Fitnus is the cheapest fitness tracker and biometric device that we’ve come across, retailing for a fraction of other brands like Fitbit. The company claims their device can track activity, monitor blood pressure and heart rate, and track sleep quality.
But does Fitnus accurately track biometrics? How does its accuracy compare to more expensive brands like Fitbit? And do fitness trackers really improve your health?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we research whether or not Fitnus has been clinically shown to work.
We’ll also compare Fitnus to other popular biometric devices like Fitbit and Apple Watch, and discuss whether or not fitness trackers are generally a waste of money.
Key takeaways:
- Brand fails to provide proof of efficacy
- Some other smartwatches are proven to accurately track health metrics
- We do not currently recommend Fitnus
Does Fitnus Actually Work?
We can’t find any details on the Fitnus website, even on the brand’s FAQ page, about the mechanism of action and technology used for their tracking.
Further, we can’t find any clinical trials on Fitnus accessible in PubMed, which is one of the largest databases for clinical trials in the US.
One of the most important criteria when considering a biometric device is what its underlying technology is, and whether that technology has been proven in clinical trials to be effective, or matches technology used in existing clinical trials.
Put simply, the Fitnus website provides no explanation of how the device works, nor any proof that it does work.
We do not understand why any consumer would purchase a health device without clear, demonstrated proof of efficacy.
Further, there are some questionable health claims on the brand’s website, including the suggestion (in broken English) that the blood pressure monitoring may not be accurate if a patient is stressed, which makes no sense:
Suggesting that “whether the mind is peaceful or not” affects accurate blood pressure reading is illogical.
Being stressed can raise blood pressure, but an accurate health tracking device can detect whether blood pressure is high or low.
Suggesting that the blood pressure tracking only works under ideal conditions, without providing any explanation as to why this is the case, is a major red flag in our opinion.
Fitnus vs. Other Fitness Trackers
As referenced in the intro to this article, there are a number of popular fitness trackers on the market including Fitbit and Apple Watch.
In our Fitbit Sense review article, we document that Fitbit has been tested in legitimate clinical trials published in peer-reviewed medical journals for its effects on stress, sleep and cardiovascular health.
We found the research on Fitbit for sleep and stress more convincing than its cardiovascular tracking, but in any case, Fitbit has significantly more research backing than Fitnus.
Apple Watch has also been studied in clinical trials for its accuracy and health effects.
A clinical trial published in the Journal of Sports Sciences analyzed heart rate tracking accuracy from several fitness trackers, and the Apple Watch was more accurate than the Fitbit model studied, with relative error rates (RER) for the Apple Watch ranging from 2.4% to 5.1%.
Overall, we would recommend either the Fitbit or the Apple Watch over the Fitnus due to their research backing. We would recommend any fitness tracker with clinical backing over the Fitnus device.
Are Fitness Trackers a Scam?
A YouTube video from the “LeviTalksTooMuch” channel has over 70,000 views and discusses whether fitness trackers are worthwhile or a total waste of money:
Fitnus Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Affordable
- Unlikely to have negative effects
Cons:
- Doesn’t appear clinically tested
- Brand makes questionable health claims
- No proof that health tracking is accurate
- Superior alternatives exist
