Charge 5 makes "trade-offs I have not seen a decade of reviewing watches and devices"

[keith.uk]

My Fitbit 3 has given up the ghost and I'm looking for a replacement. My go-to reviewer is DC Rainmaker. I've just watched his review of the Charge 5.  He says that with the Charge 5 you can have either accurate heart rate or accurate GPS but not both.

For accurate GPS, you have to wear the strap very loose. For accurate heart rate, you have to wear it as normal. 

I've searched the forum but haven't found any discussion or comment. I'd like to ask people who have the Charge 5 whether or not they agree with his findings. 

This is the review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7KHBR-xSlc

[keith.uk]

The title should be "...a decade of reviewing watches and devices". I don't seem to be able to change it.

[VeganDan]

I had to replace my Charge 3 and I have been disappointed with the Charge 5's inability to stay connected to my phone's GPS.  I'm about ready to return it to Amazon and find another brand of tracker.

[SunsetRunner]

My Charge 5 works fine. I press start training and then wait a few seconds for it to find the GPS signal. So far I have had no problems and it displays a map with no mistakes. The heart rate is exactly the same as with the Apple Watch I was wearing before. I wear the tracker so tight that I can just slide my little finger through at the bottom, if that helps.

Maybe I'm just lucky with the device

[keith.uk]

Thanks. That ties in with the video.

[keith.uk]

That's encouraging. Can I ask what kind of training you do? Does it raise your heart rate significantly?

[SunsetRunner]

Up to a pulse of 150 beats per minute, it agrees with the Apple Watch - as far as I have been able to test it so far. I don't usually get that much higher because my resting pulse is low. I run, walk and do full-body workouts at home. I haven't been able to test that extensively yet either, because I've had a cold on and off for weeks. 

But I think to get absolutely accurate results, you have to wear a chest strap to measure your pulse. This video might help you decide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPiYdJVjx-g The guy tests numerous fitness trackers. 

[keith.uk]

What he was saying in the video is that you can't have good GPS and good heart rate at the time. If you have the strap loose enough to get a good GPS signal, you lose the heart rate. He said there is no problem if you're only interested in one or the other.