I love this watch. I’ve had no issues that some people have been complaining about. I opted out of getting an Apple Watch because I didn’t want the “smart features” and only the fitness & health benefits
Another reviewer gave a pretty good analysis of the GPS tracker with the Charge 5. He found in order for the GPS tracker to work properly during his runs, the wrist band has to be worn loose. By doing that though, the heart rate monitoring did not work. When he tightened the wrist band back up, the heart rate monitor worked great, but then the GPS stopped working. he could never find a wrist band setting to get both working at the same time. The reviewer talked to support about that, the problem was never solved. I dont have a fitbit charge 5, but it is on sale now and plan to get one. People say the Apple watch series 7 (400 dollars) is better, but I found out that you also need a 1000 dollar Iphone to make it work properly. Apple sucks far as not letting their devices not work with non-apple type devices. So their watch would not work with my android phones or PC laptops even though they both have bluetooth. thanks for your video and take care, learning allot about these devices.
Great review! I had battery issues the 1st few days and was about to return it. But I finally figured out what the issue is. It'll go to 99% rather fast when charging. Everyone naturally assumes it'll go up 1% in 5 mins to hit 100% and will take it off the charger. However, this isn't the case. It'll have to stay on the charger for close to 2 hours before it switches by 1% to 100%. Since then, its gone 5 + days. No issues. Happy camper. Thank goodness.
Yep battery issues for me too at the First charge...then After the update i restarted the tracker and booom 7 days battery.The battery Is Great! And the tracker too!
Thanks for an awesome review. I appreciate you explaining the features and how well they work/ how useful you find them/ how they stack up to competitors in the market. By far the best Charge 5 video I've seen.
Checking out your other videos on this now, but I wanted to say I love this review. Thank you for all the effort and time you put into being thorough on this. Great job! I was hoping you would address the missing altimeter piece(maybe you did and I blinked). I'm on the charge 3 now and want a GPS watch to track obstacle course events where I can't have my phone on me, but the missing altimeter is the biggest hesitation I'm having, cause I love tracking stair sets through my everyday life. Hate the idea of having 2 watches for a "daily" tracker and an "event/exercise" tracker and it feels like the Sense is too bulky and awkward to be comfortable in an obstacle course race. If charge 5 didn't have the brighter display and aluminum case I'd just get a charge 4, but I do love the idea of being able to read the display more easily on a sunny day. Anyway, love the work you put into this video to be as comprehensive as possible! Thank you!!!
I agree. Your channel is one of the most interesting out there covering a much broader range of devices than many others, plus you always home in on the practical issues. Always great to follow what a young smart watch reviewing, gaming professional, pc building, skate boarding as well as app building star is doing! Please keep these reviews coming and your channel growing! Thank you.
I love that you bring up The Quantified Scientist! It's the best reviewer regarding testing the sensors of fitness trackers/smart watches. Your test is really good too. Also, you are a sympathetic person :-) Subscribed!
This is a very helpful review. I was looking at this watch and another brand. The premium subscription was something I don't want to commit to. Thanks for helping me make an informed decision!
Thanks for the honest review! I have had Fitbits since the Charge 1 up to the Ionic. Unfortunately I had a bike fall and haven’t been able to update to this Charge. Now using Garmin 245, where the sleep tracking is terrible and the app not very friendly. Can’t wait to get the C5 next month!
I’m still using a charge 2 & love the completely passive nature, I really don’t want to interact with it so i like the lack of smart features. I’m impressed with the auto workout sensing & think perhaps it’s time for an upgrade. Thanks.
This is exactly why I switched out my galaxy watch 4 for this one. Also, I switched to iPhone and the galaxy watch 4 wasn’t compatible. How are you liking it?
Wow! Excellent review! I just bought one a few days ago and I'm still checking it out. I use it mainly to track workouts because I do a lot of cross-training. Everything from weight training to martial arts to running and even calisthenics. I use this to replace the Samsung Galaxy Fit and it seems like the tracking on this one is a little more on point. Thanks for the review!
I bought this new today. 8/27/23 and it does have a Find Phone option. I'm looking at it right now. Also I always have my phone with me in my pocket so I have a weather app with me at all times so that doesn't bother me it's not on the fitbit.
Nice review but would’ve been nice if you could share your experience regarding the functionality of the watch while swimming as only smart watches are doing well with swimming. Really not found a single health band where swimming tracking is upto the mark. Most bands screen just doesn’t operate nicely.
Just ordered this since $50.00 off at Amazon today. But like you I NEED better info on the SP 02 Since my obstructive sleep Apnea converted to CENTRAL Sleep Apnea dice needing 5 major surgeries that have required my using extremely high dose Opioid Pain medication for what life is now left for me. This also required the new purchase of an ASV Ventilator instead of the vastly cheaper CPAP device. I’ve literally nearly died now countless times when falling asleep watching TV in a recliner to wake only thanks to my wife SCREAMING for me to wake up and then freaking out saying I am literally blue from not breathing. I formally rigged a Chinese SP 02 Finger monitoring device that DID have an alarm I could set to wake me but taping the damned thing to my finger all the time and the too weak beeping of the alarm if my O2 or pulse went through my alarms I set often failed anyway… scary stuff that BETTER tools need to be built for! Another NICE review especially for we who have major medical reasons for this search for device’s just to stay alive….
Hi Mike, would you be willing to share how your experience with wearable tracking of spO2 levels with different devices has been? Which ones you have tried seemed to work best for you, and which ones were quite useless in your opinion? Regards
The thing is that this is a fitness band and not a smart watch. People tend to confuse this two. You need all those info get a smart watch. For me it’s moore than ok with the C5. Overall good review!!
Own it and it is great. Owned garmin and it is way worse then fitbit in data tracking. I dont actually like interacting with a band itself, but IMO phone app is good as well as web panel. It is just mind blowing how much fitbit is better in tracking than garmin - you wear it and forget it. It auto-detects everything without a problem. With garmin, even if you specify exact hours you go to sleep, it still will detect that you are sleeping when watching movie on a couch - fitbit only detect actual sleep.
I've found GPS to be accurate pretty much to the inch, steps fine, calories too, heart rate inconsistent (which I don't use anyway), and the only nit I'd pick is that it's often slow to connect to GPS!
phenomenal review..... take a bow.....helped me take an informed decision of not buying charge 5..... Thank you.... I will probably move on to Garmin Venu 2 plus.... DO you have any idea on this gadget?
Great review, I had a 2HR for many years until the display went black. Purchased the Charge 5, which I really liked, only to have the band brake in less than a year. Purchased another charge 5, the problem I have with this one is that "Reminders to move" doesn't work. I have it set in my app, however the tracker doesn't remind me. The display on the app shows the description fainted. Do you have any idea as to why this may be? Thank you.
Great video Could you please do a video about the devices you use for monitoring and treating the sleep apnoea I was diagnosed with sleep apnoea and it would help me alot
I think having a readiness score is actually bad because it guides one into thinking that he or she should not exercise on certain days. From my experience I can tell that my best workouts were on the days where I didn't want to go to the gym initially, was tired and so on but still went working out.
My charge 5 does have a find your phone but it can’t find my iPhone. I even tried opening the Fitbit app to see if that helps. I’m right by the phone but no. I’ll research if I need more setup
has the heartrate been accurate? ive been looking to get one but it seems like a lot of people are having issues with the heartrate accuracy by as much as 20 bpm, which is a definite dealbreaker
There is a FIRMWARE UPDATE dated Dec 2023. This finally fixed connectivity issues with my Charge 5. I had previously gone back to my Charge 4 (very reliable). Ch 5 no longer mothballed. Prefer having a home button which Charge 6 went to.
Thank you...........I've been searching for info on the premium feature and you gave me the info I needed to decide to purchase or not to purchase this tracker.........
It’s a fitness tracker, not a smart watch, but very good indeed. Battery life excellent, 7 days no problem, why would you want it on all the time? If you do, switch that on. Good review.
Hi. I tap on hear trate and it tells me to open the fitbit mobile app, which is open. the phone says we're synced, but the info isn't goint to the phone. How do I get the charge 5 to talk to my android?
My charge 5 died after less than 4 months. Lots of other charge 5 owners have had similar 'bricking' issues. You can find more info about this on other TH-cam vids.
I’ve come from a charge 2 and I am currently enjoying the charge 5. I s ask not worried about smart features like calendar and weather. Interesting to hear about premium is not worth it. I may give the 6 month a go but good to know what to expect.
Great review, thank you. My biggest complaint is the lack of auto pause on exercises. I would have thought that was so basic it would be essential. Manual pausing while riding is a pain.
For me, this is perfect. I want the weather or stuff, I'll use my phone. Problems - date format is really really annoying. Sleep doesn't measure actual o2 level. I've got find my phone on my one!
for the watch I have no complains, its good reliable. App on the other hand... most of the features works great - food log for example sometimes get so buggy... right now its bugged for almost a month now and in the forums they just say we work on it ...
Great review, I have a Fitbit charge 3 and am overall happy with it except for one thing, the fact that the screen is impossible to read outside or in a bright indoor location, this is why I was thinking of upgrading to the charge 5, is the charge 5 screen easy to view outside? Btw I also use the weather on my charge 3 everyday so I'd really miss that too but would give it up to be able to read my screen outdoors. Is the sleep information the same on the charge 5 as the charge 3? Thanks
I’m thinking about upgrading my fitbit charge 3 because of the same reason, I even thought that It was because of programmed obsolescence, it so hard to read in medium light conditions
That is exactly what happened to my charge 3. Dim was so low. I couldn't read at all. I did have it for a couple years tho...but was a bit disappointed. I just ordered charge 5.
@@JSyntax I like the smaller form factor still with the functions I need. I would miss the apps, but it's not a deal breaker. I saw it on Amazon yesterday for $99. In a few minutes they changed it to $109. So, I paid $109. Now it's $128. Snooze you loose.
Good review but there is one very annoying thing with the charger. The cord is only 20 inches long from the magnetic connector to the USB plug which has to be plugged into a charger. Since it is so short you can only charge it in certain places like your kitchen counter. I can't charge it on my desk, night stand, side table, in bed, sitting in a chair or a couch, because the wall plugs are too far away or behind furniture. If the cord was 6 feet, I could charge it in most of those places.
I have the 3 and I’m satisfied with it. Have thought of getting the 4 but nothing new. Waited for 5. And nope for sure. I don’t like when I have to change the accessories. I don’t want to have to buy new bands. Or can’t use my old charger. My 3 still does what I want it to do.
I do have a question for you. How good is the oxygen level monitoring on the Fitbit charge 5? I was initially going to get a finger type device, then found out about the fitbit products. thank you for any info. Added note: your cons at the end of the video may be nice to have, but they are not the most important to me. I have a laptop and a Motorola smartphone that tells me all those utilities, plus a much bigger display to see them on.
AWESOME REVIEW!! I just purchased this fitbit but When it's not in use for long periods how do you store it since you can't shut it down to save battery life.
Hello JSyntax, great work. Guidance for 'Fitbit', considering: Daily usage, compliment traditional watch, current premium trials, at least 2 yrs usage. Regards from India, Happy New Year- Avi
I was specifically interested in details about the GPS, was kind of disappointed the superficial mention (and makes me think what other people's say is right).
Its an amazing tracker but 8 months after I got it, a metal sheet around the sensors fell off. It was an amazing tracker but its unfortunately not very durable
Google is putting smart features into the Google Pixel and limiting Fitbit to fitness tracking only, In fact, they have blocked access to smart features in the new Sense Fitbit which has really upset those who bought them expecting to use thise smart features. So you either buy a smartwatch or a fitness tracker.
Does anyone use the Charge 5 along with a normal smart watch? I'm interested in buying one, but don't see it as my smart watch replacement. The reason I want the Charge 5 is for sleep tracking. My smart watch is too bulky for me to wear it at night and thus, I always take my watch off. So, I want something much more sleek and innocuous. Also during workouts, I take my watch off, because it is just too bulky and also to "nice" to have my sweat all over it. I would even want the screen off all the time with the Charge 5 and I agree with the sentiment in the video that a tracker needs to be as passive as possible. So, I'm looking to see if anyone else uses the Charge 5 as mainly a tracker only and in parallel to wearing a smartwatch too.
@@DarkSouls-Izalith I did buy a Charge 5. And I'm happy with it. $100 is still a good chunk of money to fork out for something that might not do what you expect of it.
Im new to fitbit. Just bought the charge 5 today. I didnt realize there are no controls for music. Seems a bit crazy that a fitness device wouldnt have that. I hope that could possibly be added in a future update.
my charge 3 was doing fine for 2 years but is now failing in the heart sensor function - how long should you expect the charge 5 to last/perform accurately?
I've never owned a fitness tracker or smartwatch before, so I'm a little confused. Does this show only your heart rate history? Or does it also give an alarm as an alert if your heart rate is too high/low? I'm hoping to find something that will warn me about my heart rate so I know I need to find a seat before I blackout. I'm an android phone user. A heart rate alarm is really the only feature I need at the moment.
Is the spo2 relative range tracking useful for you and do you think it’s useful for those with sleep apnea like me? I use an oral appliance and not a cpap or apap.
I had an O2 measurement at hospital of 100% and charge 5 said 97. It is not actually measured but the figure given is not too bad. It's the trend that is important
@@MrGerrymagic I've heard that because of the S curve of oxygen saturation, anything above 95 is almost exactly the same, it's when it gets lower than that when you need it to work.
@@JSyntax Thanks for responding. I kept going back and forth and eventually settled on the charge 5. I always have my phone nearby so the few added health features and the $30 less price point swayed me to the fitbit charge 5. Have a great day and thanks!
You mentioned a charge or subscription for the sleep data was that right ? Does that mean you don’t get to see the sleep data/ scale on you phone without subscription?
Got mine 12/25/21. Wear it all the time. I do a daily 5.5 mile loop hike that starts on city streets with the middle of the hike through hills and redwoods in Marin County, California. The built in GPS is fairly accurate in city streets but gets "stupid" in the hills and trees. It records waypoints every second but they are often +/- 100 ft off. Tried loosening the band per fitbit support - helped in city but not in the hills. When I map the route in the dashboard - it makes it look like I am spiderman - jumping 75 feet to the left, then 50 feet to the right every few seconds or so (in the hills). My old Garmin E-Trex GPS does fine on the same trail, it has other terestrail position correction features so not a fair fight. With fit bit gps all the zigs and zags in the waypoint list - fit bit reports that I hiked 6.7 miles, not 5.5 miles. I got the Charge 5 because it had the GPS built in so I could leave my phone at home. I hope Fitbit resolves this. My suggestion to them - only record waypoints when you have enough satellites ( 4, 5, 6 ?) to be accurate, otherwise - SKIP recording. If the resulting waypoint list is missing a few seconds but more accurate - when mapping it will smooth between the points and not calculate overstated distances.
I am getting active call notifications on my Fitbit charge 5 when I make an outgoing call ? Can you please help me to receive just an incoming call and also what’s app incoming calls.Please help me.
This guy really cares that we get what we can out of this fit bit and I am thankful for this video
Yes indeed thank you for your kind words
I love this watch. I’ve had no issues that some people have been complaining about. I opted out of getting an Apple Watch because I didn’t want the “smart features” and only the fitness & health benefits
Another reviewer gave a pretty good analysis of the GPS tracker with the Charge 5. He found in order for the GPS tracker to work properly during his runs, the wrist band has to be worn loose. By doing that though, the heart rate monitoring did not work. When he tightened the wrist band back up, the heart rate monitor worked great, but then the GPS stopped working. he could never find a wrist band setting to get both working at the same time. The reviewer talked to support about that, the problem was never solved.
I dont have a fitbit charge 5, but it is on sale now and plan to get one. People say the Apple watch series 7 (400 dollars) is better, but I found out that you also need a 1000 dollar Iphone to make it work properly. Apple sucks far as not letting their devices not work with non-apple type devices. So their watch would not work with my android phones or PC laptops even though they both have bluetooth. thanks for your video and take care, learning allot about these devices.
Great review! I had battery issues the 1st few days and was about to return it. But I finally figured out what the issue is. It'll go to 99% rather fast when charging. Everyone naturally assumes it'll go up 1% in 5 mins to hit 100% and will take it off the charger. However, this isn't the case. It'll have to stay on the charger for close to 2 hours before it switches by 1% to 100%. Since then, its gone 5 + days. No issues. Happy camper. Thank goodness.
Wow that's odd! Glad it worked out
Ah, the stay in the car I'm just running in for a minute trick. 40 minutes later hauling a full cart over to the car.
Yep battery issues for me too at the First charge...then After the update i restarted the tracker and booom 7 days battery.The battery Is Great! And the tracker too!
Does it drop pairing often like the luxe?
Good point thanks
Thanks for an awesome review. I appreciate you explaining the features and how well they work/ how useful you find them/ how they stack up to competitors in the market. By far the best Charge 5 video I've seen.
thank you so much for your kind words
Checking out your other videos on this now, but I wanted to say I love this review. Thank you for all the effort and time you put into being thorough on this. Great job! I was hoping you would address the missing altimeter piece(maybe you did and I blinked). I'm on the charge 3 now and want a GPS watch to track obstacle course events where I can't have my phone on me, but the missing altimeter is the biggest hesitation I'm having, cause I love tracking stair sets through my everyday life. Hate the idea of having 2 watches for a "daily" tracker and an "event/exercise" tracker and it feels like the Sense is too bulky and awkward to be comfortable in an obstacle course race. If charge 5 didn't have the brighter display and aluminum case I'd just get a charge 4, but I do love the idea of being able to read the display more easily on a sunny day. Anyway, love the work you put into this video to be as comprehensive as possible! Thank you!!!
I really appreciate your detailed review, best, most thorough review I've probably ever seen!
Thank you
Waiting for your channel to take off. Such great quality vids man.
Thank you!
I agree. Your channel is one of the most interesting out there covering a much broader range of devices than many others, plus you always home in on the practical issues. Always great to follow what a young smart watch reviewing, gaming professional, pc building, skate boarding as well as app building star is doing! Please keep these reviews coming and your channel growing! Thank you.
I love that you bring up The Quantified Scientist!
It's the best reviewer regarding testing the sensors of fitness trackers/smart watches.
Your test is really good too. Also, you are a sympathetic person :-)
Subscribed!
Thank you!
Maaaaaan I love the time stamps so much
Yeah ty!
This is a very helpful review. I was looking at this watch and another brand. The premium subscription was something I don't want to commit to. Thanks for helping me make an informed decision!
Awesome! :)
Thanks for the honest review! I have had Fitbits since the Charge 1 up to the Ionic. Unfortunately I had a bike fall and haven’t been able to update to this Charge. Now using Garmin 245, where the sleep tracking is terrible and the app not very friendly. Can’t wait to get the C5 next month!
I'm really excited for you as well
There is a discount at the moment!
I’m still using a charge 2 & love the completely passive nature, I really don’t want to interact with it so i like the lack of smart features. I’m impressed with the auto workout sensing & think perhaps it’s time for an upgrade. Thanks.
Awesome!
I still have my charge 2 as Well! Definitely tempted to upgrade by the additional health tracking benefits.
This is exactly why I switched out my galaxy watch 4 for this one. Also, I switched to iPhone and the galaxy watch 4 wasn’t compatible. How are you liking it?
Thank you for this review. I'm going to buy Fitbit Charge 5
Great in-depth review, and particularly appreciate the deep Toronto content in the video. Thanks!
Thank you!
💜Awesome, and detailed review, thank you so much🌸💜
Wow! Excellent review! I just bought one a few days ago and I'm still checking it out. I use it mainly to track workouts because I do a lot of cross-training. Everything from weight training to martial arts to running and even calisthenics. I use this to replace the Samsung Galaxy Fit and it seems like the tracking on this one is a little more on point. Thanks for the review!
So glad to hear!
You can change out. Defective watches under warranty or if functions fail
There was a 20 minute update yesterday. Everything wors much better.
Really? What's it have
@JSyntax I just got mine today. It has a find my phone feature. So mabey that was in the update.
I bought this new today. 8/27/23 and it does have a Find Phone option. I'm looking at it right now. Also I always have my phone with me in my pocket so I have a weather app with me at all times so that doesn't bother me it's not on the fitbit.
Nice review but would’ve been nice if you could share your experience regarding the functionality of the watch while swimming as only smart watches are doing well with swimming. Really not found a single health band where swimming tracking is upto the mark. Most bands screen just doesn’t operate nicely.
awesome review i loved my charge 4 then got versa 2 for larger color screen
Just ordered this since $50.00 off at Amazon today. But like you I NEED better info on the SP 02 Since my obstructive sleep Apnea converted to CENTRAL Sleep Apnea dice needing 5 major surgeries that have required my using extremely high dose Opioid Pain medication for what life is now left for me. This also required the new purchase of an ASV Ventilator instead of the vastly cheaper CPAP device. I’ve literally nearly died now countless times when falling asleep watching TV in a recliner to wake only thanks to my wife SCREAMING for me to wake up and then freaking out saying I am literally blue from not breathing. I formally rigged a Chinese SP 02 Finger monitoring device that DID have an alarm I could set to wake me but taping the damned thing to my finger all the time and the too weak beeping of the alarm if my O2 or pulse went through my alarms I set often failed anyway… scary stuff that BETTER tools need to be built for!
Another NICE review especially for we who have major medical reasons for this search for device’s just to stay alive….
Thank you!
Hi Mike, would you be willing to share how your experience with wearable tracking of spO2 levels with different devices has been? Which ones you have tried seemed to work best for you, and which ones were quite useless in your opinion? Regards
The thing is that this is a fitness band and not a smart watch. People tend to confuse this two. You need all those info get a smart watch. For me it’s moore than ok with the C5. Overall good review!!
Own it and it is great. Owned garmin and it is way worse then fitbit in data tracking. I dont actually like interacting with a band itself, but IMO phone app is good as well as web panel. It is just mind blowing how much fitbit is better in tracking than garmin - you wear it and forget it. It auto-detects everything without a problem. With garmin, even if you specify exact hours you go to sleep, it still will detect that you are sleeping when watching movie on a couch - fitbit only detect actual sleep.
I've found GPS to be accurate pretty much to the inch, steps fine, calories too, heart rate inconsistent (which I don't use anyway), and the only nit I'd pick is that it's often slow to connect to GPS!
phenomenal review..... take a bow.....helped me take an informed decision of not buying charge 5..... Thank you.... I will probably move on to Garmin Venu 2 plus.... DO you have any idea on this gadget?
thank you for your kind words 👌
Excellent presentation!
Thank you kindly!
How to correct time &date
Great review, I had a 2HR for many years until the display went black. Purchased the Charge 5, which I really liked, only to have the band brake in less than a year. Purchased another charge 5, the problem I have with this one is that "Reminders to move" doesn't work. I have it set in my app, however the tracker doesn't remind me. The display on the app shows the description fainted. Do you have any idea as to why this may be? Thank you.
Great video
Could you please do a video about the devices you use for monitoring and treating the sleep apnoea
I was diagnosed with sleep apnoea and it would help me alot
I have have an Apple Watch and I’m so over it. Thanks for your review 😃
I think having a readiness score is actually bad because it guides one into thinking that he or she should not exercise on certain days. From my experience I can tell that my best workouts were on the days where I didn't want to go to the gym initially, was tired and so on but still went working out.
Solid review man. Lot of good information
My charge 5 does have a find your phone but it can’t find my iPhone. I even tried opening the Fitbit app to see if that helps. I’m right by the phone but no. I’ll research if I need more setup
Great review. I just purchased the fitbit charge 5. The only problem I'm having is, I cannot get notifications for text messages.
has the heartrate been accurate? ive been looking to get one but it seems like a lot of people are having issues with the heartrate accuracy by as much as 20 bpm, which is a definite dealbreaker
There is a FIRMWARE UPDATE dated Dec 2023. This finally fixed connectivity
issues with my Charge 5. I had previously gone back to my Charge 4 (very reliable).
Ch 5 no longer mothballed. Prefer having a home button which Charge 6 went to.
Thank you...........I've been searching for info on the premium feature and you gave me the info I needed to decide to purchase or not to purchase this tracker.........
Did u end up getting it?
It’s a fitness tracker, not a smart watch, but very good indeed. Battery life excellent, 7 days no problem, why would you want it on all the time? If you do, switch that on. Good review.
Best review on here! Thanks for sharing
Thank you
Really good and thorough review.
Thanks! Great review!
I must have missed the HR section. Looking to find for HR accuracy maybe more importantly consistency. Thank you for the video.
Buying it next week. Cant wiat!!!
Comprehensive review, thanx !!!!!
thank you!
this watch it’s to wonderful beautiful watch i love it
Thanks for the tip ! Very used full.
How do I get back to my original screen? I want the easiest possible screen to read.
Hi. I tap on hear trate and it tells me to open the fitbit mobile app, which is open. the phone says we're synced, but the info isn't goint to the phone. How do I get the charge 5 to talk to my android?
How's the band clip-on? I had fitbit 1 or 2, it would break every other month..
My charge 5 died after less than 4 months. Lots of other charge 5 owners have had similar 'bricking' issues. You can find more info about this on other TH-cam vids.
You're still under the warranty so you can get an exchange I have had no issues so far and it's been more than 4 months
there are other comments about the device died after 1x months / becomes problematic in other youtube videos. hmmm, something to watch out for
Great review, well done
I’ve come from a charge 2 and I am currently enjoying the charge 5. I s ask not worried about smart features like calendar and weather. Interesting to hear about premium is not worth it. I may give the 6 month a go but good to know what to expect.
Can it be set up on a computer?
Great review! Can you review the Galaxy Watch4? Compare it to the Fitbit Charge 5 maybe?
Great review, thank you. My biggest complaint is the lack of auto pause on exercises. I would have thought that was so basic it would be essential. Manual pausing while riding is a pain.
For me, this is perfect. I want the weather or stuff, I'll use my phone. Problems - date format is really really annoying. Sleep doesn't measure actual o2 level. I've got find my phone on my one!
Charge 5 vs Inspire 3?
for the watch I have no complains, its good reliable. App on the other hand... most of the features works great - food log for example sometimes get so buggy... right now its bugged for almost a month now and in the forums they just say we work on it ...
Try looking for an update for the app. Have an inspire at the moment looking for charge as Xmas gift. Have had a Fitbit n the app for years.
Great review, I have a Fitbit charge 3 and am overall happy with it except for one thing, the fact that the screen is impossible to read outside or in a bright indoor location, this is why I was thinking of upgrading to the charge 5, is the charge 5 screen easy to view outside? Btw I also use the weather on my charge 3 everyday so I'd really miss that too but would give it up to be able to read my screen outdoors. Is the sleep information the same on the charge 5 as the charge 3? Thanks
Yes outdoors it's no issue at all!
I’m thinking about upgrading my fitbit charge 3 because of the same reason, I even thought that It was because of programmed obsolescence, it so hard to read in medium light conditions
That is exactly what happened to my charge 3. Dim was so low. I couldn't read at all. I did have it for a couple years tho...but was a bit disappointed. I just ordered charge 5.
Thank you so much!!😘😘
You never made a video with the added features that were activated after the launch
my apologies! been busy but would like to as they made a good amount of software updates!
Can you choose your type of exercises if you choose. How many inches is your band? It looks wider than my Lutz.
What features do you have access to without premium?
really good upgrade from charge 2!
How do I get the premium off ? And what does the auto wake off mean , with a line through it?
Is it constantly counting steps or do I have to tell it when I'm walking ?
It's always counting steps
Very in-depth review. I have a Sense and I would consider upgrading to a Charge 5. Do you think that it would be worth it?
If you need the smaller form factor, yes otherwise no
@@JSyntax I like the smaller form factor still with the functions I need. I would miss the apps, but it's not a deal breaker. I saw it on Amazon yesterday for $99. In a few minutes they changed it to $109. So, I paid $109. Now it's $128. Snooze you loose.
Good review but there is one very annoying thing with the charger. The cord is only 20 inches long from the magnetic connector to the USB plug which has to be plugged into a charger. Since it is so short you can only charge it in certain places like your kitchen counter. I can't charge it on my desk, night stand, side table, in bed, sitting in a chair or a couch, because the wall plugs are too far away or behind furniture. If the cord was 6 feet, I could charge it in most of those places.
I totally feel your pain
I have the 3 and I’m satisfied with it. Have thought of getting the 4 but nothing new. Waited for 5. And nope for sure. I don’t like when I have to change the accessories. I don’t want to have to buy new bands. Or can’t use my old charger. My 3 still does what I want it to do.
Thanks for a great review
I do have a question for you. How good is the oxygen level monitoring on the Fitbit charge 5? I was initially going to get a finger type device, then found out about the fitbit products. thank you for any info.
Added note: your cons at the end of the video may be nice to have, but they are not the most important to me. I have a laptop and a Motorola smartphone that tells me all those utilities, plus a much bigger display to see them on.
Very nice, I just got one.
AWESOME REVIEW!! I just purchased this fitbit but When it's not in use for long periods how do you store it since you can't shut it down to save battery life.
Good question! i just let it die when not in use!
@@JSyntax You are AWESOME thank you for your reply❤🙏
Hello JSyntax, great work. Guidance for 'Fitbit', considering: Daily usage, compliment traditional watch, current premium trials, at least 2 yrs usage. Regards from India, Happy New Year- Avi
I was specifically interested in details about the GPS, was kind of disappointed the superficial mention (and makes me think what other people's say is right).
Had no issues! Not sure what else more I could say
Vivosmart5 review? Accuracy test please
Its an amazing tracker but 8 months after I got it, a metal sheet around the sensors fell off. It was an amazing tracker but its unfortunately not very durable
Warranty?
Google is putting smart features into the Google Pixel and limiting Fitbit to fitness tracking only, In fact, they have blocked access to smart features in the new Sense Fitbit which has really upset those who bought them expecting to use thise smart features. So you either buy a smartwatch or a fitness tracker.
Does anyone use the Charge 5 along with a normal smart watch? I'm interested in buying one, but don't see it as my smart watch replacement. The reason I want the Charge 5 is for sleep tracking. My smart watch is too bulky for me to wear it at night and thus, I always take my watch off. So, I want something much more sleek and innocuous. Also during workouts, I take my watch off, because it is just too bulky and also to "nice" to have my sweat all over it. I would even want the screen off all the time with the Charge 5 and I agree with the sentiment in the video that a tracker needs to be as passive as possible. So, I'm looking to see if anyone else uses the Charge 5 as mainly a tracker only and in parallel to wearing a smartwatch too.
Just buy one and use it just for sleep ...100$ come on man or just get a Garmin forerunner 7
@@DarkSouls-Izalith I did buy a Charge 5. And I'm happy with it. $100 is still a good chunk of money to fork out for something that might not do what you expect of it.
You don’t want to tap the watch or rotate your wrist to see the time…?
Was the ECG stuff covered? Maybe I missed it. Wait, this review was from 2021. Maybe ECG wasn't a feature then.
Great review. Does the beddr sleep tuner still work? Thought they went out of business.
looks like it :/
Im new to fitbit. Just bought the charge 5 today. I didnt realize there are no controls for music. Seems a bit crazy that a fitness device wouldnt have that. I hope that could possibly be added in a future update.
Forgot to mention that!
I thought there was controls for music. I think of its a notification on your phone (usually currently playing) and can pause/play that way
my charge 3 was doing fine for 2 years but is now failing in the heart sensor function - how long should you expect the charge 5 to last/perform accurately?
I've never owned a fitness tracker or smartwatch before, so I'm a little confused. Does this show only your heart rate history? Or does it also give an alarm as an alert if your heart rate is too high/low?
I'm hoping to find something that will warn me about my heart rate so I know I need to find a seat before I blackout. I'm an android phone user.
A heart rate alarm is really the only feature I need at the moment.
Hey man. Is been diagnosed with sleep apnea. Does this go away after losing weight
no unfortunately. I lost 30 lbs and still the same. Maybe slightly better.
Do you have to pay to use the watch
Thank you!!!! Great vidio!!
Is the spo2 relative range tracking useful for you and do you think it’s useful for those with sleep apnea like me? I use an oral appliance and not a cpap or apap.
I had an O2 measurement at hospital of 100% and charge 5 said 97. It is not actually measured but the figure given is not too bad. It's the trend that is important
@@MrGerrymagic I've heard that because of the S curve of oxygen saturation, anything above 95 is almost exactly the same, it's when it gets lower than that when you need it to work.
I bought mine recently and "find my phone" is available and also the clock face is different. I'm in EU, though.
Great review, thanks. I'm torn between the Versa 3 and the Charge 5. The difference is about $30. Any suggestions? Thanks
Do you prefer more smart features or slimmer design?
@@JSyntax Thanks for responding. I kept going back and forth and eventually settled on the charge 5. I always have my phone nearby so the few added health features and the $30 less price point swayed me to the fitbit charge 5. Have a great day and thanks!
You mentioned a charge or subscription for the sleep data was that right ? Does that mean you don’t get to see the sleep data/ scale on you phone without subscription?
You still most of the data without a subscription of course!
Would you still recommend it in 2023?
Yes
Which functions on the Charge 5 are not supported by the IPHONE? I need the ecg and heart rate reports to my phone
I think there are limited notification actions
Is this the cheapest fitbit I can get that actually shows distance , not steps, my friend has an older Alta
Does anyone have issues with the responsiveness of the screen when swiping? I feel like it’s very laggy. And I do miss the button
Got mine 12/25/21. Wear it all the time. I do a daily 5.5 mile loop hike that starts on city streets with the middle of the hike through hills and redwoods in Marin County, California. The built in GPS is fairly accurate in city streets but gets "stupid" in the hills and trees. It records waypoints every second but they are often +/- 100 ft off. Tried loosening the band per fitbit support - helped in city but not in the hills. When I map the route in the dashboard - it makes it look like I am spiderman - jumping 75 feet to the left, then 50 feet to the right every few seconds or so (in the hills). My old Garmin E-Trex GPS does fine on the same trail, it has other terestrail position correction features so not a fair fight. With fit bit gps all the zigs and zags in the waypoint list - fit bit reports that I hiked 6.7 miles, not 5.5 miles. I got the Charge 5 because it had the GPS built in so I could leave my phone at home. I hope Fitbit resolves this. My suggestion to them - only record waypoints when you have enough satellites ( 4, 5, 6 ?) to be accurate, otherwise - SKIP recording. If the resulting waypoint list is missing a few seconds but more accurate - when mapping it will smooth between the points and not calculate overstated distances.
Glad that it is not bloated with watch ware. I want a fitness tracker not a watch. If I wanted a watch I would have bought a watch.
I am getting active call notifications on my Fitbit charge 5 when I make an outgoing call ? Can you please help me to receive just an incoming call and also what’s app incoming calls.Please help me.