Fitbit Luxe vs Charge 5: which should you buy

THERE’S a huge range of Fitbits to choose from. Luckily we’re here to help you make the right choice between two major wearables.

In our Fitbit Luxe vs Charge 5 explainer, we’ll examine each device’s features, specs, and pricing to help you make an informed decision.

• Fitbit Charge 5, £129 (was £169.99) – buy from Amazon
• Fitbit Luxe, £99 (was £129.95) – buy from Amazon

Fitbit has solidified itself as one of the leaders in fitness tech. When we think of fitness smartwatches, they’re almost always a Fitbit variant, and its reputation is well earned.

Both budding fitness fanatics and those always aiming for a new personal best will get a ton of use out of a Fitbit as an exercise buddy as the various functions cater to pretty much all health and fitness needs.

Despite Fitbit’s perceived market domination, there are still strong contenders created by Samsung and Apple in the form of the Apple and Samsung watches.

If you’re familiar with Apple or Samsung products, it’s worth reading our Fitbit Sense 2 vs Apple Watch 8 or Apple Watch vs Samsung Watch explainers, as they’ll help you better understand how Fitbit compares to the competition.

As mentioned previously, there are quite a few options available when it comes to Fitbits, so we’ve also compared the Fitbit Sense vs Fitbit Versa 3 and the Fitbit Versa 4 vs Fitbit Versa 3 for those with their hearts set on a Fitbit watch.

Fitbit Luxe vs Charge 5: At a glance

Taking a quick look at what both the smartwatches offer, there are obviously quite a few similarities since they’re created by the same company. However, there are enough key differences that are likely to affect your purchase based on what you plan to focus on.

The Fitbit Luxe is aimed more at blending into your daily wear, no matter the outfit, but it still focuses on providing you with key information to help you better achieve your daily goals.

One standout difference is its ability to track your menstrual cycle. You can log periods, record symptoms, and find patterns in your cycle in the hopes of helping you better manage it.

The Charge 5, on the other hand, is intended to function independently of a smartphone so you can ditch the extra weight at home while you go on your jogs.

Fitbit Luxe vs Charge 5: Price

As expected from a hugely popular product, the Fitbit is available from quite a few online retailers, so it doesn’t take much searching to find one.

However, we’ve rounded up a few to help you get started.

• Fitbit Charge 5 Activity Tracker, £129 (was £169.99) – buy from Amazon
• Fitbit Charge 5 Activity Tracker, £129 – buy from Argos
• Fitbit Charge 5 Gold and Lunar White, £129.99 – buy from Boots
• Fitbit Luxe Activity Tracker, £99 (was £129.95) – buy from Amazon
• Fitbit Luxe Activity Tracker, £99 – buy from John Lewis
• Fitbit Luxe Activity Tracker, £99 – buy from Argos

Fitbit Luxe vs Charge 5: Design

In terms of design, they are somewhat similar, with a sleek rectangle for a touch interface and detachable rubber straps that allow for a touch more personalisation.

In the case of the Luxe, it’s likely you’ll want a handful of straps so you can better mix and match your everyday outfits.

In addition, the Luxe’s slimmer design allows for a more discrete fitness watch that doubles as a functional accessory when you’re out.

The Charge 5, on the other hand, aims to do what’s best for your body and, as such, requires a slightly bulkier build to pack in features like the ECG app and EDA sensors to monitor your stress throughout the day—that doesn’t mean you can’t do your best to make it an accessory to many of your outfits.

Fitbit Luxe vs Charge 5: Fitness features

Features, as you may have guessed, are fairly similar across the two devices; core aspects like heart rate tracking, cardio scores, exercise modes, step and calorie tracking, and phone workouts are present in both versions.

However, if they were completely the same, there wouldn’t be much of a factor other than price in making a choice.

The Charge 5 also comes with a few more fitness features like EDA scans, notifications when your heart rate is high or low and irregular heart rate notifications, so if those are some concerns of yours, the Charge 5 may be the standout choice.

For the less extreme sports person, the Luxe does still have a couple of features not available to the 5, as it monitors your breathing rate because variations in your breathing rate could be a sign of changes in your well-being.

Fitbit Luxe vs Charge 5: Smartwatch features

While the Luxe aims to be more versatile in terms of style and usage, the Charge 5 is the only one with Fitbit Pay, which allows you to make contactless purchases with your smartwatch.

Outside of being able to make purchases with your phone, there aren’t many smartwatch differences between the two apart from the built-in GPS on the Charge 5, with the Luxe requiring a phone connection to be able to use GPS features.

Fitbit Luxe vs Charge 5: Which is best?

When it comes to making the big decision, you’ll likely have to weigh up a fair few of the factors mentioned in this versus, like how much exercise you’re doing, the type of activity and whether or not you want a smartwatch that works independently.

We’ve shortlisted a few standout factors that might affect your decision to help guide you in the right direction.

Choose the Luxe if….

• You’re on a budget
• You like to match your accessories and outfits
• Your fitness consists of lower-stress activities like yoga

Choose the Charge 5 if….

• You’ve got some serious goals set
• You want to be able to monitor extra things like stress and menstrual cycles
• You want a few extra smartwatch features

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