Google’s Fitbit Charge 6 is a fitness tracker that tracks your workouts, monitors your heart rate, and records how much sleep you get. The Charge 6 also includes a few useful Google apps. With built-in GPS, you don’t need your smartphone to track where you ran or cycled. The tracker lasts for up to seven days before needing to be charged. You can use the tracker to control YouTube Music during a workout, use the Google Wallet app to make purchases by tapping your wrist, and even get turn-by-turn directions from Google Maps directly on the bright, full-color touchscreen.
A slim fitness tracker with built-in GPS and heart rate monitoring
If you’re looking for a fitness tracker with many functions that’s also very thin, the Charge 6 is perfect for you. The Charge 6 features a color AMOLED touchscreen, built-in GPS, continuous heart rate monitoring, an electrocardiogram (ECG) application, blood oxygen level monitoring, skin temperature monitoring, sleep tracking, a Sleep Score, more than 40 different types of exercises, water resistance up to 50 meters, and a rechargeable battery with up to one week of usage per charge. The Charge 6 also contains a small haptic side button.
The Charge 6 continuously monitors your daily step count, Active Zone Minutes, calories burned, and heart rate, and lets you record over 40 activity types, including running, cycling, swimming, weightlifting, and yoga. When exercising outdoors, the Charge 6 lets you view your pace and distance using its built-in GPS.
Along with tracking your own activities, the Charge 6 can be paired with certain compatible fitness equipment via Bluetooth. This means that if you’re wearing the Charge 6 during a spinning class on a compatible stationary bicycle, your heart rate appears on the bicycle’s screen. When connected to compatible apps such as Peloton, your heart rate can appear on their screens as well, making it easier to train in the correct heart rate zone during a spin class or a home workout.
The Charge 6’s ECG app may alert you to heart rhythm irregularities that could indicate atrial fibrillation. The Charge 6 also sends notifications for abnormally elevated or depressed heart rates. Trends in blood oxygen levels and skin temperature can be used with your sleep tracking and Sleep Score to better understand whether you’re adequately recovering after a long day. EDA Scan, a stress-measuring feature, lets you measure how your body responds to stress and gives you an opportunity to practice relaxation techniques when needed. You can view all of these metrics in the Fitbit app, which helps you identify patterns over time.
When you work out with music playing in the YouTube Music app, the Charge 6 lets you skip songs and change playback. With the Google Wallet app, you can now pay for items by tapping your wrist. Google Maps provides turn-by-turn directions to a destination, displayed directly on the tracker’s face. Your smartphone notifications for incoming calls, text messages, and other apps also appear on the Charge 6 screen. Whether you use an iPhone or an Android phone, the Fitbit app is available on both platforms, ensuring compatibility.
The Google Fitbit Charge 6 Fitness Tracker is an excellent option if you’re seeking a reliable fitness tracker. It’s also a great pick if you’re concerned about the bulk of today’s typical “smart” watches.