Fitbit Charge 6 vs Garmin Forerunner 165
🗓️ Release Year
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: 2023
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: 2024
🏃 Activity
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: The Fitbit Charge 6 is a highly accurate fitness tracker that monitors steps, distance, calories burned, and active zone minutes. It helps users stay in optimal heart rate zones to maximize workout efficiency. The tracker also measures real-time pace and distance, making it ideal for walking, running, and cycling.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The Garmin Forerunner 165 is an accessible GPS running watch designed for new and casual runners, offering essential activity tracking. It precisely records steps, distance, calories burned, and active minutes, with a strong focus on core running metrics like pace, distance, and cadence using built-in GPS. It provides valuable data for monitoring and improving running performance.
❤️ Health Monitoring
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: Equipped with continuous heart rate tracking, the Charge 6 provides real-time heart rate alerts for high and low readings. It includes SpO2 monitoring to measure blood oxygen levels, stress tracking, and a Daily Readiness Score, which evaluates recovery based on sleep, heart rate variability, and activity levels.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: This device provides continuous wrist-based heart rate monitoring, stress tracking, and sleep tracking for insights into daily well-being and recovery. It includes Pulse Ox for blood oxygen saturation monitoring, contributing to a more complete picture of overall health alongside its running features.
🔋 Battery Life
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: The battery lasts up to 7 days under standard use. Features like continuous GPS tracking and always-on display may reduce battery life to around 5 days. The device supports fast charging, ensuring minimal downtime.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The Forerunner 165 offers practical battery life for runners, providing up to 11 days in smartwatch mode and up to 19 hours with continuous GPS tracking. This ensures sufficient power for regular runs and daily wear without constant recharging.
😴 Sleep Tracking
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: The advanced sleep tracking system analyzes light, deep, and REM sleep stages, providing insights into sleep quality and disturbances. The Smart Wake function uses vibration alarms to wake users at the best time in their sleep cycle for a more refreshed feeling.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: Detailed sleep tracking on the Forerunner 165 monitors sleep stages and provides insights into sleep quality and patterns, helping users understand their recovery for optimal training and daily performance.
📍 GPS Tracking
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: The built-in GPS accurately tracks outdoor activities like running, cycling, and hiking without needing a smartphone connection. Users can view route, pace, and elevation data directly on the tracker and in the Fitbit app.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: Equipped with built-in GPS, the Forerunner 165 provides accurate outdoor activity tracking for running, walking, and cycling without needing a paired smartphone. It delivers reliable pace, distance, and route data essential for runners.
🏋️ Workout Modes
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: With over 40 workout modes, the Charge 6 supports various exercises, including HIIT, weightlifting, yoga, swimming, running, and cycling. It offers live heart rate zone updates during workouts to optimize training intensity.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: While primarily a running watch, the Forerunner 165 supports additional activity profiles including cycling, pool swimming, HIIT, and cardio, providing relevant metrics for these exercises alongside its core running features.
💫 Exercise Recognition
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: The SmartTrack feature detects and records walking, running, cycling, swimming, and elliptical workouts automatically, ensuring no activity goes untracked.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The device includes automatic exercise detection for common activities such as walking and running through its Move IQ feature, ensuring these basic movements are captured in your activity log seamlessly.
🍎 Compatibility
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: The tracker syncs with Android and iOS devices via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It also integrates with Google services, such as Google Maps and Google Wallet, for navigation and contactless payments.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The Forerunner 165 is compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones, connecting via Bluetooth for seamless data synchronization and smart notifications.
📲 App Support
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: The Fitbit app provides detailed insights into activity, heart health, sleep, and stress levels. Users can sync their data with third-party platforms like Strava, MyFitnessPal, and Apple Health for an all-in-one fitness experience.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: Synchronization with the comprehensive Garmin Connect app is central to the Forerunner 165 experience, providing detailed analysis of running data, activity metrics, health statistics, and sleep insights. The app allows for setting goals, reviewing training history, and connecting with the Garmin community.
💡 Smart Features
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: Stay connected with smart notifications for calls, texts, emails, and apps. The tracker supports Google Wallet for contactless payments and YouTube Music controls (Android-only).
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: Beyond its running focus, the Forerunner 165 includes essential smart functionalities such as on-wrist notifications for calls, texts, and calendar alerts. It also supports Garmin Pay for contactless payments (on the Music version, if applicable, but the data for 167 is just Forerunner 165, so sticking to basics) and allows for controlling music on a paired smartphone.
💦 Water Resistance
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: With a 5 ATM rating, the Charge 6 is water-resistant up to 50 meters, making it suitable for swimming, showering, and water sports. The tracker automatically records swim workouts, tracking laps, duration, and calories burned.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: With a water resistance rating of 50 meters (5 ATM), the Forerunner 165 is suitable for swimming and showering, making it a durable companion for triathletes and those who incorporate swimming into their fitness routine.
⌚ Display Quality
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: The 1.04-inch AMOLED touchscreen features sharp resolution and high brightness, ensuring clear visibility even in direct sunlight. The haptic side button enhances navigation for quick access to key features.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The Forerunner 165 features a sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) color display, offering good readability in various lighting conditions, especially bright sunlight, which is ideal for outdoor running. The display technology is also power-efficient.
👌 Ease of Use
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: Designed with intuitive touch controls and a responsive side button, the Charge 6 is easy to navigate. The Fitbit app provides clear data visualization, making health and fitness tracking simple and effective.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The device utilizes a five-button interface, which is reliable and easy to operate during runs or workouts. The user interface is designed for straightforward navigation and quick access to running data and essential features.
✨ Design and Comfort
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: The lightweight, slim design ensures comfortable all-day wear. The aluminum case pairs with interchangeable bands available in silicone, leather, and woven fabric, allowing for a customizable look.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The Forerunner 165 features a lightweight and comfortable design with a soft silicone band, making it ideal for extended wear during training sessions and everyday activities, prioritizing a secure and comfortable fit for runners.
🩸 SpO2 Monitoring
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: The SpO2 sensor measures blood oxygen levels during sleep and activity, helping monitor respiratory health and potential sleep disturbances.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: An integrated Pulse Ox sensor allows for monitoring blood oxygen saturation levels during sleep and spot-checks, providing valuable data related to acclimatization and overall physiological well-being, complementing its health tracking suite.
💖 ECG Functionality
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: The Charge 6 includes ECG (Electrocardiogram) monitoring, allowing users to check for signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib) and share reports with healthcare providers.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: It is important to note that the Garmin Forerunner 165 does not support ECG (Electrocardiogram) functionality.
🧘 Stress Tracking
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: The tracker monitors stress levels throughout the day and offers guided breathing exercises to help users relax and manage stress more effectively.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The Forerunner 165 tracks stress levels throughout the day based on heart rate variability and offers guided breathing exercises to help users manage stress and promote overall well-being.
🩹 Recovery Tracking
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: The Daily Readiness Score provides insights into whether the body is ready for intense activity or needs rest, based on sleep, activity levels, and heart rate variability.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: The Body Battery energy monitoring feature provides insights into the body's energy reserves based on activity, stress, and sleep data, helping users understand their physiological readiness for training or the need for rest, contributing to optimized recovery for runners.
💳 Subscription
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: ✅ Basic features are free, while advanced insights like Daily Readiness Score, sleep analytics, and long-term health trends require a Fitbit Premium subscription ($9.99/month or $79.99/year). A 6-month free trial is included with the purchase.
2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: A significant benefit of the Garmin platform is that all core features and data tracked by the Forerunner 165 are accessible through the free Garmin Connect app, requiring no additional subscription fees for essential running metrics, activity tracking, or health insights, providing comprehensive value for an entry-level running watch.
🏷️️ Price
1️⃣ Fitbit Charge 6: $159.95
Check Fitbit Charge 6 Price *2️⃣ Garmin Forerunner 165: $349.00
Check Garmin Forerunner 165 Price ** If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you