Dedicated fitness tracker, which are more targeted than smartwatches, are wearable devices that may assist you in increasing your physical activity, sleeping better, and generally improving your health.
Feature to Consider Before Buying Fitness Tracker
Here’s everything you need to know about before choosing the best fitness tracker for you.
Getting Start
If you want to experiment with fitness tracking (but don’t own a wearable), start with a smartphone app that counts your steps. This method is low-cost or free and may be appealing to newcomers. Map My Fitness is our number one recommendation for individuals who are new to fitness. It is capable of tracking hundreds of activities, ranging from vacuuming to rock climbing.
If you run or ride a bicycle, we recommend tracking your runs or rides first with an app rather than investing in a tracker. What explains this? Certain trackers require you to carry your phone to acquire exact pacing, distance, and mapping, so decide if you’re comfortable carrying your phone or prefer a tracker with built-in GPS.
We recommend run keeper (for running), cycle meter (for cycling), and Strava (for both running and cycling).
The Coros Safe Sound helmet is another interesting alternative for cyclists since it uses your phone’s GPS to track your rides and bone-conduction audio to enable you to hear instructions, music, and phone calls without covering your ears.
What Kind of Fitness Tracker Should You Purchase?
Costs for fitness trackers range from $25 to $400 or more. In addition, certain less expensive trackers are equip with no display, making it hard to determine how many steps you’ve taken until you check your smartphone.
The most expensive trackers sometimes include optical heart rate monitors and GPS and are generally geared for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. If your primary form of transit is walking, avoid getting tricked into purchasing an expensive tracker. On the other hand, if you walk mostly and do not participate in other activities, there are various fantastic choices in the $25 to $99 price range.
Assume you engage in frequent physical activity and desire a variety of fitness monitoring options. In that situation, we recommend paying at least $99, as this is the pricing point at which active customers have access to the capabilities that are useful to them.
Pick a Design for Your Fitness Tracker
Before choosing a fitness tracker, it is vital to examine the form factor you prefer. The majority are now worn on the wrist, but clip-ons and fitness monitoring rings are also available. Bracelets and watches are infamous for their difficulty in being lost. Clip-ons frequently slip off or are thrown in the wash.
On the other hand, bracelets and watches might obstruct your ability to type on a computer or sleep, for example. If wearing something on your wrist bothers you, you’re normally better off with a clip-on, although this style is becoming less common.
Meanwhile, the Oura Ring connects you to your health through Bluetooth. While Oura’s workout tracking capabilities fall short of a wrist-worn device, it provides thorough sleep monitoring. In addition, it is more comfortable to take to bed than a watch or bracelet, making it an intriguing choice.
Additionally, children’s trackers such as the Fitbit Ace 2 are available. That is right; in fact, there are trackers devoted only to pets.
Do want to Keep an Eye on Your Heart Rate?
While heart rate monitoring may appear to be the most desirable feature ever, there are numerous types of heart rate monitors, and, frankly, some people do not require it at all; also, a built-in heart rate monitor may raise the price.
Optical heart rate monitors are built-in to the device. However, certain good fitness trackers do not have a heart rate sensor but may be used in conjunction with a chest strap. Almost every Garmin and Polar device supports a chest strap (including the excellent Polar H10), and you can often add one for an extra $40 or $50 when purchasing a tracker.
Finally, if you’re interested in your resting heart rate, you’re not require to get a tracker with an optical heart rate sensor. Numerous smartphone applications allow you to capture a 15-second heart rate reading using your phone’s camera. Check your pulse once or twice every day, and you’re all set.
Will You Keep a Sleep Record?
Numerous fitness trackers monitor your sleep patterns. When they do, they often use a three-axis accelerometer to measure movement more precisely than they do during the day. In addition, certain devices display graphs displaying your level of light and deep sleep based on your movement.
There are also dedicated mattress-mounted sleep monitors, but we haven’t seen evidence that these give a substantial advantage over wrist-based monitoring. Additionally, wearable trackers are capable of tracking much more than just sleep. If you’re hesitant to wear anything on your wrist to bed and are in the market for a new mattress, you may always go for the Sleep Number 360 Smart Bed.
Specific Sports-Specific Activity Trackers
While swimmers will want a waterproof tracker, bear in mind that not all waterproof trackers monitor swimming. At the very least, runners need a watch that indicates the time, distance traveled, pace, and lap time. Finally, if you want to track your running numbers without carrying a smartphone correctly, you’ll need a runner’s watch with embedded GPS—see our picks for The Best Fitness Trackers for Running.
Additionally, take into account the presentation. If you want ongoing access to your data or wish to use your tracker as a watch, look for a tracker with an always-on display. It is also vital to control the tracker. If you prefer jogging in the cold while wearing gloves, you should stay away from gadgets with purely touch-enabled displays.
Cycling adds another dimension of difficulty. There is a distinction to be made between counting kilometers pedaled and calories expended and evaluating your power and cadence. If you’re solely concerned with the former, a few fitness trackers offer cycling as a kind of exercise. Serious cyclists will want a device to use in conjunction with other cycling equipment, such as a cadence sensor. They should look at models from sport-specific manufacturers such as Garmin and Polar.
Experiment with Fitness Apps
Apps are crucial when it comes to fitness trackers. Whether on your phone or computer, the app is crucial since it is where the tracker’s data is organized. Fitbit’s app and website are both among the best we’ve seen. It enables you to monitor a range of data points, including your weight, menstrual cycle, calorie and water consumption, and degree of stress.
If you’re looking for a system that analyses your complete body, look for one that incorporates a smart bathroom scale. This ability is available on Fitbit, Polar, Withings, and Wyze. The following are worth considering: the Fitbit Aria 2, Polar Balance, Withings Body Cardio, and Wyze Scale. These immediately transmit your weight to your account, removing the potential of manipulating the system by inputting a lower amount. The QardioBase 2 is another fantastic alternative, especially for pregnant women.
Smartwatch vs. Fitness Tracker Comparison
The majority of fitness trackers incorporate some smartwatch functionality, while most smartwatches also have fitness features. While the Fitbit Versa 3 gets dangerously close to merging the two worlds, it lags behind the Apple Watch regarding third-party app support.
The Apple Watch Series 6 is more focused than any other timepiece we’ve seen on tracking your health and exercise. It can compute your blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) level in 15 seconds on demand and even has an FDA-approved electrocardiogram (ECG) feature that generates a PDF of your heart rhythm for sharing with your doctor, something none of the other trackers on this list do. It is, however, primarily a smartwatch, as the name implies.
Alternatives to Consider
With so many fantastic fitness trackers on the market and more on the way, compiling a single list would be impossible. We limited our choice to trackers with a four-star rating or above, although there are many other fantastic options. This article is often updated, so check back periodically for the most up-to-date information.
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