02 Feb
Blog

Belkin Boost Charge Pro review: My favorite bedside charger

The Belkin 3-in-1 Charger can charge your phone, Airpods and Apple Watch at the same time.

Belkin Boost Charge Pro

RRP $149.99

"The Belkin Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Charger can charge all your devices at the same time, and it looks good doing it."

benefits

  • Solid, durable construction

  • Strong magnetic attachments

  • Charges three devices simultaneously

  • Pop up watch charger

  • Fast charge for Apple Watch Series 7

disadvantage

  • The plug is way too big

  • No other USB ports

  • Expensive

I've spent the last four years looking for a great bedside charger. When Apple launched MagSafe on the iPhone 12, that search became a little more focused. When Mophie introduced his snap ring adapter That can make basically any Android phone MagSafe compatible, this search has been laser focused. Now the search might be over: The Belkin Boost Charger Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad is about as close to perfection as I've come yet.

draft

This is a flat slab covered in a soft-touch silicone finish that's a bit difficult to keep clean. It measures 9 inches by 3 inches by 0.8 inches, so it's quite large. There are three charging areas: a MagSafe charger for your phone, a charger for your Apple Watch, and a charger for your AirPods, which is really just a Qi charger. I used it primarily to charge my Anker Soundcore Liberty Pro 3 earbuds, but occasionally to charge a second phone. There's a single LED light that shows when your AirPods are charging, but there aren't any other LED light indicators since your phone and smartwatch presumably have their onscreen displays.

The MagSafe charging plate for the iPhone is slightly raised for a good, solid connection. The Apple Watch stand folds up so you can charge either vertically or horizontally, depending on your preference. The Apple Watch holder is also adjustable depending on what size Apple Watch you have. It can be raised if needed to make room for the case, which is an important design flourish. The magnets on both the MagSafe charging puck and the watch charger are very strong and won't let either device slip.

strong contact

The Belkin 3-in-1 Charger can charge your phone, Airpods and Apple Watch at the same time.Adam Doud/Digital Trends

That's really all there is to it. The Belkin 3-in-1 Boost Charge Pro works well, the magnets are solid, and you can charge as much as you need. I like this device (and MagSafe in general) because the magnets keep my phone and watch connected even if I nudge them at night. Sometimes I'd rather have a phone stand that keeps my phone upright so I can read or check notifications, but on a bedside table it's a good compromise. Once I put my phone on the charger I shouldn't be looking at it anyway. The watch folds up so I can use it as a small watch if needed, and that's good enough.

The plug occupies three outlets on my power strip, which isn't ideal.

The main benefit here is that the Belkin Boost Charge 3-in-1 Charger has been updated to support both Apple's 15-watt wireless charging for iPhones and fast charging for the Apple Watch Series 7. I personally have an Apple Watch SE, so I can't take advantage of that particular feature, but maybe you can.

The Belkin 3-in-1 charger's power plug seems to be a lot bigger than it needs to be.Adam Doud/Digital Trends

How the charging pad gets its power is not ideal. The Belkin Boost Charge uses a cylinder plug that twists into the base to lock it in place. That's fine, but I'd always prefer a USB-C port so it's easier to travel with. The power supply at the other end is also huge. The plug occupies three outlets on my power strip, which isn't ideal. I actually picked some up One foot extension cord to mitigate that. It makes my power strip a little messier, but at least I get my plugs back.

Not perfect

Another thing I would have liked about this charging stand is additional USB-A or USB-C connectors on the side. The base is thick enough to accommodate both types of connectors and given the size of the connector it would be nice to be able to connect other accessories. You might be thinking, "This thing already charges your phone, watch, and earbuds, what more could you ask for?" That's a perfectly fair point, so it's an forgivable oversight.

The Belkin 3-in-1 Boost Charge Pro charger works well, the magnets are solid, and you can charge as much as you need.

All of this comes at a rather high price of $150, which is certainly on the high side. The addition of fast charging for the Apple Watch Series 7 is nice, and it could be argued that with this charger you don't need the extra power brick you would need to buy for your Apple Watch charger. Still, it's difficult to justify the rather steep cost, especially given Amazon's preponderance of three-device chargers. It's a very clean and good-looking charger with some attractive add-ons, but whether it's enough to justify that much money depends largely on your situation. If you have the available desk space and the right devices to make use of it, this could be a nice addition to your charging arsenal.

The Belkin 3-in-1 Charger's Apple Watch charger flips up so you can charge your watch vertically or horizontally.Adam Doud/Digital Trends

Prices and Availability

The Belkin Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 Charger is available on the Belkin website for $150. Orders have already started shipping.

Our opinion

All in all, this is a very expensive charging accessory. But it deserves that price with the ability to charge three devices simultaneously and with the support for fast charging on the 7 Series. There's no shortage of three-device chargers available at a fraction of the price of other retailers other than the Belkin Boost Charge Pro 3-in-1 is solidly built, with strong magnets and fast charging. The plug is a bit bigger than I'd like to see, and I'd rather have a USB-C cable with a charging brick than a barrel charger and a giant plug. But beyond that, this is a simple, understated design that will look good with just about anything in your home.

Is there a better alternative?

This combination of features is hard to find, especially since fast charging is a new concept for the Apple Watch Series 7. So while there's no shortage of great wireless chargers, objectively many of them won't be any better. Remarkable is the Ampere Unravel Wireless Charger, which can also charge three devices simultaneously and fold into a compact cube. But the maximum is 10 watts per charger. The Belkin Boost Charge Pro gives you plenty of power.

How long does it last?

I have no concerns about the durability of this device. There are some minimal moving parts, but otherwise this thing is a solid brick. However, the proprietary barrel loader is a concern. It snaps into place, which is nice, but its shape and the tight confines it's in mean that if it breaks, you'll have to go to Belkin for a replacement. However, Belkin covers most of its devices with a two-year warranty, which should be some consolation.

should you buy it

If you want a good-looking, fast wireless charging trio of pads, then yes. This isn't the cheapest option, but it guarantees to get your Apple devices up and running as soon as possible. Of course, that only applies if you need to charge three devices. The target customer has a MagSafe iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch. If you don't have all three (or at least a set of earbuds that charge wirelessly) then this is probably too much charger for you.

Editor's Recommendations



14 Jan
Blog

JBL Charge 5 review: Potent and portable party speaker

JBL Charge 5.

JBL Charge 5

RRP $180.00

"Everyone will hear the JBL Charge 5 as soon as you crank it up."

benefits

  • Solid build quality

  • Can get very noisy

  • Excellent water and dust protection

  • EQ offers some sound enhancements

  • Works with JBL Portable App and PartyBoost

disadvantage

  • Cannot stereo pair with JBL speakers without Charge 5

  • Does not work as a speakerphone

  • Not a huge upgrade over the Charge 4

Look for a Bluetooth speaker and you'll find a variety of sizes to choose from. It's up to you to decide which one suits your lifestyle best, but when you have a lot of options it's not always easy to find the best value for your money. JBL's speakers come in a variety of sizes, and one of their key features is playing bigger than they appear.

This is where the JBL Charge 5 comes into play. It's medium sized and packs a punch, but has JBL changed too much about the sound while tweaking a few things in both design and functionality? Let's take a look.

JBL Charge 5 speaker and box.Ted Kritsonis/Digital Trends

What's in the box

You won't find much to wade through in the box. Aside from the speaker itself, JBL only includes a USB-C charging cable and a quick start guide. If you've used previous Charge speakers you might be wondering where the 3.5mm aux-in cable is located and it's not here because JBL removed that connector. This speaker is completely wireless.

The JBL Charge 5 speaker features rubber grips on the bottom.Ted Kritsonis/Digital Trends

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JBL doesn't reinvent the wheel with the Charge 5 and sticks to a very familiar look that doesn't differ too much from the previous version. I'm mostly referring to the aesthetics, where aside from the more pronounced logo and battery indicator on the front, and the rubberized grips on the bottom, many of the same elements apply.

The weight and dimensions differ only slightly compared to the Charge 4, except that the 5 is more robust.

The tightly woven fabric still looks and feels good, while the bumpers on each side protect the passive radiators. The button layout on top remains the same, while the rear features the USB-C charging port, along with a USB-A port that you can use to charge other devices, basically turning the speaker into a power bank.

The weight and dimensions differ only slightly compared to the Charge 4, except that the 5 is more robust. Instead of keeping the previous IPX7 rating for water resistance, JBL added good dust resistance for an excellent IP67 rating instead. These include salt water and sand, making this speaker equally at home on the beach as it is near a pool or bathtub.

Its overall size makes it a little too big to be highly portable. You could toss it in a bag and take it on a ride, but it's definitely not something you want to carry around for long periods of time. It doesn't have a handle or any indentations to make it easier to carry, but it's the sort of speaker you can take on a trip or from one room to another with relative ease.

The buttons are on the JBL Charge 5 speaker.Ted Kritsonis/Digital Trends

setup and configuration

It was easy to pair the Charge 5 right from the start and I've noticed an improvement in connectivity. The Charge 4 ran Bluetooth 4.2 while the Charge 5 uses 5.1. This shift helps stabilize the connection and plays a key role in why the audio doesn't stutter as you move farther from the speaker.

It can also be paired with two devices at the same time, but it's no help with calls since it's not speakerphone. There's no microphone, meaning you can only hear what your voice assistant is saying and still have to speak into your phone to issue commands. Pairing with two devices means you can easily switch from one to the other when you want to hear what they're playing.

The JBL Portable app (formerly the Connect app) for iOS or Android offers limited functionality, but a key feature that wasn't present when the Charge 5 launched is the three-band EQ. It's modest in scope, with bass, mids and treble available, each with five levels you can pan and adjust. You might think it's overkill for a JBL speaker, but you might also find this speaker more understated than it looks. I found better results tipping the mids up, but if you want more rumbling bass you can always max that out.

PartyBoost returns and stays with the same formula, meaning you can pair the Charge 5 with other PartyBoost-compatible JBL speakers to play music at the same time. If you want to pair the left and right channels in stereo, you need to pair it with another Charge 5. Keep in mind that once you turn on PartyBoost and connect to a different speaker, you will lose the EQ and the connected speakers will revert to the default sound profile.

The JBL Charge 5 speaker can be placed upright.Ted Kritsonis/Digital Trends

sound quality

While testing the Charge 5, I installed a firmware update that presumably affected the audio quality, especially the bass. I've never had to test the Charge 4 so I can't be sure there's an upgrade in that regard, but the Portable app's EQ can take the sound to greater depths if you start tinkering with a balance, that works for you.

It's a resonant speaker as its sound carries further than you might expect.

The good news is that this makes an audible difference. You don't get a JBL speaker for high definition audiophile sound. The Charge 5 only supports the Bluetooth codecs AAC and SBC anyway. If you're just looking for a sound that lets tunes play loud and clear, the Charge 5 can certainly get you there due to its volume. Distortion kicks in at very high volumes but lingers long enough before you get there to entertain a group or audience.

It's a resonant speaker as its sound carries further than you might expect. In smaller rooms, you don't necessarily have to turn the volume up too high to feel it. You might consider this purely relevant to bass-heavy music genres, but I'd argue that's not really true. There's enough here to enjoy pretty much whatever you enjoy listening to, and the EQ, while limited, gives you some flexibility to tweak it to your liking.

That bodes well for parties and barbecues and people with eclectic tastes. Nobody there would expect perfection from such a speaker, but they would probably be surprised at how much they can hear when they are further away.

The JBL Charge 5 speaker has bumpers on each side that protect the passive radiators.Ted Kritsonis/Digital Trends

battery life

JBL rates battery life at up to 20 hours per charge, but don't expect to hit that. Had JBL kept the 3.5mm aux-in port it probably would have, except Bluetooth and volume are the deciding factors. I didn't have to get too loud too often, so my mileage usually ranged from 15 to 17 hours. Not bad at all, except that when it runs out of juice it takes up to four hours to fully recharge. You can also plug it in during playback when the battery is low, if you can place it near an outlet or keep a power bank handy.

The speaker's own power bank function plays its own role in battery life. Of course, if you use the included USB-C cable and flip it the other way to connect the USB-A side to the rear port to charge something else via USB-C, you'll be using up some of its lifespan for playback .

Our opinion

You can find the Charge 5 for $180, which is a pretty standard price for a mid-range speaker like this. Whether its size and price are right for you depends on your needs and budget, but your money is definitely buying a volume that works well. Its added durability also stands out, making it versatile where and when you want to play it. There are also six colors to choose from, including the standard camouflage finish.

Is there a better alternative?

Given the limited differences between him and the fee 4, it's not a bad idea to consider the latter as an option, especially if you want a 3.5mm jack. the Ultimate Ears Mega Boom 3 is more expensive at $200, but offers serious durability and more spacious 360-degree sound, as well as color options.

If you'd rather use a speaker at home than one to take with you on trips and outings, you might want to check out this one SonosMove. It's portable enough to move from room to room, but isn't the kind of speaker you want too close to a body of water. And unless you appreciate the smart speaker or the whole-home audio capabilities, the $400 price tag is hard to justify.

How long it will take?

JBL makes sure its speakers play loud without breaking, so it's a good bet you can keep them for a long time. The biggest concern is that water or salt will somehow damage the internal components, which you can avoid by rinsing off sand or salt after a day at the beach. JBL has a one-year warranty against damage, but read the fine print on water damage as the company may not cover every case.

should you buy it

Yes, especially if you don't already have such a speaker. This isn't the kind of product you update yearly. You get it and keep it for as long as you need it. I'd think twice before doing that if you already have the Charge 4, where the upgrade probably doesn't feel that significant.

Editor's Recommendations



21 Sep
Blog

Fitbit Charge 5 Review: A Truly Advanced Fitness Tracker

Tap a Fibit Charge 5 awake.

Fitbit Charge 5: A Truly Advanced Fitness Tracker

RRP $ 180.00

"The new and improved Fitbit Charge 5 offers everything you could want from an advanced fitness tracker."

advantages

  • Stylish and comfortable design

  • Solid battery life

  • Loaded with advanced health metrics

  • Onboard GPS with multiple modes

  • Supports Fitbit Pay

disadvantage

  • Sometimes slow swiping of inputs

  • Some basic fitness / wellness tools are missing

  • Fitbit Premium is required for some functions

The last Fitbit Charge Tracker I used before the Charge 5 was the much less innovative Charge HR of the first generation. After wearing the Charge 5 non-stop for a week, I was impressed how drastic the experience is with Fitbit's most advanced tracker ever. Even when compared to the previous generation Charge 4, the Charge 5 takes the overall wearable fitness tracking experience up a few notches.

The new design makes this tracker more comfortable and appealing, but also offers an extensive list of functions that go with the brand's best-equipped smartwatches. Above all, the Charge 5 is the very first Fitbit fitness tracker that works with the Fitbit EKG app and thus joins the ranks of the Fitbit Sense smartwatch. For loyal Fitbit fans or first-time fitness tracker users, the redesigned Charge 5 has a lot going for it in a super portable and easy-to-use format.

Design and comfort

It's fair to say the Charge 5 has received a makeover. Unlike the box-shaped models in front of it, the Charge 5 takes up one side of the rounded angles of the Fitbit Versa 3 or the Apple Watch Series 7. These softer lines make the Charge 5 more current and desirable to wear day after day. The Charge 5 also increases the quality with higher quality materials than the synthetic resin and rubber of the previous model. You will find a more robust and better looking tracker made of aluminum, glass and resin with a silicone strap – and an aluminum buckle in the sports strap version.

The interchangeable straps are soft, flexible, and adapt to smaller wrists – as dainty as 5.1 inches – that I can't find firsthand on wearables. Both the standard and especially the sports band I tested felt like the first bands to fit my 5.5 inch wrist. I barely realized I was wearing the tracker because it was so light and fitted so well. I only took it off before taking a shower. It was also very comfortable to sleep due to the quick access sleep mode feature and the overall lightweight construction.

As for the display, Fitbit says the Charge 5 is twice as bright as the Charge 4 in daylight. While it suffers from the glare of the Corning Gorilla Glass case in direct sunlight, the screen quality is a significant step up from even at maximum brightness the grayscale touchscreens of past charge trackers.

I barely realized I was wearing the tracker because it was so light and fitted so well.

Despite the glare issue, the display is impressive. Although the screen is small with a 1.04 inch viewing area, it feels kind of spacious. It was easy to interact with and lacked major responsiveness issues. When wiping from left to right, I noticed very little inertia.

power

The Charge 5 is a dedicated fitness tracker, so expect support for some automatic workouts like running, walking, and biking that it offers. The Charge 5 supports a total of 20 training modes, seven of which have GPS tracking.

The Charge 5 proved to be a great motivator to schedule daily walks as my form of exercise while I dropped out of my almost daily running routine due to an injury. It automatically tracked several of my 30 minute to 1.5 hour hikes and walks with no issues. When I started running from the tracker, GPS tracking was slightly delayed, but it never took more than a minute or two to catch up.

Training days displayed on a Fitbit Charge 5.

Yoona Wagener / Digital Trends

Reminder to move on a Fitbit Charge 5.

Yoona Wagener / Digital Trends

Summary of the day view on a Fitbit Charge 5.

Yoona Wagener / Digital Trends

I compared the tracking accuracy of my walks with a Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2. The Active 2 is definitely more of a smartwatch, but it fits the fitness and wellness focus of the Charge 5. The Active 2 records GPS much faster than the Charge 5 and has a responsive start / stop function, which the Charge lacks, but the two were on track in terms of performance to record my daily walking workouts. The Charge 5 met the Active 2 step for step size, average heart rate and total time.

The Charge 5 has an ambitious list of wellness specs.

While trackers are much more wellness focused than smart features, I've found that the best fitness trackers combine the two in meaningful ways. The Charge 5 does this with features like Google Fast Pair with Android phones and contactless payments with Fitbit Pay. This tracker also offers notifications for calls, SMS and emails, as well as a quick reply feature for Android users. Notifications came instantly from my iPhone and were easy to see and clear with a few taps of the finger.

Advanced features

The Fitbit brand is arguably more about wellness than fitness alone, and the Charge 5 has an ambitious list of wellness specs. In addition to the usual 24/7 heart rate monitoring, sleep cycle tracking, and active minutes and zones that most Fitbits offer, this latest tracker also offers blood oxygen saturation (SPO2) monitoring and electrodermal activity (EDA) analysis of stress levels. While more basic features like climbing floors and manual heart rate tracking would have been nice too, the Charge 5 focuses on the latest wellness technology.

Charge 5 will soon have support for the Fitbit EKG app, which allows you to take heart rhythm measurements right from your wrist. It will also provide a new Daily Readiness Score for premium members. This score analyzes your sleep and heart rate variability and looks for signs of fatigue to let you know whether your body is ready to exercise or rest. The Daily Readiness Score seems to be similar to what I've seen on Garmin smartwatches targeting multisport and triathlon tracking, which I've found to be pretty accurate and helpful for training.

EDA scan runs on a Fitbit Charge 5.Yoona Wagener / Digital Trends

software

The Charge 5 provides a clear summary of the daily statistics that is easy to see. However, like other Fitbit wearables, it is very tied to the companion app for insights into how you've slept, exercised, or moved according to the tracker. The app is also key for customizations like setting up Fitbit Pay, changing the watch face, and participating in challenges. Fortunately, the Fitbit app is very clean and not intimidating, though you may need to dive into a few hidden features if you're not familiar with the layout.

You can examine each data tile and learn more, or remove (hide) it if you are not interested in keeping track of it. None of the data appears overloaded with information. Sleep data can be particularly detailed without feeling inaccessible, and provides an overall assessment and breakdown of sleep stages. The app also offers tools to help you change your habits, such as: B. Setting a smart alarm (to wake you gently 30 minutes before the alarm clock) or assessing how stressed you feel.

Tap a Fibit Charge 5 awake.Yoona Wagener / Digital Trends

The premium subscription unlocks the deeper health data you may want to keep an eye on, such as: B. Your heart rate variability, skin temperature fluctuations and saturation of blood oxygen content (SPO2). It also gives you access to Premium's one-stop-shop wellness features, with everything from guided exercise programs to tips on how to get rid of sugar for good. Regardless of whether you pass on a premium membership or continue with it, the app interface is easy to navigate and offers the opportunity to be more concerned with your data and habits.

Battery life

Like the Charge 4, the Charge 5 also promises a potential one-week battery life. Using the dynamic GPS mode, which is based on your phone's GPS unless you have it with you, and turning off the screen that is always on are some of the battery saving features I took advantage of during my week of testing.

I experienced a solid 5.5 days which seems like a fair result as I've used the built-in GPS multiple times. While a full week would have been ideal, this battery power surely outperforms some smartwatches that only last two days. It also took about 90 minutes to charge. This charging time is tracked with Fitbit's estimate of up to two hours to charge the battery.

Price and availability

the 5. charge Retails for approximately $ 180 and ships in late September. It is available in a standard model in three different color options (black / graphite, moon white / soft gold and steel blue / platinum) and small and large ribbons.

Our opinion

The Fitbit Charge 5 is a stand-out fitness tracker that improves everything Fitbit trackers are good at. Its compact and fashionable design makes it an ultra-portable 24/7 accessory. But in addition to the modern and sleek look, it's packed with wellness features and data that you can immerse yourself in with the easy-to-use Fitbit app.

Is there a better alternative?

You will have a hard time finding a match at all of the same levels as the Charge 5. If you like the look of a traditional watch better and you're tied to a specific smartphone operating system, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2 or Apple Watch SE might be compelling. If you're on a budget, the Samsung Galaxy Fit 2 better mirrors the look of the Charge 5, with a modest but helpful range of exercise modes, sleep tracking, and a possible 15-day battery life depending on usage.

How long it will take?

The Charge 5 is more advanced than any previous batch. Thanks to material upgrades, advanced wellness support and waterproof protection (for swimming up to 50 meters), you should be in good shape for several years. If something unexpected happens, the Charge 5 comes with a one-year warranty.

Should you buy it?

Yes, this is one of the best fitness trackers from a brand specializing in fitness and wellness. The Charge 5 is attractive, easy to carry, and a great choice for anyone looking for a tracker with the latest Fitbit innovations.

Editor's recommendations



22 Apr
Blog

Fitbit Charge 4 Review: The Fitness Tracker To Buy

Fitbit Charge 4 review 1

"The Fitbit Charge 4 is a great fitness tracker at an affordable price."

  • Excellent fitness tracking

  • Some intelligent functions

  • Good battery life

  • GPS installed

  • Solid value

  • Limited music support

  • Slightly outdated design

  • Ad could be better

It is important to me to keep track of my health. I use MyFitnessPal to track what I eat, Sleeptracker to monitor my sleep, and Apple Watch to track my fitness and activity. All of this information is linked in the Apple Health app. The Apple Watch even made me aware that I might have atrial fibrillation – a diagnosis that was later confirmed by cardiologists. In a world with all of these high-tech, artificially intelligent tracking systems, the humble Fitbit can feel a little old-fashioned.

While the Fitbit Charge 4 can't keep up with the Apple Watch in many areas, it's pretty much the best fitness tracker you can buy for the price. This is especially true since the device now finally offers integrated GPS and new heart monitoring functions.

Let’s take a closer look.

design

The Fitbit Charge 4 looks almost identical to the Fitbit Charge 3 – and although the Charge 3 offered an updated design, it still feels a bit dated at this point. That doesn't mean it's ugly. The device is small enough to look good on wrists of all sizes, and easily adaptable thanks to the wide range of straps.

There is a 1-inch monochrome OLED display with a resolution of 160 x 100 pixels on the front of the device. The display is pretty boring and sometimes frustrating to use. It is not always on and often does not wake up when you raise your wrist. In addition, it is not very bright and can sometimes be difficult to read in sunlight. An updated display would have been desirable here.

On the Charge 4 side there is a haptic button that activates the display and serves, among other things, as a home button in the device software. It works well, although sometimes you have to push harder to make it work. However, you will get used to it. The charging pins and a heart rate monitor are located on the underside of the device.

As you would expect from a fitness tracker in 2020, the device is waterproof up to 50 meters and therefore supports swimming tracking. I was unable to get to a pool due to the ongoing ban to test this.

In general, the overall design of the Fitbit Charge 4 could be described as "good". It does the job. It is not noticeable and the display is somewhat lackluster. After all, this is not a smartwatch, but a fitness tracker. And it looks like this.

Track fitness

Before you actually track your fitness, you should dive into the app and find out which activities you think will be used the most since the device contains only six shortcuts each. I actually thought the Charge 4 couldn't track tennis, but it can track a variety of activities – you just have to indicate which ones are most important to you. By default, the shortcuts include running, cycling, swimming, treadmill, outdoor training, and walking.

It's a little annoying that only six links can be included. I wouldn't call myself the most active person out there, but I'm still chasing walks, runs, weight training, and occasional tennis and swimming lessons. It's easy to imagine that someone has to do more than six types of activities on a regular basis.

New for the Charge 4 is the built-in GPS, a very welcome addition. With the GPS, you can finally leave your smartphone at home if you want to physically follow your run. I found the GPS accuracy to be pretty accurate – and even slightly more accurate than the Apple Watch.

The fact that the device has an integrated GPS surpasses most other trackers, especially in this price range. Most other GPS-enabled devices are fully functional smartwatches, with the exception of Garmin Vivosport, which deals with other features like swimming tracking and some other fitness metrics.

The workouts that use GPS track things like pace, speed, distance, time, and heart rate. Other workouts record time, calories burned, and heart rate. It's a good range of metrics, and these things can all be seen directly from the Fitbit app.

The Charge 4 can automatically track some workouts like running, walking, cycling, elliptical training and more. This has been useful more than once. During this period of social distancing, I try to take at least a few walks a day – and I may not remember starting a workout to follow them because I do not always see them as "workouts". The Fitbit Charge 4 covered me because I was pleasantly surprised to see all of my walks in the app.

You can also track your sleep with the Fitbit Charge 4. While wearing a device in bed takes a bit of getting used to, a lot of data is collected – and when you get Fitbit Premium, you'll see how Fitbit breaks down your score. It's hard to determine how accurate sleep tracking is without a dedicated sleep lab, but the results seem to match my attitudes toward my sleep and the rating I get from Sleeptracker.

Although I haven't tested it for obvious reasons, the Charge 4 offers menstrual cycle tracking. With the app you can log symptoms and moods and compare them with other users and previous months. The Charge 4 also helps with mental health – thanks to the integrated Relax app, which allows you to do breathing exercises.

Not quite a smart watch

Now let's get this out of the way. The Fitbit Charge 4 is not a smartwatch. If you want a smartwatch, you should look elsewhere.

That doesn't mean the Fitbit Charge 4 doesn't have intelligent features. On the contrary, it can do a number of things you would expect from a smartwatch. You can see many notifications on your wrist, including text messages, calls, and more. The device now supports Fitbit Pay, which makes mobile payment easier.

Another new feature is the ability to control music playback on your phone using Charge 4. Unfortunately, the feature is limited to Spotify and you cannot control the music during exercise. This makes the tracker function pretty useless for fitness purposes. You also cannot save music to your device. If you want to use GPS support to leave your phone at home but still want to listen to music, you're out of luck.

This essentially completes the Smartwatch-like list of functions in Charge 4. It does not have to be included in an app store. It cannot record audio. No calls are answered. GPS navigation cannot be provided. The local weather is not shown. And so on. The lack of this feature is not a real flaw on the Charge 4, as its focus on fitness undoubtedly adds to the tracker's reasonable price.

If you're looking for a real smartwatch, you should consider other options. If you're an Apple user, you can only pay a little extra for an Apple Watch Series 3. The Apple Watch is not quite as detailed in fitness tracking, but it is very powerful and offers all the other functions you would expect from a smartwatch.

The Fitbit app

Merging all the data the tracker collects is the app – and it's a home run. Fitbit has been working on his app for years and it is incredibly detailed. The app's dashboard shows things like the number of steps you've taken, the number of floors you've climbed, your heart rate, and more. Tap these metrics to see more detailed information.

During a run, you can see on a map where you ran, along with the “heart zones” reached on that map and your pace. Scroll down and you'll get an overview of your height, a breakdown of your heart zones, heart rate information, calories burned and much more.

The app is great for tracking and rewarding goals. You can find all types of goals on offer, including weekly and daily goals. Active Zone Minutes takes recommendations from the World Health Organization and the American Heart Association and converts these recommendations into minutes of training. It can be a little confusing, but the essence is that you give more credit to your goals for more intense training, which encourages users to push themselves.

You have to look in the settings to find some of the features offered. However, once you get used to the design of the app, it's easy to find out. For example, you can't just go to the Settings menu to tweak your device's settings, you have to tap your device first and then go to its own Settings menu. It makes sense if you think about it, but it can still be a little confusing.

Overall, the Fitbit app is fantastic. It is well designed and makes it easy to sort the huge amount of data that the Fitbit Charge 4 collects.

Battery life

The Fitbit Charge 4's battery life is up to an impressive week of use – but this largely depends on how often you use GPS. According to Fitbit, you only get five hours of operation when GPS is activated. In practice, the battery will be empty for a few days when you use the device to track workouts.

That's not bad. With “real” smartwatches, you can only work for a day or two.

Although battery life is good, the fact that you may be using this device to track your sleep means that you need to actively think about when to charge your charge. For some, it's in the shower or when you're sitting at your desk.

Our opinion

The Fitbit Charge 4 is the best fitness tracker on the market. Thanks to the built-in GPS, it's significantly better than the Charge 3, and the Fitbit app allows those who want to dive into their fitness metrics to do so.

However, the age of fitness trackers is coming to an end. If you're an Apple user, you can purchase a new Apple Watch Series 3 for just $ 50 more. If you can afford it, an Apple Watch Series 4 or 5 is even better. On the Android side there are watches like the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2.

On the fitness tracker side, the only competition comes from devices like the Samsung Galaxy Fit, the Huawei Band 4 Pro, and some Garmin devices – but in any case, you sacrifice either GPS or decent software. The Fitbit Charge 4 is the complete package.

Is there a better alternative?

If you're looking for a traditional fitness tracker, the Fitbit Charge 4 is the way to go, and competition is very little in the way. If you're looking for a versatile device that can do more than just fitness tracking, consider something like the Apple Watch.

Do you want more options? Check out the best fitness trackers for 2020.

How long it will take?

The Fitbit Charge 4 should last at least a few years under normal use. The body is designed to withstand a few bumps and has a water resistance of up to 50 meters.

Should you buy it

Yes. The Fitbit Charge 4 is a great fitness tracker, and the Fitbit app is an almost perfect companion.

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