Fitness trackers have become increasingly popular over the past few years. They are great for tracking daily activity, setting fitness goals and keeping up motivation on the journey to becoming healthy. Recently, there has been an influx of fitness tracker apps to track daily activity right to your smartphone. But the accuracy and abilities of these apps alone cannot really give you a full picture of your progress. So to get a more accurate view of your fitness, it can be good to add a fitness tracker into your everyday schedule.
But with so many different devices and apps to choose from, it’s hard to tell which fitness tracker will be right for you. Whether you wish to lose weight, track and monitor your daily activity or use a fitness tracker for a specific sport, we are here to help!
We have put the most popular fitness trackers through their paces to bring you a list of the best fitness trackers. Each has been judged on: what they measure, battery life, practicality and accuracy for different kinds of activity.
With so many fitness trackers on the market and so much to take into consideration, which fitness tracker will be right for you?
Contents
Best Budget Fitness Trackers
Fitbit Charge HR
The Fitbit Charge HR is by far the best mid-range fitness tracker. Its sleek and simple design makes it discreet and comfortable to wear under clothing. It has a simple display screen that allows you to check your progress throughout the day. It’s waterproof up to 10 meters – robust but definitely not a good fitness tracker for swimmers or wearing in the shower. This little device is simple to sync to your smartphone by using the Fitbit app. Charging is also made simple with the Fitbit Charge HR as it uses a USB cable.
Measures:
- Altimeter or step counter
- Heart rate monitor
- All day activity monitor (floors climbed, distance and calorie log and much more)
- Sleep tracker
- Workout tracker
Pros:
- Long battery life (up to 5 days)
- Has a display
- Neutral and discreet with comfortable strap
- Automatic exercise activation
- Has caller ID with compatible devices
- App is simple and easy to use
Cons:
- Not 100% waterproof (not best suited to swimmers)
- Some of the stats can be a little off at times
Overall unless you’re a serious athlete, this little device is perfect for everyday use. It’s comfortable and very reasonably priced with lots of cool features, making it the top of my list.
Get it now on AmazonAquarius AQ125HR
For the low price, this is a fitness tracker with a lot of pros. Not only can you track all the usual heart rate/steps data, but there are also 14 different sports options to choose from depending on what activity you are undertaking. From running to tennis, dancing and hiking, the choice will give you a more accurate measurement.
It connects to your smartphone’s GPS to track your movement with more accurateness and lets you see a map of your route, the pace and average heart rate at each section of the walk/run. As a bonus, it has features you would find in a smartwatch too, such as call and text notifications straight from your phone.
Aquarius fitness trackers are incredibly popular and loved, seen by many as a much cheaper version of the industry-leading Fitbits. A great product not only for those starting their fitness journey but also seasoned tracker users.
Measures:
- Steps, calories, distance, heart rate
- Sleep activity
Pros
- Great price for what you get
- Call, text and notification alerts from your phone
- Dedicated activity modes
Cons
- The display can be difficult to read in certain lighting
GOJI GO Activity Tracker
Very impressive and at a very affordable price, the GOJI GO lets you track your daily movement, such as steps, distance travelled, calories burnt and activity duration. You can do this on both the tracker and through the app.
If you enter your personal data, such as age and height, the calculations become a lot more accurate. It will also monitor your sleep, reporting on the duration plus when you are in every sleep cycle so that you can adjust your habits accordingly.
Have certain goals to achieve? Set them through the device, and it will alert you when you reach them. Bluetooth technology syncs all of the information to your smartphone or tablet. A three-hour charge gives you up to seven days of use, so it is perfect for those busy people who are always on the go.
Measures:
- Steps, calories, distance, heart rate
- Sleep activity
Pros
- Easy to read and adjust the display settings to suit your style
- Great to boost encouragement
- Great for kids
Cons
- A bit fiddly to fasten until you get used to it
Best High End Fitness Trackers
Fitbit Blaze
This touchscreen fitness tracker does everything you could ever want… and then some. It’s a smartwatch, activity tracker, heart rate monitor and sleep tracker all rolled into one. Perhaps the most exciting feature of this watch is the connected GPS, meaning it uses your phone’s GPS signal to track things like distance from your workouts. This is where many fitness trackers fall short, as they only use GPS and can take a while to connect to a satellite. You can control music from your phone on this device and it has, by far, the best fitness tracker app available.
Measures: Activity tracker (heart rate monitor, step counter) sleep tracker and distance
Pros
- Can control your phone from the watch
- Has connected GPS so accuracy of this data is better and probably faster to use
- Easy to use and detailed app for phone
- Stylish
- Interchangeable band, frames and customisable clock faces
Cons
- Have to pop the watch out of it’s frame to charge it
- No reminder to move like the Garmin or Fitbit tracker
Garmin Vivosmart HR+
The Garmin Vivosmart HR+ is the best fitness tracker for runners. With a built-in GPS tracking device you can record the distance of your workouts. It has a long-life battery lasting around a week with a single charge. It covers all the basic features of most fitness trackers but with added GPS – this tracker is probably the closest you can get to a smartwatch without actually buying one. Not only is it perfect for runners and other sports, it’s waterproof too, making it perfect for a swimmer. And with an activity reminder and alarm for the morning, this tracker really does have it all.
Measures:
- Daily activity (distance, calories burned, floors climbed and active minutes)
- heart rate
- sleep tracker
Pros:
- Can receive phone notifications, both iPhone and Android
- Waterproof
- Touch screen with movement-activated display
- It’s linked through Bluetooth so it’s easy to sync with your device
- Good accuracy – GPS and heart rate are accurate
Cons
- It’s bulkier than some of the other fitness trackers (bigger than the Charge HR and Jawbone 3)
- The app isn’t as good as the other ones that are out there, like Fitbit
- Can take a while to get the GPS signal
- No battery display on the watch
- Backlight cannot be completely turned off
FITBIT Charge 2
The newest Fitbit on the market, and as usual it is receiving glowing reviews. It is available in seven different colours and tracks your steps, distance, calories and heart rate. Multi-sport tracking gives you the ability to be checked whether you are running, lifting weights, doing yoga or having a gym session, without adjusting the settings.
The PurePulse heart rate monitor and simplified heart rate zones are clearly displayed onscreen, so you can adjust your workout to suit. It is also the ultimate option for runners, as it uses your smartphones GPS to show you real-time stats. There are also guided breathing exercises available to calm you down if you need to rest or cool down after a workout or as part of a yoga session.
As an all-in-one, it can deliver your smartphone calls, texts, emails and appointments straight to your wrist. It is compatible with iPhone 4S and Android 4.3 onwards.
Measures:
- Steps, calories, distance, heart rate
- Sleep activity
Pros
- Simple and easy to use – totally functional and no-nonsense tracker that does exactly what it says on the tin
- Stylish and discreet, minimalist design
- All-in-one device for your everyday activities
Cons
- Splash proof, but not waterproof for swimmers
Or maybe.. A Smartwatch
If you’re looking for something a little more high-tech to keep up with your daily activity, it may be worth investing in a smartwatch. They have a lot swankier features, like connecting to your phone and everyday organisational tools, not to mention their super stylish designs.
Fossil Q Marshal Brown Leather Strap Smart Watch
A sleek, modern watch compatible with Android™ OS 4.3+ or iPhone 5/iOS 8.2+. There is a range of customisable faces to suit both your style and your usability, as well as interchangeable straps, making it the perfect fashion accessory as well as your new ultimate piece of technology.
Incoming texts and calls are made straight to the watch, and the inbuilt speaker and microphone mean it is the only device you need to conduct clear calls. It also connects to your other apps, keeping you updated.
It does everything that the more expensive Apple Watch will do, making it great for those who can’t justify such a splurge.
Measures:
- Steps, calories, distance, heart rate
Pros
- Water and dust resistant
- Receive social media notifications
- Pedometer and accelerometer
Cons
- Battery only lasts 24 hours
Apple Smartwatch
The Apple Watch is an amazing accessory for your smartphone, but coming from Apple, it comes with a hefty price tag. This device is stylish and convenient and comes in two different sizes. You can make it your own with interchangeable straps, but they too come with a comparatively sizeable price tag attached. Just like the Pebble, the Apple Watch needs to be connected to your IPhone otherwise it will not work properly. Every hour, at 10 minutes till the hour, the Apple Smartwatch will remind you to stand up if you haven’t already done so in a while. But as a fitness tracker, the Apple Watch is like a simple version of the many apps out there, like Fitbit and Garmin.
Measures: basic fitness activity (step counter and heart rate and lots more)
Pros
- Stylish
- Can get it in two sizes
- Fits nicely under your sleeve
- Waterproof
Cons
- It’s expensive
- Only has one day battery life
- Only compatible with iPhone – limits the apps you can use with it
- Doesn’t track sleep
- Doesn’t have GPS
- You still need your phone close by
- It’s a little slow – basically a miniature iPhone
There is also a newer model available. The Apple Watch Series 3 comes with additional updates, such as cellular 4G ability for use without your smartphone, music control, and the possibility of Siri talking to you, so you don’t have to look at your watch to find the answer to your question. The Series 1 is still good for the basics though and has become more affordable with the release of newer models.
Get it now on AmazonGARMIN vivoactive 3
For the perfect balance between sports, fitness and smartwatch capability, the Garmin vivoactive 3 can cater your workouts to exactly what you need. Or, you can download pre-set ones to get a bit of a head start and inspiration. There are 15 pre-loaded sports apps such as yoga, golf and strength training.
Free watch faces, apps and widgets are available in the Garmin Connect IQ store. It is also Garmin Pay enabled, so if you leave your wallet at home, you aren’t struggling. You can also receive all of the usual incoming call/text/email/social media notifications, connecting via Bluetooth.
Measures:
- Steps, calories, distance, heart rate
- Sleep
Pros
- Water and weather resistant
- Chroma display makes it easy to see in all light
- Usage personalisation
Cons
- Battery only lasts 2/3 days
Product Round-Up
Although there are many different fitness trackers available, some come with unnecessary features that you may not even want. The biggest decision you have to make is whether the high tech features and extra gadgets are right for you. If you only wish to use the tracker to track your everyday activities and for a couple of workouts a week, then the Fitbit Charge HR or the Jawbone UP3 are the perfect, mid-range trackers for you. They do exactly what it says on the tin, without any high-tech gadgets and flashy features. But if flashy features are exactly what you’re looking for, then a smartwatch will not disappoint. The Pebble is definitely on the cheaper end and they look stylish and sleek.
Fitness Tracker vs. Smartwatch – What’s the difference?
I’m sure that you have heard a lot of buzz about the release of the new Apple Watch 2 that can connect to your phone, receive notifications, answer phone calls and pretty much anything else you could dream of, all from your wrist. But what is the real difference between fitness trackers and smartwatches?
Though they both may have similar features, there is a big difference. Fitness trackers make measuring your fitness a priority. They measure your heart rate, calories burned, your daily activity and even your sleeping pattern. Smartwatches, on the other hand, blend functionality and organisation, essentially giving you a miniature smartphone on your wrist. It means you can receive notifications, messages, send emails, plan an elaborate event… and track your daily activity on top of all that.
What You Need To Know Before Getting Started
If you’ve never used a fitness tracker before, it may be a good idea to try out some of the free apps that can be downloaded to your smartphone, like Fitbit or MyFitnessPal. These apps can track your steps, count your calorie intake and work out the calories you’ve burned. Although the accuracy of these apps are questionable, it’s a great way to see if a fitness tracker is worth investing in.
The most important thing to think about before you buy is what would you like to use it for? Did you want a fitness tracker for running, swimming, weight loss, cycling or just to track your every day activity? Once you have answered this question, it’s easier to decide which functions you want your device to track.
It’s also very important to remember that there is no real correlation between the price you spend on your tracker and its accuracy. Even some of the lower end fitness trackers are pretty spot on with the data they collect. Battery life is another thing to take into consideration before you purchase your fitness tracker. Some can last a couple of weeks and others may only last a day on a single charge, depending on their display and how many sensors they have LED lights in the display and lots of fancy, yet unnecessary, functions can drain the battery in a heartbeat.
So there you have it – your run-down of the best fitness trackers of 2018 and which ones are best for certain activities.
What do you prefer to use, a fitness tracker or a smartwatch? Let me know in the comments below.
We can receive phone notifications, both iPhone and Android device.Its main advantages are its waterproof. Its touch screen with the movement-activated display is so good.It’s linked through Bluetooth so it’s easy to sync with your device.
This is a smart fitness tracker.It is hand band type tracker for this It enhances my extra hand beauty. It is fashionable and smart fitness tracker. It has well pedometer that counts each an every steps with calories burnt. It tracks all activities. I use it in all functions as like Christmas day, marriage ceremony and birth day party. It has multi functions those are easily understand. Now it is my favorite fitness tracker.