Fitbit’s range of smartwatches and fitness trackers do a good job of tracking the key stats of your runs, like time, distance and calories burned, but lack the depth of data and accuracy you get from the best running watches.
That was true of the Apple Watch’s native sports tracking until the watchOS 9 software update, which added several features to upgrade to tracking to meet the standard of a sports watch. However, what really sets the Apple Watch apart from Fitbit devices is the App Store, which contains several excellent run tracking apps that offer more depth in the stats and customisation on offer, plus navigation features.
Trumping anything made by Fitbit, the Apple Watch Ultra is the best running watch made by Apple – it has an extra button and multi-band GPS tracking, which aren’t available on the Apple Watch Series 8. However, one area where Fitbit has the edge is battery life: its watches last three to five days on a charge, whereas even the bigger Apple Watch Ultra needs charging every two days.