Last Updated on March 24, 2023 by Senior Editor
In today’s comparison, we’ll be looking at the differences between the Fitbit Charge 5 vs Garmin Vivosmart 5 vs Fitbit Luxe – which is the right choice for you? Well, hopefully, this comparison will help you decide on which of these is the right smartband for you.
One thing you should have in mind is that each of these three is a fantastic activity tracker that can keep you connected as well as help you reach more fitness goals. While the Charge 5 and Luxe are two of the best trackers from Fitbit, the Vivosmart 5 is currently the best and most popular tracker from Garmin. Each of these shares a lot in common including price and features, which of course is why we are comparing these three to help you decide which is worth your money.
The difference between the Charge 5 and Vivosmart 5 is that the former has a better build and a more colorful AMOLED display. And unlike Vivosmart 5, it also has inbuilt GPS and features Fitbit Pay, thanks to the built-in NFC. Moreover, the Charge 5 can monitor your skin temperature variation and features ECG which are not present in Vivosmart 5. On the other hand, Vivosmart 5 features incidental fall detection and LiveTrack which makes it a better option for outdoor workout lovers.
Meanwhile, Fitbit Luxe also has a durable stainless steel build and a colorful AMOLED display like the Charge 5, but it lacks inbuilt GPS, NFC, and ECG measurement.
Fitbit Charge 5 vs Garmin Vivosmart 5 vs Fitbit Luxe Full Specifications
| Product Info |
 Fitbit Charge 5 Specifications, Features and Price |
 Garmin Vivosmart 5 - Full Smartwatch Specifications |
 Fitbit Luxe Full Specifications, Features and Prices |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $149.95 | $149.99 | $145.99 |
| ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE | ABOUT DEVICE |
| Device name | Fitbit Charge 5 | Garmin Vivosmart 5 | Fitbit Luxe (Standard edition) |
| Device type | Fitness smartband | Fitness/Sport smartwatch | Fitness smartband |
| Gender | Unisex | Unisex | Unisex |
| Release date | September, 2021 | April 2022 | June, 2021 |
| Predecessor | Fitbit Charge 4 | Garmin Vivosmart 4 | — |
| Successor | — | — | — |
| Versions | — | Small & Large | Standard edition & Special edition |
| BODY | BODY | BODY | BODY |
| Dimension | 36.7 x 22.7 x 11.2 mm | 19.5 x 10.7 x 217mm (small), 19.5 x 10.7 x 255 mm (large) | 36.3 x 17.5 x 10 mm |
| Weight | 28g | 24.5g (small), 26.5g (large) | — |
| Shape | Rectangular | Rectangular | Rectangular |
| Case material | Aluminum | Fiber-reinforced polymer | Stainless steel |
| Strap material | Silicone | Silicone | Silicone |
| Bezel material | Aluminum | Fiber-reinforced polymer | Stainless steel |
| Strap size | 140 – 180mm (small), 180 -220mm (big) | 20 mm | 140 – 180mm (small), 180 -220mm (big) |
| Interchangeable strap | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Screen protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Acrylic | Corning Gorilla Glass |
| Water resistance | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 5ATM | Yes, 5ATM |
| Durability test | — | — | — |
| Swim-proof | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended | Yes, recommended |
| Color | Black/Graphite Stainless Steel strap, Lunar White/Soft-Gold Stainless Steel strap, Steel Blue/Platinum Stainless Steel strap | Black, White, Cool mint | Graphite/black, Lunar/white, Platinum/orchid |
| DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY | DISPLAY |
| Display size | 1.04 inches | 0.84 inch | 0.76 inch |
| Display type | 450nits, AMOLED | Monochrome OLED | AMOLED |
| Display resolution | 0.86″ x 0.58″px | 88 x 154 pixels | 124 x 206 px |
| Pixel density | 326 ppi | 211.15 PPI | 326 ppi |
| Always on | Yes | Yes | No |
| Custom watch face | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Input type | Touchscreen | 1 Physical button, Touchscreen | Touchscreen |
| CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY | CONNECTIVITY |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth v4.0 | ANT+, Bluetooth | Bluetooth v4.0 |
| Bluetooth calling | No | No | No |
| GPS | Yes | (connected GPS) | (connected GPS), No |
| NFC | Yes | No | No |
| Wi-Fi | No | No | No |
| MEMORY | MEMORY | MEMORY | MEMORY |
| RAM | — | — | — |
| ROM | — | 128MB | — |
| Memory card slot | No | No | No |
| CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY | CELLULAR CONNECTIVITY |
| Technology | None | None | None |
| SIM type | None | None | None |
| Band | — | — | — |
| NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS | NOTIFICATIONS |
| SMS alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Calls alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Email alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Event reminder | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Third-party apps alert | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Reply to Notifications | - | Android only, Yes (preset replies) | - |
| MEDIA | MEDIA | MEDIA | MEDIA |
| Audio | No | No | No |
| Bluetooth music | No | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | No | No | No |
| Microphone | No | No | No |
| Camera | No | No | No |
| Radio | No | No | No |
| SENSORS | SENSORS | SENSORS | SENSORS |
| Sensor(s) | EDA Stress sensor, Vibration motor | — | Red and infrared sensors, Vibration motor |
| ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING | ACTIVITY TRACKING |
| Blood oxygen | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Blood Pressure | No | No | - |
| Calories | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Distance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| ECG tracking | Yes | No | No |
| Heart rate monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Steps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Floors climbed | No | No | - |
| Stress | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fall detection | No | Yes | No |
| Menstrual cycle | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| VO2 Max | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Swim-tracking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Underwater heart rate tracking | No | No | No |
| On-screen workout | No | No | No |
| Sport modes | 20 | Yes | 20+ |
| BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY | BATTERY |
| Battery type | non-removable Lithium-polymer | — | non-removable Lithium-polymer |
| Battery capacity | — | — | — |
| Battery life | Regular: 7 days+, Standby:10 days+ | Mixed usage: Up to 7 days | Regular: 5 days+ |
| Charging type | Charging dock | Charging dock | Charging dock |
| Charging time | 2hrs | 1-2 hours | 1-2 hours |
| Solar charging | No | No | No |
| PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM | PLATFORM |
| Chipset | N/A | — | — |
| CPU | N/A | — | — |
| GPU | N/A | — | — |
| Operating system | Fitbit OS | Proprietary OS | Fitbit OS |
| MISC | MISC | MISC | MISC |
| Companion app | Fitbit App | Garmin Connect | Fitbit App |
| Compatibility | Android, iOS | Android 7.0+, iOS 15.0+ | Android OS 8.0+, iOS 13.3+ |
| Payment system | Fitbit Pay | None | None |
| Voice command | No | No | No |
| Find my phone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Box content | Charger, Fitbit Charge 5, Manual, Straps | Charger, Manual, Straps, Garmin Vivosmart 5 | Charger, Fitbit Luxe, Manual, Straps (small & large) |
Fitbit Charge 5 vs Garmin Vivosmart 5 vs Fitbit Luxe – The Differences
Without wasting your time, let’s dive straight into the differences.
- Fitbit Luxe and Charge 5 have a more colorful AMOLED display
- Fitbit Charge 5 has a larger display
- Fitbit Charge 5 and Luxe have better body build quality
- Fitbit Charge 5 and Luxe have better screen quality
- Fitbit Charge 5 has NFC
- Fitbit Charge 5 has inbuilt GPS
- Fitbit Charge 5 features ECG measurement
- Vivosmart 5 features incidental fall detection
- Fitbit Charge 5 and Luxe can track skin temperature variations.
- Fitbit Charge 5 and Vivosmart 5 can monitor stress but not Luxe
- Battery life: Charge 5 vs Vivosmart 5 vs Luxe
The first difference you will notice between these three is the color quality of the display. While the Vivosmart 5 has a monochrome OLED display, Charge 5 and Luxe have displays powered by AMOLED. As a result, these two have richer color depth and are satisfying to watch. Nonetheless, the monochrome OLED display of the Vivosmart 5 is very easy to read even under direct sunlight.
Although each of these three has a tiny display which is normal for smartbands, the Charge 5 with a 1.04 inches display has a slightly larger display size than the 0.85 and 0.76 displays of Vivosmart 5 and Fitbit Luxe respectively.
Meanwhile, while it’s very easy to interact with the Fitbit Charge 5 and Luxe which both offer touchscreen as the only means of navigation, the Vivosmart 5 offers both a touch-sensitive screen and a physical button. In other words, it’s quite easier to access.
The Charge 5 and Luxe have better build quality. While the Charge 5 has an aluminum build, the Luxe has an even more durable stainless steel build. Meanwhile, the Vivosmart 5 has a case made of polycarbonate which no doubt is also very durable.
Moreover, in addition to the more durable cases, the Charge 5 and Luxe have better and more durable Corning Gorilla Glass 3 screens. This is in contrast to the acrylic glass screen used for Vivosmart 5.
An NFC chip is built into the Charge 5, this enables Fitbit Pay (not available in every country) which will allow you to store your card details on the device so that you can make payments at select terminals.
Meanwhile, the Luxe and Vivosmart 5 lack NFC chips and as a result, cannot be used to make payments.
While the Vivosmart 5 and Luxe lack inbuilt GPS, there is an inbuilt GPS in the Charge 5. This will allow you to map your routes without carrying your phone along. Meanwhile, with Luxe and Vivosmart 5, you must carry your phone along to map your routes and track other outdoor metrics.
While the Vivosmart 5 and Luxe lack ECG measurement, the Fitbit Charge 5 will allow you to take ECG measurements directly from the device. It joins Sense and Sense 2 which both feature ECG measurement.
With your phone nearby, the Vivosmart 5 can detect when a fall has occurred and will send a text with your location to a preset emergency contact. It will also start a call to this preset contact. This will allow you to get help as quickly as possible.
The Vivosmart 5 also features the Garmin LiveTrack feature that will enable you to allow your friends to follow along as you workout outdoors. Spectators can see your location, pace and other metrics in real time.
Meanwhile, Charge 5 and Luxe lack these safety features.
Although the Charge 5 and Luxe lack a thermometer, they both leverage on existing sensors to track your skin temperature variation when you go to sleep. This is a great way to monitor your skin temperature changes. Meanwhile, the Vivosmart 5 can not track your skin temperature.
The Charge 5 and Vivosmart 5 are both equipped to monitor your stress levels 24/7, the Fitbit Luxe on the other hand can only help you reduce stress using the built-in breathing app but cannot monitor stress.
Interestingly, all three smartbands have decent battery life that will allow you to go long from a single charge. With the Charge 5 and Vivosmart 5, you can get up to 7 days long battery life. And with Fitbit Luxe, it’s slightly lower, you get up to 5 days of battery life.
In all, the Charge 5 and Luxe have better build quality than Vivosmart 5. Furthermore, the Charge 5 has more features. It features NFC, an inbuilt GPS, and more health-tracking features than Vivosmart 5 and Luxe.
Charge 5 vs Vivosmart 5 vs Luxe – Similar Features
Beyond the differences mentioned above, all three smartbands, are sturdily built and rated 5ATM. The straps are interchangeable and you can change watch faces.
As per fitness tracking, each of these will track your blood oxygen, heart rate, calories burnt, steps and distance. Each of these three also has preloaded sports modes, and from their respective companion apps, you can track water intake and women can track their menstrual cycle.
All three smartbands will also allow you to receive notifications when your phone is nearby. And you have the option to reply to messages using the quick replies function.
Which is The Best?
Clearly, the Charge 5 is better than Vivosmart 5. It has a better build, better display, inbuilt GPS, has NFC and features ECG and can monitor your skin temperature changes. It’s clearly a finer and more comprehensive tracker than Vivosmart 5. It’s clearly the best bargain.
Meanwhile, the Vivosmart 5 is sturdily built and is also a fantastic fitness tracker. It features incidental fall detection and LiveTrack which no doubt makes it a better choice for outdoor workout activity lovers.
On the other hand, Fitbit Luxe is simply adorable. Its stainless build makes it a pretty timepiece. And beyond the appearance, it’s also a comprehensive fitness tracker.
Now the ball is in your court, make your choice!