Design & Build
Study a side-by-side of these two trackers (like the image above) and you should be able to tell which is the more-capable tracker with just a glance. The Inspire HR‘s skinny proportions mean it’s less intrusive on the wrist than the Charge 4 but also loses out on some of the more impressive features, as well as the more premium fit and finish.
That said, the Inspire’s body is still water-resistant up to 50m and supports its own line of interchangeable bands, just like the latest Charge. The Charge’s added bulk does allow for greater battery longevity (up to seven days compared to five on the Inspire), not to mention the inclusion of its headline hardware upgrade (over the Charge 3) – integrated GPS.
Features
The Inspire HR features all the basics: steps, calories burned, active minutes, distance travelled, heart rate, advanced Sleep Stages measurement, swim tracking, guided relaxation breathing, the ability to auto-detect workouts with reasonable accuracy, and notifications.
While it lacks the Charge 4’s built-in GPS, it can connect to your phone’s GPS – just as you can rely on your phone for Spotify and the like when bringing it with you on a workout.
Speaking of Spotify, the Inspire HR also misses out on integrated Spotify controls, along with support for the new Active Zone Minutes metric (which you can read more about in our Charge 4 review) and the option of contactless payments via Fitbit Pay. Even so, these omissions shouldn’t deter the average fitness tracker-wearer.
Price & Value
The Charge 4 undoubtedly offers more, but consider whether these neat features warrant the extra cost, even if the Charge also happens to be the better looker in this instance too.
At £89/US$89/€89, the Inspire HR is nearly a third cheaper than the Charge 4 (starting at £129.99/US$149.95/€149.95). If you’re still on the fence between these two, however, you can always check out our best Fitbit deals for even better value for money.