Fitness Trackers / Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) vs Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)
Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) vs Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)
Fitbit Charge 6 (2023)
The only Fitbit band with real GPS — but the best metrics are a $99.99/year rental.
Wins overall by 0.5 points
Quick Verdict
A 0.5-point gap makes the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) the straightforward choice here. The only Fitbit band with real GPS — but the best metrics are a $99.99/year rental.
The Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) and Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) are both closely matched fitness Tracker models, and the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) is $10 cheaper than the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) ($149.99 vs $159.95). On Phone Independence, the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) leads (8.5 vs 3.0/10) — how much the device can do with the phone left at home — a real GPS chip and on-wrist readouts score high, connected-GPS screenless bands score low.. On Subscription Freedom, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads (9.5 vs 5.0/10) — the category's trap dimension: how much of what you paid for keeps working without a membership. A 10 means nothing is paywalled; a 1 means the hardware is unusable the moment you stop paying.. On Display & Usability, the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) leads (8.0 vs 6.0/10) — screen size, brightness and how much you can actually read on the wrist mid-workout.. Overall, the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) scores 7.4/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 6.9/10 for the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) | Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $159.95 | $149.99 |
| Release Year | 2023 | 2022 |
| GPS | Built-in GPS + GLONASS — works with the phone left at home | Connected GPS — the band has no GPS chip and uses the paired phone's location for outdoor distance and route |
| Display | AMOLED colour touchscreen under Gorilla Glass 3, with optional always-on mode | OLED touchscreen, 66% larger than the vívosmart 4 (Garmin's press release does not state the panel dimensions) |
| Rated Battery Life ( days) | 7 | 7 |
| What the Battery Claim Assumes | Google's 'up to 7 days' assumes the always-on display OFF and SpO2 off; the spec sheet states both 'will require more frequent charging'. Full charge takes ~2 hours | 'Up to 7 days' in smartwatch mode. Garmin does not publish a separate figure for all-day Pulse Ox enabled, which is the setting that drains it fastest |
| Subscription Model | Optional in name, heavy in practice — Daily Readiness Score, the Sleep Score breakdown, the detailed Stress Management breakdown and the workout library all sit behind Google Health Premium. 3 months included | None for anything on the device. Garmin Connect is free; the optional Garmin Connect+ tier adds AI summaries but gates nothing the vívosmart 5 measures |
| Annual Subscription Cost ($) | 99.99 | 0✓ |
| Water Resistance | 5 ATM / 50 m to ISO 22810:2010 — Google notes water resistance 'decreases or is lost over time' | 5 ATM — Garmin rates it swim- and shower-proof |
| ECG / AFib & FDA Status | ECG app via multipurpose electrical sensors plus PPG irregular-rhythm notifications. Fitbit's ECG feature is FDA-cleared in the US; Google's current Charge 6 spec sheet does not restate the clearance | No ECG hardware and no AFib detection on this model — Garmin's ECG app is limited to its Venu/fenix lines |
| SpO2 Sensor | Yes — red and infrared sensors, overnight SpO2 | Yes — Pulse Ox, spot-check, all-day or overnight |
| Phone Compatibility | iOS 16.4+ or Android 11+, and setup requires a Google account | iOS and Android via Garmin Connect |
| Charger | Proprietary magnetic cable shared with Charge 5 and Luxe; Google sells it as a standalone accessory (the Google Store listing did not render a price when checked) | Proprietary 4-pin Garmin clip charger |
| Data Export | Google Takeout export of the Google Health/Fitbit archive (JSON and CSV bundles) | Garmin Connect exports individual activities as GPX/TCX/CSV, offers a full account data export, and has a documented developer API |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Colors | Obsidian / Black Aluminum, Porcelain / Silver Aluminum, Coral / Champagne Gold Aluminum | Black, White, Cool Mint |
Category Scores
Tracking Accuracy
The Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) and Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) are level here, at 8.0/10 each. how closely steps, heart rate and sleep match reference devices — and how badly the optical sensor falls apart at high intensity. is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Subscription Freedom
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 5.0 — a 4.5-point margin on the category's trap dimension: how much of what you paid for keeps working without a membership. A 10 means nothing is paywalled; a 1 means the hardware is unusable the moment you stop paying.. If that is what you are buying for, the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Phone Independence
The Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 3.0 — a 5.5-point margin on how much the device can do with the phone left at home — a real GPS chip and on-wrist readouts score high, connected-GPS screenless bands score low.. If that is what you are buying for, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Battery Life
The Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) and Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) are level here, at 6.5/10 each. real endurance once continuous heart rate, SpO2 and the always-on display are enabled, not just the headline figure. is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Display & Usability
The Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) leads clearly here, 8.0 against 6.0 — a 2.0-point margin on screen size, brightness and how much you can actually read on the wrist mid-workout.. If that is what you are buying for, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Health Features
The Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 7.0 — a 1.5-point margin on depth of the health sensor suite and how much of it is FDA-cleared and enabled in the US.. If that is what you are buying for, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) does not close the gap elsewhere.
App & Data Portability
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) leads clearly here, 9.0 against 8.0 — a 1.0-point margin on quality of the companion app and whether you can get your own data out in a documented format.. If that is what you are buying for, the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) leads clearly here, 7.0 against 6.5 — a 0.5-point margin on what the first year genuinely costs — purchase price plus any subscription needed for the advertised features.. If that is what you are buying for, the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) if…
- • Phone Independence matters most to you — the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) scores 8.5/10 here (how much the device can do with the phone left at home — a real GPS chip and on-wrist readouts score high, connected-GPS screenless bands score low.).
- • Display & Usability matters most to you — the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) scores 8.0/10 here (screen size, brightness and how much you can actually read on the wrist mid-workout.).
- • Health Features matters most to you — the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) scores 8.5/10 here (depth of the health sensor suite and how much of it is FDA-cleared and enabled in the US.).
- • Your main use case is built-in-gps.
Choose the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) if…
- • Subscription Freedom matters most to you — the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) scores 9.5/10 here (the category's trap dimension: how much of what you paid for keeps working without a membership. A 10 means nothing is paywalled; a 1 means the hardware is unusable the moment you stop paying.).
- • App & Data Portability matters most to you — the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) scores 9.0/10 here (quality of the companion app and whether you can get your own data out in a documented format.).
- • You want to spend less — it's $10 cheaper.
- • Your main use case is no-subscription.
Pros & Cons
Fitbit Charge 6 (2023)
Pros
- +Genuine built-in GPS — the single spec that separates it from every other Fitbit band
- +Bluetooth heart-rate broadcast to treadmills, bikes and Peloton is rare at this price
- +Both S and L bands ship in the box rather than being a $30 upsell
- +ECG and EDA electrodes give it health hardware the cheaper bands physically lack
Cons
- −Daily Readiness Score and the useful half of the sleep analysis are Google Health Premium features — $99.99/year once the 3-month trial lapses, up from Fitbit Premium's old $79.99
- −The 7-day figure assumes always-on display and SpO2 both off; turn either on and Google itself says to expect less
- −A Google account is mandatory to set the tracker up at all
- −Proprietary charging cable that fits only Charge 5, Charge 6 and Luxe
- −Wrist optical HR degrades badly above ~150bpm — peer-reviewed testing found Fitbit units underestimate HR during intense intervals
Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)
Pros
- +Nothing it measures is paywalled — Body Battery, stress, sleep and Pulse Ox are all free, forever
- +Best data portability in the category: per-activity GPX/TCX/CSV plus a documented API
- +Bands are genuinely user-replaceable and come in two wrist sizes
- +Garmin Connect's training and sleep history is deeper than anything Fitbit gives away free
Cons
- −$149.99 for connected GPS only — the $159.95 Fitbit Charge 6 has a real GPS chip for $10 more
- −Four years old with no successor, and the screen is small and dim next to a $52 Xiaomi band
- −Garmin does not publish what all-day Pulse Ox does to the 7-day battery claim
- −No ECG, no AFib detection, no exercise-equipment heart-rate broadcast
- −Yet another proprietary clip charger
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) or Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Phone Independence, the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) or the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)?+
The Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) scores higher on Phone Independence (8.5/10 vs 3.0/10) — how much the device can do with the phone left at home — a real GPS chip and on-wrist readouts score high, connected-GPS screenless bands score low..
Which is better for Subscription Freedom, the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) or the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)?+
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) scores higher on Subscription Freedom (9.5/10 vs 5.0/10) — the category's trap dimension: how much of what you paid for keeps working without a membership. A 10 means nothing is paywalled; a 1 means the hardware is unusable the moment you stop paying..
Which is better for Display & Usability, the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) or the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)?+
The Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) scores higher on Display & Usability (8.0/10 vs 6.0/10) — screen size, brightness and how much you can actually read on the wrist mid-workout..
Which is better for Health Features, the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) or the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)?+
The Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) scores higher on Health Features (8.5/10 vs 7.0/10) — depth of the health sensor suite and how much of it is FDA-cleared and enabled in the US..
Is the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) worth the price difference over the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)?+
The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) is the cheaper option at $149.99 versus $159.95. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Phone Independence.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) is the better fit if you mainly care about built-in-gps. The Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) is the better fit for no-subscription.
What's the warranty on the Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) vs the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022)?+
The Fitbit Charge 6 (2023) ships with a 12-month warranty; the Garmin vívosmart 5 (2022) ships with a 12-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Cheaper Option
Fitbit Inspire 3 (2022) — $99.95
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.