Fitbit announces Charge 5 advanced fitness tracker and Daily Readiness Score

In 2020, Fitbit released the Fitbit Sense with the world's first electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor on a smartwatch. The new Fitbit Charge 5 is Fitbit's first tracker to include this EDA sensor to help measure your body's response to stress.

Wearables collect an amazing amount of data and while the trends and results are interesting to view, it's not always clear what to do with the data or how to modify our behaviors to improve our overall health and wellness. Soon Fitbit Premium members with a Fitbit Sense, Versa 3, Versa 2, Charge 5, Luxe, or Inspire 2 will have access to Daily Readiness. This score will help guide you on whether or not your body is ready for a workout and how much activity is recommended.

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Fitbit Charge 5

It's interesting to hear that 70% of Fitbit Sense users reduced their heart rate during a two-minute EDA Scan session. This is clear evidence that the Fitbit tools can help reduce stress and through regular sessions people should develop habits that assist in stress reduction. The world has been experiencing an advanced level of stress with the COVID-19 pandemic so tools like the EDA sensor are valuable to help us achieve a healthy lifestyle.

The Fitbit Charge 4 launched with GPS and this capability continues with the Charge 5. Other functions found in the Fitbit Sense, including SpO2 levels, skin temperature, ECG, Active Zone Minutes, and more are also present in the Charge 5. It seems to be a Fitbit Sense in the smaller band form factor with a lovely OLED color display.

A seven-day battery life is advertised so you should be able to use it and charge it up once a week. Using the GPS receiver for long workouts will impact it with Fitbit stating five hours of continuous GPS tracking is supported. The color display also has the option of always-on mode, but this too will impact the battery life.

The new Fitbit Charge 5 is available for pre-order for $179.95, which includes a six-month Fitbit Premium membership (a $ value itself). It will be available in Steel Blue/Platinum, Black/Graphite, and Lunar White/Gold. Several bands options are available, ranging in price from $29.95 to $49.95, from sport to leather options. US availability is scheduled for late September.

Also: Fitbit Sense review: Advanced health and wellness tracking, GPS, and coaching

Daily Readiness Score

Fitbit Premium ($9.99/month or $79.99/year) is an affordable service that takes your Fitbit experience to the next level and helps you fully understand all of the data that is collected by your Fitbit while also offering guided programs, workouts, and advanced stress management tools. It is especially useful for Charge 5 and Fitbit Sense users.

The Daily Readiness Score will use data, including your activity, heart rate variability, and sleep, to develop a score. The score, similar to a sleep stage score approach, will recommend if you should workout or prioritize recovery. This is useful since just collecting all of this data isn't that helpful unless you are informed on the details of fitness and wellness. It's also helpful that the suggestions include workouts to optimize your wellness.

Also: Fitbit Charge 4 review: GPS, Fitbit Pay, and Active Zone Minutes make this Fitbit's best band ever

While I enjoy regular running, when I have a poor night's sleep or stressful day then I can tell my workouts are less productive. Having recommendations based on my actual physical condition should help me make much better choices when it comes to fitness and training. It's great to see Fitbit collecting all of your daily activity, including playing with your pets or kids, walking around the shopping mall, and other non-workout events, that are accounted for in the Daily Readiness calculations.

Fitbit is adding 25 new high-energy workouts from LES MILLS. It also has more than 200 audio and video workouts that you can plan on your phone or stream to your TV. A partnership with Calm is also going to be included with Fitbit Premium with access to 30 pieces of Calm content to help support the wellness and mental health aspects of Fitbit Premium.