Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness Tracker Review

GPS, Fitbit Pay, and Spotify controls make the Fitbit Charge 4 a superior tracker.

Pros

Easy Minutes Active Zone is good.

50m watertight Drawbacks Expensive GPS Fitbit invented the activity tracker.

Step tracking, once derided, is now a global obsession fueling the fitness technology industry’s growth.

Cons

The Fitbit doesn’t remind you to exercise.

The statistics from your Fitbit may inspire you to get up from the sofa or computer and go for a brisk stroll.

Cheap Chinese Competitors

A comparable device may directly be purchased for less than the worth of a Fitbit.

The new Fitbit Charge 4 faces an onslaught of cheap Chinese competitors.

Fitbit has introduced GPS and other features to entice shoppers away from the bargain bin. We agree.

Fitbit Charge 3

Charge 4 review Know this:

Fitbit Charge 4 sports watch

Like its predecessor, the Fitbit Charge 3, the Fitbit Charge 4 follows a current design trend.

However, there are significant enhancements in terms of functionality.

GPS is the first Fitbit fitness band to incorporate this feature.

GPS

Versa and Versa Lite watches, Fitbit Charge 3, and other fitness trackers don’t have GPS.

The Fitbit Charge 4 adds Active Zone Minutes, a new way to track your fitness previously only available on the Fitbit Charge 3 Special Editions.

Price vs. Rivals

Fitbit Charge 4 price vs. rivals So, at £130, what else is there?

There are quite a few. Also, the Fitbit Charge 4 has GPS tracking, thus the Huawei Band 3 Pro and Huawei Band 4 Pro are half the price.

£100, Garmin’s Vivosport band

For £100, Garmin’s Vivosport band offers a smaller, more fiddly display than the Charge 4.

There are more possibilities if you don’t mind a smartwatch.

This year’s best-value smartwatches are the Amazfit Verge (£75) and Verge Lite (£120). A product of this kind, like the Fitbit Charge 4, is dear.

Features and styling of Fitbit Charge 4 The Fitbit Charge 4’s design isn’t very revolutionary.

Inspire HR

Similar to the Inspire HR, but thinner than the Versa 2 and Versa Light watches.

Like the Charge 3, it’s an identical size, shape, and general design.

Back/pause controls are capacitive buttons on the side of the standard curved body.

Charge 3 Accessories

But existing Charge 3 accessories and wristbands will function.

The Charge may also be more enticing than the Garmin Vivosport wristband tracker.

A monochrome OLED touchscreen is disappointing considering the Versa and Ionic feature colour screens.

Bracelets…

Other bracelets I’ve tested have trouble viewing screens in direct sunshine, but this one is easy to manage.

There are several new features and people retained from Charge 3.

It tracks pulse, steps, calories burned, sleep, and floors climbed.

“Outdoor Workout”

There are running, bike, treadmill, “outdoor workout”, and walking modes.

Swimming is feasible with the Fitbit Charge 4 due to its 50m water resistance.Fitbit sports watch purple

Fitbit just integrated Spotify controls (but not downloads) and Fitbit Pay.

Previously, this was only available on the Special Editions.

Google and Apple’s Systems

That Google and Apple systems are supported by so many institutions isn’t often a selling feature in the UK.

For the COVID-19 crisis, Fitbit is also giving away 40 premium items within the app, like a blood oxygen metre. The app’s Discover area has videos.

Fitbit’s £8/month Premium Service

It also includes guided fitness programmes, more personalised health “insights,” increased sleep monitoring tools, and hundreds of more exercises.

What is Active Zone Minutes on the Fitbit Charge 4?

Fitbit’s new Active Zone Minutes health measure shows alongside your step, calorie. Distance counts on the Fitbit app’s main screen.

Your actions add up over time, like other measurements.

It tracks time spent in each vital sign zone instead of steps.

It’s set at 22 minutes daily and 150 minutes weekly.

Zone minutes are paid differently supported zone.

Cardio and Peak Pulse Zones

Person Waring Fitbit sports watch

The time spent in your cardio and peak pulse zones (zones 4 and 5) doubles.

Heart-rate zone tracking is nothing new.

Serious sportsmen and fitness buffs have been using the technology since it became publicly available.

Brand-new Concept

Time within the zone isn’t a brand-new concept, but it’s a decent one.

It’s more logical than the random step count metric for overall fitness.

For starters, active Zone Minutes are lots harder to know than a necessary step count.

A mixture of high and moderate-intensity exercise is what you would like to strive for.

Fitbit Charge 4 Review:

 

Fitbit Sports Watch App on Mobile

It’s worth noting that GPS is the most significant new feature.

We’ve tried the most fantastic GPS tracking wearable, but this isn’t one of them.

Notably Unsteady was the Map Track

Five days of running and walking with the Fitbit Charge 4 were tracked.

Notably unsteady was the map track.

As a result, it logged somewhat greater distances than my older Garmin Forerunner 630.

Not to worry about it if you’re running less than 10km.

See how the Fitbit adds a noticeable rounding at the track’s top?

Not a Genuine Running Watch

But this isn’t a genuine running watch; it’s a fitness tracker, and it’ll give you a good idea of your progress.

Surprisingly accurate heart rate monitor.

The Fitbit tracked quite well compared to the data from the watch with the Garmin HRM-Run chest.

Once again, it was just a little higher than the Garmin.

The average heart rate difference was roughly 3bpm across a few runs spanning 22 to 49 minutes.

Fitbit Reported a Lower Average…

Despite the lower average heart rate, the Fitbit matched the maximum heart rate exactly, as seen in the figure below.

Finally, battery life is seven days without GPS and five hours with GPS on continuously.

Relatively Excellent

According to my experience, daily usage of the GPS for 20-30 minutes yields roughly four days of use.

In my book, that’s relatively excellent.

Not a Massive Upgrade….

Charge 4 review. However, GPS is a welcome addition, and Active Zone Minutes is an innovative new way to track workout intensity over time.

It is good to be rewarded for the number of steps you take and the power of your exercises.

Other Trackers available for less

Other trackers with comparable functionality are available for far less.

You get a lot of value for your money with Fitbit, plus you get swim tracking with the Charge.

Finding encouragement from friends is a blast. A comparable feature set may be had at a far lower cost.

Specification Chart Below

Fitbit Charge 4 Specification Chart

I hope you enjoyed Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness Tracker Review.

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Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness Tracker Review

4 thoughts on “Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness Tracker Review”

  1. I really need a fitness tracker. I have been telling myself for the longest time that I will get it but I keep on prolonging it. This is a sign that I should go out there and finally get myself one. Which is the best one to get? I will be sure to wait for your feedback 

    • Thank you for your comment Aubin,

      There are so many excellent FitBit watches on the market it is difficult to choose one, but I have researched to find the best watches for you to have a look at. 

      I have included the link to the page Best FitBit Watches

      I hope you find what you are looking for

      Elke

  2. I know that these watches are all the rage at the moment but how much help are they really? As you mentioned they don’t remind you to get off the couch and exercise and sometimes we all need this. That said I really like the look of the black face of the FitBit with the purple watch band and I do like that I could wear it in swimming. They all seem to have programs for running, bike and treadmill, and a heart monitor.

    You gave me a great selection to compare, thanks.

    • Thank you for your comment Lily, 

      There are a lot of fitness watches on the market some are better than others. 

      I like the FitBit watch that you can wear swimming myself as well. My favourited colour is Purple so that’s the one I will be getting. 

      I agree the watches don’t tell you to exercise but you could set an alarm to remind you to get up and go to do some exercises. 

      Thanks again

      Elke

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