Is your old fitness tracker good enough? I tested a 5-year-old Fitbit vs Apple Watch Series 11 on a 5,500-step walk to find out

(Image credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide)

The Fitbit Charge 5 debuted in 2021 around the same time as the Apple Watch Series 7, and even though it was replaced by the Fitbit Charge 6 in 2023, you can still find the Charge 5 on sale in 2026 for around $100 new or ~$40 if you go the used/refurb route.But can a 2021 wearable, like the Fitbit Charge 5, actually keep up with today’s best smartwatches, like the Apple Watch Series 11, when it comes to fitness tracking accuracy? I just had to find out.While the Apple Watch Series 11 starts at roughly four times the cost of the Fitbit Charge 5 in today’s market, the two actually have a lot in common. Both sport AMOLED touchscreens — though the one on the Charge 5 is comically small — onboard GPS, heart rate monitors, blood oxygen sensors, and ECG capabilities.More importantly, in terms of tracking an outdoor workout, you get nearly identical post-exercise stats, with insights into your distance, pace, climb, calories burned, heart rate max/average, and HR zones.So, how did 2021’s Fitbit Charge 5 perform versus the 2026 flagship Apple Watch model? You can find the full results of my comparison below, followed by the five biggest takeaways from the test.Old Fitbit vs new Apple Watch: Walk test results