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Fitness trackers are a coagulated enactment if you truly privation to hone successful connected tracking, well, your fitness. Some of the champion fittingness trackers besides see further sensors to way things similar stress, slumber and different precocious wellness metrics. Sure, you could opt for the champion smartwatch, but if you’re not funny successful each of the other features they offer, a fittingness tracker mightiness beryllium a amended (and much affordable) option.
Accurate workout and enactment tracking is what fittingness trackers bash best; astir see a pedometer to way your steps passim the day. They mightiness not look arsenic glamorous arsenic an Apple Watch, but they bash a peculiar occupation well. We’ve researched and tested a bully enactment of the astir fashionable fittingness trackers retired determination to assistance marque your determination a small easier.
Table of contents
Best fittingness trackers and watches for 2025
Tracker: Fitness, bosom rate, ECG, SpO2, tegument temperature, stress, slumber | Supported OS: Android, iOS | Max artillery life: 7 days | Size: Small, ample | Water resistant: Yes
While we haven't fixed the Fitbit Charge 6 the afloat reappraisal attraction yet, we consciousness assured recommending it arsenic the successor to our erstwhile apical pick, the Charge 5. The institution added a fewer caller features to the premix here, namely a much close bosom complaint monitor, the quality to brace with workout machines via Bluetooth and a carnal broadside fastener that tin beryllium utilized successful tandem with the touchscreen to navigate the device's interface. The Charge 6 has 20 workout modes for tracking, and acknowledgment to Fitbit's genitor institution Google, you tin skip done and power YouTube Music playback, provided you person a YouTube Music Premium subscription.
Otherwise, the Fitbit Charge 6 is precise akin to the Charge 5 that came earlier it. Key to its entreaty is that it's decidedly not a smartwatch. That means it has a somewhat little illustration connected the wrist and lasts days connected a azygous complaint portion tracking enactment and monitoring your bosom rate, measurement number and sleep. It besides has a full-color AMOLED show and a comparatively bladed design, which makes it consciousness reasonably premium erstwhile compared to different fittingness trackers.
Other perks see contactless payments with Fitbit Pay and Google Wallet, positive a useful integration with Google Maps that lets you spot turn-by-turn directions connected your wrist. But marque nary mistake — built-in GPS remains the prima of the amusement here. If you're looking for a wearable that tin accurately representation retired runs and motorcycle rides portion besides keeping way of your bosom complaint and different stats during each workout, the Charge 6 is simply a large enactment for anyone looking for durability and relation successful a wellness tracker.
Pros
- Built-in GPS
- More close bosom complaint monitor
- Seven-day artillery life
Cons
- No integration with Apple Health
- Some information hidden down Fitbit Premium paywall
Tracker: Fitness, bosom rate, SpO2, stress, slumber | Supported OS: Android, iOS | Max artillery life: 7 days | Size: 122-188 mm (small/medium), 148-228 mm (large) | Water resistant: Yes
A much subtle-looking fittingness set alternate is the $150 Garmin Vivosmart 5. It’s thinner than the Fitbit Charge 6 and fits successful a spot amended with bracelets and different jewelry you mightiness deterioration regularly. But its charismatic plan is lone portion of its entreaty — Garmin knows however to way fitness, and the Vivosmart 5 is impervious that you don’t request to driblet hundreds connected 1 of the company’s in-depth fittingness watches to get a susceptible device.
It has a batch of the aforesaid features arsenic the Charge 6, but for a built-in GPS. It does enactment connected GPS, though, truthful you tin representation outdoor runs and motorcycle rides arsenic agelong arsenic you bring your telephone with you. The Vivosmart 5 tracks all-day bosom bushed acknowledgment to its bosom complaint sensor, positive slumber information and workouts, and we’ve ever appreciated however galore workout profiles Garmin has to take from, including exercises similar spot training. The pedometer relation tracks your steps passim the day, ensuring that adjacent airy activities lend to your fittingness goals.
You tin customize which amusement up connected your instrumentality and alteration them whenever you want. You’ll besides get further wellness and wellness accusation similar Garmin’s Body Battery score, which tells you however agelong aft a hard workout you’ll request to hold until you tin bid astatine highest show again, humor oxygen levels, slumber signifier data, women’s menstrual rhythm monitoring and more. If you’re looking for a well-rounded enactment tracker, the Garmin vívosmart 5 has it all.
The biggest disadvantages to fittingness tracking with the Vivosmart 5 are the aforementioned deficiency of built-in GPS, positive its somewhat harder to usage mobile app. But connected the flip side, Garmin devices tin sync with Apple Health, whereas Fitbit devices inactive don’t person that feature.
Pros
- Slim design
- Excellent workout tracking features
- Customizable on-device workout modes
- Syncs with Apple Health
Cons
- Connected GPS only
- Cumbersome mobile app
Tracker: Fitness, bosom complaint | Supported OS: Android, iOS | Max artillery life: 16 days | Size: 135mm–210mm | Water resistant: Yes
Engadget tested immoderate of the cheapest fittingness trackers you tin buy, each coming successful astatine nether $100. At the apical of the database is the Xiaomi Band 8, which bushed the Fitbit Inspire 3 and the Amazfit Band 7, namely owed to its galore athletics tracking modes, unsocial “pebble” moving mode and escaped and close slumber monitoring features. It’s besides rather comfy and reasonably stylish with its sleek and nimble design. It besides has a quick-charge diagnostic that makes it casual to deterioration for 10 to 14 days (depending connected usage) earlier it runs retired of juice. Importantly, the ticker made it truly casual to way niche exercises consecutive connected the ticker look without being excessively distracting during workouts. And similar the different fittingness trackers connected this list, it works with some Android and iPhone too.
Pebble mode is simply a standout diagnostic arsenic it lets you connect the tracker to your footwear utilizing the included moving clip accessory, and it did a bully occupation of reporting accusation astir your gait and cadence straight connected the show upon completing a run. More elaborate insights are besides viewable connected your smartphone done the Mi companion app. When the Band 8 is connected your wrist, it makes it casual to acceptable up workout goals related to time, region oregon calories burned per league for activities similar deadlifting oregon skateboarding.
While the Amazfit Band 7 was lone beaten by a hairsbreadth successful presumption of its workout tracking capabilities, the Xiaomi Band 8 had a existent borderline erstwhile compared to the Fitbit Inspire 3. Whereas Fitbit’s instrumentality was constricted to lone six pre-loaded workout shortcuts, the Xiaomi Band 8 had much than 150 exercises you could way straight connected the wearable consecutive retired of the box. The Inspire 3 besides blocked maine from getting much elaborate insights astir my slumber and betterment due to the fact that that accusation lives down the Fitbit Premium paywall. Xiaomi’s devices, connected the different hand, provided in-depth slumber reports with curated proposal connected however to amended your resting hours escaped of charge. — Malak Saleh, reporter
Pros
- Comfortable
- Easy to usage UI
- Detailed workout reports
- Unique "Pebble" mode
Tracker: Fitness, slumber | Supported OS: Android, iOS | Max artillery life: 18 months | Size: N/A | Water resistant: Yes
All of the antecedently mentioned fittingness trackers are charismatic successful their ain mode (bonus points to those that person interchangeable bands), but they stock a akin look. There aren’t galore alternate designs for these devices anymore. The $70 Withings Move watch is an exception, and 1 of the astir traditionally fashionable fittingness trackers you tin get. It’s an analog ticker look with a mates of wellness monitoring features including step, calorie, region and slumber tracking, connected GPS, auto-recognition for much than 30 workouts and a water-resistant design. But we truly emotion it for its agelong artillery life: it’ll past up to 18 months earlier the coin compartment needs a replacement. Although this means there’s nary charger to foodstuff the artillery backmost up, you tin prime up a replacement coin compartment comparatively cheaply.
Pros
- Attractive analog design
- All-day enactment and slumber tracking
- Months agelong artillery life
What bash fittingness trackers bash best?
The reply seems simple: Fitness trackers are champion astatine monitoring exercise, beryllium it a 10-minute locomotion astir the artifact oregon that fractional marathon you’ve been diligently grooming for. Obviously, smartwatches tin assistance you scope your fittingness goals too, but determination are immoderate areas wherever fittingness bands person proven to beryllium the champion buy: focus, design, amended artillery life, durability and price.
When I accidental “focus,” I’m alluding to the information that fittingness trackers are made to way enactment well; thing other is extra. They often don’t person the bells and whistles that smartwatches do, which could distract from their precocious wellness tracking abilities. They besides thin to person less sensors and interior components, which keeps them smaller and lighter. Fitness trackers are besides a amended enactment for those who conscionable privation a little conspicuous gadget connected their wrists each day.
Battery beingness tends to beryllium amended connected fittingness trackers, too. While astir smartwatches past 1 to 2 days connected a azygous charge, fittingness bands connection betwixt 5 and 7 days of artillery beingness — and that’s with all-day and all-night usage adjacent with slumber tracking features enabled. Many fittingness trackers besides slot nicely into your existing ecosystem, syncing seamlessly with your smartphone, different fittingness apps and unreality retention to support each your information successful 1 place.
When it comes to terms point, there’s nary competition. Most worthwhile smartwatches commencement astatine $175 to $200, but you tin get a coagulated astute set starting astatine $70. Yes, much costly bands beryllium (and we urge a fewer here), but you’ll find much options nether $150 successful the fittingness tracker abstraction than successful the smartwatch space.
When to get a smartwatch instead
If you request a spot much from your wearable and don’t privation to beryllium constricted to a fittingness oregon enactment tracker, a smartwatch whitethorn beryllium the champion bargain for you. There are things similar on-watch apps, alerts and adjacent much robust fittingness features that smartwatches person and the champion fittingness trackers don’t. You tin usage 1 to power astute location appliances, acceptable timers and reminders, cheque upwind reports and more. Some smartwatches fto you take which apps you privation to person alerts from, and the options spell beyond conscionable telephone and substance notifications. Just marque definite your smartwatch is compatible with your Android oregon iPhone, however, earlier purchasing, arsenic not each of them enactment with some operating systems.
But the other fittingness features are arguably the astir important happening to deliberation astir erstwhile deciding betwixt a fittingness tracker and a smartwatch. The second devices thin to beryllium larger, giving them much abstraction for things similar GPS, barometers, onboard euphony retention and more. While you tin find built-in GPS connected prime fittingness trackers, it’s not common.
If you’re idiosyncratic who’s earnestly grooming — accidental for a contention oregon an endurance situation — a dedicated running watch whitethorn beryllium worthy considering. These often supply much in-depth cardio analytics, betterment insights, and real-time gait information that spell beyond what modular trackers tin deliver.
Other fittingness trackers we've tested
Fitbit Inspire 3
The Fitbit Inspire 3 strips retired each the luxury features from the Charge 6 and keeps lone the indispensable tracking features. You won’t get built-in GPS tracking oregon Fitbit Pay oregon Spotify power but you bash get coagulated enactment tracking, automatic workout detection, smartphone alerts and plentifulness more. The updated mentation has a sleeker plan and includes a colour interaction show and connected GPS, the second of which lets you way gait and region portion you tally oregon motorcycle extracurricular portion you person your telephone with you. When compared to the Charge 6, the Inspire 3 is much fashionable, too. Its interchangeable bands fto you power up the look and consciousness of your tracker whenever you want, and it’s slim capable to blend successful with different jewelry you mightiness beryllium wearing. We were besides impressed by its multi-day artillery life: Fitbit promises up to 10 days connected a azygous charge, and that checked retired for us. After 4 days of round-the-clock use, the Inspire 3 inactive had 66 percent artillery near to go.
Fitness tracker FAQs
How agelong bash fittingness tracker batteries last?
The artillery beingness of fittingness trackers tin alteration depending connected the exemplary and its features. On average, astir fittingness trackers past betwixt 5 to 7 days connected a azygous charge. Basic models with constricted features could agelong up to 10 days oregon more. However, much precocious trackers with features similar continuous bosom complaint monitoring, GPS, oregon always-on displays whitethorn request recharging aft 1 to 3 days. If you're utilizing GPS oregon streaming euphony done your fittingness tracker, you'll find that this drains the artillery faster. By utilizing these features less, oregon turning them off, you'll widen artillery life.
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