The 11 Best Fitness Trackers
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Fitness trackers can be a helpful tool for monitoring your health and fine-tuning your fitness routine.
In fact, many of them are designed for specific sports and offer a variety of features, including sleep tracking, integrated heart rate monitors, and water resistance.
However, picking a product that’s right for you can be challenging, as so many choices are available.
How we chose these fitness trackers
The products in this article were selected based on the following criteria:
Here are 11 of the best fitness trackers for 2022.
A note on price
General price ranges with dollar signs ($ to $$$) are indicated below. One dollar sign means the product may be affordable, while three dollar signs indicate a higher cost.
Generally, prices range from $39.99–$399, though this may vary depending on where you shop.
Pricing guide
Healthline’s picks of the best fitness trackers
Best overall
Apple Watch Series 7
Thanks to its sleek design and numerous fitness-related features, the Apple Watch Series 7 takes the top spot as the best fitness tracker on the market.
In addition to recording your daily activity metrics and trends using the Fitness app, the device monitors your blood oxygen levels, heart rhythm, and sleep cycles.
What’s more, the watch has a built-in GPS for tracking your steps, route, speed, distance, and more.
The watch is also water-resistant up to 164 feet (50 meters) and boasts a large, crisp display for easy readability.
Interested in having your texts or calendar events show up on your watch? The Apple Watch makes it easy to mirror your watch and iPhone so that you never miss a notification.
Plus, you can make calls and send texts directly from the Apple Watch.
Just keep in mind that you’ll need to use the Apple Watch app on your phone to make any changes to your watch display, including changing the clock face, adjusting your notification preferences, and adding apps.
It offers up to 18 hours of battery life per charge, which Apple claims takes into account regular use, such as checking the time, swiping through apps, and even exercising for 60 minutes while listening to music.
It also charges up to 33% faster than previous models, making it a great option for regular use.
That said, using the watch in continuous GPS mode will shorten the battery life to around 6 or 7 hours.
Cost is the most obvious downside of the Apple Watch.
However, the other main drawback is that its sleep tracking feature isn’t as detailed or robust as other trackers. Therefore, if improving sleep is at the top of your priority list, you’ll want to check out other devices, such as the Oura Ring.
Pros
Cons
Best budget
Amazfit Band 5
With its extra-long battery life and 11 built-in sports modes, the Amazfit Band 5 is a great option if you’re looking for a budget-friendly tracker that still has a wide variety of features.
In addition to monitoring your daily activity, it also measures blood oxygen saturation, tracks heart rate, analyzes sleep quality, and monitors menstrual cycles.
Like many other popular fitness trackers, the Amazfit Band 5 is water-resistant up to 164 ft. (50 m), meaning it can be used for swimming or other water sports.
It also connects to Alexa and can be paired with your phone to control your music, receive notifications, and control your phone’s camera right from your wrist.
That said, it doesn’t allow you to send or receive text messages and phone calls, which may be an important consideration for some.
It also requires a phone to use the GPS feature, so you’ll need to have your phone with you if you want to track your route when you’re exercising outside.
Keep in mind that the Amazfit Band 5 also doesn’t sync with popular fitness apps like other fitness trackers. It’s designed to be used with Zepp, which you can use to send data to other apps like Apple Health or Strava.
Pros
Cons
Best for running
Garmin Forerunner 245
Featuring GPS navigation, smartphone connectivity, and advanced performance analytics, the Garmin Forerunner 245 is a great choice for runners.
This top-notch fitness tracker provides feedback on your current training status and offers custom workouts and adaptive training plans to help ramp up your run.
It also uses a wrist sensor to track your heart rate, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), and V̇O₂ max — a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness.
The device may also help you improve your form by providing detailed information on your stride length, balance, cadence, and vertical oscillation — the amount that your torso moves up and down with each step.
The watch also offers the Garmin Coach feature, which provides personalized guidance and training plans from an expert running coach.
In addition to running, the Garmin Forerunner 245 includes features that are tailored to other forms of cardio workouts, including swimming, cycling, hiking, and more. It’s also water-resistant up to 164 ft. (50 m).
To receive notifications, you can pair the watch with your phone using the Garmin Connect app. This app can also be used to sync your data to a variety of other health and fitness apps.
Plus, if you have an Android phone, you can quickly respond to calls and texts using preconfigured responses, such as “on a run.”
The battery is said to last up to 7 days, but that’s with minimal usage. If you’re using it in continuous GPS mode, it’ll last up to 24 hours. With music, GPS, and wrist monitoring running simultaneously, you can expect it to last closer to 6 hours.
You can also try dimming the backlight if you find that your watch is quickly running out of juice.
Pros
Cons
Best for cycling
Polar Vantage M
The Polar Vantage M is a good option for cyclists seeking a sports watch that’s streamlined without compromising the watch face’s readability.
The watch boasts over 130 sport profiles available to download, including one that’s tailored to cycling.
In addition to measuring your heart rate, the watch keeps tabs on your speed, distance traveled, time elapsed, calories burned, and changes in altitude as you ride.
Additionally, in the background, the Polar Vantage M records your GPS trace, which can be synced with apps like Strava for a detailed report of your training session.
Other notable features include V̇O₂ max tracking, continuous heart rate monitoring, personalized training plans, and guided breathing exercises.
In addition to cycling, the watch works well with a variety of activities, including running and swimming.
It also boasts a long battery life of up to 30 hours per charge when used in training mode.
When paired with the Polar Flow app, you can receive text and phone notifications on your tracker, though you can also use the “do not disturb” setting during your ride.
However, unlike other smartwatches, you’ll still need to use your phone to take a call or respond to a text message.
Pros
Cons
Best for swimming
Garmin Swim 2
For swimmers seeking a simple, lightweight smartwatch to track their workouts, the Garmin Swim 2 is well worth considering.
In addition to being water-resistant up to 164 ft. (50 m), it’s also equipped with built-in GPS, swim modes for pools and open water, pacing alerts, drill logging, and performance monitoring to optimize your training.
It features several other sport modes, along with energy monitoring, stress tracking, and notifications from your smartphone.
Similar to other smartwatches, the Garmin Swim 2 can be used to control music and monitor your heart rate.
It syncs with Garmin Connect to display in-depth data about your swim, including your swim efficiency, stroke count, length, distance, and pace.
However, some reviewers report that there are some slight issues with accuracy when measuring distance and stroke count and note that the watch is unable to track kick sets.
Additionally, keep in mind that the watch can display notifications from your smartphone but is unable to send text messages or answer phone calls.
Pros
Cons
Best for lifting weights
Garmin Vivoactive 4s
The Garmin Vivoactive 4s is a durable device with plenty of features for weightlifters.
It offers integrated GPS tracking, continuous heart rate monitoring, and built-in music storage. It also includes 20 preloaded sports apps for tracking activities like running, swimming, cycling, yoga, and more.
Plus, it can measure your oxygen saturation levels and track metrics for sleep and hydration.
However, what makes it particularly appealing to weightlifters is the ability to design custom workouts for most strength training exercises, including squats, bench presses, rows, and more. Plus, you can even view animated exercise demonstrations directly on the watch’s screen.
Once you’ve created your workouts, you can download them to the watch so that the device can keep track of your reps, sets, and rest time while you sweat.
The watch is fairly lightweight, weighing just 1.4 ounces (40 grams), and features a slim design, making it comfortable to wear whether you’re at the gym or out on a run.
When it’s fully charged, the Garmin Vivoactive 4s offers a battery life of up to 7 days in smartwatch mode and 15 hours in GPS mode without music.
Pros
Cons
Best rated
Fitbit Charge 4
With built-in GPS, continuous heart rate monitoring, and over 20 exercise modes, this high quality activity tracker is a favorite among fitness enthusiasts.
The Charge 4 features Fitbit’s Activity Zone Minutes, which alerts you when you reach your target heart rate and allows you to set weekly activity goals.
It can also automatically recognize activities like running and cycling, plus it tracks how many floors you climb each day in addition to your steps.
Using the Fitbit app on your phone, you can also monitor a variety of health metrics, such as your breathing rate, heart rate variability, temperature, SpO2 (also known as oxygen saturation) levels, menstrual cycle, sleep, and daily stress management score.
If you opt for the Premium version of the Fitbit app, you’ll have a more in-depth breakdown of your sleep and stress management scores, be able to view your data trends from the past 90 days, have access to mindfulness sessions, and more. Keep in mind that the membership costs $9.99 per month.
As with many other fitness trackers, the Fitbit Charge 4 can be synced with your phone, allowing you to receive calls, texts, and calendar notifications on your wrist.
According to the company, the battery should last up to 7 days per charge (up to 5 hours in GPS mode).
Pros
Cons
Best minimalist
Garmin Vivosmart 5
The Vivosmart 5 from Garmin is lightweight and slim with a small display that makes it a good choice for those seeking a minimalist fitness tracker. Weighing under an ounce (28 grams), it’s comfortable enough to wear all day, even during sleep.
Despite its simple interface, the Vivosmart 5 is packed with features, including heart rate monitoring, phone notifications, sleep tracking, and a variety of preloaded sports apps.
It also measures oxygen saturation, monitors stress levels, and can track hydration levels, menstrual cycles, and respiration.
Plus, it’s water-resistant up to 164 ft. (50 m), so you can keep it on your wrist even while you shower or swim.
Keep in mind that the Vivosmart 5 doesn’t include integrated GPS and instead connects to your phone’s GPS for accurate tracking during outdoor walks or runs.
Additionally, while it can connect to your smartphone and notify you of incoming phone calls or texts, only those with an Android device are able to respond from the smartwatch itself.
Pros
Cons
Best for monitoring blood pressure
Omron HeartGuide
The Omron HeartGuide is the first smartwatch to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for monitoring blood pressure levels.
While it doesn’t look much different from other smartwatches, the Omron HeartGuide features a unique inflatable cuff inside of the wristband for monitoring your blood pressure level.
To activate this feature, simply hold your arm at chest level and press a button to start the recording.
The data from the cuff is then synced with an app called HeartAdvisor, which provides detailed insights into your readings and tracks your levels over time.
In addition to blood pressure, the device monitors your activity level, sleep patterns, and calories burned. You can also receive notifications from your phone, including texts, incoming calls, emails, and calendar events.
The battery life depends on how frequently you’re measuring your blood pressure levels, though the company states that most users can expect to charge their device 2–3 times per week.
One potential downside of this model is that it’s not water-resistant, so you should be sure to take it off before taking a shower or jumping in the pool.
The Omron HeartGuide is also quite expensive, though it may be partially covered by insurance for people with certain medical conditions.
Pros
Cons
Best for monitoring heart rate
Fitbit Sense
The Fitbit Sense is equipped with an electrocardiogram (ECG) app and provides high and low heart rate notifications, making it a good choice if you’re interested in keeping tabs on your heart health.
It features a built-in GPS and integrated skin temperature sensor to measure changes in your temperature over time. It also includes electrodermal (EDA) scanning, which may help monitor your stress levels.
If you opt for Premium membership to the Fitbit app, you’ll get a Daily Readiness Score, which provides insights on whether your body is ready to exercise or if you should focus on rest and recovery instead.
The Fitbit Sense also includes tools for stress management, sleep monitoring, and activity tracking.
What’s more, you can store and play music, view smartphone notifications, and connect to voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant right from your watch.
The Fitbit Sense is also water-resistant up to 164 ft. (50 m) and includes up to 6 days of battery life, with fast charging that requires just 12 minutes.
Pros
Cons
Best for sleep tracking
Oura Ring
The Oura Ring stands out from others on this list, as it’s the only ring-shaped device.
Weighing less than the average wedding band, the Oura ring is lightweight and comfortable to wear. It’s also more stylish than the average smart tracker.
As with most trackers, the Oura ring keeps tabs on your activity levels, steps, and calories burned.
However, where the device really shines is its ability to provide detailed insights into your sleep habits.
When worn at night, the Oura Ring measures your resting heart rate, heart rate variability, breaths per minute, body temperature, movement, SpO2, and time spent in light, deep, and REM sleep.
Together, this data is used to create a sleep score, which includes tips for improving your sleep quality over time.
Plus, Oura tracks your heart rate during your workouts, and you can view your pace, distance, and other workout data in the Oura app.
It comes with a 6-month free trial membership to the Oura app, which costs $5.99 per month once the trial ends.
The Ring is water-resistant up to 328 ft. (100 m) and has a battery life of 4–7 days.
Pros
Quick comparison
Here’s a quick look at how our top picks compare:
-PriceBattery lifeWaterproof ratingPrimary metricsOther featuresApple Watch Series 7$$$up to 18 hoursup to 164 ft. (50 m)• activity level• ECG• heart rate• menstrual cycle• multisport fitness tracking• noise• sedentary time• sleep • SpO2• phone notifications• built-in GPS• cellular connectivity• music control• Apple Pay• fall detectionAmazfit Band 5$up to 15 daysup to 164 ft. (50 m)• activity level• heart rate• menstrual cycle• 11 sport modes• SpO2• sleep• music control• Alexa connectivity• stress monitoring• remindersGarmin Forerunner 245$$up to 7 days (up to 24 hours in GPS mode)up to 164 ft. (50 m)• running form• activity level• heart rate• menstrual cycle• multisport fitness tracking• recovery time• SpO2• stride length• training load• training status• V̇O₂ max• built-in GPS• music control• stress monitoring• phone notifications• fall detectionPolar Vantage M$$up to 30 hours with continuous GPSup to 328 ft. (100 m)• heart rate• multisport fitness tracking• running index• swimming-specific tracking• training load•V̇O₂ max• phone notifications• built-in GPS• automatically syncs with StravaGarmin Swim 2$$up to 7 days (up to 13 hours in GPS mode)up to 164 ft. (50 m)• heart rate• multisport fitness tracking• swimming-specific tracking• drill logging• pacing alerts• critical swim speed• energy monitoring• sleep• menstrual cycle• phone notifications• built-in GPS• music control• stress monitoringGarmin Vivoactive 4s$$$up to 7 days (up to 15 hours in GPS mode)up to 164 ft. (50 m)• heart rate• multisport fitness tracking• energy monitoring• sleep• menstrual cycle• custom workouts• SpO2• phone notifications• built-in GPS• music storage• Garmin Pay• hydration• mindful breathing• stress monitoringFitbit Charge 4$up to 7 days (up to 5 hours with continuous GPS)up to 164 ft. (50 m)• activity• breathing rate• heart rate• menstrual cycle• sleep• SpO2 •temperature• phone notifications• payments• built-in GPS• music control• guided breathing• reminders• stress monitoringGarmin Vivosmart 5$up to 7 daysup to 164 ft. (50 m)• activity• heart rate• menstrual cycle• sleep• SpO2• energy monitoring• multisport fitness tracking• breathing• hydration• fall detection• phone notifications• stress monitoringOmron HeartGuide$$$up to 2 daysN/A•blood pressure•activity•sleep•heart rate• phone notificationsFitbit Sense$$up to 6 days (up to 12 hours with continuous GPS)up to 164 ft. (50 m)• heart rate notifications• ECG• EDA• activity• sleep• temperature•SpO2• phone notifications• payments• built-in GPS• music storage• voice assistants• stress monitoringOura Ring$$up to 7 daysup to 328 ft. (100 m)• activity• breathing rate• heart rate• sleep• temperature• SpO2• menstrual cycles• stress monitoring• in-app guided sessionsNote that the prices above are based on the current market list price (MSRP) and may vary by retailer.
How to choose the best fitness tracker
With so many fitness trackers available, it can be challenging to find the product that’s right for you.
Be sure to note which features are important based on your needs, such as heart rate or blood pressure monitoring, GPS navigation, sleep tracking, water resistance, or smartphone compatibility.
Some products are also designed for specific types of activities, including running, walking, swimming, or cycling, so look for a tracker that suits your needs or offers several sport-specific options.
If you plan on using your fitness tracker for swimming or other water-related activities, it’s important to pay attention to the water rating.
Here are common ratings used for wearable devices:
While smartwatches are the most popular, you may want to consider other types of trackers, such as bands, rings, or sensors.
It’s also important to consider if you’d like most of the data to display directly on the tracker itself, or if you’re fine with interpreting results and data on an external app.
Finally, fitness trackers vary in price, so be sure to keep your budget in mind and pick a product within your price range.
Frequently asked questions about fitness trackers
Are fitness trackers accurate?
Several factors can affect the accuracy of fitness trackers, including the type of tracker, brand, the type of activity you’re doing, and the position of the sensors on your skin. In general, they tend to provide more accurate data for heart rate and steps than they do for other metrics like energy expenditure (1, 2, 3).
While fitness trackers may not be 100% accurate, they can still be a useful tool that can help give you a better idea of your overall health, heart rate, and daily activity level.
Which is better, Fitbit or Apple Watch?
Both Fitbit and Apple Watch can be beneficial for tracking your daily activity levels, measuring your sleep quality, and tracking your heart rate.
Fitbit fitness trackers tend to have a lower price tag and longer battery life, which some people may prefer. The Apple Watch is more expensive but also offers a longer list of additional features that may be important to others, such as cellular connectivity, Apple Pay, and fall detection.
The Apple Watch may also be able to provide more accurate data for certain health metrics like heart rate, though its accuracy has been found to decrease as exercise intensity increases (4, 5).
Are fitness trackers worth it?
Fitness trackers may be worth the investment for people who are active and looking to improve their workout routine or increase their physical activity. Some also offer features that can help you gain deeper insights into certain aspects of health, such as your sleep quality, stress levels, heart rate, or blood pressure levels.
The bottom line
Fitness trackers are a convenient way to measure your activity stats and monitor your health.
When shopping for a fitness tracker, consider factors like the type, available features, sport-specific options, and price.
Posted : 2024-08-29 10:49
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