Fitness trackers can help you pump up the volume on your #FitLife. They can also get you more in tune with your body (which is never a bad thing!).
Here are the best 13 fitness trackers for all fitness levels, needs, and budgets.
Meet our picks: The best fitness trackers
- Best overall: Fitbit Charge 4
- Best for running: Garmin Forerunner 235
- Best for biking: Polar Vantage V
- Best for swimming: Garmin Forerunner 735XT
- Best if you’re on a budget: Huawei Band 4 Pro
- Best sleep tracker: Samsung Galaxy Fit 2
- Best smartwatch: Apple Watch Series 6
- Best with GPS: Garmin Forerunner 645
- Best heartrate monitor: Polar M430
- Best value: Garmin Forerunner 35
- Best for listening to music: Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
- Best battery life: Coros Apex
- Best for first-timers: Fitbit Inspire 2
How we chose
We picked the 13 best fitness trackers based on price points, available features, user reviews, and reliability. We also opted for models with heart rate monitoring and online data syncing.
Pricing guide
Fitness trackers are def more expensive than the average stopwatch. The good news: There are TONS of options in a huge price range. Here’s a price guide to help you find the best fitness tracker for your body and budget.
- $ = under $100
- $$ = $100–$250
- $$$ = $251–$400
- $$$$ = over $400
The best fitness trackers
Best overall
Fitbit Charge 4
Price: $$
This bad boy tracks steps, distance, floors climbed, and calories burned. But wait… there’s more! It doesn’t just focus on your workouts. Other features include the ability to track your sleep patterns and play music.
Pros:
- displays pace and distance
- Active Zone Minutes metric to measure time spent in fat burn, cardio, or peak heart rate zone
- GPS compatible with running, walking, cycling, hiking, interval workouts, kayaking, surfing, and skiing
Cons:
- screen wake sometimes inconsistent
- lots of scrolling required to see different data points
Buy the Fitbit Charge 4 online.
Best for running
Garmin Forerunner 235
Price: $$
If you want a run rundown, look no further. This GPS watch offers a precise play-by-play. The customizable screen can display current pace, average pace, total time, total distance, and heart rate. It also comes with a wrist-based heart rate monitor so you can track your progress.
Pros:
- Wi-Fi/Bluetooth capability to sync data to tracking apps
- smart notifications to display incoming emails, text alerts, and calendar notifications
Cons:
- can’t play music
- wrist-based heart rate monitor maybe not as accurate as a chest strap
Buy the Garmin Forerunner 235 online.
Best for biking
Polar Vantage V
Price: $$$$
This user-friendly watch is all about #BikeLife. In addition to distance, it tracks your heart rate, stress, and sleep patterns. It can even sync data to third-party cyclist sites like TrainingPeaks or Strava. Woot! 🚴
Pros:
- lightweight
- long battery life
- can connect with Bluetooth-compatible sensors such as powermeters
Cons:
- has a ton of features, which might be overwhelming
Best for swimming
Garmin Forerunner 735XT
Price: $$
If you’re a swimmer or triathlete, this multisport watch is the way to go. The smartwatch is equipped with a wrist-based heart rate monitor, is shock-resistant, and provides GPS mode for up to 14 hours.
Pros:
- long lasting GPS and battery life
- can estimate VO2 max and predict race times
Cons:
- requires a separate device (a Running Dynamics Pod, HRM Run, or HRM Tri Monitor) to track ground contact time balance, stride length, and vertical ratio
Buy the Garmin Forerunner 735XT online.
Best if you’re on a budget
Huawei Band 4 Pro
Price: $
This sleek and simple watch won’t break the bank. It’s a great buy if you want a no-thrills, high quality fitness tracker. It has sport modes for outdoor and indoor running, cycling, and walking. You can also use it on fitness equipment, in the pool, and for open-water swimming.
Pros:
- strong GPS signal
- can sync to your phone
- great bang for your buck
Cons:
- smallish screen
- questionable accuracy of step count, according to reviewers
Buy the Huawei Band 4 Pro online.
Best fitness tracker for sleep
Samsung Galaxy Fit 2
Price: $
If tracking sleep is your biggest priority, smaller is better. This tracker’s sleek, slim screen doesn’t just track your sleep patterns — it also monitors your steps, calories burned, and water intake. And it can provide call and text notifications if synced with a Galaxy smartphone.
Pros:
- low price point
- long battery life
- slim band and screen for more comfort while sleeping
Cons:
- requires two apps
- may be big if you have smaller wrists
Buy the Samsung Galaxy Fit 2 online.
Best fitness tracker smartwatch
Apple Watch Series 6
Price: $$$$
Here’s one for all the Apple aficionados out there. This is a fab find if you want a smartwatch that does more than track fitness. You can take calls and respond to messages right from your wrist.
Pros:
- offers a wide range of third-party apps
- measures blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) on demand
Cons:
- compatible with iPhone only
- more expensive than other smartwatches
Buy the Apple Watch Series 6 online.
Best fitness tracker with GPS
Garmin Forerunner 645
Price: $$$
Garmin watches are all about accuracy. That makes this tracker the best choice if you’re going the literal distance on your runs. The data is detailed AF, which makes reaching your targets a lot easier.
Bonus: It has a live-tracking feature so you can share your location while running.
Pros:
- can sync data to third-party platforms with Garmin Connect app
- equipped with Garmin Pay for contactless payment from your watch
Cons:
- screen scratches easily, according to some reviewers
Buy the Garmin Forerunner 645 online.
Best fitness tracker with heart rate monitor
Polar M430
Price: $$
If heart rate training is your main focus, this watch is equipped with an optical heart rate monitor. It’s accurate, reliable, and doesn’t require a chest strap. It also allows you to monitor your steps, calories, and sleep.
Pros:
- provides accurate heart rate data
- tracks speed, distance, pace, and routes
Cons:
- smartphone syncing sometimes glitchy
- not as sleek or fashionable as other options
Best value fitness tracker
Garmin Forerunner 35
Price: $
This small, sassy watch offers heart rate tracking, automatic uploads, and music controls at a fair price. If you don’t need the bells and whistles — like messaging and smartphone notifications — it’s an excellent buy.
Pros:
- lightweight and stylish
- offers many of the same features as pricier Garmin models
Cons:
- smallish screen
Buy the Garmin Forerunner 35 online.
Best for listening to music
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music
Price: $$$
We all have our fave workout playlist to help us push through the pain. But carrying around a whole dang phone gets super annoying. Thankfully, this device is changing the game. With its long distance capabilities, you can grab your wireless headphones and leave your phone at home.
Pros:
- monitors performance and can evaluate status
- can sync with music streaming services like Spotify or Pandora
- can send your real-time location to emergency contacts through a paired compatible smartphone
Cons:
- short battery life, according to reviewers
- more expensive than other Garmin models
Buy the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music online.
Best battery life
Coros Apex
Price: $$$
Whether you run ultramarathons or just want to walk around the block, you need Energizer Bunny-level battery life. The Coros Apex’s battery can last 24 to 30 days. That’s right… DAYS. It’s also bomb if you’re serious about tracking your fitness data on the daily.
Pros:
- amazing battery life
- advanced metrics to track VO2 max, lactate threshold, and threshold pace
Cons:
- a bit bulky
- a bit spendy
Best for a first-timer
Fitbit Inspire 2
Price: $
Getting into fitness can be intimidating. This tracker makes it a heckuvalot easier. It monitors steps, distance, hourly activity, and calories burned, and the easy-to-use format isn’t overwhelming.
Bonus: It comes with a free 1-year Fitbit Premium trial for new Premium users.
Pros:
- 10 days of battery life
- call, text, calendar, and smartphone app notifications onscreen
Cons:
- fewer display options due to small screen
Buy the Fitbit Inspire 2 online.
Stay on track
Whether you’re training for the Olympics or just want to take your health more seriously, fitness trackers are the way to go. They help you set and stick to your health goals. With these 13 options, there’s something for everyone. Let’s get physical!
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