Like every piece Among the devices you wear every day, fitness trackers are incredibly personal. The best fitness tracker should be comfortable, attractive, and fit your lifestyle, including when and how you want to workout. Do you bike, row or strength train? Do you run on the trail for hours on end or do you just want to be reminded to get up every hour? Do you want to wear it on your wrist, on your finger, or tuck it into your bra?
Whatever your needs, there's never been a better time to find a powerful, sophisticated tool that can help you optimize your workouts or reboot your routine. We test dozens of fitness trackers every year while running, climbing, hiking, or just doing workout videos on an iPad at night to bring you these options.
Updated January 2025: We added Garmin Fenix 8 AMOLED, Oura Ring 4, Xiaomi Smart Band 9, Garmin Lily 2 Active, Amazfit T-Rex 3, Amazfit Active and Polar Vantage M3.
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Fitness Trackers vs. Smartwatches
Don't see anything that suits your style here? Check out our guide on Best smartwatch. While the categories may overlap, fitness trackers have fewer features. I'm less concerned about whether a fitness tracker can replicate every feature on your smartphone than whether the health feature set is robust and accurate; whether it can track multiple activities; and whether it is bright and safe to perform a variety of exercise activities.
Some fitness trackers will have the ability to read emails and control music, but the screens are often smaller and less bright. However, battery life is often much better, which makes a difference, especially if you track your sleep over time. However, if you're more interested in the option of accessing apps without having to pull out your phone, you might want to think about buying a smartwatch. (If you don't want notifications at all, get one smart ring instead of.)
Troubleshoot your health tracking
Are you having trouble with that brand new fitness equipment you just bought? Here are just some of the ways you can easily cure what's wrong with you (or your device):
Make sure it fits. The optical sensor will not work if your device slides loosely around your wrist. You can customize most devices with new straps. Make sure it sits securely within an inch of your wrist.
Wash it off! I'm appalled at how many people tell me their fitness trackers are giving them wrist rashes. Wipe clean with a little dish soap and water after a sweat session.
Get out from under the trees. Does your device use multiple satellite positioning systems to track your location when you start your outdoor workout? This is a lot harder to do if you're under power lines, trees, or even (gulp) inside.
Set a routine. There's nothing more annoying than opening your tracking app and discovering that it ran out of battery before you went to bed last night. Keep your apps updated regularly. Check if your tracker is connected to the phone and keep the charger everywhere.