Fitbit Charge 3 Review – 2019

The Fitbit Charge 3 is the improved version of the best seller Charge 2 with some cool additions like waterproof up to 50 meters, 2 days extra of battery life, a better UI and smarter notifications.

Another cool addition to this tracker is the new SpO2 sensor and the female health tracking. Both functions are part of the new Smartwatches from Fitbit so they are a great plus for a fitness tracker.

In terms of the price, even with all these additions, you can get it for $149, so it is a bit more than the Charge 2 and way cheaper than the latest smartwatches. There are special editions that cost extra but include smart features such as Fitbit Pay that will give you the ability to pay right from your wrist.

We tested the Charge 3 for a few weeks and we give you an in-depth review that would clear all your questions, so you can know if the Charge 3 is the right tracker for your needs.

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Fitbit Charge 3: What’s New

• 7-day battery life: Is one of the most powerful trackers on the market when it comes to battery juice. Except for the Garmin wearables that can go for weeks with one charge, the Charge 3 is a winner in terms of battery
• Bigger touchscreen display: In comparison with its predecessor the Charge 3’s responsive screen is 30 percent bigger, making your notification way more visible.
• Swim-tracking: This is a big improvement since you not only now can count your swimmings but you don’t have the need to take out the tracker each time that you going to have contact with water ( like taking a bath or washing dishes)
• Connected GPS: WIth greater antennas that will catch the GPS on your phone in a faster and more accurate way. Have in mind that is not a built-in GPS you would have to pair it with your phone.
• New sensor for sleep insights: The new and amazing SpO2 sensor will give you accurate data on your sleep and will be helpful in detecting problems such as sleep apnea.

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Fitbit Charge 3: Design

If you are a Fitbit fanatic, you would know that in terms of design Fitbit is going with modern angles on the finish of their watches. The Charge 3 is not different, it has a similar body than its predecessor but with a sleek touch that makes it look more stylish than the Charge 2.

The band is really comfortable and comes in different sizes, although the core of the tracker (the body) comes in just one size.

The display is 40% larger compared to the Charge 2, making it easier to read your stats and notifications. A cool addition of the screen is a full touchscreen so you can manage all your stats and apps from your display.

You will only have one button on the side that functions as a haptic button that works great. So for those moments when your fingers are wet or if you are wearing gloves, the button is going to be your best choice.

Fitbit Charge 3: Features

The Charge 3 walks a fine line between a fitness tracker and a smartwatch. It has the ability to gather the best data from your exercises and automatically detect different sports, but at the same time it has smart features such as

Fitbit Pay, female health tracking, a modern and quicker UI, and notifications that make it look like a smartwatch in the body of a fitness tracker (at the price of a fitness tracker).

Another cool addition that comes along is the waterproof feature, that will give you the ability to get in deep water up to 50 meters without any problems, so now you can count your laps from your watch.

Besides the PurePulse features that are also included, you will also get the newest technology from Fitbit, the SPO2 sensor that up to now was only available on the latest smartwatches Fitbits Versa and Ionic. With the SPO2 sensor, you can estimate changes in blood oxygen levels and help detect health issues like sleep apnea.

At a Glance:

• Waterproof up to 50 meters
• Up to seven days of battery life
• Swim tracking
• 24/7 activity tracking
• View smartphone notifications
• Respond to notifications (Android only)
• Fitbit Pay support (Special edition only)
• Works with iOS and Android (Windows coming soon)

Fitbit Charge 3: Battery life

Fitbit claims that you can use the Charge 3 for 7 days without the need for a charge and they deliver!

We tested the tracker with the heart rate monitor on 24/7, plus notifications. We use it for tracking sports for 4 days, 1:30 hour each day, and the tracker was 7 days with juice.

So compared to most Fitbit models, the Charge 3 is one of the best when it comes to battery life, having in mind that most models can go up to 5 days only.

A good reminder is that there is no built-in GPS so your battery is not going to be losing a lot of juice for it. You can pair it up to your phone and use the GPS from it, but your battery will not be drained so quickly like with built-in GPS.

Sleep Tracking

Sleep tracking is back with the Fitbit Charge 3, providing you a look into your night with details on Rapid Eye Movement, light and deep sleep.

Like Fitbit’s Versa and Ionic smartwatches, the Charge 3 has an SpO2 sensing unit for measuring blood oxygenation levels. With that information, Fitbit can inform if you experience breathing interruptions while you sleep.

We found that the wearable feels comfortable enough while sleeping, but we didn’t always want to use it into bed, as Fitbit recommends you should.

As with any sleep tracking tech, you never ever really understand how well it has tracked you, but what the Charge 3 tape-recorded for us seemed about.

There’s also a quiet alarm mode, which vibrates the tracker on your wrist to gently wake you without disrupting anyone else nearby. It’s a great idea however we’re unsure if it will be all that useful for heavy sleepers.

Verdict

The Charge 3 comes into the market as the improved version of the best seller Charge 2, but it is much more than that. Today’s market is going up to the smartwatches leaving the fitness trackers behind, they offer the same basic features as the Fitness tracker but they add the smart functions that make them so practical. When it comes to the price, the difference is not that big and is getting smaller with time.

The Charge 3 is the latest watch from Fitbit after 2 smartwatches, so for us, this is the first attempt to upgrade the best seller into the smartwatch world.

For those looking for a complete fitness tracker with some smart features and an affordable price, there is no better than the Charge 3.