Fitbit charge 5 worth it?

[kaneki83]

I'm looking to upgrade from my fitbit charge 2. Its been 3 years and the contact points of the fitbit have worn down so bad it doesn't charge properly. Forced to look for an upgrade within the ecosystem, I did some research and came upon DC Rainmakers comprehensive review of the charge 5 where he says you can either get Decent HR or decent GPS but not both during use.

All my workouts are indoors, so I don't care for GPS, but HR accuracy and therefore calories burned are very important to me. Can current owners vouch for its accuracy/reliability if worn tight on the wrist?

[DramaQueenDiva]

I tested mine side by side with my Sense last week.  It kept right up with my Sense!

[BradC1111]

I do not like my charge 5, has a lot of issues such as synching multiple things between my iphone.  I did think the charge 2 tracked my stats better than my charge 5.  Missing steps, stairs etc...

[Dopovo]

Hello @kaneki83, 

apart the excellent review by DC Rainmaker that you found I suggest you also to check the very accurate tests performed by The Quantified Scientist who compares the HR sensors accuracy versus a proven reliable sensor such as the Polar H10.

Here you can find the Charge 5 test and here you can find the Sense one

Comparing the Charge 5 versus Sense is in effect not a wise idea since the unreliability of its sensor as found by the same Quantified Scientist or the many users in this very same community forum.

[Nixibix]

I would’ve recommended it, but recently had issues with a black screen and now it only lasts 1 hour. I got this as a gift on December 2021 so it hasn’t even been a year.

[Roxanne88]

Stay away from the Charge 5. I just boxed mine up to return it after multiple frustrating customer support chats. It has a syncing problem and is not accurate with steps, workout and sleep. I went back to my Charge 2.

[SunsetRunner]

I wouldn't I am only on this forum to try to figure out if there are ways to make this device work as intended. My charge 2 once it was replaced for not syncing and not working worked great. My charge 5 hardly ever turns the clock on when I try to check it so I am only using the band to monitor my suntan with the line I get from wearing it. Husband used his charge 4 for 6 months before giving up on it because they have become useless pieces of crap.

[JoeDirt]

I had the following paragraph in another post, but this is how I feel as old Charge 4 user with the new Charge 5 after my first day.

Altimeter gone, Weather app gone, Relax app gone, Button for wet usage gone (just a screen lock - hurray) -_- Hard double tap is only accepted when hitting on the top of the band really really hard.

I really hope Fitbit is tuning the Charge 5 at least for the apps and customization options, so it is not a complete downgrade to my Charge 4. If not this is the last Fitbit in my collection. If the above features don't matter for you, the build quality seems very good for now. I also have no sync issues (on Android yet).

[SunsetRunner]

If having notice of high/low HR is important to you, be aware that feature is not able to alert you during the Sleep/DND mode. There is no work-around to enable HR to bypass DNR. Just something I learned the hard way so my two-week old Charge 5 is going back to Fitbit.