The last time I wore the Fitbit, I weighed close to 150 kg and walked so little that I had owned the device for nearly a year before I reached the goal of 10,000 steps per day.

Since then, life has undergone earth-shaking changes. I lost 80 kilograms, discovered running, and discovered expensive technology, trying to make me more aware of my health and become a better runner.

However, in those years, Fitbits has also changed. They are "smarter" than before, and the screens are miles ahead of the small window where I had to stare to see the time of day.

The new Fitbit Charge 5 offers more features, including the first color screen in the Charge series and an added ECG monitor.

So can this relatively inexpensive new device replace my current favorite device and gain a permanent position on my wrist?

I have been using Fitbit Charge 5 for about a few weeks now, here are my thoughts.

The two biggest advantages of Charge 5 are the quality of the color screen and excellent battery life.

The screen is bright and clear. Although a bit small, it is easy to read in any light. Some smart watches—especially dedicated motion trackers—do not handle bright sunlight well, and you have to turn on the backlight to find out the time.

In the course of 10 days, I only used the battery once, and I only needed to charge it twice-when it was used up, and on the tenth day it became lower and lower. I was not overly active during that time, but it was an excellent performance anyway.

For context, my Garmin usually needs to be recharged every three days, and if I am particularly active, I need more. Apple Watch is more than just a motion tracker, but they usually need to be charged every day.

I have also found that the important measurements that Fitbit makes when you purchase this type of equipment are accurate.

The heart rate measurement is always a few beats faster than my default device, but considering the accuracy of the device on the wrist compared to other measurement methods, this is not entirely unexpected.

The same is true for calories burned during exercise. There are differences, but they have not yet caused any red flags.

The ECG function has been added to the Charge range for the first time, and it is easy to access. You only need to select this function, touch the metal stripes on the side for 30 seconds, and you will know if there is any abnormality in your heartbeat.

Although Fitbit quickly pointed out that this cannot be used for medical purposes, it is well known that such features on smart watches can help people identify potential problems and seek professional help.

It also requires a large number of other measurements, such as oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels, skin temperature tracking, and heart rate variability.

I tend to use these for comparison purposes only. A single number at any given point is actually not that useful, but if the trend over weeks and months shows an increase or decrease, it may indicate that something has changed and it is worth seeking advice.

One thing I'm very happy about is that there is no skin irritation when wearing this 24/7. I actually had to give up wearing the previous Fitbit due to the inflammation, itching and pain on the skin on the strap, but the comfort problem was zero during the whole process of wearing this new product.

Add contactless payment capabilities, 50m water resistance, easy-to-use apps, and the ability to receive notifications from your phone: all of these, you have a very useful device.

In general, I am very angry with companies that charge to unlock built-in features and only need software to unlock-but I am not angry with Fitbit yet.

My previous Fitbits was on a pre-Premium add-on day, so this is the first time I introduce the subscription model, and it will cost you $16.99 per month or $139.99 per year.

Subscribers can use content that is likely to have added value and has nothing to do with watch functions, such as mindfulness courses, video exercises, and recipes.

However, others, such as daily readiness scores-which measure how well you prepare to exercise, or whether you should prioritize recovery-and advanced sleep indicators should definitely be considered a core part of the experience.

Charging an extra fee for this is not suitable for me, it will definitely make me stop and consider buying one.

Fitbit does try Premium for free with every purchase, in this case six months. This gives people enough time to evaluate whether these features are worth paying for them, and cancel their subscription if they don’t want to pay.

In the long run, I see no value. I use other apps for mindfulness, exercises, and recipes, and I prefer to pay upfront instead of continuing to subscribe; but the simplicity provided here may be enough to justify the premium for some people.

One thing that didn't impress me was the choice of Charge 5 clock face. There are many designs, but I only found one called "retroflip" that I really like. It reminds me of the clock in Aunt Anne's house.

I think I knew at the time that Charge 5 was not suitable for me. The bright color conflicts on many faces make me want to reach for my sunglasses or hide them in my sleeves.

The size of the inner border does not help. The available area of ​​the screen is significantly cropped, especially at the top and bottom.

This does limit the amount of information that can be displayed, and probably explains why the numbers on some clock faces are blurred.

Although the touch screen is responsive, I also desire a button or two to make everything easier to navigate. You are really used to sliding up and down on the screen, but combined with its small form, I have never felt completely natural.

There is also a problem with the dynamic GPS function in the watch. To save battery power, if you carry your phone with you, it will use the phone’s GPS to accurately measure the distance by default. 

For whatever reason, my first exercise with Fitbit exaggerated my efforts by more than 3 kilometers, even though my phone measurements seemed accurate and the distances displayed by my other devices were correct.

In the end, I kept switching to the built-in GPS, which proved to be more accurate.

The few built-in exercises you can store on Fitbit for tracking also didn't impress me. Although you can use the app to add and delete as needed, you can only add 6 at a time.

These days, these restrictions feel a little unnecessary. Surely more can be installed?

I also found that rotating the wrist does not always wake up the Charge 5, so multiple taps are required. In the end I left it on all the time, and the battery was hit.

The last thing I don’t like is the EDA scan, which is a method of measuring electrical skin activity that allows you to understand your stress level.

To do this, you must place your thumb and index finger on the metal edge, just like you would do an electrocardiogram measurement-but this time for three minutes, during which you must remain still.

I just find it awkward to maintain the posture for a long time. In any case, my brain is very good at letting me know when I am stressed, so I don’t believe that reading on a smart device will help me identify or deal with these problems.

If you are new to fitness bracelets and may be looking for something to support your New Year's resolutions to increase your activities, then Fitbit Charge 5 can provide a lot.

It costs about US$300, which is cheaper than many smart watches and fitness trackers, while providing similar features.

The clarity and quality of the screen, especially when compared to the older models I have used, makes it the best Fitbit on the market.

However, this format means that it is not suitable for everyone-including myself.

I prefer my fitness tracker to look more like a watch. It fits my wrist better, and I have become accustomed to the multiple fitness measurements at a glance on Garmin.

The small size of the Charge 5 screen cannot compete with it, and I suspect that professional athletes will want something more professional-especially if you use an external Bluetooth heart rate monitor to get more accurate measurements.

For those who are less serious and prefer something more discreet on their wrists, this is most likely a device that helps you achieve the goals you set for yourself.  

For this evaluation, Newshub is equipped with a Fitbit Charge 5.