During my time testing the Charge 4, I was fortunate enough to be able to run outside in the suburbs, keeping a good distance from anyone I encountered. This has pretty much all the same features, is cheaper, and in my opinion just a more reliable and function tracker . The biggest new feature, however, is the addition of GPS so it’s worth examining how well it’s been implemented. While not as ubiquitous as Apple Pay or Google Pay, Fitbit Pay works with 500 issuers, retailers in 44 countries, and 10 transit systems worldwide — not that I’m planning to use the New York City subway in the near future. Tap the button or raise your wrist to wake the screen, then swipe right to access the device's various menus and settings.

Subscribe to the What’s The Best Newsletter to keep up to date with more of the latest reviews and recommendations from the rest of the What’s The Best team. All these bands are made of stainless steel with an extra strong clasp so you can't lose them easily.In short, if you're on a tight budget, the Charge 4 is the cheaper option, and that's unlikely to change anytime soon. But if you want to save money and are just looking for a simple tracker for the gym or home workouts, go for the Charge 4, you won’t miss out on the ECG or EDA scans. There are plenty of fitness trackers and Fitbits and smartwatches in the wearable technology market, and sometimes it can be difficult to choose between the brand-new version or a slightly older one. For me, it's about getting everything Fitbit offers, including GPS, in a slimmer package than the Versa 2.

I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to smartwatches and fitness trackers, I like big, honkin’ devices like the Garmin Fenix 6.Another feature borrowed from the Sense is an ECG sensor and app, which allow you to check for signs of atrial fibrillation. But then, this isn’t a serious running watch; it’s a fitness tracker and as long as you keep using it it will provide you with a decent gauge of how you’re doing comparatively speaking. Setup is simple: just log into your Fitbit account on your phone (or create a new one), then select the Charge 4 from the list of available options. The Charge 4 is water resistant to 164 feet; I wore it in the shower several times without incident.

To do so, go to the Charge 4 section of the Fitbit app, press Exercise Shortcuts, delete the ones you want to replace, and select the activities you want to track. An optical sensor on the inside of the watch measures your heart rate every second while you're working out, and every five seconds the rest of the time. The electrical sensors on the side of the watch are for the addition of the ECG (Electrocardiogram) and EDA (Electrodermal Activity) Scan function instead. I also dont understand why Fitbit couldnt provide a color face option so i could see the info more easily.If your readiness level is low, Fitbit will suggest focusing on active recovery exercises like yoga or walking, but if your readiness level is higher, it recognises that you are fully rested and your body isn’t suffering fatigue, so you will gain more benefit by doing a challenging workout. Each morning, this tells you how energized and well recovered you are, based on your sleep, recent activity, and heart rate variability. Not by enough to be too worried about, but if you’re running longer distances of 10km plus you might want to look at something more accurate.

You can wake it by tapping the inductive button on the left side of the device (which also allows you to go back when navigating the interface), giving your wrist a small shake, or tapping the screen itself. Active Zone Minutes will certainly be a mainstay in the Fitbit ecosystem from now on, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it caught on with other fitness companies in the future. NFC allows you to use the Fitbit Charge 4 for contactless payments through Fitbit Pay, and you can control the Spotify app on your phone via Bluetooth. I liked that during my run, the Charge 4 would buzz my wrist when I moved from one heart rate zone to another.Its lines are smoother and softer (matching those of the Fitbit Versa 3, Sense, Inspire 2 and Luxe) and it's available in three colors: black, lunar white, and steel blue.