Fitbit Charge 6
The Fitbit Charge 6 builds off the successes of the Fitbit Charge 5, offering the same trusted battery life and access to even more of Google’s premium fitness features. Find your way around seamlessly using Google Maps while also keeping track of your heart rate with Fitbit’s most accurate tracker yet.
Fitbit Charge 5
The Fitbit Charge 5 provides comprehensive health-tracking features with a vibrant color OLED display, effortless mobile payments, and the convenience of built-in GPS.
Finding a great fitness tracker is harder than ever in this day and age, as we continue to see more and more options making their way onto the market. But, if you’re looking for solid fitness tracking capabilities, Fitbit has always been a solid option, and the company’s newest Fitbit Charge 6 could very well be one of thebest trackers it has releasedso far.
But how does it stand up to the olderFitbit Charge 5, which is still one of thebest fitness deviceson the market right now? Should you bother upgrading or are the improvements minimal enough to save you some money? Here’s how they look side-by-side.
Price, availability, and specs
When it comes to price, the Fitbit Charge 6 isn’t much more expensive than the Fitbit Charge 5. The Charge 6 retails for $160, while the Charge 5 is $150. It’s likely that the gap will grow thanks to price drops for the older model, however.
As far as availability goes, the Charge 5 is pretty easy to get your hands on, especially from Fitbit itself. It’s a little bit harder to find on third-party sites like Amazon, but it isn’t impossible by any means. The Charge 6 will undoubtedly be offered on Fitbit’s website, as well as every other major retailer that Google and Fitbit can ship it to.
Design is one area that the Fitbit Charge 6 hasn’t changed much from its predecessor. The devices both look very similar, offering multiple colors and differing shades of bands to help provide a unique look. They’re both sporting decently large OLED displays, which make it easy to see whatever you’re doing on hour fitness watch at that moment in time.
One big difference you’ll probably notice is that the Charge 6 has brought back the physical button, which Fitbit used to offer on many of its trackers. This makes it easier to interact with the device as a whole, so that’s definitely something worth keeping in mind when comparing these two Fitbit trackers.
Aside from some possible software changes, not much else looks to be that different between the Charge 6 and Charge 5. So, if you’re already rocking a Charge 5, or just like the look of this tracker, there’s really no reason to dislike what Fitbit is doing with the Charge 6.
When it comes to software, you’re still looking at a Fitbit device, however, there are some notable differences you’ll probably see between the two. For one, Fitbit is taking a much more smartwatch approach to the Charge 6 than with previous Charge devices. This means that you’ll have access to Google Maps on your device and a slew of other little features, including an improved workout tracking system, which offers 40 exercise modes compared to the more limited 20 of the Charge 5.
At the end of the day, though, both the Charge 5 and Charge 6 are still making use of Fitbit’s simple software, and that means you won’t be getting the crisp and flashy performance you’d see from smartwatches running the latest version of WearOS. The home screen on the Charge 6 still works like the Charge 5’s, and the rest of the device is likely to follow suit. If you were hoping to see the Charge 6 take more of a smartwatch approach to software, you’re going to be disappointed. This is still a fitness tracker first and foremost.
Health & fitness
Of course, health and fitness are two areas that you definitely expect to see some improvement, and the Charge 6 looks to build off the Charge 5 in every way it can.
It still offers the features you’d expect — like exercise tracking, as well as heart rate tracking, skin temperature readouts, and more. However, Fitbit has improved the accuracy of these modes, and it says that the new heart rate monitor in the Charge 6 is up to 60 percent more accurate than that offered on the Charge 5.
Fitbit has also expanded the workout modes that the Charge 6 supports, bringing it from 20 on the Charge 5 to 40+ on the Charge 6. This means you can track even more exercises and workouts without having to rely on your phone or other tracking devices.
The inclusion of GPS on the device also means more dedicated support for runners, which is really handy if you want to try out new routes and take on new locations with your workouts. You can also connect the Charge 6 to compatible exercise equipment, allowing you to track your heart rate in real-time.
Battery life
If you’re looking for a long-lasting fitness tracker, then you won’t find much better than the Charge 6 or Charge 5 - or much difference between the two.
Both offer up to 7 days of battery life on a single charge, which means you’re able to ditch your charger on long trips without having to worry about missing out on tracking your activity.
Which is right for you?
So we’re finally to the big question: which of these two Fitbit devices fits you best? Well, ultimately it comes down to whether or not you already have a Fitbit Charge 5. If you do, then the only reason to upgrade is the updated health features. But, the Charge 5 already handles its fitness tracking well enough, so if you aren’t hurting for a new tracker, there isn’t much point in upgrading just yet.
If you want the best of the two, the Charge 6 is the way to go. Sure, it might not look much different, but the more accurate heart rate tracking, as well as the expanded exercise modes makes it easy to justify the $160 price tag, especially if you want a tracker that’s going to last a long time between charges.
The fittest Fitbit
Of course, the Charge 5 is still a really solid fitness tracker, and more than good enough for most people to utilize, so there’s nothing wrong with going with it either, especially if Fitbit drops the price now the Charge 6 is out.
Only one step behind
The Fitbit Charge 5 is still a solid fitness tracker, though it misses out on some of the advancements made with the Charge 6.
