Top-Performing Health Monitors Place Essential Wellness Information Close at Hand
Keeping you active and healthy is what the best fitness trackers do best! From getting your Z's right to pushing you towards that Arnold Schwarzenegger physique, these wearables have come a long way from your grandma's Walk-A-Matic. Now tracking your steps is just the beginning - they'll also give you an estimate of calories burned, flights climbed, and even your walking asymmetry. All this data in tiny devices that help you know just how well you're progressing towards optimal health. They'll even guide you towards smarter life choices to ensure you live a longer, healthier life.
With so many options available in the crowded wearables market, it can be tough to pinpoint the best ones. Each new model seems to pack in more features than the last, leaving you wondering if you really need to know your blood oxygen saturation levels. Using our market insights, testing, previous reporting, and winners from GQ's Fitness Awards, we've curated these recommendations for you. Ready for a healthier you? Here are the top fitness trackers to help you stay on track.
The Best Fitness Trackers - At a Glance
- The Best Fitness Tracker Overall: Garmin Forerunner 245
- The Best Fitness Tracker for Outdoor Adventure and Durability: Garmin Fenix 8
- The Best Fitness Tracker for Discreet and Stylish Health Tracking: Oura Ring 4
- The Best Fitness Tracker Beginners: Fitbit Charge 6
- The Best Fitness Tracker for Data-Obsessed Athletes: Polar Ignite 3
- The Best GPS Watch for Serious Runners: Coros Pace 3
- The Best Fitness Tracker for Metabolic Health Insights: Ultrahuman Ring Air
The Best Fitness Tracker Overall: Garmin Forerunner 245
Garmin Forerunner 245
At $300, Garmin's Forerunner 245 finds the perfect balance between budget fitness trackers and high-end supercomputer-sized wearables. Packing a lightweight build and an impressive battery life of up to 7 days, it's a workout-ready fitness tracker for almost everyone. Even with GPS running, it'll last up to 24 hours. Daily, you'll receive exercise programs tailored to you, and coaches can sync their custom workouts to your device for a personalized coaching experience.[6] Runners love the Forerunner 245 for its lightweight feel and features like a training status monitor and recovery time advisor.[7] For those preferring hands-free running, the GPS ensures you stay on track without the extra baggage of a device.
The Best Budget Fitness Tracker: Fitbit Charge 5
Fitbit Charge 5
Fitbit's Charge 5, starting at $145, is a compact and stylish fitness tracker with surprisingly robust fitness tracking capabilities. The improved display and design make it sit comfortably on the wrist.[2] While some of its best features are locked behind a subscription, the initial purchase comes with a free six-month trial.[8] Features like a daily readiness reading and stress management setting provide valuable insights to help you manage your body and mind better.[9]
The Best Splurge-y Fitness Tracker: Garmin Epix 2
Garmin Epix 2
At $736, the Epix 2 boasts all the tracking capabilities you'd want, such as stress, sleep, hydration, and respiration, along with sport modes for specific activities like hiking and pickleball.[10] Its exceptional GPS positioning makes it perfect for trail runs, while its glare-resistant screen and always-on display ensure visibility in any weather conditions.
The Best Fitness Tracker for Elite Athletes: Apple Watch Ultra
Apple Watch Ultra
The Apple Watch Ultra, retailing at $749, offers a range of features for the serious athlete. Its advanced GPS provides precise positioning, and the Backtrack feature ensures you can retrace your steps even in remote locations. The emergency siren, action button customization, and robust battery life make it an excellent choice for Ironman competitors and outdoor adventurers.[3]
The Best Fitness Tracker for Sleep: Oura Ring 3
Oura Ring Gen 3 (Heritage)
The Oura ring offers discreet health tracking, providing detailed insights into sleep patterns, fitness levels, and recovery time.[11] Users can receive a daily readiness score and can monitor their sleep quality and duration with the help of long-term wear. The sleek Gucci collaboration adds a touch of fashion flair to the device.[12]
The Best Fitness Tracker for Apple Users: Apple Watch SE
Apple Watch SE
Priced at $169, the Apple Watch SE caters to those who want the basics without the high price tag of the Apple Watch Ultra. It tracks essentials like heart rate, noise levels, and daily activity.[13] The idea of creating "rings" encourages users to prioritize exercise and maintain an active lifestyle.
- These fitness trackers, such as Garmin Forerunner 245, help you stay active and healthy, offering insights beyond just steps taken. They also provide estimates of calories burned, flights climbed, and walking asymmetry.
- The Fitbit Charge 5, priced at $145, is a budget-friendly option that offers a compact and stylish design for discreet health tracking, complete with features like daily readiness readings and stress management settings.
- For those looking to splurge, the Garmin Epix 2, priced at $736, offers advanced tracking capabilities for stress, sleep, hydration, respiration, and specific activities, along with exceptional GPS positioning and a glare-resistant screen.
- Yet for the serious athletes, the Apple Watch Ultra, priced at $749, delivers advanced GPS, Backtrack feature, an emergency siren, action button customization, and robust battery life, making it ideal for Ironman competitors and outdoor adventurers.
- The Oura Ring, with its sleek design and price around $300, provides discreet health tracking with detailed insights into sleep patterns, fitness levels, and recovery time, offering a touch of fashion flair with its Gucci collaboration.
Each of these top fitness trackers helps users stay on track towards optimal health, wellness, and a longer, healthier life, thanks to their combination of style, technology, fitness-and-exercise, health-and-wellness, science, and gadgets.
