REASONS TO BUY
Good display
Fairly inexpensive
Accurate step counter
REASONS TO AVOID
No stair tracker
Limited community compare functions
Samsung Galaxy Fit Review
The Galaxy Fit is a so-so budget fitness tracker that is great with a Samsung phone but otherwise unremarkable
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Our Verdict
Scoring in the middle to upper portion of the pack, the Samsung Galaxy Fit did fairly well across the board in our tests. While it is a fairly minimalistic fitness tracker and doesn't have a ton of features, what it does do it does well. We found the workout tracking to be fairly accurate and it has a solid set of smart features, showing notifications and even some quick responses for messaging apps. It is fairly stylish and even water resistant with swim tracking abilities. It isn't the best tracker we have seen but is a solid middle-of-the-road option at a reasonable price, especially if you aren't a fan of the Fitbit ecosystem or already have a Samsung phone.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Galaxy Fit is available with a black, white, or yellow silicone band to match your personal preference when it comes to wearables, whether you are trying to make a style statement or keep it more discreet.
Performance Comparison
The Galaxy Fit is a low-profile minimalistic tracker.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Likes
We found the Galaxy Fit to be quite accurate when it came to counting steps in our test, only having an average discrepancy of less than 0.5% over a mile-long walk. The distance estimate also appeared to be fairly accurate but the Fit does lack an internal GPS, so it usually won't be as accurate as GPS enabled models unless it is paired to your phone. It also did well with a cycling workout, showing top speed, average speed, distance, time, and elevation. The stats matched up fairly well with a phone and other trackers
The Fit counted our steps very accurately in our tests.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Fit can also track swimming, running, and "Other Workout" and you also have the option to add more workout types from the Galaxy Wear app. It also provides fairly comprehensive swimming metrics, including SWOLF. The Fit is marketed as water-resistant to 50 meters or 5 ATM.
The Fit's companion app shows you all of your recent workouts, even the ones that it tracked automatically.
The app has an integrated food tracker if you are monitoring your caloric intake and you have counters for the amount of water and coffee you ingest right on the tracker itself. It did fairly well at estimating resting metabolic rate and measuring heart rate, though there were the occasional giant discrepancies when measuring an active heart rate. The tracker will also notify you if you have been sedentary for too long and has automatic sleep tracking.
The integrated calorie tracker is a handy way to help stick with a diet.
This tracker has a solid battery life and pairs quickly with your phone to sync your data. The app is also decently intuitive to use and it is easy to navigate menus on the tracker itself.
The Fit has a decent battery life, so you can probably get a few days out of each charge.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
The Galaxy Fit has a great display that is easy to read in bright light and shows plenty of information. You even have the option for quick responses to some message notifications, which you can edit in the companion app.
We thought the Galaxy Fit is fairly lackluster in terms of looks.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Dislikes
While the screen on this tracker looks great, the overall appearance of the Fit is a bit plain. It's sleek with a low profile but it's a bit of a stretch to call this fitness tracker stylish. The band can also be a bit of a pain to put on and off, as the Fit forgoes a typical watch-style clasp. This does maintain a lower profile and holds the heart rate sensor flush against your skin but it is much more difficult to use.
This type of clasp can be a bit finicky.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
It also requires multiple apps to use to its full potential, with your data and settings spread throughout the Galaxy Wear, Samsung Health, and a few others. This tracker also lacks the ability to count the number of stairs climbed in a day.
Value
Overall, the Fit is a fair value. It doesn't have all the features the top models do but it is priced accordingly.
Conclusion
We would recommend the Fit for anyone who wants to keep basic tabs on their health and fitness and wants a few smart features but isn't willing to pay the price for a full-featured smartwatch or fitness tracker. It's especially good if you have a Samsung phone but does work with other Android and iOS models.
—
Austin Palmer, David Wise, and Jenna Ammerman
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