Fitbit Luxe vs. Charge 4: Which should you buy?

Fitbit Luxe vs. Charge 4: Form or function?

Your search will produce many options as you shop for the best fitness trackers. Whether you prefer a device that’s all about fashion or you’d rather have a wearable that’s focused on health and fitness features, you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for.

Two options to consider are the Fitbit Luxe and Fitbit Charge 4. These fitness trackers might come from the same company, but some key differences will likely determine your final decision. If style is your primary concern and you can live without a few key features, you might prefer the Luxe. Those who don’t want to leave any features on the table should choose the Fitbit Charge 4, as it’s packed with perks.

The Fitbit Luxe is geared toward fashion lovers.

While the new Fitbit Luxe was introduced to focus on health and wellness, it seems to put fashion above all else. It’s still packed with valuable features, but it leaves out some key features that users have come to rely on. However, if you’ve been waiting for a stylish tracker that offers a versatile design for all occasions, the Luxe might be precisely what you’re searching for.

Some trackers are more attractive than others, but the Fitbit Luxe brings the competition to find a fashionable wearable. The design consists of a lightweight yet durable stainless steel case. The three color options include Soft Gold, Platinum, and Graphite. A feature mostly found on smartwatches, the Luxe has a vibrant AMOLED touchscreen. It’s also compatible with interchangeable bands, so change the look or feel of your tracker as you see fit. You’ll get up to 5 days of battery life on a single charge.

Fitbit users have come to expect a specific set of features from their wearables. Fortunately, Luxe offers all of these and more. You’ll have activity/sleep tracking, 24/7 heart-rate monitoring, female-health tracking, stress monitoring, guided breathing, and 20 exercise modes with SmartTrack exercise recognition. Eventually, the Fitbit Luxe will also take skin temperature readings and measure blood oxygen saturation levels. The Fitbit Luxe provides you with a stress management score.

The company also brings key stress management and mindfulness tools to the Luxe, initially released with the Fitbit Sense last year. For example, the Fitbit Luxe provides a stress management score, which daily assesses your body’s ability to handle stress. This score is based on your heart rate, activity, and sleep patterns. It’s worth noting that Fitbit plans to make this a standard feature across all of its existing trackers and smartwatches.

The Fitbit Luxe is an ideal fitness tracker that is also fashionable for the right person. However, you’ll have to compromise on some features. Not only do you get shorter battery life, but you also have to sacrifice GPS. If you’re a beginner or only do casual workout tracking, the lack of GPS may not deter you. Many users depend on GPS to track their routes when running or cycling outdoors. You’ll have to connect to your phone’s GPS to do this.

Another missing feature is NFC for contactless payments. While Fitbit Pay may not be as much of a loss as GPS, it’s still something that the company could’ve added. Considering that the Fitbit Charge 4 is more affordable than the Luxe, it will already be more attractive to some people. Combine that with the fact that you get longer battery life and built-in GPS and NFC for Fitbit Pay; it’s hard to find a redeeming quality — aside from the luxurious design — that would make the Fitbit Luxe a better choice.

You can do more with the Fitbit Charge 4

It’s been a year since the Fitbit Charge 4 was released, and it’s still one of the company’s most impressive trackers. It doesn’t look all that different from its predecessor, but it’s much more capable. Regarding the design, the Fitbit Charge 4 maintains its rectangular shape. It’s housed in a lightweight, plastic body with the same OLED touchscreen as past models. Swapping out the Fitbit Charge 4 bands is easy whenever you need a change. You’ll enjoy seven days of battery life on a single charge.

While the design didn’t change much, Fitbit introduced some significant upgrades that make the Charge 4 one of the best Fitbit wearables. For starters, you’ll now have built-in GPS, so you won’t have to carry your phone around to track your route during a workout. Another new perk that lets you leave your phone behind is Fitbit Pay. The Charge 4 was one of the first Fitbit wearables to offer Active Zone Minutes. If you compare the Fitbit Charge 4 and Charge 3, you might agree that these are impressive upgrades.

Fitbit is trying to provide users with a more personalized experience, and Active Zone Minutes is a part of that. Although it is now becoming a standard feature across its lineup, the Charge 4 was one of the first Fitbit wearables to offer Active Zone Minutes. This perk uses the heart-rate sensor to determine when you’ve entered your personalized heart rate zone. The personalized heart rate zone is based on your age and fitness level. During a workout, you’ll receive credit based on your cardio, fat burn, and heart rate zones.

You’ll be happy to know that you get the same core features that make Fitbit wearables great. This includes activity/sleep tracking, SmartTrack exercise recognition, female health tracking, heart-rate monitoring, and more. The Fitbit Charge 4 can also monitor your blood oxygen saturation levels.

Fitbit Luxe vs. Charge 4: Which should you buy?

Considering you already have to spend a pretty penny to get the Fitbit Luxe, it might make sense to stretch your budget further and start shopping for the best Android smartwatch instead. Unless you’re incredibly fond of the design, you can get all these features and more on the Fitbit Charge 4 or take the leap and upgrade to a smartwatch for an even better experience.

With that said, if it’s a fitness tracker you want, the Fitbit Charge 4 is the better option between the two. Not only do you get the best of the company’s health and fitness features, but you’ll also have a few perks that aren’t available on the Luxe. The Charge 4 offers onboard GPS, NFC for Fitbit Pay, and two extra days of battery life. It might not have an AMOLED display or be as attractive as the Luxe, but it certainly has more features to enjoy and is available at a lower price.