Best screen-free sleep tracking band
Garmin CIRQA Smart Band
Garmin's screen-free band with no required subscription and up to 10 days per charge
$199.99
US price, checked
Fitness band
Google Fitbit Charge 6
$159.95 tracker with GPS, an ECG app and 3 months of Premium included
$159.95US price, checked
Check price at Google for Google Fitbit Charge 6 Our reviews rest on published sources, not hands-on testing. Our method
Porsche also cofounded Superhuman Chambers, which sells hyperbaric chambers · About the author. This is general information, not medical advice, and no clinician has reviewed it.
The verdict
Fitbit Charge 6 is a $159.95 tracker with an AMOLED display, built-in GPS and up to 7 days of battery by Google's rating. It suits you if you want a small band with Google Wallet and Maps. The catch is that Premium costs $9.99 a month after the free months, and returns end after 15 days.
The trade-off
Features such as the Daily Readiness Score need Premium at $9.99 a month after the trial, and the return window is only 15 days.
Model reviewed: Three finishes (Coral/Champagne Gold, Porcelain/Silver, Obsidian/Black aluminum), with small and large Infinity bands in the box
$159.95
Check price at Google US price, checked
No affiliate commission on this link. Check the exact variant before buying.
- Returns 15 days from the day you receive it, for most items bought from the Google Store. See conditions
About this price
The Google Store's US page listed Fitbit Charge 6 at $159.95 on Oct 20, 2026, or $13.33 a month with 12-month financing. The page showed one price, with no sale price. Financing isn't deducted from the price. The price is before tax. The price includes 3 months of Google Health Premium for new members.
$200$400
Related comparisons: Oura Ring 5 vs WHOOP Peak vs Ultrahuman Ring PROWHOOP Peak vs Garmin CIRQA vs Google Fitbit Air
Running costs: WHOOP membership cost and is it worth it? Wearables over 3 years
A GOOD FIT FOR
You want a small color-display tracker with GPS and a compatible ECG app, and you'll try Google's Premium coach free for 3 months.
- You want a small tracker with a color display and built-in GPS for about $160
- You want a compatible ECG app and an EDA Scan app on a band
- You want to pay with Google Wallet, follow Google Maps directions or control YouTube Music from your wrist
- You'd like to try Google's Premium coach free for 3 months
THINK TWICE IF
- You want the Daily Readiness Score or a detailed stress breakdown without paying for Premium, since Google's Charge 6 page lists both as Premium features
- You want a 30-day return window, since Google's help page gives 15 days
- You want a cleared medical device, since Google says SpO2 and skin temperature variation aren't for medical purposes and the ECG clearance doesn't name Charge 6
- You want a replaceable battery, which Google's guide says Charge 6 lacks
- You want a full smartwatch screen and up to 11 days of battery: Garmin Vivoactive 6 is $299.99 with GPS and no required subscription (its Connect+ plan is optional)
What still needs checking
- The Charge 6 warranty length, which Google doesn't publish
- Independent accuracy data for Charge 6 heart rate and sleep staging
- What the comparison behind Google's 'up to 60% more accurate' heart rate claim was
- Who pays return shipping and whether a restocking fee applies
- Charger power draw and battery lifespan
Does the Fitbit Charge 6 need a subscription?
Google lists no required fee for the Charge 6. Some features need Google Health Premium, which costs $9.99 a month after the 3 months that come with it13. The Charge 6 page marks the Daily Readiness Score and a detailed stress score breakdown as available with Premium1.
Premium adds a personal coach built with Gemini, with fitness plans, sleep guidance and nutrition logging from photos3. You must be at least 18 to enroll6.
The included months are for new members, and you must activate them within 60 days of account activation1. Google’s footnote says the offer expires May 26, 2027 and renews at $9.99 a month unless you cancel1. Returning the tracker cancels the included Premium4.
The practical details.
| Exact variant | Three finishes (Coral/Champagne Gold, Porcelain/Silver, Obsidian/Black aluminum), with small and large Infinity bands in the box |
|---|---|
| Battery life | Up to 7 days, according to Google. Google says the figure comes from testing in California in mid-2023 on pre-production hardware at default settings. The always-on display and SpO2 tracking need more frequent charging. A full charge takes about two hours. Google recommends charging every few days. |
| Sensors | Optical heart rate monitor, 3-axis accelerometer, built-in GPS and GLONASS, red and infrared sensors for SpO2, a device temperature sensor (the app shows skin temperature variation only), an ambient light sensor, NFC and electrical sensors for the ECG and EDA Scan apps. |
| Display | AMOLED with a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens. Google lists an always-on display option, which shortens battery life. |
| Health and fitness features | Heart rate, steps, distance, calories and Active Zone Minutes, with more than 40 exercise modes. It has an ECG app that Google says lets you assess your heart rhythm for AFib, plus an EDA Scan stress app. It also has high and low heart rate notifications, Cardio Load and real-time heart rate on compatible gym machines. Google Maps directions, Google Wallet payments and YouTube Music controls are included. |
| Subscription | Google lists no required fee on the Charge 6 page. Google Health Premium is a separate subscription for adults 18 and older. Three months come with a new Charge 6 for new members, then it renews at $9.99 a month unless you cancel. The Charge 6 page marks the Daily Readiness Score and a detailed stress score breakdown as Premium features, and Premium adds a coach built with Gemini. YouTube Music controls need a paid YouTube Music Premium subscription. |
| Water resistance | Water resistant to 50 m. Google rates it 5 ATM under ISO 22810:2010 as manufactured, and its Charge 6 guide also cites IP68. It isn't waterproof, and water resistance fades with wear, repair or damage. |
| Compatibility | iOS 16.4 or later, or Android 11 or later, with a Google Account and the Google Health app. Some features, such as phone notifications, may need Android 11 or later. |
| Data storage | Saves 7 days of detailed motion data and daily totals for the last 30 days. Heart rate is stored every second during exercise tracking and every 5 seconds otherwise. |
| Dimensions | The tracker is 36.73 mm long, 23.09 mm wide and 11.20 mm high (1.45 x 0.91 x 0.44 in). Google lists 30 g without saying whether that includes the band. The small band fits wrists from 5.1 to 6.7 in around, and the large fits 6.7 to 8.3 in. Both come in the box. |
| Materials | The display is AMOLED under Corning Gorilla Glass 3, and the finishes are listed as aluminum. The Infinity band is flexible silicone with a loop and peg closure. Google advises drying the band after it gets wet or sweaty and taking the band off now and then to rest your wrist. |
Before you buy
InstallationNo installation
No installation. You need a smartphone, a Google Account and the Google Health app, on iOS 16.4 or later or Android 11 or later. It syncs over Bluetooth LE at up to 30 ft and needs an internet connection. In the box are the tracker, small and large Infinity bands and a charging cable. Google's Charge 6 guide says the battery isn't replaceable.
WarrantyGoogle doesn't publish a Charge 6 warranty length
Google doesn't publish a Charge 6 warranty length. It points owners to its Hardware Warranty Center, which lists Fitbit hardware bought on or after July 11, 2023. Google's older Fitbit Limited Warranty covers devices bought before that date. It gives one year for new products and excludes cosmetic damage, accidents, normal wear and consumables such as batteries. Google's Charge 6 guide says liquid damage voids the warranty.
Returns15 days from the day you receive it, for most items bought from the Google Store
15 days from the day you receive it, for most items bought from the Google Store. Back up and factory reset the tracker first, then send it back in its original box with all accessories and documentation for a refund. The included Google Health Premium trial is canceled with a return. Google's help page doesn't say who pays return shipping and doesn't mention restocking fees.
More about this assessment
Google Fitbit Charge 6 is a fitness tracker with an AMOLED display and built-in GPS. It costs $159.95 on the Google Store, with 3 months of Google Health Premium included, and Google rates the battery at up to 7 days. After the free months, Premium renews at $9.99 a month, and Google's Charge 6 page lists the Daily Readiness Score as a Premium feature. The page also lists an ECG app that lets you assess your heart rhythm for AFib. FDA cleared the Fitbit ECG App in 2020 for Fitbit wrist wearables without naming Charge 6. Returns are limited to 15 days, and no independent accuracy study of Charge 6 was found.
Strengths on paper
- $159.95 with 3 months of Google Health Premium included
- Built-in GPS and GLONASS, so you can leave your phone at home for runs and rides
- Up to 7 days per charge, with a full charge in about two hours
- Google lists a compatible ECG app. FDA's 2020 clearance covers the Fitbit ECG App on Fitbit wrist wearables and doesn't name the Charge 6
- Works with Android 11 or later and iOS 16.4 or later
- Water resistant to 50 m, with small and large bands in the box
Limitations
- Premium costs $9.99 a month after the free months, and some features sit behind it
- The 15-day return window is half of the 30 days some makers give
- The 7-day battery rating comes from mid-2023 testing on pre-production hardware
- The battery isn't replaceable, and Google doesn't publish a Charge 6 warranty length
- FDA's ECG clearance names Fitbit wrist wearables in general, not Charge 6
- No independent accuracy study of Charge 6 was found
Running costs.
PLAN YOUR OWNERSHIP COSTS
What will it cost to own?
Change the assumptions to fit your use. Leave an unknown cost blank. Add water, subscriptions, cleaning, shipping and taxes if they apply. Use average operating power, not the maximum rating.
3-year known subtotal
$159.95Incomplete: energy use. This is not the full ownership cost.
Energy component: Unknown
Purchase + installation + years × (annual consumables + annual other) + watts/1000 × hours/day × 365 × years × $/kWh. Annualized allowances, not an exact replacement schedule. Excludes taxes, shipping, finance and resale unless entered.Replacement parts & cost assumptions
No scheduled consumable is listed. That doesn’t mean zero maintenance or repair costs.
- Purchase is $159.95, the Google Store's US price on Oct 20, 2026. Google lists no required fee, so the three-year estimate is $159.95 before tax, plus charging energy, which is unknown.
- Other annual costs are $0 because Google doesn't list a required subscription. Google Health Premium is optional and renews at $9.99 a month after the 3 included months. Keeping it for the other 33 months would add $329.67, which isn't counted. Google's pages show no yearly Premium price, but TechCrunch reported $99 a year in May 2026. That would be $297 for the other 33 months if you paid yearly.
- Google lists no refills or replaceable parts, and its guide says the battery isn't replaceable. Extra bands are sold separately and aren't counted. Neither are battery wear or an out-of-warranty repair. Google doesn't state the charger's power draw, so energy is unknown.
Evidence & sources.
How accurate are sleep trackers? Our evidence review grades the research as Moderate. That grade is about the claim, not about this product.
- Manufacturer claimGoogle says battery life depends on features, usage and environment, and its 7-day figure comes from 2023 pre-production testing.15 Price, size, sensor, water-resistance, Premium and return details are Google's own, not independent testing.
- Manufacturer claimGoogle says Charge 6 has its most accurate heart rate on a tracker yet. It claims up to 60% more accurate heart rate tracking during vigorous activities such as HIIT.1 The store page's footnote compares the 'most accurate' claim with other Fitbit fitness trackers as of autumn 2023, not with Pixel or Fitbit smartwatches. It names no comparison device, study or figures behind the 60% claim. Google says SpO2 and skin temperature variation aren't intended for medical purposes.
- Regulator recordFDA cleared the Fitbit ECG App through 510(k) K200948 on Sep 11, 2020. It's Class II over-the-counter software for Fitbit wrist wearables that records a single-channel ECG similar to Lead I and determines whether AFib or sinus rhythm is present. It isn't for people under 22, and FDA doesn't recommend it for people with other known arrhythmias. In FDA's summary, the app detected AFib with 98.7% sensitivity and 100% specificity in 475 people.911 The clearance covers Fitbit wrist wearables and doesn't name Charge 6. Google's Charge 6 page calls the ECG app compatible. FDA says the ECG data is for information only and isn't meant to replace traditional methods of diagnosis or treatment.
- Published studyA 2025 Belgian sleep-lab study compared six wrist wearables with polysomnography over one night. It tested the Fitbit Charge 5, an earlier model, not the Charge 6. The Charge 5 had a Cohen's kappa of 0.41 for sleep stages, which the authors describe as moderate agreement. It identified about 48% of wake epochs. All six devices detected more than 90% of sleep epochs.10 It enrolled 62 adults, and 39 of them wore the Charge 5. The authors report funding from Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship and no financial affiliations.
Sources (12)
- Fitbit Charge 6 Tracker Google Store · manufacturer · checked Oct 20, 2026
- Fitbit Charge 6 tech specs Google Store · manufacturer · checked Oct 20, 2026
- Google Health Premium with Google Health Coach Google Store · manufacturer · checked Oct 20, 2026
- Return your Google Store purchase Google Store Help · manufacturer · checked Oct 20, 2026
- Safety, Warranty & Regulatory Guide for Charge 6 Google · manufacturer · checked Oct 20, 2026
- Sign up or manage your Google Health Premium subscription Google Health Help Center · manufacturer · checked Oct 20, 2026
- Fitbit Limited Warranty Google · manufacturer · checked Oct 20, 2026
- Google Hardware Warranty Center Google · manufacturer · checked Oct 20, 2026
- 510(k) K200948: Fitbit ECG App US Food and Drug Administration · regulator · checked Oct 20, 2026
- A performance validation of six commercial wrist-worn wearable sleep-tracking devices for sleep stage scoring compared to polysomnography SLEEP Advances · study · checked Oct 20, 2026
- FDA 510(k) database search (openFDA): applicant Fitbit US Food and Drug Administration (openFDA) · regulator · data file · checked Oct 20, 2026
- Google's $9.99-per-month AI health coach launches May 19 TechCrunch · news · checked Oct 20, 2026
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About this review. The facts on this page come from manufacturer pages, regulator records, published studies and news reports, checked Oct 20, 2026. The sources are listed above.
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