Fitbit Charge 6 vs Inspire 3: What’s the difference and which should you buy?

The Fitbit Inspire 3 is a great example of a capable fitness tracker under $100. Now that it’s a few months old, you can find it for even less. But what if you need something more? Perhaps the Fitbit Charge 6 is something you have your eye on. Below, we look at the Fitbit Charge 6 vs Inspire 3.

Fitbit Charge 6 vs Inspire 3: Specs

Fitbit Charge 6 vs Inspire 3: Design

The Inspire 3 borrows its design traits from Fitbit’s fashion-first Luxe tracker, making it one of the more attractive wearables in the company’s lineup. It’s smaller than the Charge 6 and employs a narrower, all-plastic body and a lighter build. Despite its smaller stature, the Inspire 3 was comfortable to wear during our review. The soft-touch bands and minute pill makes the device incredibly comfortable.

The Charge 6 presents elevated aesthetics, with a pill available in multiple colors and finishes, and bands that fit flush to the body. Despite being a new fitness tracker, the Charge 6 looks much like the Charge 5. However, one big change is the return of the physical button, which makes controlling the tracker much easier. It also includes an aluminum bezel, which shrouds the screen and introduces a pleasant contrast between the display and the band.

Although the Inspire 3 wears the larger display (1.4 inches vs 1.04 inches), the Charge 6 has a denser, brighter, and wider screen. It also makes much better use of it, with many attractive clock faces.

Fitbit Charge 6 vs Inspire 3: Features

This may be an unfair fight. The Inspire 3 and Charge 6 don’t play in the same fitness tracker segment, so their feature sets reflect their pricing disparity.

The Inspire 3 is a much simpler tracker covering the basics and a hint more. You’ll find most of the usual fitness tracker features, including heart rate tracking, distance and step tracking, SpO2 monitoring, Fitbit’s Active Zone Minutes metric, and sleep monitoring. All of these provide reliable and detailed data, especially the latter. We were impressed that the Inspire 3 could keep up with even the most erratic sleeping schedules prompted by travel.

The Inspire 3 trumps the Charge 6 in one important arena: longevity.

Beyond fitness, the Inspire 3 brings some welcome smart features, but the list is not extensive. Notifications support and a Find My Phone app cover the basics, but you miss out on music controls, the ability to reply to texts to take calls, and any of the Google goodness coming to new Fitbit devices. We’ll talk about these in a few paragraphs’ time.

It’s worth noting that the Inspire 3 trumps the Charge 6 in one important arena: longevity. The cheaper tracker has a battery life of up to 10 days, which we got surprisingly close to. Granted, that drops to three days when the always-on mode is active, but the Inspire 3 will likely go for longer periods without recharging.

As the first Fitbit fitness tracker under Google, the Charge 6 includes some core Google features. You’ll find YouTube Music controls, Google Maps support with turn-by-turn navigation, and Google Wallet for mobile payments. You’ll also need a Google account to set up the device — something all-new Fitbit buyers will be required to do eventually.

The Charge 6 also boasts a more mature health tracking kit. Google promises heart rate tracking improvements thanks to learnings from the Pixel Watch, and this accuracy improvement, at least over the Charge 5, is something we discovered during our review. The device also tracks SpO2 levels while you sleep and sleep data, boasts an ECG and EDA stress sensor, and a built-in GPS. The latter is important for runners who do not want to lug their phones around to track their routes. If you opt for the Inspire 3, you must do just that.

Automatic activity recognition is also part of the Charge 6’s kit, making it easier for users to start training and have the tracker pick the appropriate workout. If you want to choose your workout manually, 40 exercises are available, including surfing, CrossFit, and HIIT. Unlike the Inspire 3 or other Fitbit devices, the Charge 6 can broadcast heart rate data to supported public gym equipment. That’s a nice little feature for those who train on supported treadmills or Pelaton machinery.

Fitbit Charge 6 vs Inspire 3: Price and colors

The Fitbit Charge 6 launched on September 28, 2023, with global sales kicking off on October 12, 2023. The device is priced at $159.95 and is available in three colors: Coral, black, and Porcelain bands, with black, silver, and Champagne bodies.

As mentioned, the Inspire 3 isn’t playing in the same space as the Charge 6. It’s a budget fitness tracker, and its $99 list price represents this. It debuted on April 13, 2023, alongside the premium Sense 2 and Versa 4. Colors on offer include Morning Glow, Lilac Bliss, and Midnight Zen, with additional Chili Pepper and Deep Dive translucent bands. There are also two stainless steel mesh bands in platinum and soft gold.

Fitbit Charge 6 vs Inspire 3: Which should you buy?

Let’s start with this: those serious about monitoring their health and fitness should opt for a smartwatch. They’ve become immensely useful devices with specific sensors and excellent analysis tools. Generally, those buying a fitness tracker are just beginning their fitness journey or operating on a limited budget.

With this in mind, the Fitbit Charge 6 does look like a steep investment. Although it’s launching at $20 cheaper than the Charge 5 it replaces, the Charge 6 remains expensive, especially as its price encroaches on cheaper and older smartwatch models. We’d still recommend it as the best fitness tracker in Fitbit’s lineup, but only if you want a device in this format.

As for the Inspire 3, it’s arguably the best budget fitness tracker you can buy. It’s attractive, slim, and capable. While it does lack many features you’ll find on the Charge 6, it is substantially cheaper. In reality, this is the better buy if you’re seeking a tracker that covers the basics and looks good doing it.

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