Does Fitbit Sense have fall detection? No. That probably wasn't the answer you were hoping for, but don't worry, as it's not quite that simple. In fact, depending on how you view that question and when you ask it, you may get an entirely different answer.
That being said, let's take a deep dive into the Fitbit Sense Smartwatch and its fall detection features.
Does Fitbit Sense Have Fall Detection?
In December 2020, a post was made to the Fitbit Community forum asking why Fitbit doesn't have fall detection and suggesting that it would be a useful feature. The user made the point that the Fitbit smart watch already has the necessary technology to detect a fall, so it simply needs the feature integrated to make it work.
A community moderator responded to the request to note that if it generated enough interest and votes, it would be passed to the internal team for consideration. At the time of writing, it has just under 100 votes. Is that enough? We're not sure, as the company didn't send any further messages.
The forum post isn't the only time that this topic has been raised. In fact, we found several reviews of the smart watch in which the reviewer mentioned the need for fall detection. They weren't saying that the device was useless without it, but that it would make for an obvious inclusion and a natural progression for a company seemingly devoted to consumer health.
After all, the Fitbit Sense contains some of the highest number of sensors on any smartwatch, rivaling the Apple Watch and the Samsung Watch. It tracks your skin temperature, records your heart rate, and includes an electrodermal activity sensor. It can even take an ECG, which is both amazing and crazy at the same time.
When you consider how advanced this watch is and how much it knows about what's happening inside and outside your body, it seems silly that it doesn't have a fall detection feature.
Can You Use Smartwatches as Fall Detection Devices?
Some companies, including BetterAlerts, offer additional services that can be added to smartwatches like the Fitbit Sense and Fitbit Versa 3. These apps use built-in accelerometers to detect a fall and then send a warning, but they cost extra and may not be exactly what you're looking for.
So, let's keep it simple: Fitbit Sense does not include a fall detection feature at the time of writing. However, the demand is clearly there, and it seems like a matter of time before this feature will be added to the Fitbit Sense and other Fitbit products.
Fitbit is a company that has always tried to push the envelope and take things to the next level. As noted above, Fitbit products, and the Fitbit Sense in particular, include innovative features like skin temperature monitoring. They are clearly trying to integrate as many features as possible.
Smartwatch manufacturers want to be the biggest and best; they want you to choose their device over any other, and they want to target as many demographics as they can. That means packing all of those features in, from the ECG and the electrodermal activity monitor to the sleep tracking features.
It's surely a matter of time before the focus shifts to more safety-focused products and services, although it remains to be seen whether that will come in the form of an app that sends alerts or a new dedicated device that competes within the medical alert industry.
Summary: Fall Detection with the Fitbit Sense
A smartwatch is a wearable device that is designed to check your heart rate, monitor your vital signs, and encourage you to stay safe and healthy. You can also download a host of apps and other extras to turn it into everything from a GPS tracker to a fall detection device, but there are caveats.
These fall detection features aren't always as advanced as the ones that you can buy from medical alert device providers. What's more is that they won't connect you to a monitoring center and will simply send an SOS message to a preset number, including a neighbor, friend, or loved one.
It's still a useful feature to have, especially if you're already using one of these wearables and the feature is an added bonus, but if you're buying it solely for that reason, your money is better spent elsewhere.
It may actually be cheaper to buy a medical alert system with a fall detection feature than to purchase a smartwatch.