Fitbit Charge 5 vs Garmin Vivosmart 5

People frequently compare the Fitbit Charge to the Garmin Vivosmart, likely because they’re both aiming for the exact same demographic.

(Check out the Charge 3 versus the Vivosmart 4)

But, let’s face it, the Garmin fitness band has been out of production for nearly three years and is in serious need of a facelift.

There was a lot to like about the Vivosmart 4. Oxygen saturation and Body Battery measurements, for example, are useful add-ons that help athletes better understand their training progress. The tracker instantly became a great seller after its introduction in September of 2018.

The Fitbit Charge 5 is, without a doubt, its most direct opponent. To maintain this competition, we expect Vivosmart’s fifth edition to be out soon. We’ll compare the Fitbit Charge 5 and the upcoming Garmin Vivosmart 5 in the sections below.

The Fitbit Charge 5 Vs. Garmin Vivosmart 5

Design

The Vivosmart 5’s curved band is for comfort, which is important if you want to track your sleep. In fact, the Vivosmart 5 is more user-friendly than the Vivosmart 4 thanks to a brighter, 66% larger display, larger typeface, and a touchscreen and button interface.

With the Vivosmart’s interchangeable design, replacing bands is very simple. The Vivosmart 5 is dust- and water-resistant, and it has a seven-day battery life.

The Sense, Versa 3, Inspire 2, and Luxe all use the same ‘Biologic Industrial Design Language’ as the Fitbit Charge 5. The new case has circular corners, soft silicone, and colors inspired by nature.

(Read about the Charge 5 versus the Versa 3 here)

Instead of a hard plastic or metal clasp, the Charge 5 has a stainless steel casing with a soft silicone Infinity Band. It’s also 10% lighter than the previous model.

Like the Fitbit Luxe, it has a small but gorgeous color AMOLED touchscreen display. The Charge 5 also has ambient light detection and an always-on mode, so you can keep track of your stats while working out. It’s also waterproof up to 5 meters.

Health monitoring

Garmin’s 24-hour, multi-sample Elevate heart rate monitoring system is faster and more accurate than anything else available, allowing you to keep a consistent eye on your health.

Based on your choices, the Vivosmart 5 also alerts you if your heart rate is too low or too high. Advanced sleep monitoring with sleep score evaluates how much movement you make while sleeping, how much stress you’re under, and how long you spend in each sleep stage, all to help you achieve a good night’s sleep.

The Vivosmart 5 monitors your pulse, and oxygen levels at night and during the day, as well as your breathing and Body Battery energy levels.

The Charge 5 offers a number of fitness monitoring modes in addition to GPS, so you can track your runs, bike rides, and walks without having to carry your phone with you.

Similar to the Fitbit Sense, the Fitbit Charge 5 includes an electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor. This sensor can detect atrial fibrillation signs and symptoms (irregular heart rhythm). If you have any concerns, you can report your ECG reading to your doctor using the Fitbit app.

(Read about the Charge 5 versus the Sense here)

Your Daily Readiness score, accessed on the Dashboard of all Fitbit devices, is available on the Charge 5. This new score, designed for people who want to challenge themselves, works by analyzing and reporting on your fitness for training.

The Daily Readiness score is made up of three components: activity/exercise, sleep duration and quality, and heart rate variability (HRV), which is recorded during deep sleep. When one’s fitness develops, personal benchmarks are formed. The Charge 5 will recommend a workout length and intensity based on this score.

Both gadgets have the ability to keep track of your menstrual cycle.

Battery life

Both gadgets have a 7-day battery life, so there’s not much comparison here. However, some tests reveal the Sense is closer to 5 or 6 days in reality, after weeks of use.

Garmin is widely known and appreciated for its consistent battery life.

Smart features

Thanks to wrist-based notifications, you’ll never miss a thing with the Vivosmart 5. When the Vivosmart 5 is connected to a smartphone, it may display text messages, social media alerts, news alerts, and other notifications (Android or iOS).

You may start your day with a personalized Morning Report that includes vital (and friendly) information such as your sleep score, step goals, upcoming appointments, weather, and even a birthday message!

The Charge 5’s limited smart capability is to be expected from such a little fitness tracker. On each of these devices, Fitbit Pay (no special edition model required) and smartphone alerts are accessible. You can even reply to messages right from your wrist (if your Fitbit is linked to your Android phone).

While the Fitbit Charge 5 lacks onboard music storage, it can control music playback on your smartphone.

Built-in GPS

The latest Vivosmart version will once again lack built-in GPS. The Vivosport is currently the only Garmin fitness band with GPS. The Vivosmart 5 can, however, connect to your smartphone’s GPS.

The Fitbit Charge 5 offers a number of fitness monitoring modes in addition to GPS, so you can track your runs, bike rides, and walks without having to bring your phone with you.

NFC

Another reasonable inclusion would be NFC for Garmin Pay, but we don’t see it mentioned.

On the Fitbit Charge 5, however, contactless payments are currently feasible via NFC.

Garmin Vivosmart 4 Vs. Vivosmart 5: The Main Differences

To give you a better idea of how Garmin’s latest Vivosmart offering compares to the last version, here is a list of differences between the 4th and 5th generations of Vivosmart.

• Addition of a button (and you still have swipe control)
• Changeable bands included
• Addition of a 66 percent larger display
• The band’s width is expanded by 50 percent
• Additional Activity Profiles (Breath Work, HIIT, Pilates, Treadmill, Indoor Rowing)
• Improved text legibility and size due to the larger screen size. Addition of on-device security tracking (incident detection, as well as emergency assistance)
• Updated to provide an on-device sleep score (shows upon wakeup)
• There is now a Morning Wakeup report included
• Increased Breathing Speed (breathing rate)
• Bluetooth heart rate transmission (from the optical sensor) added to Peloton and other apps
• Reverted back to using a standard charger/port found on most Garmin devices.
• Stair tracking removed from the system (removed barometric altimeter)

The Garmin Vivosmart 5 Will Be Released Soon

Garmin will likely release the Vivosmart 5 in the very near future. Garmin releases new products every two years, as previously stated. As a result, we expected the Vivosmart 5 to be introduced in 2021, rather than 2022. But here we are, still waiting.

Garmin released only a few models last year, most likely due to chip shortages, Asian power disruptions, and the pandemic. In 2021, wearable technology had a horrible year.

Garmin’s release schedule determines the exact date. With the debut of the Venu 2 Plus, Fenix 7, and Instinct 2 models, the company has already had a busy start to the year. The Vivosmart 5 will be introduced in the spring, as the company hasn’t released a new fitness band in a long time.

Fitbit Charge 5 Vs. Garmin Vivosmart 5: Which Should You Buy?

The Charge 5 is $130 in its current version, but there are frequent discounts available. Tip: When a new version is due, the previous version’s price normally decreases.

We’re looking at a pricing of $140-150 for the Vivosmart 5.

In its current state, the Fitbit Charge 5 provides significantly more convenience at a slightly lower cost.

Last Updated on May 13, 2022