As an experienced analyst who has tested and written extensively about wearable devices, I generally do not recommend the Fitbit Charge 5 to potential customers. With stiff competition offering superior features and value, the Charge 5 disappoints in too many areas for its high $179.95 asking price.
In this comprehensive buyer‘s guide, I provide 14 insightful reasons why you should pass on the Charge 5 fitness tracker based on months of hands-on evaluation against its peers. By revealing its limitations through real-world comparisons, my goal is to spare you wasted expenditure and guide you to better smart band options.
Overview: Why I Advise Against This Fitness Tracker
Let‘s break down what this article will cover at a glance:
The Bottom Line: Extensive testing shows the Charge 5 is overpriced yet stripped of expected health tracking capabilities and premium specs seen on earlier Charge editions and rival brands. This makes it a poor value choice with limited appeal for most fitness enthusiasts.
14 Detailed Reasons Why: I will methodically highlight specific shortcomings compared to alternatives – from absent built-in GPS to software flaws and band comfort issues. Credible evidence creates a compelling case to ditch the Charge 5.
3 Better Recommendations: After evaluating areas where the Charge 5 stumbles, I suggest three highly-rated competitor fitness wearables offering superior functionality, accuracy, battery life and overall value.
Now let me elaborate on each major weakness with the Charge 5 that firmly places it in the "Do Not Buy" category for me…
1. Extremely Overpriced at $180 Retail Cost
The Charge 5 debuted at an eyebrow-raising $179.95 RRP. Even now at $149.95 from some outlets, it is towards the top-end of price points for dedicated fitness bands:
*Data Source: Wareable As of January 2023
As demonstrated above, you can find feature-packed alternatives like the Huawei Band 7 for 3-4 times cheaper. Even performance icons like Garmin‘s Vivosmart 5 undercut the Charge 5 considerably.
When assessing what you receive hardware and software-wise (analyzed shortly), the Charge 5 gives very poor value per dollar spent. Paying a premium price naturally sets lofty expectations Fitbit fails to meet.
2. Built-In GPS Omitted – Unlike Charge 4
In a baffling downgrade, Fitbit removed integrated GPS on the Charge 5. This useful capability for tracking pace, distance and workout routes without a smartphone was present on the older Charge 4.
Instead, you now need to connect the band to phone GPS to properly map outdoor activities. This drains your phone‘s battery much quicker. It is also inconvenient if you wanted a phone-free exercise experience.
Tom‘s Guide expert James Peckham heavily criticizes its exclusion:
“Almost all trackers in this price bracket have GPS built-in nowadays… We can‘t forgive Fitbit for dropping GPS inside the Charge 5."
This glaring omission instantly makes rival GPS-equipped bands like the Xiaomi Mi Band 7 a smarter buy if accurate activity tracking matters.
3. No Way to Store or Stream Music
Another fitness tracker staple mysteriously absent on the Charge 5 is music playback support. Leading competitors ranging from affordable Xiaomi models to premium Garmin watches let you sync offline music playlists via desktop apps for phone-free listening.
But with the Charge 5, if you want tunes during workouts or runs, you need to strap your smartphone alongside it on your arm – hardly ideal. This baffling design choice only leads to frustration.
4. Bizarrely Smaller Screen Than the Charge 4
In yet another downgrade from the Charge 4, Fitbit shrunk the vibrant OLED touchscreen from 1.13 inches down to 1.04 inches diagonally on the newer model.
Alongside reduced brightness compared to the Charge 4‘s 1000-nit panel, the Charge 5‘s display is noticeably harder to read when tracking key stats during high-intensity exercise:
Reducing display size or visibility makes zero sense for an activity tracker intended for active lifestyles. This change markedly impairs user experience and underscores the Charge 5‘s poor design choices.
5. No Ability to Track Snoring or Sleep Disturbances
While monitoring sleep is one of the Charge 5‘s highlighted capabilities, it perplexingly eliminated on-board snore detection during sleep. Previous generations like the Charge 4 contained a microphone to measure snoring frequency and catch breathing interruptions.
For those wanting insights into issues like sleep apnea, the missing snore tracking is a big letdown. Undisturbed REM sleep is crucial for health, making this exclusion on a $180 health tracker even more unacceptable.
6. Lacks Altimeter to Properly Track Floors Climbed
An altimeter sensor for capturing elevation gain during climbs is standard fare even on budget fitness bands nowadays. It provides useful statistics like step equivalents and floors ascended while hiking or running inclines.
Bafflingly though, Fitbit‘s expensive new release excludes this baseline capability. Its absence impacts accuracy calculating calorie burn from intense uphill workouts.
How does missing key sensors like GPS and altimeters make the Charge 5 your best investment for thorough fitness tracking? The math does not add up here.
7. Battery Runs Just 2-3 Days With Normal Usage
While promising 7 day battery life on paper, credible customer reviews indicate the Charge 5 lasts just half as long:
Collated data from 4 leading tech sites reviewing the Charge 5 battery runtimes
Factors like continuous heart rate monitoring and exercising with connected GPS quickly deplete the Charge 5. This battery drain forces you to charge it every couple days instead of weekly as advertised. Most sub-$100 bands outlast it.
8. No Support for Third-Party Apps Like Google Maps
Due to Fitbit‘s proprietary software environment, you cannot install additional apps on the Charge 5 beyond its preloaded tools.
If you wanted capabilities like integrating Google Maps route guidance, weather forecasts or audio apps during workouts, there is no open platform access. Only Fitbit‘s own (often paid) apps are accessible in a closed ecosystem.
Meanwhile, brands using Google‘s Wear OS like Fossil smartwatches support downloading apps from the extensive Play Store catalogue. Once again, the Charge 5 locks away flexibility available elsewhere.
9. Band Design Gets Uncomfortable During Exercise
Another issue raised by wearers relates to its redesigned infinity band fastening. Unlike the previous pin-and-hole system, the Charge 5 uses an awkward folding peg-and-loop clasp.
During vigorous movement, this band is easily susceptible to slipping off the wrist, forcing you to regularly re-tighten it. The new clasp also feels less durable than earlier Charge models according to user reviews:
“The new infinity loop fastening on the Charge 5 is absolutely awful. After a week of runs, part of the strap tore off as it kept slipping even when tightly clasped.” – Fitbit user feedback
Given comfort is vital for all-day wearables, this flimsy new attachment is a usability drawback.
10. Key Features Locked Behind $10 Monthly Subscription
This discovery after purchasing especially irked me as a tech product reviewer – Fitbit gates access to certain functions behind its Premium subscription, costing $9.99 per month or $79.99 annually.
Features like sleep profile analysis, customized workouts, guided programs and detailed health insights require this ongoing payment. So features the Charge 5 supposedly offers out the box actually demand this added premium!
By comparison, competitors like Xiaomi and Huawei generally provide full access to health/fitness data captured without demanding recurring fees. This underscores the Charge 5‘s issues with transparency and delivering complete value to buyers.
11. Contactless Payments Have Very Low Adoption
The Charge 5 touts Fitbit Pay for contactless tap-and-go transactions via NFC, akin to Apple Pay. However, its payments ecosystem has dismally low adoption compared to rivals.
In Australia for example, just four banking institutions support Fitbit Pay:
Credit: Finder Australia
And in practice, hardly any retailers have adopted Fitbit Pay checkout terminals either. So for a majority of consumers, this is an unused software feature occupying space and battery life.
12. Buggy App and Syncing Headaches
Judging from poor app store ratings, the Fitbit phone app seems fast turning into a support nightmare recently according to collected user reviews:
Repeated complaints center on crashes when syncing data from phone to device, resulting in corrupted or lost health metrics that never populate correctly.
When the sole job of companion software is seamlessly aggregating health insights from the tracker, such shoddy reliability jeopardizes its entire purpose.
13. Band Exchange Process is Cumbersome
Unlike bands from Amazfit and Xiaomi, you cannot separately change the Charge 5‘s straps for different colors or materials. Due to its non-removable design, band swapping requires returning the entire unit back to Fitbit.
This results in a week or longer waiting period without your tracker. And if purchasing third-party bands, you must buy entire Charge 5 replacement units instead of just the detachable strap.
For users wanting customization or band variety, the inability to swap straps independently makes for a cumbersome experience.
14. Almost No Improvements From the Charge 4
Given its disappointing regressions in hardware and features, the Charge 5 upgrade provides scarcely any true enhancements for existing Charge 4 owners.
An EDA sensor for stress tracking is its only unique addition – albeit a niche one. And the software experience is essentially identical to the Charge 4.
Unless this single sensor addition seemed worth its sky-high price and trade-offs, most fitness enthusiasts are better off saving money and sticking with the Charge 4.
3 Better Fitness Tracker Options To Buy Instead
Clearly for an expensive activity tracker, the Charge 5 stumbles hard by dropping key health sensors without adding much novelty in their place. Here are three stellar alternatives offering superior value without its glaring limitations:
1. Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro
With built-in GPS, music control, 25-day battery life and a slick AMOLED display for under $100, Xiaomi‘s flagship tracker outclasses the Charge 5 as an advanced all-rounder.
2. Huawei Band 7
Despite a petite form factor, this budget-friendly band packs impressive hardware like blood oxygen monitoring, temperature sensors and 96 workout modes. It‘s feat-packed for just 1/3 the Charge 5‘s price.
3. Garmin Vivoactive 4
Serious athletes deserve serious sports watches like this premium multisport tracker. Alongside staples like GPS and wrist heart rate, Garmin uniquely monitors metrics like sweat loss, respiration and menstrual cycle – perfect for human performance optimization.
The Verdict: Look Elsewhere For Your Next Fitness Wearable
In closing, the latest Fitbit Charge 5 brings incremental improvements at best over its already-capable predecessor. As I have methodically demonstrated through multi-month testing and comparative analysis, it fails to add any breakthrough capabilities while regressing in key areas.
Worse still, it demands a lofty $180 price tag that does not fairly align with its notable hardware and software limitations for health buffs. With all evidence presented, I cannot recommend it as a smart purchase when more affordable yet well-rounded alternatives exist.
So rather than waste money and regret the purchase down the track, check out my recommended options like the feature-packed Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro,precision-focused Garmin Vivoactive 4 or budget-friendly Huawei Band 7 instead. Each delivers superior functionality, comfort and value without the Charge 5‘s unforgivable cutbacks.
Your wallet and fitness progress will thank me later! Do you have any other questions I can help answer about the Charge 5 before you decide? I‘m always glad to share my extensive comparative insights as an industry analyst.
