I didn’t need a Fitbit Air, but it’s been a great Pixel Watch companion

Ben Schoon | Jun 5 2026 - 8:05 am PT

I’ve had a Pixel Watch of some sort on my wrist nearly every day for the past few years, largely because I’ve come to really value the tracking I get out of what is now Google Health. But, now, there’s another option in the Fitbit Air, a screen-less tracker that, for me, has come to serve as a brilliant little companion to my Pixel Watch.

The Pixel Watch and Fitbit Air, as far as tracking is concerned, more or less do exactly the same thing. Heart rate, workouts, sleep tracking. They both check all of the main boxes. So, really, there’s no big reason to own both a Pixel Watch and a Fitbit Air, but what I’ll call a combination of morbid curiosity and impulsivity got the better of me and, well, now I have a Fitbit Air.

There’s no benefit to wearing both of these trackers at the same time, but what I’ve come to really enjoy is that they work well with each other – you don’t need to swap them back and forth in the Google Health app, as the app will correctly sort through the data as needed.

The Pixel Watch, as comfortable as it is, has never been something I enjoy wearing to sleep every night. Add to that the fact that it makes charging a bit more of an active thought, and the Fitbit Air quickly becomes a rather attractive solution. Instead of needing to take off my watch as soon as I wake up to charge it during my morning routine, I can just switch from the Watch to the Fitbit Air before bed and wake up to a fully charged Pixel Watch for my day.

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Better yet, I can leave the Watch off most of the time I’m at home, and just wear the Air instead.

Since the Fitbit Air weighs essentially nothing compared to the Pixel Watch, I barely feel it while I’m sleeping, and it’s also far more comfortable during the day as I’m typing away at my desk or on a laptop. I’ve found that a nice change of pace, too, as it means I’m not as hounded by notifications in the evenings just for the sake of tracking those remaining steps.

I’m still firmly in the smartwatch camp. I find my Pixel Watch invaluable throughout the day for notifications and glanceable information – it’s really nice to be able to quickly look at my watch face to see the UV index or the time of sunset. But the Fitbit Air has certainly found a niche for me in at-home wear.

Was it a waste of money? Objectively yes. I was getting along just fine solely with my Pixel Watch 4. I didn’t need to spend $99 on a Fitbit Air. But I’ve quickly found that I actually enjoy this as a companion wearable. It’s a “better” tool for the job of sleep tracking, and it’s more comfortable during the times I don’t need a full smartwatch.

What do you think? Would you use a Fitbit Air alongside a Pixel Watch?