A fitness tracker can provide just the motivation you need to up your workout game and commit to a new goal. Of course, there are dozens of options to choose from, so we enlisted a team of BestProducts.com editors to test the most popular fitness trackers on the market to find the very best for every price point and need.
Whether you’re an advanced marathon runner or you want to track your after-dinner walks, one of these wearables can help you hone in on the data you’re looking for. In addition to tracking your steps and heart rate, many of these devices provide helpful insights into larger trends and themes in your health practices that can make a real difference over time.
Fitness trackers can be expensive, so you’ll want to take these few things into consideration before purchase:
Features: First, what features are relevant for you? If you’re looking for the bare minimum, such as step counting and heart rate monitoring, you can probably go with a less expensive option. On the other hand, if you’re an athlete and want insights into your training and running routes, you’ll want a tracker that can synthesize your health metrics into actionable data. These devices, such as the WHOOP and Garmin, provide overall health scores that indicate your readiness to train hard. They’ll also let you know when it’s time for a break.
GPS: Another consideration is how important GPS is to you. If you’re an avid runner, cyclist, or hiker, you may want a tracker that knows where you are and where you’ve been. These devices will sync with your smartphone and show your route, pace, altitude gain, cadence, and more. All of these details can be helpful to anyone putting together a training schedule for a goal race, or who wants to track progress over time.
How We Tested
To determine the best of the best fitness trackers and to cut through the noise out there, we spent over 30 hours researching 25 different models. We also compared them and read dozens of reviews from other publications, personal trainers, and runners to narrow our list down to 10 total fitness trackers to bring in for testing. Our editors tested these 10 different fitness tracker models, and we asked each tester for their feedback on all aspects of the product, including comfort, design, accuracy, and overall ease of use. In some cases, an older version of the product was tested. We’ve since updated the list to include the brand’s newest and most up-to-date models.
Our editors wore the trackers on walks to and from work, at the gym, during yoga classes, on indoor and outdoor runs, on the elliptical, and even in the pool. For each of the below picks, our editors provided feedback on what they liked or disliked about the fitness tracker. We paid specific attention to useful features such as battery life, fitness tracking abilities, and overall user experience.
Get in your best shape ever with help from one of the best fitness trackers that will take your fitness goals to the next level.
Despite the long list of fitness trackers from Fitbit, the Charge 5 is our top pick for comfort, usability, and design. Beyond counting steps and tracking your heart rate, this slim wrist strap offers some very helpful insight into your health.
It provides a Daily Readiness Score that indicates how prepared you are to take on a challenge or whether you need a rest day to recover. It also tracks SpO2, heart rate variability (HRV), and body temperature fluctuations. For activities, the tracker has a built-in GPS to track your running or cycling route.
When you’re done, you can check a map of your route and review your pace and distance on the Fitbit smartphone app. During our tests, we loved that the device would automatically track an activity. It knew when our tester was swimming laps in the morning, or when I was on a jog in the evening.
There’s not much this minimalist wearable doesn’t do when it comes to health metrics, which is why it’s my personal favorite fitness tracker. Wear the tracker attached to a comfortable, breathable, and flexible nylon band 24/7.
It detects activities, sleep, heart rate, skin temperature, and much more. The device then compiles all of this data into actionable insights that can help inform your training and help you optimize feeling your best every day, whether you’re an endurance athlete or just want to crush it at work.
And if you don’t feel like wearing the wrist strap, WHOOP also makes comfortable and functional workout gear, including a sports bra and workout shorts, for seamless tracking during any activity.
As a marathon runner, I love that the WHOOP keeps me in tune with my body to avoid overtraining and to be able to capitalize on peak recovery days.
We expect no less than brilliant from long-time wearable maker Garmin, and this stylish fitness tracker fits right into its line of products.
Despite looking like a regular wristwatch, with its round face and fashionable band, this watch is jam-packed with features. It tracks menstrual cycles, sleep, stress, and even hydration.
Plus, the watch doubles as a coach, offering pre-loaded workouts right on the watch face, including yoga, running, and swimming. You can even bring along music without your phone – simply store it in your wearable, plug in your headphones, and tune in on the go.
Erica Murphy, BestProducts.com's director of SEO and content — and our resident New York City Marathon runner — said she really liked the overall design of the Garmin because it looks like a regular watch and didn't feel too bulky on her smaller-sized wrist.
This sleek black wristband tracks over 30 different activities and your sleep. Every morning, the device offers a Sleep Score based on your sleep cycles during the previous night.
The best part is that you hardly have to think about this lightweight wearable. It has a whopping 20-day battery life and is water-resistant up to 50 meters, so you can easily wear it in the shower and swimming laps.
Our tester found that the watch offered a great fit on her tiny wrists, though she found the display difficult to read. We compared the Pulse HR alongside other fitness trackers and this one looked noticeably more pixelated, with smaller text that appeared blurrier.
This smart fitness tracker will help you reach your fitness goals. Program things like distance, calories burned, and steps, and watch as they stack up.
The watch is comfortable enough to wear all the time for maximum data insight, including during sleep to see your daily Sleep Score. It’s water-resistant up to 50 meters and displays useful metrics like your heart rate and activity zones on the watch face.
All of your data stays stored in the corresponding smartphone app, where you can also challenge other Fitbit wearers to activity challenges and join groups for added motivation and accountability.
During tests, compared to the Garmin vívosmart 4, this fitness tracker detected our activities better and its touchscreen was superior.
This fun and colorful fitness tracker designed for kids will help get little ones motivated to move. It has a pared-down design and even has its own kid-friendly smartphone app that takes users on an active tour of the world.
It’s durable for all kinds of play, including swimming, and doesn’t even need charging. The internal battery lasts up to one year and is easily replaced.
Parents can even use this watch to give kids assignments around the house or send them positive reinforcement via rewards for good behavior.
Plus, you can keep an eye on how active your little one is, including checking in on helpful metrics like overall daily activity, total steps, and hours of sleep.
Tester noted that heart rate data is less accurate than other options
Key Specs
Weight: 24 grams
GPS: No
Color Options: Three
Skip the complicated features and fussy add-ons. This straightforward fitness tracker does the bare minimum with style. It hardly ever needs to be charged (only twice a month) and has a clear, well-lit screen to provide instant insight into your day’s activity.
In addition to 24/7 heart rate monitoring, the wearable also takes blood oxygen saturation readings, and monitors your stress levels and sleep health to provide a single score of your current physical health. This is a great way to get high-level insight into what’s going on in your body without complicating things.
These goggles tell you everything you need to know mid-lap, no need to check your smartwatch or count in your head. They have a small internal device that projects your total laps, current interval time, and pace.
When you’re done with your swim, the goggles sync to a corresponding app that breaks down your workout by interval, including precise paces and rest periods.
They’re even able to identify when I was swimming freestyle or breaststroke. Not to mention, the glasses are made of crystal-clear tinted plastic that resists scratches and fog.
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