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The Best Fitness Trackers for 2022

Fitness trackers can help you move more, sleep better, and improve your overall health. Here's how to pick the right one for you, as well as the top fitness wearables we've tested.

By Angela Moscaritolo

My Experience

I'm PCMag's expert on fitness and smart home technology, and I've written more than 6,000 articles and reviews in the 10-plus years I've been here. I unbox, set up, test, and review a wide range of consumer tech products from my home in Florida, often with the help of my pitbull Bradley. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

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Our 12 Top Picks

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There's never been a better selection of fitness trackers available, but with choice comes confusion.

Each year, we test and review dozens of models to help you find the best one for your needs and budget. When we evaluate fitness trackers, we take into account factors such as accuracy, battery life, ease of setup and use, features, price, specs, and style. 

With so many excellent options on the market, which one is right for you? We've gathered the best models we've tested here to help you decide. Read on for our top picks, followed by what to look for when choosing a fitness tracker.

The Best Fitness Tracker Deals This Week*

*Deals are selected by our commerce team


Our 12 Top Picks

Best Fitness Tracker/Smartwatch Hybrid

Why We Picked It 

The Apple Watch Series 7 offers a broad suite of built-in fitness, health, and safety tools, not to mention the best selection of third-party apps for any smartwatch (including Runkeeper, Strava, and Nike Run Club, to name a few). 

It accurately tracks your activity, blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), fertility windows, heart rate, menstrual cycle, overnight respiration, sleep, workouts, and more. Its Activity, Exercise, and Stand rings can help motivate you to get moving, and its companion Fitness+ workout streaming service ($9.99 per month or $79.99 per year after a free 3-month trial) offers a variety of studio-style classes with excellent music and instruction you can follow at home or the gym. 

On the safety front, the watch can alert you if it detects a high or low heart rate, irregular heart rhythm, and loud sounds that can damage your hearing. It also supports Emergency SOS and international emergency calling, plus can automatically seek help if it detects a hard fall. We also like that the Series 7's automatic 20-second handwashing timer, which can keep you honest when scrubbing up.

Who It's For

The Apple Watch Series 7 is best for iPhone users in search of a wearable that doubles as a fitness tracker to monitor your workouts, and a smartwatch to keep you connected. The Series 7 requires an iPhone 6s or later that runs iOS 15 or higher, so it's not an option if you use Android. 

Its one-day battery life won't suit ultra-marathoners, but the Series 7 is still a good option for casual runners. It features an always-on altimeter for real-time elevation readings; GPS and GNSS to measure your distance, pace, and route; and a compass for wrist-based navigation. With a WR50 rating, the Series 7 is safe for shallow-water activities like swimming in a pool or the ocean, and its Workout app offers tracking options for both. Apple also recently added a few new features for cyclists, including the ability to automatically detect bike rides and remind you to start an Outdoor Cycle workout. 

Apple Watch Series 7 Review

Most Advanced Fitbit Tracker

Why We Picked It 

The Fitbit Charge 5 offers more bang for your buck than any other fitness tracker we have tested.

This generation builds on its excellent predecessors with an attractive AMOLED color touch screen and metal case, along with several useful health monitoring features that were previously available only on Fitbit's more expensive Sense smartwatch. These include an electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor that tracks your body's response to stress, and an electrocardiogram (ECG) app that checks for signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib), an irregular heart rhythm. 

For fitness tracking, the Charge 5 features 20 sport profiles (six of which you can add to the device at a time), a built-in GPS so you don't need to bring your phone to track your route during outdoor runs, and a 24/7 heart rate monitor. Its SmartTrack feature automatically recognizes and records certain workouts including walking and running, while its Active Zone Minutes metric motivates you to meet the American Heart Association's recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate to intense activity per week. The Fitbit app offers plenty of post-workout data, including intensity maps showing your pace and heart rate zones throughout your route. On the safety front, the Charge 5 can alert you if your heart rate is unusually high or low.

When you wear it to bed at night, it tracks the duration and quality of your shut-eye, as well as your sleep stages (light, deep, and REM). It also tracks some more advanced overnight metrics, including respiration, heart rate variability (HRV, a measure of your nervous system activity and an indicator of stress levels), skin temperature variation (whether you were hotter or colder compared with your baseline), and SpO2. 

Who It's For

With top-notch fitness, sleep, and stress tracking features, an attractive design, and a reasonable price, the Fitbit Charge 5 is the best standalone fitness tracker for most people. It can help motivate you to meet your workout goals, get to bed earlier, and incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine. 

The Charge 5 works with both iPhone and Android devices, is water-resistant to 164 feet, and offers up to a week of battery life on a charge, which is pretty impressive given its color touch screen and slim design. It supports the following exercise shortcuts: bike, bootcamp, circuit training, elliptical, golf, hike, interval workout, kickboxing, martial arts, outdoor workout, pilates, run, spinning, stairclimber, swim, tennis, treadmill, walk, weights, workout (a general-purpose tracking mode), and yoga. 

One limitation, however, is that the Charge 5 lacks Spotify support. If you need music streaming controls on your wrist, look elsewhere. Moreover, if you're new to fitness or don't see yourself tracking outdoor runs, bike rides, or hikes, consider a more affordable wearable without a built-in GPS. 

Fitbit Charge 5 Review

Best Outdoor Visibility

Why We Picked It 

The Garmin Vivoactive 4 is a GPS-equipped fitness tracker and smartwatch hybrid that stands out because of its stylish design, excellent visibility in bright sunlight, and long battery life. Inside its classy stainless steel bezel is a color touch screen with a durable Corning Gorilla Glass 3 cover and an always-on display option. It comes with a comfortable textured silicone strap and is compatible with standard quick-release bands(Opens in a new window)

On the fitness front, it boasts more than 20 preloaded sports apps, guided workouts with form animations, and personalized training plans. It tracks advanced metrics such as your respiration and SpO2, plus can even monitor your heart rate underwater. 

The Vivoactive 4 gets about eight days' worth of battery life per charge, a major advantage compared to the Apple Watch Series 7 and Samsung Galaxy Watch4, both of which you need to recharge daily. Though fitness is its main focus, the Vivoactive 4 supports several useful lifestyle features including downloadable apps, onboard music storage for 500 songs, Bluetooth headphones, and contactless payments. 

Who It's For

If you’re in search of a high-end fitness tracker and smartwatch hybrid that balances form and function, the Garmin Vivoactive 4 should be at the top of your list.

With a sunlight-visible, transflective display and a built-in GPS, the Vivoactive 4 is a top choice for outdoor athletes, including trail runners and hikers. The display, combined with its 5ATM water resistance and underwater optical heart rate monitoring abilities, make it a suitable choice for swimmers, in particular.

It's an excellent wearable for any fitness-focused, yet style-minded, iOS or Android user and, now that it's been around for more than two years, you can often find it on sale.  

Garmin Vivoactive 4 Review

Best Mountain Training Companion

Why We Picked It 

The Polar Grit X stands out for its rugged build and useful outdoor-specific features. It offers all the capabilities you expect from a multisport GPS watch—including continuous heart rate tracking, overnight recovery measurements, and personalized workout recommendations—plus important extras for outdoor athletes, like refueling advice for long training sessions and events, route planning tools, and uphill and downhill stats. 

It's waterproof to 328 feet and has passed several US military-grade tests, thus ensuring it can withstand extreme temperatures, drops, and humidity. Thanks to a suite of power-saving features, the Grit X can last up to 100 hours (just over four days) on a charge. With the GPS running, it offers an impressive 40 hours' worth of battery life. Though it's a bit bulky for small wrists, it has a stylish design with a 1.2-inch color touch screen that offers ample real estate to view your metrics, as well as five physical buttons that allow you to easily navigate the interface.

Who It's For

The Polar Grit X is best for adventurers who prefer to train off the beaten path. It's a niche product designed for serious outdoor athletes but, if you fall into that camp, this fitness tracker can really help you level up your training. If you’re a serious downhill skier, hiker, mountain biker, swimmer, or trail runner, the Polar Grit X is strongly worth considering. 

Given its price, in-depth metrics, and outdoor features, the Grit X isn’t for the average person who wants to track casual runs and workout sessions. Plenty of more affordable wearables can help you record your exercise and monitor your health, like the Charge 5, which also features GPS and a heart rate monitor, plus NFC for contactless payments.

Polar Grit X Review

Best Battery Life

Why We Picked It 

Two words: Battery life. The Coros Apex multisport GPS watch lasts up to 24 days with normal use—it offers the longest battery life of any model on this list, by far. With the GPS enabled, it will last a full 24 hours. You can bump that to 80 hours by enabling a battery-saving mode called UltraMax, which switches on the GPS for 30 seconds every two minutes while using motion sensors and machine learning algorithms to track you the rest of the time. 

The Apex is designed for outdoor sports like biking, hiking, running, skiing, snowboarding, swimming, and triathlons. It tracks distance, elevation, heart rate, heart rate zone, pace, stride, time, and training effect. Is app displays beautiful graphs and offers a wealth of information to help you interpret the data. 

Who It's For

If you’re a triathlete, runner, or endurance athlete in the market for a sensor-packed sports watch that can go the distance, the Apex is a solid training companion. It has a 10ATM rating, meaning it can withstand depths of 328 feet and is suitable for swimming and open water activities, but not for deep-water sports like scuba diving. It offers similar functionality to the Garmin Forerunner 735XT, but with better battery life and a more stylish design. 

Though it lacks some lifestyle perks of some other models on this list, such as support for contactless payments and onboard music storage, the Apex delivers loads of data about your performance and actionable insights to help you improve your outdoor sports training. 

Coros Apex Review

Best Kid-Friendly Tracker

Why We Picked It 

Adults aren't the only ones who need to move more to stay healthy. The Ace 2 is our favorite fitness tracker for children. It accurately tracks step count, active minutes, hourly movement, and sleep, offering a healthy and motivational way to make sure your kids are getting enough exercise. Parents should like its durability: It's waterproof and the band doubles as a protective bumper to shield the tracker's 0.72-inch OLED touch display from scratches. Kids should appreciate its vibrant design and interchangeable straps. On top of that, the tracker is easy to use and offers excellent battery life. 

Who It's For

Although it is from 2019, the Ace 2 is still an excellent fitness tracker for kids ages six and up. It tracks the basics to help children develop a positive relationship with health and fitness. And given that it's a few years old, you can now often find it for less than $60. It's a terrific fitness tracker for kids and our top pick for them in the category.

Fitbit Ace 2 Review

Best Affordable Apple Watch Alternative

Why We Picked It 

The Fitbit Versa 3 is one of the best budget-friendly smartwatches you can buy.

The third-generation model offers all the excellent fitness and health features that have made the Versa line a favorite of ours for years, including 24/7 heart rate monitoring, guided breathing exercises, and automatic exercise recognition. It also adds a GPS for pace, distance, and route tracking without your phone, plus features an SpO2 sensor to measure the amount of oxygen in your blood while you sleep. 

And now, with support for Amazon Alexa, Deezer, and Pandora music and podcast storage, downloadable apps, on-wrist payments, smartphone notifications, and Spotify music controls, the Versa 3 is the most feature-rich Android-compatible smartwatch in this price range. It features a bright, colorful 1.58-inch AMOLED display, an aluminum case, and a workout-friendly silicone strap. It's water-resistant to 164 feet and lasts more than six days on a charge.

Who It's For

If you're in the market for a budget-friendly fitness tracker and smartwatch hybrid, the Versa 3 is a strong contender, especially for Android users. With a large, always-on color touch screen, long battery life, ample fitness and sleep tracking tools, and key lifestyle features, it offers tremendous value for the price. It's often available for less than the latest smartwatches from Apple and Samsung. 

For most people, the Versa 3 is a better choice than the Fitbit Sense, which adds a few advanced heart health and stress sensors, but also costs more. That said, if you're an iPhone user, you should also consider the Apple Watch SE, which boasts a wider selection of downloadable apps; better integration with the iPhone for calls and texts; plus some nice health and safety features you don't get on the Versa 3, including an automatic handwashing countdown timer and fall detection (but no SpO2 readings).

Fitbit Versa 3 Review

Best for Tracking Body Fat and Snoring

Why We Picked It 

Samsung's latest flagship smartwatches, the Galaxy Watch4 and Watch4 Classic offer some of the most innovative health-tracking features we've seen, including wrist-based body composition measurements and overnight snore tracking, tools that are not available on the Apple Watch Series 7. 

With a new three-in-one BioActive Sensor, the Watch4 series can not only read your heart rate and take an electrocardiogram (ECG) but also assess your body composition using a process called bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA, the same technology found in smart scales). After a 15-second scan, the watch displays your skeletal muscle mass, fat mass, body fat percentage, body mass index (BMI, a measure of body size based on your weight and height), body water mass, and basal metabolic rate (BMR, or the minimum necessary energy needed in an inactive state). It also shows whether your results for each metric fall within the low, normal, or high range.

When you wear the watch to bed and place a compatible smartphone on your nightstand, they can work together to listen for snoring and even record it. The watch also tracks your sleep duration, stages (awake, light, deep, and REM), and overnight SpO2. For fitness tracking, the Watch4 series supports 95 different workouts (everything from walking and running to archery and flying disc), and can automatically detect certain activities. 

Who It's For

The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 series is best for Android users in the market for a feature-rich smartwatch with cutting-edge fitness and health tracking tools. Similar to how the Apple Watch only works with iOS devices, the Galaxy Watch4 series is exclusive to Android. Samsung's latest smartwatches work with smartphones running Android 6.0 or later with at least 1.5GB of RAM.

We have high hopes for the upcoming Google Pixel Watch, slated for release this fall, which promises deep Fitbit integration. In the meantime, the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 and its more expensive sibling, the Watch4 Classic, are the best Android-compatible smartwatches. 

The Watch4 does everything the Classic model can, but is made of aluminum instead of stainless steel and has a functional digital bezel that lets you scroll through menus, instead of a physical rotating bezel. Unless you like the more rugged design of the Classic and think its rotating bezel is worth the $100 premium, we recommend you go with the Watch4.

Samsung Galaxy Watch4 Review

Best for Small Wrists

Why We Picked It 

Designed specifically for women, the Garmin Lily fitness tracker and smartwatch hybrid stands out for its classic, jewelry-inspired design. It features a beautiful patterned face, an aluminum or stainless steel bezel, and a 14mm band that's much slimmer than most smartwatch straps, so you can wear it alongside other bracelets. More than just attractive, the Lily can track health stats such as your calories burned, energy level, heart rate, respiration, sleep, SpO2, steps, stress, and workouts. It also offers smartwatch features such as phone notifications, music playback controls, and useful calendar and weather widgets. It's water-resistant to 164 feet and can last up to five days on a charge. 

Who It's For

If you want a fitness tracker that doesn't look like one, the Garmin Lily might be perfect. Its attractive, female-focused design is its biggest selling point, but the Garmin Lily also offers an impressive feature set for its small size. 

It lacks a color, always-on display and several other features you get with the Vivoactive 4 and 4S, but it also costs significantly less. And while it isn't quite as value-rich as the similarly priced Versa 3, the Lily is a top choice if you're looking for a fitness-focused tracker and smartwatch hybrid that prioritizes style and won't break the bank.

Garmin Lily Review

Best Affordable Fitness Tracker

Why We Picked It 

The Amazon Halo View is the most affordable option on this list but it offers a lot of value for its sub-$100 price. It can measure your activity, heart rate, sleep, skin temperature, and SpO2, plus it offers up to a week of battery life on a charge. 

Its companion Halo app membership (which is free for a year with the purchase of the tracker and $3.99 per month thereafter) offers tons of features to help you improve your results, including a library of original exercise videos and personalized movement health programs. The app membership also gives you access to more than 600 healthy recipes, which you can filter by eating style (classic, clean eating, ketogenic-friendly, Mediterranean, Nordic, Paleo-friendly, vegan, or vegetarian). 

If you don't want to pay for the membership after the free 12-month trial, the Halo View still functions as a basic activity and sleep tracker. Without a membership, it automatically tracks walks and other activities that elevate your heart rate, as well as the duration of your slumber and your sleeping temperature each night. 

Who It's For

If you need some motivation to get active, but don't want to spend big bucks on a fitness tracker you're not sure you will stick with, the Amazon Halo View is worth a look. It lacks GPS functionality, but the Halo View still presents a holistic view of your wellness. Its excellent companion app (available to Android and iOS) offers useful guidance and tools to help improve your health and fitness. 

The Halo View is better than its predecessor, the Halo, in almost every way: It has a display, costs less, and comes with a free year of premium Halo Membership (up from six months). The Charge 5 remains a better bet for gym rats in search of more accurate, granular metrics. But the Halo View is a nice alternative, particularly for those on a tight budget or beginners who are just beginning their path toward better health.

Amazon Halo View Review

Best Alternative to a Wristband

Why We Picked It 

The Oura Generation 3 is like a mood ring on steroids: It looks like a basic metal band, but it houses small sensors to keep tabs on your activity, physical and mental health, and sleep. It can even monitor your heart rate and body temperature around the clock, as well as predict your next period. This finger-based fitness tracker also keeps tabs on your HRV, overnight SpO2, and respiration rate. 

The previous-generation Oura was terrific for monitoring your sleep and recovery but fell short as an activity tracker. That's still largely the case, but the latest model has improved a bit on this front with a new Workout Heart Rate feature that can help you understand how exercise impacts your health.

It's about as thick as the average wedding band, super lightweight, and needs to be recharged only about once a week. The ring is water-resistant up to 328 feet, so you can wear it while swimming, showering, diving, or just doing the dishes. 

Who It's For

If you're not into watches or wristbands but you still need some motivation to improve your health and fitness, check out the Oura Ring Generation 3. Offering more sensors than its predecessor, an excellent companion app, and long battery life, the third-generation Oura is the best fitness-tracking ring we've tested. 

Like the Garmin Lily, the Oura's biggest differentiator is its stylish design. Fashionistas should especially like the Gucci version

Keep in mind that, similar to the Halo View, the Oura Generation 3 requires a membership (free for six months when you purchase the ring and $5.99 per month thereafter) to access all your health metrics. The Oura membership also offers a library of about 50 guided meditations and breathing exercises, and daily personalized guidance to help you tailor your workouts. Without a membership, you can see only your daily Activity, Readiness, and Sleep scores. 

If you don't mind something less discreet, the Charge 5 is the better buy if you're focused on physical fitness. 

Oura Ring Generation 3 Review

Best Personalized Workout Recommendations

Why We Picked It 

Polar's products are known for their accuracy, if not necessarily their style. With the latest version of its Ignite fitness tracker, Polar is appealing to fitness fans who also value aesthetics. 

It tracks your activities, heart rate, sleep, and recovery, plus offers personalized daily workout guidance to help you train smarter as well as guided breathing exercises to help you de-stress. On the design front, the Ignite 2 features stylish engravings on its metal bezel, a bright color touch screen, and accessory bands with Swarovski crystals (sold separately) for those who like a bit of bling. 

For fitness tracking, it supports up to 20 sport profiles on the device at a time and offers more than 100 options to choose from—everything from baseball to roller skating. It offers more variety than the Charge 5, which, as mentioned, supports up to six sport profiles on the device at a time, out of a list of 20 options. 

The Ignite 2 can last up to five days on a charge, or 20 hours with the GPS and heart rate tracking enabled. It's water-resistant to around 98 feet, so it's safe to wear in the shower or when swimming. Though it's primarily a fitness-focused wearable, the Ignite 2 offers smartwatch features like music controls and weather forecasts.

Who It's For

The Ignite 2 is meant for fitness enthusiasts who prioritize style. If you're in search of a capable GPS fitness watch that transitions well from the gym to a night out, the Polar Ignite 2 is an excellent choice. 

With a longer list of supported sports and activities than many competing devices, it's a top choice for those who often mix up their fitness routine.  While the Ignite 2 lacks an always-on display, mobile payment support, and an SpO2 sensor— features that are all available on the similarly-priced Versa 3—it's still a strong alternative that deftly balances form and function.

Polar Ignite 2 Review

What Is the Best Fitness Tracker for the Money?

Fitness trackers range from $25 to $400 or more. The simplest and least expensive trackers often lack a display, so you can't check your step count unless you look at your smartphone.

More expensive trackers usually include built-in optical heart rate monitors and GPS. Often, these features are meant to tempt athletes and exercise enthusiasts. Don't get suckered into buying an expensive tracker if your primary activity is walking. If you walk and don't do much else, there are great options in the $25 to $99 range. If you work out a lot and want ample fitness-tracking features, we recommend spending at least $99, which is often required to get the tracking tools you might want or need.

With most fitness trackers, you pay one price for the device and can access all or most of its accompanying software features for free. Some, like the Whoop strap, have a different pricing model. Whoop offers its basic black wristband for free with the purchase of a membership, which is required to gain access to its app. Whoop justifies its ongoing membership fees through regular app updates and timely features, such as COVID-19 tracking.

Amazon has taken a similar approach with its Halo View wristband. The company charges $79.99 for the tracker and $3.99 per month (after a one-year trial) to use most of its features. 

Fitbit Charge 5 (Photo: Angela Moscaritolo)

What Are the Different Types of Fitness Trackers?

One important question to ask yourself before choosing a fitness tracker is the type of design you want. Most trackers are worn on the wrist, though there are also clip-ons and fitness-tracking rings. Bracelets and watches are typically hard to lose. That said, they can get in the way of some daily activities, such as sleep, for example.

If a device on your wrist bothers you, a clip-on is likely a better option, although this style isn't nearly as popular anymore. Clip-ons, moreover, can fall off or accidentally end up in the wash. Fitbit sells a clip(Opens in a new window) for the affordable Inspire 2.

The Oura Ring, meanwhile, brings health tracking to your fingers. The Oura's ability to track workouts is pretty basic compared with a wrist-worn model, but it offers comprehensive sleep tracking and is more comfortable to wear to bed than a watch or wristband, making it an intriguing alternative.

There are also trackers for children, like the Fitbit Ace 2. And don't forget about Fido. That's right, there are even trackers specifically for pets.


The Best Fitness Tracker for Monitoring Your Heart Rate

Training intelligently means using heart rate data to guide your workouts. Sometimes you might want to keep your heart rate relatively low to burn fat or pace yourself for a longer workout. Other times you might want to push it higher for different health benefits, like building stamina.

Garmin Lily (Photo: Angela Moscaritolo)

Chest straps are slightly more accurate than wrist-based wearables for heart rate tracking because you wear them closer to your heart and they measure its activity directly. For comparison, the optical heart rate sensors in wrist-based fitness trackers calculate your heart rate by shining light into your skin and measuring blood flow. So, for the most precise heart rate readings, consider a dedicated chest strap. Not all smart home gym machines work seamlessly with fitness trackers, but most support chest straps like the excellent Polar H10.

The main benefit of a wrist-based heart rate tracker is that you can comfortably wear it all day long. They're more convenient than chest straps and give you a picture of your heart rate 24/7.

Meanwhile, if you're simply interested in knowing your resting heart rate, you don't necessarily need a heart rate-tracking device to find it. Many smartphone apps let you take your heart rate in about 15 seconds via your phone's camera.

For more, see the best heart rate monitors.


The Best Fitness Tracker for Sleep

Many fitness trackers record your sleep. When they do, they generally watch for movement using a three-axis accelerometer to a more sensitive degree than they do during the day. Most devices offer graphs in their companion app that show the duration of your light, deep, and REM sleep. Some also track your overnight respiration (the number of breaths you take per minute), a feature Apple added to its wearables as part of watchOS 8. The Samsung Galaxy Watch4 can even track your snoring.

Sleep data from the Polar Ignite 2

Some dedicated sleep trackers attach to your mattress, but we haven't found them to offer an appreciable advantage over wrist-based trackers. And wearable trackers can do a lot more than simply track your rest. But if you don't like the idea of wearing something on your wrist to bed and need a new mattress, you can always spring for the Sleep Number 360 Smart Bed. The second-generation Nest Hub is another option; it uses a motion sensor to track your sleep and respiration.


The Best Sport-Specific Fitness Tracker

Swimmers who want a waterproof tracker need to keep in mind that not all water-safe trackers actually track swimming. Runners should probably pick a watch that shows time, distance, pace, and lap time, at the very least. If you want good accuracy for those metrics without also carrying a smartphone, you need a runner's watch with built-in GPS—see our roundup of the best fitness trackers for running.

Garmin Vivoactive 4 (Photo: Angela Moscaritolo)

You also need to consider the display. If you want to view your stats at all times or simply use your tracker as a wristwatch, look for one with an always-on display. How you control the tracker is also important. If you like to run in the cold, or wear gloves, you may want to steer clear of devices that use touch-screen controls.

Cyclists have even more to consider. There's a difference between tracking how many miles you pedal and calories you burn versus monitoring your power and cadence. If all you want is the former, a few fitness trackers support bicycling as an activity. More serious cyclists should opt for a device that pairs with additional bike equipment, like a cadence sensor, and should consider devices from sport-specific companies, like Garmin and Polar.


The Fitness App Experience

A fitness tracker's app (or website) matters because it is where you view and process the information the tracker collects. Fitbit has one of the best apps and websites we've tested. It lets you record all kinds of data, such as your weight, menstrual cycles, calories and water consumed, and stress level.

Fitbit app views

If you want total body analysis, look for a system that incorporates a smart bathroom scale. The Fitbit Aria 2 sends your weight directly to your account, so you can't cheat the system by entering a lower number. The QardioBase 2 is another top smart scale, especially for those who are pregnant.


Fitness Trackers vs. Smartwatches

Most fitness trackers have some smartwatch functionality, and most smartwatches offer some fitness features, too. The Fitbit Versa 3 comes close to blending both worlds, but it still lags far behind the Apple Watch in terms of third-party app support.

Apple Watch Series 7 (Photo: Angela Moscaritolo)

The Apple Watch Series 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 place more of an emphasis on health and fitness tracking than any other smartwatches we've seen. They can calculate your blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) level, take an electrocardiogram (ECG), automatically detect workouts, and track your sleep. The Apple Watch SE lacks an always-on display and a few of the advanced health sensors from the Series 7, but otherwise delivers the same winning app, fitness, and safety features for $120 less.

For a detailed comparison of all the available Apple Watches, see our story on which Apple Watch you should buy. And for non-Apple recommendations in this category, see our list of the best smartwatches.

With so many good fitness trackers available, and more promising ones on the horizon, it's hard to contain them all in just one list. We've limited our picks here to trackers that scored four stars or higher, though there are lots of other good options on the market that might fit your needs. We update this article often, so make sure to check back for our latest recommendations. And make sure to check out our latest fitness tracker coverage.

Our Picks
Apple Watch Series 7 See It $399.00 at Best Buy (Opens in a new window) Fitbit Charge 5 See It $116.17 at Amazon (Opens in a new window) Garmin Vivoactive 4 See It $277.99 at Amazon (Opens in a new window) Polar Grit X See It $318.93 at Amazon (Opens in a new window) Coros Apex See It $299.00 at Amazon (Opens in a new window) Fitbit Ace 2 See It $67.00 at Amazon (Opens in a new window) Fitbit Versa 3 See It $179.99 at Amazon (Opens in a new window) Samsung Galaxy Watch4 See It $199.00 at Amazon (Opens in a new window) Garmin Lily See It $199.99 at Amazon (Opens in a new window) Amazon Halo View See It $79.99 at Amazon (Opens in a new window) Oura Ring Generation 3 See It $299.00 at Oura Ring (Opens in a new window) Polar Ignite 2 See It $209.99 at Amazon (Opens in a new window)
Rating
Editors' Choice
4.5 Editor Review
Editors' Choice
4.5 Editor Review
Editors' Choice
4.5 Editor Review
Editors' Choice
4.5 Editor Review
Editors' Choice
4.0 Editor Review
Editors' Choice
4.0 Editor Review
Editors' Choice
4.0 Editor Review
Editors' Choice
4.0 Editor Review
Display Type
OLED AMOLED Color Touch Screen Color Touch Screen Color LCD Monochrome LCD AMOLED Super AMOLED Grayscale Touch Screen AMOLED N/A Color Touch Screen
Compatibility
iOS Android, iOS Android, iOS Android, iOS Android, iOS Android, iOS Android, iOS Android Android, iOS Android, iOS Android, iOS Web, Android, iOS
Heart Rate Monitor
Sleep Tracker
Battery Life
18 hours 1 week 8 days; 6 hours with GPS 4 days; 40 hours with GPS 24 days; 24 hours with GPS Five days 6 days 40 hours 4 days 6 days 6 days 3 days
Where to Buy
$399.00 at Best Buy   (Opens in a new window) $399.00 at Apple.com   (Opens in a new window) $116.17 at Amazon   (Opens in a new window) $149.95 at Best Buy   (Opens in a new window) $277.99 at Amazon   (Opens in a new window) $349.99 at Best Buy   (Opens in a new window) $318.93 at Amazon   (Opens in a new window) $429.95 at Polar Electro Inc   (Opens in a new window) $299.00 at Amazon   (Opens in a new window) $67.00 at Amazon   (Opens in a new window) $38.99 at Best Buy   (Opens in a new window) $179.99 at Amazon   (Opens in a new window) $199.00 at Amazon   (Opens in a new window) $114.99 at Samsung   (Opens in a new window) $199.99 at Amazon   (Opens in a new window) $79.99 at Amazon   (Opens in a new window) $299.00 at Oura Ring   (Opens in a new window) $209.99 at Amazon   (Opens in a new window)

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About Angela Moscaritolo

I'm PCMag's expert on fitness and smart home technology, and I've written more than 6,000 articles and reviews in the 10-plus years I've been here. I unbox, set up, test, and review a wide range of consumer tech products from my home in Florida, often with the help of my pitbull Bradley. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Before becoming an analyst in 2020, I spent eight years as a reporter covering consumer tech news. Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

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