<\/p>\n Both devices track tons of workout types and deliver similarly detailed post-effort insights, but which one is more reliable? To find out, I walked 4,5000 steps while wearing the Apple Watch SE 3 on my left wrist and the Fitbit Air on my right. As a primary control for tracking accuracy, I manually counted my steps, noting every hundred taken with a click of my trusty tally counter.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n I also logged my efforts using the Strava app on my iPhone 16 Plus as a control for distance, pace, and climb data. So, which wearable came out on top, the Fitbit Air or the Apple Watch SE 3? Read on.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Fitbit Air vs Whoop: Don\u2019t Pick Wrong! – YouTube Watch On <\/a> \n (Image credit: Dan Bracaglia\/Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n Before jumping into the results, it’s worth noting some of the primary differences between these two popular wearables. For starters, the screen-less Fitbit Air is designed to be a distraction-free tracker with no notifications or smart features (except just one<\/a>).<\/p>\n On the other hand, the Apple Watch SE 3 is essentially the opposite: an ultra-connected smartwatch that does much more, in terms of smart features, than just track health and fitness stats. The SE 3 is also considerably pricier than the Air, starting at $249 compared to $99 for the latest Fitbit.<\/p>\n Finally, the Apple Watch SE 3 sports onboard GPS for location tracking without a paired smartphone; the Fitbit Air does not. That said, when you do carry your smartphone while logging an outdoor workout with the Air, fitness tracking performance is excellent<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now, on to the test results!<\/p>\n Fitbit Air vs Apple Watch SE 3: Walk test results Swipe to scroll horizontally3,000-step walk comparison: Fitbit vs Apple vs StravaHeader Cell – Column 0 <\/p>\n Fitbit Air<\/p>\n Apple Watch SE 3<\/p>\n Control<\/p>\n Steps<\/p>\n 4,488 steps<\/p>\n 4,463 steps<\/p>\n 4,500 steps (manual count)<\/p>\n Distance<\/p>\n 2.41 miles<\/p>\n 2.37 miles<\/p>\n 2.40 miles (Strava)<\/p>\n Climb<\/p>\n 199 feet<\/p>\n 289 feet<\/p>\n 277 feet (Strava)<\/p>\n Average pace (elapsed) <\/p>\n 17 mins 24 secs<\/p>\n 17 mins 07 secs<\/p>\n 16 mins 50 secs (Strava)<\/p>\n Average heart rate<\/p>\n 122 bpm<\/p>\n 135 bpm<\/p>\n n\/a<\/p>\n Max heart rate<\/p>\n 160 bpm<\/p>\n 167 bpm<\/p>\n n\/a<\/p>\n I logged exactly 4,500 steps (manual count) during my roughly 40-minute walk around a gloomy Seattle, Washington, including a climb up the city’s steepest hill<\/a>. And much to my delight, both wearables logged similar step counts that fall well within a reasonable margin of error; ultimately, any tally within 100 steps of my actual count is considered an impressive outcome.<\/p>\n However, while the Apple Watch SE 3 is just 37 steps of my actual total, the Fitbit Air is off by just 12 steps. Strava, meanwhile, bested them both, logging 4,502 steps.<\/p>\n What to read next<\/p>\n Distance data is similarly enough across the board, with Fitbit Air proving slightly more in line with the control data. However, the Air’s climb data leaves a lot to be desired. The SE 3, in contrast, noted just a bit more uphill effort than Strava.<\/p>\n Thanks to the gloom, I encountered little traffic, which meant that I didn’t stop moving at any point during this walk. As a result, I expected my average pace to be pretty similar across the board, which it is. However, Apple’s pace calculation is closer to the control than Fitbit’s.<\/p>\n Similar to my prior walk test with the Fitbit Air vs Garmin Forerunner 70<\/a>, the former’s heart rate data is noticeably lower than the competition’s. This is a somewhat odd result, given that the Fitbit Air’s heart rate tracking performed admirably time and again during testing for the review, regardless of which wrist I wore it on.<\/p>\n One possible theory for the discrepancies: I didn’t wear the Air tightly enough during my last two walk tests.<\/p>\n Fitbit Air vs Apple Watch SE 3: Winner <\/p>\n \n (Image credit: Dan Bracaglia\/Tom’s Guide)<\/p>\n Despite the Apple Watch SE 3 costing 2.5x the Fitbit Air, Google’s humble, screen-less fitness tracker wins this showdown. However, the SE 3 performed nearly as well when it comes to step count and was more accurate across the board for other key metrics.<\/p>\n Which fitness trackers, smartwatches, smart rings, etc. would you like me to test head-to-head next? Let me know in the comments below.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n <\/a><\/p>\n Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News<\/a> and add us as a preferred source<\/a> to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. <\/p>\n
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