Google’s Fitbit Air is the company’s 2026 surprise hit

This week, we saw the launch of Google’s latest smartwatch, the Pixel Watch 5, but judging by reader sentiment, the company has already launched its breakout hit wearable earlier this year.

In May, the Fitbit Air arrived with its minimalist, screenless design that I’ve been clamoring for for years. Granted, it misses a few features on my personal wishlist, but it proves that you don’t need a display to keep tabs on your health.

But given that so many discreet health monitoring options now exist alongside traditional smartwatches, which fitness tracker is on our readers’ shopping lists?

We polled readers last month, and the results suggest that Google might have a huge hit on its hands — or wrists.

This survey garnered over 2,200 votes and reveals several surprising trends beyond the Air’s desirability.

For one, it appears that the smart ring hype is subsiding — only 2.8% of respondents would buy one right now. It’s worth noting that we ran this poll prior to the Oura Ring 5‘s launch, while previous polls suggest many readers would welcome a Google-made smart ring if the company were to launch one in the future. The genre certainly isn’t dead, but its spotlight is waning.

In terms of the here and now, the Fitbit Air is proving to be a huge hit for Google. Around three in four (75%) respondents said they’d buy Google’s new screenless fitness tracker over the myriad other options on the market.

Although this survey doesn’t represent every consumer, it suggests that the Air has a healthy fan base despite its relative newness. Judging by the comments, it’s the device’s simplicity, affordability, and feature set that’s winning users over.

As reader sazabi writes:

The Google Health app is still way too visually unappealing, but the price and the inclusive features are what makes the Fitbit Air unbeatable. Even over smartwatches.

This number is more impressive given that just under 10% of respondents would consider buying a smartwatch instead, while a further 8.9% would opt for the Fitbit Air’s more established alternatives from WHOOP.

As I mentioned earlier, this survey was conducted prior to the launch of some of the year’s most eagerly anticipated wearables, including the Galaxy Watch 9, Garmin’s CIRQA, and the Pixel Watch 5.

Sentiment has likely changed given the greater range of options in the fitness tracker market. However, this survey suggests that screenless trackers may be more than just a flash in the pan.

Now that we’re several weeks into its lifecycle, how do you view the Fitbit Air? Is it still the wearable that you’d buy right now over any other? If not, what do you have your eye on instead? Let’s discuss in the comments.