Fitbit Charge 3 Special Edition: What do you get for the extra money?
Best answer: For $20 more than the regular model, the Fitbit Charge 3 Special Edition comes with Fitbit Pay for mobile payments and an extra band. Everything else is exactly the same.Fitbit: Fitbit Charge 3 ($150 - $170)
The Charge 3 Special Edition has Fitbit Pay
The biggest reason to get the Fitbit Charge 3 Special Edition is that it's the only model that comes with Fitbit Pay.
Similar to Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay allows you to use the Charge 3 to pay for things at any store that accepts contactless NFC payments. Just load your cards onto the Charge 3 via the Fitbit app, hold the Charge 3 near the payment terminal when you're ready to check out, and you're good to go.
It works nearly identical to Apple Pay on the Apple Watch, and from the Fitbit app, you can also view a full history of any payments you make with the Charge 3.
Make sure your bank supports Fitbit Pay
Fitbit Pay is a lot younger than its competitors, and as such, your bank or may not support the service quite yet.
Big names like PNC, Capital One, Bank of America, and American Express have already jumped on board in the U.S., as have quite a few smaller banks/credit unions. You can check out the full list here.
You also get two bands instead of just one
The other reason you'd want to get the Special Edition Charge 3 is that it comes with two bands instead of just one.
There are two versions of the Special Edition to choose from, including the Graphite Aluminum body with a Frost White Sport band and the Rose Gold Aluminum body with a Lavender Woven band. No matter which one you choose, both also come with an additonal Black Classic Band.
The Frost White Sport and Lavender Woven bands cannot be purchased spearately, so there's also a bit of exclusivity with the Charge 3 Special Edition's appearance.
Everything else is exactly the same
Save for Fitbit Pay and those fancy bands, everything else about the Charge 3 Special Edition is exactly the same as the regular model. It has the same fitness tracking, notification support, battery life, etc. You just get a little bit more for $20.
If you have the cash, splurge for the Special Edition
If you've got an extra $20 to spend, the Charge 3 Special Edition is the way to go. Not only do the exclusive bands look nice, but you get two bands to choose from out of the box and the addition of Fitbit Pay is extremely useful (and fun!).
Want Fitbit Pay? Get the Special Edition.
The Fitbit Charge 3 is the best fitness band that the company's ever made. The regular version is a great buy at $150, but if you can spare an extra $20, the Special Edition gives you Fitbit Pay and two bands out of the box.
