The new backlit OLED display is fine; I didn’t notice much difference in the Inspire 2’s display being brighter and more vibrant until Fitbit pointed it out. It’s certainly not a reason to upgrade from the previous model. I had some issues viewing the Inspire 2 display in direct sunlight. We also find it quite difficult to capture the display in photos.
One of our main complaints about the Inspire HR was its charger. It would only stick loosely when connected, but that seems to have been resolved in the Inspire 2. The new charger looks almost identical, but has two small clasps that hook onto the device when connected. Once connected to the charger, it’s not going anywhere. Now if only Fitbit would adopt a single charging cable like Garmin, there would be nothing to say.
Fitbit promotes active zone minutes in all of their recent fitness trackers, which I love. This activity metric gives points based on time spent in fat burning, cardio, and peak heart rate zones. These metrics are based on the American Heart Association recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate exercise/75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. Determining activity based on time spent in the heart rate zone makes much more sense than trying to reach a step count goal. While I wish this feature had been ported to the Inspire HR, I am happy to see it in the Fitbit Inspire 2.
The Inspire 2 is slightly larger than the Inspire HR, allowing for greater battery life, but maintains the understated design of its predecessor. The tracker measures 1.47 x 0.66 x 0.50 inches (width) and has a small grayscale OLED touchscreen surrounded by a thick black bezel on all sides. It is lightweight, easy to fit on the wrist, and slim enough to be worn alongside a bracelet.
The Fitbit Inspire 2 impressed us with its simplicity, unobtrusive styling, good battery life, and heart rate monitoring. It works great as a simple multisport tracker or as a tool to encourage a more active lifestyle. However, we are less inclined to have to pay for the device again a year later to access the premium features of the app. Also, the screen is a bit too small to take full advantage of the sports-specific features. Nevertheless, if you are interested in recording your exercise and gaining general insight into your health, you will not be disappointed.