Equipment
The 10 Best Fitness Trackers
What are the best fitness trackers?
Fitness trackers are wearable devices that monitor your daily physical activity so that you can keep track of health and fitness data.
The best fitness watch tells you how many calories you’ve burned, what your heart rate is, how far you’ve walked, and much more.
There are many fitness trackers out there, but we did all the research so you can find the ideal option for your daily life.
Check out our list of the best fitness trackers with top health tracking features.
The Best Fitness Trackers Compared
Our equipment lists are created by researching the best-reviewed products from the most reputable web sources.
Here’s our list of the 10 best fitness trackers:
In A Rush? Here’s Our Top Pick:
10. Fitbit Inspire 2
Fitbit Inspire 2 is an excellent swim-proof fitness tracker that’s water-resistant up to 50 meters.
Focus on earning Active Zone Minutes to meet the weekly goal of 150 minutes of intense activity, plus explore 20 exercise modes for distance and calorie tracking.
The 24/7 heart rate monitoring allows for effective measuring of burned calories, which you can use for 10 days without constant charging, thanks to the long battery life.
Fitbit also gives you a sleep score to understand the quality of each night’s rest, as the tracker monitors the length of light, deep, and REM sleep.
Choose from black, black/white, and black/rose color options for this fitness tracker band that withstands all the elements.
Pros
- Swimproof fitness tracker up to 50 meters.
- Automatic activity tracking for steps, activity, and calories.
- Over 20 exercise modes for goal tracking.
- 10 days of battery life.
- Monitors sleep quality.
- Slim fit design.
Cons
- No built-in GPS.
- No color display.
9. Amazfit Band 5
The Amazfit Band 5 is tough to beat in terms of battery life as it can go 15 days without a charge.
Amazon Alexa is built-in, so you can control music, set alarms, and check the weather while also monitoring your sleep, heart rate, and blood oxygen levels.
The fully charged watch holds its charge for two whole weeks, even while tracking your heart rate, steps, distance, and sleeping patterns around the clock.
It’s also recommended for women’s health tracking with smart notification reminders and a reliable health assessment system.
Stylish color options include orange, midnight black, olive, and olive/black.
Pros
- Water-resistant watch with 15-day battery life.
- Measures heart rate, steps, distance, and sleep.
- Blood oxygen saturation monitor and 24/7 heart rate tracking.
- Specialized women’s health tracking.
- Downloadable watch faces.
- Built-in Amazon Alexa.
Cons
- Manual exercise modes.
- No GPS.
8. Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 is the best fitness tracker for sleep tracking as it monitors your sleep and SpO2 levels at nighttime, so you wake up refreshed and recharged.
In addition to advanced sleep tracking, it also offers accurate ECG monitoring to track potential atrial fibrillation and share readings with doctors via the Samsung Health Monitor app.
The innovative fitness tracking recognizes popular activities like running, swimming, and rowing so you can automatically monitor your exercise efforts.
As a popular Samsung smartwatch, the Galaxy Watch 4 supports calls, texts, and streams right from your wrist wherever you are.
It comes in black, silver, green, or pink gold and connects to live coaching sessions to challenge you and your friends.
Pros
- Promotes a good night of sleep with SpO2 level tracking.
- Assesses oxygen levels to encourage endurance.
- Tracks running, swimming, and rowing.
- Live coaching sessions available.
- LTE and loudspeaker for easy phone calls.
- Efficient ECG monitoring.
Cons
- Not made for Apple phones.
- Short battery life.
7. Garmin Venu Sq
Garmin Venu Sq is popular with athletes who take advantage of over 20 preloaded sports apps, including walking, running, swimming, cycling, golf, and more.
The bright color display has an always-on mode for quick glances, and the watch monitors everything from body energy levels to hydration, stress, and sleep.
It also keeps track of respiration, menstrual cycles, and estimated heart rates, plus you can use preloaded cardio, yoga, Pilates, and strength workouts.
Garmin Venu Sq is paired with smartphones for wrist text, call, and social media alerts, and Garmin Pay contactless payments are also available.
Choose from 14 fantastic color options and make the most of the six-day battery life before needing a recharge.
Pros
- Mindful breathing and numerous sports apps.
- Compatible with smartphones for contactless pay.
- Extensive health and wellness data.
- Light, waterproof design.
- Sufficient battery life.
- 14 color options.
Cons
- No mic and speaker.
- Limited app support.
6. Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
The Garmin Forerunner 245 Music is the best fitness tracker for running with advanced dynamic tracking, music, and GPS.
The well-known watch manufacturer uses corning gorilla glass 3 to make the long-lasting lens, while the fiber-reinforced polymer is used on the bezel, and the strap is silicone.
You can use Garmin’s free adaptive training plans or create personalized workouts based on your training status, which tells you if you’re underperforming or overdoing it.
As part of the cutting-edge running dynamics, this fitness tracker monitors stride length, vertical ratio, and ground contact time balance.
Take your choice of black, white, aqua, berry, and slate grey color options.
Pros
- Accurate heart rate and fitness tracking for runners.
- Adaptive training plans available.
- Incident detection for emergencies.
- Comfortable silicone strap.
- Includes music storage.
- Long battery life.
Cons
- No gyroscope or barometric altimeter.
- Some users say the features are a bit complicated.
5. Fitbit Versa 3
When it comes to tracking distance covered and your walking, running, or hiking pace, you can’t go past the Fitbit Versa 3.
This touchscreen health and fitness smartwatch has built-in Amazon Alexa capabilities with an impressive battery life lasting six days.
Enjoy 24/7 heart rate monitoring, accurate GPS, and music/podcast storage, as this watch is designed for the easiest user experience.
Active Zone Minutes help you better understand your resting heart rate and fitness intensity to maximize workout potential.
You can also see your blood oxygen levels every night at a glance with SpO2 clock faces on attractive watch color options like midnight blue/gold, pink/gold, thistle/gold, and black.
Pros
- Full touchscreen for easy activity and sleep tracking.
- Reliable distance, pace tracking, and built-in GPS.
- Displays workout intensity map.
- 24/7 heart rate monitoring.
- Bluetooth hands-free calls.
- Music and podcast storage.
Cons
- Fewer health stats compared to Fitbit Sense.
- Premium monthly membership required for some features.
4. Fitbit Sense
If you’re looking for the best fitness watch to keep track of your heart health, then Fitbit Sense is the way to go.
Using the Fitbit ECG app, this tracker can assess your heart for rhythm irregularities and share results with your doctor if you want.
It also detects electrodermal activity, stress response, and skin temperature so you can see changes and make smart choices for your body.
The high and low heart rate notifications tell you when your heart rate is over or under your average, and you can also view your blood oxygen levels.
With a beautiful white/gold, carbon/graphite, or sage grey/silver color and a comfortable, flexible band, this tracker is easy to wear for built-in GPS and Bluetooth calls in addition to valuable fitness monitoring.
Pros
- Specially designed to track heart health.
- Monitors heart rate, exercise, water intake, and ECG.
- Customizable features and music controls.
- Built-in GPS and find my phone feature.
- Supports smartphone notifications.
- Detailed sleep tracking.
Cons
- Difficult to put on by yourself.
- Some users say the screen tracks easily.
3. Fitbit Charge 5
Fitbit Charge 5 is the best activity tracker with built-in GPS and stress management tools, plus 24/7 heart rate and sleep tracking.
This advanced fitness and health tracker comes in three stylish color combos: graphite/black lunar, white/soft gold, and steel blue/platinum.
It’s lightweight and barely noticeable on your wrist, so you can wear it to work or running errands to add extra steps to your daily count.
The Fitbit Charge 5 provides a daily readiness score that tells you if you’re ready to go or need to concentrate on recovery, and there are many more features available with a premium Fitbit membership.
You can monitor your body’s response to stress and track calorie burn to optimize workouts on your health metrics dashboard.
Pros
- Fitness tracker with built-in GPS for outdoor activity.
- Always-on display option and color touchscreen.
- Stress management and sleep tracking features.
- Tracks breathing rate and skin temperature.
- 20 exercise modes for personal goals.
- Supports mobile payments.
Cons
- Non-customizable clock faces.
- Limited exercise shortcuts.
2. Apple Watch Series 6
The Apple Watch Series 6 is tough to beat, as this fitness tracker serves as a heart rate/sleep monitor, elevation tracker, and voice assistant all in one.
It’s fantastic for entertainment with the option to sync your favorite music, audiobooks, and podcasts, while the nine beautiful color options are great too.
The stylish 40mm screen comes with an aluminum case, and the sport band is extra comfortable, so you can wear it all day, every day.
The upgraded GPS model lets you reply to texts and take calls right from your wrist, and it’s easy to view your blood oxygen measurements in the Apple iPhone health app.
This swim-proof fitness tracker is ideal for measuring workouts such as walking, running, cycling, swimming, yoga, and dance.
Pros
- All-new blood oxygen sensor and app.
- Easy syncing for favorite music and audiobooks.
- 5GHz Wi-Fi and U1 Ultra Wideband chip.
- 2.5x brighter display for outdoor use.
- ECG app to check heart rhythm.
- Swimproof design.
Cons
- Not compatible with Android phones.
1. Fitbit Charge 4
Fitbit Charge 4 is the best fitness tracker overall with a super sleek style and high-tech activity tracker that features a reliable built-in GPS.
Not only can you enjoy innovative sleep and swim tracking, but you also enjoy a celebratory buzz letting you know when you reach your target heart rate during exercise.
The Active Zone Minutes feature even tells you when you rack up extra minutes toward your goals outside of exercise.
Keep an eye on your pace and distance with the built-in GPS, perfect for outdoor runs, hikes, and bike rides, plus a workout intensity map that displays how your heart range changes during different parts of the training session.
You can take your pick of solid black, granite reflective, and rosewood color options.
Pros
- Upgraded Bluetooth touchscreen fitness tracker.
- Compatible with Apple and Android smartphones.
- Lithium metal battery lasts for up to 7 days.
- Swimproof and water-resistant.
- 20+ goal-based exercise modes.
- Sleek stylish design for everyday wear.
Cons
- Limited music storage and control options.
FAQs About Fitness Trackers
You can boost your workouts and reach your physical activity goals with the best fitness trackers.
We’ve answered the most frequently asked questions about fitness trackers to help you find the perfect one.
Q: What Does a Fitness Tracker Do?
A fitness tracker keeps track of different health and physical activity parameters, providing greater insight into your body trends and areas for improvement.
The best fitness tracker monitors steps, distance, heart rate, swim laps, sleep patterns, and more, with Bluetooth compatibility and smartphone apps to download data.
Fitness trackers help with all forms of exercise, including endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance.
By tracking your performance, you can better understand your goals and what you need to do to reach them.
Q: How Do Fitness Trackers Work?
Fitness trackers have a 3-axis accelerometer that continuously monitors body movements such as steps and resting periods.
This data is recorded whenever the device is worn and turned on, tracking individual activity to provide insights on health and fitness goals.
Fitness watch apps interpret all the data collected throughout the day, which you can then use to ensure you’re getting enough exercise and living a healthy, active lifestyle.
Fitness tracking technology is continuously improving, and some of the best fitness trackers offer new features to monitor better sleep, stress, blood oxygen levels, and more.
Q: What Are the Benefits of Using a Fitness Tracker?
There are many benefits to using a fitness tracker, as these wearable sensors monitor physical activity and interpret data with a user-friendly display.
Fitness trackers monitor heart rate, steps, distance, location, and so much more, giving you a well-rounded picture of your physical activity and where it could be improved.
While even the best fitness watch can’t force you to exercise, it can definitely encourage you by showing your heart rate, steps, and calories.
With little reminders right there on your wrist, the best activity tracker holds you accountable for staying active and making healthy choices as you pursue new fitness goals.
Q: What Can Fitness Trackers Tell You?
Fitness trackers tell you so much about your health, from how many steps you take in a day to the number of calories burned throughout different activities.
Every fitness watch varies slightly, but most models offer heart rate, calories, and distance tracking as standard features.
Many fitness trackers also monitor sleep and stress and offer a built-in GPS so you can stay safe on runs, hikes, and bike rides.
You can use a fitness tracker to get a snapshot of your health every day and figure out how much sleep and activity you need to stay healthy, starting with the recommended goal of 10,000 steps a day.
Q: Do Fitness Trackers Improve Health?
Fitness trackers play a role in improving health by giving you greater insights into your physical activity and health, but it’s up to you to put in the hard work at the end of the day.
If you set a workout routine on your fitness tracker, then you have the choice to complete the workout and meet your goals or fall behind.
This is important because fitness trackers are designed to help you better understand your body and activity levels to make informed decisions about your lifestyle choices.
Even medical studies indicate fitness trackers may positively encourage people to get active and stay active, especially in older generations.
Of course, the more physical activity, the better.
Q: Which Fitness Tracker to Choose?
When browsing the best fitness watches, there are many qualities and special features to keep in mind, including the screen display and smartphone compatibility.
Make sure you choose a fitness tracker that pairs with your phone.
Also, consider a device with the latest and greatest health tracking features like blood oxygen, heart rate, custom exercise goals, and more.
Some fitness trackers have more entertainment options than others, so if you really want to listen to your own music or podcasts, make sure your new fitness watch has that capability.
Finally, check if a fitness watch is powered by Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and also see if there’s a warranty or any tech support to protect your purchase.
Summary
Fitness tracking has exploded in popularity over the last decade, as millions of people enjoy the benefits of cutting-edge health tracking features.
With the best fitness trackers, you can monitor your heart rate, calorie burn, distance covered, and so much more.
You can event set fitness goals and keep track of your progress, and the best fitness watch monitors your location, sleep, and heart health too.
Here’s a quick recap of the 10 best fitness trackers:
- Fitbit Charge 4
- Apple Watch Series 6
- Fitbit Charge 5
- Fitbit Sense
- Fitbit Versa 3
- Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
- Garmin Venu Sq
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
- Amazfit Band 5
- Fitbit Inspire 2
