus, it is better to know what we are going to use it for! Also, if you are not interested in your health, if your sporting activity is honorably limited to games of Fifa, and if the idea of ​​passing for a (e) dandy cyborg does not ring a bell, move on. Otherwise, everything will be a question of duration, as is often the case when it comes to profitability.

We will have noticed it without difficulty: the Fitbit Sense has a response. Its slim and compact design combines dressy style with sporty comfort. The watch and mobile app interfaces are clean and attractive, in addition to being highly customizable. Admittedly, the (un)locking mechanism may surprise, but we appreciate it all the more when we are used to it. Furthermore, while we cannot determine the accuracy of the sensors, we have not found any inconsistencies. Finally, after having forgiven a somewhat fair autonomy vis-à-vis what was announced, we will justify the price by a good lifespan in the "gamified" sense of the term: indeed, the number of functionalities is worth as a series of discoveries to dig through, through which you can observe and play on the transformations of your body, the same one that will carry you to the end of your life.