Fitness trackers have become an increasingly popular way to monitor daily activity, sleep, and overall health. Two of the most popular and advanced fitness trackers on the market are the Fitbit Charge 5 and Garmin Vivoactive 4. But which one is right for you?
A Brief Comparison Table
| Feature | Fitbit Charge 5 | Garmin Vivoactive 4 |
| Display | AMOLED color touchscreen | MIP transreflective color touchscreen |
| Battery Life | Up to 7 days | Up to 8 days |
| GPS | Built-in GPS | Built-in GPS + GLONASS |
| Heart Rate Tracking | Yes, continuous | Yes, continuous |
| Sleep Tracking | Yes + Sleep Score | Yes + Advanced Sleep Monitoring |
| Smartwatch Features | Call, text, app notifications | Music storage, Garmin Pay, apps |
| Water Resistance | 50m water resistant | 50m water resistant |
| Price | $149.95 | $349.99 |
Overview of the Fitbit Charge 5
The Fitbit Charge 5 is Fitbit’s most advanced fitness and health tracker yet. It has a slim and sleek design with an always-on AMOLED color touchscreen display. The Charge 5 is loaded with features including built-in GPS, continuous heart rate monitoring, detailed sleep tracking, stress tracking, oxygen saturation measurements, and much more.
Some of the key features and benefits of the Charge 5 include:
- Slim, lightweight design that’s comfortable to wear all day and night
- Bright, vibrant AMOLED color touchscreen that’s easy to view indoors and outdoors
- Up to 7 days of battery life on a single charge
- Built-in GPS tracks pace, distance, and intensity maps for outdoor workouts without needing your phone
- Continuous heart rate tracking and heart rate zones provide data on calorie burn, health trends, and workout intensity
- In-depth sleep tracking with sleep score, sleep stages, and smart wake alarm
- All-day stress tracking with mindfulness tools to help manage stress
- EDA sensor tracks electrodermal activity to gauge body’s response to stress
- SpO2 sensor measures nightly blood oxygen levels
- Female health tracking for menstrual health and pregnancy
- Swimproof design for tracking swims and water workouts
- Contactless payments and built-in voice assistant
- Slim, lightweight profile that’s comfortable for 24/7 wear
- Syncs seamlessly with Fitbit app to track health metrics, activity, sleep and more
The Charge 5 combines all of Fitbit’s most advanced health and fitness features into one sleek tracker. It provides detailed insights and a comprehensive overview of your overall wellness.
Overview of the Garmin Vivoactive 4
The Garmin Vivoactive 4 is a premium multisport GPS smartwatch designed for athletes and active users. It has a bright MIP display, built-in sports apps, advanced health tracking, and smartwatch capabilities.
Key features and benefits of the Vivoactive 4 include:
- Lightweight design with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens material
- MIP color touchscreen display readable in sunlight
- Built-in GPS, GLONASS, Galileo satellite systems
- Over 20 preloaded sports apps including running, biking, swimming, golf, yoga and more
- Garmin Coach adaptive training plans for running and cycling
- Advanced sleep tracking with pulse ox sensor
- Body battery energy monitoring
- Garmin Pay contactless payments
- Smart notifications for calls, texts, apps
- Safety/tracking features like incident detection and LiveTrack
- Up to 8 days battery life in smartwatch mode
- Music storage for 500 songs
- Lots of customizable watch faces
- Works with Android and iOS
- Swim-proof and shower-proof
With its bevy of sports, fitness, health and smart features, the Garmin Vivoactive 4 is ideal for athletes, outdoor enthusiasts and active users who want detailed tracking across a wide range of activities.
Also Read: Differences Between Suunto 7 And Suunto 9.
Key Differences Between the Fitbit Charge 5 and Garmin Vivoactive 4
While the Fitbit Charge 5 and Garmin Vivoactive 4 share some similarities, there are some important differences between these two popular fitness trackers.
- Design
Fitbit Charge 5: Its design is sleek, minimalistic, and is geared towards users who appreciate discretion and comfort.
The slimmer, lightweight rectangular form factor gives it a contemporary edge, ideal for those who don’t necessarily want a conspicuous piece of tech on their wrist. Essentially, it doesn’t scream “fitness tracker,” but rather whispers “modern wrist accessory.”
Garmin Vivoactive 4: It embodies a more traditional watch-like design, reflecting the Garmin brand’s longstanding association with outdoor and sport watches.
The round face and the physical buttons suggest a ruggedness suitable for outdoor enthusiasts and athletes. While slightly bulkier, this design also signifies a more feature-rich device.
- Display
Fitbit Charge 5: Sporting an AMOLED color touchscreen, the Charge 5 ensures images, texts, and graphics appear crisp and vibrant. This is especially valuable when indoors or in dimly lit environments, where the screen’s brightness and clarity stand out.
Garmin Vivoactive 4: The MIP (Memory-In-Pixel) transreflective display, on the other hand, shines in outdoor settings. When out running under the sun, or cycling on a sunny afternoon, this display remains visible, reflecting light and making it easier to view metrics on-the-go.
- Battery Life
Fitbit Charge 5: With a rated battery life of around 7 days, the Charge 5 emphasizes consistent performance. This makes it a reliable companion for weekly activities without frequent recharges.
Garmin Vivoactive 4: Edging slightly ahead, the Vivoactive 4 promises up to 8 days of usage. That extra day could be significant for those on extended trips or those who occasionally forget to charge their devices.
- GPS
Both devices incorporate GPS, but their implementations vary.
Fitbit Charge 5: Provides standard GPS tracking, which is adequate for daily activities and basic workouts.
Garmin Vivoactive 4: Takes tracking a notch higher. Integration with GLONASS and Galileo satellite systems ensures precision in tracking. This is paramount for serious athletes or hikers who rely on accurate data for their routes and metrics.
Also Read: Choose Between the Suunto 9 Peak and Peak Pro
- Smartwatch Capabilities
Fitbit Charge 5: While it does offer some smartwatch features, the Charge 5 doesn’t aim to replace a full-fledged smartwatch.
Users can get notifications, use Fitbit Pay for transactions, and more. But it’s a streamlined experience tailored to those who prioritize health and fitness tracking over other smart features.
Garmin Vivoactive 4: This device leans more into the smartwatch territory. With onboard music storage, users don’t always need a connected phone for entertainment during workouts.
Garmin Pay offers a contactless payment solution, and the access to third-party apps increases its versatility and functionality.
Watch this review video:
- Advanced Health Metrics
Fitbit Charge 5: Fitbit’s approach tends to be holistic, delving into overall wellness. Unique features like EDA (Electrodermal Activity) stress tracking and skin temperature variation give users insights beyond just workouts.
Monitoring oxygen saturation levels, especially during sleep, can be pivotal in understanding overall health.
Garmin Vivoactive 4: Garmin places its emphasis firmly on fitness metrics. This focus is evident in its detailed tracking of workouts, runs, cycles, and swims, offering athletes granular data to analyze their performance.
- Price
Fitbit Charge 5: Retailing at $149, its price point is attractive to many. It offers a solid range of features without breaking the bank, making it accessible to a wider audience.
Garmin Vivoactive 4: Priced at around $349, it’s a premium device. While more expensive, the functionalities, build quality, and advanced tracking mechanisms can justify the investment, especially for serious fitness enthusiasts.
Also Read: Comparison Between Suunto 9 Peak Pro and Garmin Fenix 7
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
There is no definitive “better” option since each tracker has unique strengths. The Charge 5 is better for users focused on step tracking, sleep analysis and basic smartwatch notifications. The Vivoactive 4 is better for athletes and outdoor users needing advanced workout analysis, GPS performance and onboard music. It really depends on your priorities.
Overall Garmin tends to make more advanced fitness and outdoor watches while Fitbit focuses on user-friendly activity, sleep and health tracking for everyday users. Garmin has more sports tracking features and detailed analytics. Fitbit devices are often more affordable with a simpler app interface. Ultimately it depends on your specific needs and preferences when choosing between the two brands.
The Vivoactive 4 is the better choice if you want robust sports apps, training tools, onboard music and advanced activity metrics. The Charge 5 is likely better if you want a slimmer everyday tracker with sleep analysis, stress tracking and basic smartwatch functions at a lower price point.
The Garmin Vivosmart 5 is the closest equivalent to the Charge 5 with a similar slim design and fitness/health tracking features without onboard GPS. The Vivoactive 4 and Forerunner series would be the Garmin alternative for users wanting the built-in GPS and more advanced training analytics that the Charge 5 lacks.
Also Read: Comaprison Between the Garmin Tactix and Fenix
Final Thoughts
When choosing between the Fitbit Charge 5 Vs. Garmin Vivoactive 4, it really comes down to your specific needs and preferences. Ask yourself what features are most important – advanced activity metrics or user-friendly app experience? Robust GPS performance or sleeker everyday wearability?
Smartwatch capabilities or relaxation/stress tracking? Used thoughtfully, either tracker can be a valuable tool for monitoring your health and keeping you active.
Hopefully this breakdown gives you a clear comparison of how these two popular fitness wearables stack up against each other.
Analyze what will complement your lifestyle best before deciding on the Fitbit Charge 5 or Garmin Vivoactive 4.