5 reasons I'm keeping my Fitbit Air and not buying a Fitbit Edge

It’s all too easy for newly announced tech to turn your head and make you feel less satisfied with what you’ve already got. The announcement of the Fitbit Edge is a prime example. It’s the most modern interpretation of a classic Fitbit device we’ve seen in a while, and anyone who bought a Fitbit Air may already feel the need to upgrade.

Not me. I’ve worn the Fitbit Air since it was released, and have no intention of changing to the supposed latest-and-greatest Fitbit product. Why? Here are the five reasons the Fitbit Air will stay on my wrist, and putting them into words may help anyone else facing that familiar desire to upgrade to the newest product.

The Fitbit Air is lightweight and fuss-free

The Fitbit Air has shown anyone who has worn it the appeal of a low-tech fitness band. I’ve worn the Air since its announcement earlier in 2026, and I’ve barely noticed it on my wrist. Paired with the lightweight fabric band, it’s incredibly light and doesn’t slip around your wrist, yet it still collects all the relevant data both day and night.

To the casual observer, the Fitbit Air looks like a typical wristband or bracelet worn for fashion reasons. Get it in an eye-catching color, and it’s a pleasing accessory. It never feels like you’re wearing a piece of tech, and, crucially, it doesn’t look like one either. There are no buttons, no flashing lights, and no screen. The module itself has been cleverly hidden under the band for incognito wear.

You don’t need to do anything to, or with, the Fitbit Air for it to do its job. It’s as low maintenance as wearable tech gets. The Fitbit Edge is unashamedly a tech product. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I’ll take the stealthy, comfortable, and entirely fuss-free Fitbit Air every time.

No screen means no notifications

A screen on your fitness tracker naturally invites notifications. There’s value in this, and if you’re a committed fitness fan with a grueling schedule, starting and monitoring workouts on your wrist without reaching for your phone is a considerable benefit.

There are also many downsides, and the Fitbit Air’s singular focus on your health shouldn’t be dismissed as substandard. Not getting a buzz on your wrist every time an unimportant email arrives, or yet another reminder to move around that gets ignored, is freeing. Sure, notifications can be turned off, but if you don’t want the functionality, why pay for it?

The Fitbit Air isn’t bogged down with trying to be a smartwatch alternative. It isn’t out to overload you with data and information, and you have to look at the app to see its findings or to start a workout. For my relatively ordinary needs, it works perfectly, and escaping from notifications without missing out on health tracking is far more of a benefit than you may realize.

I can wear a regular watch with it and not look weird

This is a big one for me. I like regular, non-smart watches, and I also like the data from a health tracker. The Fitbit Air is one of the few trackers that lets me have both, without resorting to ‘double-wristing.’ This means wearing a watch — whether mechanical or digital — on each wrist, and looking a bit weird in the process.

Because the Fitbit Air doesn’t look like a piece of tech and its style more closely resembles a bracelet or wristband, it can be comfortably paired with a regular watch on your other wrist without looking all that odd. I’ve felt comfortable wearing my blue Fitbit Air opposite a watch all summer, and don’t feel as if it causes the double-takes that come with double-wristing.

The Fitbit Edge’s screen will show the time, just like the watch I wear on my other wrist. Choosing a data-heavy watch face is the better choice, but you’re still wearing a substantial device with a ‘face’ that will draw the eye, opposite a watch that also tells the time. I’m not against double-wristing, but screen-and-dial overload immediately looks weird, and the Fitbit Air means I can avoid it entirely, without compromise. I won’t be able to do that with the Fitbit Edge.

You still need to pay a subscription, so why splash out on the hardware?

To get the most from the Fitbit Air, Fitbit Edge, and Google Pixel Watch 5, you really do have to pay the $10/month Google Health Premium (previously Fitbit Premium) subscription. It unlocks all in-depth health-tracking features and the Google AI Health Coach. No one wants to pay a subscription, and although I place a lot of value in the health features and the AI Health Coach, I don’t want to spend more than I have to.

The Fitbit Air is a rare thing in the world of modern tech. It’s a cool, desirable, and useful product that costs less than $100. It’s not pocket change, but compared to a $400 Pixel Watch 5, it’s more affordable for more people. The Fitbit Edge’s $180 price is getting on for double the Fitbit Air, and while you get a screen, as I’ve already established, this is not always a benefit.

Because Google Health Premium is almost an essential, it’s worth considering how much each product will cost to use over a year or two before buying. The Fitbit Air’s lower cost means it will always cost less in the long run, and to get the most from a health tracker, you have to wear it for a while. This is particularly applicable if you’re new to Fitbit’s updated platform. Start with the Fitbit Air and a Health Premium subscription to see if it’s for you before buying a more expensive device with the same health features.

The Fitbit Edge reminds me that cheaper devices like it also exist

Coincidentally, I gave my mom a new health tracker this weekend. She wanted a screen that was big enough to see the time on, and know when a WhatsApp notification came through. I happened to have an old Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro sitting idle, and it was just right for her.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Pro — and the more recent Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Pro — look very similar to the Fitbit Edge. All have a vertically stretched screen, a watch-like strap, and fit somewhere in between the Fitbit Air and a smartwatch. The thing is, a Xiaomi Smart Band 10 Pro costs less than half as much as the Fitbit Edge, and does not require a subscription.

Find another low-cost fitness tracker that looks like the Fitbit Air. Before you go off to try and find one, I’ll save you the trouble. Outside of expensive devices like the Whoop or smart rings like the Oura Ring 5, they don’t really exist.

The Fitbit Edge’s high price, subscription, and rather generic design make it far less attractive than models like the Xiaomi Smart Band range, which represent better value if you don’t want a full smartwatch.

The Fitbit Air is unique in the world of wearables today. It doesn’t cost a fortune, doesn’t overload you with information, does what it is supposed to do without fuss, has almost all the health tracking functionality of the much more expensive Pixel Watch 5, isn’t annoying or uncomfortable, and doesn’t scream ‘I love tech!’ when it’s on show.

I’ll take the Fitbit Air over the Fitbit Edge, and the Pixel Watch 5, every time.