Fitbit recently launched the Luxe – a slim, fashion-focussed fitness tracker reminiscent of the since-discontinued Fitbit Alta. But, how does it compare to the similarly priced Fitbit Charge 4?
The Charge 4 is an entry to mid-tier fitness tracker marketed toward runners and gym goers looking to gain more insight into their workouts. The wearable earned a place on our best fitness trackers guide as the best option for anyone looking for an affordable training companion.
Enter the Luxe, which sits below the Charge and above cheaper models including the Zip and the Flex. The Luxe packs a colour display and stylish design, along with plenty of fitness and health tracking capabilities.
Read on to discover how the two Fitbits compare and where they differ.
Pricing and availability
There isn’t much between the Fitbit Luxe and the Charge 4 in terms of price.
The Luxe is priced at £129.99/$149.95/€149.95, with a special edition available for £179.99, while the Charge 4 costs £129.99/$129.95/€129.95 with its own special edition priced at £149.99.
If you’re opting for the special editions, the Charge 4 is the cheapest option. Otherwise, the two trackers cost exactly the same here in the UK.
Design and display
The Fitbit Luxe is a slimmer, more stylish fitness tracker than the Charge. The AMOLED colour display comes in a 36mm stainless steel case (36.30mm x 17.62mm x 10.05mm) with a choice of small and large bands.
The Luxe comes in four colours, Lunar White/Soft Gold, Black/Graphite, Orchid/Platinum and the special edition Gorjana Soft Gold Parker Link bracelet.
The display is bright and sharp, but the bezels above and below are quite large. The display isn’t an always-on display either, but it’s responsive and raise to wake isn’t laggy.
The Charge 4 is a similar length to the Luxe but 5mm wider at 35.8mm x 22.7mm x 12.5mm, making the wearable look a little chunkier. The Charge comes with a backlit OLED display and is a greyscale touchscreen, rather than colour display.
The Charge 4 also comes with small and large bands, including Black, Rosewood, Storm Blue/Black and a special edition Granite Reflective Woven design.
Both Fitbits are waterproof up to 50 metres and come packaged with a charging cable.
Specs
Specs-wise, the Charge 4 is better equipped.
Both fitness trackers pack a 3-axis accelerometer to track your movements, an optical heart rate monitor for heart tracking, a vibration motor and red and infrared sensors to monitor your blood oxygen saturation (SpO2).
The Charge 4 benefits from the addition of a built-in GPS to track outdoor workouts better. You can do this with the Luxe, but you’ll need your phone on hand to connect to its GPS instead.
The Charge 4 also features an altimeter to track elevation and floors climbed and NFC to support Fitbit Pay contactless payments.
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Health and fitness tracking
As far as health and fitness tracking goes, the Charge 4 once again comes out on top thanks to those additional specs.
Both wearables take advantage of 20 exercise modes (with SmartTrack), 24/7 heart rate monitoring, Active Zone Minutes to tell you when you’ve hit your target heart rate zone, SpO2 monitoring, sleep tracking, swim tracking and all-day tracking.
Both bands can also be used to track your menstrual health, manage stress and monitor breathing and keep an eye on your heart rate variability to catch signs of stress, illness or fatigue.
While both Fitbits can measure real-time pace and distance with GPS, the Charge 4 doesn’t need to connect to your phone to do so. The Charge 4 can also tell you how many floors you’ve climbed thanks to the aforementioned altimeter. The Luxe, on the other hand, seems slightly more focussed on health tracking over fitness tracking, though it still offers enough for casual fitness fans.
Both trackers can also offer additional insights into your workouts with a Fitbit Premium membership.
Smartwatch features
As far as smartwatch features go, the Charge 4 offers more apps and smart capabilities.
Both the Luxe and the Charge 4 support smartphone notifications from native and third-party apps, timers, alarms and do not disturb and sleep modes.
The Luxe also supports Google Fast Pair for seamless pairing, while the Charge 4 boasts app support, music features such as Spotify Connect & Control and support for contactless payments with Fitbit Pay.
Battery life
The Fitbit Luxe has a battery life of up to five days, while the Charge 4 can run for up to seven days or five with continuous GPS use. Both claims seemed accurate when we tested them out and both fitness trackers are capable of charging to 100% in two hours.
Verdict
If you’re looking for a slim and colourful fitness tracker with plenty of health and fitness tracking capabilities to get you by, the Luxe is a great choice.
For more fitness-focussed buyers, the Charge 4 offers additional perks such as a built-in GPS tracker and altimeter. The Charge also offers more advanced smartwatch capabilities with app support and Fitbit Pay, along with a more impressive battery life, albeit at the expense of a colour display.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
