Struggling to find the perfect wellbeing gift for the wellness lover in your life? We've got you. The Fitbit Sense 2, one of the latest releases from the Google-owned brand, is our pick of the bunch this year - and here's why.
The Fitbit Sense 2 is the cream of the crop when it comes to Fitbit's range of excellent smartwatches. From the hardware design to the inner workings, fitness features, and overall wellbeing features like sleep tracking and stress monitoring, it's heads and shoulders above the rest.
It's one of the best Fitbits overall and one of the top Black Friday fitness deals. Being one of the latest releases as well though, I was surprised to see such a great deal for the big shopping weekend - but here it is: £92 off at Amazon. So, what's there to know about this smartwatch and why does it make for the perfect present?
Why is it the perfect wellbeing gift?
1. The Sense 2 focuses on overall wellbeing
Gifting someone a fitness tracker may seem a little impersonal at best and, potentially, insulting at worst if they haven't already expressed an interest in working out. The main difference between the Fitbit Sense 2, other types of Fitbit, and a fitness tracker in general is that the Sense 2 places more emphasis on improving overall wellbeing, rather than just fitness, making it suitable for just about anyone.
In particular, it pays great attention to tracking our sleep and stress levels, two of the most important pillars of wellbeing.
Where stress is concerned, the Fitbit Sense 2 uses a continuous electrodermal activity (cEDA) sensor to gather data on the electrical changes on our skin (i.e. temperature, heart rate, and heart-rate variability) to determine whether we're stressed or not. As the name suggests, it does this continually with mindfulness exercises available at the touch of a button, so the wellness enthusiast in your life can stay on top of this important metric of health.
The device, when worn at night, can track the quality and quantity of your sleep as well. For anyone interested in learning how to sleep better, this is a must - and it makes the Sense 2 the perfect wellbeing gift, as many people find it hard to get a good night's sleep these days.
2. There are plenty of fitness tracking features if you're interested
That being said, chances are the wellness lover in your life enjoys some form of exercise as well. The Fitbit Sense 2 has 20 more workout modes than many other Fitbit devices, making it easier than ever to accurately track activities like walking and hiking, jogging, yoga, and many more. These are easier to find than ever before, available at the flick of a finger on the home screen.
The device will also intuitively pick up their movement and guess the type of activity they're doing if they forget to log the exercise, so there's no way they'll miss any workout statistics - unless the feature is disabled in settings.
Like every other Fitbit available, the Sense 2 automatically tracks your step count, so even those who don't like to take up exercise actively can receive notifications when they've hit their target step count, whether that's 10,000 steps or 3,000 steps.
3. You don't actually need a smartwatch
Now, hear me out. Even the most enthusiastic wellness lover out there doesn't need a Fitbit - or any of the best fitness trackers for that matter. Unlike having a pair of the best running shoes if walking or hiking is their activity of choice or a pair of the best workout leggings if they like going to the gym, a smartwatch is a luxury. It's something that improves the experience of everyday life and can prove to be very useful, especially for those who want to increase their step count, improve their sleep, or monitor their stress levels for health reasons. It's not a must-buy though, it's a 'nice to have'.
This makes it the perfect present. If the person you're buying for is unlikely to splash out on a luxury for themselves and you're looking to treat them, why not deliver this wellbeing gift to their door?
4. The Sense 2 is about more than just wellbeing
The main difference between smartwatches and fitness trackers is how we use them. While fitness trackers are superb monitors for the recipient of your gift's (hopefully) growing fitness levels and achievements, whether that's daily step count or exercise goals, smartwatches really do so much more.
They'll find all they need from a would-be personal assistant on the face of a smartwatch like the Fitbit Sense 2. Flick a finger on the screen one way and they'll find the weather report for the day, flick it the other and they'll find a timer and stopwatch. This smartwatch, unlike some others in the brand's range, has the potential to receive phone calls via Bluetooth and they can see text and social media notifications so they can stay in contact with those who need them without having to look at a phone. Now Google is running the show, and as this is one of the newest Fitbits, your recipient can pay with a touch of the Fitbit anywhere that accepts Fitbit Pay (Google Wallet is also available) and view a route on the go with Google Maps.
Think of the Fitbit Sense 2 as gifting them a digital personal assistant, with all their must-have daily information available at the touch of a button.
5. This smartwatch is available in multiple colours
When it comes to buying a gift, you want to show that your present is personal. Unlike some other fitness trackers, or wellbeing accessories generally, it is possible to personalise a Fitbit by choosing a colour that most suits your loved one.
Will it be the smooth and discreet black colourway, complete with a black metallic watch case? Or the lightweight and sleek lunar white with the platinum aluminium casing? The blue mist strap and soft gold aluminium colourway for something a little different? This colour is a rare find among Fitbits and offers a more stand-out appearance.
Otherwise, there are plenty of alternative straps with a whole range of adjustments, colours, textures, and materials on the Fitbit website - currently on offer as well, with up to 50% off.
Where can I buy the Fitbit Sense 2?
- Amazon: Buy the Fitbit Sense 2 with the best deal this Black Friday
- Fitbit: Buy direct from the retailer at a discount this Black Friday
- Very: Save on the Sense 2 and complete with free standard delivery
- Currys: Save on this wellbeing gift with various colours available
- Argos: Collect from your local store or have it delivered to your door
- Boots: Save and collect over £5 worth of points when you buy at Boots
- GAME: Get next-day delivery with your saving when ordering pre-7pm
From the Black Friday sales I've seen so far, retailers are selling the Fitbit Sense 2 for between £177 and £179.99. Although some retailers sold the Sense 2 at a lower price to begin with, the average £269.99 retail price means most retailers are offering a saving of about £92 (35%) over the Black Friday weekend.
What about other Fitbits?
In my eyes, the Fitbit Sense 2 is the best wellbeing gift of Fitbit's extensive range of smartwatches and trackers for all its capabilities in stress, sleep, fitness tracking, and making life a little bit easier.
However, if the person you're buying for is more fanatical about fitness than interested in overall wellbeing, I'd recommend the new Fitbit Charge 5 or the new Charge 6 - or you could weigh up Garmin vs Fitbit for more advanced options.
If they're new to the world of wellness and would appreciate something more lifestyle-orientated with a sleeker look - which also conveniently sits at the lower end of the price range - then the Fitbit Luxe or Fitbit Inspire 3 are good choices.
