The greatest health trackers monitor your well being with out weighing down your wrist. Unlike health smartwatches with large shows cramming in a ton of data, trackers are light-weight, skinny health bands that measure your coaching progress and well being knowledge. They’re compact, snug, inexpensive, and final for days (or weeks) at a time.
If you are searching for a health tracker that actually does all of it, we extremely suggest the Fitbit Charge 6, which supplies you premium instruments like onboard Global Positioning System, superior well being monitoring, Google Wallet funds, and Google Maps — all crammed right into a 1oz. band. You get the tips you’d need in a health watch, in smaller type.
That mentioned, the Charge 6 is priced like an affordable watch and comes with a subscription. So although it is the very best health tracker obtainable, you will discover loads of different choices which can be slimmer, cheaper, or produce other options you could discover extra interesting. Plus, with Amazon Big Deal Days coming October 8 and 9, 2024, you will most likely be capable of discover quite a lot of these for deeper reductions.
At a look
Best total
With smartwatch specs, the glossy design of a health tracker, and Google smarts behind the scenes, the Fitbit Charge 6 will assist take your exercises to the following degree.
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Best premium choice
The Vivosmart 5 screens your well being and health 24/7, with superior sleep monitoring capabilities, seven days of battery life, and a slim, ultra-light design.
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Best low cost choice
The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 has a 16-day battery, 150 sports activities modes, working type evaluation, vitality scores, and different superb tips for such an inexpensive tracker.
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Best worth Fitbit
If you need Fitbit high quality with out paying the same old Fitbit value, the Inspire 3 is a health tracker that employs a light-weight design, has 10-day battery life, and consists of six months of Fitbit Premium.
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Best starter
Simple and inexpensive, the Amazfit Band 7 comes with HRM, SpO2, and stress monitoring capabilities, plus a long-lasting battery and built-in Alexa assistant.
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Best watch-style tracker
Not connected to the “health band” fashion? This squircle-style Garmin has extra smarts than another entry on this listing, however is lighter and extra inexpensive than most health watches.
Read extra beneath.
Best total
Up till late 2023, we reserved our high slot on this listing for the Fitbit Charge 5, a incredible “pseudo smartwatch” that crams helpful tech right into a compact package deal. In September 2023, Fitbit launched the Charge 6, which has the identical design and sensors, however with Google smarts packed in beneath the floor and a brand new haptic button to enhance the touchscreen.
The Fitbit Charge 6, just like the Charge 5, stretches the definition of a health band. Beyond the same old coronary heart charge knowledge, it has AFib detection, coronary heart charge variance, respiration charge, blood oxygen, and pores and skin temperature. Instead of relying in your cellphone’s Global Positioning System, it has built-in Global Positioning System if wanted. And its 1.04-inch AMOLED show is massive sufficient to show knowledge clearly when different bands nonetheless depend on monochrome or tinier shows.
Moving on to what’s new, the Charge 6 has a haptic button you squeeze to activate the show, return to the principle watch face from any display, pull up the Google Wallet display, or carry out different actions throughout actions. Our Charge 6 evaluate famous that whereas previous Fitbits had irritating haptic buttons that did not all the time work, Fitbit nailed the Charge 6’s button: “it really works because it ought to, with out being susceptible to unintentional presses like a bodily button.”
You additionally get YouTube Music playback controls, Google Maps turn-by-turn navigation, and an algorithm borrowed from the Pixel Watch to make coronary heart charge knowledge extra correct throughout fast-moving actions like HIIT. Our reviewer praised the final two perks, however famous that it is irritating for subscribers of different music streaming providers to not have playback controls as properly.
Overall, we largely had reward for the Charge 6 regardless of what number of options remained unchanged from the final era. Our reviewer wished the show was barely brighter or that it had an altimeter. But in most respects, the Charge 6 stays properly above the remainder of the health tracker fray in high quality.
Best premium choice
The Garmin Vivosmart 5 takes a special, extra conventional method than the Fitbit Charge 6. It does not have built-in Global Positioning System like a full-blown Garmin smartwatch, or the complete well being sensor suite and trendy AMOLED of the Charge 6, nevertheless it has the necessities: It retains observe of your steps, sleep, stress ranges, energy burned, flooring climbed, varied workout routines, coronary heart charge, and blood oxygen ranges. You’ll nonetheless have entry to smartphone notifications in your wrist; in the event you’re an Android consumer, you possibly can reply with preset fast replies.
The greatest cause to decide on the Vivosmart 5 is that you simply get Garmin software program for actually a whole bunch lower than its typical watches, and at about half the burden. In our Vivosmart 5 evaluate, we praised the Body Battery monitor as one of the attention-grabbing and helpful methods to trace how a lot vitality you’ve left all through the day, with a purpose to information your health plans. You may also observe your Intensity Minutes, see your Fitness Age, and the band will detect an incident in the event you fall and damage your self throughout an exercise.
You’ll have to hold your cellphone readily available, and settle for the tiny monochrome show in change for a way gentle it’s. But you possibly can admire the Vivosmart’s detailed well being monitoring knowledge with no month-to-month payment. It prices on par or above most Fitbits, however you will lower your expenses in the long term with out the necessity to depend on a subscription like Fitbit Premium.
Best funds choice
When it involves low cost health trackers with high quality and worth properly above their value factors, we instantly consider Xiaomi. The Xiaomi Band 8 is not particularly totally different from 2022’s Band 7, with the identical 1.62-inch AMOLED show, well being sensors, and common software program; nevertheless it has key upgrades to maintain it contemporary, from 40 new sports activities modes to a brand new “Pebble Mode” that turns the Band 8 right into a working type tester you clip to your shoelaces.
The Xiaomi Band 8 additionally permits you to comply with a customized exercise with a goal coronary heart charge or tempo. The Xiaomi’s PAI metric has additionally been revamped. Called “Vitality Score,” it tells you in the event you’re transferring or figuring out sufficient to get more healthy or keep wholesome, primarily based in your age and different components.
In phrases of {hardware}, Xiaomi now guarantees 16 days of battery life as an alternative of 14. With steady HR, blood oxygen, and stress monitoring, you will minimize that point considerably, nevertheless it’ll nonetheless final as lengthy (or longer than) the opposite picks on this listing. Plus, the AMOLED show now hits 600 nits of brightness and has Gorilla Glass 3 safety.
We gave the Xiaomi Band 8 the runner-up spot in our Android Central Best of 2023 awards, praising its upgraded band choices and the identical dependable well being monitoring that Xiaomi has provided for years.
We thought of changing the newer Xiaomi Band 8 Pro, launched in early 2024 with a 1.74-inch AMOLED show and built-in GNSS monitoring. But its enlarged show makes it extra of an affordable health watch than a tracker, so it does not actually match on our “greatest health trackers” listing.
Best worth Fitbit
If the Fitbit Charge 6 is a bit too wealthy and heavy on your blood, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is the inexpensive various you want. It loses perks like built-in Global Positioning System and the ECG/EDA sensors, with a smaller show that our Inspire 3 reviewer discovered too small to learn notifications on. But it is nonetheless a cushty, inexpensive medium for monitoring exercises and getting thorough Fitbit Premium stories in your well being.
Despite how “minuscule” the show is, the brilliant, colourful AMOLED is “as crisp as doable,” displaying your well being and health knowledge with nice readability. And maybe because of the small show, the Inspire 3 is extraordinarily long-lived at 10 days per cost, matching the Inspire 2 regardless of the older tracker’s monochrome OLED show.
With Fitbit Premium, you will obtain a each day readiness rating primarily based on how arduous you labored out the day past, your stress ranges throughout the day, how properly you slept, and different knowledge that can assist you see how arduous to push your self in coaching. Unlike the bulkier Fitbit trackers and watches, the Inspire 3 is so understated that you will barely discover it is there. Sometimes, being “forgettable” is an efficient factor!
As a aspect observe, if you would like one thing compact just like the Inspire 3, but in addition with a larger deal with fashion, look into the Fitbit Luxe, a classy choice with a chrome steel case and luxurious bands that sat on our listing of the very best health trackers for a pair years. It has largely the identical software program regardless of being older, although it misses out on some tips and has half the battery life (5 days).
Best starter
The Amazfit Band 7 is remarkably much like our favourite funds tracker, the Xiaomi Mi Band 7, from its reliance on the PAI well being evaluation system to its weeks-long battery life. Its show is barely smaller and lower-resolution, although nonetheless a lot bigger than the Vivosmart 5 or Inspire 3. But it has one main improve on the Mi Band: help for an Amazon Alexa assistant, so you possibly can rapidly ask it questions or carry out any motion that the Alexa app helps.
After our Amazfit Band 7 evaluate, we discovered the tracker greater than lived as much as our expectations of what a $50 tracker can obtain. It can constantly observe coronary heart charge and stress or take a spot test of each plus blood oxygen at any time. And it takes this knowledge, alongside together with your exercise knowledge, to generate a Personal Activity Intelligence (PAI) rating that tells you the way arduous you are figuring out — and the way arduous you ought to work out to take care of or enhance your well being.
Like most trackers, it solely has related Global Positioning System that depends in your Zepp app, nevertheless it does at the very least join near-instantaneously, and the dearth of built-in Global Positioning System helps the watch final a very long time even with steady monitoring and the always-on show energetic. It has all of the necessities you must succeed and a easy, snug design.
We do want that Amazfit would launch a more recent mannequin, because the Band 7 is on the older aspect at this level having launched again in 2022. But as an affordable health band choice, it is nonetheless related right this moment.
Best watch-style tracker
Choosing the very best health trackers, we centered particularly on inexpensive and petite health bands, as now we have an entire separate listing for the very best health smartwatches. But since some individuals will choose a smartwatch’s dimension and the superior options it allows, we’re together with one decide that our reviewer referred to as a “Goldilocks smartwatch” subsequent to tiny trackers and ponderous watches: the Garmin Venu Sq 2.
For simply $100 greater than the Garmin Vivosmart 5, you get built-in Global Positioning System, Garmin Pay, extra sports activities modes, an additional 4 days of battery life, and the power to obtain and comply with exercises in your wrist. That consists of Garmin Coach exercises designed that can assist you hit a PR time primarily based in your present VO2 Max and health degree. Plus, after all, you get a 1.4-inch AMOLED with full-color display and sufficient room for correct watch faces and readable notifications.
Still, even at $250, it is dear in comparison with the little trackers on this wrist. It’s additionally heavier, although simply 7g heavier than the Fitbit Charge 6. That’s why we have determined to incorporate it right here: it’s going to really feel like much less of a visible downgrade in comparison with health bands, with out the majority of typical Garmin watches.
How to decide on
You’ll be pleased to know there is no scarcity of choices when selecting a health tracker. One of probably the most respected names, as you could know, is Fitbit. Among the very best Fitbit units, the Charge 6 and Inspire 3 simply earned their locations on this listing, and you could possibly make a case for the Fitbit Ace 3 in the event you’re particularly buying on your child.
You have the Charge 6 for a high-end health tracker, a fundamental Inspire 3 tracker ultimate for newcomers, one thing in-between with a very trendy design (aka the Fitbit Luxe), and higher-end squircle watches just like the Versa 4 and Sense 2 in the event you do not care as a lot about weight and dimension. Fitbit has all of it.
At the identical time, Fitbit is not the one identify on the market. Xiaomi and Amazfit dominate for affordable high quality {hardware} and helpful well being software program with no subscription. Garmin has incredible health instruments paired with dependable well being and sleep knowledge. And you possibly can all the time progress to inexpensive health watches in the event you want extra sturdy instruments than what you possibly can squeeze right into a tracker.
What are the very best health trackers?
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When it comes proper all the way down to it, the Fitbit Charge 6 takes the highest spot on our listing for varied causes.
For starters, the variety of options you obtain is just unmatched. You’ll have an entire week of battery life, NFC help for contactless funds, built-in Global Positioning System so you possibly can go away your cellphone behind on a exercise, heart-rate monitoring, handy music controls, sleep monitoring, and way more. At evening, it measures pores and skin temperature, passive coronary heart rhythm, coronary heart charge variance, blood oxygen, and respiration charge; then, it tells you what to make of that knowledge.
Otherwise, in the event you’re searching for the very best health tracker on your wants, you could end up caught in a kind of notorious web black holes. How are you aware which exercise tracker has the options you need at a value you possibly can afford — and will not really feel such as you’ve strapped a brick to your wrist?
If you are beginning your search, listed here are a number of suggestions that can assist you determine which health tracker is greatest for you:
1. Start with value
Depending on which options you need, your new health tracker may very well be surprisingly inexpensive, or it might find yourself setting you again fairly a bit.
Of course, it’s best to nonetheless be cautious about shopping for something that is dust low cost. Unfortunately, most inexpensive health trackers are simply that: Cheap. Even less expensive fashions by well-known manufacturers like Fitbit will not include a full show, so you will have to swap to the app to get all the main points in your newest exercise.
If value is your first concern, look to Xiaomi or Amazfit, and be leery of Fitbit since it would make you pay extra down the road because of Premium. But it’s also possible to peek into Amazon Big Deal Days pricing on October 8 and 9, 2024 the place you will possible discover many, if not all, of those fashions provided at a less expensive value than traditional.
2. Decide on options
Narrow down your search by deciding which options you want. These days, most trackers have a coronary heart charge monitor and blood oxygen monitoring. But the Charge 6 has extra particular sensors for stress and irregular coronary heart charge spot checks, and others can measure these metrics by means of steady monitoring. You could or could not want this primarily based on whether or not you care extra about well being or health monitoring.
All trackers have sleep monitoring, however if you would like a tracker that takes that data to create a Body Battery or Daily Readiness Score, you will desire a Fitbit or Garmin tracker. They’re in a position to ship extra helpful knowledge about your vitality primarily based on coronary heart charge, sleep, and stress.
Most health trackers depend on Connected Global Positioning System to maintain a light-weight, long-lasting design. If you are somebody that desires to depart their cellphone behind throughout exercises, you actually will need one just like the Charge 6. And these trackers are additionally the one ones on our listing with NFC tap-to-pay help.
Almost no health trackers help voice assistants as a result of a mic takes up room and reduces battery life. So if that issues to you, the Amazfit Band 7 has that distinctive Alexa entry to tempt you, although it does not have a speaker to vocalize responses. You’ll wish to improve to a health smartwatch as an alternative if you would like an entire expertise or Google Assistant entry.
Another factor to notice concerning the wristbands is the strap fashion. Is it a conventional watch-style strap with a buckle? Or does it merely “button” collectively? The button fashion typically feels much less safe, particularly if we’re tackling three-point rows and deadlifts on the gymnasium.
Luckily, most health trackers include band replacements. This permits you to improve the fabric, colour, and match in the event you like. We’re all about having decisions.
3. Consider fashion
Are you content material with a health tracker that appears like a health tracker? Or do you like one thing that appears like a conventional watch?
Activity trackers are available all sizes and styles, so you possibly can go as easy or fancy, fashionable or conventional, as you want.
If you are not prepared for a full-blown smartwatch, however you continue to need one thing on the fashionable aspect, the Fitbit Luxe could also be calling your identify. On the opposite hand, in the event you’re searching for one thing easy, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is slim and uncomplicated, too.
4. Don’t neglect concerning the apps
Our favourite health tracker app is Fitbit, arms down, although the app is altering now that it is migrating over to Google and can quickly require a Google sign-in for all customers (and new homeowners should check in that method). It’s user-friendly and presents a full vary of options.
The Fitbit app integrates properly with many standard third-party apps for a extra sturdy monitoring system that meets your wants. Here are a few of our favorites:
Top 5 well being and wellness apps:
- MyFitnessPal
- Calm
- C25K
- Headspace
- Strava
Each health tracker works barely in another way, however some sensors and know-how are comparatively frequent throughout all of them, like altimeters, accelerometers, and optical sensors. Unfortunately, lots of them are solely present in health smartwatches, not trackers. Here’s among the know-how you could encounter in the event you break into your health watch.
- 3-axis accelerometer — This measures your actions in each course and helps observe these steps.
- Gyroscope — This will get a learn in your orientation and rotation as you progress. Now it is time for some break up squats.
- Altimeter — Whether you are monitoring your hike up the mountain or climbing stairs in your work break, this retains observe of your altitude.
- Optical sensors — These shine gentle into your capillaries to measure how rapidly or slowly your blood is pumping to present you an thought of your present coronary heart charge.
- Actigraphy — Ever questioned how exercise trackers monitor your sleep? Actigraphy identifies your sleep patterns by monitoring your exercise and relaxation cycles, then offers you an thought of how a lot you tossed and turned final evening.
- Global Positioning System — The Global Positioning System receiver collects knowledge from totally different satellites to calculate your place as a set of coordinates. This permits you to observe your terrain and distance after a path run or day on the slopes.
Of course, not all health trackers are created equal in relation to their sensors’ accuracy. For probably the most half, actigraphy is not as correct as measuring your sleep cycle in a lab, and optical sensors aren’t as exact as bioimpedance sensors in relation to monitoring your coronary heart charge.
Now that you have discovered your health tracker match, you are one step nearer to working laps round your objectives. #YouCanDoIt
