48 hours later, I’m already impressed

First impressions matter, and after 48 hours with the Fitbit Air, Google’s new screen-less tracker is making a pretty good one. To be honest, I’m more impressed with the idea of ​​it than the physical device itself.

Since the initial rumors surfaced, the Fitbit Air was looking like another minimalist wellness wearable device pursuing the same passive-tracking trend as devices like the WHOOP 5.0. I’m also generally wary of first-generation devices and the inevitable quirks that come with them. But on my wrist, Google’s first swing already makes good contact (especially for $99). I wouldn’t call it a home run until I spent more time digging into the features, accuracy, and the company’s new Health Coach platform for my full review.

The Fitbit Air is the most comfortable tracker I’ve tested, and it’s a platform with a lot of potential.

The Fitbit Air feels small, and that’s hard to accomplish when you (my) wrists are also small. At just 8.3mm thick and with a 12g band, it feels dramatically lighter and thinner than any smartwatch I’ve tested.

I repeatedly forgot I had the Air on, which is the highest compliment I can give any wearable, let alone something focused on sleep. It doesn’t move around when I’m typing, don’t dig into my wrist during a workout, or feel awkwardly heavy overnight. I even wore it on the same wrist as the other watch to see how realistic this setup would be, and I didn’t really mind. It’s about as unobtrusive as the collection of hair ties I keep on my opposite arm.

A large part of this comes down to the fact that the Fitbit Air has no display, just a thin sensor mounted on the bottom of one of the bands. This not only saves on weight, but also on the visual clutter that makes wearables feel like a style commitment. It’s noticeably thinner than the WHOOP band, giving the impression of an ’80s racquetball sweat band.

Of course, the screen-less design won’t be for everyone, and I’ve certainly tried checking the time about 67 times, but if you’re into minimalist wellness tracking, this is my favorite design. It still packs a fairly capable sensor array, including optical heart rate tracking, SpO2 monitoring, skin temperature sensing, and an accelerometer (though unfortunately no GPS). I’ll be testing those sensors during my full review in the coming weeks.

My only real complaint about the overall build is that Google has added yet another proprietary charger to my growing pile of cables. I would have wondered about compatibility with the Pixel Watch charger, but the Fitbit Air’s puck is a little smaller and designed specifically for the tracker. Its capable length is adequate, and I appreciate that it’s USB-C, but it’s nothing to write home about. I’d love to see Google get more creative in future generations, whether that means charging like WHOOP on the wrist or a battery-equipped charging case.

Google offers the Fitbit Air in three different band styles, each available in a mix of colors. Swapping between them is extremely easy, I’ve used the simplest band attachment system, making it more likely I’ll be willing to invest in additional styles.

Every order comes with a woven performance loop band, which is simple, soft, lightweight, and micro-adjustable, as long as you don’t mind the sound of Velcro. This is my favorite style from a comfort perspective, but I hate damp wearables, and if I get it too sweaty it will definitely take a minute to dry.

For workouts, Google’s Silicone Active Band is a safe option for breaking a sweat. Despite looking quite stretchy in the renders, the material is actually stronger than I expected, but it still feels soft on the skin and remains stable during workouts. It also has an almost excessive number of tightly clustered clasp holes to help you find the perfect fit.

However, visually, the bubbled ridge design reminds me inexplicably of the Michelin Man, especially in the fog gray tone I chose. Overall, it’s not my favorite in terms of looks, but it’s comfortable and well-designed for the gym.

The third band style is the Elevate Modern Band, and it makes the strongest pitch for the Air as a lifestyle wearable. I would wear something like this, even if there was no tracker hidden underneath. The clasp system is particularly interesting with an attractive sliding closure and a clever textured pattern to keep everything inside the band. I was very skeptical about how safe it would be, but it is surprisingly effective.

The Fitbit Air hardware may be intentionally minimalist, but the new Google Health app certainly isn’t. With the inevitable wave of AI features, the redesigned experience feels more modern (and more Google) than the old Fitbit app.

Speaking of which, it’s a little hard to judge Google’s Health Coach after only 48 hours. At its best, the AI-powered system introduces useful patterns and contextualizes my tracked metrics in an interactive, digestible way. It examines injuries I forgot to mention, points out my poor sleep habits, and highlights the heart rate swings that have been associated with me being quite sick this week.

However, at other times, it goes into the same vague form as many other AI tools. It almost uncomfortably favors “taking it easy” on me, including praising me for giving up an hour-long walk that I don’t remember ever saying I planned to take. Still, I haven’t encountered the workout hallucinations or any fundamentally false insights reported elsewhere. So far, Health Coach feels par for the course in terms of companies mostly layering AI on existing health platforms.

I look forward to taking a more in-depth look at Health Coach and the rest of the Fitbit Air’s features in my full review. In the meantime, I’m happy with the band on my wrist, because I barely notice it’s there.