Should you buy the Fitbit Luxe or the Charge 4 - Android

Fitbit Luxe vs. Charge 4: Form or function?

As you start shopping around for the best fitness trackers, your search will produce a plethora of options. Whether you prefer a device that's all about fashion or you'd rather have a wearable that's focused on health and fitness features, you'll be able to find what you're looking for.

Two options to consider are the Fitbit Luxe and Fitbit Charge 4. These fitness trackers might come from the same company, but some key differences will likely determine your final decision. If style is your main concern and you can live without a few key features, you might prefer the Luxe. Those who don't want to leave any features on the table should choose the Fitbit Charge 4 as it's packed with perks.

The Fitbit Luxe is geared toward fashion lovers

While the new Fitbit Luxe was introduced to focus on health and wellness, it seems to put fashion above all else. It's still packed with useful features, but it leaves out some key features that users have come to rely on. However, if you've been waiting for a stylish tracker that offers a versatile design for all occasions, the Luxe might be exactly what you're searching for.

Some trackers are more attractive than others, but the Fitbit Luxe brings the competition when it comes to finding a fashionable wearable. The design consists of a lightweight yet durable stainless steel case. The three color options include Soft Gold, Platinum, and Graphite. A feature mostly found on smartwatches, the Luxe has a vibrant AMOLED touchscreen. It's also compatible with interchangeable bands, so change the look or feel of your tracker as you see fit. You'll get up to 5 days of battery life on a single charge.

There's a specific set of features that Fitbit users have come to expect from their wearables. Fortunately, the Luxe offers all of these and more. You'll have activity/sleep tracking, 24/7 heart-rate monitoring, female-health tracking, stress monitoring, guided breathing, and 20 exercise modes with SmartTrack exercise recognition. Eventually, the Fitbit Luxe will also take skin temperature readings and measure blood oxygen saturation levels.

The Fitbit Luxe provides you with a stress management score.

The company is also bringing key stress management and mindfulness tools to the Luxe, which were initially released with the Fitbit Sense last year. For example, the Fitbit Luxe provides you with a stress management score, which delivers a daily assessment of your body's ability to handle stress. This score is based on your heart rate, activity levels, and sleep patterns. It's worth noting that Fitbit plans to make this a standard feature across all of its existing trackers and smartwatches.

For the right person, the Fitbit Luxe is an ideal fitness tracker that also manages to be fashionable. However, you'll have to compromise on some features. Not only do you get shorter battery life, but you also have to sacrifice GPS. If you're a beginner or only do casual workout tracking, the lack of GPS may not deter you. Nowadays, many users depend on GPS to track their routes when running or cycling outdoors. If you want to do this, you'll have to connect to your phone's GPS.

Another missing feature is NFC for contactless payments. While Fitbit Pay may not be as much of a loss as GPS, it's still something that the company could've added. When you consider that the Fitbit Charge 4 is more affordable than the Luxe, it's already going to be more attractive to some people. Combine that with the fact that you get longer battery life as well as built-in GPS and NFC for Fitbit Pay, it's hard to find a redeeming quality — aside from the luxurious design — that would make the Fitbit Luxe a better choice.

You can do more with the Fitbit Charge 4

It's been a year since the Fitbit Charge 4 was released, and it's still one of the company's most impressive trackers. It doesn't look all that different from the predecessor, but it's much more capable. As far as the design goes, the Fitbit Charge 4 maintains its rectangular shape. It's housed in a lightweight, plastic body and has the same OLED touchscreen as past models. It's easy to swap out the Fitbit Charge 4 bands whenever you feel like you need a change. You'll enjoy a full 7 days of battery life on a single charge.

While the design didn't change much, Fitbit introduced some major upgrades that make the Charge 4 one of the best Fitbit wearables to date. For starters, you'll now have built-in GPS, which means you won't have to carry your phone around to track your route during a workout. Another new perk that lets you leave your phone behind is Fitbit Pay. If you compare the Fitbit Charge 4 and Charge 3, you might agree that these are some impressive upgrades.

The Charge 4 was one of the first Fitbit wearables to offer Active Zone Minutes.

Although it is now becoming a standard feature across the company's lineup, the Charge 4 was one of the first Fitbit wearables to offer Active Zone Minutes. This perk uses the heart-rate sensor to determine when you've entered your personalized heart rate zone. The personalized heart rate zone is based on your age and fitness level. During a workout, you'll also receive credit based on your cardio, fat burn, and heart rate zones. Fitbit is making an effort to provide users with a more personalized experience, and Active Zone Minutes is a part of that.

You'll be happy to know that you get the same set of core features that makes Fitbit wearables great. This includes activity/sleep tracking, SmartTrack exercise recognition, female health-tracking, heart-rate monitoring, and more. The Fitbit Charge 4 is also capable of monitoring your blood oxygen saturation levels.

Fitbit Luxe vs. Charge 4: Which should you buy?

Considering you already have to spend a pretty penny to get the Fitbit Luxe, it might make sense to stretch your budget a bit further and start shopping for the best Android smartwatch instead. Unless you're extremely fond of the design, you can get all of these features and more on the Fitbit Charge 4 or take the leap and upgrade to a smartwatch for an even better experience.

With that said, if it's a fitness tracker you want, the Fitbit Charge 4 is the better option between the two. Not only do you get the best of the company's health and fitness features, but you'll also have a few perks that aren't available on the Luxe. The Charge 4 offers onboard GPS, NFC for Fitbit Pay, and two extra days of battery life. It might not have an AMOLED display or be as attractive as the Luxe, but it certainly has more features to enjoy, and it's available at a lower price.

All the features you need

Fitbit Charge 4

A robust tracker

$99 at Amazon $100 at Best Buy $99 at Walmart

If you're unwilling to leave any features behind, the Fitbit Charge 4 is the superior choice. This impressive fitness tracker has GPS, activity/sleep tracking, heart-rate monitoring, SpO2 tracking, and NFC for Fitbit Pay. You'll also enjoy a full 7 days of battery life.

Stylish, but slightly lacking

Fitbit Luxe

When fashion comes first

$150 at Fitbit $150 at Best Buy

If you're content without a few perks in favor of a stunning design, the Fitbit Luxe is right up your alley. You'll have shorter battery life, and you won't have GPS or NFC, but it sure is pretty. If fashion is your priority, you may not mind the higher asking price.