Fitbit Charge 4 Review vs Versa, Inspire, and Ionic

fitbit-charge-4-review

In this video I cover the following topics regarding the Fitbit Charge 4:

  1. How to protect your chip from training damage.
  2. Advice on the features Fitbit recommends during set up.
  3. More in depth tips and advice on features the way I use them in my everyday life.
  4. How to use it with myfitnesspal and how to use that data (very brief, videos to more in depth information is at the bottom of this description.
  5. My experience with other FitBit heart rate monitors: Inspire, Ionic, Alta, Versa

In this Fitbit Charge 4 review we’ll be discussing the following topics:

What I want to do in this article is not only review the charge 4, but also compare it to the other FitBit choices (Ionic, Versa, Inspire) and you can make a decision about which one is the best for you.

Let me be honest, I have never owned an Inspire, Ionic, or Versa but my clients have and these clients have been with me for over 3 years. I know their experience with their watch and this is how I’m able to write this post.

They purchased their first FitBit out of my recommendation but I didn’t let them know how much I loved my Charge 3 at that time. They went ahead and purchased the one they liked or found more useful and of course that met their price range. This makes for the perfect review of all watches.

My favorite features of the FitBit family:

Neither the Versa nor the Inspire have real time pace and distance using built in GPS. This is actually one of my favorite features using the Charge 4. The coolest part is that it’ll calculate your pace using this feature for accurate readings. You can then go into your app and see a map of your route.

fitbit-charge-4-calorie-tracker
Fitbit Charge 4

Another thing I love about Fitbits is that you can choose what type of workout you’re performing which is cool for organizing yourself. I also love the ability to sync with MyFitnessPal for accurate nutrition vs exercise data. You can see on a weekly and monthly basis if you’re exercising enough to enter a deficit if your goal is weight loss.

One thing that I find useful and I’m not sure if they use this data point in their caloric calculations or not, but they give you the option to enter your body fat. I’m not sure any other watch does this, but to me, per my professional experience creating health and fitness programs, body fat is a major variable that is not used enough. BMI doesn’t consider it and thus in today’s world, I find it significantly flawed.

Personally, the FitBit Charge Lineup is my favorite.

fitbit-charge-4-weightlifting
Fitbit Charge 4

Again, let me be honest. I am being a little biased here as it’s the only category of FitBit styles that have ever had. From my experience, the Charge 3 before the Charge 4 are the best and most convenient fitness trackers for competitive hard going gym athletes.

The design feature is suitable for hard training especially for sports like Crossfit and Circuit Training with gym equipment especially kettlebells. It is slim enough to not get in the way of your hands. If you put use the right protective strap as I show in this video, and take the precautions I provide, your Fitbit will last you for a long time!

fitbit-dashboard-features
Fitbit Charge 4

What are my favorite features about the Charge 4?

  1. Small and convenient but not tiny.
  2. Long battery life.
  3. Long life in general.
  4. App features are second to none and easy to use.
  5. Easy to use and love the ability to choose what type of workout you’ll perform.
  6. Accurate calorie tracking.
fitbit-charge-4-clients
Fitbit charge 4 vs inspire

I myself am a huge fan of the charge 3. I believe it is the best of all the available options for serious lifters which is probably why Fitbit probably didn’t make any huge improvements on it. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. With that said, the Charge 4 is now the best of all available options for serious lifters.

fitbit-charge-4-protective-cover
FitBit Charge 4 Protective Cover

It is small enough to avoid damage when using equipment such as kettlebells but large enough so that you can see the time and other information.

I use this tool to further protect it against unwanted hits from functional and HIIT workouts especially those that include kettlebells. If you watched the video, this is the protective strap that I use.

The Fitbit Inspire:

My client with the Inspire found it to be too small, fragile, and the data you can see is limited because of it’s screen size. It is very thin and she had to replace it a couple times and just can’t seem to avoid issues with it. The strap is also thin because of the overall make up of the watch and breaks apart very easily. If you’re a runner and may work fine but if you lift weights, you may not be too happy. For non-weight lifting athletes the Inspire is the least expensive which is a pro. If you like more data however you’re better off with the Charge or the Versa.

The Versa and the Ionic are like everyday stylish watches.

Although they both have a lot of cool features, if you’re a person who trains hard with weights, kettlebells, and gymnastic moves, such as Crossfit training, you have a much higher chance of scratching the screen. They are like the typical watch that you would wear to work or to go out on the weekend, but can hinder your training if you are a serious weight lifter. For endurance type training like long distance running where you don’t the risk of weights and kettlebells bouncing off your writst, they work just fine.

I would recommend the Fitbit Versa or Ionic for people who don’t plan to train in a very competitive weight lifting nature, same as the Inspire. However, the Versa and the Ionic are much more expensive then the Inspire so if you’re on a budget, I would honestly recommend the Inspire unless you want more data and features.

Conclusion and Summary of Fitbit Charge vs Ionic vs Versa vs Inspire.

The Fitbit Charge 4 is the optimal watch for weight lifters. It’s small enough to avoid hits from exercises that impact the wrist such as training with kettlebells. From experience, I know that renegade rows and pushups using dumbbells to protect the wrist can also interfere with the watch. The charge 4 is much more suitable for these conditions then an Ionic or Versa would because of it’s slim quality. The biggest pro of the fitbit charge 4 is that it costs less then the Ionic or the Versa.

fitbit-charge-4-marathon
Half marathon result.

The Versa and the Ionic are a little more sophisticated but they’re size make it less suitable for weight training. If you more sophisticated and focus more on endurance running and biking (spinning), they will work great. You can even wear these with professional attire and they’d look great on you. If you’re more of a simple person then it’s not of a concern.

The inspire unfortunately is very similar to the Charge 4 with a lot less features and much slimmer. It almost looks like a bracelet. This feature makes it very susceptible to damage and there aren’t protectors like the one available for the Charge 4. If you’re a simple person and don’t care about how it’d look with professional attire, even though I don’t think it’d look bad, and you don’t train with weights, then it’s a great simple watch. Additionally, it’s the most cost effective.

Bottom line, get the charge 4 if you train hard with weights and especially kettlebells. Get either the Ionic, Versa, or inspire if you do more endurance training and not so much weight training. Which one you get will depend on your budget and how sophisticated you want to look ::smile::.

If you’re a serious athlete and want to monitor your stress, check out the Whoop Strap 3.0. If you workout with me live on YouTube, you’ll see how I use both to monitor my progress and recovery as efficiently as possible.

Fitbit Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Is the Fitbit Charge 4 worth it?

Per my professional experience and opinion I without biased can say that the Fitbit Charge is worth every penny. It has made my life as a trainer and athlete much more simple. I know exactly how many calories I need to eat versus how many I eat by syncing it with MyFitnesspal. I love the app features and I believe it is very accurate in terms of telling you how many calories you burn per day.

What can a fitbit charge 4 do?

The fitbit has many features but let me tell you the ones I personally use. First I use the calorie counter. I make sure that I keep my weight and bodyfat updated. I sync it with MyFitnesspal so that I can monitor my calories in vs calories out and hit any goal I program. I use the workout recorder option so that I know how many calories I burn per workout. This helps me a lot because if I’m consistent I can estimate how many calories I’m going to burn that day and I can modify my diet as needed. Other features that I know that I don’t really use are the sleep monitor and water tracking feature. I use a Whoop for my sleep and recovery and I drink plenty of water as I am very consistent with that.

What is the difference between the Fitbit Charge 4 and Charge 4 special?

As far as I know the only difference between them is the strap. Fitbit many times has a special strap which they charge you a little extra for. In my case I get the basic because the strap I buy is to protect the chip. It’s a cover. I am very active and I do a lot of circuit training with kettlebells and Olympic movements with dumbbells so having a protector strap for the chip is much more important.

Can you shower with a Fitbit Charge 4?

Fitbits are waterproof so you can definitely shower with them. I wouldn’t recommend that though if you are hygiene conscious person.

Which Fitbit is the best?

For me personally the Charge 4 is the best for people who train hard with complex movements such as kettlebells and dumbbells where the chip may be hit. It also has the right chip size so it’s not fragile like the inspire. The inspire is more for people who perform less strenuous type of training. The Versa and the Ionic are more higher class and sophisticated but because of their size they’re exposed to getting chipped and there really isn’t a protective cover you can switch to.

How long do Fitbits last?

My fitbits have lasted up to a 14-16 months. My charge 2 lasted about 14 months. Then I switched to a Charge 3 and that lasted about 18 months. I’ve now owned a Charge 4 for about 4 months and so far so good.

Is the Fitbit Charge 4 waterproof?

As far as I know it is waterproof and even has the swimming option when choosing your target workout for the day.

Can you charge a Fitbit without a charger?

Per my experience I’ve never seen another way to charge a Fitbit then with it’s charger. Even the Charge 2 can’t be charged with a Charge 3’s charger but a Charge 4 can be charged with a Charge 3’s charger since they are virtually identical with the exception of a few features.

Which is better Charge 4 or Versa 2?

This depends on what you will be using your Fitbit for and what type of athlete or type of exercises you will perform. If you train hard doing kettlebells and intense circuit training type workouts where you do Olympic type exercises burpees I’d recommend the Charge 4. If you do less intense exercises such as running or maybe weight lifting but not dynamic then a Versa may work for you if you want a more versatile elegant type of watch.

Useful training posts to maximize your results:

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Come train with me live on Youtube:

All you need are dumbbells and kettlbells:

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Fitness for Life 5 day articles:

Need a coach? Check out free and paid online personal trainer packages. If you thinking of competing, see my contest prep articles that includes information about how to go about a bodybuilding contest prep diet, amount of cardio, programming, and more.

Do you want to become a personal trainer? Check out my how to become a personal trainer where I give you advice, tips, and resources to get you started.

Build your body step by step with the Perfect Body Shape Formula. First figure out, how much should I weigh for my height? and use these other sub steps included in the process:

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Step 2, find your body fat by using this how to calculate body fat percentage article (this will be used to calculate current body fat mass and current lean mass).

Learn to control your calories, hunger, and making nutrition a lifestyle by learning about 96 hour fast weight loss results, low carb diets such as ketogenic, what is keto for beginners, and mix that up with carbs using the Fat Cycling Method, Fat Cycling Diet? Keto ish Weight loss system.

Once your nutrition is programmed, then learn to workout. How should you be working out to get your ideal body type? How heavy? How many reps? How much rest? If you want to workout from home check out Gymming at Home – Essential Equipment to get my recommendations for tools, equipment, and workout schedule for my YouTube workouts. Make sure you check out my profrom treadmill reviews if you are interested in starting off your journey by walking or jogging the weight off. I give you tips and guidelines to get the best results.

Make sure you compliment your nutrition plan with a full supplementation guide:

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