Fitbit’s new fitness tracker is its cheapest, but you can’t buy it yourself

By Aaron Mamiit Published February 11, 2019

Fitbit’s new fitness tracker is reportedly the company’s cheapest yet, but users will not be able to buy the wearable device by themselves.

The Fitbit Inspire is exclusively available to corporate employees and health insurance members. The plan is that the fitness tracker may be fully subsidized and issued by the bulk, whether by a company that wants its employees to stay active, or a health insurance provider that wants its members to monitor their well-being.

The Fitbit Inspire offers the most basic fitness tracker functions, including activity and sleep tracking, burnt calories monitor, move reminders, goal celebrations, and mobile alerts. It is water-resistant up to 50 meters, promises up to five days of battery life, and comes in black and sangria color options.

There is also a slightly more advanced version named the Fitbit Inspire HR, which adds 24/7 heart rate tracking, sleep stages monitoring, exercise modes, pace and distance tracking, and cardio fitness levels. It comes in black, white/black, and lilac color options.

No price is listed for the fitness tracker, as pricing varies between health plan providers and employers. It is its cheapest device yet though, according to Fitbit.

In an interview with CNBC, Fitbit CEO James Park said that the company’s revenue is increasingly dependent on its business customers. Fitbit now has 6.8 million patients, employees, and health plan members signed up in wellness programs that utilize Fitbit devices, Park revealed.

The release of the Fitbit Inspire follows the September launch of Fitbit Care, which zoned in on employers and health care plan providers. The platform provides users’ health data to care teams with their consent for more personalized fitness recommendations, while also offering users access to customized care plans through a health coach.

The Fitbit Inspire is nowhere near as advanced as the Fitbit Versa, a fitness tracker that acts much more like a smartwatch compared to the company’s previous devices. The Fitbit Versa is Fitbit’s fastest selling wearable, with 1 million units shipped in less than two months after it went on sale in April, but given the company’s trajectory, the Fitbit Inspire may be its most important product.

Updated 02/11/2019 to reflect more accurate pricing information.

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