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The Fitbit Charge 5 is the latest fitness tracker in the Fitbit Charge range. With a 7-day battery life and advanced features, such as the ability to take EKGs, this device may suit people who want to monitor their health and fitness closely.
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Fitbit has been a subsidiary of Google since January 2021, after the internet search giant absorbed the company into its hardware division.
Fitbit has over 3,200 one-star reviews on Trustpilot, with just over 4,200 reviews in total. Most negative reviews cited issues with customer service and product quality. However, this contrasts with the five-star reviews that reported excellent customer service.
Additionally, Fitbit does not have accreditation with the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and reviews on the platform share sentiments with those on Trustpilot. The BBB gives the company a rating of 1.06 stars.
The Fitbit Charge 5 costs $179.95.
Fitbit offers a 2-year warranty and a 45-day return policy with this device.
The Fitbit Charge 5 comes in three color options:
- black strap with graphite stainless steel casing
- white strap with gold stainless steel casing
- blue strap with platinum stainless steel casing
People can use a Fitbit with the Fitbit app, while mobile and desktop versions are also available.
Differences from the Fitbit Charge 4
One notable difference with the Charge 5 is a newer strap mechanism, so Fitbit straps that fit its predecessor will not fit the newer version. This is most likely due to the new stainless steel casing on the Charge 5 that replaces the Charge 4’s plastic casing.
Another change is the screen, which was grayscale on the Charge 4, while the Charge 5 features a full-color display and is twice as bright.
However, people may wish to note that the Charge series fitness trackers are not smartwatches, so a user cannot respond to notifications or control their smartphone with these watches. There is also no voice assistant.
The Fitbit Charge 5 has the following features:
Health monitoring
- ECG with a compatible app: An EKG can help with detecting and studying heart problems. Learn more about EKGs.
- Electrodermal activity measurement with a compatible app: Electrodermal activity is a potential indicator of stress.
- Mood logging: Tracking mood changes over time can help monitor stress levels and identify potential triggers.
- Oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring: A
potential measure for overall wellness. - Heart rate variability: The Fitbit can measure the timing between heartbeats.
- Sleep monitoring: Automatic sleep tracking can help people monitor sleep quality over time.
Fitness monitoring
- Heart rate monitoring: The Fitbit automatically monitors and records a person’s heart rate with a compatible app.
- Active minute monitoring: When activity levels reach a certain threshold, the Fitbit tracks active minutes.
- Workout intensity map: Using heart rate and active minute data, a Fitbit can calculate the intensity of workouts.
- Twenty exercise modes: The Fitbit Charge 5 can track 20 different exercises, allowing for greater tracking accuracy when exercising.
- Automatic exercise monitoring: Usually, a person must select exercise modes manually to track activity. This tracker can automatically detect activity after around 15 minutes.
Miscellaneous features
- Notifications: The Fitbit Charge 5 can forward notifications from a connected phone to the tracker.
- Fitbit Pay: Similar to Google Pay or Apple Pay, this function allows people to make payments using the tracker.
- Waterproof: Up to 50 meters, or 164 feet.
- Silent Alarm: A vibrating alarm.
Fitbit offers a 6-month Fitbit Premium membership with the purchase of a new Charge 5 and for returning members only. However, this is incompatible with an active Fitbit Premium membership.
Fitbit Premium includes advanced health metric monitoring, a large variety of workouts and mindfulness sessions, and preset challenges that aim to make reaching fitness goals more fun.
Fitbit Premium costs $79.99 annually or $9.99 monthly.
The following table compares the Fitbit Charge 5 with the Charge 4 model and similar fitness trackers and smartwatches:
Alternatives | Fitbit Charge 5 | Fitbit Charge 4 | Apple Watch SE | Garmin Vivoactive 4S | Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 |
Display | color, always on optional | greyscale | color | color, always on optional | color, always on optional |
Battery life | 7 days | 7 days | 18 hours | 7 days | 40 hours |
Compatability | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS only | iOS, Android | Android only |
Waterproof | 50m | 50m | 50m | 50m | 50m |
ECG | yes | no | no | no | yes |
Premium membership | Fitbit Premium | Fitbit Premium | Apple Fitness+ | none | none |
Premium cost (Annual) | $79.99 | $79.99 | $79.99 | N/A | N/A |
Voice assistant | none | none | Siri | none | Bixby |
Price | $179.95 | $129.95 | From $279 | $299.99 | From $249.99 |
The Fitbit Charge 5 is the newest fitness tracker in the Fitbit Charge series. It offers a range of health and fitness monitoring features.
The Fitbit Charge 5 retails for $179.95, which is more expensive than most other Fitbit models, but cheaper than fitness trackers and smartwatches from similar brands such as Garmin or Apple.
While Fitbit is a popular retailer for fitness trackers, the company does not have a good reputation for customer service.