Now, more than ever, fitness and exercise play a crucial role in ensuring we stay healthy in the face of office chairs, car rides and fatty fast foods.
That’s why many people use fitness trackers to help them take control of their health, including me and my husband. It’s why I spent hours researching the best trackers on forums, Amazon, and independent media outlets. Not only to pick the best one for me but to share it with you as well.
There is no wrong way to pursue fitness. Some practice yoga. Others ride bikes, jog, swim, hike, lift weights, practice gymnastics, take boxing lessons, rebound on a trampoline. A lot of people combine a variety of aerobic activities into their regime. You could even work out on your in-home treadmill and stay in shape.
Picking the best fitness tracker is difficult because all of us have different needs. That said, I believe that the Fitbit Charge 4 is the best fitness tracker on the market right now.
Whether you want something to keep track of your footsteps or need a full-on guide to help you manage a serious routine, a fitness tracker can be your best friend.
Things to Consider
Although the ideal fitness tracker means different things to different people, there are some general things everyone (or most everyone) should keep in mind before they buy one. Here are five of the most critical things to consider.
1. Heart Rate Monitor
A lot of people, especially those engaged in more strenuous exercises, appreciate the information a heart rate monitor provides. If we lived in a perfect world, there would be a universal system of reading heart rates. But we live in a world where pounds and kilograms live side by side.
Different fitness trackers measure your heart rate in slightly different ways, and some provide more information than others. Knowing how to read this information and make proper use of it is critical to getting more out of your exercise.
2. Digital Display
All fitness trackers have a digital display of some kind or another, but these displays can vary greatly from model to model. Some trackers have LCD screens that provide all your critical information on the screen. Others only provide the most basic information, and you have to connect to an app to access the rest of your information. This brings me to our next point.
3. Fitness App
In many cases, the app that comes with your fitness tracker is just as important as the tracker itself. In much the same way, your tracker is only as good as your app. Try to do some research on the quality of the apps before you buy.
4. Battery Life
This is another area of major concern. How long can your tracker last before it runs out of juice? Most trackers do not run on battery power but are charged through a USB port and store a certain amount of electrical charge. If you frequently exercise for hours at a time, make sure your tracker is up to the task.
5. Price
There’s an old Roman proverb that states, “Everything is worth what its purchaser will pay for it.” However, if you end up buying a tracker that doesn’t give enough feedback – or more than you need – you won’t get the full worth of what you’re paying for. Figure out your fitness needs before you buy.
QUICK OVERVIEW
The Best Fitness Trackers
| Products | Features |
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EDITOR’S PICK
4.3 5,050+ 5050+
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Check price
at Amazon
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MOST REVIEWED
3.5 41,390+ 41390+
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Check price
at Amazon
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TOP PICK
4 4,142+ 4142+
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Check price
at Amazon
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BUDGET PICK
4 2,045 2045
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Check price
at Amazon
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BUDGET PICK
4 70+ 70+
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Check price
at Amazon
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Picking the best fitness tracker is difficult because all of us have different needs. That said, I believe that the Fitbit Charge 4 is the best fitness tracker on the market right now.
Under $50
LETSCOM Fitness Tracker
Features
- Battery lasts up to 7 days
- 14 exercise modes
- PRICE RANGE: Under $50
LETSCOM Fitness Tracker is just-the-basics tracker and comes in five colors, costs less than $30 and has a simple display screen that lets it effectively double as a watch. In addition to telling time, the display screen also shows your remaining battery life.
The tracker from LETSCOM is the perfect example of how many fitness trackers are dependent on their apps. By itself, the tracker hardly offers any useful information at all.
However, this Bluetooth-enabled device communicates directly with your cell phone, offering a variety of useful feedback. For example, the sleep monitor keeps track of your hours of sleep, while the option to connect it to your mobile’s GPS enables it to track your location.
It has 14 exercise modes and also monitors the number of steps you walk each day, the distance you cover, the number of calories you burn, etc. It can even sync with various other apps and vibrates, reminding you to read incoming messages.
This device isn’t the right fit for everyone. It does have a heart monitor and It is waterproof, but you can’t wear it when you swim, only if you’re running in the rain.
The device can hold a charge for 7 days, so you don’t have to worry about constantly recharging the unit. If you’re a swimmer or engage in serious aerobics or body training, you’re going to want to invest in something a little more advanced. But if you’re just looking for a simple tracker to keep you motivated, this is your ticket.
Samsung Galaxy Fit E
Features
- Battery lasts up to 7 days without notifications
- Thermal shock resistance
- PRICE RANGE: Under $50
I love the design of the Samsung Galaxy Fit E. It is entirely white, with a full-color AMOLED display. Also, the Fit E is water-resistant, so you won’t have to worry about running in the rain.
Weighing only 0.5 ounces, this tracker has a heart rate monitor, an accelerometer, and can analyze your sleep patterns. While this isn’t a full-fledged monitor and won’t give you detailed feedback like some other models on this list, it can provide some guidance while doing your fitness routine.
Like most fitness trackers, this one connects to your phone via Bluetooth, notifying you of incoming calls and messages. The downside to the Samsung Gear is its app. Where devices like Fitbit has an intuitive, fully realized app interface, the Samsung app lags behind, and it is harder to customize the experience. This is a great watch and fitness tracker, but it’s not perfect.
Under $75
Moov Now 3D Fitness Tracker
Features
- Battery lasts up to six months
- Real-time audio coaching
- PRICE RANGE: Under $75
The Moov Now Fitness Tracker is a completely new kind of fitness tracker. This innovative model is programmed with a basic AI that coaches you during your workouts, encouraging you to push further and make the most out of your exercises.
Moov Now does everything you expect from a fitness tracker. It keeps track of your steps, your miles, your calories and your speed. It has built-in coaching programs that walk you through a variety of different athletic sports. It’s water proof, allowing you to take it with you on your swims, keeping track of your strokes and your lap times.
Even better, you don’t have to worry about charging it. Moov Now is powered by a replaceable battery that lasts six months. There is no heart monitor or sleep monitor in this tracker. This is more like a personalized assisting working with you to help you get the most out of your workouts and push yourself to the next level.
This is a great product for serious athletes, but probably not suitable for those who want a simple device.
Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity + Sleep Wristband
Features
- Battery lasts up to ten days
- Progress display
- PRICE RANGE: Under $75
The Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity tracker is back to being a standard-style fitness tracker, even down to its minimalist design. It’s available in eight different colours and is made with rubber.I’ve described the basic functions of a fitness tracker several times at this point, so I don’t want to repeat myself too much.
The Fitbit Flex provides all basic exercise tracking features as well as a sleep monitor. It has a clock on it and connects to the app on your phone wirelessly via Bluetooth.There’s nothing wrong with this fitness tracker, but at the same time, I don’t see that it does anything a lot of cheaper models can’t do.
There’s no heart rate monitor, and while it is water-resistant, you can’t swim with it. In my opinion, you’re better off buying the LETSCOM or vívosmart 4.
Under $100
Garmin vívosmart 4
Features
- Battery lasts up to seven days
- Stress tracker
- PRICE RANGE: Under $100
The Garmin vívosmart 4 is the first tracker on this list that includes a stress monitor. Although it is similar in design to the previous trackers on this list, the vívosmart 4 is slightly larger and features a more attractive, information display.
As an activity monitor, it keeps track of your stress levels, it has relaxation breathing timer, Vo2 Max, and body battery energy monitor. It can track strength training, walks, runs, yoga, or pool swims. The sleep monitor gives you valuable feedback about ways you can maximize your rest, and the heart monitor records your heart both when you exercise, and when you’re at rest.
The fitness tracker offers a few other bonus features, such as weather forecasts and silent, vibrating alarms, as well as replying with preset responses (for Android users.) Moreover, this tracker is rated for use in water and it is a perfectly suitable fitness tracker for swimmers. The tracker can run for four days of continuous use.
Under $150
Polar A370 Fitness Tracker
Features
- Battery lasts up to 15 hours
- GPS via phone
- PRICE RANGE: Under $150
The Polar A370 Fitness Tracker is a heart rate monitor first and a fitness tracker second. It provides you with real-time, up-to-date information on your heart rate, helping you to make the most out of your workouts.
Factoring your heart rate is essential to achieving a good workout. The A370 provides a visual display on the LCD that lets you check your heart rate at a glance. It can also tell you whether your routines are working towards improving fitness or burning fat. The device can even notify you about your incoming calls, social media, messages, and calendar.
As a fitness tracker, the A370 offers speed, distance, and route tracking with the help of your phone’s GPS. As far as a heart rate monitor is concerned, this one is first-rate, and since it is waterproof, you can even monitor your heart rate while swimming.
Fitbit Alta Fitness Tracker
Features
- Battery lasts up to 5 days
- Minimalist display
- PRICE RANGE: Under $150
The Fitbit Alta Fitness Tracker is a sleek, modern-looking tracker with a stylish, minimalist display. It has a very intuitive app that is easy to read and understand. Like the Fitbit Flex, the Fitbit Alta offers all the basics but not a lot more.
As near as I can tell, the most innovative function of the Fitbit Alta is its crisp aesthetic, which allows you to swap out the armband for a different colour at any time. The charge lasts for five days, but it is recommended to charge it every two or three days. The Alta is water resistant, but not suitable for showering or swimming.
The main differences between Alta and Flex are that Alta will tell you the time, display more information on the device, and send you inactivity alerts to get you going. They’re from the same company and utilize the same app, have the same battery life and share almost the same features. Howerer, the Alta has more features packed in.
Garmin vívofit Fitness Band
Features
- Battery lasts up to 1 year
- Personalized daily goals
- PRICE RANGE: Under $150
In addition to being a fitness tracker, the Garmin Vivofit Fitness Band is also a GPS unit, making it easier for you to stay in touch with the rest of your life. Did you go somewhere and leave your phone at home? Your friend can figure out where you are, thanks to the GPS tracker, and take it straight to you!
The Vivofit keeps tabs on your walking, calories burned and other useful features like a typical tracker, even offering personalized goals for you every morning. A sleep tracker lets you know how well you’re sleeping and if you need to change anything.
The display features the time of day and your walking stats. The battery is designed to run for a year and can be replaced when it burns out. There is no heart rate monitor, and the tracker isn’t waterproof, but this is a good tracker for those who want a little more than the basics from their tracker.
Fitbit Charge HR Wireless Activity Wristband
Features
- Battery lasts up to 5 days
- Connects to up to 150 smartphones
- PRICE RANGE: Under $150
The Fitbit Charge HR fitness tracker is a major change in design from the other fitness trackers on this list, if but for one simple reason: the digital display is much more muted. That difference is a superficial one, however; Fitbit Charge HR improves on earlier Fitbit models in some significant ways.
For example, the Fitbit Charge has a heart monitor that lets you see your heart rate during certain activities or times of the day by measuring your pulse. It also tracks your exercise routine, helping you to watch your progress grow or just make sure you’re staying on track. It can connect with more devices than ever before, including Android, iOS and Windows phones, as well as your Windows desktop.
Everything else here is what you’d expect. Sadly, like other Fitbit trackers this isn’t suitable for swimming, but for just about anything else, Fitbit can help you become the best you can be.
Fitbit Charge 4
Features
- Battery lasts up to 5 hours
- Spotify app controls
- PRICE RANGE: Under $150
The Fitbit Charge 4 tracker is a set of features packed in a wrist tracker. This model has a built-in GPS and measures your heart rate, as well as your calorie burn. You can measure the distance and the pace when you’re out running, hiking, or cycling and later see on the map in the app how your heart rate changes.
The Charge 4 has 20+ exercise modes that are goal-based and it’s waterproof up to 164 feet, meaning you can even take a shower with it or go for swimming and it will track your activity. It also has a feature called Active Zone Minutes, which make the tracker buzz every time you reach your target heart rate.
The battery lasts up to 7 days and up to 5 days with the GPS, while the Sleep Score tracks your sleep stages and reviews them. Also, you can get Fitbit Premium for 90 days when you purchase the device.
Conclusion
Picking the right fitness tracker depends on you knowing what you need and what you’re looking for. Hopefully, after reading this guide, you will know exactly what you need and will have already found what you’re looking for. If you’re still unsure, the Editor’s Pick is a great choice. If you have any thoughts or suggestions, we’d love to hear from you!
*All prices mentioned above are at the time of publishing.
