The Fitbit Charge 5 retails at Rs 12,999 in India. 

That may sound like a lot for a fitness band in a market that is oversaturated with plenty of affordable options. 

However, the Fitbit Charge 5 makes a pretty compelling case for your wallet. 

It has proved that a fitness band is much more than pedometers and heart-rate monitors.  

Beautiful but unpractical design

The fitness band is not only easy to wear, but the button-less design with rose gold edges is positively elegant. The bright and colorful 1.04-inch AMOLED display is a major step up from its predecessor’s monochrome offering. But the thick bezels do make the screen look a bit tiny.

Even though the Fitbit Charge 5 looks good, it’s a huge step back from a practical perspective. Because you can’t just press a button to wake up your screen or go back to your home screen.

You must tap the tiny display several times to do either of these things. 

Moreover, if you are swiping through apps/features, you have to swipe back as many times to go back to the home screen. This is frustrating and unnecessary.

There is an Always-On display feature but it is a massive battery-drainer.

In terms of watch palette for watch faces, it’s quite limited and you have to use your phone to change the watch face, which is quite sad because most competitors have a broader palette allow you to change the watch face from the watch itself.

Fitbit Specs

In addition to the heart rate sensor, pedometer and blood oxygen level tracker, the Fitbit Charge 5 also comes with ECG AFib (irregular heart rate) detection. It can notify users of high or low heart rate.

The fitness band also calculates the electrodermal activity (EDA) that measures how your body reacts to stress.

All you need to do is put two fingers on either side of the band for three minutes and record your mood when prompted.

It will show a Stress Management Score, which only Fitbit Premium subscribers can access.

As for sleep tracking, the app shows a detailed report categorizing sleep in Awake, REM, Light and Deep sleep options, as well as tracking oxygen variation.  

The band automatically turns on sleep tracker, which is not very common in fitness bands or even smartwatches these days. 

Sleep Tracker

Buyers of the Fitbit Charge 5 get six months of free Fitbit Premium, which unlocks features like skin temperature at night,, mindfulness sessions, sleep score breakdown, guided workout programs with celebrity coaches like Will Smith and Deepak Chopra and nutrition advice as well as Exertion Balance, Sleep Patterns, Responsiveness and more.

Multiple-day battery with a catch

The Fitbit Charge 5 can last around 7-days with regular usage but it will show a dramatic reduction if you turn on the Always-On Display feature, if you turn it on it barely lasts for two days. The band charges from 0 to 100 in just a couple of hours.

Possible Dealbreakers

The Fitbit Charge 5 does not have support for music storage or music playback control. So you have to use your phone to control music during workout sessions. 

There is also no speaker or mic, so no call option is available either.

TAGS: FitBit, Fitbit Charge 5