We test dozens of fitness trackers every year to bring you these picks. No matter what your needs are, there’s never been a better time to find a powerful, sophisticated tool that can help you optimize your workouts or jump-start your routine. Do you bike, row, or do strength training? Do you run on trails for hours at a time, or do you just want a reminder to stand up every hour? Do you want to wear it on your wrist or on your finger or tuck it into your bra? Sure, they have to be comfortable and attractive, but they also must fit your lifestyle, as well as when and how you like to work out. Then there’s Fitbit Premium, which is added as a six-month free trial when picking up the Charge 5 as opposed to the Charge 4’s three months, potentially saving you more money if you choose to use it.Like every piece of gear you wear on your body day in and day out, fitness trackers are incredibly personal. The screen has color and is brighter, the battery life is just as excellent, and you’ll get the EDA scan and ECG, too – both of which are otherwise exclusive to the $300 Fitbit Sense. The Charge 5 offers just about everything its predecessor does, but kicks it up a notch.

Unless you’re really set on being able to control your Spotify playlist on your wrist mid-workout, there aren’t a huge number of reasons to opt for the Charge 4. You can expect running constant ECGs on the newer model to drain it more quickly, naturally, but there’s nothing to choose between them in this category. (For comparison, the Apple Watch Series 7 only lasts a day.)

Which has better battery life?īoth the Charge 4 and Charge 5 offer seven days of battery life, which in a device this small is impressive. There are standard workouts for running, cycling, and swimming (thanks to water resistance on both models), but you’ll also find machine-based workouts like stairclimbers and ellipticals and sport-based ones for tennis. The Fitbit Charge, displayed with corresponding app.

Whether you’re looking to get some cardio in, go for a hike, or play some golf, there’s likely to be a workout mode for you on both the Fitbit Charge 4 and the Charge 5. Neither has internal storage available for storing audio, either, so that could be a big boon for the older model if it’s important to you.īoth also support Fitbit Pay for the times when you leave your phone at home and GPS tracking so you can comfortably do so and still know that your location will be tracked. In fact, it’s one feature that’s likely to be particularly positive for anyone that enjoys working out to music you can use the Fitbit Charge 4 to control your Spotify playback, but the Fitbit Charge 5 offers no such option. We’ve already touched on the EDA and ECG functionality on the Charge 5 (and absent on the Charge 4), but that’s not to say the Charge 4 doesn’t have one trick up its proverbial sleeve. While neither is much of a fashion statement thanks to its svelte nature, the Charge 5 is a more appealing device too, thanks to a stainless steel case that replaces the Charge 4’s plastic one. For us, though, it’s worth the extra $50 or so alone. That means the Charge 5 is likely to be much easier to read for most, but some may prefer the simplicity of its predecessor.

Fitbit 5 charge