Should you buy fitness tech from just one brand?

Like with most purchases, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution here, although there are advantages to sticking with the same brand for all your fitness tech buys.

As we’ll explain shortly, having devices that share the same ecosystem (the same way of viewing your stats and figures) has advantages. You can usually check just one app daily to track everything from your heart rate and steps taken to how well you’ve slept.

However, it’s not essential to stick with just one brand; there are disadvantages. No one wearable or other health tech product has everything you could need, so sticking with one brand means you might miss out on certain features. That’s before you consider the expense involved in not being able to shop around.

Confused? Don’t be. We’re here to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of sticking with one brand and ecosystem, helping you find the best fit.

• Only one app or service to learn
• Often means one subscription fee
• Straightforward to know what to buy

Buying all your fitness tech from one brand is a straightforward way of doing things. A bit like when you buy a washing machine and tumble dryer from the same company, you won’t have to worry about figuring out new controls.

If you buy a fitness tracker, smart scales, and other accessories from the same brand, you use just one app to check everything. This makes it easier to check and see everything in one place.

It also means you frequently only have to pay one subscription fee – such as Fitbit Premium – to have all features available.

The downside? Lack of variety. If you stuck solely to Fitbit or Withings, that means no Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch in your life.

These wearables have features you can’t easily get elsewhere on your wrist like body composition analysis or crash detection. Variety actually is the spice of life.

Still, by sticking with Fitbit, you get an easy-to-use fitness tracker or smartwatch that can be paired with your Fitbit smart scales. From there, you can see exactly how your health is progressing via one app – from your heart rate, to your weight, and how well you’re sleeping.

Withings goes further by selling dedicated sleep analysers, blood pressure monitors, thermometers, watches, and smart scales. Having all that information in one place saves you from switching between apps while trying to keep track of everything you’ve just been told.

• More varied features
• Can work out cheaper
• Easier to switch products

It can work out better if you buy products that match your needs rather than the same brand. Notably, it can be cheaper as you can shop around and pick out tech based on their price or sale rather than branding. With regular sale seasons throughout the year, you can be flexible.

By switching around, you can also benefit from more features. The Samsung Galaxy Watch range offers body composition analysis, but you can’t pair it with a Samsung smart scale or blood pressure monitor. If you are okay with using a couple of apps though, you can use the smartwatch for one task and then a Withings smart scale or similar for other roles. You also aren’t tied into sticking with the same product line forever as you can mix and match depending on what appeals to you (or your wallet).

The downside is you’ll need to have a few different apps installed and be savvy enough to master them all. You can’t always open one app and see everything. However, apps like Google Health and Apple Health simplify things as both can import data from other apps and devices. It’s not always as clearly laid out as a dedicated ecosystem like Fitbit’s Premium service though.

If you’re keen to experiment, it’s simple enough to have an Apple Watch, Withings Sleep Analyzer, and Fitbit smart scale co-exist. All while still providing you with the necessary information. It may just take a little more work for you to figure out.

If you’re new to fitness tech, it’s a good idea to partially stick with the same brand. Something like a Fitbit tracker (such as the Charge 5 or Inspire 3) and Aria Air smart scale give you the foundations for tracking your exercise levels and weight.

Signing up for Fitbit Premium will provide better sleep data and a daily readiness score. As you become more comfortable with the tech, you can always add a dedicated sleep analyser from Withings or upgrade to a smartwatch.

If you have specific needs such as wanting a watch for running, buy a Garmin, Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch and pair it with a different brand’s scales or blood pressure monitor as needed.

Providing you’re comfortable with technology, setup doesn’t take long and will give you the most information.

For anyone unsure of their plans, buy the best-reviewed device for your need and see how things go. Mixing and matching is pretty simple and by doing so, you can often save money by sticking to sale prices.