Our Pick
The Fitbit Charge 4 offers all of the health-tracking goodies you could ask for while also combining some smartwatch-like features such as mobile payments, Spotify, and built-in GPS.
For
- Built-in GPS
- Spotify support
- Fitbit Pay
- Up to seven days of battery life
- Rich notification support
Against
- $50 more than the Inspire HR
- Larger body
Compact Alternative
If you want a basic fitness tracker that's compact and simple, that's the Inspire HR. It has a great battery, heart-rate monitoring, and can track a wide variety of workouts. However, that's about where the conversation ends.
For
- Up to seven days of battery life
- Continuous heart-rate tracking
- GPS available when connected to smartphone
- Compact design
Against
- Limited app support
- No built-in GPS
- No music functionality
The Charge 4 is Fitbit's latest and most powerful fitness band. It has all of the health features you've come to expect while also adding some smartwatch-like features and built-in GPS. If you don't care about those and want to save some cash, the Inspire HR is still an excellent product.
How do these two fitness bands compare?
If you're in the market for a wearable that'll track your daily activity and help you lead a healthier life, the Charge 4 and Inspire HR are both well-equipped in these regards. Both fitness bands count your steps, calories burned, stairs climbed, distance, and more. Each tracks a variety of different workouts and comes outfitted with a heart-rate monitor that'll keep tabs on your ticker all-day long.
Both the Charge 4 and Inspire HR have an excellent foundation for basic fitness tracking.
The Charge 4 and Inspire HR also share the same outstanding battery life that's rated for up to seven days on a single charge and can track your sleep if you wear either one throughout the night.
Where the Charge 4 gets the upper-hand is with more minute health features. With this tracker, you can receive real-time GPS and pace-tracking without a smartphone on you, while it also supports a broader range of activities and workouts.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Fitbit Charge 4 | Fitbit Inspire HR |
|---|---|---|
| All-day activity tracking | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Automatic exercise recognition | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Sleep tracking | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Continuous heart-rate monitoring | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Battery | Up to 7 days | Up to 7 days |
| Waterproof | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Female health tracking | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Guided breathing sessions | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Phone notifications | ✔️ | 🤔 (texts, calls, and calendar appointments only) |
| Quick replies to texts | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Fitbit Pay | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Built-in GPS | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Spotify music | ✔️ | ❌ |
The Charge 4 also gets an edge when it comes to non-fitness features. Although the Inspire HR can show basic call, text, and calendar appointment notifications from your phone, that's about it. The Charge 4, on the other hand, retrieves any notification your phone gets and even allows you to send off quick replies to texts, WhatsApp messages, etc.
Also, while the app selection for the Charge 4 isn't anywhere close to what you'll find on something like the Apple Watch, it does have basic apps for checking the weather, your calendar, set an alarm or timer, and more. Lastly, the combined power of built-in GPS and Fitbit Pay make this a really complete fitness tracker.
A powerful fitness tracker that does it all
Thanks to its 7-day battery and built-in GPS, the Fitbit Charge 4 is one of the best fitness bands around. Combine that with a large display, app support, Fitbit Pay, and full phone notifications, and you end up with one heck of a wearable.
Fewer smarts for fewer dollars
If you don't want the extra smarts of the Charge 4 and just want a reliable fitness band that lasts a full week on one charge, tracks a variety of exercises, and costs less, the Inspire HR is still worth considering.
