Should you buy the Fitbit Charge 6 or Fitbit Inspire 3 this Black Friday?

Black Friday Fitbit deal — (Image credit: Future)

When Black Friday rolls around and deals start to drop left, right, and center, it can be tricky to determine which deal you should shop for, and which you should skip. Luckily, the Tom’s Guide team is here to help — we know a thing or two about testing the best products on the market, and helping you work out which is the best deal for you.

If you’ve been waiting for the Black Friday sales to upgrade your fitness tracker, you might be looking at the best Fitbits on sale right now. The newly-released Fitbit Charge 6 and the Fitbit Inspire 3 are both on sale on Amazon and Best Buy right now, but which is best for you? Read on to find out more.

Should you buy the Fitbit Charge 6 or Fitbit Inspire 3 this Black Friday?

So, which should you buy? There are a few key differences between the two fitness trackers — for example, the more expensive Fitbit Charge 6 has built-in GPS, which means it doesn’t rely on the GPS from your phone to accurately calculate your distance traveled on bike rides, walks, and runs outside. The Fitbit Inspire 3 doesn’t have built-in GPS, so if you’re serious about your training, spend $30 more and buy the Charge 6 this Black Friday.

Next up, the screen. Both trackers have wonderfully bright, AMOLED screens, allowing you to easily view your data on the go. The screen on the Fitbit Charge 6, for one, is a lot bigger than that on the Inspire 3 — 0.86 X 0.58 inches on the Fitbit Charge 6, and 0.7 x 0.5 inches on the Fitbit Inspire 3. This does make it easier to read your notifications (when set up to mirror from your smartphone) and your stats during a workout using the Charge 6.

Finally, when it comes to smartwatch apps, the Charge 6 is leaps ahead of the Inspire 3. The Charge 6 is the first fitness tracker to integrate with Google’s apps, but it means you’ll be able to pay for things from your wrist using Google Wallet, listen to music on the Google-owned YouTube Music, and use Google Maps from your wrist. From a fitness perspective, both watches track your workouts, but you’ll also be able to use your Fitbit Charge 6 to pair with NordicTrack, Peloton, and Tonal equipment, with more partners coming in the future. According to Fitbit the heart rate monitor is also 60% more accurate on the Charge 6.

Verdict

If I was shopping for a Fitbit this Black Friday, I’d spend $30 and buy the Fitbit Charge 6 — you’re getting a lot more for your money, and it’s a great price right now in the sales. If you’re serious about tracking your workouts, it’s worth it for the built-in GPS, plus it has more features when you’re not working out.

Still not sure? Check out our Fitbit Charge 6 review as well as our Fitbit Inspire 3 review. I’ve also put together a longer comparison of the two fitness trackers in my Fitbit Charge 6 vs Fitbit Inspire 3 face-off here. Keep an eye on Tom’s Guide over the next week, as we’ll be bringing you all of the Black Friday deals.

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Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness editor, which means she looks after everything fitness related - from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past five years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. When she's not pounding the pavements, you'll find Jane striding round the Surrey Hills, taking far too many photos of her puppy.