I tried the best fitness tracker on the market
Christmas is just around the corner and fitness trackers are one of the more popular gifting ideas for those who want to feel healthy and add more data to their workout routine.
There are a huge range of fitness trackers on the market but one of the most popular is the Fitbit Charge 6. Fitbit has become the biggest brand in the fitness tracker market thanks to its quality products, ease of use and affordable prices.
Priced at £119, almost half the price of an Apple Watch, the Fitbit Charge 6 is one of the most popular models on the market and we spent months testing it out to see why it is so successful.
Google integration
The success of the Charge 6 is likely to grow with the seamless integration of the apps Google Wallet and Google Maps – and to a lesser extent YouTube Music.
The latter’s inclusion is more a case of Google trying to promote its own music streaming service and will only appeal to those consumers who already pay for YouTube Music. You still need to have you phone with you for the music controls to work too.
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Whereas having the free services Google Maps and Google Wallet on board is hugely beneficial for everyone who buys a Charge 6.
For me, Google Wallet is game-changing as I rarely if ever carry cash and like the huge convenience and security of paying for goods and services in stores, cafes and restaurants with my wearable rather than my phone or bank cards.
With Google Maps, once your phone is within range, your Charge 6 will give you turn-by-turn instructions directly on your wrist.
The Google apps are not the only improvements to the sixth iteration of Fitbit Charge, which incidentally costs almost £20 less than its predecessor.
Obviously, you will now need a Google account to use these services, but you can switch your old Fitbit account over easily enough and keep all your data and history.
Fitbit Charge 6Other Fitbit Charge 6 improvements
Fitbit says the heart rate sensor is 60 percent more accurate than the sensor on the Fitbit Charge 5. I’ve no way of testing those claims but I have compared the heart rate readings with several dedicated sports watches and the differences are minimal.
More accurate heart rate readings will result in better data and insights across all your workouts.
And you can broadcast your heart rate to the likes of a Peloton bike or any other device that accepts Bluetooth heart rate connections.
Charge 6, incidentally, includes support for 20 more exercise modes than Charge 5. There are 40 in total, and you can access them all instantly on your wrist.
There are software boosts across the board too – such as being able to set up pace alerts from your wrist.
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On top of all that, we get the return of the back button (missing on Charge 5) which simplifies navigation of the user interface and its menus greatly.
Fitbit Charge 6 basics
You still have features such as the advanced EDA (electrodermal activity) and ECG (electrocardiogram) sensors and the Sp02 monitoring.
You get device activity recognition that automatically starts and ends a workout for you for walk, run and bike. The latter is turned off by default, but you can turn it on in the Bike settings.
The tracker comes in three different colours — Obsidian (black aluminium), Coral (champagne gold aluminium) and Porcelain (silver aluminium). Fitbit has also released an ocean-woven sports band for workouts and all-day wear, although the Charge 6 comes with the Infinity band as standard.
The device looks the same as before – a classic case of if it’s not broken, why fix it. The bright and colourful display gently curves to blend into the strap.
If you are used to larger wearable displays such as Garmin’s Epix Pro like me, then reading the Charge 6 is more of a challenge. The display shows your pace and distance when you are out on a run or walk. You can access more detailed metrics in the app.
The sleep tracking is excellent – I’ve compared it during tests to other wearables – but you must be a Fitbit Premium subscriber to access all your sleep data such as a breakdown of your deep, light, and REM sleep cycles. The good news is you get six months of the Premium service free when you buy Charge 6. The service also gives you access to personalised workouts and Fitbit’s library of workouts along with a Daily Readiness score.
Battery life lives up to the seven-day claim if you leave the always-on display turned off, but even with that on and some GPS tracking, as well as everyday use, I got more than four days out of it.
The GPS tracking is not as precise as the likes of Apple Watch Series 8 and Garmin Epix Pro 2, but this device costs a fraction of the price of those products.
As with all wearables, unfortunately, recharging Charge 6 is with a proprietary magnetic charging cable that attaches to the underside of the device.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that Fitbit Charge 6 works with both Android and iOS smartphones.
Verdict
If you’re looking for a light and unobtrusive wearable to track your steps, calories, sleep, along with the odd run, then Fitbit Charge 6 ticks the right boxes.
You can buy the Fitbit Charge 6 here.
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