Our pick
The Fitbit Charge 2 and Charge 3 are both great fitness bands, but unless you really need to save the $20 separating the two, the Charge 3 is the all-around better purchase.
For
- Slim, stylish design
- Larger display
- Swimproof
- Up to 7 days of battery
- Improved UI
Against
- Still no built-in GPS
- Fitbit Versa is only $50 more
Outdated tech
The Fitbit Charge 2 has been the go-to fitness band for years, and while it still does a lot of things right, the newer Charge 3 is worth a look unless you have a really strict budget.
For
- Continuous heart-rate tracking
- Auto exercise recognition
- Up to 5 days of battery
- New lower price
Against
- Clunky design
- Not waterproof
- New Charge 3 doesn't cost much more
The Fitbit Charge 2 is a compelling purchase with its new lower price of $129, but if you can spare a few extra bucks for the Charge 3, it's the best way to go thanks to its larger display, swimproof design, and more.
Why you should buy the Fitbit Charge 3 over the Charge 2
The Charge 2 has been one of Fitbit's most popular products since its release back in 2016, but just like everything else, all good things must come to an end. Fitbit is officially replacing the Charge 2 with the Charge 3 on its website, leaving you to third-party sites like Amazon if you still want to pick up the older model.
The Charge 3 improves upon the Charge 2 in nearly every way.
The Fitbit Charge 2 still works well for tracking steps, measuring heart-rate, and syncing to the Fitbit app, and in a bubble, it's a darn good tracker for its recently lowered price of $129. However, for an extra $20, the Charge 3 brings a lot of improvements.
For starters, let's talk design. The Charge 2 isn't an ugly wearable, but the Charge 3 is better in just about every way. The aerosapce-grade aluminum body is incredibly lightweight and comfy to wear, and with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 covering the display, you shouldn't have to worry too much about any cracks or scratches. Speaking of the display, the touch area is much larger compared to the Charge 2 so you have more room for navigating the UI.
In regards to functional upgrades, Fitbit increased the battery life from up to 5 days to 7, added waterproofing for up to 50 meters of submersion, and if you're a woman, you've got access to Fitbit's full female health tracking platform right on your wirst.
The entire software experience has also been upgraded on the Charge 3, including support for all smartphone notifications rather than just texts and calls, basic apps (weather, calendar, stopwatch, etc), and Fitbit Pay for contactless payments on the Special Edition model.
Lastly, If you want to dress the Charge 3 up a bit after working hard at the gym, the new band system is easier-than-ever to use and has options for leather, woven fabric, classic, and sport bands.
The best fitness band Fitbit's ever made.
With up to 7 days of battery life, a refreshed user interface, a sleek design, and support for Fitbit Pay, the Charge 3 is the most feature-rich and polished fitness band that Fitbit has ever crafted.
A good fitness band that's been replaced.
Fitbit's Charge 2 isn't necessarily a bad fitness band in 2018, but it's also not a smart buy. The core features of the Charge 2 are still good, but for $20 more, the newer Charge 3 delivers a better experience on all fronts.
