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Fitbit Charge 4 Review | 171 Data compared

Avg. price:~£130Battery life:7 daysScreen size:1 inchHeart rate monitor:yesGPS:yesWaterproof depth rating:50 m

Fitbit Charge 4 Review: Compare 171 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Fitness trackers category and whether it is worth buying.

8.0

▲Better than 83% of fitness-trackers

7.7

▲Better than 77% of fitness-trackers

9.3

★Better than 98% of fitness-trackers

7.5
Swimming
Swimming
7.5/ 10
✕
What it is
Evaluates core hardware and software specifications for swimming performance.
When it matters
When evaluating how effectively this fitness-trackers meets your specific swimming needs.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components
28.0%
10
ATM rating
24.0%
4.0
Open-water swim mode
18.0%
10
Waterproof depth rating
15.0%
10
GPS
15.0%
3.0
Battery life
6.2
Kids
Kids
6.2/ 10
✕
What it is
Evaluates core hardware and software specifications for kids performance.
When it matters
When selecting a durable, safe, and family-friendly fitness-trackers suitable for learning and young children.
Score distribution
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Score components
30.0%
3.0
Battery life
25.0%
6.2
Weight
20.0%
10
ATM rating
15.0%
5.3
Screen size
10.0%
9.8
Price

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Technical Specifications of fitness tracker Fitbit Charge 4

8.0

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Health

9.7

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Heart rate monitor

Resting heart rate

Fast/slow heart rate alerts

Irregular heart rate alerts

Blood oxygen sensor

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Sports & Navigation

9.1

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GPS

Satellite systems supported

GNSS bands supported

?

Galileo support

Acquires GPS faster

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Smart Features

8.5

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Notifications

Vibrating alerts

Call control

Call answering

Calendar sync

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App & Wellness

9.7

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Activity reports

Goal setting

Achievements

Inactivity alerts

Coaching

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Connectivity

7.9

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Bluetooth version

Maximum Bluetooth range

NFC

Wi-Fi connectivity

Wi-Fi version

?

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Battery

4.1

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Battery life

Battery life with GPS on

Battery life in training mode

Battery life in power-saving mode

N/A

Battery capacity

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Display

6.9

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Display

Screen size

Display type

Screen resolution

Pixel density

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Design & Durability

8.2

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Form factor

wristband

Hybrid design

Designed for kids

Replaceable watch band

Band width

22.7 mm

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Fitbit Charge 4 vs the average fitness tracker

Why is Fitbit Charge 4 better than the average fitness tracker?

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Blood oxygen monitoring
Blood oxygen sensor
yes
▲ Better than 75% of models
This fitness tracker has a blood oxygen sensor, while the average fitness tracker does not. 25.2% of fitness trackers have a blood oxygen sensor.
Sleep oxygen monitoring.
Tracks HRV
HRV tracking
yes
★ Better than 91% of models
This fitness tracker supports HRV tracking, while the average fitness tracker does not. 9.9% of fitness trackers support HRV tracking.
Sleep only.
Measures VO2 max
VO2 max
yes
▲ Better than 79% of models
This fitness tracker supports VO2 max tracking, while the average fitness tracker does not. 21.8% of fitness trackers support VO2 max tracking.
Cardio Fitness Score.
Built-in GPS
GPS
yes
▲ Better than 89% of models
This fitness tracker has GPS, while the average fitness tracker does not. 11% of fitness trackers have GPS.
Lower resting heart rate
Resting heart rate
yes
▲ Better than 53% of models
This fitness tracker supports Resting heart rate, while the average fitness tracker does not. 47.7% of fitness trackers support Resting heart rate.
Touchscreen
Touchscreen
yes
▲ Better than 56% of models
This fitness tracker has a touchscreen, while the average fitness tracker does not. 43.8% of fitness trackers have a touchscreen.
Supports swipe/touch gesture navigation.
Smart alarm
Smart alarm
yes
▲ Better than 73% of models
This fitness tracker supports a smart alarm, while the average fitness tracker does not. 27.3% of fitness trackers support a smart alarm.
Smart Wake added via firmware update 1.96.29.
Auto pause
Auto pause
yes
▲ Better than 77% of models
This fitness tracker supports auto pause, while the average fitness tracker does not. 23.2% of fitness trackers support auto pause.
Running only.

16% higher user score
User score
9.3/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the fitness tracker.
When it matters
When you want to know how a fitness tracker performs in daily use and how reliable it remains over time according to user feedback.
Score distribution
▼
▼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Fitbit Charge 4
the average fitness tracker
Fitbit Charge 4 has a higher user score than the average fitness tracker (9.28 vs 8.000).
9.28 vs 8
97.4% more popular
Fitbit Charge 4 has a higher popularity than the average fitness tracker (10 vs 5.1).
10 vs 5.07
8.4% better value for money
Fitbit Charge 4 has a higher value-for-money score than the average fitness tracker (8.58 vs 7.9).
8.58 vs 7.92

Blood oxygen monitoring
Blood oxygen sensor
yes
▲ Better than 75% of models
This fitness tracker has a blood oxygen sensor, while the average fitness tracker does not. 25.2% of fitness trackers have a blood oxygen sensor.
Sleep oxygen monitoring.
Tracks HRV
HRV tracking
yes
★ Better than 91% of models
This fitness tracker supports HRV tracking, while the average fitness tracker does not. 9.9% of fitness trackers support HRV tracking.
Sleep only.
Measures VO2 max
VO2 max
yes
▲ Better than 79% of models
This fitness tracker supports VO2 max tracking, while the average fitness tracker does not. 21.8% of fitness trackers support VO2 max tracking.
Cardio Fitness Score.
Lower resting heart rate
Resting heart rate
yes
▲ Better than 53% of models
This fitness tracker supports Resting heart rate, while the average fitness tracker does not. 47.7% of fitness trackers support Resting heart rate.
Heart rate alerts
Fast/slow heart rate alerts
yes
▲ Better than 66% of models
This fitness tracker supports high and low heart rate alerts, while the average fitness tracker does not. 34.5% of fitness trackers support high and low heart rate alerts.
High and low resting heart rate alerts.
Tracks respiration rate
Respiration rate tracking
yes
▲ Better than 88% of models
This fitness tracker supports respiratory rate tracking, while the average fitness tracker does not. 12.9% of fitness trackers support respiratory rate tracking.
Sleep only.
Built-in temperature sensor
Temperature sensor
yes
★ Better than 91% of models
This fitness tracker has a temperature sensor, while the average fitness tracker does not. 9.8% of fitness trackers have a temperature sensor.
Skin temperature during sleep.
Irregular heart rate alerts
Irregular heart rate alerts
yes
▲ Better than 88% of models
This fitness tracker supports irregular heart rate alerts, while the average fitness tracker does not. 12.4% of fitness trackers support irregular heart rate alerts.
Irregular rhythm alerts.
Tracks menstrual cycle
Menstrual cycle tracking
yes
▲ Better than 59% of models
This fitness tracker supports menstrual cycle tracking, while the average fitness tracker does not. 41.7% of fitness trackers support menstrual cycle tracking.
Tracks skin temperature
Skin temperature tracking
yes
▲ Better than 89% of models
This fitness tracker supports skin temperature tracking, while the average fitness tracker does not. 11.3% of fitness trackers support skin temperature tracking.
Night-time trend only.
Period notifications
Has period notifications
yes
▲ Better than 69% of models
This fitness tracker has period notifications, while the average fitness tracker does not. 31% of fitness trackers have period notifications.
Fertile window notifications
Displays fertile window notifications
yes
▲ Better than 76% of models
This fitness tracker displays fertile window notifications, while the average fitness tracker does not. 24.1% of fitness trackers display fertile window notifications.
Ovulation prediction
Predicts ovulation
yes
▲ Better than 59% of models
This fitness tracker predicts ovulation, while the average fitness tracker does not. 41.6% of fitness trackers predict ovulation.
Cycle start prediction
Predicts start date
yes
▲ Better than 58% of models
This fitness tracker predicts the start date, while the average fitness tracker does not. 42.5% of fitness trackers predict the start date.

Built-in GPS
GPS
yes
▲ Better than 89% of models
This fitness tracker has GPS, while the average fitness tracker does not. 11% of fitness trackers have GPS.
Auto pause
Auto pause
yes
▲ Better than 77% of models
This fitness tracker supports auto pause, while the average fitness tracker does not. 23.2% of fitness trackers support auto pause.
Running only.
Tracks elevation
Elevation tracking
yes
▲ Better than 73% of models
This fitness tracker supports elevation tracking, while the average fitness tracker does not. 27.4% of fitness trackers support elevation tracking.
Floors climbed via altimeter
Built-in barometer
Barometer
yes
▲ Better than 89% of models
This fitness tracker has a barometer, while the average fitness tracker does not. 11.3% of fitness trackers have a barometer.
Built-in route tracker
Has a route tracker
yes
▲ Better than 50% of models
This fitness tracker supports route tracking, while the average fitness tracker does not. 49.8% of fitness trackers support route tracking.
Built-in GPS route tracking.
Fast GPS lock
Acquires GPS faster
yes
★ Better than 92% of models
This fitness tracker supports faster GPS acquisition, while the average fitness tracker does not. 8% of fitness trackers support faster GPS acquisition.
Faster satellite lock claimed.
Broad satellite support
Satellite systems supported
GPS + GLONASS
▲ Better than 89% of models
This fitness tracker supports more satellite systems than the average fitness tracker (GPS + GLONASS vs no). The average fitness tracker supports no satellite systems.
Multi-GNSS support.
GPS + GLONASS vs no

Touchscreen
Touchscreen
yes
▲ Better than 56% of models
This fitness tracker has a touchscreen, while the average fitness tracker does not. 43.8% of fitness trackers have a touchscreen.
Supports swipe/touch gesture navigation.
Branded damage-resistant glass
Has branded damage-resistant glass
yes
▲ Better than 78% of models
This fitness tracker uses branded damage-resistant glass, while the average fitness tracker does not. 22.2% of fitness trackers use branded damage-resistant glass.
Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
Ambient light sensor
Ambient light sensor
yes
▲ Better than 84% of models
This fitness tracker has an ambient light sensor, while the average fitness tracker does not. 16.7% of fitness trackers have an ambient light sensor.
Durable display glass
Display glass type
Gorilla Glass 3
▲ Better than 84% of models
This fitness tracker uses more durable display glass than the average fitness tracker (Gorilla Glass 3 vs glass). The average fitness tracker uses glass display glass.
Gorilla Glass 3 vs glass

20 m longer Bluetooth range
Maximum Bluetooth range
30 m
▲ Better than 88% of models
Market range: <8 m – >23 m
This fitness tracker has a longer Bluetooth range than the average fitness tracker (30 m vs 10 m). The average fitness tracker offers a Bluetooth range of 10 m.
30 m vs 10 m
NFC
NFC
yes
▲ Better than 88% of models
This fitness tracker has NFC, while the average fitness tracker does not. 13% of fitness trackers have NFC.

Smart alarm
Smart alarm
yes
▲ Better than 73% of models
This fitness tracker supports a smart alarm, while the average fitness tracker does not. 27.3% of fitness trackers support a smart alarm.
Smart Wake added via firmware update 1.96.29.
Passcode protection
Passcode protection
yes
▲ Better than 83% of models
This fitness tracker supports passcode protection, while the average fitness tracker does not. 17.6% of fitness trackers support passcode protection.
Uses a device lock feature.
Call control
Call control
yes
▲ Better than 59% of models
This fitness tracker supports call controls, while the average fitness tracker does not. 41.5% of fitness trackers support call controls.
Accept/reject on the tracker; audio stays on the phone.
Calendar sync
Calendar sync
yes
▲ Better than 80% of models
This fitness tracker supports calendar sync, while the average fitness tracker does not. 20.2% of fitness trackers support calendar sync.
Uses an agenda app for on-device event viewing.
Gesture control
Gesture control
yes
▲ Better than 60% of models
This fitness tracker supports gesture controls, while the average fitness tracker does not. 40.8% of fitness trackers support gesture controls.

Coaching features
Coaching
yes
▲ Better than 67% of models
This fitness tracker supports coaching, while the average fitness tracker does not. 33.8% of fitness trackers support coaching.
Via Fitbit Premium in the Fitbit app.
Tracks calorie intake
Calorie intake tracking
yes
▲ Better than 61% of models
This fitness tracker supports calorie intake tracking, while the average fitness tracker does not. 39.3% of fitness trackers support calorie intake tracking.
Water intake tracking
Water intake tracking
yes
▲ Better than 58% of models
This fitness tracker supports water intake tracking, while the average fitness tracker does not. 42% of fitness trackers support water intake tracking.
Tracks temperature
Temperature tracking
yes
▲ Better than 88% of models
This fitness tracker supports temperature tracking, while the average fitness tracker does not. 12.9% of fitness trackers support temperature tracking.
Points-based system
Points-based system
yes
▲ Better than 62% of models
This fitness tracker supports a points-based system, while the average fitness tracker does not. 38.6% of fitness trackers support a points-based system.
Uses Active Zone Minutes.

Why is Fitbit Charge 4 worse than the average fitness tracker?

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3 days shorter battery life
Battery life
7 days
▼ Worse than 53% of models
Market range: <5 days – >180 days
This fitness tracker has a lower battery life than the average fitness tracker (7 days vs 10 days). The average fitness tracker has 10 days of battery life.
Shorter with GPS
7 days vs 10 days
Lower screen resolution
Screen resolution
100 x 160
▲ Better than 68% of models
This fitness tracker has a lower screen resolution than the average fitness tracker (100x160 vs 194x368). The average fitness tracker has a screen resolution of 194x368.
100x160 vs 194x368
35.5% smaller battery capacity
Battery capacity
71 mAh
▼ Worse than 76% of models
Market range: <30 mAh – >225 mAh
This fitness tracker has a lower battery capacity than the average fitness tracker (71 mAh vs 110 mAh). The average fitness tracker has 110 mAh of battery capacity.
71 mAh vs 110 mAh
2 h shorter GPS battery life
Battery life with GPS on
5 h
▼ Worse than 60% of models
Market range: <5 h – >20 h
This fitness tracker has a lower battery life with GPS on than the average fitness tracker (5 h vs 7 h). The average fitness tracker has 7 h of battery life with GPS on.
5 h vs 7 h
22.9% lower pixel density
Pixel density
189 ppi
▼ Worse than 69% of models
Market range: <140 ppi – >330 ppi
This fitness tracker has a lower pixel density than the average fitness tracker (189 ppi vs 245 ppi). The average fitness tracker has a pixel density of 245 ppi.
189 ppi vs 245 ppi
20% heavier
Thickness
30 g mm
▼ Worse than 73% of models
Market range: <8 mm – >13 mm
This fitness tracker is heavier than the average fitness tracker (30 g vs 25 g). The average fitness tracker weighs 25 g.
30 g vs 25 g
85.7% more expensive
Fitbit Charge 4 is more expensive than the average fitness tracker (£130 vs £70).
£130 vs £70
3 h shorter training-mode battery life
Battery life in training mode
5 h
▼ Worse than 71% of models
Market range: <5 h – >40 h
This fitness tracker has a lower battery life in training mode than the average fitness tracker (5 h vs 8 h). The average fitness tracker has 8 h of battery life in training mode.
Using built-in GPS.
5 h vs 8 h

85.7% more expensive
Fitbit Charge 4 is more expensive than the average fitness tracker (£130 vs £70).
£130 vs £70

3 days shorter battery life
Battery life
7 days
▼ Worse than 53% of models
Market range: <5 days – >180 days
This fitness tracker has a lower battery life than the average fitness tracker (7 days vs 10 days). The average fitness tracker has 10 days of battery life.
Shorter with GPS
7 days vs 10 days
35.5% smaller battery capacity
Battery capacity
71 mAh
▼ Worse than 76% of models
Market range: <30 mAh – >225 mAh
This fitness tracker has a lower battery capacity than the average fitness tracker (71 mAh vs 110 mAh). The average fitness tracker has 110 mAh of battery capacity.
71 mAh vs 110 mAh
2 h shorter GPS battery life
Battery life with GPS on
5 h
▼ Worse than 60% of models
Market range: <5 h – >20 h
This fitness tracker has a lower battery life with GPS on than the average fitness tracker (5 h vs 7 h). The average fitness tracker has 7 h of battery life with GPS on.
5 h vs 7 h
3 h shorter training-mode battery life
Battery life in training mode
5 h
▼ Worse than 71% of models
Market range: <5 h – >40 h
This fitness tracker has a lower battery life in training mode than the average fitness tracker (5 h vs 8 h). The average fitness tracker has 8 h of battery life in training mode.
Using built-in GPS.
5 h vs 8 h

Lower screen resolution
Screen resolution
100 x 160
▲ Better than 68% of models
This fitness tracker has a lower screen resolution than the average fitness tracker (100x160 vs 194x368). The average fitness tracker has a screen resolution of 194x368.
100x160 vs 194x368
22.9% lower pixel density
Pixel density
189 ppi
▼ Worse than 69% of models
Market range: <140 ppi – >330 ppi
This fitness tracker has a lower pixel density than the average fitness tracker (189 ppi vs 245 ppi). The average fitness tracker has a pixel density of 245 ppi.
189 ppi vs 245 ppi

20% heavier
Thickness
30 g mm
▼ Worse than 73% of models
Market range: <8 mm – >13 mm
This fitness tracker is heavier than the average fitness tracker (30 g vs 25 g). The average fitness tracker weighs 25 g.
30 g vs 25 g
1.5 mm thicker design
Thickness
12.5 mm
▼ Worse than 73% of models
Market range: <8 mm – >13 mm
This fitness tracker is thicker than the average fitness tracker (12.5 mm vs 11 mm). The average fitness tracker has a thickness of 11 mm.
12.5 mm vs 11 mm
10 °C higher minimum operating temperature
Min operating temperature
-10 °C
▲ Better than 51% of models
Market range: <-20 °C – >5 °C
This fitness tracker has a higher minimum operating temperature than the average fitness tracker (-10 °C vs 0 °C). The average fitness tracker supports a minimum operating temperature of 0 °C.
-10 °C vs 0 °C

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

gadgetmatch.com

06/10/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: An extra ingredient to becoming fit and...

Fitbit Charge 4 Review Summary The Fitbit Charge 4 serves as an excellent, personalized fitness companion that effectively guides users toward a healthier lifestyle through features like Active Zone Minutes and real-time heart rate alerts. The reviewer highlighted its seamless connection to the Fitbit app and the helpfulness of its automatic hourly move reminders, which encouraged healthy habits like drinking water and stretching. Additional strong pros include a built-in GPS for tracking pace and distance, detailed sleep tracking insights via the morning Sleep Score, an impressive seven-to-eight-day battery life on a single charge, and a comfortable, water-resistant "Storm Blue" band suitable for gym and shower use. On the downside, the reviewer experienced initial device pairing difficulties when trying to sync the tracker with a Samsung Galaxy S20, although it paired effortlessly with a Huawei Mate 20 Pro. While the Fitbit Premium ecosystem is rich in content, the guided workouts and programs felt subjective and did not appeal to the reviewer's personal needs. Furthermore, at a retail price of PhP 9,590 (approximately US$ 198), it represents a notable financial investment, and...

wired.com

21/04/2020

Summary of the review

Review: Fitbit Charge 4 - WIRED

The Fitbit Charge 4 is a highly effective, value-oriented fitness tracker that stands out primarily for its built-in GPS and exceptional battery life. The reviewer praises its 5-to-7-day battery life, which allows users to track daily activities and wear the device overnight without needing a nightly charge. Its advanced sleep-tracking software is highlighted as the best on the market, accurately utilizing a three-axis accelerometer, optical heart rate sensor, and an SpO2 sensor to calculate a precise Sleep Score from 0 to 100. Additionally, the tracker introduces "Zone Minutes" and an "Outdoor Workout" category, which map heart-pumping activity and high-intensity training into helpful visual heat maps within the app. Despite these strong features, the review notes several distinct drawbacks, particularly regarding software restrictions and interface limitations. A significant downside is that many of the best features—including advanced sleep software, guided programs, and personalized insights—are locked behind a paid Fitbit Premium subscription costing $10 per month or $80 per year. On the hardware side, the grayscale touchscreen is clear but lacks visually attractive watch face options. Finally, while the built-in GPS is...

macworld.com

14/04/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: Small and steady wins the race

Fitbit Charge 4 Review Summary The Fitbit Charge 4 is a top-tier, lightweight fitness tracker that prioritises health functionality over flashy aesthetics, making it a highly dependable option for fitness enthusiasts. On the positive side, it delivers top-notch health, sleep, and fitness tracking enhanced by a new "Active Zone Minutes" feature that gamifies and rewards heart-rate effort based on health guidelines. Crucially, it upgrades the previous generation by making a built-in GPS and an NFC chip standard, meaning users can track their distance, pace, and make contactless payments without needing their phone. Navigating the system also feels much speedier and snappier, and the tracker maintains an excellent overall battery life of roughly one week during normal use. However, the tracker comes with several notable drawbacks, particularly regarding its physical design and limited smartwatch capabilities. The build quality takes a visible hit by switching to a plastic resin body from the aluminum casing of the Charge 3, and it retains thick, distracting bezels around a basic grayscale screen. Performance-wise, using the newly added GPS sensor will aggressively drain the battery—depleting about...

trustedreviews.com

15/04/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 Review

The Trusted Reviews evaluation of the Fitbit Charge 4 highlights it as a top-tier tracker, balancing features like built-in GPS, Active Zone Minutes, and expanded Fitbit Pay with a comfortable, familiar design. However, the review identifies limitations, including a lack of local music storage, only basic Spotify controls, and a dated monochrome screen with poor sunlight visibility.

dcrainmaker.com

15/04/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 with GPS In-Depth Review

The Fitbit Charge 4 is a highly competitive activity tracker that bridges the gap between basic fitness bands and expensive sports watches by introducing built-in GPS and Fitbit Pay contactless payments at a accessible sub-$150 price point. It retains the lightweight, discrete form factor of its predecessor while adding useful features like Sleep Mode, an Agenda app, and Active Zone Minutes to track workout intensity based on age and heart rate. Testing shows that the built-in GPS is remarkably accurate and responsive, locking on in 5–10 seconds and performing well even under tree cover or near buildings. Furthermore, its 24/7 heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking remain industry-leading, providing users with a comprehensive nightly Sleep Score. However, the device has notable drawbacks, primarily centered around its screen and battery performance. The grayscale display is not always-on and is incredibly difficult to read in bright, direct sunlight, making it frustrating to check pace or heart rate mid-workout. Additionally, using the built-in GPS heavily drains the battery, cutting the standard 7-day lifespan down to a maximum of 4–5 hours, which makes it...

garagegymreviews.com

20/11/2024

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 Review: Wearable, Affordable Fitness Tracking

The Fitbit Charge 4 is a sleek, budget-friendly fitness tracker praised for its built-in GPS, which allows users to track outdoor routes without needing a smartphone. It tracks a wide array of health metrics, including 24/7 heart rate, SpO2 (oxygen saturation), sleep stages, and active zone minutes, which gamify intensity levels during workouts. Key technical additions include Spotify control for premium users and Fitbit Pay for contactless payments, making it a highly functional wearable for its price point. However, the device has notable drawbacks, particularly its grayscale PMOLED display, which is small (under one inch) and can be difficult to read. While it boasts a standard seven-day battery life, using the GPS continuously reduces battery life to just five hours, a significant drop for long-distance athletes. Additionally, the tracker can be slow to auto-recognize exercises, and some features, like quick replies to texts, are restricted to Android users only.

expertreviews.co.uk

01/12/2021

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: The best wristband fitness tracker?

The Fitbit Charge 4 builds directly upon the design of its predecessor, introducing highly anticipated features like built-in GPS, Fitbit Pay, and Spotify playback controls, alongside its 50m water resistance for swim tracking. A major addition is the "Active Zone Minutes" metric, which enhances general fitness tracking by rewarding users based on the time spent in specific heart-rate zones rather than just simple step counts. While the device maintains an impressive battery life of around four days with daily short GPS bursts, it is held back by a difficult-to-read monochrome OLED touchscreen and a slightly premium price tag of £130 compared to budget rivals. The tracker delivers strong performance benefits, but it also comes with distinct drawbacks. On the positive side (pros), it is exceptionally easy to use, the Active Zone Minutes system works beautifully to track workout intensity, and it is fully waterproof up to 50m for swimming. It also features a highly accurate heart rate monitor that closely tracks premium chest-strap monitors. Conversely, the cons include its expensive price relative to competitors, a wobbly and less accurate GPS...

fitandwell.com

09/06/2021

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: a decent fitness tracker suited to light use

The Fitbit Charge 4 is a comfortable, lightweight fitness tracker best suited for casual users and daily step-counting rather than hardcore athletic training. Released as an upgrade to the Charge 3, it introduces built-in GPS for mapping outdoor workouts without a phone and an "Active Zone Minutes" feature to track time spent in specific heart rate zones. The tracker excels at daily motivation through the highly community-driven Fitbit app, which features friendly step challenges and virtual treks. Additionally, it offers lifestyle conveniences uncommon for a simple band, including advanced notification support with quick replies, Fitbit Pay contactless payments, and a dedicated Spotify app that functions as a remote control. However, the device has significant limitations for enthusiasts, particularly regarding its battery life and tracking accuracy. While the battery lasts 5 to 7 days with normal use, activating the built-in GPS drains it rapidly, killing the device in roughly 3.5 to 4.25 hours—making it impractical for long hikes or marathon training. Furthermore, the heart rate sensor is laggy and highly unreliable during intensive or interval-style workouts, failing to register quick changes...

androidcentral.com

23/04/2021

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: The best fitness tracker just got better

Fitbit Charge 4 Review Summary The Fitbit Charge 4 is a highly effective, dedicated fitness tracker that prioritizes robust health logging over smartwatch gimmicks. Retaining the lightweight, comfortable, and swim-proof design of its predecessor, it introduces built-in GPS for phone-free workout tracking and standardizes Fitbit Pay across all models. It features an impressive seven-day battery life and debuts the "Active Zone Minutes" metric, which rewards higher-intensity exercise based on heart rate thresholds. Furthermore, the device provides some of the best sleep tracking in the business, alongside later-unlocked SpO2 and skin temperature sensing capabilities. Despite these strong tracking features, the Charge 4 falls short as a "smart" wearable due to its very limited smart functionality and a tiny display that makes reading unorganized notification streams clumsy. Built-in apps like Weather and Spotify are severely restricted, and users must frustratingly rely on the smartphone app to change basic settings like clock faces. Additionally, users are locked to storing a maximum of six workout shortcuts on the band at one time, meaning any adjustments require tedious re-syncing. Finally, legacy Bluetooth instability remains an...

cnet.com

12/02/2021

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: A better fitness tracker without the bulk

The Fitbit Charge 4 is a sleek, minimalistic fitness tracker that delivers robust activity and health features without the bulky form factor of a traditional smartwatch. A major upgrade for athletes is the inclusion of built-in GPS, which allows users to map outdoor runs, walks, and bike rides without carrying a phone. The tracker also introduces "Active Zone Minutes" alongside real-time heart rate zone notifications to push users out of their comfort zones during workouts. Additionally, it offers comprehensive sleep tracking analytics—such as Sleep Scores, sleep stages, and skin temperature variations—providing useful, science-backed insights into nightly habits. Beyond fitness, it incorporates convenient smart features like contactless payments via Fitbit Pay, smartphone notification mirroring, and a basic wrist remote for Spotify Premium subscribers. However, the device comes with notable drawbacks, particularly regarding its display and battery performance. The black-and-white touchscreen can suffer from lag and low visibility when viewed in direct sunlight, which can be frustrating during fast-paced workouts. While Fitbit advertises a seven-day battery life, heavy utilization of the onboard GPS heavily drains the battery, cutting real-world usage down to...

techgearlab.com

14/09/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 Review | Tested & Rated - TechGearLab

The Fitbit Charge 4 earned one of the highest overall scores in testing by TechGearLab, proving to be a top-performing and highly user-friendly fitness tracker. It excels in core fitness metrics, delivering an incredibly accurate step counter that matched true counts almost perfectly, alongside a reliable distance estimator and decent stair-climbing tracking. Its extensive tracking capabilities cover an impressive variety of workouts ranging from cycling and cardio to yoga and swimming, the latter supported by a 5 ATM (50-meter) water-resistance rating. The device also stands out for its responsive touchscreen, highly intuitive companion smartphone app, effortless automatic data syncing, and valuable dietary tools like barcode scanning and highly accurate Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) estimation. Furthermore, it features a comfortable, sleek, low-profile design with an appealing diamond-patterned band. Despite its strong performance, the review highlights notable drawbacks, particularly regarding heart rate monitoring accuracy, where the Charge 4 underperformed by averaging 19 bpm lower than a standard chest strap over ten trials. Additionally, while the display illuminates excellently in low-light conditions, it becomes difficult to read under bright, direct light, a problem...

techradar.com

28/09/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review - TechRadar

The TechRadar Fitbit Charge 4 review highlights this wearable as a highly capable evolution from its predecessor, keeping the same launch price while adding premium hardware upgrades. The standout improvement is built-in GPS tracking, which frees casual athletes from carrying a smartphone on outdoor runs, cycles, or swims. Other major feature additions include Fitbit Pay for NFC contactless payments and integrated Spotify controls over Bluetooth. Architecturally slim and lightweight, the device features an intuitive interface backed by continuous heart-rate monitoring, comprehensive sleep metrics, and an active heart-rate zone scoring metric called "Active Zone Minutes". Pros and Cons Overview Pros (+) Cons (-) Built-in GPS allows phoneless workout mapping. Monochrome OLED screen looks basic and lacks color. No price increase from the Charge 3 model at launch. No exterior design updates, keeping identical physical framing. Fitbit Pay and Spotify remote add convenience features. Quickly dimming display drops brightness too rapidly to preserve battery. Advanced health stats like Active Zone Minutes and sleep tracking. Limited active shortcuts allow only four exercise profiles on-device at once.

pocket-lint.com

13/04/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: The most accomplished fitness band

The Fitbit Charge 4 bridges the gap between simple fitness bands and advanced sports watches by introducing built-in GPS and NFC for Fitbit Pay. Its lightweight, slim, and water-resistant (up to 50m) design makes it highly comfortable for daily wear and sleep tracking. The user-friendly Fitbit app clearly displays comprehensive metrics like Sleep Scores and the new Active Zone Minutes, which reward users based on heart rate intensity rather than just raw step counts. While its GPS accuracy is dependable, tracking within a few hundred metres of high-end sports watches, the route mapping occasionally smooths out corners and places you slightly off-course. However, the addition of GPS introduces a significant drawback by severely draining the battery. The device drops from a 7-day battery life down to just a couple of days if you use regular GPS tracking, losing about 40% of its charge during a 90-minute cycle. Design evolution is also limited; it retains the small, monochrome touchscreen of its predecessor, which is difficult to glance at and read while exercising outdoors. Furthermore, its new Spotify control feature is heavily...

wareable.com

15/04/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: Top fitness tracker with one problem

The Wareable review praises the Fitbit Charge 4 as a top-tier fitness tracker, highlighting key upgrades including built-in GPS for independent workout mapping, Active Zone Minutes, and superior sleep tracking. Pros include its comfortable, swim-proof design and improved, data-rich activity tracking, making it an excellent, feature-packed choice for active users. However, the review cites a major drawback in the outdated 60x100 monochrome touchscreen, which is described as bland, unreadable in sunlight, and slow to respond. Furthermore, the device lacks an always-on display, and the battery life and user interface remain largely unchanged from the previous generation, highlighting a missed opportunity to modernize the hardware. Wareable

runningxpert.com

22/10/2021

Summary of the review

REVIEW: FITBIT CHARGE 4 - THE BEST ON THE MARKET

The Fitbit Charge 4 is a highly advanced, lightweight activity tracker designed for individuals focused on health and lifestyle metrics. It is roughly half the size of a standard GPS watch, making it a sleek, functional accessory that features an easy setup process and a seven-day battery life when GPS is turned off. Notable upgrades from its predecessor include a built-in GPS that eliminates the need for a smartphone during outdoor activities, Active Zone Minutes to track heart rate intensity, and exceptionally precise sleep analysis that provides users with a comprehensive "Sleep Score". Additionally, the device supports smart notifications, contactless payments via Fitbit Pay, VO2-max tracking, and Spotify control for premium account holders.

self.com

21/06/2021

Summary of the review

Review: Fitbit Charge 4, an Easy-to-Use Fitness Tracker

The Fitbit Charge 4 is a lightweight, user-friendly fitness tracker that successfully bridges the gap between traditional trackers and smartwatches for a retail price of $149. It excels in health and activity tracking, offering robust features such as heart rate monitoring, sleep scoring, water resistance up to 50 meters, and a helpful "zone minutes" metric that alerts users when transitioning between fat burn and cardio zones. The tracker boasts a highly comprehensive companion app that seamlessly logs historical metrics and supports automatic all-day syncing, while its comfortable design allows for effortless overnight wear. Furthermore, its battery life proves reliable, lasting roughly four days under heavy use and up to seven days with minimal activity. A major standout feature (and pro) of the Charge 4 is its built-in GPS, which permits users to accurately track outdoor exercises and leaves-behind the necessity of carrying a smartphone. However, a notable con is that the distance tracking loses accuracy and overestimates mileage specifically during mixed run/walk interval workouts. Additional drawbacks include the inability of the Fitbit app to sync multiple active devices at the...

tomsguide.com

28/01/2021

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review - Tom's Guide

Fitbit Charge 4 Review Summary The Fitbit Charge 4 is a highly capable, slim fitness tracker that stands out as a top choice for most users due to its built-in GPS and advanced health monitoring metrics. Released at $149.95, it maintains a lightweight, rectangular design with a grayscale OLED touchscreen and a touch-sensitive back button, similar to its predecessor, the Charge 3. A major highlight of this iteration is the introduction of Active Zone Minutes, a metric tracking time spent in specific heart rate zones to help users achieve the recommended 150 minutes of weekly exercise. It also incorporates an SpO2 pulse oximeter sensor for enhanced sleep insights—tracking restlessness and oxygen variation—and includes features like Smart Wake, Spotify music controls, and contactless payments via Fitbit Pay. Pros and Cons Pro: Built-in GPS is fast and accurate for tracking outdoor activities. Pro: Svelte, lightweight design is highly comfortable on the wrist. Pro: Deep integration with a massive community and Fitbit Premium features. Con: No onboard music storage, requiring a phone nearby for Spotify controls. Con: Screen real estate is small, making...

heise.de

11/05/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 Review: Fitness Tracker with GPS

The Heise Online review highlights the Fitbit Charge 4 as a major upgrade featuring integrated GPS for standalone tracking and comprehensive health monitoring, including sleep tracking and Active Zone Minutes. Key benefits include Fitbit Pay and seven-day battery life for standard use, although the design shifts to plastic, reducing the premium feel. Conversely, active GPS usage drastically reduces battery life to four or five hours, and the monochrome screen has a restrictive three-second timeout. Additionally, the device's inductive button can occasionally lead to accidental workout cancellations during activity.

chip.de

03/04/2021

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 in the FIT FOR FUN hands-on test

The CHIP review, based on a practical test by FIT FOR FUN, highlights the Fitbit Charge 4 as a highly competent and versatile all-rounder in the fitness tracker market. A standout feature of this model is the integration of built-in GPS, which represents a major upgrade from its predecessor and allows users to track their outdoor workouts phone-free. The tracker excels by maintaining a very high level of performance across all testing categories, offering robust activity tracking and enhanced sleep monitoring. Additionally, the inclusion of NFC for Fitbit Pay across standard models adds a layer of everyday convenience, making it an attractive package for both fitness enthusiasts and beginners seeking motivation. YouTube · However, the review and its surrounding analysis note a few definitive drawbacks that users should consider. The primary downside is the rapid battery drain when the GPS is active; while the device achieves an excellent 7-day battery life under normal use, activating the GPS cuts its runtime down to just around 5 hours, making it less suitable for long-distance events like marathons or all-day hikes. Furthermore, the...

runningxpert.com

28/10/2021

Summary of the review

REVIEW: FITBIT CHARGE 4 - THE BEST ON THE MARKET

However, the tracker has several notable limitations, particularly regarding battery performance and user interface controls during high-intensity training. While the device boasts a solid 7-day battery life under normal activity tracking, heavy GPS usage drains the power dramatically, depleting the battery fully after roughly 4 to 5 hours. Additionally, its side sensor button and touch screen display require highly precise inputs to pause or restart timers, making it cumbersome and full of "fummelei" (fiddling) to actively view stats or manage tracking mid-run. Minor software restrictions also exist, such as the sleep mode schedule only adjusting to full hour increments and contactless payments through Fitbit Pay being strictly dependent on whether the user's specific bank is supported.

haus.de

15/03/2022

Summary of the review

New Test Winner: The Excellent Fitbit Charge 4 - Haus.de

Despite its excellent overall package, the reviewer notes a few notable drawbacks. The OLED touch display is described as slightly sluggish and turns off a bit too quickly, making it difficult to read at times. While the silicone strap provides good wearing comfort, a physical gap exists between the tracker housing and the band where dirt easily accumulates. Battery life lasts up to 7 days under normal circumstances but drops drastically to just 5 hours when continuous GPS tracking is manually activated. Lastly, while you can control Spotify from the wearable, the device lacks its own internal storage for saving music tracks directly.

galaxus.de

26/05/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: jogging without a smartphone, but with GPS

The Galaxus review identifies the Fitbit Charge 4 as a top-tier tracker for casual training, largely due to its built-in GPS for phone-free tracking and useful auto-pause functionality. Key benefits include a slim design, reliable sleep tracking, and NFC mobile payments, with GPS allowing for detailed pace mapping during short workouts. However, a major drawback is the rapid 30% per hour battery drain during active GPS usage, making it unsuitable for long endurance sessions, despite a seven-day battery life in normal mode. Consequently, the review recommends the device for casual runners rather than long-distance athletes.

notebookcheck.com

16/06/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness Tracker Review: Twice as Expensive as the Huawei Band 4 Pro, But Is It Twice as Good?

This review highlights the Fitbit Charge 4 as a highly capable daily fitness analyzer whose standout feature is its comprehensive evaluation of overall physical activity. It continuously tracks your steps, floors climbed, and calories burned, using its newly introduced Active Zone Minutes to gauge workout intensities based on personal biometrics. The tracker includes built-in GPS and an SpO2 sensor for automatic running detection and nighttime blood oxygen monitoring. It also supports mobile payments via Fitbit Pay and features a quick-settings panel. The review praises its automated tracking capabilities, its seven-day battery life (down to five hours with continuous GPS tracking), and the highly detailed Fitbit companion app. However, the device has significant drawbacks, primarily its restrictive monochrome OLED display that is incredibly difficult to read in bright, outdoor sunlight. Active sports enthusiasts might find it lacking due to its limited selection of just over 20 sports profiles, and the app only allows you to load six profiles onto the tracker at any given time. Additionally, you cannot control your Spotify music while using the workout app simultaneously. Given its high...

fitforfun.de

15/02/2021

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 Review: The Smartest Fitness Tracker?

The Fitbit Charge 4 is a highly functional fitness tracker that introduces built-in GPS, Spotify connectivity, and contactless payments via Fitbit Pay, all while maintaining a familiar design and a competitive price of around €150. Key performance advantages include its exceptional automatic exercise recognition, highly accurate heart-rate-based sleep tracking, and a SpO2 sensor capable of detecting blood oxygen variations to flag potential sleep apnoea. It also introduces motivational "Active Zone Minutes" based on World Health Organisation guidelines to help users optimize cardio and fat-burn training. The tracker maintains a strong battery life of up to seven days under normal usage conditions. Despite these strong features, the reviewer highlights several notable drawbacks regarding its hardware and daily usability. The integrated GPS must be started manually to save battery life, and when it is active, the battery drains rapidly, dropping from seven days down to just five hours. Additionally, the display is somewhat sluggish, occasionally fails to respond to swipe gestures promptly, and has a short display duration that makes reading real-time metrics during workouts difficult. On a build-quality note, there is...

computerbild.de

30/11/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4: Review, Price, Buy, Comparison - Computer Bild

The Fitbit Charge 4 is a tracking band tailored for outdoor athletes, scoring a "satisfactory" 2.5 rating from Computer Bild due to its built-in GPS sensor. This critical addition allows joggers and cyclists to accurately track routes, speeds, and distances without needing a connected smartphone. However, to accommodate the GPS signal and cut costs, Fitbit swapped the previous generation's aluminium body for a plastic casing, making it less scratch-resistant and premium-feeling. The device features a black-and-white OLED display with small font sizes and offers a 7-day battery life under normal use, which drops drastically to just 5 hours if GPS tracking is kept continuously active. Pros and Cons Pros: Precise heart rate monitoring, excellent sleep phase tracking, and an SpO2 sensor to estimate blood oxygen saturation and spot potential breathing disruptions. It features automatic exercise detection, seamless integration with the Fitbit ecosystem, and contact-free payments via Fitbit Pay. Smart updates include real-time heart rate zone alarms and Spotify playback controls. Cons: The monochrome screen reacts sluggishly, and the bundled silicone wristband feels stiff and uncomfortable. There is a lack of...

lesnumeriques.com

03/07/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: the fitness tracker gets even better", "Fitbit Charge 4 test: the activity tracker refines itself

The Fitbit Charge 4 marks a significant upgrade in Fitbit's activity tracker lineup, primarily through the addition of integrated GPS, allowing users to track outdoor activities like running and cycling without needing their smartphone. Despite maintaining a design nearly identical to the Charge 3, it features a high-quality steel casing that is waterproof up to 50 metres, making it suitable for swimmers. The device's health tracking capabilities are bolstered by a reliable heart rate monitor that performs well even during high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and it offers a detailed sleep analysis that provides insights into various sleep cycles. However, the review highlights several drawbacks, most notably a reduction in battery life to approximately four days under intensive use—a significant drop from its predecessor's seven-day performance, largely due to the power demands of the GPS. While the 1.4-inch OLED screen offers high contrast and visibility, its monochrome display feels outdated compared to the vibrant, coloured screens of its Chinese competitors. Additionally, the user experience is occasionally marred by software lag, such as a 2 to 3-second delay for the screen to...

leclaireur.fnac.com

09/06/2020

Summary of the review

Getting Started with the Fitbit Charge 4: With GPS, the Tracker Truly Becomes Sporty

The Fitbit Charge 4 review on LeEclaireur Fnac highlights it as a highly capable, entry-to-mid-level tracker designed for everyday users looking to stay motivated rather than hardcore athletes. The standout feature of this generation is the integration of an independent built-in GPS, which allows local route tracking and real-time pace data for outdoor activities like running, cycling, and hiking without needing a smartphone nearby. The reviewer praises the intuitive inclusion of the "Active Zone Minutes" metric, which uses your age and heart rate data to gamify lifestyle health goals. Additionally, the device scores well for its daily convenience, offering advanced sleep stage metrics, an SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen trends, and Fitbit Pay support across several compatible banks. Conversely, the review notes several design and hardware limitations, starting with a recycled design that looks identical to the Charge 3, including a restrictive, uninspiring 1.34-inch monochrome OLED display. The new inductive side button can occasionally be problematic, accidentally triggering menus when bending the wrist during high-intensity fitness sessions. While the tracker boasts a theoretical 7-day battery life, mixed real-world testing—especially with...

cnetfrance.fr

07/06/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: The stylish fitness tracker at a shocking price

The CNET France review of the Fitbit Charge 4 highlights the wearable as a highly competitive tracker that successfully balances premium sports features with an affordable price point. A major pro emphasized in the review is the addition of built-in GPS, allowing users to track outdoor runs and cycling routes accurately without needing a companion smartphone. The device also boasts excellent health metrics, including advanced sleep stage analysis, a SpO2 sensor for monitoring blood oxygen levels, and a waterproof build capable of tracking swimming up to 50 metres. Furthermore, CNET France praises its aggressive launch pricing of €149.95, which positioned it at the exact same price as its predecessor, offering great value for money. CNET France However, the review points out notable hardware and battery cons that hold the tracker back. While the regular battery life can reach up to a solid 7 days under standard indoor use, it suffers a steep decline whenever the GPS is actively running. For example, the reviewer noted that a single 45-minute outdoor bike ride drained the battery by nearly 10%, indicating that frequent...

smarthealth.live

29/04/2021

Summary of the review

The Fitbit Charge 4 is the best fitness tracker (but is that enough?)

Fitbit Charge 4 Review Summary The Fitbit Charge 4 is a highly complete, premium activity tracker priced at 149 euros that targets users who prefer a dedicated fitness band over a complex smartwatch. A major highlight of this model is its new built-in GPS sensor, allowing users to accurately track real-time route positioning and average speed during outdoor runs or bike rides without carrying a smartphone. It introduces "Active Zone Minutes," which shifts fitness tracking from arbitrary step goals to reaching health-recommended targets of 150 minutes of elevated heart rate exercise per week. Additionally, it includes contactless payments via Fitbit Pay, basic remote control for Spotify, and an excellent, intuitive companion app. Under average usage conditions, its robust battery life can last an impressive six to seven days. Despite these premium upgrades, the Charge 4 features notable limitations regarding its physical design and specific feature execution. A major drawback is battery performance when using the GPS, which drains the device fully in just four to five hours. The physical interface also presents challenges; because the tracker retains the small touchscreen...

protegez-vous.ca

23/07/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: hard to beat!

Frédéric Perron’s review for Protégez-Vous identifies the Fitbit Charge 4 as a market leader, largely due to the integration of built-in GPS for independent route tracking and "Active Zone Minutes" for tracking heart rate intensity. The tracker offers a strong seven-day battery life for daily use, but activating the GPS significantly reduces this, lasting less than five hours. Despite the rapid battery drain during GPS use, the device is considered hard to beat.

notebookcheck.biz

25/07/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: twice as expensive as the Huawei Band 4 Pro

The Notebookcheck review of the Fitbit Charge 4 highlights the tracker as a strong daily activity companion, though it struggles to justify its €149 price tag when compared directly to the significantly cheaper €79 Huawei Band 4 Pro. A major pro of the Charge 4 is its addition of integrated GPS and a SpO2 sensor, building heavily upon the foundation of its predecessor. Furthermore, its absolute greatest strength lies in its comprehensive daily health and fitness overview, which seamlessly aggregates high-intensity workouts with general daily movements to deliver excellent lifestyle tracking. However, the reviewer points out several notable cons, particularly for outdoor sports enthusiasts. The tracker features a weak monochrome display that is highly difficult to read when exercising in direct sunlight. Additionally, it offers a relatively limited number of trackable activities compared to competing sports bands. Because the Huawei Band 4 Pro beats the Charge 4 in outdoor visibility with its vibrant AMOLED screen, supports more sport profiles, and costs nearly half as much, Notebookcheck concludes that the Fitbit Charge 4 is difficult to recommend strictly to dedicated athletes.

vonguru.fr

18/05/2020

Summary of the review

Review - Fitbit Charge 4 - Vonguru

The Fitbit Charge 4 is a lightweight and discreet fitness tracker that stands out as Fitbit's most accomplished sports band due to its new features and strong performance. The reviewer notes that it feels much lighter on the wrist than a smartwatch, making it incredibly comfortable to wear continuously, including overnight. Key strengths include the long-awaited integration of a built-in GPS for phone-free activity tracking across seven different sports, and a highly responsive notification system that allows users to send customizable quick replies. Additionally, the implementation of "Active Zone Minutes" helps users accurately track cardiovascular efforts based on personalized heart rate zones. Battery life is another major positive, successfully reaching a full seven days of usage even with notifications and continuous synchronization turned on.

montre-cardio-gps.fr

04/08/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 Review: More Complete Than Ever With GPS

The Montre Cardio GPS review highlights the Fitbit Charge 4 as a highly capable evolution of its predecessor, largely driven by the major addition of a built-in GPS. On the positive side (pros), the integrated GPS allows fitness enthusiasts to track outdoor workouts like running and cycling without needing a smartphone nearby. The review praises its solid standalone battery life, which stands at around 3 to 4 days even with daily sports tracking and active smartphone notifications. Additionally, the device retains its excellent ecosystem, providing a fun and engaging gamified step tracking experience that links real-world movement to progress within the Fitbit companion app. However, the reviewer notes several noticeable drawbacks (cons) that compromise data accuracy and user experience. A prominent flaw is the accelerometer's tendency to overcount steps, with the reviewer observing that the Charge 4 mistakenly recorded thousands of extra steps while simply driving on a road trip. The optical heart rate sensor also raised accuracy concerns; its resting heart rate measurements consistently scored 5 to 6 beats per minute higher compared to a baseline Garmin GPS watch....

tomsguide.fr

23/06/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 Review: GPS is Finally Here

The Fitbit Charge 4 bridges the gap between basic fitness trackers and smartwatches by introducing a built-in, autonomous GPS, which allows users to accurately track outdoor workouts like running, cycling, or hiking without carrying a smartphone. Weighing only 28 grams, the device features a slim, lightweight design with a practical interchangeable strap system and a comfortable OLED touchscreen display. It tracks standard metrics like sleep stages, heart rate zones, and step counts, alongside a "Active Zone Minutes" metric to monitor training intensity. Additional useful features include standard smart notifications, contactless payments via Fitbit Pay, and 50-metre water resistance suitable for swimming. However, the reviewer highlights several notable drawbacks, including an OLED display that can be difficult to read under direct, bright sunlight. Battery life is heavily impacted by the new hardware; while the tracker can last up to 7 days normally, continuous GPS usage drains about 25% of the battery per hour, reducing total uptime to just 4 hours. Furthermore, Spotify integration only serves as a basic remote control because the device completely lacks internal music storage. Priced at €150...

global.techradar.com

08/07/2021

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review - TechRadar

The Fitbit Charge 4 retains a nearly identical slim, lightweight design and monochrome OLED touchscreen as its predecessor, but it introduces three major feature upgrades: integrated GPS, Spotify controls, and contactless payments via Fitbit Pay. Released at a launching price of €149.95, it tracks comprehensive daily health metrics like steps, distance, calories, and detailed sleep analysis, alongside a heart rate sensor that updates every second during workouts. It is water-resistant up to 50 meters and features an intuitive touch interface paired with an updated mobile app that introduces "Active Zone Minutes"—a metric tracking personalized heart-rate health based on age and resting pulse. Battery life lasts up to a full week, though utilizing the standalone GPS functionality significantly speeds up battery drain. The primary advantages of the device include the game-changing addition of built-in GPS for phone-free outdoor tracking, continuous heart rate monitoring, and keeping the same launching price tag as the older model despite the upgraded tech. On the downside, the device features an uninspired, recycled exterior design and stays limited to a grayscale, monochromatic display. While the screen remains...

global.techradar.com

29/04/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review - TechRadar

The Fitbit Charge 4 marks a significant evolution over its predecessor by integrating a built-in GPS, allowing users to track outdoor runs, cycling, and swimming without carrying a smartphone. Retaining the exact same launch price as the Charge 3 (€149.00), this lightweight tracker measures 35.8mm x 22.7mm x 12.5mm and features an optical heart rate sensor that updates every second during workouts. Key feature upgrades include the addition of contactless payments via Fitbit Pay, Spotify music controls over Bluetooth, and a built-in altimeter to measure floor climbing. The device also introduces the "Active Zone Minutes" metric, which calculates weekly physical intensity based on age and resting heart rate, and comes with a 90-day free trial of Fitbit Premium for guided health programs. The review highlights distinct pros and cons regarding its hardware and daily usability. On the positive side, the tracker delivers excellent value by adding GPS functionality without a price increase, provides superb continuous heart rate monitoring, offers an intuitive touchscreen interface, and maintains a strong one-week battery life that fully recharges in under an hour. Conversely, the main...

recensioniorologi.it

22/06/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review, opinions and price

The Fitbit Charge 4 is a highly efficient fitness tracker and smartwatch featuring a minimal, square-shaped design that measures 42mm in length and 12mm in thickness, making it versatile and comfortable for daily wear and workouts. Key technical upgrades over its predecessor include the integration of built-in GPS for precise distance and route tracking, Active Zone Minutes, a workout intensity map, Spotify control, and an NFC module for Fitbit Pay contactless payments. The device is swim-proof with a water resistance rating of up to 50 meters and features a reliable continuous optical heart rate monitor that alerts users when they reach target cardio zones. Its robust health suite also tracks daily steps, calories burned, water intake, weight loss, and detailed sleep phases (light, deep, and REM). Furthermore, it seamlessly syncs via wireless technology with both Android and iOS devices to display notifications, weather, and calls, while uniquely allowing Android users to send quick text replies directly from their wrist. The reviewer highlights several notable pros, including its elegant and customizable design with easily swappable classic, sport, leather, or woven straps,...

robadainformatici.it

28/10/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 - Full Review - Roba Da Informatici

Fitbit Charge 4 Review Summary The Fitbit Charge 4 is a lightweight and comfortable mid-range smartband that stands out from competitors by packing premium features into a compact, ergonomically designed body. Its standout features include a high-quality 1.57-inch touch OLED display with automatic brightness, built-in GPS for phone-free tracking, an NFC module for contactless payments, and an altimeter to measure altitude during workouts. It offers elite-level fitness tracking, seamless smartphone notification integration via Bluetooth 4.0, and water resistance up to 50 meters, making it ideal for swimming. The intuitive companion app expands data storage capabilities up to 30 days and allows users to seamlessly control Spotify directly from their wrist. However, the tracker has notable drawbacks, primarily its grayscale/monochromatic display, which reduces visibility for certain watch faces compared to modern color screens. Additionally, its 7-day battery life drops drastically by 5% to 7% per hour when the GPS is continuously active. Lastly, while effective, the device relies on an older "clamp-style" charging pin cable instead of a modern magnetic charger. Despite these minor limitations, its high-tier sensor array makes it...

corriere.it

29/09/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4: with GPS we can also track workouts - Corriere

The Fitbit Charge 4 review by Corriere della Sera highlights the integration of an independent GPS as a major advantage, allowing precise, standalone tracking for runners and cyclists. It also features universal Fitbit Pay for contactless payments and holds a market price of €149.99 for the standard version. Corriere della Sera Conversely, the review notes drawbacks, specifically the persistent overestimation of daily steps and the retention of the same monochrome OLED screen from the previous generation. The device is priced at €169.99 for the Special Edition, which includes an additional fabric strap. Corriere della Sera

tomshw.it

07/08/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: GPS at last

The Fitbit Charge 4 is a lightweight and slim fitness tracker that bridges the gap between basic wearables and advanced sports watches by introducing integrated GPS, Spotify controls, and contactless payments via Fitbit Pay. Priced at €149.99, it offers 50-metre water resistance and tracks optical heart rate, sleep data, and a health metric called "Active Zone Minutes". Its companion mobile application provides highly accessible, card-based metric tracking. Furthermore, users can access guided wellness plans and advanced health reports by utilising a Fitbit Premium subscription. The primary advantages highlighted in this review are the game-changing integrated GPS, an incredibly lightweight and comfortable design, and highly intuitive touchscreen navigation with gentle haptic feedback. However, the device has notable drawbacks, including a monochrome OLED display that suffers from poor visibility under direct sunlight and a screen backlight that dims too quickly. Additionally, while battery life can last up to a full week under normal use, activating the GPS drains the battery completely in just about an hour, meaning current Charge 3 owners may not find the upgrade necessary unless they strictly require standalone...

macitynet.it

10/05/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 Review: The King of Activity Trackers Keeps Its Crown

The Fitbit Charge 4 maintains the exact same aesthetic design as its predecessor, the Charge 3, but introduces critical internal upgrades, most notably a built-in GPS that allows for accurate route tracking without needing a connected smartphone. It features a monochrome display optimized for high contrast and readability, though it shows some limitations under direct sunlight. Additional key software and hardware integrations include "Active Zone Minutes" to track optimal fat-burning periods, universal access to contactless payments via Fitbit Pay, and a sleep tracking ecosystem that remains unmatched due to detailed blood oxygenation and heart rate analysis. The primary advantages highlighted in the review are its comprehensive, top-tier software ecosystem and application, excellent tracking accuracy, the inclusion of integrated GPS, and an impressive battery life that easily reaches up to nine days without GPS usage. Conversely, the device's main drawbacks include a high price tag compared to standard market activity bands—costing €149.99 for the standard version and €169.99 for the Special Edition—and the lack of dedicated on-board music storage, meaning users still must carry a phone if they want audio entertainment...

andreagaleazzi.com

04/05/2020

Summary of the review

FITBIT CHARGE 4 Review - Andrea Galeazzi

Fitbit Charge 4 Review Summary The Fitbit Charge 4 is essentially a replica of its predecessor, the Charge 3, but with the major addition of built-in GPS. This hardware upgrade allows for faster, highly accurate outdoor route tracking and precise workout statistics directly from the wrist without relying on a smartphone. The wearable is lightweight, waterproof up to 50 meters, and offers an excellent battery life of up to 7 days when used without GPS tracking. It features an intuitive, data-rich ecosystem that pairs well with external apps like MyFitnessPal. Additionally, its monochrome display includes an automatic brightness sensor that remains highly visible in all lighting conditions, while supporting pre-set notification replies specifically for Android users. Despite these strong features, the device suffers from specific tracking errors, including a roughly 10% overestimation of daily step counts and inflated calorie calculations. While sleep tracking is incredibly precise by using the blood oxygenation sensor to detect issues like sleep apnea, SpO2 levels are only monitored during sleep rather than on-demand. The heart rate sensor is generally accurate but lacks the immediate responsiveness...

global.techradar.com

27/04/2020

Summary of the review

TechRadar review of the Fitbit Charge 4", "Fitbit Charge 4 review by TechRadar

The Fitbit Charge 4 bridges the gap between basic fitness trackers and premium sports watches by introducing highly requested upgrades like a built-in GPS, Fitbit Pay, and Spotify controls, all while maintaining the exact same €149.95 launch price as its predecessor. It features a lightweight, slim rectangular design that is comfortable enough for 24/7 wear and tracking. The tracker boasts a strong battery life of up to seven days, intuitive touch controls backed by a haptic side button, and reliable tracking for up to six workout profiles. It seamlessly pairs with an overhauled Fitbit App to offer "Active Zone Minutes" calculated using age and resting heart rate, while also providing guided health programs, mindfulness exercises, and wellness reports through its Fitbit Premium tier. The core advantages (pros) of the Fitbit Charge 4 include the inclusion of built-in GPS for mapping outdoor workouts without a phone, advanced continuous heart rate monitoring, and a highly accessible entry price that matches the previous generation. On the downside, the cons focus heavily on its visual layout and limited display capabilities. It recycles an identical...

techgirl.nl

13/01/2021

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: A handy companion for your steps and health

The TechGirl review of the Fitbit Charge 4 highlights it as a highly useful wearable for tracking daily steps, health metrics, and overall fitness levels. The reviewer notes several prominent pros, including its sleek and lightweight design—especially the Special Edition variant which packages both a comfortable woven fabric strap and a standard plastic-style band. Key functional additions over its predecessor include an integrated NFC chip for contactless payments via Fitbit Pay, a dedicated calendar agenda widget to prevent missing online meetings, and a built-in GPS chip that allows users to accurately map outdoor walks and runs without carrying a smartphone. Furthermore, the device delivers deep insights into user wellness by monitoring sleep quality and tracking 24/7 heart rate data, which uniquely helped the author discover a low resting heart rate condition. However, the reviewer points out notable cons regarding its battery life and app ecosystem constraints. While the device normally boasts an impressive one-week battery life, activating the built-in GPS causes the battery to plummet drastically. Another significant drawback is that the integrated Spotify app acts strictly as a remote...

notebookcheck.nl

20/06/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness Tracker Review: A Brief Test Report

Based on the Notebookcheck review, the Fitbit Charge 4 serves as an informative day-to-day fitness monitor, though it faces stiff competition from more affordable alternatives like the Huawei Band 4 Pro. A major strength of the tracker lies in its comprehensive all-day health and fitness analysis. It introduces useful features such as built-in GPS, SpO2 tracking, and customized "Active Zone Minutes," which reward users for physical exertion throughout the entire day rather than just during formal exercises. However, at an introductory price of €149, the review notes that its performance and features do not fully justify the steep premium over its competitors. Despite its daily tracking strengths, the review outlines major drawbacks for dedicated athletes. The tracker features a dim monochrome display that is very difficult to read outdoors in bright sunlight. Additionally, it offers a relatively limited selection of sports profiles compared to the Huawei competitor, which features a broader sports portfolio, a vibrant AMOLED colour screen, and better training graphics in its companion health app. Ultimately, the review concludes that while the Fitbit Charge 4 is a capable...

ct.nl

07/07/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 fitness tracker

The c't magazine review highlights the Fitbit Charge 4 (€150) as a surprisingly innovative fitness tracker released after Google's acquisition, moving beyond a simple reuse of old hardware parts. A major positive feature is the integration of a built-in GPS chip, which allows users to log location data during workouts without needing a smartphone nearby. Additional pros include an improved automatic activity recognition system, a new tracking algorithm that awards double activity minutes for high-intensity workouts, and a battery life that can last up to a week under standard tracking conditions. Find the right fitness tracker for you What is your primary fitness activity? Choosing your main sport helps narrow down trackers with optimized sensor arrays. Running or Walking Cycling Swimming Gym or HIIT How important is built-in GPS tracking without a phone? Standalone GPS allows you to map your routes while leaving your smartphone at home. Essential Nice to have Not needed

techtesters.eu

10/09/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review - Techtesters Would you like a similar list of video reviews in Dutch, or perhaps a comparison with the newer Fitbit Charge 5?

The Techtesters review highlights the Fitbit Charge 4 as an exceptionally complete fitness tracker available at a reasonable price point (originally 149 euros, with a street price around 130 euros). The main upgrades over its predecessor are the addition of built-in GPS—allowing users to track outdoor routes without carrying a smartphone—and Fitbit Pay for contactless payments. On the software side, the review praises the device's robust capabilities, highlighting deep heart-rate-based activity insights that log the intensity of various route segments, and highly advanced sleep tracking features. However, the review points out several notable drawbacks. The hardware features a basic black-and-white OLED screen rather than a color display, which limits notification space and forces the user to rely heavily on the companion app. Furthermore, the side navigation relies on a vibrating, pressure-sensitive touch zone instead of a preferred physical button. Finally, while normal battery life spans about a week, enabling the GPS drains the battery quickly, requiring a recharge after a single active day. Despite these complaints, the reviewer concludes that it remains an excellent, lightweight option for those prioritizing sports...

androidworld.nl

21/04/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: the 'perfect' fitness tracker for many

The Androidworld Fitbit Charge 4 review highlights it as an excellent fitness tracker for everyday users looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle, retailing between €149.95 and €169.95. A major upgrade is the addition of built-in GPS, which delivers accurate route tracking and works alongside a precise heart rate monitor that performs on par with dedicated chest straps. The tracker introduces "Active Zone Minutes" to motivate users based on personalized heart rate zones, complements activity tracking with detailed sleep stage analysis and SpO2 monitoring, and includes everyday smartwatch utilities like Fitbit Pay (NFC), notification replies, and a basic Spotify controller. However, the review points out several limitations, particularly for hardcore athletes. The monochromatic OLED screen suffers from poor visibility in direct sunlight, making it difficult to read outdoor workout stats. Additionally, while the battery lasts 4 to 5 days under standard use, enabling the GPS drains the battery heavily at a rate of 21% per hour, making it less suitable for long-distance runners or marathoners. Other drawbacks include a rigid ecosystem where users can only load 6 of the 21 available...

deargoodmorning.com

15/04/2020

Summary of the review

Review – Fitbit Charge 4 - Dear Good Morning

The review highlights a strong balance of pros and cons for this device. On the positive side, it offers a great price-to-quality ratio, an impressive battery life that lasts up to seven days with moderate GPS use, and water resistance suitable for showering or swimming. However, notable drawbacks include its lack of a vibrant color display like the Fitbit Versa 2, and the fact that its design thickness is identical to the Charge 3, which some users find bulky on the wrist at night. Additionally, the device does not allow the direct download of external apps like Strava (though accounts can be paired for auto-syncing), and users cannot access the Spotify controls directly while a workout is being actively tracked on the watch.

iphoned.nl

15/04/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review: the best fitness tracker just got better

The iPhoned review highlights the Fitbit Charge 4 as an excellent, budget-friendly fitness tracker that bridges the gap toward becoming a legitimate smartwatch alternative. The primary upgrade is the inclusion of built-in GPS, allowing users to accurately track running or walking routes without carrying their iPhone. Additionally, the review praises the new "Active Zone Minutes" metric—which rewards users based on heart rate intensities (fat burn vs. cardio/peak zones)—as well as the inclusion of Fitbit Pay on all models, Spotify Premium music controls, and an impressive seven-day battery life. However, the review points out several notable drawbacks, particularly regarding its hardware design. The physical exterior remains unchanged from its predecessor, featuring raised edges around the display that tend to accumulate dust and dirt, while creating an uncomfortable, "cheap" sensation when swiping across the screen. Furthermore, the small screen lacks onboard music storage—meaning you still need an iPhone nearby to listen to audio—and it remains highly difficult to read in direct sunlight while wearing sunglasses. Despite these design flaws, the reviewer concludes that at a price point of €149.95, it is a...

smarthealth.live

17/04/2020

Summary of the review

SmartHealth Review: The Fitbit Charge 4

The Fitbit Charge 4 review highlights a highly complete activity tracker priced at 149 euros. It is designed primarily for consumers who want advanced health features without the bulk or daily charging demands of a traditional smartwatch. On the positive side, the tracker features a built-in GPS sensor, allowing users to leave their smartphones at home while accurately mapping routes and calculating speeds. Additionally, it introduces Fitbit Pay (supported by Dutch banks like ABN AMRO and Rabobank), limited Spotify remote controls, and a robust 6 to 7-day battery life under average usage. It also debuts the "Active Zone Minutes" metric, which successfully rewards users for spending time in elevated heart rate zones, aligning well with health recommendations. However, the review identifies several notable drawbacks. Despite its internal hardware changes, the exterior is physically identical to the older Charge 3. The device's utility is heavily restricted by its small touchscreen display and lack of physical buttons. This design limitation makes navigating menus, managing app notifications, and using the device during high-intensity sports a clunky experience, especially compared to dedicated running watches...

iculture.nl

20/04/2020

Summary of the review

Fitbit Charge 4 review

The Fitbit Charge 4 is highlighted as a significant upgrade over its predecessor, primarily due to the addition of built-in GPS, which allows users to track outdoor workouts like running or cycling without carrying a smartphone. This model introduces "Active Zone Minutes," a feature that tracks time spent in specific heart rate zones to help users meet weekly exercise goals. It maintains a 7-day battery life and includes essential features like sleep tracking, Fitbit Pay, and Spotify controls, all housed in a compact, water-resistant design that is compatible with older Charge 3 bands. Despite being called the "best fitness tracker of the moment," the review identifies several drawbacks, most notably the small greyscale OLED screen which can be difficult to read during intense activity. While the battery lasts a week under normal use, enabling GPS drains the battery rapidly, and the device lacks local music storage. Additionally, the user interface is described as non-intuitive, particularly for those accustomed to smartwatches like the Apple Watch, and the device still does not offer native integration with Apple’s HealthKit.

Third-party reviews

Based on 51,508 buyer reviews from online shops.

Reviews last updated: June 2026 · How we calculate this

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What we like about Fitbit Charge 4

Integrated GPS allows for tracking outdoor activities without carrying a smartphone
Best-in-class sleep tracking providing detailed insights into sleep stages and overall sleep score
Active Zone Minutes feature helps users track workout intensity and reach fitness goals
Contactless payments are supported across all models via Fitbit Pay
Slim, lightweight design makes it comfortable for all-day wear and sleeping
Excellent battery life of up to 7 days when not using GPS

What we don't like about Fitbit Charge 4

Grayscale/monochromatic display is considered dated and difficult to read in direct sunlight
Battery life drops significantly to approximately 5 hours when GPS is active
Lack of advanced smartwatch features such as a voice assistant or on-device music storage
Proprietary charging cable is required and is incompatible with other Fitbit models
Some long-term users reported durability issues with the strap clasp and screen after a year of use
Spotify controls require a Premium subscription and the phone to be nearby

Verdict

The Fitbit Charge 4 is a lightweight, water-resistant fitness tracker (up to 50m) featuring a 1-inch monochrome OLED touchscreen, built-in GPS for phone-free activity tracking, and an altimeter for measuring floors climbed. Key characteristics include 24/7 heart rate monitoring, SpO2 sensors for blood oxygen tracking, and the Active Zone Minutes metric to optimize workout intensity. Main pros include its slim design, built-in GPS, Fitbit Pay for contactless payments, and a battery life of up to 7 days (though this drops to approximately 5 hours with continuous GPS use). Major cons include a basic grayscale display that can be difficult to read in direct sunlight, the lack of an always-on display, and no onboard music storage beyond basic Spotify playback controls.

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