Fitbit Air: A Smart Band with Optional AI Health Coach

Google has introduced the Fitbit Air, a $99 fitness band that combines classic activity tracking with an optional AI health coach. The device is lightweight and comfortable, with the reviewer barely noticing it on the wrist. Battery life is impressive: it charged from 20% to 85% in 45 minutes and needed only three charges over a month. However, it uses a proprietary charger.

The Fitbit Air tracks basic and advanced metrics: steps, resting heart rate, sleep, heart rate variability, blood oxygen, readiness score, sleep stages, and cardio load. It lacks push notifications but has silent alarms. The band fits wrists from 130mm to 210mm, but the reviewer with a 146mm wrist found it slightly large.

Google Health Premium is optional at $99 per year. Basic data is free. Premium includes the AI health coach, adaptive fitness plans, and a video workout library. The coach is a Gemini-powered chatbot that provides daily sleep and readiness summaries and suggestions. It can answer health questions, interpret data, and adjust fitness plans, but it defers to healthcare professionals and does not diagnose.

The AI coach is not exclusive to the Air; it is also available on Pixel Watches, and Google plans to expand it to third-party wearables. It has been beta-tested by nearly 500,000 people since October 2025, with over a million feedback points. The current version is 30% less chatty, has an improved layout, leaderboards, and allows uploading medical records (via CLEAR verification). It also cites sources like clinical studies.

However, the coach requires significant upfront effort. The reviewer spent 5–6 hours outlining goals, medical history, medications, and blood test results. The coach sometimes forgot context and reverted to older data. Other testers had mixed experiences: some found it helpful, others annoying. The reviewer notes it is the best AI coach tested so far but needs patience.

The Fitbit Air allows users to choose between a simple tracker without AI or full Premium features. It comes with a three-month Premium trial. Google Health is a work in progress, but the Air is the savviest Google wearable since the Fitbit acquisition, balancing simplicity with modern tech.