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Fitbit ChargevsGarmin Forerunner 570

11d vs 7d
battery life
Garmin Forerunner 570 lasts longer
$429
price gap
Fitbit Charge cheaper
27g
lighter
Fitbit Charge
Fitbit Charge
Buy/Wait:bad

Late in cycle — a new model is likely coming

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Garmin Forerunner 570
Buy/Wait:good

Early in release cycle

Full details →
Fitbit ChargeGarmin Forerunner 570
Pricing
Starting price$120★$549
Subscriptionℹ️ Optional — $79/yrℹ️ Optional — $70/yr
Hardware
Weight15g★42g
Water resistance50m5ATM
Battery7 days11 days★
Always-on display❌❌
GPS✅✅
Cellular❌❌
PlatformiOS & AndroidiOS & Android
TierFitness TrackerSports GPS
Buy timing
ReleasedSep 28, 2023May 15, 2025
Cycle advicebadgood★
Deals advicegreat★neutral
Next modelFitbit Charge 7 (Expected 2026)—

Health Sensors

Fitbit Charge only
2 exclusive sensors
ECGDetects irregular heart rhythms (AFib)
EDA / StressSkin conductance sensor measuring stress responses
Both
4 shared
SpO2Blood oxygen saturation, tracked during sleep
Heart RateContinuous or on-demand pulse tracking
HRVHeart rate variability — stress & recovery scores
Skin TempOvernight changes linked to illness or cycle tracking
Garmin Forerunner 570 only
3 exclusive sensors
Stress TrackingStress estimate from HRV and physiological signals
Body BatteryGarmin's energy reserve — how much fuel left in the tank
Training ReadinessDaily recovery score — how ready you are to perform

Why buy each?

Fitbit Charge

ECG and EDA stress in a slim band

Full ECG, electrodermal activity stress sensing, SpO2, and continuous heart rate in a tracker thinner than most smartwatches.

Google apps integration

Google Maps navigation, Google Wallet NFC payments, and YouTube Music controls — more useful on-device apps than any previous Charge.

7-day battery with GPS

7 days of typical use, dropping to around 30 minutes per GPS workout session before needing a charge.

Garmin Forerunner 570

Multi-band GPS and Elevate Gen 5 sensor

L1+L5 dual-frequency GPS for precise tracking in cities and trails, paired with Garmin's most advanced heart rate sensor — adding skin temperature monitoring over the FR265.

Built-in speaker and microphone

A first for this price tier — take phone calls, use voice assistant, and hear Bluetooth audio directly from your wrist. A meaningful upgrade over the silent FR265.

Garmin Triathlon Coach

AI-powered triathlon training plans that adapt to your swim, bike, and run fitness — a key differentiator over the FR265 for multisport athletes.

Quick Winner

The right pick depends on what you optimize for.

For the budget
Fitbit Charge wins

$357 vs $759 over 3 years · no required subscription.

For battery life
Garmin Forerunner 570 wins

11 days vs 7 days battery.

For health depth
Garmin Forerunner 570 wins

7 sensors.

For daily comfort
Fitbit Charge wins

15g · no required subscription.

Bottom Line

Technical gaps
  1. Charge-only sensors: ECG, EDA / Stress.
  2. Forerunner 570-only sensors: Stress Tracking, Body Battery, Training Readiness.
  3. Weight. Charge is 27g lighter — relevant for all-day comfort and sleep.
Commercial gaps
  1. Hardware cost. Charge is $429 cheaper upfront ($120 vs $549).
Pick the Fitbit Charge if…

Anyone who wants serious health and fitness tracking without the bulk or cost of a full smartwatch. Works with both Android and iPhone, making it the most accessible Fitbit tracker in the lineup.

Full details →
Pick the Garmin Forerunner 570 if…

Regular runners and triathletes who race 5K to marathon distances and want accurate multi-band GPS, detailed training load management, and Triathlon Coach structured plans. The speaker and microphone make it a more capable daily-wear watch than the FR265 it replaces.

Full details →
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