Fitbit Luxe v Fitbit Charge 4: we reveal the key differences

Update: The Fitbit Charge 5 is now official – read our full guide and our Fitbit Luxe vs Fitbit Charge 5 guide for the latest comparisons.

The Fitbit Luxe is the newest member of the Fitbit fitness tracker fraternity, sitting above the Fitbit Inspire 2 and nestled alongside the powerful Charge 4.

It arrives at the same price as Fitbit's flagship tracker and offers a lot of the same features. But in terms of design, the two are very different.

We've spent plenty of time with the Charge 4 and now know a lot more about what to expect from the Luxe. So how do the two fitness trackers compare?

We take a look at the specs sheets to let you know how the Fitbit Luxe compares to the Fitbit Charge 4.

• Fitbit Luxe review
• Fitbit Charge 4 review

Fitbit Luxe v Fitbit Charge 4: Price

So let's talk numbers. How much is the Fitbit Luxe and Charge 4 going to cost you?

The Luxe is priced in at with a special edition Luxe available for .

The Charge 4 is priced at with a special edition available at .

So the two trackers are pretty much identical in price barring that Luxe special edition. On that basis, you'd expect the feature sets to be similar. Here's what you can expect.

• Fitbit Luxe vs Fitbit Charge 5

Fitbit Luxe v Fitbit Charge 4: Design

While we haven't had our hands on the Luxe yet, it's clear that the design language is a little different to what we've seen on the Charge 4. It's definitely a bit of a throwback to the sleek Alta HR.

On the Luxe, you're getting something that measures in 36.30mm x 17.62mm x 10.05mm compared to the Charge 4, which measures in at 35.8mm x 22.7mm x 12.5mm. The Charge 4 is a little bigger in places, with the Luxe the slimmer of the two devices.

The Luxe's housing is made from stainless steel partnered up with a silicone strap, while the Charge 4 offers a plastic resin case and a sports watch-style band. Both offer the same 5ATM water resistance rating up to 50 metres.

The Charge 4 comes in four different colors and a special edition, which uses a nylon band.

The Luxe also comes in four looks and a special edition that wraps the tracker in soft gold stainless steel and a link bracelet.

Fitbit describes the Luxe as "jewelry like" and while the Charge 4 certainly has a more sporty feel to it, you can dress it up with smarter looking accessory bands too.

A big differentiator between the two are the screens. The Charge 4 uses a 1-inch greyscale OLED touchscreen display while the Luxe uses a smaller 0.76-inch, 124x206 resolution AMOLED touchscreen display.

It's the first time Fitbit has put a color touchscreen display on one of its fitness trackers, so it's a pretty big deal, even if its competitors have been putting color screens on their trackers for a while now.

If you want a sleek, stylish feel and a color display, the Luxe is the one you want. It's far more elegant, and let's be real, focused on women.

The Charge 4 has a more sports-focused look, and it's undoubtedly male orientated. The larger case will naturally suit bigger wrists, and on slim arms it can look a little bulky.

It can be given a more formal look, if you're willing to invest in the special edition or some additional bands.

Fitbit Luxe v Fitbit Charge 4: Fitness and sports tracking features

Tracking is what Fitbit does best, and the experience is pretty consistent across its devices.

Both have 3-axis accelerometer to track steps, activity and detect sleep.

They both have optical heart rate monitors for 24/7 heart rate monitoring and for measuring effort levels during exercise. You're also getting red and infrared sensors to deliver SpO2 monitoring support during sleep, but there's only an altimeter to measure elevation on the Charge 4.

And both devices use s a temperature sensor to measure skin temperature during sleep, which adds another data point to the Health Metrics screen.

However, the Charge 4 has some additional sensors at its disposal that mean it can offer a little more than the new Luxe. It offers built-in GPS to track outdoor activities more accurately.

The Luxe offers connected GPS support, which means you'll need you phone to match that tracking accuracy outside.

Wareable

You're getting the same daily activity tracking support, Active Zone minutes, inactivity alerts and automatic sleep monitoring. That sleep monitoring on the Charge 4 though offers richer insights thanks to that skin temperature sensor.

When you switch to sports tracking, you're getting 20 exercise modes with automatic exercise recognition support for core activities like running, walking and swimming. There is pool swim tracking present on the Luxe and the Charge 4, though it's a little more basic than what you'll get on Fitbit's smartwatches.

One feature that seems to be missing on the Luxe that is present on the Charge 4 is workout intensity maps, letting you see where you worked hardest on your runs and rides.

As activity trackers, they're evenly matched. The built-in GPS on Fitbit's flagship tracker gives it an upper hand for runs and cycles – although this will have limited and specific appeal for runners.

Fitbit Luxe v Fitbit Charge 4: Wellness features

Fitbit is starting to talk a lot more about wellness and bringing stress, relaxation and mindfulness more into the conversation for its trackers. Particularly with the new Luxe.On the Luxe band itself, you're getting the guided breathing features we've seen crop on other Fitbit devices to spend a few minutes getting yourself back to a calmer state.

More of these mindful features are held within the Fitbit app, where you can tap into new features like mindful minutes to spare a few minutes for some self-care time. It's also using the onboard heart rate monitor and heart rate variability measurements to generate stress scores based on physical stresses on the body. These wellness features feel at the heart of what the Luxe is really about, but are features most Fitbit users can access to.

The Charge 4 in comparison is able to offer insights into your general wellness by additionally measuring breathing rate during sleep thanks to the onboard SpO2 sensor letting you see trends over weeks and months. All the same features that lie inside of Fitbit's companion app and Fitbit Premium service are at your disposal here too if you want to pay for access to those wellness features extras.

Fitbit Luxe v Fitbit Charge 4: Smartwatch features

Wareable

While they take the form of fitness bands, Fitbit does seek to offer smartwatch-style features in all of its wearables and that doesn't change with the Luxe or the Charge 4.

With the Luxe, you're getting the ability to view first and third party notifications, set up do not disturb and sleep modes to switch off those notifications along. There's also silent alarms and the ability to set up timers and use it in a stopwatch mode.

The Charge 4 has a little more in its locker offering all of those same features as well as Fitbit Pay support, the ability to check weather reports and dedicated music controls for Spotify music streaming.

So if you want a little more in the smartwatch department, the Charge 4 is the one to go for. You shouldn't discount that the color display on the Luxe might make it a nicer place to view notifications though.

Fitbit Luxe v Fitbit Charge 4: Battery life

Fitbit's fitness trackers have generally been designed to give you at least 5 days of time in between charges. On its Inspire 2 tracker, we got the biggest battery life with the promise of up to 10 days.

For its pricier trackers, it's still about trying to offer you close to a week's worth of battery life. The Luxe promises up to 5 days of battery life while the Charge 4 pushes that up to 7 days. It also offers 5 hours of GPS battery life when you want to more accurately track your outdoor activities.

Luxe vs Charge 4: which is right for you?

When looking at this two Fitbit fitness trackers, it's clear that they're going to appeal to very different users and those who value some features over others from this type of wearable.

The Luxe feels like the more stylish, blend into your look option that offers the best of Fitbit's fitness tracking features and now adds a desirable color display.

The Charge 4 has the sports tracking edge with built-in GPS a lighter design and can manage a couple more days in battery life. It also offers a few extras in the smartwatch department.

If you want something that acts more like a sports watch and fitness tracker mash-up, then the Charge 4 seems like the one you should be looking at.