The most immediately obvious way the Fitbit Luxe differentiates itself from other Fitbits is its slime visual design. It gives it a look closer to that of a bracelet than other models. Any product that calls itself \u201cchic\u201d in its promotional material immediately makes me suspicious, but against the odds, Luxe gets away with it. Everything from its golden trim to its elegant curves seductively whispers \u201ctechnology \u2013 but make it fashion<\/em>\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Admittedly, the starter beige silicon strap when paired with the gold plating makes me feel like a like I married rich and spend my days doing Pilates (sounds like the life to be honest). Happily, there are other easily interchangeable straps on the market if your tastes require something more edgy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I especially appreciate that the heart rate monitor doesn\u2019t jut out and into the skin, as some of the previous Fitbits did. It means I can monitor my bpm without having the physical proof indented into my wrist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An app for everything<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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Surprisingly for such a small device, the Luxe packs in most of the functions Fitbits are famed for. The Fitbit Luxe tracks your calories, your sleep quality, your heart rate, your blood oxygen, and stress levels. A few swipes across the screen reveals the Fitbit Luxe\u2019s other features, such as phone notifications, a timer, an alarm, and a workout app. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing the Fitbit Luxe does lack is an inbuilt GPS function: the Luxe piggybacks off your phone GPS. I guess something had to give to get that slim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s also a relaxation feature, which works by guiding your breathing. My heart rate increased after using it, which I\u2019m pretty sure means it didn\u2019t work, but that could just be because I wanted to perform the exercise perfectly and ending up stressing myself out instead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fitbit Luxe has a respectable battery life, too. Like an office worker that has managed to achieve a work-life balance, the Fitbit Luxe has a 5-day battery life before it needs charging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh yeah, and it does a good job of tracking your steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slim \u2026 but at what cost?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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The Fitbit Luxe\u2019s slight frame is both its best point and its worst point.  While the slim look is elegant, a smaller screen is still \u2026 a smaller screen. Which means, smaller text. Seriously, this text is tiny. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The small screen meant that the Fitbit Luxe did not become my first screen of choice for many of the apps on offer. For tasks like using the alarm and timer, I still instinctively prefer the larger screen provided by my mobile phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, for many this will be a small sacrifice to make to avoid the chunky square look of some other wellness trackers <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also found that the touchscreen didn\u2019t always easily respond to my commands, particularly when getting the screen to turn on. The lack of buttons means that it\u2019s not ideal during sweaty work-out times, when touchscreens don\u2019t tend to perform as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, perhaps I\u2019m biased in that I never got the hang of at the wrist flicking action required to turn the screen on automatically. I\u2019ve been looking pretty ridiculous at the gym, swinging my arm up to look at my wrist in increasingly dramatic motions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than a pretty face \u2013 but not by a lot<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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So, should you trade in your old Fitbit for a Fitbit Luxe? It depends on what you value in a fitness tracker. If you\u2019re after all the bells and whistles, you\u2019re better off upgrading to a newer Versa or Charge model. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if you don\u2019t mind smaller text and no in-built GPS, then you will be rewarded with a genuinely good-looking wrist accessory, with decent fitness and wellness tracking to match. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Technology \u2013 but make it fashion<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":17406,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[10,207,221],"tags":[51],"yoast_head":"\n