Fitness trackers are indeed the perfect choice for tracking your fitness. Some of the best fitness trackers include additional sensors to track stress, sleep, and other health metrics. Of course you can choose the best smart watch, but if you’re not interested in all the extra features they offer, a fitness tracker might be a better (and more affordable) option. Accurate exercise and activity tracking is what fitness trackers do best. They may not look as attractive Apple Watch, but they do a certain job well. We’ve researched and tested a good selection of the most popular fitness trackers to help make your decision a little easier.
What do fitness trackers do best?
The answer seems simple: Fitness trackers are the best at tracking exercise, whether it’s a 10-minute walk around the block or a half-marathon where you’re training hard. Obviously, smartwatches can also help you reach your fitness goals, but there are some areas where fitness bands prove to be the best buy: focus, design, battery life, and price.
When I say “focus,” I mean fitness trackers are designed to track activity well; everything else is extra. They often don’t have the same bells and whistles as smartwatches, which can detract from their ability to track your health. They also have fewer sensors and internal components, which keeps them smaller and lighter. Fitness trackers are also a better option for those who want a less noticeable device on their wrist all day.
Battery life is also better on fitness trackers. While most smartwatches last a day or two on a single charge, fitness bands offer five to seven days of battery life — allowing for all-day and night use, even with sleep-tracking features enabled.
When it comes to price point, there is no competition. Most value smartwatches start at $175-$200, but you can get a solid fitness tracker starting at $70. Yes, there are more expensive bands available (and we recommend a few here), but in the fitness tracker space you’ll find more options under $150 than in the smartwatch space.
When to buy a smartwatch instead
If you need a little more from your wearable device and don’t want to be limited to a fitness or activity tracker, a smartwatch might be the best buy for you. There are things like watch apps, alerts, and even more powerful fitness features that smartwatches have that the best fitness trackers don’t. Control smart home devices, set timers and reminders, check weather reports, and more. you can use them for Some smartwatches let you choose which apps you want to receive alerts for, and the options go beyond just call and text notifications. Just make sure your smartwatch is compatible with Android or iPhone before you buy, as not all of them work with both operating systems.
But the additional fitness features are arguably the most important thing to consider when deciding between a fitness tracker and a smartwatch. The latter devices tend to be larger, giving them more room for things like GPS, barometers, onboard music storage, and more. While you can find built-in GPS on select fitness trackers, it’s not common.
The best fitness trackers
Fitbit
Follower: Fitness, heart rate, ECG, SpO2, skin temperature, stress, sleep | Supported OS: Android, iOS | Maximum battery life: 7 days | Size: Small, big
Unless we give Fitbit Charge 6 despite the full review treatment, we’re confident in recommending it as the successor to our previous top pick, the Charge 5. The company has added a few new features to the mix here, namely a more accurate heart rate monitor, the ability to pair with exercise machines via Bluetooth, and a physical side button that can be used in tandem with the touchscreen to navigate the device’s interface. The Charge 6 has 20 workout modes to track, and thanks to Fitbit’s parent company, Google, you can skip and control YouTube Music playback as long as you have a YouTube Music Premium subscription.
Otherwise, Fitbit Charge 6 it looks very similar to the Charge 5 that came before it. The key to its appeal is that it’s not a smartwatch at all. This means it has a slightly lower profile on the wrist and lasts for days on a single charge while tracking activity, monitoring your heart rate, steps and sleep. It also has a full-color AMOLED display and a relatively slim design, which makes it feel quite premium compared to other fitness trackers.
Other benefits include contactless payments with Fitbit Pay and Google Wallet, as well as handy integration with Google Maps that lets you see turn-by-turn directions on your wrist. But make no mistake—the built-in GPS remains the star of the show here. If you’re looking for a wearable that can pinpoint runs and bike rides while tracking your heart rate and other stats during each workout, the Charge 6 is a great choice.
- Built-in GPS
- A more accurate heart rate monitor
- Seven days of battery life
- No integration with Apple Health
- Some information is hidden behind the Fitbit Premium paywall
Garmin
Follower: Fitness, heart rate, SpO2, stress, sleep | Supported OS: Android, iOS | Maximum battery life: 7 days | Size: 122-188mm (small/medium), 148-228mm (large)
A slimmer-looking fitness band alternative $150 Garmin Vivosmart 5. It’s thinner than the Fitbit Charge 6 and fits a little better with bracelets and other jewelry you might wear regularly. But its attractive design is only part of its appeal—Garmin knows how to track fitness, and the Vivosmart 5 is proof that you don’t need to spend hundreds of hours on one of the company’s deep fitness watches to get a capable device.
It has the same features as the Charge 6 except for built-in GPS. It does, however, support connected GPS, so you can map outdoor runs and bike rides as long as you bring your phone with you. The Vivosmart 5 tracks heart rate all day thanks to a heart rate sensor, plus sleep data and workouts, and we’ve always appreciated how many exercise profiles Garmin has to choose from, including workouts like strength training.
You can customize what appears on your device and change it whenever you want. You’ll also get additional health and wellness information like Garmin’s Body Battery score, which tells you how long you have to wait before peak performance again after a hard workout, blood oxygen levels, sleep stage data, and women’s menstrual cycles. cycle monitoring etc. If you’re looking for an all-around activity tracker, the Garmin vívosmart 5 has it all.
The biggest downsides to fitness tracking with the Vivosmart 5 are the aforementioned lack of built-in GPS, plus the mobile app is somewhat difficult to use. But on the other hand, Garmin devices can sync with Apple Health, while Fitbit devices still don’t have this feature.
- Slim design
- Great workout tracking features
- Customizable on-device training modes
- Syncs with Apple Health
- Connected GPS only
- Challenging mobile app
Xiaomi
Follower: Fitness, heart rate | Supported OS: Android, iOS | Maximum battery life: 16 days | Size: 135-210 mm
Engadget tested some cheapest fitness trackers you can buy, all coming in under $100. At the top of the list Xiaomi Band 8, beating the Fitbit Inspire 3 and Amazfit Band 7, that is, thanks to multiple sports tracking modes, a unique “gravel” operating mode and free and accurate sleep monitoring features. It is also quite comfortable and quite stylish with its sleek and flexible design. It also has a quick charge feature that makes it easy to wear for 10-14 days (depending on use) before running out of juice. Most importantly, the watch made it really easy to track niche workouts right on the watch face without too much distraction during the workout. And like the other fitness trackers on this list, it works with both Android and iPhone.
Pebble mode is a notable feature, as it lets you attach the tracker to your shoes using the included running clip accessory, and it does a good job of reporting your speed and cadence right on the screen after you’ve completed a run. More detailed information can be viewed on your smartphone through the Mi companion app. When the Band 8 is on your wrist, it makes it easy to set exercise goals in terms of time, distance, or calories burned per session for activities like deadlifting or skateboarding.
While the Amazfit Band 7 was beaten by just a hair in terms of exercise tracking capabilities, the Xiaomi Band 8 had a real edge over the Fitbit Inspire 3. While the Fitbit device is limited to just six preloaded workout shortcuts, the Xiaomi Band 8 has over 150 workouts that you can track right on the wearable out of the box. The Inspire 3 also prevented me from getting more detailed information about my sleep and recovery because that information lives behind the Fitbit Premium paywall. Xiaomi devices, on the other hand, have provided in-depth sleep reports with hand-picked tips to improve your hours of rest for free. – Melek Saleh, reporter
- Comfortable
- The UI is easy to use
- Detailed training reports
- Unique “Gravel” mode
Photo: Daniel Cooper / Engadget
Follower: Fitness, sleep | Supported OS: Android, iOS | Maximum battery life: 18 months Size: There is no
All of the previously mentioned fitness trackers are attractive in their own way (bonus points to those with interchangeable bands), but they share a similar look. There aren’t many alternative designs for these devices anymore. The $70 Withings Move watch is an exception and one of the most traditional fashion fitness trackers you can get. It’s an analog watch face with several health monitoring features, including step, calorie, distance, and sleep tracking, connected GPS, automatic recognition for over 30 workouts, and a waterproof design. But we really love it for its long battery life: the coin cell will last up to 18 months without needing to be replaced. Although this means there is no charger to charge the battery, you can buy a replacement coin cell for relatively cheap.
- Attractive analog design
- All-day activity and sleep tracking
- Months long battery life
Other fitness trackers we’ve tested
Fitbit Inspire 3
The Fitbit Inspire 3 It strips out all the luxury features from the Charge 6 and keeps only the basic tracking features. You won’t get built-in GPS tracking or Fitbit Pay or Spotify controls, but you do get solid activity tracking, automatic exercise detection, smartphone alerts, and more. The updated version has a sleeker design and includes a color touchscreen display and connected GPS, the latter of which lets you track your pace and distance while running or cycling outside with your phone by your side. Compared to the Charge 6, the Inspire 3 is also more fashionable. Its interchangeable bands let you change the look and feel of your watch whenever you want, and it’s subtle enough to blend in with the other jewelry you’re wearing. We’re also impressed with its multi-day battery life: Fitbit promises up to 10 days on a single charge, and it checked out for us. After four days of round-the-clock use, the Inspire 3 still has 66 percent battery left.
