Google Fitbit Air review: Serious health tracking without any distractions

Google's promise with the Fitbit Air is to give you deeper insights into your health and fitness while cutting down on screen time. It works mostly as advertised but there's something else you need to know before you buy. India Today Tech reviews.

Google Fitbit Air review - 8/10

Pros

• Lightweight design
• Health and sleep tracking
• Great battery life
• Reasonably priced

Cons

• Activity detection can be inconsistent
• No GPS
• Health Coach is sold separately

In Short

• Fitbit Air is Google’s latest wearable
• It is a fitness band without any screen
• Price in India is set at Rs 13,999

A few weeks ago, I decided to explore why screenless health bands are becoming popular. While speaking to a few users, the majority said they preferred something which was able to give them deep insights without adding extra screen time to their daily life. With the new Fitbit Air, Google is tapping into that growing space, offering sophisticated tracking minus any distractions. The appeal is genuine.

It is so lightweight that I often forget I am wearing it. As I go about my day — commuting, working, working out and even sleeping — it quietly works in the background without any hassle. And with no screen taped to my wrist, I am not constantly checking notifications or looking at yet another display.

The Fitbit Air connects to the Google Health app on Android and iOS. It has a screenless design and weighs 12 grams with the band. The tracker measures 34.9 x 17 x 8.3mm and comes with a recycled polycarbonate and PBT housing, a textile band and a stainless-steel buckle. It has a 5 ATM water-resistance rating, Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and a lithium-polymer battery.

For health tracking, the Fitbit Air comes with an optical heart rate sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope and sensors to measure blood oxygen levels and skin temperature. It tracks everything from your heart rate, steps and calories burned to HRV, resting heart rate and sleep. It can also automatically detect certain activities and send notifications if it spots signs of an irregular heart rhythm. Google claims the band can last up to seven days on a charge. And if you are running low on battery, a five-minute charge can give you up to a day of use. A full charge takes around 90 minutes. The band is priced at Rs 13,999 in India.

Design and comfort

One of the things I really liked about the Fitbit Air is how comfortable it is. The tracker is tiny and lightweight, and the fabric strap makes it easy to wear for long hours. I wore it throughout the day and even while sleeping.

The fabric strap feels soft against the skin. It also does not get damp or itchy, even in humid weather. This is unlike some silicone straps that trap moisture and can become uncomfortable after a while.

I did have one small issue with the Velcro-style fastening. While it holds the tracker securely, the loose end does not always stay tucked in. It sometimes got caught on things and came undone. It wasn't a major problem, but the fastening could have been a little better.

Screenless experience

It's a screenless band, so the first thing you will miss is, well, a screen. At least, I did. There are no notifications popping up, no watch faces and no health stats waiting for you for a quick glance. While I liked not having notifications constantly vying for my attention, I did miss having a display, mainly for two things: checking the time and keeping an eye on my activity during gym sessions.

For the rest of the day, though, I quite liked the screenless experience. It felt like a mini digital detox.

You can check all your health and fitness data in the Google Health app. I used the Fitbit Air with both an Android phone and an iPhone, and it worked well with both. The experience is more integrated with Android, but iPhone users are not left out either.

Health and sleep tracking

Now, let's talk about the sensors under the strap and what they actually do. During my use, I found the Fitbit Air's readings for heart rate, steps, calories burned, blood oxygen levels, HRV, resting heart rate and skin temperature to be fairly accurate. They gave me a good picture of my daily activity and health trends. And if it missed something or I felt like adding more details, I added it manually through the Google Health app, to give the health coach more insights.

Sleep tracking is another area where I found the Fitbit Air reliable. I compared its sleep readings with those from the Pixel Watch, and the results were broadly similar.

You can check all the health and fitness data collected by the Fitbit Air in the Google Health app.

What I liked about the app is that it does more than just show me a bunch of numbers. It gives a quick summary of the health metrics and helped me understand how I was doing.

As much as I liked the tracking, I did notice a few shortcomings. Automatic activity detection is one of them. For instance, the band sometimes mistook everyday movement, such as doing household chores, for a workout. It also didn't always recognise when I was climbing stairs.

It also doesn't always figure out what kind of workout I am doing, whether it's running, strength training or something else. And since it has no built-in GPS, you will need your phone to track outdoor routes and distance.

Health Coach

A big part of Google's pitch with the Fitbit Air is its AI-powered Health Coach. It takes the health and fitness data collected by the tracker and turns it into suggestions that you can actually use in your daily routine.

I have used Health Coach with the Pixel Watch 5 as well, and I liked it then. I still do. The coach helps me organise my meals, plan gym sessions and figure out when I should take a break. It gives me suggestions based on my health metrics and readiness, and I can ask follow-up questions if I want more guidance. I also like that I can plan workouts and follow exercise videos, rather than just being told what to do. It makes the whole experience feel more personal.

But this good thing comes at a cost. Health Coach requires a Google Health Premium subscription, which costs Rs 499 per month. The Fitbit Air comes with a three-month trial, after which you will have to pay to continue using it.

I do think Health Coach adds value, especially if you want help making sense of your health data and building a more consistent routine. But do note that it is not a replacement for a personal trainer or medical professional.

Battery life

Battery life is another reason I enjoyed using the Fitbit Air. Google claims up to seven days, and in my use, it lasted around six to seven days. The battery did drain a little faster when I worked out more and used more tracking features, but it comfortably lasted close to a week. Charging is quick, too.

Google Fitbit Air: Worth buying?

At Rs 13,999, the Fitbit Air is an easy recommendation from us if you are looking for a fitness tracker without a screen but with serious health tracking features.

It is lightweight, comfortable enough to wear all day and night, tracks health and sleep well, and lasts nearly a week on a charge. It also works with both Android and iOS.

It's screenless so there is no display, no built-in GPS and no way to glance at live metrics on your wrist. Its automatic activity detection could also be more reliable. And if you want Google's AI-powered Health Coach, you will have to pay extra once the trial ends.

That said, its biggest appeal is simple: you get health tracking without another screen on your wrist. If that's what you want, then the Fitbit Air will not disappoint you.

- Ends