Fitbit Charge 4 Black Advanced Fitness Tracker

I had a charge HR fitbit from 2016 until 2022, which worked perfectly. After a few years the band (not replaceable) came off, and I re-glued it, device still worked perfectly. In 2022 I decided to upgrade to the Charge 4 due to SpO2, sleep stage, etc. monitoring. The Charge 4 has worked perfectly since then. My only complaint is the band, which is stiff and not too comfortable (I wear it 24/7/365). That was solved by use of a fabric velcro wrap band (AVOD, reviewed elsewhere). Since I got that band I absolutely love the Charge 4. I bought more as backups, but they haven't been needed. Gave one to my wife, who likewise likes it. There are some caveats about accuracy, which I'll discuss in a minute, but I find them not to be an issue as long as you're aware of them. My issue is Google, which bought Fitbit. Before that, everything worked like clockwork. Give username, password, log into Fitbit, use app, stay logged in for months, easy-peasy. But for a couple of months Google is telling me that as of 2/2/2026 I can no longer use the app unless I switch the account to Google. No more email login. OK, pain in the butt, but OK. EXCEPT: The link Google gives DOES NOT WORK. It tells me my email is "already in use for a different device" so I can't move it. [the Charge, maybe? Who knows. They give zero details, and zero ways to remediate.] They also won't let me move it to a new email. Zero stars for the Google experience is too generous. My "backup plan" is to use one of the brand new Charge 4s and try to set it up on Google when they shut off "my" three year old one. Based on the experience so far, I give that about a 5% chance of working, but if it does, I'll try to update the review. [Or if a miracle happens and I can get the current one switched to Google.] So: Charge 4, top notch except limitations below. Google: For such an advanced outfit with so many brilliant people and such great AI and search, their customer interface on this SUCKS. Accuracy limitations/caveats on Charge 4. Basically, I have found it to be extremely accurate, but there are limitations. When you first stand up and walk, it misses the first few steps...several more than the Charge missed. Not really an issue. I might miss 50 steps a day that way. If your only "walking" is moving from a couch to an electric wheelchair, you might lose a good fraction of your few steps. If you take walks, it is with 1% of GPS distance. And the step count is extremely accurate. If I manually count steps walking around the house, it's within 1 or 2% of the manual count. A+ on that. [Likewise, if I run on a treadmill, it agrees with the treadmill within 1-2%] It does NOT, in general, for me, respond to wrist motions as "steps" although you can learn to move your wrist in such a way as to make it sometimes count a "step". I find that a non-issue. If I get a dozen fake steps a day from wrist motion, it balances the steps I miss when first standing up/walking. A+ overall on distance, steps. Pu;se rate: There is an issue with pulse rate. The issue is that when it changes dramatically (say from walking to running) the pulse registered is inaccurate. If I go from walking around the house to running up and down stairs, for example, the Charge 4 will tend to read about 20 beats/min high. It will record random spikes of 50 beats too high, so the "max" pulse during exercise needs to be taken with a grain of salt (pulse rate based on comparison to pulse oximeter or ECG heart rate monitor). But, if I sit in a chair, or walk at a steady pace, the fitbit, pulse oximeter, and the ECG all agree (again, 1-2%). I sleep with a pulse oximeter every night, the Charge 4 is within one or two beats of the pulse/ox every night. It averages a fraction of a beat different. A+ for accuracy on pulse WHEN you are in a steady state condition, particularly resting. So: Don't trust the instantaneous pulse readout IF you have just changed level of exertion. Don't trust the spikes. Otherwise, pretty good. Calories: Fitbit Calories are based on pulse rate, so the errors in pulse rate tend to overstate calories burned. I keep a record of calories based on distance walked, run, basal metabolism, etc. and the Charge 4 tends to overstate daily calorie burn by 20% or so, for me. You could determine how much it is for you, and if you like, adjust the number. For a given exercise session, the numbers are roughly credible say 10-15% of independent measurement, sometimes right on the independent measurement. That's all close enough for me. YMMV. Sleep: I had a professional sleep study under medical supervision. I wore my pulse/ox and the Charge 4 at the same time. As mentioned, the Charge 4 agrees with my pulse ox for pulse rate overnight, and is pretty close (tends to be 1-2% low) on SpO2. My pulse/ox (Sleepu) and Charge 4 likewise agreed with average pulse and SpO2 from the professional study (2% ish difference). Remarkably, I thought, the SLEEP STAGE durations reported by the Charge 4 were close (to my mind) to the professional device, which has far more input data. The Charge 4 underestimated Deep Sleep by 25% or so, but showed each stage at the time the professional unit showed it. I considered that to be pretty amazing. Overall: Fabulous for a cheap device with such limited input. Will be sorry to lose it to Google's messing about.

This is one of fitbit's best products and the only thing you need to know is the band where it attaches to the watch body is plastic and will break within a year or two. You have to decide if the cost is worth it knowing the watch will break and be unreparable within 2 years.

This is the third Fitbit I have had and none of them have lasted very long. This one I had less than one year and it was already a disappointment with a very dim display even on the bright setting. However half of the screen is barely readable as it has recently become partially dim and I take it off if I swim or am in water. Will definitely be looking into other brands.

I have used an iWatch for several years and been very happy with it. My wife is more comfortable with a Fitbit. We bought a Charge 4 for her. I wanted to wear the tracker so I could answer her questions. I was so impressed I made the switch. I really like tracking my calorie consumption with the mobile app. I like the way it calculates calories burned and compares that with my calorie intake. I really like the way the mobile app scans bar codes to record my calorie intake. Almost every item allows you to record consumption using multiple measurements. If a recipe calls for a cup of an ingredient, I can use a scale to measure the amount in grams. I can also eat less than the "serving" size without making calculations. Reduces the guess work and allows multiple ingredients to be added to a single dish using the scale tare weight function before you add the next ingredient. Fast and easy. I do wish the app would keep the calories calculated for one measurement type when I change from, say, ounces to grams. It would also be nice if it converted the units of ounces to the corresponding units of grams. It's easy enough to do manually but changing 200 grams to ounces takes a lot of scrolling. The collection of watch faces is really good. Some list the most important fitness metrics on the watch face. Tapping the watch faces allows you scroll through the rest. Spotify integration is very good but I have not figured out how to change volume level with the tracker. Email, text and phone notifications allow access to text or email from the tracker. Phone control is reliable and easy to use. I have purchased the premium option. Not sure if I can recommend it. I can't tell what features are specific to the option. I do know the meal videos are worthless. There is no way to get a list of the ingredients and corresponding quantities. This issue has been raised at least as far back as 2021 and Fitbit has done nothing to address this obvious glaring hole in the meal video process. It would seem that adding the ingredients at the end of the video would be easy enough. Obviously, having the ingredients as part of the description (ala YouTube) would be best. There is probably more I could share but time for reviews is not endless. I highly recommend the Charge 4. Cost around $120 is well worth it There is a comprehensive list of foods that I can search along with frequent and recent foods I have eaten. There is an ability to create foods that are not in the list. But the ability to create custom meals is great!!! We make almost all of meals from a collection of recipes provided by our weight loss program. Makes it quick an easy to enter those meals quickly in the futures. The sleep function seems reasonable accurate but it does not consistently measure my sleep when I get up for a while in the middle of the night.

So features wise, this was an awesome Fitbit. Note the “was”… I’ve had two. There is a design flaw in how the bands connect to the bit. The first one I bought lasted quite a while (maybe 3years?) and finally the plastic “anchor” that you attach the band two sheered off at the base, making it impossible to replace, glue, etc and thus you can’t attach the band. The second fitbit lasted less than two months. Same break. Horribly disappointing. I loved this product but I can’t afford to spend that much money for it to break I a critical way. I have 2 working charge 4 bits I can’t use. Wish they’d thought about the design issue.

An extremely good purchase. I'm very pleased with this item so far.

Why is everyone complaining about the band? I have had this watch for 4+ years and I have collected ( bought) over 25 bands all different colors and textures. It’s like wearing a new watch everyday! 🩷💚❤️🩵💙🧡💛💜🤎🤍🩶🖤

The version 4 of the fitbit is hard to find. I ordered one but it arrived with a dead display. But the vendor replaced it quickly. The replacement works perfectly. This was a replacement for a version 4 that had been in use for a few years before it died and I didn't want to move to a newer version.

Super Tracker, trage ich jeden Tag. Akku hält lange, bequem am Handgelenk. Preis Leistung unschlagbar

I bought this when it was on offer a few months ago it syncs perfectly with my phone. When I go out on a run one-hit logs all the information and sinks back with my phone when I get back home (I don't currently run with my phone on me) I love how how it tracks my sleep so well along with the heart rate to great piece of kit. Still amazed that it's able to count the labs that I swim what kind of sorcery is this?! Personally I love this Fitbit I'd recommend it to anyone

NOT WORTH BUYING . VERY DISAPPOINTING THE STRAP BREAKS THEN THE STRAP HINGES BREAK SO THE STRAP CANNOT BE FIXED. IF YOU CAM FIX THE STRAP THE DISPLAY GOES AND THEN THE BATTERY DOES NOT CHARGE , ITS GREAT FOR ABOUT A YEAR.

Fitbit provides poor quality bands. Mine broke after just 3 months! Searching online, many experience this issue. But what does Fitbit do to fix - zip nothing!

This tracker has just broken in the strap as I was wearing it ! It detached from the strap , piece fitting in strap just broke with no reason ! It’s my second purchase of this Fitbit charge 4 ! I’ve had same issue with previous one ! I’m very very very disappointed in this product ! Obviously there’s an issue wth the plastic sides that strap into the wristband ! Please help me to repair or return this