Purchasing a fitness tracker has never been more difficult. It might be challenging to sort among the many models available from well-known, reliable manufacturers in order to locate the ideal one. Even I, who reviews smartwatches and tech for NBC Select, find it difficult to decide which to suggest to friends and family. I’ll bombard you with a list of inquiries if you ask for a suggestion. Which phone do you own? Do you anticipate wearing this item every day? To sleep, even? Would you like to use it to send texts? Do you frequently run outside?
Fortunately, I can highly suggest the Fitbit Charge 6 to everyone who has never had a smartwatch before or to people who believe that less is more. It is a compact, user-friendly watch that is less expensive than the majority of its competitors without sacrificing any important features.
GO Ahead and SkipHow I Used the Fitbit Charge 6| Our Fitbit Charge 6 Experience| Who Should Use the Fitbit Charge 6?| Why Should I Trust NBC Select?
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What is the
Fitbit Charge 6
?
Fitbit Charge 6
- Small, light and comfortable
- Long battery life
- Beginner-friendly app
- Cannot turn it off
- Some data needs a subscription
A tiny fitness tracker, the Fitbit Charge 6 ($159.95) can measure your heart rate, daily steps, distance traveled, exercise, calories burnt, sleep patterns, menstrual health, and other wellness indicators. When connected to a smartphone, it also displays notifications for emails, calls, and texts. It features a vertical touchscreen, a changeable wristband, and is smaller than the majority of fitness trackers available on the market.
The Fitbit Charge 6 is an improvement on the Charge 5 from 2021. The two goods are almost the same from the outside. Released in 2023, the Charge 6 features a new side button on the left that, when pressed, takes you to the home page or, if you’re exercising, provides options to finish your activity. Additionally, the brand claims that its heart rate sensor is more accurate than the Charge 5’s.
There are internal modifications as well. There are 41 exercise modes available (up from 20), including brand-new ones like HIIT and strength training. Controls for YouTube Music, Google Maps navigation, and Google Wallet are also new to the Charge 6. Additionally, some home gym equipment, such as the newest versions from Peloton, Concept 2, Tonal, Nordictrack, and others, can be connected to the Charge 6 via Bluetooth. The device will show your heart rate on the screen after it is connected.
To use the Charge 6, you must have a Google account. The app will guide you through the process of moving your Fitbit data into a Google account if you already have one.
26mm touchscreen display; 15g weight (without band); 7-day battery life; built-in GPS; sleep monitoring (excluding naps); heart-rate monitor with EKG; water resistance (up to 50 meters); and optimal compatibility with the Fitbit app (iPhone or Android)
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The best fitness tracker is the one you ll actually wear daily
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How I tried the Fitbit Charge 6
In addition to wearing the Fitbit Charge 6 intermittently since its 2023 release, I wore it for three weeks. I only removed it to charge it during the three-week test period, which was often done in the evening after a few days of use. I wore it for indoor and outdoor exercise, primarily strength training andrunning. While running, I relied on the Charge 6 to show me my distance and pace. I also wore the Apple Watch SE on my other wrist to compare data and stats between the devices.
NBC Select updates editorMili Godioalso tried the Charge 6 (Fitbit also sent her a model to sample) for about three weeks, tracking her walks and gym workouts. Prior to trying the Charge 6, she wore another Fitbit device, the Charge 5, on and off for two years.
Our experience with the Fitbit Charge 6
The Charge 6 is one of the best fitness trackers for beginners, anyone who wants to be more active and those who do not already own a smartwatch. It s comfortable, subtle, easy to use and doesn t overwhelm you with data.
What I like
The Charge 6 is far less obtrusive on my wrist than something like anApple Watch SE($249) orGarmin Forerunner 165($249). It never bothers me during sleep (other wearables do), and never gets caught on long sleeves.
The Charge 6 is one of the only wearables Godio wears often most other options she s tried are either too big or too dense with data for her taste. After three weeks of constant use, I cannot help but agree: the interface of the Charge 6 is simple and less overwhelming than other data-heavy trackers. It never shows too much text on screen at once each app takes up the whole screen instead of trying to split itself into sections and show you as much text as possible. This is a smart choice, considering the small 26 millimeters screen (compared to most smartwatch s 40 to 46 millimeters).
The friendly design extends to the Fitbit app too.
The Fitbit app is organized more like a health app than an exercise one, in my experience. The home screen shows your steps, active zone minutes, mileage, calories burned and sleep score other apps, like Garmin Connect and Apple Fitness, put more emphasis on individual workout data, which can be overwhelming for beginners like Godio, who find graphs with metrics like average power, cadence and vertical oscillation unhelpful.
Battery life
The Charge 6 has great battery life. I averaged five days of use before needing to charge it that s far longer than entry-level smartwatches like theApple Watch SE($249) andSamsung Galaxy Watch FE($199).
Its battery life nosedives, however, in the always-on display mode. While the feature is convenient for frequently checking the time, it knocks battery life down to about a day, in my experience so I largely kept this setting turned off.
Potential drawbacks to keep in mind
Unlike every other fitness tracker I ve tried, you cannot turn the Charge 6 off, which can drain battery life. It does, however, enter power-saver mode after 10 minutes of inactivity.
The Charge 6 (despite its name) is not super convenient to charge, either. The included USB-A charging cable is on the shorter side at 20.5-inches long compared to other brands cords and has weaker magnets that often pop out of place compared to something like the Apple Watch SE s charging puck, in my experience. It s also proprietary meaning you cannot use it with awireless charger.
Your daily readiness score,sleepprofile, sleep details and stress management details are only available if you are aFitbit Premiumsubscriber, which costs $10 a month. This stings a bit, but there are competitors out there including theApple Watch SE($249) andGarmin Forerunner 165($249) that offer many sleep and readiness details with no added fees. People I know keep their wearables for at least three years $10 a month adds up fast.
You can see a longer list of tracking features that are only available to subscribershere.
Not the best for live workout data
The accessible design and small screen of the Charge 6 is not a great fit for people who want to view a lot of statsduringtheir workout.
During a run, my Apple Watch SE can show me five customizable data fields at a glance. I ve set mine to show me my workout duration, heart rate, rolling mile pace, average mile pace and mileage completed.
The Charge 6, on the other hand, only shows me the current time, my workout duration, and one key metric in the center. You can tap the screen to cycle through different metrics in the key center spot, but I do not want to tap my wrist incessantly while running I prefer to know everything at a glance.
I don t think Fitbit should change this the screen is too small to show a ton of data at once. This is just another example of how the Charge 6 is better for beginners than data fiends like me.
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Who is the Fitbit Charge 6 best for?
The accessible design and small screen of the Charge 6 makes it a great fit for people who want something slim and casual to wear. Its simple interface is an option for beginners, but anyone planning their next half-marathonmight be better off with a larger smartwatch.
Why trust NBC Select?
Harry Rabinowitzis a reporter at NBC Select who covers technology and fitness including guides to fitness tracking devices,running shoesandworkout earbuds.
Mili Godiois an updates editor at NBC Select who covers a wide range of topics across skin care, wellness and pet care, including guides toscar treatments,dog food brands, andsunscreen for sensitive skin.
Rabinowitz and Godio tried the Fitbit Charge 6 for three weeks after the brand sent them each a model to try out. Rabinowitz tracked his exercise, sleep and everyday metrics, and compared them to other wearables at a similar price point.
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