Fitbit Charge 4, the best fitness tracker of the moment

Fitbit Charge review

The Charge 4 (€ 149) is Fitbit’s most comprehensive fitness tracker to date. It has more features than the cheaper Inspire HR (€ 99) and it also has more features than its predecessor the Charge 3.

The biggest innovation is built-in GPS, so you can exercise without taking your smartphone with you. This makes the Charge 4 a real alternative to the many running watches for recreational use. Top athletes may prefer a huge amount of data, but when it comes only to speeds, times and the route taken, the new Charge 4 is more than enough. It is a pity that you only benefit from the GPS function when you go out – and that is not the intention under the current circumstances.

Further highlights: Spotify support and Fitbit Pay on all models. The new feature that shows how much time you’ve spent in active zones will also be available on Fitbit smartwatches later.

The Fitbit Charge has been in stores since mid-April € 149 and that is the same price as its predecessor, the Charge 3. Yet it has more technology. All in all, with the Charge 4 you get quite a bit of functionality for a reasonable price. But there are also some negatives.

For less money you buy the Versa Lite without GPS (€ 120) and for a little more you buy the Versa 2 (€ 160). It also has voice commands via Alexa.

Fitbit Charge 4 in short

These are the main features:

• Measure steps, heart rate and sleep
• Built-in GPS
• Measure blood oxygen and VO2 Max
• 7 days of battery life
• Fitbit Pay and Spotify on all models
• Measuring time in certain heart rate zones
• Notifications
• Measure various workouts
• Standard model in three colors
• Special version with extra textile strap
• price € 149

Design and appearance
The Fitbit Charge 4 looks almost identical to its predecessor. Grayscale touchscreen and interchangeable straps. If you still have bands for the Charge 3, you can use them again for the Charge 4, so that’s a bonus.

The Charge 4 is very compact: it measures 35.8mm x 22.7mm x 12.5mm, making it slightly narrower but slightly thicker than an Apple Watch (Series 5). The appearance is of course completely different: while you wear a watch with the Apple Watch, the Charge 4 has opted for the appearance of a traditional fitness band. In the model we tested (and which will be the most sold), everything is black, with a relief diamond pattern on the rubber bracelet.

This time you can choose from two versions: the standard version with silicone strap in black, blue or purple and a special version with two accessories: a woven nylon strap and a silicone strap. Individual copies are available for 30 euros, including a strap with a hole pattern, similar to the Nike straps of the Apple Watch. If you want to vary the appearance, you can also go to Fitbit.

The screen is unfortunately still black and white and due to the small size it is difficult to read if you are fanatic about sports. It’s about a OLEDscreen with backlight, which shows the texts sharp, but small. During testing I always have the Apple Watch worn on my other wrist and noticed that it is a lot more pleasant to see all measurements large and in color. But that is a personal preference, with the consequence that the battery life is much shorter due to such a large color screen.

Fitbit Charge 4 tested in practice

You can wear the Charge 4 during the day and at night – something I’ve done in the past few days. Because the back around the heart rate sensor is tapered, there is minimal contact with the skin. This prevents sweat stains, but it is still nice to take off the fitness bracelet regularly. The strap is slightly thicker than that of the Apple Watch, making it slightly less pleasant when you have to type with it. The sports band of the Apple Watch Due to the special “cut-through” construction, it only has 2 layers of material, while the Charge’s bracelet has a traditional strap with loop, so you have 4 layers of material locally.

The optical sensor on the inside measures your heart rate every second during workouts. If you are not exercising, this happens every five seconds. In my case it was necessary to recharge a few times. I forgot to stop the workout and then the battery really empty much faster. Unfortunately, that didn’t make me stand a chance in the Workweek Hustle challenge, which I was invited to. As with previous Fitbits, you need a special charger, which I did not always have on hand.

This tracker can be recharged in about an hour and then lasts about a week with normal use. If you often do workouts, it will be shorter.

The Charge 4 stores detailed data for a week and stores the most important measurements such as total number of steps, distance, number of steps and calories burned over the past 30 days. Older data can be found in the Fitbit app, which is required for use. Fitbit still doesn’t sync with HealthKit, so you will have to use special tools (just like before).

The built-in GPS is a big plus if you like to exercise outdoors. It also includes an altimeter for measuring the number of floors climbed. During a walk on the beach I appeared to have climbed 32 stairs, which I personally thought was on the high side.

You can also use the Charge 4 in the water: it is suitable for swimming, showering and sweating, thanks to its water resistance up to 50 meters.

Fitbit Charge interface 4

Because I use the user interface of the Apple Watch used to, it took some getting used to master the operation of the Fitbit. You have a touchscreen and one (non-pushable) button on the side, which gives haptic feedback. I had some difficulties with some options. For example, when I started a workout, I accidentally pressed “Cycling” and I was unable to cancel that choice or go back a step. I solved this in the most cumbersome way: starting a workout, which I interrupted after 1 second. Later I found out that you can always go back with the side button. You can tap and swipe the screen and it will take a while to get into your muscle memory.

Because the screen is quite small, you only see two menu options on the screen. You can swipe up to see your stats such as number of steps and distance traveled. You can also tap the watch face repeatedly to see your data.

Fitbit app

Because Fitbit doesn’t work with HealthKit and the Health app you will need to view your data in the Fitbit app. This app actually only offers one tab that was of interest to me: Today. The Discover tab contains statistics and workouts (you need the separate Fitbit Coach app) and the Community tab contains chat messages from all kinds of users, including people you don’t know.

You also need this app to be able to pair the Charge 4 with you at all iPhone. You log in with your Fitbit account and choose the Charge 4 from the list. This worked effortlessly via Bluetooth. With a 4-digit pin code you can be sure that your fitness tracker is paired and not that of the neighbor, who is within Bluetooth range.

New in the app is the ability to see time in active zones. This takes into account your resting heart rate and age. The type of workout also makes a difference. You should score 150 active minutes per week. With strenuous effort you get double points. Something similar are the activity rings on the Apple Watch, where you have to train for 30 minutes a day, although no distinction is made between fat burning and cardio zones.

My Fitbit Charge 4 only had a limited number of sports and does not have an “Add workout” option, like on the Apple Watch. You have to arrange this in the app and that is less user-friendly. Especially for less experienced people, it will be a matter of searching where you can set this (or to know at all that you can adjust it). You can choose up to 6 sports, while on the Apple Watch I have 18 sports (and yes, I need them all because I do varied activities).