Fitness trackers and smartwatches both offer fitness tracking, but they serve different needs. Fitness trackers are typically smaller, lighter, https://thelakewoodscoop.com/news/madmuscles-app-review-easy-to-cancel-and-transparent-fitness-subscription/ and designed primarily for health monitoring. They focus on essentials like step counting, heart rate tracking, sleep analysis, and sometimes SpO2 and stress monitoring. Many fitness trackers also have longer battery life, often lasting a week or more. I took it for a spin during a HIIT workout (one of the 160 activities it tracks!) to see how it performed measuring heart rate. It recorded it as pretty high, which I think sounds accurate, given it was 90 degrees outside and I naturally have a higher heart rate when doing cardio.
The tap-to-wake feature can be a little inconsistent, and the app support is somewhat limited. This is perfect if you find smaller screens hard to see, but it might feel a bit too big for some younger users. Available in Black Silicone and Red Silicone, the Amazfit Active 2 Smartwatch is priced at $99.99 and is a solid value for money. Some users may find the storage (175MB) a bit limiting, and there have been occasional reports of the GPS accuracy being off during long-distance runs.
A couple of months ago, one editor felt a slight earache when they woke up, and Oura called out they may have a cold coming on. It’s not always entirely accurate like this—there have been a few times the Oura Ring has said we were getting sick when it was actually just a hangover (oops). Watches with touchscreen navigation or the newest iterations of a smart ring are typically going to run you the most money, while watches with more minimal capabilities or those lacking a touchscreen will cost a touch less. No matter which direction you choose, you’ll likely be spending anywhere from $200 to $500 on your tracker. One of the most impressive features of the Ring Air doesn’t have anything to do with the tech, but rather the price. As its name suggests, this fitness tracker does away with convention as it can be worn on your index finger, just like how you might adorn a traditional ring except this one has tons of great features hidden under the surface.
Best Sleep Tracking Fitness Tracker
The Vivosmart 5 does have its sore spots, such as the reduced battery life when Pulse Ox is tracking during sleep and the lack of built-in GPS. But overall, this is a good place to start if you’re new to Garmin and relatively new to tracking your exercise and health. The Vivosmart 5 was a long time in the making and was Garmin’s first traditional fitness tracker band in years.
These smaller bands are great if you prioritize minimal size and weight, but give off a definitely sporty style vibe. The decrease in screen size also comes with the added cost of making it hard to view data or navigate screens on the tracker. Still, devices like the Fitbit Charge 6 were easy and comfortable to wear, and discreet enough to be out of the way during high-intensity activities. Additionally, Jared Eastlick lent advice from his background as an ISAA-certified fitness trainer. The bright AMOLED screen provides real-time monitoring of heart rate, pace, distance, and duration, along with industry-leading accuracy, thanks to the built-in GPS and onboard accelerometer.
Fitbit Inspire 3 alternative: Amazfit Band 7
For extra motivation, it’s super easy to sync the watch to the brand’s app, which is available for both Android and Apple users. The app provided a snapshot of my activity levels, making me feel proud of what I’d accomplished and spurring me on to do more. It records every nap or full night’s sleep—and it’s accurate down to the minute. Every morning, you’ll wake up to a sleep score, which is created by averaging markers such as total sleep, the amount of time you spent in each sleep stage, and how long it took you to fall asleep.
Whoop 5.0 Yearly Membership
Our tests were performed in meticulous side-by-side tests, where accuracy was compared across all the things you might want to track, like heart rate, sleep performance, and workout stats like distance and pace. We also talked to a diverse panel of judges at GearLab to gain perspective on comfort, appearance, and general wearability. The Garmin Venu 3 earned high scores across the board with top-of-the-line fitness and lifestyle metric tracking, just enough smartwatch features to keep you connected on the go, all packed into a sleek design.
Sleep and stress data from the Oura Ring 4 (Credit: Oura/PCMag)
It also comes with a whopping 14-day battery life, dual-band GPS navigation, compass, altimeter, and many other features typically reserved for more premium models. The universe of fitness watches is a big place, but that doesn’t mean you have to drop a grand to get some solid fitness tracking ability. This is the realm of fitness trackers and light-duty smartwatches, as well as some budget-minded GPS watches that trim some of the extra functionality to hit a more approachable price. Expect these devices to track everyday metrics such as heart rate, calorie burn estimates, sleep data, and a number of different activities. The Oura Ring 4 may be the smallest device on this list, but despite its tiny stature, the comfortable smart ring manages to fit in impressive, accurate sensors to provide wellness tracking without distraction. The heart rate monitoring on the Oura Ring 4 is especially important as the company uses unique algorithms to offer more holistic health monitoring, rather than specific activity tracking.
Best for Android
While the tracker isn’t as accurate as other trackers (according to customer reviews), this is a solid option for beginners new to tracking their fitness. Once synced with the Withings app, the watch displays your daily steps, heart rate, and other metrics. You need to upgrade to Withings+ to get certain data, like sleep score and cycle tracking, so we rated the tech https://www.9brandname.com/en/forum/topic/22940/finding-a-fitness-app-that-actually-works:-my-take-on-madmuscles capabilities a 4 out of 5. The Oura Ring Gen 4 stands out for its discreet design and advanced sleep tracking capabilities.
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Best Fitness Tracker for Running: Coros Apex 2
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The touchscreen display is only 1.5 inches tall but is simple to navigate, thanks to its sharp colors and easily readable text and icons. The thin, half-inch band doesn’t feel clunky during workouts or everyday use, and the Inspire 3 weighs just 0.32 ounce — lighter than a typical USB flash drive. Some fitness trackers work better for specific types of activities, whereas others are more of an all-purpose wearable. Or do you want one that can keep up with you at the gym and the activities in between?
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The best Apple Watch
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- This longevity is so helpful for weekends away or extended days hiking in the woods, without needing to worry about running out of power.
- We also looked at the ability of trackers to auto-detect walks, runs, rides, or other activities.
- They can see your sleep data, too, so they can tell if you’re ready to work hard or not.
- It tracks daily steps, calories burned, and active minutes to help you make informed health decisions based on hard data.
- Whether you’re looking to improve your exercise routine or monitor your health more closely, a fitness tracker offers personalized data to guide your journey.
- It’s a really good upgrade from the budget Inspire 3 (which is also included in this roundup) if you’re interested in more advanced analytics, a bigger display, and the ability to be more hands-free.
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Compared to the Series 9, the Series 10 has a bigger screen, with Apple offering 42- and 46-millimeter options. Plus, the Series 10’s wide-angle OLED makes the screen about 40% brighter when viewed at an angle. “The only challenge is that there are so many features that you may actually only be using 50% of the watch’s capabilities,” he says. “I have zero real challenges since the watch and https://www.facebook.com/MadMusclesApp/ app are incredibly easy to use,” she says.
For sleep tracking, the Apple Watch was in line with our own perceptions, and we liked the recommended bedtime, but were surprised by slightly different terms for the sleep stages. We also evaluated our general experience using these activities to track the plethora of activities and workouts that our testing team enjoys, like hiking, paddling, climbing, and more. In this metric, we looked for both the capability to track various activities, but also the accuracy of the tracking.
You can monitor your health around the clock with features like heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen tracking, all accessible from your wrist. Stay active with over 120 exercise modes that help you explore new workouts while keeping track of your daily steps and calories burned. Additionally, you can receive notifications for calls and messages directly on your watch, ensuring you stay connected without needing to reach for your phone. Former Mashable Tech Editor Kimberly Gedeon gave the Oura Ring a 4.5 out of 5 on the Mashable scale, reporting that it’s a fantastic alternative fitness tracker as long as you’re using an iOS-compatible device.
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Fitbit Luxe
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We ran into issues with the wireless charging capabilities of the Whoop battery pack, though. Our lead tester explains, “I took my Whoop on an eight-day backpacking trip in Patagonia, and was looking forward to recharging in the middle to collect a full eight days of data. We loved the Amazfit’s Personal Activity Scoring Intelligence (PAI) for scoring our fitness, but in order to access more detailed analyses, a subscription is required. But if you’re an iPhone user in search of basic biometric tracking, this inexpensive and compact model will do the trick.
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best fitness trackers of 2025, tested by an expert
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It now packs an upgraded heart rate sensor, seven temperature sensors for deeper wellness insights, and a new SpO2 sensor to monitor blood oxygen levels. Feature-wise, it ticks most boxes, including the usual fitness and sleep-tracking skills, along with a pulse oximeter, stress tracker, and Garmin’s body battery energy monitor. The addition of smartphone notifications and music controls also lends it some smarter functionality, without entering full smartwatch territory. Because these devices are meant to be worn all day, every day, we put a lot of emphasis on comfort, wearability, and user friendliness — of both the device and its companion app. The Apple Watch Series 10, our tech editor’s top pick in our best smartwatches list and the latest model in this series, might be a better pick for you if you don’t already have the Series 9. It retails at a comparable $399 and features a thinner build, redesigned speakers and—most importantly—a new sleep apnea detection feature (in addition to everything else the Series 9 already does).