The Fitbit Luxe is a device designed and packed with features. Its polished stainless steel case houses a stunning color display with beautiful graphics, while the Fitbit Inspire 2 has a low-resolution monochrome display. Unlike the Inspire 2, the Luxe can also measure skin temperature and blood oxygen saturation, giving you a bigger picture of your health.
For
- Sleek and attractive design
- Bright and sharp AMOLED screen
- Impressive heart rate monitoring
Versus
- Small screen limits visible data
- Fitbit Premium required for full experience
The Fitbit Inspire 2 may be a bit more basic and functional than the Fitbit Luxe, but at about two-thirds the price of the standard Luxe edition, that might be enough to sway more budget-conscious shoppers. Also, the Inspire 2 actually has much better battery life compared to the Luxem, lasting around five days between charges, while the Inspire 2 lasts up to 10 days.
For
- heart rate function
- Easy to use
- Excellent app
Versus
- Basic functionality
- Small screen
- No built-in GPS
At first glance, the Fitbit Luxe and the Fitbit Inspire 2 look a lot alike, but there are big differences between the two lightweight fitness trackers.
Although there have been no confirmed sightings of a Fitbit Luxe 2 yet, the Fitbit Inspire 3 launched in late 2022.
If you're on a tight budget, the Inspire 2 is the best Fitbit for you. It costs about two-thirds the price of the standard Fitbit Luxe edition, and is often available at a discount from third-party retailers.
Both devices look good, but if style is your top priority, the Fitbit Luxe will suit your needs better. Its stainless steel case adds a bit more shine, and the special Luxe edition comes with a gold-tone link bracelet that makes it a real gem.
Today's best Fitbit Inspire 2 and Fitbit Luxe deals
(opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab) (opens in a new tab)The Luxe also has a much more impressive screen, which is color instead of monochrome, and has a higher resolution for sharper graphics. However, this has a huge impact on battery life; the Luxe runs for about five days between charges, while the Inspire 2 keeps going for up to 10 days. If you don't want to plug in your watch often, the Inspire 2 is the best option.
Both watches offer a good range of fitness tracking tools, but only the Luxe measures skin temperature and blood oxygen saturation, which can be useful indicators of changes in your health, such as a possible infection. They're not medical tools and can't be used to diagnose a condition, but if you want to get the most complete picture of your health, they may well justify the extra expense of the Luxe.
Read on for more details on both watches so you can make the right choice.
Fitbit Luxe (Image credit: Fitbit)Award
Award
- Fitbit Luxe costs around 50% more than Fitbit Inspire 2
- Fitbit Inspire 2 is usually available at a discount
- Both come with a free trial of Fitbit Premium
The Fitbit Luxe became available for pre-order directly from Fitbit on April 19, 2021 and began shipping in early July, priced at $149.95 / £129.99 / AU$199.95.
The Fitbit Inspire 2 launched on September 25, 2020 for $99.95 / £89.99 / AU$179.95. However, it's often available at a discount, and we've seen some particularly good deals on Black Friday 2020, despite the device only being a month old at the time.
At the time of writing, both devices come with a free six-month trial of Fitbit Premium for new users.
Design and display
Integrated
- very similar shape
- Fitbit Inspire 2 has a plastic case; Luxury has stainless steel.
- The special edition Luxe has a gold designer strap.
Both the Fitbit Luxe and the Fitbit Inspire 2 have a slim design with gently curved edges (which Fitbit says are inspired by the lines of the human body), but there are several key differences.
The Fitbit Inspire 2 has a plastic case and buckle closure, while the Fitbit Luxe's are made of stainless steel, giving it a more elegant and premium look.
Both devices come with a silicone strap, but the special edition Fitbit Luxe also comes with a gold-tone stainless steel link strap from jewelry designer Gorjana (opens in a new tab). Additional woven, leather, metal, and silicone straps for both watches are sold separately.
Both watches are water resistant to 50 meters, making them suitable for showering and swimming, but not for more intense water sports.
Fitbit Inspire 2 (Image credit: Fitbit)Monitor
- Inspire 2 is monochrome; luxury is color
- Luxury is a much higher resolution
- Better Luxe display means less battery life
The Fitbit Inspire 2's screen is bright and easy to read in all lighting conditions, but the Fitbit Luxe is far superior.
The Fitbit Inspire 2 has a backlit monochrome OLED display with a resolution of 126 x 36 pixels, while the Luxe has a color AMOLED display with a resolution of 206 x 124 pixels. That means sharper graphics, clearer text, and a lot more information visible on the screen at once.
However, this improved display has a noticeable impact on power consumption. The Fitbit Inspire 2 has a battery life of up to 10 days, while the Fitbit Luxe only lasts five days before needing a recharge.
Features
Smart watch features
- Limited smartwatch functionality
- App, call and SMS notifications
Neither of these devices are full-blown smartwatches (if that's what you're looking for, check out the Fitbit Sense and Versa 3), but they still have a modest selection of tools to help you in everyday life.
Fitbit Inspire 2 and Fitbit Luxe let you get call and text alerts, as well as smartphone app notifications, right on your wrist. They are compatible with Android and iOS smartphones.
There's no NFC for either device, so you won't be able to make contactless payments via Fitbit Pay, and there's no music storage. It is also not possible to download additional applications.
Fitbit Luxe (Image credit: Fitbit)fitness tracking
- They both have activity throughout the day and heart rate tracking.
- No integrated GPS for either device
- Fitbit Luxe measures SpO2 and skin temperature
When it comes to fitness tracking, these two watches have a lot more to offer. Both the Inspire 2 and Luxe offer all-day heart rate monitoring (plus resting heart rate and heart rate variability) and all-day step counting.
They also have more than 20 dedicated sports tracking modes (which can be set via the Fitbit app), with SmartTrack to automatically detect workouts and start logging them if you forget to do it yourself. Unlike the Fitbit Charge 4, Versa 3, or Sense, however, neither the Inspire 2 nor the Luxe have built-in GPS. Instead, they take advantage of your phone's GPS to track distance and pace during runs, walks, and bike rides.
Do you want more information about your health? The Fitbit Luxe also has a pulse oximeter to detect oxygen saturation in the blood. This is not enabled at launch, but will be enabled via a firmware update in the near future.
The Luxe also has a sensor to detect skin temperature. This is not a substitute for a thermometer (skin temperature can be affected by surroundings and physical activity) and cannot be used to diagnose disease, but unexpected changes in skin temperature can be an early sign of infection and deserve to be studied.