Wednesday, March 19, 2025

what I loved (and what I didn’t)

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Looking for an affordable fitness tracker in 2025? The Fitbit Inspire 3 costs just $94 on Amazon and is packed with comprehensive health and fitness tracking. But is it right for you? Check out my Fitbit Inspire 3 review below.

With prices climbing, I know I’m not the only one hunting for cheap tech this year. And when it comes to fitness trackers—which are nice to have but not exactly essential—I want solid features at an even better price. No shortcuts are allowed when it comes to health.

That’s what led me to the Fitbit Inspire 3, Google’s most affordable fitness tracker right now. At just $94 on Amazon, it promises a long battery life, sleep tracking, and workout monitoring. But is it worth the hype?

I’ve spent the past week putting the Fitbit Inspire 3 to the test, and after 5 years of reviewing products at Gadget Flow, I can confidently say I won’t steer you in the wrong direction. Here’s my completely honest review.

Fitbit Inspire 3 Review: Design & Wear Quality

Design is an important part of any product, but especially for a fitness tracker. If it looks ugly, chances are, you won’t wear it. And that’s counterintuitive for a wearable. In any case, I found the Inspire 3 pretty aesthetically pleasing, overall.

It has a slightly larger screen and a thinner strap than its predecessor, the Inspire 2. The black plastic case measures 1.55″ L x 0.73″ W x 0.46″ H, and it holds a large AMOLED color touchscreen.

The slim strap and updated display give the tracker a modern look. And since the gadget is pretty low profile, it blends in with any outfit.

Comfort-wise, the watch feels lightweight and comfy on my wrist. The band is made of silicone and comes beautiful color options: Morning Glow, Midnight Zen, and Lilac Bliss

My Personal Take:

✅ Love the color options!

✅ A slim, comfortable band that doesn’t get in the way.

✨ The color touchscreen is a huge upgrade compared to the Inspire 2’s grayscale display!

Fitbit Inspire 3 Review: Fitness Tracking Features

Now down to the meat of the product, the fitness tracking features. The Fitbit Inspire 3 has a full range of health and fitness tracking options, which I didn’t expect, considering the affordable price. That’s right; this $99.95 Fitbit can track your heart rate, steps, calories, sleep, stress, and 41+ exercise modes—darn close to what you’d find on more premium models!

Since the Fitbit Inspire 3 doesn’t have GPS, I find it’s best for tracking indoor exercises, like a walk or run on the treadmill or a ride on a stationary bike. Reviewers say the Inspire 3’s heart rate data is accurate when compared with a smartwatch. So you can count on it as a health indicator.

And, as someone who spends most of her day either sitting or standing, I love the move reminders. I can set them to remind me to get up and take a walk around the house every 45-minutes or so. Super important since we recently found that standing desks aren’t as healthy as we thought they were.

Another fitness feature to note is the 24/7 heart rate tracking. It gives me real-time insights into everything from calorie burn to sleep stages. It’s the kind of data that actually feels useful, whether I’m checking my resting heart rate or seeing how intense my workouts really are.

And speaking of workouts, Active Zone Minutes make a difference. Instead of just counting steps, the Inspire 3 rewards effort—so if I push into cardio or peak zones, I earn double minutes. It’s a great motivator, especially when I need that extra push to finish a workout.

Would I call it next-level training data? Not really. If you want detailed performance metrics, you’ll need something more advanced. But for everyday fitness tracking, it does the job well.

My Personal Take:

✅ I love the full range of fitness features. It offers modes for everything, from running to golf.

✅ The move reminders are great for anyone who spends a lot of time at the computer.

❗️There’s no GPS, so it’s not great for marathon training.

Fitbit Inspire 3 Review
Fitbit Inspire 3 angled view

Fitbit Inspire 3 Review: Health Tracking Features

I appreciated the nightly sleep score the most. Often, I’m up until the wee hours, scrolling on my phone to relax. But, the bright screen just makes winding down harder. Thankfully, the Fitbit Inspire 3 offers guided programs to promote relaxation, and I found that they worked quite well. Then, the tracker monitors my time spent resting—how long I was restless and how long I actually slept. I walked away with some pretty good insights on how to improve.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to pay $9.99 monthly for Fitbit Premium to access the most in-depth features—like a sleep score. So that’s annoying. Because if you’re getting the Fitbit Inspire 3 solely for affordability, you probably won’t want to spend and extra $10/month just for more advanced insights.

And I’ll admit, SpO2 tracking wasn’t a feature I thought I needed…until I started using it. Seeing my blood oxygen levels gave me a new perspective on my overall wellness, especially after tough workouts or restless nights. It’s not a replacement for medical advice, but it’s a solid way to spot trends in my health.

As for the stress tracking feature, it’s a nice touch, but the best insights are, again, locked behind Fitbit Premium (ugh). You’ll get a general stress score, but if you want a full breakdown, it’ll cost extra. I appreciate the feature, but I wish more details were included without a subscription.

My Personal Take:

😴 The sleep score was a reality check—I had no idea how restless I was at night.

✅ The guided relaxation actually worked! Swapping doom-scrolling for breathing exercises made a difference.

❗️The $9.99/month paywall is frustrating—deep health insights shouldn’t cost extra; you’ve already bought the device.

Fitbit Inspire 3 Review: Battery Life

Unlike its predecessor, the Fitbit Inspire 3 has an always-on display, which I was sure would decrease the battery life. Turns out, I was wrong. Even with the always-on mode, the Fitbit Inspire 3 lasts 10 days on a single charge! And in the auto-wake mode, the Inspire 3 can surpass that time.

My current—premium—smartwatch gives up on me after just 8 hours of use. So a 10–14 day battery life, sounds like a dream. But, let’s be fair, the Inspire 3 doesn’t have GPS or call features, draining its battery. With a fitness tracker this low maintenance, I can track my exercise for well over a week without even having to think about finding a charger.

✅ Even with the always-on display, it easily lasts 10 days—way longer than I expected.

💪 In auto-wake mode, it pushes past 10 days, making charging almost an afterthought.

So, is the Fitbit Inspire 3 worth it?

Overall, I’m pleasantly surprised by how much the Fitbit Inspire 3 offers for the price. It’s a solid choice for beginners or anyone looking to keep a closer eye on their health, thanks to its versatile exercise modes and reliable tracking.

But if you’re a serious athlete, this probably isn’t your best bet. While it covers the basics well, it lacks in-depth performance stats like pace tracking or swimming stroke analysis. And with no built-in GPS, it won’t help you map your routes. If advanced training features are a must, you’ll want to look elsewhere.

Just need a great, all-around fitness tracker? Get the Fitbit Inspire 3 for just $99.95 $94 on Amazon!

Lauren has been writing and editing since 2008. She loves working with text and helping writers find their voice. When she’s not typing away at her computer, she cooks and travels with her husband and two daughters.



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