

It’s refined and highly wearable-the 4S is bigger than the two Fitbit models we recommend, but smaller than other watch-like trackers from Garmin and Polar (another brand we tested).
ICYCLE APPLE SERIES
The 4S is the smaller of Garmin’s two Series 4 offerings (it has a 40-millimeter screen, versus the Vívoactive 4’s 45-millimeter screen). It’s a sporty, advanced fitness tracker with an emphasis on-you guessed it-exercise. If you’re especially active and want to keep in-depth records of your workouts, consider the Garmin Vívoactive 4S. You can wear the Inspire 2 on your wrist or on your clothes with a clip (sold separately).īattery life: up to 10 days Sleep tracking: yes, not including naps Water resistance: yes, up to 50 meters Heart-rate monitor: yes GPS: when connected to a phone But like the Charge 5, this Fitbit model offers about 20 goal-based exercise modes, and it tracks sleep stages (though alarms are programmable only in the app with the Charge 5, you can set alarms on the device). Unlike the Charge 5, the Inspire 2 doesn’t have an altimeter, so it can’t track floors climbed or enable more advanced features, such as an ECG function. It has guided, on-wrist breathing sessions, which the Charge 5 doesn’t. Though we found the Inspire 2 to be less precise when recording all-day step counts, it performed solidly in our heart-rate tests. The Inspire 2 does not have built-in GPS (which the Charge 5 does) it measures pace and distance on a walk or a run when connected to your phone’s GPS-meaning you’ll need your phone with you. Its touchscreen display is bright and vibrant, though not color (the Charge 5’s is). The Fitbit Inspire 2 has a slimmer profile than the Fitbit Charge 5. The Charge 5 has an altimeter (which tracks floors climbed), on-wrist ECG (electrocardiogram), and built-in GPS, which allows for real-time pace and distance data without requiring a phone connection (though it was susceptible to unevenness, as GPS often is).īattery life: up to seven days in watch mode, or up to five hours in continuous GPS mode Sleep tracking: yes, including naps of over an hour Water resistance: yes, for up to 50 meters Heart-rate monitor: yes GPS: built in


Within the app, you can also determine which smartphone notifications you’d like to buzz on your wrist. (You can also opt in to the app’s Premium version, which usually costs $10 per month.) The Charge 5 has 21 activity modes, six of which you can add to your on-device favorites list via the app. (Orienting yourself with all of its features, however, might take a beat.) Fitbit’s concise, straightforward app lets you parse daily activity data with ease and allows for linking to a robust network of other Fitbit users-which might help keep you motivated. The color touchscreen display is vivid and clear, even in bright sunlight, with easily identifiable icons allowing for unfussy menu negotiation. It reliably detects, nearly always correctly identifies, and automatically begins to record workouts-running, walking, biking, swimming-after about 10 minutes of activity.

The Fitbit Charge 5 is among the most accurate for measuring steps and heart rate (although accuracy isn’t everything).
