The new Fitbit Ionic smartwatch ($299.95) might look like a bulky smartwatch, but the device actually feels fairly light once it’s on, and the large screen makes for easy reading of notifications and activity progress throughout the day. The watch immediately starts tracking your daily steps, calorie burn, and heart rate as soon as you put it on and sends it all to an app. A tap on the screen will show you all your latest stats.
The Ionic integrated with a few apps like Pandora and Starbucks, which you can use with a paid membership or gift cards, and includes a workout menu where you can easily swipe to the exercise you want. The Ionic will also allow you to control your phone’s music from whatever app it’s playing from, and will give you text notifications (but no email or other app notifications, which can be either a good or bad thing, depending on how comprehensive you want your smartwatch to be).
Fitbit has also launched their own wireless headphones, the Fitbit Flyers, ($129) that connect to a phone, yet can be controlled by the watch. The benefit: If your phone is tucked into a backpack or hard-to-reach pocket–you can more readily control music through the combination of the watch and headphones.
The Fitbit is among the easiest to use, and the battery lasts longer than most other smartwatches. If you’re looking to track health, control music, and wear something comfortable, the Ionic is a great choice.