Fitbit Inspire 2 vs Inspire HR vs Charge 4: What's the difference?

 


(Pocket-lint) - There was a time when Fitbit had nine activity trackers in its portfolio, but when it launched the Inspire family in 2019, the company discontinued the Flex, Alta and Zip lines.

The Charge 4 sits at the top of the trackers, following the older Inspire and Inspire HR with the Inspire 2 below.

Here's how the trackers compare if you're curious if the Fitbit Charge 4 or the Inspire 2 is right for you, or whether to upgrade from Inspire or Inspire HR.

Fitbit Inspire 2 vs Charge 4: Price

  • Inspire:£69.99 / $79.95 / €79.95
  • Inspire HR: £89.99 / $99.95 / €99.95
  • Inspire 2: £89.99 / $99.95 / €99.95
  • Charge 4: £129.99 / $139.95 / €139.95
The Fitbit Inspire 2 typically costs £ 89.99 in the UK and $ 99.95 in the US, which is the same as when it was first released for the Fitbit Inspire HR. The basic heart rate-less Inspire model usually costs £ 69.99 in the UK and $ 79.95 in the US.

The Fitbit Charge 4 normally starts in the UK from £ 129.99 or in the US from $ 139.95, with versions in the Limited Edition going up to £ 149.99 in the UK and $ 159.95 in the US. For all models, accessories are available.

However, at the moment there are some Black Friday deals on, which you can find in our Fitbit deals feature.

Design

  • Inspire 2/Inspire HR/Inspire: Waterproof, slim, plastic body, touchscreen display
  • Charge 3/Charge 4: Waterproof, premium in design, large touchscreen display
  • All models have interchangeable straps
Both of the Inspire 2, Inspire HR and Inspire have a similar style, smaller than the Charge 3 and Charge 4. They all all opt for a plastic body over stainless steel, making the Inspire 2 a little softer and rounder than the Inspire and Inspire HR overall for light, compact and discreet devices.

As standard, the Inspire 2, Inspire HR and Inspire have a smooth silicone strap that is interchangeable and clamped with a buckle.

On top of all the Inspire devices, an OLED touchscreen monitor is present and there is also a single button on the left to switch to the main menu and easily access settings. This button on the Inspire and Inspire HR is physical and on the Inspire 2 it is inductive.

Under the Inspire HR and Inspire 2, a heart rate monitor and charging pins sit with just the charging pins on the Inspire, and all Inspire models are up to 50 meters water resistant.

The Fitbit Charge 3 and Charge 4 are slightly larger than the Inspire devices, making them more noticeable when worn, but thanks to their aluminium bodies, the Charge 3 and 4 have a more luxurious finish. They also have a slimmer profile than any of the models from Inspire.

As standard for Charge 3 and Charge 4, a textured elastomer band is present and has larger OLED touchscreen displays than the Corning Gorilla Glass covered Inspire models. On the left of their show, they often have an inductive button such as the Inspire 2, rather than a physical button such as the Inspire and Inspire HR.

Interchangeable straps are present again and the heart rate sensor of the PurePulse sits on the underside of the case in the same place, but the Charge 3 and Charge 4 also add a SpO2 monitor. They are also water-resistant to 50 metres, like the Inspire ones.

Features

  • Inspire: Steps, distance, calories, active minutes, basic sleep
  • Inspire HR: Steps, distance, calories, HR, active minutes, advanced sleep, VO2 Max, Connected GPS, swim tracking
  • Inspire 2: Steps, distance, calories, HR, active minutes, advanced sleep, VO2 Max, Connected GPS, swim tracking, Active Zone Minutes
  • Charge 3: Steps, distance, calories, HR, elevation, active minutes, advanced sleep, VO2 Max, Connected GPS, swim tracking, NFC
  • Charge 4: Steps, distance, calories, HR, elevation, active minutes, advanced sleep, VO2 Max, Built-in GPS, swim tracking, Active Zone Minutes, NFC
All measured steps taken, distance travelled, calories burned, active minutes and continuous heart rate are measured by the Fitbit Inspire models and the Fitbit Charge 3 and Charge 4, although the latter is not present on the regular Inspire, only on Inspire HR and Inspire 2. However, all versions are also on board, along with mobile alerts, automated sleep monitoring, silent alarms, Reminders to Travel and hourly movement.

All models also offer advanced sleep stages and Sleep Score, with the exception of the regular Inspire, while the Charge 4 also offers Smart Wake, which uses machine learning to wake you up at an appropriate time.

All models now have SmartTrack from Fitbit, which is a feature that allows trackers to identify and monitor those behaviors in the Fitbit app's exercise section so that users can categorize them and see a more comprehensive account of what they have done.

The standard features of the Inspire end there, while the Inspire 2, Inspire HR, Charge 3 and Charge 4 add a few more, apart from their size and appearance, marking the largest variations between these trackers.

Driven Breathing, Cardio Fitness Level (VO2 Max measurement), Fitbit Multi-Sport Mode, Goal-Based Exercise and swim monitoring are also available for the Inspire 2, Inspire HR, Charge 3 and Charge 4. The Inspire norm is waterproof but does not provide monitoring for swimming.

On the Inspire 2, Charge 3 and Charge 4, mobile alerts are even more advanced compared to the Inspire and Inspire HR, with the newer devices giving Android users Instant Answers and the ability to answer and reject calls.

The Charge 3 and Charge 4 displays will also show all the metrics on the monitor found in the app, including hydration and female health monitoring, while some, but not all, are provided by the Inspire models.

The Charge 3 and Charge 4 assess elevation as well. None of the Inspire models have an altimeter, so they are not going to calculate climbing floors. The Inspire 2, Inspire HR and Charge 3 have Linked GPS in terms of GPS, meaning they can use your phone to record a map of your running or walking path, while the Charge 4 has built-in GPS and Spotify control support, making the biggest distinction between it and the other Fitbit trackers that are compared here.

Charge 4 and Inspire 2 also have an Active Zone Minutes feature that uses your customized heart rate zones to monitor your effort for any energizing exercise, enabling you to gain credit for each minute of moderate activity in the fat burning zone for the recommended 150-minute weekly target and double the credit for intense activity in cardio and peak zones.

Last but not least on the front feature, the Charge 3's two Special Edition models not only offer different strap options, they also feature an NFC chip, meaning that both of these models are Fitbit Pay allowed, which is the regular Charge 4. None of the models from Inspire have NFC.

The Inspire 2 claims to have a battery life of 10 days. The Charge 3 and Charge 4 say that they have a battery life of 7 days. The HR models Encourage and Inspire claim to deliver a battery life of 5 days.

Fitbit Inspire 2 vs Inspire HR vs Charge 4: Conclusion

In their nature, the Inspire models aren't as premium as the Charge models, but they are quite a bit cheaper. The older Inspire standard model does the basics, but with all the additional features you get, the extra money for the Inspire 2 is definitely worth it - heart rate, VO2 Max, linked GPS, swim tracking, double the battery life and a more sophisticated interface, to name but a few.

The Charge 4 on this list is the most feature-rich system and its built-in GPS will make it the obvious winner for others. The Charge 3 provides only a few extras with some additional features for mobile updates, more on-screen data, elevation data and NFC over the Inspire 2 (standard in Charge 4, Charge 3 option), but it also has a more premium design.

The option is likely to come down to your budget and which characteristics are very important to you. The Inspire 2, unless you can find the Inspire HR much cheaper, is the one we would prefer over the regular Inspire and the Inspire HR. It's double battery life also makes it a successful upgrading candidate.

After a slightly larger unit and a more premium look with all the features of the Inspire 2 (except for the few extra days of battery life), the Charge 4 is the model we will suggest for those with a few extras, including built-in GPS and Fitbit Pay as usual. However, if you are not concerned about built-in GPS, the Charge 3 is worth considering and you will find it quite a bit cheaper than the Charge 4.

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