With the best fitness trackers, monitoring your health and fitness is easier than ever. They track your steps, exercise, and more while you wear them. Some fitness monitors from Fitbit, Apple, and Garmin even monitor your sleep habits. Which health benefit you wish to track will determine which is ideal for you.
Numerous options for dedicated fitness trackers are available, including smartwatches, shoe insoles with activity-tracking capabilities, and wristbands. We’ve compiled our top trackers according to their cost, design, and functionality. To track your progress on any of them, you’ll need a mobile app; some even allow you to view phone notifications on your wrist.
Fitness tracking is a terrific way to stay motivated, but bear in mind that no activity tracker, no matter how sophisticated, can do the job for you. However, any of the activity trackers on this page will assist you in reaching your maximum potential, regardless of your fitness and health objectives. This list of the top fitness trackers will be periodically tested and updated.
Check out our selection of the best smartwatches for 2024, which includes suggestions for the finest wearables from Garmin, Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, and Polar, if you’re searching for more sophisticated fitness insights and smart features. If you want to spend less than $200 and don’t care about features like LTE connectivity, virtual assistants, or third-party apps, a fitness tracker is typically a better option than a wristwatch.
Best Fitness Trackers
Fitbit Charge 6
Best all-around fitness tracker
As of right now, the best Fitbit available is the Charge 6. It now connects to fitness applications and gym equipment so you can view your real-time heart rate data while working out. It has outstanding health and fitness features, such as an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) app and good sleep tracking. In addition, the Charge 6 offers tighter connection with other Google apps like YouTube Music and Google Wallet and can be connected to Google Maps from your phone for turn-by-turn navigation on your wrist.
The Charge 6 includes a blood oxygen sensor and an integrated GPS so you can track your outdoor workouts without using your phone. You can also find out from the Daily Readiness Score whether you should take a rest day or if your body is ready for an exercise. However, a lot of Fitbit’s most helpful features—like this score—are exclusive to Fitbit’s $10/month Premium plan. You can track your fitness and health with the Charge 6 without a Premium subscription; you just won’t get the most comprehensive stats and long-term trends from it. You should get at least four or five full days out of the battery, and it works with both Android and iPhone.
Fitbit Inspire 3
Best battery life
Consider the Fitbit Inspire 3 if you’re searching for a discrete, reasonably priced, and long-lasting fitness band. The Charge 6 lacks built-in GPS and mobile payment capabilities, but it does include all the features you need for health and fitness tracking, like heart-rate monitoring, automated workout detection, and a thorough sleep analysis.
Unlike previous Fitbits, you won’t need to charge it as frequently because the battery can last up to 10 days. However, keep in mind that compared to other trackers and smartwatches, it may be harder to read because to the small screen.
Also Read: FOAM ROLLING FOR MUSCLE RECOVERY
Xiaomi Mi Band 7
Best value fitness tracker
The Mi Band 7 is the best bargain fitness tracker on this list, coming in at about $50. It features sleep tracking, a 24/7 heart rate monitor, and a large color AMOLED touchscreen. Additionally, the battery life is excellent, lasting roughly six days before requiring a charge. The primary drawbacks are the sporadic nature of heart-rate tracking during vigorous exercise and the US unavailability of certain functionalities, such as contactless payments. We haven’t yet finished our assessment of the Mi Band 8, which is a more recent iteration of this type.
Apple Watch Series 9
Best smartwatch for fitness features
At variance with certain other gadgets in this compilation, the Apple Watch Series 9 is an authentic smartwatch. It is available in 41 and 45mm diameters and features an ECG, blood oxygen, and temperature sensor. Although it does cost extra, you may also select a cellular or LTE model that enables you to respond messages and take calls from your wrist without using your phone. The Series 9 offers extensive options for cyclists and runners alike that allow you to examine your running numbers in great detail. Power pedals and other Bluetooth cycling accessories can be linked to the watch with WatchOS 10.
Additionally, the S9 chip in the Series 9 allows you to perform the Double Tap gesture, which allows you to press your thumb and forefinger together to control the watch when you are unable to reach it with one hand. Unlike many of the other fitness trackers on this list, the battery life of this watch typically lasts 18 hours with normal use, so you will need to charge it every day.
Apple Watch SE
Best value smartwatch for iPhone
Even if the Series 9 is a bit more advanced, the $249 Apple Watch SE has all the capabilities you might want in a fitness tracker plus additional smartwatch functionality. The range of exercise modes, sleep tracking, heart-rate monitoring, detection of irregular heart rhythms, and notifications for cardio fitness are all shared by both watches. To assist you avoid getting lost on your next run, the Compass app has been overhauled. Cycling and hiking enthusiasts will probably find value in the additional functions included in Apple’s upcoming WatchOS 10 software update.
Numerous fitness applications, including Apple’s Fitness Plus, Nike Training Club, and Strava, are also compatible with the Apple Watch SE. It is devoid of the Series 9’s blood oxygen monitoring, wrist temperature measurement, and ECG capabilities. However, the Apple Watch SE is more affordable than the Series 9 and offers a lot of features for individuals who only need a little more encouragement to close their Activity Rings.
Nurvv Run Insoles
Best fitness tracker for serious runners
With the help of these $300 smart insoles, you can transform any old running shoe into a high-tech fitness tracker that provides you with more run-specific data than any wrist-based tracker we’ve ever tested. With every stride you take, the 16 sensors on each insole measure the pressure you’re applying to your foot. They may evaluate anything from foot strike balance to step length in conjunction with the trackers and app to provide you with real-time feedback on how to cut down on injuries or speed up your workout.
Oura Ring Gen 3
A sleep- and temperature-tracking wearable
The third-generation Oura Ring is a wearable that you can set and forget. Wear it like any other ring, and it will monitor your blood oxygen levels, heart rate, skin temperature, and sleep patterns in the background. Oura simplifies health measures into clear, concise ratings that contextualize data and let you quickly determine whether you’re rested and prepared for a demanding activity. Additionally, Oura adds additional elements to the ring over time, such the recently introduced chronotype measure, which claims to be able to determine if a user is a night owl or a morning person. However, the majority of its functionalities are restricted to a $6 monthly membership, which may seem excessive given its $300 cost.
