Summary
For example, the top fitness trackers that we’ve tested may assist you in achieving your exercise goals, improving the quality of your sleep, and even monitoring your general health and wellness. Additionally, they will keep track of your progress and provide you insights into how you are doing, as well as advise on how you may make adjustments to your behavior.
In addition to counting your steps, measuring your heart rate, reading your blood oxygen levels, accompanying you while you swim, and reminding you to move about, the finest fitness trackers that we have evaluated are also designed to be worn and are focused on physical activity. Some versions also provide instantaneous electrocardiogram readings and are able to track the amount of time spent in rapid eye movement (REM) or deep sleep.
Additionally, fitness trackers such as the Fitbit Charge 6, Fitbit Sense 2, and Garmin Forerunner 265 may be used to pay for groceries, play music, respond to SMS, and perform a wide range of other functions. Nevertheless, since there are so many different gadgets, selecting the finest fitness tracker or fitness watch may be a challenging task.
For a period of many weeks, we put the best trackers through their paces by wearing them while walking, jogging, biking, swimming, and even sleeping. Our goal was to determine which models performed exceptionally well and which ones were unable to even make it beyond the starting line.
BEST FITNESS TRACKER OVERALL
Fitbit Charge 6
The Fitbit Charge 6 now serves as the company’s flagship fitness tracker, taking the place of the Fitbit Charge 5 in the lineup of products offered by the company. In comparison to the Charge 5, it includes a number of intriguing new features, including the return of the haptic side button, which makes it much simpler to navigate than it was previously. Additionally, the Charge 6 may now be used as a heart rate tracker when utilized in conjunction with NordicTrack, Peloton, and Tonal fitness exercise equipment.
Additionally, it is the first Fitbit fitness tracker to include Google Maps, YouTube Music, and Google Wallet into its functionality. Nevertheless, users of Charge 6 will now be required to have a Google Account.
It goes without saying that you purchase a fitness tracker in order to monitor your fitness, and the Charge 6 does an excellent job of doing so. Built-in GPS enables users to properly monitor their outdoor activities like as runs, hikes, and bike rides. Additionally, it offers a greater number of sports modes than the Charge 5, which enables you to vary your workout routine.
During the course of our testing, we were blown away by how comfortable the Charge 6 is to wear around the wrist and how simple it is to read even when exposed to abundant sunshine. The Fitbit Charge 6 is, to put it simply, one of the greatest fitness trackers available to the majority of people of today.
Because of the improvements that were made to the Fitbit Charge 5, including the reintroduction of a side button and the incorporation of Google applications, what was already an excellent fitness tracker has been elevated to an even higher level, in our opinion.
BEST VALUE FITNESS TRACKER
Fitbit Inspire 3
Due to the fact that it is able to accurately monitor your heart rate, accurately track your workouts, and accurately document your sleep phases, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is the finest value fitness tracker. The fact that it does not have a built-in GPS is a little bit disappointing; nevertheless, you are able to link it to the GPS on your phone. nevertheless, the Inspire 3 makes up for this shortcoming with other advantages, such as Fitbit’s motivating community of users who are focused on fitness. It is possible to take part in competitions in which you compete against friends, coworkers, or even complete strangers.
Fitbit’s Active Zone Minutes metric, ten days of battery life, touch controls, and, in the most significant change since the Fitbit Inspire 2, a bright and gorgeous AMOLED screen are all included in the accessory that can be purchased for one hundred dollars. There are three distinct band colors that may be purchased for the Fitbit unit, which is only available in black. These band colors are black, lilac, and morning light. Small and big sizes are available for the bracelet to choose from.
Throughout the testing process, we were impressed by how lightweight and comfy this small tracker was to wear for monitoring health around the clock. The fact that the tracker seems to have a color screen was another feature that we found to be quite appealing. If you are searching for a fitness tracker that is within your price range, the Inspire 3 is an excellent option to consider. However, it is not suitable for everyone.
The Fitbit Inspire 3 was awarded the title of Best Fitness Tracker at the 2023 Tom’s Guide Fitness Awards. This was due to the fact that it offers a great deal for less than one hundred dollars, and we were pleased by how simple it was to use.
BEST FITNESS TRACKER UNDER $50
Amazfit Band 5
Despite being priced at fifty dollars, the Amazfit Band 5 is a fitness tracker that claims to provide many of the key features that are found in more expensive smartwatches, but at a fraction of the cost. Readings of blood oxygen (SpO2), stress monitoring, alarms for elevated heart rate, built-in Amazon Alexa, sleep tracking, and a number of other features that are often seen in more expensive products are included in this product.
During our testing, we found that the Amazfit Band 5 had an acceptable level of fitness and sleep monitoring at a cheap cost. Although it was not particularly impressive, it was still able to provide more than other trackers that cost around $50. Even better, the fact that the battery might last for fifteen days meant that we did not have to worry about constantly charging it.
BEST FITNESS TRACKING SMARTWATCH
Fitbit Sense 2
Compared to the Versa series, the Fitbit Sense 2 is the company’s most sophisticated smartwatch, and it comes with a greater number of capabilities that are designed to improve health and wellbeing. During the course of our evaluation, we discovered that the Fitbit Sense 2 assisted us in acquiring a more comprehensive understanding of our health.
When compared to the first Fitbit Sense, the Sense 2 boasts an improved design, UI, and EDA sensor, making it the most comprehensive smartwatch that Fitbit has ever produced. An update to the EDA (electrodermal activity) sensor, which detects stress, plays a significant role in the success of the device. The sensor, which is now known as cEDA (the letter ‘c’ stands for continuous), monitors stress levels or heightened responses throughout the day, and it prompts the user to take action on mood monitoring by sending them Body Response notifications.
The Sense 2 is one of the greatest fitness trackers available, and it is compatible with both iOS and Android. Additionally, it has an on-board GPS, a native app store for Alexa, and other features. It is no longer the case that Fitbit is only a brand that manufactures items for the purpose of counting our steps; Fitbit gadgets, such as the Fitbit Sense 2, are also outstanding smartwatches.
BEST FITNESS TRACKER FOR RUNNERS
Garmin Forerunner 265
Garmin is known for producing some of the greatest sports watches available on the market, and the Forerunner 265 is among our top picks. Despite being exposed to direct sunlight, the AMOLED display of this Garmin running watch is very brilliant and gorgeous, making it simple to see even in bright conditions.
With the inclusion of triathlon and multisport modes, the Forerunner 265 gives you the ability to monitor all of your workouts in a single session. Additionally, the 265 is available in two distinct sizes, namely 42mm and 46mm. We put the tiny watch through its paces and discovered that it was really sleek and comfortable to wear on the wrist. You can also download Garmin’s training programs into the watch, which will assist you in running and racing more intelligently. This feature is available on a number of the other finest Garmins.
There are also a number of Garmin’s more premium features that are included with the Forerunner 265, such as the Morning Report and the Training Readiness Score. Both of these tools assist you in gaining a better knowledge of your overall health.
If you are on a tight budget, now is a good time to look at the Garmin Forerunner 255, which is quite comparable to the Forerunner 255 with the exception of the screen and is still an excellent purchase. Can’t decide which one to do? Here is where you can find our comparison of the Garmin Forerunner 255 and the Forerunner 265.
BEST GARMIN FITNESS TRACKER
Garmin Venu 3
At this time, the Garmin Venu 3 is considered to be one of the greatest smartwatches manufactured by Garmin. The Venu 3 is not only a fashionable device but also a competent partner for working out and maintaining wellbeing. A reliable fitness tracker that has precise inbuilt GPS, mirrored smartphone alerts, an on-wrist voice assistant, and all of these features can be purchased for $449.
Garmin continues to avoid providing support for LTE networks and does not have a sizable app store for third-party developers. The Venu 3, on the other hand, is capable of supporting mobile payments and offers offline music storage, which enables customers to leave their cellphones at home without any concerns.
Nap-tracking and a virtual sleep coach are two other new features that have been included. Additionally, the Venu 3 offers health recommendations in addition to daily summaries of rest and recuperation. Additionally, it monitors a vast array of different types of physical activity. With a battery life of 14 days, you won’t have to grab for a charger as often as you would otherwise.
BEST FITNESS TRACKER FOR BODY STATS
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
There is no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is an outstanding fitness tracker and one of the greatest smartwatches that you can purchase, regardless of whether or not you own a Samsung phone. The Apple Watch 6 places a significant emphasis on sleep, which is a vital health measure that many of us tend to neglect.
In order to assist users in comprehending the quality of their sleep, the watch incorporates a more complete Sleep Score Factor analysis. This analysis takes into account the amount of time spent sleeping, the length of time spent awake, the sleep cycle, and the amount of time spent awake. A corresponding watch face that is devoted to the cause will also be provided to users, and they will be given an animal that is the most accurate representation of their sleeping patterns.
The body composition analysis tool, as well as the monitoring of your heart rate, electrocardiogram, and SPo2 are all included in the watch, just as they were in earlier editions. There is also a new function called the Personalized Heart Rate Zone, which can be used for exercises, as well as a notification tool called Irregular Heart Rhythm, which may identify indicators of atrial fibrillation.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is equipped with a skin temperature sensor, much as the Apple Watch Series 9, which may provide information on menstrual cycles, stress levels, and sleep patterns.
THE BEST FITNESS TRACKER SUBSCRIPTION
Whoop 4.0
Unlike the previous one, the Whoop 4.0 is not a fitness tracker that can be purchased outright; rather, it is a fitness tracker that is available for subscription. There is no display or built-in GPS to be found. On the other hand, the Whoop band places an emphasis on recovery and heart rate in order to assist users in better comprehending their body and how it reacts to physical activity.
There is no question that the Whoop 4.0 is an outstanding health tracker for anybody who is searching for improved health insights. There are a number of obvious reasons why a large number of the world’s best athletes have been seen wearing one on their wrist or around their bicep. It is really useful information for a coach or trainer to have.
Insights such as skin temperature, which may be used as a statistic to determine whether your core body temperature is increasing — this might be an indication that a person is becoming sick — have not yet been discussed. Additionally, the Whoop 4.0 offers the most advanced sleep-tracking data in the business.
Looking for a fitness tracker that you can wear while you go for a run or while you go to the gym so that you can receive real-time feedback? If this is the case, the Whoop is probably not the right choice for you. If, on the other hand, recovery metrics are your primary concern, the Whoop 4.0 has a significant and distinctive position in the market after you have been used to it.
BEST FITNESS TRACKER FOR IPHONE USERS
Apple Watch Series 9
There is nothing particularly outstanding about the Apple Watch Series 9 in terms of its appearance, with the exception of a delicate pink finish. A brighter display and speedier interactions with Siri are both powered by the watch’s S9 chip, which is the most substantial performance bump the watch has had in recent years. Enhanced ultra-wideband chips also make it possible for additional ecosystem functionalities to be implemented. Additionally, the incorporation of the double tap gesture into the Apple Watch Series 9 makes it feasible to operate a multitude of features with only one hand.
A skin temperature sensor is included in the Apple Watch Series 9, just as it was in the Apple Watch Series 8. This sensor enables customers to get more precise data on their sleep and menstrual cycle. From the point of view of fitness monitoring, there has not been much of a difference; nonetheless, throughout our testing, we discovered that the Apple Watch 9 is speedier. The Series 9 seemed to provide a more responsive experience when compared to the Series 8 when it came to moving between applications and browsing menus. Utilizing the new Smart Stack user interface that was introduced in watchOS 10 was also a breeze.
With a brightness of 2,000 nits, the display on the Apple Watch 9 is also more brilliant. With a brightness rating that is twice as high as that of the Apple Watch Series 8, this makes it much simpler to see your statistics while you are on the go. This is the greatest Apple Watch that you can get right now because of all of the performance advancements that have been made.
BEST FITNESS TRACKER FOR SLEEP
Oura Ring Generation 3
The Oura ring is not like other people’s fitness trackers in any way. First of all, since it is a ring in its most literal sense, you should wear it on your index finger rather than on your wrist. In addition to this, it does not have any buttons or other tactile controls. However, despite the fact that you may not be able to see your speed when you are running, the Oura ring monitors almost every other aspect of your health. The ring keeps track of your body temperature, heart rate, and breathing rate in addition to monitoring your sleep. In addition to that, it has a three-dimensional accelerometer that can detect motion.
Despite the fact that it is offered in four distinct metal finishes, you will need to make use of a sizing kit in order to determine the appropriate fit. The procedure of sizing is a bit laborious, but it is vital in order to ensure that something that you are expected to wear around the clock fits properly. To utilize the ring once it has been placed on your finger, you will also be required to pay a membership fee of $5.99 each month.
During the course of our testing, we discovered that the ring performed very well as a sleep tracker. At a glance, the Oura ring makes it simple to determine how well you have slept and where you have room for improvement in your sleeping habits. A comparison of the Apple Watch 8 with the Oura Ring as a sleep tracker is shown here. Your menstrual cycle may also be tracked more easily with the help of Natural Cycles, which can be synchronized with this app.
Learn how to choose the most suitable fitness tracker
Prior to making a purchase of a fitness tracker, you should first determine your requirements. What is it that you want to monitor? It is sufficient to use a fitness tracker that is less complicated and more affordable if you are simply going to use it in the gym to keep track of your heart rate and the number of steps you take.
If, on the other hand, you intend to engage in more activities that take place outside, such as jogging or bicycling, you may want to consider purchasing a fitness tracker that comes equipped with a GPS system. This will allow you to have a more precise view of where you are going and where you have been. In addition, runners and athletes who are committed to their sport may want to check out our article on the finest GPS watches.
In the event that you want to utilize the fitness tracker for swimming, you will need to ensure that it is not just waterproof, but that it is also capable of tracking the number of laps you accomplish while swimming.
Many of the top smartwatches also have the ability to measure fitness, and many often offer other functions such as the ability to react to text messages and pay for items. On the other hand, there are compromises. Nevertheless, smartwatches as a whole are often more costly and have a shorter battery life than fitness trackers that are specifically designed for that purpose.
IN WHAT WAYS DO WE VALUE THE BEST FITNESS TRACKERS?
It is necessary to be able to wear the device for the whole of the day, and we have discovered that some bigger fitness trackers do not fit well on smaller wrists. We examine the hardware design and comfort of each new fitness tracker with each new product. In the event that the gadget is equipped with a touchscreen, we examine its readability, particularly when exposed to direct sunlight. The ease with which the menus of the fitness trackers can be navigated is another aspect that we investigate. If you are out jogging, you do not want to have to sift through many screens in order to change the music that you are listening to.
In addition, we analyze features such as the ability to count steps and monitor sleep, calculate distance, and, where appropriate, determine the accuracy of heart rate and GPS. In addition, we examine how well the battery life promises made by a manufacturer stand up in the context of real-world testing.
In the end, we assess the experience of using a gadget and its companion app together, as well as the degree to which the device and app pair well with one another. The app on the smartphone is also evaluated to see whether or not it is capable of synchronizing data with other applications, such as MyFitnessPal, and whether or not it supports features like as coaching and diet monitoring.
