Sense is the new health watch by Fitbit. The company's definition couldn't be more accurate - this model features many sensors and functions focused on controlling the parameters of one's health. In fact we find the classic sensor for cardiac monitoring, but also the detection of skin temperature, stress tracking, the ability to make a ECG and so on. All features that on paper make it a real Apple Watch competitor, but which in everyday use leave a bit of a bitter taste in the mouth. Let's find out together the strengths and weaknesses of this Fitbit Sense in our review.
Fitbit Sense review: a very nice design
The design of the Fitbit Sense is very reminiscent of the Versa 2. La stainless steel frame slightly less bulky than the Fitbit sibling and the lightweight silicone strap available in two different sizes make this health watch very comfortable. Comfort is felt even when you wear it at night, a necessary action when you want to track sleep and other parameters that can only be monitored at night. But we'll talk about this later.
The display is a 1,58 '' AMOLED (resolution 336 × 336 pixels) of excellent quality with vivid, bright colors and deep blacks, which perform well even in direct sunlight. There is the possibility to activate theAlways On Display, automatic activation on wrist rotation and display brightness. Unfortunately the touchscreen is not very responsive, the response is often not immediate and the experience therefore lacks fluidity. In fact, it happens many times that you have to press the screen again to perform an action. A defect that is difficult to accept in a device sold for € 329 and which we hope will be resolved through a software update.
On the left side of the case we find a haptic button, therefore sensitive to the touch, with which it is not easy to familiarize: the positioning is a bit uncomfortable and it takes a strong pressure to be able to activate it, squeezing both sides of the Fitbit Sense. The button is user configurable: with a touch you activate the display, with a long press you activate an application of your choice - such as Alexa - and with a double touch the four favorite applications appear.
Inside the Fitbit Sense package there are two silicone straps, size S and L, which are easily inserted into the device with a single click, and the charging cable with a proprietary magnetic hook.
Everything revolves around health
The strong point of Fitbit Sense is the ability to monitor health through many functions and sensors. Sense is able to track the heartbeat, even continuously thanks to PurePulse 2.0 technology. By activating this feature, the device will monitor your heart rate every five seconds at rest and every second during physical activity. The Fitbit Sense sensor is very accurate in measurement, both compared to Apple Watch and a medical device, used as benchmarks during the review.
The device then has the option of analyze the heart rhythm. Just install the Fitbit ECG app, place your index finger and thumb on the two opposite corners of the Sense case and wait 30 seconds. The results will then be available via the smartphone, in a way in our opinion a bit cumbersome: it will not be found in the main application screen - together with all the other parameters such as sleep, heart rate, stress level - but you will need to go to the "Discover" section, find the right option, then select the last one ECG and "Export a PDF for your doctor". At that moment it will be possible to actually consult the measurement result. In short, it all seems a bit complicated.
Two choices that cannot be shared
Fitbit Sense is also capable of measure skin temperature, but only during sleep (after wearing it for at least three nights), and the proposed data are difficult to understand. In fact, the actual skin temperature is not shown, but the variation - in degrees - with respect to its normal temperature. The latter, however, is not made explicit, so these parameters revolve around an aura of mystery. Given the age we live in, it would have been nice to be able to measure one's temperature when needed and not just at night, especially by explicitly showing the measured degrees.
Doubts intensify as we arrive at the measurement of oxygen saturation in the blood. Fitbit Sense in fact integrates a special sensor, but it is not possible to manually measure oxygenation: detection occurs only during the night and only if the dedicated watchface is selected. It is therefore legitimate to ask why it is not possible to take advantage of these state-of-the-art sensors to measure the parameters during the day and at will.
The EDA function
Fitbit Sense also integrates the EDA function, which monitors how our body responds to stress by measuring electrodermal activity. You can start a short 2 minute measurement or a deeper 60 minute measurement. Within the application, then, we will find a score that corresponds to our level of stress and a detailed analysis present only for those who subscribe to Fitbit Premium. The subscription is included for six months with the purchase of the Sense, after which it costs 9,99 euros per month.
Within the application, the details of sleep tracking are also available - very accurate - monitoring of the menstrual cycle, diet, weight and many other data. However, a summary sheet is missing that allows you to understand at a glance the progress of your health, instead of having to consult every single parameter in detail. In fact, the downloadable PDF report that collects all our data and makes a general analysis of it is only available for subscribers to the Premium package.
Monitoring of sports activity
Obviously there is no lack of tracking of your workouts, with various statistics, through the GPS which Fitbit Sense is equipped with. Localization is very precise and the coupling to the satellites happens quickly. The device is also waterproof up to 50 meters, allowing you to track your swimming sessions, other water sports and wear it in the shower. There are many sports available including biking, martial arts, walking, running, elliptical, golf, kickboxing, swimming, pilates, treadmill and much more.
Fitbit Sense review: smart features
After focusing on the features dedicated to health, let's move on to the smart ones: the handling of notifications is very good. In fact, it is possible to view the notifications received from the various applications that you have enabled - for example WhatsApp, Telegram, Gmail and Instagram - and in the case of text messages it is also possible to reply, provided that you have one android smartphone. There are three options: using quick answers preset within the application, with emoticons, or by dictating a response that will then be transcribed.
As for the calls, you can only accept or reject them, but then answering from the smartphone. In fact, although there is a speaker and a microphone, it is not possible to make calls directly from the Fitbit Sense. The microphone, for now, is only used to interact with the Alexa assistant. However, the company said that both call management and the presence of the Google assistant will be implemented by the end of 2020.
It is not possible to transfer music tracks inside the device, to listen to music you have to rely on Deezer e Spotify, but to be able to use them you must have a Premium subscription to both services. Fitbit Sense is equipped with NFC to be able to pay contactlessly, but Fitbit Pay now supports a very small list of banks.
Fitbit Sense has a declared autonomy of six days, a true figure, which drops to three / four days if we enable the Always On Display and about half a day with the GPS continuously on. With average use, you can easily get through the entire working week and then recharge it over the weekend.
Fitbit Sense: buy it or not
The device is available in two variants, Charcoal / Graphite Stainless Steel and Lunar White / Light Gold Stainless Steel and is sold at 329 €. It is a truly complete health watch, with lots of features and the ability to monitor many health parameters. The autonomy is excellent, it allows you to cover the whole week, the sleep monitoring is very precise as well as that of physical activity.
However, as you can tell from our Fitbit Sense review, the user experience is sometimes not very fluid and some sensors are sacrificed by poorly understood choices: The SpO2 function is only available at night and with its watchface, skin temperature is a variable that fluctuates from its average value, and a lot of data is only available through Fitbit Premium. A future software update will likely honor the incredible potential of Fitbit Sense. We recommend the purchase to those who want to keep health parameters under control, taking advantage of the many sensors available, perhaps combined with the Premium subscription to enjoy a truly complete experience.
Fitbit sense
Pro 
- Bel display
- Many parameters for health monitoring
- GPS e NFC
- Accurate heart rate and ECG
Cons 
- Not very fluid in navigation
- Haptic button
- Lots of paid features
- SpO2 only via dedicated watchface and at night
