Fitbit Charge 5 vs Garmin Vivosmart 5: A Ridiculously Detailed Review 

You deserve a medal for this. For me I think it has to be the Garmin purely for the historical data aspect. What’s the point of having health data if you can’t track your progress over time?

Awesome review. I’ve been trying to find my first fitness tracker and this definitely helped. Thank you!

Thanks for the deep dive! I truly appreciate all the info in one place

Good lord, man! This was so good! Like so good. I have so much to aspire to to pack this much quality comparison into a relatively short video. You nailed it all! Like nailed it. Super well done execution of ALL of the feature and benefit comparison.

Really appreciate this. Looking to ditch my whoop band for something without a subscription in the next year so I’ll be paying especially close attention to this type of device..

Great video, very helpful as I m just about o purchase something to help me with the my impending new exercise regime

Thanks man! This was very helpful

Very intelligent conclusion for this comparative review.

One of the best reviews I've ever seen. You have the right tempo, info & consumer spin overall.

Always great reviews, wish those manufacturers takes 📝.

Awesome review!!

Amazing review !

Just amazing, thank you! So, so informative. Most likely Fitbit for me.

I feel like 129 is the right price for these products. $200 gets into the range of a lot of really capable running watches. Great review and comparison Ray! 👏

I would love to see a Whoop style band from these companies. Not everyone wants the smartwatch features. They have the accompanying app to support it.

Seems like the Fitbit is a more elegant device, but the Garmin provides for ROI since all the metrics are free.

Hey there! Just wondering how the calories compared? Maybe I missed it, but for me, calorie tracking is the most important. Some research showed me that fitbits are the most accurate ( this one apparently the most of all .) However, I have just got the charge 5 today and the steps don't seem to be the most accurate.

I'm already in the Garmin ecosystem, so for me it's worth a little premium to get the band without the monthly subscription from FitBit. But, I'm in the ecosystem. Also, for my use I want the notifications, weather, and calendar, all of which Garmin does better (Fitbit doesn't have calendar or weather, and only some apps (on iOS) work). The Fitbit absolutely has better hardware, though

Really helpfull video

Thank you, great info ⭐️👌🏻☺️ I will never get a Fitbit as the software is only free for 6 months

Question, Do you think the ECG feature is now available in the US?

With the Fitbit charge 5 premium that comes with it for 6 months actually does give you a lot more detailed information than what the app offers without (which I hate paywalls) and gives a weekly progress report which tells you your health age and whatnot I noticed some of the features mentioned on Garmin or said not to be on Fitbit but they are just in a different form

Phew watching this before work and a lot of info lol. So the next reincarnation from Garmin should come out with a colour screen as looks way better on Fitbit and that should not be far away given that Garmin produce new watches more than any other company, the fact that Garmin gives you statistics for free it’s a no brainer as can view the colour screen on your phone and is more apple friendly 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

Contactless payment is a dealbreaker for me, so Garmin for sure. I REALLY don't want my watch to have payment info on it.

I completed several ultramarathons with a Fitbit. The daily calorie burn always stopped at 7119. I also never received a badge for the 130,000 steps in a day. Oh yeah, there were also large blocks of time where data was missing, on these high performance days. I don't know why the device is not capable of handling higher performance levels. I am only 65, and still improving my performance levels. I keep hoping one day I can get a free one from a company trying to promote senior fitness. Guess I have to keep working harder.

Good job

I just want to know the distance in miles . Do I need the GPS focused on to accomplish this if I buy the Fitbit tomorrow? It's at $119.95 at all stores

I have a Charge 5 on one wrist & a Garmin Venu 2 on the other. I do this because Garmin sleep tracking has always been a dumpster fire for me. This still is the case with regards to the buckets (light, rem, deep, awake) but what has changed is the sleep score. The 2 trackers now align much better. If this trend continues, I'll stop wearing the Charge 5. Now that I'm aware of the differences, the total score is more useable day to day and the Garmin seems to be doing an adequate job in that regard.

I bought a Fitbit Versa 3 last year for $200 and at 13 months the battery died just outside of the 12 month warranty. Their tech support was non-existing and said they would notify their warranty department. Fitbit emailed me and notified me I was outside my warranty, but they would give me 35% off another fitbit product. Why would I want to buy another CRAP fitbit anything!! I have had a Garmin 830 cycling GPS for 4 years and it is still going strong. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FITBIT product.

I’ve had 3 fitbits die on me, first one they gave me a discount as it was out of warranty, second they replaced and was able to recover with a factory reset so gave the extra one to my father, but now my third one died and so after watching this I think I’ll go Garmin. Fitbit’s customer service was very helpful but I’d also like it to sync with Apple health and I’m not willing to spend the money on an Apple Watch and have to charge it every day.

good review

Any 3rd party canvas (cotton/nylon) watch band available for the Vivosmart 4?

Good vid yo.

I have gone through 2 charge 5s now. Both have failed the same way, they go black and dont turn back on. They keep getting moisture into them from sweat and I dont wear it in water. My charge 5 is almost out of warranty so after this next one breaks I'll get a garmin.

frens , what about data export (to csv ) ? which one has most data-points for export ? wanna do some data analytics stuff.

At like 13:50-14:00 you mention using a chest strap with the Garmin. So you used a chest strap heart rate monitor instead of the device itself on those runs?

I say , for sports especially for running. Go polar .😂 I have now polar pacer pro . And it’s the best .

Those post workout details are shown in the Fitbit without the premium?

How do you like the physical button on Garmin Vivosmart 5? It feels like a lil bit weird for me. I have to push it slightly hard on mine until the click sound. (Maybe its normal to behave like this to prevent unwanted push)

I recently bought the VS5 due to being deep into the Garmin ecosystem, however I am picking up the FC5 to compare for myself. I've been a little disappointed with the VS5, so hopefully I love the FC5. It gets here tomorrow :-) Personally I reckon the screen will be better for my eyes on the FC5. Soon will find out.

What ever happened to the Vivosport model that was Garmin's only band had built in GPS? Are they not bothering to update it to force users into a more expensive watch model??

Am I correctly seeing a lower profile on the Fitbit (i.e. a thinner display)?

In terms of shape and size it seems like the Fitbit Luxe would be the better comparison.

Is either of these a good device to track your running distance and especially top/average speed etc. during football? Are they accurate for this?

My Fitbit charge 5 got a white screen one year into using, and customer service is a joke. So I m considering switching to Garmim!

Garmin kind of missed the mark here. I wish the screen was smaller, stair tracking included like the previous version. This band is somehow less comfortable than my Veny 2, maybe its the silicone band, YMMV. I got this to accompany my mechanical watch, but its clear Garmin worked on this half-assedly.

Isn't there an ECG sitting (invisibly) behind Garmin's HRV tracking, and isn't HRV the useful metric for most users?

I’m looking into a Garmin. I’m on my second Fitbit. They both quit syncing with my phone like clockwork after 3 months, and I’m fed up.

At approximately 3:10 you say you can't respond on either device. For text messages, the Fitbit charge 5 has quick responses you can send and a few emojis. You can modify them in the app to work for you. It's only 4 or 5 different ones, but i find it's enough for when I'm busy and the phone isn't within easy reach.

Which one is durable..

Boo to more subscription services.

Do these give a 24 hour chart of your heart rate ?

Do you have any comments on the lifespan of the devices? I got a Fitbit Charge 5 last year, and it's already dead; it won't charge anymore. I contacted support, but since I bought it 1 year 2 months ago, the warranty does not cover it, and their solution is to buy a new one. I think that's very wasteful! I've read several reviews complaining about the same problem with Fitbit. It's sad because I really liked their app and the device. But, I don't want to buy a new watch every year. Some Garmin reviews say that their watches last multiple years; I wonder if it also applies to fitness trackers. Any comments?

I like Fitbit for form and function POV. The shape, the size and overall it looks a lot flatter to that hand then Garmin.,But meh, paying for my own data? Nah. Garmin hands down. Besides I use Garmin cycling computer too, so, it's already in the ecosystem. Plus "FREE Details" data. Can't beat that.

How easily the band comes off the garmin is like nope. I currently have a garmin and will likely need an upgrade/ newer one soon

I totally missed the fact that when I "upgraded" to the 5, I lost stair tracking. Thanks. I think.

Based on ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6oNGpQZakxU.html I thought the Charge 5 sleep tracking was decent, what devices do you prefer?

The fitbit thing of saying you can have accurate HR or GPS is one of the most bizarre features I think I’ve ever seen, especially when you can’t pair it with a HR strap. How many boxes can we tick on the spec sheet? It feels like there’s a level of dishonesty about doing that

I had horrible experience with FitBit charge 5. i went through 4 of them in a year before warrantee ran out. They last about 1 to 3 months before breaking

“Don’t poke the Llama”. Hahaha! Inside joke between you two?

I just got the charge 5 yesterday and I have to say its the best Fitbit I have ever owned - I like it a lot so far - the band is far superior to any previous strap - usually the first thing I do with a new fitbit is replace the stock band as they are usually uncomfortable - but the charge 5 band is excellent and fits my wrist perfectly I did get an extended warranty with it - simply because I have never had a Fitbit last longer than about 12 months - The build quality is usually dog shit - im hoping the quality is better with the charge 5

Don't get a Fitbit charge 5, the screen just died on mine after 6 month use, customer support turned out to be useless. After contacting the first adviser on live chat, he left me with none of the problems fixed, I tried to contact them again and suddenly I couldn't access their live chat or emails, but I could once I connected to my VPN, I tried again with their support and they still couldnt get it to work, just messed me around making me do the same things over and over. I'm now looking for something better

Thanks - Garmin for me

My love affair with Fitbit has seriously waned. My Charge 2, 3 and Charge 4 (have two 4's) still work. My Charge 5 had screen freeze and connectivity problems. Seems half done. Still wearing my Charge 4 as a step counter (most reliable) and a Apple 8 as my main watch now. Charge 5 seems to have been rushed to market as in half finished. Charge 6 looking doubtful .

Go with the Garmin! Had two fitbit/google that broke in less then a year due to force updates the bricked the tracker useless

Is Polar watching this? They don’t even mention the tracker category anymore on their website :/

I don't know a lot about fitness wear, but is this the same DC Rainmaker that I played Counterstrike 1.5 with back in the day?

Does the Charge 5 shows the hart rate in real time?

Why is no one talking about the false steps in Fitbit while driving or riding a bike.. it’s a huge issue

Garmin for Apple health

The day garmin will start charging money for app status premium or something like that , is the day I will stop owning a garmin smart watch 😢

If sleep tracking is a marketing gimmick and spo2 is a marketing gimmick, what are those trackers even useful for? Watch and step counter? I have that on my phone

5:25 Garmin super accurate with sleep stages?!! When they made the miracle?! Every Garmin I've had was a total crap with sleeping, did they fixed it?! Cuz that's gonna be bomb, and I'm getting it if that's true

Shouldn't the required subscription to get the full compliment of metrics from the FitBit be mentioned in the price? The Garmin is one and done and ends up being cheaper then.

Fitbit won't work with older Android phones after the forced transition from Fitbit to Google accounts in 2025. The transition requires the latest Fitbit app, which in turn seems to require Android 10.

Fitbit every time for me. Try losing the Garmin unit when it pops out of the strap unnoticed and see how Garmin respond. Avoid Garmin. Truly awful after sales service.

My bank accounts are with very big banks, and the Fitbit does not support them for payments.

I don't get why anyone would buy either of these when the Venu SQ is $149 and the Fitbit Versa 2 is $119.

6:32 Wait. 88% of Oxygen is a trip to Emergency room. Garmin misleading way to much in this area.

6 mins in and still haven't heard the words "Fitbit charge 5 is an absolute disaster" 😟

I have the fitbit charge 5 and the vivosmart 5 and when I wear them both for a few days what I've noticed is, the steps are inaccurate with the vivosmart 5, it's always 100-200 steps off from what my charge 5 says, and when I sleep, the charge 5 catches when I micro wake up, the vivosmart 5 does not...

Why would anyonw dislike this? 11 dislikes? Jerks!

Fitbit Charge 5 is garbage. I have used it for over a year and the screen got blanked out. When I called customer care they said that I need to buy a new one.

Fitbit is owned by Google. That immediately gets a DO NOT BUY from me.

I dont support greedy companies. Why would you charge $10/month just to keep server going? $1 would be enough.

What if I don't have any friends? lol

Fitbit 5, after 5 months, two fitbit have been left with black screen, I do not recommend it.

That’s a big claim that sleep isn’t accurate? Do you have any scientific data to compare with like eeg monitoring or scientific sleep study??

im so confused help lol

Dont but fitbit! Dont do it unless you want to to reset the correct time endlessly...I mean monthly! Like be late to places? Probably not. Just ridiculous. Stop spending money on slick youtube videos and fix that shit!

Garmin's sleep tracking is trash. Fitbit leads the entire fitness watch/band industry in sleep tracking. These two trackers are day & night when it comes to sleep tracking with Fitbit taking the crown.

Question - can you talk any faster?

Fitbit charge 5 is sh*t. Dies after a very short period of time

He talks so fast, was that even in English?

The Garmin doesn't have GPS...so..Fitbit Wins Easy this time

I can't deal with how fast you talk. Sorry

I've had issues with my Fitbit Charge 5 from day 1. First, it kept falling off the OEM band. (known issue with this watch) I almost lost it a few times. I had to fight with customer service to get them to, at least, send a new band. It seemed better but I can't switch to any more fashionable bands because they fall off. I don't like some of the functionality of it. It's hard to restart, it doesn't have the side buttons to take you back to the home screen. You have to swipe through all of the previous screens. Exercises sometimes just randomly stop detecting during a workout. After the last update my battery started to drain very quickly (known issue with this watch. Google it before buying). It would die within a few hours. Eventually, it wouldn't take a charge anymore. It's a year and a half old and Fitbit won't send a replacement. They offered me a 35% discount on a new one. I've seen users post that their brand new charge 5 batteries drain. There's no way I'm purchasing another one of these. Taking into account that the premium features cost $9.99 month, if you want all of the features, this watch is much more expensive than it's $120-$150 advertised price. Thanks for the review. I'm considering a Samsung watch since I have a Samsung phone.