While it's not on an annual release cycle like the Apple Watch, Fitbit gives its Charge fitness tracker a refresh every couple of years or so, and the 2021 version offers the most significant changes to the device to date. A new design, new sensors, and a new price point all combine for a compelling package. It also makes it clear that Google is happy to prominently feature basic trackers in Fitbit's lineup, at least for now.

You may think I'm coy or that I'm just a basic band fanatic because I was so excited to try out the new Fitbit Charge 5 and give it a proper review, but I'm clearly not alone in my affection for this form factor or device. During the product briefing for the Charge 5, Fitbit told a group of reporters and industry analysts that one-third of its active users wear a Charge device. Given its weight in the product lineup, it's probably no surprise that the company has poured so much of its best design and sensor tech into the latest version of the popular wearable.

In addition to its new looks and functionality, Fitbit continues to lean into mindfulness, meditation, recovery, and stress management with the Charge 5 and its Premium fitness service. The company clearly sees this combination as its key to battle the Apples, Pelotons, and WHOOPs of the world moving forward.

So with that background, let's dive in and take a look at what I thought of the Fitbit Charge 5 after the first ten days or so of use.

Fitbit Charge 5: Price and availability

The Charge 5 was announced in late August 2021 and immediately went up for sale via pre-order, with the first devices shipping out in late September. The initial price tag is $30 higher than the Charge 4 at $180, which makes the Charge 5 is the most expensive tracker Fitbit has ever made, though it is still $50 cheaper than its Versa 3 smartwatch. The Charge 5 is available directly from Fitbit and major retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H.

Fitbit Charge 5: What's good

We've long considered Fitbit's Charge devices among the best fitness trackers around, and the Charge 5 certainly makes a solid case to stay at the top of that list. However, even though it is instantly recognizable as a Charge device, Fitbit went beyond its more recent incremental updates and made some significant improvements to its best band.

For starters, the design is rounded, organic, and overall more refined than the blockier look of the Charge 2, 3, and 4, and it comes in 10% thinner than previous versions. As a result, it now clearly fits in with the design aesthetic of the Versa 3, Sense, and new Luxe devices. It also sports a larger, brighter version of the Luxe's AMOLED screen, making it easy to read indoors or out. At 450 nits, it's even two times brighter than the Charge 4, and it makes a huge difference. The new casing is also more comfortable to wear, better conforming to the contours of my wrist than previous Charge devices.

The Charge 5 is available in three color options: a platinum case with a Steel Blue band, a Graphite case with a Black band, and a Gold case with a Lunar White band. Additionally, Fitbit offers a wide variety of great first-party straps, including the colors mentioned above in the Infinity configuration (where the strap loops back under the clasp), Horween leather bands, hook and loop bands (fabric with velcro attachment), and the perforated sport bands.

On paper, the Charge 5 promises up to seven days of battery life, same as the Charge 3 and 4. While we always want more from our device's batteries, it is good to see that Fitbit was able to maintain the same capacity, even as it added sensors, features, and new screen technology. In my testing, I found this estimate to be on target. I was able to get just over six days out of a single charge, and this included using GPS mode for four separate workouts (over three hours in total) and with max brightness and continuous heart rate monitoring turned on. Even though it is an option, I did not enable the always-on display because that has a considerable impact on the battery life (brings it down to two days maximum), and it's never been an essential feature to me.

Fitbit brought some of its most advanced health features and sensors from its premium smartwatch to this premium tracker, including the ability to take EDA and ECG scans to measure your electrodermal activity and heart rhythm. Both are accessed through "apps" on the Charge 5, and both work the same way as they do on the Sense smartwatch.

Once you open the EDA app and press the start button, you simply grip the thumb and finger of your opposite hand on the sides of the watch (there are obvious panels to guide you) for three minutes, and then you get the opportunity to add how calm you felt during the process. Over time, this information can help provide you with guidance and advice on your training and recovery.

In addition to these new sensors, the Charge 5 continues to distinguish itself from Fitbit's other trackers by offering on-device GPS and NFS for contactless payments. The NFC payments are still through Fitbit Pay and not Google Pay, though Fitbit's next premium smartwatch could indeed make the switch to Google Pay since it will be running Wear OS 3. One Google-y feature the Charge has right now is Fast Pair, which takes you right into the Fitbit app set up as soon as you power on your Charge 5 out of the box (Android-only).

You also get 20 different exercise presets, but if you can't find the workout you want or you forget to start one, the Charge 5 has SmartTrack technology that automatically detects when you've begun a workout. It generally works well, though it sometimes makes hilarious mistakes, like when it categorizes my lawnmowing as cycling or swimming. SmartTrack workouts also don't include the workout intensity map, which I love. Basically, when you start an active workout and have GPS enabled, this feature shows you on a map what your pace and heart rate was at different points in your walk, hike, run, or ride. I've always liked this feature on my Garmin smartwatches, and it's nice to have here as well.

Along with the Charge 5, Fitbit is rolling out a new metric it calls the Daily Readiness Score. Fitbit will generate this score each morning based on your heart rate variability (HRV), overall activity levels, and sleep data. The goal is to measure your body's readiness for activity or whether you need more rest.

Fitbit will then use this information to suggest activities, workouts, targets, and fitness goals based on this information. It is a very similar idea to the readiness and recovery guidance that companies like WHOOP and Oura have been providing their customers for years now, and it's something that Fitbit Premium customers should get a lot of value from.

Source: Android Central

You can also monitor your Stress Management Score in the Fitbit app, though you'll need to manually add the tile for it as it's not among the default tiles on the main screen. The Stress Management Score is calculated based on your own personal reflections of your stress level, combined with data from your mindfulness sessions, heart rate, overall activity, and sleep information. As with most scores, the higher, the better, as that means that Fitbit has detected fewer signs of overall physical stress.

Source: Android Central

Both the Daily Readiness Score and the detailed Stress Management Score reports are Premium features, but since you get a free six months of the service with the purchase of a Charge 5, you'll have plenty of time to try them out and see if you benefit from them. I appreciate that Fitbit is pretty generous here with the lengthy trial period for its Premium service. The six months you get with a Charge 5, Luxe, Versa 3, or Sense is more than double the three-month of Apple Fitness+ you get with purchasing a new Apple Watch.