Penng vs Fitbit Air: Which Screen-Free Band Should You Buy?
Google's Fitbit Air and the Penng band are both screen-free: a sensor on your wrist, with everything else in a phone app. Fitbit Air is smaller and lighter, and swim-proof where Penng 1.0 is not (Penng 2.0, on pre-order, is rated 5 ATM). Penng 1.0 lasts about three times longer on a charge, scores your strain as well as your recovery, and is sold and supported in South Africa.
Google no longer sells Fitbit in South Africa, so this page also covers what buying a Fitbit here really involves, and where a Fitbit is the better choice.
The short answer
Choose the Penng band
If you live in South Africa and want recovery and strain scores, AI food tracking and a three-week battery from a company that sells and supports locally, at R499 for the band and your first 3 months of membership, then R89/month or R890/year.
Choose a Fitbit
If you swim and do not want to wait for Penng 2.0 (5 ATM, on pre-order), want a very light band (12 g with its band), want skin temperature trends, or want the basic scores without paying a subscription, and you are happy to buy an imported device. If you want a screen, Fitbit also makes watches such as the Versa 4.
What each costs (checked November 2026)
*The US price is from Google's US store and the rand price from a Takealot marketplace listing, both checked 9 November 2026. Marketplace prices change daily. We found no South African price for Google Health Premium, so we have not added one. Sources are listed at the bottom of this page.
A note on subscriptions: Penng is not a once-off purchase. After the first 3 months, the membership is R89/month or R890/year. Fitbit Air works without a subscription for its basic scores, and Google Health Premium is an optional extra. If you would rather pay once and never again, that counts for the Fitbit. Compare the total over the time you expect to keep the band.
Full comparison
Penng band
Fitbit Air
“Not verified” means we could not find Google saying so either way.
Where the Penng band wins
Buying and support in South Africa. R499 in rand for the band with 3 months of membership, delivered locally, supported from Cape Town. Google stopped selling Fitbit in South Africa in November 2023, so a Fitbit Air here comes from an importer or a marketplace seller, not from Google.
Price to start. R499 plus R49 shipping, against about R3,189 for a Fitbit Air from a Takealot marketplace seller.
Battery. Around 21 days against the up to 7 days Google gives for Fitbit Air, so you charge less often.
Training load. The Penng band scores strain from 0 to 100 and shows it next to your recovery score, so you can decide whether today is a push day or a rest day.
Food tracking. Penng's food logging estimates your macros from a photo, a barcode, typed text, your voice, or a photo of the label, and you can edit the estimate before you log it.
Where Fitbit wins (honestly)
Water, against Penng 1.0. Google rates Fitbit Air water resistant up to 50 metres. Penng 1.0 is rated 1 ATM, so swimmers should not buy a Penng 1.0. Penng 2.0, on pre-order, is rated 5 ATM (50 m) and matches Fitbit Air here.
Size and weight. Fitbit Air weighs 12g with its band, against about 40g for the Penng band. If you want the smallest thing on your wrist, the Air is lighter.
Skin temperature. Fitbit Air has a temperature sensor, and the Google Health app shows skin temperature variation. The Penng band has no temperature sensor.
Free features without a subscription. Readiness, sleep score and nutrition logging are in Google Health's free tier; Premium adds the Health Coach. Penng's features come with the membership, which you pay for after the first months.
A bigger range. Google sells several trackers and watches, including the Fitbit Versa 4 with an AMOLED screen. If you decide you want a screen after all, you can stay in the same app. Penng makes screen-free bands only.
If those points describe your priorities, a Fitbit is the better product for you, and we would rather say so here than have you find out after buying.
Buying a Fitbit in South Africa
Google stopped selling Fitbit devices in South Africa in November 2023, to match the countries where it sells Pixel phones. Its Google Store has no South African region, so you cannot order a Fitbit Air from Google here.
Fitbit devices still appear on Takealot through marketplace sellers. On 9 November 2026 a seller listed Fitbit Air at about R3,189 and another listed the Fitbit Charge 6, a band with a screen, at R5,999. That is imported stock, so ask the seller who handles the warranty before you buy.
Fitbit Air sets up in the Google Health app, which needs a Google Account and a phone running Android 11 or later, or iOS 16.4 or later.
Frequently asked questions
Is Penng a good Fitbit alternative in South Africa?
If you want recovery and strain scores, AI food logging and local rand pricing, yes. Google stopped selling Fitbit in South Africa in November 2023, so Fitbit devices here come from importers or marketplace sellers. Penng 1.0 is R499 for the band with 3 months of membership, sold and supported in South Africa. Fitbit Air is lighter, water resistant up to 50 metres (Penng 1.0 is 1 ATM; Penng 2.0, on pre-order, is 5 ATM) and shows skin temperature variation, which Penng does not.
Can you buy Fitbit Air in South Africa?
Not from Google. Google stopped selling Fitbit in South Africa in November 2023, and its Google Store has no South African region. On 9 November 2026 a Takealot marketplace seller listed Fitbit Air at about R3,189. That is imported stock, so check the seller's warranty before you buy.
Is Fitbit Air or the Penng band more accurate?
Comparative accuracy between Fitbit Air and the Penng band has not been independently established. The practical differences are elsewhere: battery (about 21 days for Penng 1.0 against up to 7), water rating (Penng 1.0 is 1 ATM against Fitbit Air's 50 metres; Penng 2.0, on pre-order, is 5 ATM), and what each app scores.
Does Fitbit Air need a subscription like Penng?
No, not for the basics. Google Health's free tier includes Readiness, sleep score and nutrition logging, and eligible Fitbit Air buyers get a 3-month Google Health Premium trial, which adds the Health Coach. In the US, Premium is US$9.99 a month or US$99.99 a year. Penng's features come with its membership: R499 includes the first 3 months, then R89/month or R890/year, paid in the app.
Sources
Fitbit facts on this page come from these pages, checked 9 November 2026. Penng facts come from Penng.
- Google Store (US): Fitbit Air tech specs
- Google: Introducing the all-new Fitbit Air
- Google Store (US): Fitbit Versa 4 tech specs
- Google Store: country and region list
- Gizmodo: Google stops selling Fitbits in regions where it doesn't sell Pixel (November 2023)
- Droid Life: Google Health Premium vs basic, features and price (May 2026)
- Takealot: Google Fitbit Air, marketplace listing
- Takealot: Fitbit Charge 6, marketplace listing
Not sure which tracker fits you?
Take the 2-minute quiz or see how Penng compares to other trackers. The Penng band comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.