From fitness trackers that monitor your sleep to smartwatches specifically geared toward runners or cyclists, the best fitness trackers and smart watches go way beyond simply telling the time. Some, like the Apple Watch, Garmin and Fitbit, can measure your blood oxygen levels, prescribe recovery time and create training plans as well as helping you track activity and lose weight. Some can even detect if you’ve taken a fall and automatically notify your emergency contacts.
Around two thirds of UK adults who intend on buying a smartwatch say they want it to track their physical health. But they can also improve athletic performance by measuring the distance you’ve covered, calories you’ve burned, your heartrate during exercise and your sleep pattern. Awareness can help you to change your habits and improve where you may be lacking.
I’ve reviewed dozens of fitness trackers in recent years. Some are cheap and basic, others are very high-tech, with extra features like tracking oxygen and blood temperature levels. You can read my full reviews of this year’s crop further down along with a brief guide to how they work. If you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at my top five:
The best fitness trackers in 2024, at a glance
- Best overall: Garmin Venu 3S
- Best value fitness tracker: Fitbit Charge 6
- Best Apple watch: Apple Watch Series 9
- Best heartrate monitor watch: Garmin Fēnix 7S
- Best sleep tracker watch: WHOOP 4.0
How do you choose a fitness tracker?
Ask yourself: Do you want something with GPS to track running and cycling? Do you really need all the features in the top-of-the-line model?
“A device with GPS will be more costly, due to the technology required to provide accurate information,” says Nick Anderson of coaching experts Running with Us. “They offer far more data and valuable metrics. It’s worth the spend if you are serious about your results and improvement.”
Some trackers will also measure your sleep (both the quality and quantity), stress levels, heart rhythm irregularity, blood oxygen levels and even your menstrual health, but it’s important to remember that these only act as a guide.
“It’s the trends that become useful,” Anderson says. “Without full ECG you won’t get 100 per cent accuracy in this area, but the trends can be useful when looking for marginal gains and improvements in your performance.”
Other features to look out for? “Some fitness trackers come with notifications for your phone apps and can control the music on your headphones,” Anderson says. Top of the range watches nearly all include tap payments, Bluetooth microphones to take calls, water resistance to 50m and extended battery life.
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How I tested the best fitness trackers
Over recent years I’ve put dozens of GPS running watches, fitness trackers and smartwatches through their paces, day and night. Last year alone I logged nearly 300 hours of exercise in my running shoes and on my bike, covering roughly 4,000km, to assess their accuracy, usability, weight and comfort of the straps.
I evaluated the features like the step counter, sleep detector, heartrate tracking, calorie tracking and whether each was compatible with third party apps like My Fitness Pal. I also compared their battery life, looked at how easy they were to set up and operate through my phone and sought independent opinions from athletes and coaches.
By the way, if you’re looking for more ways to reach your fitness goals this year, you may also like our new guides to the best massage gun and head torches.
Best fitness trackers and smartwatches
1. Garmin Venu 3S
£499.99, John Lewis
Best overall, 10/10
We like: all the advanced health and fitness features you’d expect from a Garmin, but the look and feel of an Apple Watch
We don’t like: the running features aren’t super advanced
- Battery life up to 10 days in smartwatch mode, charge time roughly 1.5hrs
- Water resistant to 50 metres
- GPS
- Tracks energy levels, sleep, naps, steps, calories, activity distance, pace and elevation, water intake, heart rate, abnormal heart rate alerts, respiratory rate, Vo2, blood oxygen, stress, menstrual cycle
One of my favourite wearables to come out in the past couple of years was Garmin’s Venu 2 – it’s the watch I trained for and ran the London marathon with. So you’ll perhaps be unsurprised that I like the new Garmin Venu 3 even more. It features the same vibrant AMOLED touchscreen display but offers impressive updates with a new focus on inclusivity. Some features are tailored for wheelchair users.
Available in two sizes – the Venu 3 (45mm) and Venu 3S (41mm) – the new Venu comes in more colours than ever before, including sage green and dust rose. It still positions itself as a health and fitness smartwatch, rather than a dedicated running-specific tracker, so it’s geared towards helping users gain a more holistic understanding of their health and well-being.
You can track more than 30 preloaded sports, including running, cycling, swimming, golf, yoga, Pilates and paddleboarding. There are also animated cardio, strength, yoga and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts preloaded – which is essentially like having a personal trainer on your wrist.
Even basic fitness trackers typically include features such as step counting, calorie burn estimates and reminders to get up and move, so it’s the more advanced features like stress tracking, speaker and microphone, wheelchair set-up, menstrual cycle and pregnancy tracking and Garmin’s Body Battery energy monitoring that make the Venu 3 stand out.
Also new are morning report and evening summary alerts. The morning report provides a succinct overview of your sleep quality, recovery status, daily calendar, and HRV (Heart Rate Variability). The evening summary offers insights into the balance of your daily activities and provides recommendations for winding down before bedtime.
In fact, sleep tracking in general has seen significant improvements in the Venu 3. The sleep score now quantifies sleep quality on a scale of 0 to 100, taking into account factors like stress and restless moments, while the sleep coach feature offers tailored recommendations on your daily sleep requirements, which can change throughout the day based on if you’ve worked out or had a particularly stressful days. It even automatically detects and tracks naps.
As a runner, I loved how quick it was to find a GPS signal and how accurate it was. Accurate GPS is important for runners as you don’t want to be logging unnecessary miles, or, worse, running short. It can automatically upload the data to third-party apps like Strava and TrainingPeaks (which I live on) which is useful if you want to share your training with a coach.
If you’re after something that offers extensive health and wellbeing features, and you’re the type of runner who also likes going to yoga, Pilates and the gym, choose the Venu 3.
In the same range:
That said, if you’re specifically looking for a running tracker, then I’d actually recommend something like the Garmin Fenix 7S (£519.99) below, or the much cheaper Garmin Forerunner 165 (£249.99). Why? Because the Venu 3 doesn’t include running-specific features like training readiness scores or daily suggested workouts that adapt after each run.
2. Fitbit Charge 6
£139.99, John Lewis
Best value fitness tracker
We like: automatically recognises and records workouts and is easy to sleep in
We don’t like: easily knocked which can stop the tracking of workouts
- Battery life up to 7 days with regular use, charge time: about 1-2 hours
- Water resistant to 50 metres
- GPS
- Tracks sleep, stress, blood oxygen levels, heart rate variability, daily readiness score, steps, 40+ exercise modes
The newest version of Fitbit’s flagship tracker, the Charge 6, costs £30 less than the Charge 5 did at launch. Even now, there’s little difference between the two prices so it’s worth getting the latest version. New to the tracker is built-in GPS, SpO2 monitoring, a skin temperature sensor and 20 new exercise modes. You can also now use your Charge 6 to connect to exercise machines like NordicTrack, Peloton and Concept2 to monitor your heart rate in real time while you use your treadmill, exercise bike or rowing machine.
If I’m honest, I thought the small band screen would really put me off (especially as I’m so used to being able to see all my fitness data, all the time). But the vivid, clear and coloured AMOLED display immediately impressed me. Paired with the Fitbit app, which, as mentioned previously, is super easy to use, accurate and intuitive, the Fitbit Charge 6 is small but mighty.
As this fitness tracker is more like a band than the others on this list – featuring a simple silicone strap with a peg-and-loop closure like the Fitbit Versa 4 (instead of a more traditional buckle) – I found it really easy to sleep in. Sleep stages (awake, REM, light, deep), which are based on heart rate and movement via the accelerometer, are displayed nightly. And I liked that you can mute notifications and dim the screen during bedtime via the Do Not Disturb mode.
It offers more than 40 exercise modes, including Bootcamp, hiking, strength training, a programmable interval timer for interval training and swimming. When I used it to log a bodyweight HIIT session, it annoyingly stopped timing 10 minutes into my workout. Luckily though, it automatically picked up that my heart rate was high – and logged the remainder of my session as an ‘aerobic workout’ so I could still see my stats. It also automatically logged when I walked home from the station, which I liked, and recognises floors ascended with an altimeter, so hills and climbs are recorded automatically too.
This perhaps is not the right watch for you if you’re a diehard gym bunny or you’ve set yourself a fitness challenge like running a half marathon. It also doesn’t offer guided breathing sessions.
3. Apple Watch Series 9
£379, John Lewis
Best Apple watch, 9/10
We like: this is Apple’s most innovative watch yet – and their first-ever carbon-neutral product
We don’t like: it requires daily charging
- Battery life up to 18 hours, charge time about 75 minutes
- Water resistant to 50 metres
- GPS
- Tracks sleep, steps, calories, activity distance, pace and elevation, heart rate, temperature, high and low heart rate notifications, blood oxygen, menstrual cycle, crash detection
Available in either a 45mm or 41mm aluminium or stainless steel case size, at first glance Apple’s Series 9 smartwatch might not look all that different from previous generations, but its always-on display is twice as bright as last year’s Series 8, peaking at 2,000 nits. That matches rival Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 below and means it’s much easier to read in full sunlight.
Other cosmetic improvements include lighter straps with a neat velcro fastening and the option to choose a carbon neutral watch case and strap combo. Beneath the surface is a new, 30 percent faster S9 chip and an impressive 64GB of storage.
The most talked-about feature of the Series 9 is the ‘double tap’ gesture, where you tap your index finger and thumb together to answer a call, stop a timer, open a notification, play and pause music or even snooze your morning alarm. This makes the watch easier to use, although you can’t use it when you’re exercising.
Other than that, the Series 9 Apple Watch also has a new ‘Precision Finding for iPhone’ feature, redesigned apps, new watch faces, new cycling and hiking features and new tools to support mental health, including ‘state of mind logging’ in the Mindfulness app. You can still track everything from strength training and HIIT to Pilates and running.
My personal favourite update is the automatic track detection. If, like me, you’re a runner, you’ll really appreciate this – your Apple Watch can now automatically detect when you arrive at a running track. Up comes the prompt that says “looks like you’re at a track” and then the watch asks you to choose a lane so it can accurately measure your distance depending on whether you’re running in lane one or three. This is probably the best implementation and most accurate use of a ‘Track Mode’ on any of the watch brands that I’ve reviewed to date.
Just like previous versions of the Apple Watch, the Series 9 can measure your blood oxygen levels, sleep and menstrual cycles. But where it lets itself down is still the poor battery life. Although definitely better than the Series 8, it’s still not great in comparison to the likes of Garmin. There was more than one occasion when I turned up for an evening gym session but I couldn’t track my workout because the battery had already run out and the watch was dead.
Overall though, there’s a lot to like about the Apple Series 9 – it’s by far the nicest-looking smartwatch on the market and the new spec bumps it right to the top of the fitness tracker pack.
In the same range:
If you are someone who works out a lot (aka runs marathons and triathlons), I’d recommend picking the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (£799) over the Series 9 – which is specifically designed for the ‘adventurous crowd’ and extreme sports fanatics.
4. Fitbit Versa 4
£179.99, Selfridges
Best fitness tracker, 9/10
We like: it’s a very decent sports tracker that’s easy to get to grips with
We don’t like: the step and distance tracking is not always 100 per cent accurate
- Battery life up to 6 days, charge time about 1-2 hours
- Water resistant to 50 metres
- GPS
- Tracks daily readiness score, steps, sleep, heart rate, 40+ workout modes, irregular heart rate notifications, blood oxygen, skin temperature changes, blood glucose tracking, menstrual cycle
Fitbit was the brand that made fitness trackers cool and the Versa 4 is one of their newest smartwatches, offering over 40 exercise modes, real-time stats and built-in GPS. Available in four different colours – black, blue, pink and ‘beet’ – I liked how the smooth strap tucks into itself so there’s no flapping. The AMOLED display looks clear and bright, although I did find the touchscreen sometimes a little slow to react.
It took me over half an hour to download the Fitbit app, charge up the watch and connect to my phone but once I was all set up, I realised why Fitbit is so often lauded. The app is by far the easiest to navigate and one of the most useful, offering guided breathing exercises, women’s health features, daily stress management score and blood oxygen monitoring.
The Versa 4 isn’t hugely different to the preceding Versa 3. Both offer heart rate and blood oxygen monitoring, as well as the usual step-tracking and calories burned. The main reason to opt for the 4 over the 3 is the large array of workout options: 40 versus 20 exercise modes. Battery life is pretty similar and very impressive when compared to an Apple Watch.
Accuracy wise, it came up a little short compared to a Garmin running watch and unfortunately it proved too easy to accidentally delete tracked activities. It will only sync to third-party exercise apps that use GPS. So if you like to record your yoga classes, for example, don’t expect those to show up on TrainingPeaks.
Overall, while it’s great for keeping tabs on fitness and providing you with useful insights, the Versa 4 isn’t the one I’d recommend for marathon runners or triathletes.
In the same range:
And if you want the very best health and wellness features Fitbit has to offer, you need to go for the Fitbit Sense 2 (£219).
5. Wahoo Elemnt Rival Multisport GPS Watch
£110.99 Amazon
Best fitness tracker for triathletes, 9/10
We like: the touchless transition feature, which no other tracker has
We don’t like: it doesn’t monitor blood-oxygen levels
- Battery life 14 days in watch mode, 24 hours in GPS mode, charge time around 1.5hrs
- Water resistant to 50 metres
- GPS
- Tracks sleep, heart rate, calories, metrics for running, cycling and swimming
If you’ve signed up for a triathlon this year and you’re looking for a watch to capture all your training, Wahoo’s first entry into the multisport category is the watch you need. Size-wise, it’s similar to both Garmin Fēnix and Polar X tested here, but noticeably lighter. The screen isn’t as bright as some, and not the most intuitive to navigate but you get the hang of it pretty quickly.
Like the other watches, you need to download the corresponding app and wait until the watch is fully charged in order to pair it up. Then scan the QR code on the watch screen, fill in some personal data and you’re up and running.
It comes preloaded with programmes for race running, track running, treadmill, pool swimming, open water swimming, cycling, kickr, strength and yoga but for triathletes the killer app is its ‘Touchless Transition’ feature which can tell when you stop swimming and get out of the water and will start timing your first transition. It then works out when you get on the bike, so it gives your T1 time and starts timing the bike leg.
In comparison to the Apple Watch or Fitbit Versa 4 it’s quite basic — it can’t measure blood-oxygen levels, for example — but its simplicity, clear display and neat triathlon-specific features make it definitely worth considering if you race triathlon.
6. Samsung Galaxy Watch 7
£289 at John Lewis
also available at Samsung and Currys
Best smartwatch for Android users, 8/10
We like: its premium, lightweight design and great use of AI in features
We don’t like: it’s not compatible with iPhones and the battery life still isn’t great
- Battery life up to 40 hours, charge time over an hour
- Water resistant to 50 metres
- Dual-band GPS
- Tracks sleep, stress, heart rate, skin temperature, steps, calories, blood oxygen, blood pressure, body composition, exercise tracking, energy score
Reviewed by Britta O’Boyle
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 is one of the latest smartwatches from Samsung, replacing the Galaxy Watch 6 and sitting alongside the more rugged Galaxy Watch Ultra in the company’s line up. It remains incompatible with iPhone, like its predecessor, with only Android users and particularly Samsung users benefitting from its range of sensors and well-executed features.
Compared to the Galaxy Watch 6, there’s a new BioActive Sensor on board the Galaxy Watch 7 that allows for more accurate heart rate tracking and data – something that was noticeable in how quickly this smartwatch responded to peaks and troughs of my heart rate during HIIT workouts. Average heart rate overall and calories burned were the same as the Apple Watch Series 9 I wore on the other wrist when testing, but the Galaxy Watch 7 adapted quicker to heart rate changes during workouts.
There’s also a new processor for sleeker interaction with the interface on the punchy and vibrant Super AMOLED screen, while dual-frequency GPS makes for more precise tracking of walking, running and hiking when in areas of lower visibility, like woodland
It is the Energy Score feature that makes this smartwatch one of the more interesting options around, however. Similar to Fitbit’s Daily Readiness Score, the once-a-day Energy Score from Samsung determines your capacity for the day out of 100. It uses sleep data from the previous seven days, activity data from the previous day, average heart rate whilst sleeping and heart rate variability while sleeping, combined with artificial intelligence (AI) to calculate. There’s still Sleep Scores too, with Sleep Coaching and you’ll also get Wellness Tips, which also use AI to help you make better decisions and small improvements.
Battery life isn’t brilliant in that this smartwatch needs charging every night and the charging speeds are slower than the likes of Apple Watch too, but exercise tracking is excellent, it is lightweight and comfortable to wear (I had the 40mm model with a Green Sport Band), and the range of features is impressive. If you’re an Android user, and particularly a Samsung user, the Galaxy Watch 7 is a very solid smartwatch choice.
7. HUAWEI Watch GT 4
£199.99, Huawei
Best looking smartwatch, 8/10
We like: how it seamlessly blends fashion and technology
We don’t like: the app isn’t as user-friendly as some of the other brands
- Battery life up to 2 weeks (8-day battery life with regular use), charge time: 1 hour
- Water resistant to 50 metres
- GPS
- Tracks heart rate, SpO2 levels, respiratory levels, sleep, stress, 100+ workout modes, menstrual cycle tracking.
As a smartwatch that won’t look out of place paired with a suit or a sparkly dress, the HUAWEI Watch GT 4 is a great option. It has a stainless steel watch case and, at first glance, doesn’t look like a fitness tracker at all.
I tested the version with a green woven strap which, at 46mm, is perhaps better suited to a larger wrist. You can also opt for a brown leather strap, a grey stainless steel strap and, in the smaller 41mm watch, more feminine options such as a Milanese strap. The forest green octagon-shaped version I tried features a bright 1.43-inch AMOLED touchscreen with 326 PPI (pixels per inch) resolution – the same as an iPhone 11 – and an easy-to-use button layout.
Compatible with both iOS and Android, if you’ve ever used an Apple Watch you’ll find the activity rings function on the GT 4 familiar. They act as a daily exercise reminder, encouraging you to meet your goals. The first ring calculates the number of calories you’ve burnt daily, the second ring tracks your exercise and how much time you’ve spent working out and the third ring shows how active you’ve been, which includes things like standing up.
Of course, on top of the activity rings, the GT 4 also tracks everything from sleep and SpO2 levels to your menstrual cycle. It also offers over 100 diverse sports modes including more traditional sports like indoor and outdoor walking, running, cycling, and swimming, as well as basketball, padel, and esports.
The battery life is nothing short of exceptional: I was seriously impressed that after using it to track a run, a strength session in the gym, reformer Pilates class and a swim session, I still had over 50 per cent battery left. So, all in all, it’s a great fashion accessory that doubles up as a smartwatch. And the price really isn’t bad either.
The only place where it lost marks? The app. A little clunky to use, it’s not wholly impossible to navigate, but it’s not nearly as easy as the Fitbit app or Apple Watch.
8. Coros Pace 3
£229, Coros
Best fitness tracker for elite runners, 8/10
We like: incredibly lightweight and comfortable to sleep in
We don’t like: no Pilates or yoga workout mode
- Battery life 24 days, charge time under 2 hours
- Water resistant to 50 metres
- GPS
- Tracks a wide range of activities including running, cycling and swimming plus heart rate, SpO2, sleep, steps, training load, recovery level and running fitness.
Weighing just 30g and measuring just 11.7mm in thickness, the nylon-band version of the Coros Pace 3 is supremely light. If you’re not a fan of velcro straps, you can opt for an ever-so-slightly more bulky silicone band (39g). The slim profile makes it comfortable to wear even in bed. There are only two buttons on the right side – one being a dial to scroll through the home screens and workout menu.
One of the standout features of the Pace 3 is its exceptional battery life. When testing, I wore it 24/7 (including to track sleep), received calls and text notifications, ran, cycled and went to the gym, and the battery level barely dropped. In comparison to similarly-priced Garmin and Polar watches, this offers excellent value.
For runners like me who love data, the Coros app provides a treasure trove of insights into fitness, training status, recovery level, cadence, stride length, elevation, and more. It also syncs seamlessly with third-party running apps like Strava and Apple Health.
New for the Coros Pace 3 is the addition of mapping. This allows you to create custom routes in the app, or search for destinations and then sync them to the watch. With accurate dual-frequency GPS and modes including, run, indoor run, trail run, track run, hike, bike, indoor bike, pool swim and open water, the Pace 3 caters to a variety of sports and workouts.
However I was disappointed when I turned up to my weekly reformer Pilates class and realised there wasn’t a ‘Pilates’ workout option – I had to log the class as ‘gym cardio’, which really isn’t the same. There is no ‘yoga’ activity mode either, which may put some people off.
In the same range:
If you already own a Coros Pace 2 and you like it, the Pace 3 is a worthy upgrade, but I recommend checking out the Coros Apex 2 (£349) and Apex 2 Pro (£349). They come with a much heftier price point as they’re designed for more extreme conditions and rugged terrain, so they’re perhaps not suitable for the average park runner. But if you’re a mountain athlete and training for an ultra marathon, then they’re definitely worth considering.
9. Polar X Grit Pro
£484, Polar
Best GPS smartwatch, 8/10
We like: the turn-by-turn navigation and trackback features make this watch ideal for adventuring
We don’t like: it’s rather bulky
- Battery life 7 days with regular use, 40 hours in GPS mode, charge time around 1.5 - 2hrs
- Water resistant to 100 metres
- GPS
- Tracks heart rate, training load, steps, fuel, sleep, speed, power, recovery, over 130 sports
I think it’s fair to say that Polar’s X Grit Pro is more watch than most runners want or need. Tested against military standards, it’s designed for heavy-duty use and built to handle temperatures from -20°C to +50°C. But if you’ve progressed into running ultra-marathons then £459 buys you a lot of very impressive features.
The Polar Grit X Pro has a huge focus on endurance and recovery, with features like FuelWise, which offers reminders on when to fuel, and Load Pro, which tells you if you’re training too much or too little. It also tracks the amount and quality of your sleep. I liked that it rates your overnight recovery in one simple score, but annoyingly it’s rather large to wear in bed.
The navigation is nifty, offering turn-by-turn guidance as you walk, cycle or run. You can plan and map routes on partner site komoot.com and sync them to your watch. There’s a clever feature called ‘Track Back’ to navigate you back to your starting point if you get lost. (Extreme hikers, by the way, should check out our guide to the best waterproof jackets, some of which are almost as high-tech.)
Outdoors watches need good battery life, and the Polar provides 40 hours of full GPS tracking that can be extended to 100 hours using power saving. I can’t deny it’s a very nice watch but for me it’s a bit overkill.
10. Garmin Fēnix 7S
£519.99, John Lewis
Best heartrate monitor watch, 8/10
We like: features that help you see the long-term benefits of the work you’re putting in
We don’t like: the price tag (although you do get a lot for your money)
- Battery life 11 days with regular use, 37 hours in GPS mode, charge time around 2.5hrs
- Water resistant to 100 metres
- GPS
- Tracks sleep, steps, heart rate, abnormal heart rate, menstrual cycle, workouts and activities, stress, hydration
If you’ve had your heart set on a Garmin watch for a while, and you really want the very best, top-of-the-line, all-singing adventure watch, then it has to be the Fēnix 7 – Garmin’s most advanced multi-sports watch, aimed at those tackling cycling sportives, marathons, Ironman, CrossFit competitions, and even ultras.
The Fēnix 7 comes in a range of different sizes. I tested the 7S standard edition (not the next-level solar one), which sits at 42mm (rather than a slightly bulkier 47mm) as it’s designed for smaller-sized wrists.
It packs the same advanced workout tracking and training tools as the Garmin Fēnix 6 but the crucial difference is the touchscreen. There are still five physical buttons around the case but having a touchscreen is helpful for panning across maps, for example.
Better still, the touchscreen is locked by default during workouts (something I wish they’d implement on the Venu, above), which prevents accidental button presses and hitting ‘discard’ halfway through a swim session. And if you’re not a fan of touchscreen you can even opt to deactivate it completely.
The display isn’t as crystal clear as the Venu (it’s not AMOLED), but perhaps that’s why the battery lasts so much longer. I was very impressed that I didn’t have to charge it every other night when testing.
Of course, the Garmin Fēnix 7 also features all the smartwatch sensors you’d expect from something this expensive – including a heart rate monitor, altimeter, compass, blood oxygen sensor and temperature sensor. And there’s storage for music, too.
One of my favourite things about this watch is the race predictor tool which predicts your 5k, 10k, half marathon and marathon time, based on the training you’ve been doing and your current fitness levels. Yes, it’s only an estimate, but I found it incredibly motivating when my 10k race predictor time was faster than my actual PB since it means the current training I’m doing must be working and helps me to keep pushing on.
11. WHOOP 4.0
From £26 per month, WHOOP
Best sleep tracker watch, 8/10
We like: this display-less, performance-focused tracker makes a good companion to a GPS running watch
We don’t like: there’s no GPS
- Battery life 4-5 days, charge time 2.5 hours
- Water resistant to 100 metres
- No GPS
- Tracks sleep, steps, heart rate, blood oxygen levels, pulse oximetry, skin temperature, respiratory rate
Looking more like a bracelet than a watch, this fitness tracker stands out from the rest as it doesn’t actually have a screen. In fact, it doesn’t even have GPS. But that shouldn’t put you off. It monitors recovery, “strain” (elevated heart rate), and sleep, so it’s perfect for athletes looking to fully understand how well-recovered and rested they are.
Launched in 2021, the Whoop comes free with a subscription to the Whoop fitness app. £18 a month still feels quite expensive to me for what’s essentially an athletic-looking fabric strap and a heart rate monitor. It’s also one of the most fiddly fitness trackers to put on: I broke two nails trying to undo the buckle. Once it’s on, though, it fits like a dream thanks to the flat, flush-to-the-wrist positioning.
Since I’m currently in training I’m pretty sold on Whoop’s deep-dive approach. It presents data about your sleep, recovery levels and how much strain your body is primed for each day. But its lack of a screen, minimal design and basics such as step count will probably be dealbreakers for most people.
If, however, you’re super interested in your sleep data and how you can prevent injury, it’s one of the best wearables around. I can see why it’s so popular.
12. Fitbit Sense 2
£219.99, Boots
Best light fitness tracker, 8/10
We like: it’s a good-looking, casual fitness watch, specialising in sleep and stress
We don’t like: lack of third-party apps
- Battery life up to 6 days with regular use, 12 hours with GPS, charge time: about 1-2 hours
- Water resistant to 50 metres
- GPS
- Tracks sleep, stress, blood oxygen levels, skin temperature, heart rate variability, daily readiness score, 40+ exercise modes
If you like the look of Fitbit’s Versa 4 above but you’re after a smartwatch with a couple more features, then the other Fitbit launch worth looking at is the Sense 2. Stuffed with exercise features, it’s a tad more expensive than the Versa 4 but still a lot cheaper (and more casual) than Garmin’s fitness watches.
With a familiar Fitbit ‘squircle’ shape, the standout features here include EDA (electrodermal activity) stress tracking and ECG heart rate readings. The aim? To sense any abnormal heart patterns. But stress and heart health sensors aside, the Sense 2 is otherwise pretty fairly matched by the Fitbit Versa 4.
Please do also bear in mind that Fitbit is now owned by Google. This means that the Sense 2 lacks any third-party apps (not even Spotify!) So while it has smartwatch features, it doesn’t feel as much like a smartwatch as an Apple Watch. If however, you’re after a basic health and well-being watch – that specialises in sleep and stress – and you want a watch with a fairly decent battery life, this could be what you’re looking for.
13. Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 8
£34.99, Mi
Best budget fitness tracker, 7/10
We like: the high-resolution display is impressive for the price
We don’t like: lack of built in GPS
- Battery life up to 16 days, charge time around 1-1.5hrs
- Water resistant to 50 metres
- No GPS
- Tracks steps, calories, heart rate, sleep, 50+ fitness modes, blood oxygen
With a 1.62-inch AMOLED display, this budget fitness tracker has a large screen for such a small band and boasts more than 50 types of workouts. There’s also a SpO2 sensor for tracking blood oxygen, but it lacks GPS and doesn’t sync to third-party apps — so it’s not helpful if you’re preparing for a marathon with TrainingPeaks, for example. That said, there is connected GPS if you don’t mind bringing your phone with you while you’re out exercising.
A brand new nylon strap for the Band 8 is soft and lightweight, far more comfortable than previous iterations. It’s easy to sleep in and offers lots of data around sleep quality although, in comparison to some of the other trackers I’ve tested, the scores here did seem a tad on the generous side.
The Mi app is nowhere near as comprehensive as Fitbit, Garmin or Polar’s. What it does offer, however, is a great entry-level watch for someone who’s new to wearable tech.
14. Oura Ring
From £299, plus £4.99 monthly subscription, Oura
Best fitness tracking ring, 9/10
We like: it provides remarkable amounts of health data for its size
We don’t like: it’s chunky and scratches easily – especially in the gym
- Battery life up to 7 days, charge time 20-80 minutes
- Water resistant to 100 metres
- GPS
- Tracks sleep quality, blood oxygen (SpO2), heart rate, HRV, activity levels, training frequency, body temperature, menstrual cycle.
I’m constantly testing smartwatches, but I’ve never experienced such intense curiosity as when I’m wearing an Oura Ring. “Is that one of those rings that tracks everything?” people ask. I can’t blame them. How exactly can something so small offer all the same tracking features as a smartwatch?
When you order an Oura Ring online from the US (the only way to get it), you get to choose your ring’s design, finish, and size. I opted for the ‘horizon’ design and selected the silver finish. If you opt for a ‘stealth’, ‘gold’ or ‘rose gold’ finish, the ring is considerably more expensive ($349 for silver versus $549 for rose gold).
The most crucial part, however, is determining the right size for your finger. Oura offer a free sizing kit, which arrived within days of ordering. This kit contained eight plastic rings in different sizes, allowing me to find the perfect fit. Oura recommends that you test the plastic sample rings on your index finger for 24 hours to ensure it’s comfortable when you sleep. If you don’t fancy wearing on your index finger, they say the middle and ring fingers are good alternatives.
Once I found the perfect size, I downloaded the Oura app on my phone and delved into its world of tracking – and I was impressed. Not only does it keep tabs on basic metrics like heart rate and activity levels; it also digs deep into some pretty vital aspects of health that often go unnoticed. Plus, it boasts remarkable battery life, usually lasting between four to seven days on a single charge and super quick charging times – usually taking between 20-80 minutes.
The sleep tracking feature is a game-changer. The Oura ring assigns a ‘Sleep Score’ (ranging from 1 to 100), that evaluates the quality of your sleep based on various factors including sleep stages (such as how much time you spent in REM vs. deep or light sleep), body temperature and heart rate. It’s amazing to see how a glass of wine or heading to bed just an hour later than usual can mess with your sleep. I particularly liked how the Oura ring offers tips on how to improve your sleep too – with the app pinging notifications on when it’s time to start winding down for bed.
Lots of watches – including Garmin, Fitbit and Apple – offer menstrual cycle tracking for women, but I was impressed with the accuracy the Oura ring offered. For example, on day 22 of my cycle, the Oura app told me that while my ‘readiness level’ was good, my body temperature was slightly elevated – but this may just reflect normal temperature fluctuation across the menstrual cycle. I’ve found this feature really useful – it’s definitely helped me to better understand my body during different phases of my cycle.
The Oura ring also provides a ‘Readiness Score’, which looks at things like temperature and heart rate variability, to assess how ready you are for the day ahead. It can detect early signs of illness and help you prioritise rest and recovery. It’s like having a personal sleep doctor, PT and GP on your finger, nudging you to make smarter choices.
My only gripe? I found the metal can easily get scratched and can scratch other jewellery. Oura does recommend taking the ring off when strength training or lifting heavy weights, but isn’t the point of the ring to wear it 24/7 so it gets a complete overview of how you exercise?
Overall though, if you’re looking for a fitness tracker that seamlessly fits into your everyday wardrobe, the Oura Ring has accurate tracking capabilities, plus unique features like menstrual cycle tracking. It is expensive though, and for some – especially those training for specific goals like a marathon – you may prefer to have all your data visible on your wrist, rather than depend on your phone.
Fitness tracker FAQ
What is a fitness tracker?
Fitness trackers are meant to be worn all day, every day, and designed to track everything from walking up the stairs or working out at home to running a multi-stage ultra-marathon. Some also allow you to view and respond to emails, texts and social posts. Some track your sleep – including how long you spend in light, deep and REM sleep.
“There are many options on the market right now at a variety of price points,” says Nick Anderson of coaching experts Running with Us. “Many are now tailored towards different forms of exercise. There is something to suit everyone.”
How does a fitness tracker work?
Most measure motion through three-axis accelerometer sensors – measuring the acceleration, frequency, duration, intensity and patterns of your movement. Other wearables use an optical heart rate monitor: tiny LEDs illuminate your capillaries and the changing light refraction can be used to calculate your pulse.
“Fitness trackers can also measure the distance you run or cycle via GPS, which is built into the watch,” adds Anderson. “The system works by measuring the time it takes for signals to be received from satellites. It frequently pings your location, then measures the distance between each ping.” Trackers with GPS can also be used for navigation, and even work in the sea. “If a fitness watch offers the option of outdoor swimming, the GPS signal is likely to be boosted to enable the device to track accurately.”
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