The key features to consider when purchasing a fitness tracker are accuracy and metrics —you want to choose a device that fits your activity level, lifestyle, and overall goals, Jones says. To find the best fitness trackers, we tested 16 of the most popular devices , using and evaluating them at home for over a month. We also had a certified personal trainer from our Review Board review this article for accuracy, including how to use a fitness tracker to collect and analyze your health and wellness metrics.
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Whether you’re an avid exerciser, a competitive goal-setter, or a health-minded individual, a fitness tracker can be a great investment. The best fitness trackers offer a fun and intuitive way to help you set goals and measure your progress. They can also help you keep track of other metrics, like sleep, readiness, body temperature, and more. According to Kira Jones, CPT , certified personal trainer and founder of Cacti Wellness Collective, the main benefit of wearing a fitness tracker is that you’re able to get tangible data about your fitness and overall health. “Knowledge is power,” she says, and if you’re looking to gain more knowledge about your daily activity and workouts, a high-quality fitness tracker can help.
Best Overall
Garmin Vivomove Sport
Garmin
View On Amazon
View On Walmart
$180
View On Garmin.com
Our Ratings
-
Comfort
4.8
/5
-
Ease of Use
4.7
/5
-
Accuracy
5
/5
Pros
Cons
Key Specs
Battery Life: Up to 5 days | Water Resistance: Yes, up to 164 feet underwater | GPS: No | Our Overall Rating: 4.9/5
Who It’s For
Best for a well-rounded view of your health and fitness with a fitness tracker that’s intuitive, comfortable, and accurate.
Why We Love It
Garmin’s Vivomove Sport Watch is our top overall pick for its accuracy, comfort, ease of use, and so much more. Whether we’re tracking our step count, calories burned, or time spent sleeping, we find the metrics to be spot on. The smart device doesn’t stop there. It also tracks blood oxygen saturation, stress levels, menstrual cycles, and more. It alerts you with reminders to relax, detects incidents during select activities, counts reps during gym sessions, and has running-, cycling-, and swimming-specific features. You can receive call, text, and calendar notifications directly on the watch, too.
The watch is easy to set up and pair with the Garmin Connect app, where you can view all of your data and daily insights. We appreciate the app’s clear display of metrics that are easy to understand. Other notable features include the five-day battery life and water resistance rating of 5 atmospheres (ATM), meaning you can wear the device up to 164 feet underwater.
Potential Flaws
- Other picks on our list can hold a charge for longer and have a higher ATM rating.
- You can’t respond to text messages from the watch unless you have an Android phone.
-
Verywell Fit / Tammy Gardini
-
Verywell Fit / Tammy Gardini
Best for Running
COROS Pace 2
Amazon
View On Amazon
$199
View On REI
$179
View On Coros.com
$199
Our Ratings
-
Comfort
5
/5
-
Ease of Use
4.8
/5
-
Accuracy
4.9
/5
Pros
Lightweight
Highly water-resistant
Long battery life
Cons
Key Specs
Battery Life: Up to 14 days | Water Resistance: Yes, up to 164 feet underwater | GPS: Yes | Our Overall Rating: 4.9/5
Who It’s For
Best if you’re a runner who supplements your runs with strength training, as it offers over 200 pre-programmed exercises for the upper body, lower body, core, and more.
Why We Love It
Coros’ Pace 2 GPS Sport Watch is one of the best running watches we’ve tested because it tracks your location, distance, pace, time, stride length, and more. We love that it’s accurate, no matter the type of run we track. It’s known for being one of the lightest GPS watches available, and we agree. It provides a post-workout muscle heatmap, so you can see which muscle groups you worked the hardest in a daily, weekly, or monthly view. Other helpful metrics include heart rate, sleep, and body temperature.
The device also provides you with phone notifications and caller ID and connects to third-party apps like Strava, Apple Health, and more. And just like our best overall pick, Coros’ Pace 2 has a water resistance rating of 5 ATM, so it’s safe to wear for laps on the track and in the pool. But while our best overall pick only has a battery life of up to five days, this watch can last up to 14 days on a single charge. We rely on many of the watch's ample tracking capabilities to track our running progress—like steps, heart rate, calories burned, time, elevation, best mile, average pace, heart rate, stride length, and GPS.
Potential Flaws
- The features offered may not be the best for tracking exercises other than strength and running.
- The multitude of features and settings may be too overwhelming for some.
Verywell Fit / Holly Klamer
Best Low-Profile
Fitbit Inspire 3
Amazon
View On Amazon
$95
View On Walmart
$97
View On REI
$60
Our Ratings
-
Comfort
5
/5
-
Ease of Use
5
/5
-
Accuracy
4.2
/5
Pros
Budget-friendly
Lightweight
Easy to use
Cons
Key Specs
Battery Life: Up to 10 days | Water Resistance: Yes, up to 164 feet underwater | GPS: No | Our Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Who It’s For
Best for beginners or those looking for a budget-friendly, low-profile fitness tracker that’s easy to use and comfortable.
Why We Love It
The Fitbit Inspire 3 is a winner for its ease of use, comfort, and overall value. It tracks distance, calories burned, heart rate, and other helpful statistics. In the Fitbit app, you can also view helpful wellness metrics like sleep and stress management scores, as well as participate in guided breathing sessions and workouts.
While wearing the minimalist tracker, we receive irregular heart rate alerts and reminders to move, as well as call, text, and app notifications. The notifications come as near-silent vibrations that are enough to make us notice without disrupting our day. We also love the vibrating alarm that wakes us up during our most optimal sleep stage—it helps us feel more refreshed throughout the day.
Potential Flaws
- We found the step counter to be slightly sensitive, logging steps during other activities like making the bed.
- After the free six-month Fitbit Premium membership, you’ll have to pay extra to access most key features, such as your daily readiness score, stress management score, and access to Fitbit's workouts on the app.
Verywell Fit / Sarah Felbin
Best for Training
Polar Vantage V2 Smartwatch
Amazon
View On Polar.com
Our Ratings
-
Comfort
4.8
/5
-
Ease of Use
4.9
/5
-
Accuracy
4.8
/5
Pros
Highly water resistant
Unique recovery features
Advanced sleep tracking
Cons
Key Specs
Battery Life: Up to 100 hours | Water Resistance: Yes, up to 333 feet underwater | GPS: Yes | Our Overall Rating: 4.6/5
Who It’s For
With advanced metric tracking, this fitness tracker is best for anyone who trains intensively.
Why We Love It
Featuring performance and recovery tests, Polar’s Vantage V2 Smartwatch offers a unique way to track your training progress. If our heart rate isn’t super high during a workout, the heart rate tracking on this device helps us know that it’s time to ramp things up—great for HIIT workouts like EMOM. The leg recovery test can also prompt us through three guided countermovement jumps to estimate our leg muscle recovery status. Throughout testing, we used this watch to track heart rate, steps, and calories burned. It provides accurate metrics during runs, strength training, and other activities.
We also love how the device alerts you if you're training too much or not enough. It provides more than just numbers—it tells you which energy sources (carbs, proteins, or fats) were consumed during each workout. You’ll even get a daily sleep score to help determine how ready you are for the day. We really like that the sleep tracking feature gives us a better picture of how much time we spend in each stage of our sleep cycle each night. And we love that it’s waterproof up to 333 feet—double the ATM of our top overall pick.
Potential Flaws
- According to our nutrition editor, the carb, protein, and fat consumption information may not be incredibly accurate—so take it with a grain of salt.
- If you’re not an athlete or training on a daily basis, we think you can save money and choose a more well-rounded tracker, like Garmin’s Vivomove Sport Hybrid Smartwatch.
-
Verywell Fit / Justin Javier
-
Verywell Fit / Christine Luff
-
Verywell Fit / Justin Javier
Most Stylish
Garmin Lily
Garmin
View On Walmart
$249
View On Garmin.com
View On Opticsplanet.com
Our Ratings
-
Comfort
4.5
/5
-
Ease of Use
5
/5
-
Accuracy
5
/5
Pros
Wide range of colors
Delivers morning reports
Very accurate
Cons
Key Specs
Battery Life: Up to 5 days | Water Resistance: Yes, up to 164 feet underwater | GPS: No | Our Overall Rating: 4.6/5
Who It’s For
Best if style and functionality are equally important to you.
Why We Love It
Garmin's Lily Watch, like many other products on our list, measures steps, sleep, stress, and energy levels. We use it to set, track, and reach fitness goals. And we appreciate the pre-programmed workouts that encouraged us to change up our workout routines and try something new. What sets this wearable apart—besides its stylish design—is the morning report feature, which provides a summary of the weather outside, your energy level, step goals, menstrual cycle stage, and the first calendar event for each day.
We also enjoy the built-in apps for yoga, cardio, walking, and mindful breathing—which have become a regular part of our routine. And just like our best overall pick, you can download the Garmin Connect app to view all of your health data and insights at a glance, which we find intuitive and easy to digest. We appreciate that the Lily Watch is easy to use, comfortable, and accurate in tracking your blood oxygen saturation, hydration, and more. At an average price compared to other fitness trackers on our list, we think this one’s a great choice for anyone who's looking to gain insight into their health—and look stylish while doing it.
Potential Flaws
- Note that you can only respond to texts on the watch if you have an Android phone.
- Although the tracker tracks basic activities, it doesn’t have as in-depth activity tracking as other fitness trackers on our list.
-
Verywell Fit / Lily Moe
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Verywell Fit / Lily Moe
Best Battery Life
Withings ScanWatch Hybrid Smartwatch
Amazon
View On Amazon
$300
View On Best Buy
$300
View On Withings.com
Our Ratings
-
Comfort
4.2
/5
-
Ease of Use
4.7
/5
-
Accuracy
4.4
/5
Pros
Cons
Key Specs
Battery Life: Up to 30 days | Water Resistance: Yes, up to 164 feet underwater | GPS: Yes | Our Overall Rating: 4.3/5
Who It’s For
Best for people who are on the go or frequent travelers, since it charges quickly and stays charged for up to 30 days.
Why We Love It
Withings’ Scanwatch is an easy-to-use, sleek, and reliable fitness tracker that boasts advanced health-tracking capabilities. We especially love that this watch sends us notifications to “unwind,” “take 100 steps,” and “go on a lunch walk.” You can also set the watch to wake you up at the most optimal time of your sleep cycle each morning—we found this feature easy to set up in the app. Like many others on our list, this wearable accurately tracks distance, heart rate, blood oxygen level, menstrual cycles, sleep, and more. We love that for each metric, you can find an explanation of what it is and why it's important on the compatible Withings Health Mate app.
A water resistance rating of 5 ATM means that you can wear this tracker for laps in the pool or ocean up to 164 feet deep. We recognize that this isn’t our most budget-friendly pick, but for its high-quality design, impressive metric tracking, and long-lasting battery life, we think it’s worth the investment. Plus, your purchase includes a carrying case and a spare band.
Potential Flaws
- The wake-up alarm is so gentle that, for deep sleepers, we recommend setting a louder backup alarm.
- During testing, we found that the step counter was sensitive, counting other movements as steps.
-
Verywell Fit / Abigail Moore
-
Verywell Fit / Christine Luff
Best With GPS Tracking
Fitbit Charge 5
Amazon
View On Walmart
$129
View On Fitbit.com
$150
View On Target
$150
Our Ratings
-
Comfort
5
/5
-
Ease of Use
4.6
/5
-
Accuracy
3.7
/5
Pros
Cons
Key Specs
Battery Life: Up to 7 days | Water Resistance: Yes, up to 164 feet underwater | GPS: Yes | Our Overall Rating: 4.4/5
Who It’s For
Best if you enjoy exercising outdoors without your phone, thanks to its built-in GPS that tracks distance and pace in real time.
Why We Love It
Fitbit’s Charge 5, the brand’s most advanced wearable, is a heavy-duty version of the Inspire 3. It allows you to run, hike, and ride phone-free, thanks to its built-in GPS. After a run, we can see our pace and heart rate zones at different points throughout our route laid out on a visual map in the Fitbit app. This feature is really unique and one that would be helpful if you’re training for a marathon or just really like to see visualizations of your metrics.
We wear this wearable for various types of activities, like CrossFit and strength training sessions. We find that most metrics are precise, and this Fitbit doesn’t just stop at tracking fitness-related metrics. You can also view your sleep, stress, and readiness scores on the app to develop a better understanding of how to tackle each day. Just like the Inspire 3, Fitbit’s Charge 5 can wake you up with a soft vibration at the most optimal point in your sleep cycle, as well as deliver call, text, app, and calendar notifications from your phone. We also like that you can log your mood each day in the app.
Potential Flaws
- Most metrics are precise, but the watch slightly overestimated the amount of calories burned when it comes to activities like running and walking.
- After the free six-month Fitbit Premium membership trial, you’ll have to pay extra to access most of the valuable tracking metrics.
-
Verywell Fit / Christine Luff
-
Verywell Fit / Michael Navarro
-
Verywell Fit / Michael Navarro
Best for Sleep
Oura Ring
Oura
View On Ouraring.com
$299
View On Best Buy
$299
Our Ratings
Pros
Cons
Oura Gen3 Review: A Stylish Smart Ring To Help You Meet Your Wellness Goals
Key Specs
Battery Life: Up to 7 days | Water Resistance: Yes, up to 328 feet underwater | GPS: No | Our Overall Rating: 4.1/5
Who It’s For
Best if you want a holistic health overview with detailed sleep and menstrual cycle metrics.
Why We Love It
If tracking your sleep, readiness, and menstrual cycle is your top priority, Oura’s Ring Gen 3 is for you. This lightweight, stylish wearable uses tiny sensors to transmit helpful health data from your finger to your phone in a matter of seconds. It uses factors like total sleep time, efficiency, restfulness, and time spent in each sleep cycle to provide daily sleep and readiness scores in the Oura app, although you’ll need to pay extra per month for a membership.
The ring also provides a daily activity score that’s created using your inactivity time, training frequency, and more. The Oura Ring Gen 3 is an investment but one worth making if you’re interested in in-depth sleep and menstrual cycle tracking. We love that it connects to Natural Cycles, an app that helps you cycle-sync your workouts by tracking each phase of your menstrual cycle.
Potential Flaws
- We found activity tracking was limited and inaccurate, providing the wrong time, distance, and calories during a walk and not recording any activity during Pilates or yoga. We think this tracker is best for readiness and sleep, not activity monitoring.
-
Verywell Fit / Michelle Parente
-
Verywell Fit / Michelle Parente
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Verywell Fit / Michelle Parente
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Verywell Fit / Michelle Parente
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Verywell Fit / Michelle Parente
-
Verywell Fit / Michelle Parente
-
Verywell Fit / Michelle Parente
Best Budget
Amazfit Band 7
Amazfit
View On Amazon
$50
View On Walmart
$71
View On Amazfit.com
Our Ratings
-
Comfort
3.7
/5
-
Ease of Use
4.3
/5
-
Accuracy
4.4
/5
Pros
Amazon Alexa is built in
Charges quickly
Over 120 sport modes
Cons
Key Specs
Battery Life: Up to 18 days | Water Resistance: Yes, up to 164 feet underwater | GPS: No | Our Overall Rating: 4.1/5
Who It’s For
Best for anyone who’s not used to wearing a fitness tracker because it's ultra-lightweight.
Why We Love It
Amazfit’s Band 7 is one of the best budget fitness trackers on the market because it’s less expensive, but still provides helpful health data. We especially love this band for its accurate sleep, stress, and fitness tracking. Unlike other picks on our list, this one also has Amazon Alexa built in, for setting alarms and completing other important tasks with your Amazfit hands-free.
Despite its featherweight feel and streamlined look, the Amazfit has rather impressive features: alerts for abnormal heart rate, blood oxygen level, and stress, over 120 sport modes, an 18-day battery life, and more. We also love that you can set it to track your menstrual cycle and view your statistics from the easy-to-navigate Zepp app.
Potential Flaws
- You have to press a button in order for it to record a workout.
- There are no additional in-depth health metrics, GPS capabilities, or recovery tracking.
-
Verywell Fit / Jeffrey Corona
-
Verywell Fit / Jeffrey Corona
Most Durable
Garmin Instinct 2
Garmin
View On Amazon
$210
View On Walmart
$300
View On REI
$200
Our Ratings
-
Comfort
4
/5
-
Ease of Use
4
/5
-
Accuracy
5
/5
Pros
Detailed GPS tracking
Long battery life
Rugged design
Cons
Key Specs
Battery Life: Up to 28 days | Water Resistance: Yes, up to 333 feet underwater | GPS: Yes | Overall Rating: 4.2/5
Who It’s For
Best for skiers, hikers, swimmers, and other outdoor fitness enthusiasts, thanks to its durable construction and high-tech features.
Why We Love It
The third Garmin product on our list, the Garmin Instinct 2 combines all the features that we love about the Vivomove and Lily in one heavy-duty wearable. It tracks sleep, stress, menstrual cycles, fitness, and more. Whether we’re hiking, climbing, or running, the metrics provided by the watch and the Garmin Connect app are always spot-on.
Although the Instinct 2 is packed with features, it still has GPS tracking and an intuitive interface that’s easy to use. With so many unique elements, like daily workout suggestions and compatibility with mobile apps like Starbucks, we think it’s well worth the money.
Potential Flaws
- It’s one of the higher-priced items on our list. We think it's worth it for very active individuals, but may not be necessary for beginner users.
- Like other Garmin sports watches on our list, you can only respond to texts on the watch if you have an Android phone.
Verywell Fit / Mathieu Jean-Lubin
Best for Heart Rate Monitoring
Scosche Rhythm24 Waterproof Armband Heart Rate Monitor
Amazon
View On Amazon
$48
View On Scosche.com
$100
Our Ratings
-
Ease of Use
3.9
/5
-
Comfort
5
/5
-
Precision
5
/5
Pros
Cons
Key Specs
Battery Life: 24 hours | Water Resistance: Yes, up to 9.8 feet underwater | GPS: No | Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Who It’s For
Best for anyone who uses target heart rate zones during their workouts.
Why We Love It
We love that Scosche's Rhythm24 Armband Heart Rate Monitor is sensitive to both major and minor changes in our heart rate, even when we’re at rest. It has all the standard and well-loved features you want in a fitness tracker, with an emphasis on tracking your heart rate during your workout. This monitor keeps us updated on which of the five main heart rate zones we’re in during a workout. While we exercise, the monitor lights up in different colors depending on the heart rate zone we’re in. This helps us know how hard we’re pushing ourselves during a workout and whether we’re using our aerobic or anaerobic metabolism.
Rather than resting on the wrist like a traditional smartwatch would, this pick is an armband, which means it sits on our forearm, just below our elbow. This makes the band comfortable and prevents it from bouncing up and down on our wrists like some traditional fitness trackers. The fitness tracker’s location is especially helpful for longer workouts or tough training sessions when a wristwatch may get in the way.
Potential Flaws
- It took us three tries to connect this monitor to our phone’s Bluetooth, so we wish the user guide was easier to follow.
- The heart rate zone alerts change via subtle colors, so they are hard to notice if you’re wearing a long-sleeved shirt or not looking down at the monitor often.
-
Verywell Fit / Michal Hanover
-
Verywell Fit / Michal Hanover
-
Verywell Fit / Michal Hanover
Best Multi-Use
MyZone MZ-Switch Heart Rate Monitor
Perform Better
View On Myzone.org
Our Ratings
-
Ease of Use
4.7
/5
-
Comfort
3.7
/5
-
Precision
4.8
/5
Pros
Can be worn around the chest, arm, or wrist
Battery life lasts up to 6 months
Easy to use
Cons
Key Specs
Battery Life: Up to 6 months | Water Resistance: Yes, up to 32 feet underwater | GPS: No | Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Who It’s For
Best for someone who wants to wear their heart rate monitor in different ways for different workouts.
Why We Love It
MyZone's MZ-Switch Heart Rate Monitor is incredibly easy to use. We love how seamless it is to set up and to install the app. The tiny, pinky nail-sized device can be attached to different band types and placed on your arm, chest, or wrist. Versatile enough to wear during a variety of workouts, we like that it’s water resistant up to 32 feet—that’s just enough to withstand a sweaty workout or accidentally spilled water. Plus, you’ll get your heart rate data in real time, so you won’t have to wait till after your workout to check your stats.
We also like that the device features five color-coded heart rate zones on its monitor that show you how much you are exerting yourself during a workout. This feature helps us keep motivated and push ourselves during workouts. What’s extra special about this fitness tracker is its ultra-long battery life that lasts up to six months, which means we don’t have to charge it much at all.
Potential Flaws
- The heart rate monitor isn’t as comfortable as other options, and when worn on our wrist, we did find that it slipped a bit. But we got used to it after a few wears.
-
Verywell Fit / Stella Yu
-
Verywell Fit / Stella Yu
Fitness trackers have come a long way from the simple bands that tracked steps and little else. Modern trackers can monitor everything from your heart health to how well you’ve recovered from a hard bout of training. They’ve got sensors galore and, in some cases, can give smartwatches a run for their money. Whatever your fitness goals are, there’s probably a fitness tracker that can help you achieve them.
Compared to some other gadgets, wearables are incredibly personal, which means there are a few extra considerations you’ll have to take into account before reaching for your wallet. It makes it hard to say that any one fitness tracker is the best for everyone. Thankfully, the best thing about fitness trackers in 2024 is that there’s enough variety to fit into every kind of lifestyle.
What we’re looking for
Audience
Who is this fitness tracker for? The ideal fitness tracker for hardcore athletes will look different than the best one for casual users looking to get a few more steps in.
Battery life
A fitness tracker should be able to go at least two to three days between charges. If it’s a flagship smartwatch, it should at least offer quick charging.
Form factor
Is it a band or a smartwatch? Is it comfortable to wear 24/7?
Metrics
What metrics does this device track? We prioritize active minutes over steps and calorie burn, but health metrics like resting heart rate, VO2 Max, and sleep quality are plusses.
Consistency
Accuracy is nice, but it’s more important for measuring progress that your device delivers consistent results for heart rate, distance tracking, and steps.
Platform
Certain trackers are limited to specific phone ecosystems — others will work regardless of what your phone is. We prioritize the latter wherever possible.
Best fitness tracker overall
Size: 46mm w/ 22mm straps / Weight: 34g / Battery life: Up to 14 days / Display type: OLED touchscreen / GPS: Dual-frequency and six GNSS systems / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 2.3GB
The Amazfit GTR 4 punches way above its weight. It’s affordable at $199 and includes a whole array of features you’d expect to see on much pricier wearables. That includes a bright OLED screen, blood oxygen monitoring, sleep stage tracking, stress tracking, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and an offline digital assistant. It’s also got a native camera remote and a handy Pomodoro timer built in. And for outdoor fitness enthusiasts, the GTR 4 also has multiband GPS for more accurate GPS tracking in challenging environments. You can even import GPX routes from sites like Strava and Komoot. The GTR 4 takes a more holistic approach to health, trading in steps for PAI points to gauge whether you’re getting the recommended 150 minutes of moderate activity per week.
The OLED display is one of the Amazfit GTR 4’s best features. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
For smart features, the GTR 4 has all the basics: push notifications, quick text replies on Android, alarms, timers, and the ability to make and take calls over Bluetooth. The only thing the GTR 4 is really missing is contactless payments, but it more than makes up for it, given the expansive feature set and battery life. It lasts about 10–14 days on a single charge with normal use and about a week with heavy usage. It may not have the brand recognition of a Fitbit, but since Google nerfed both the Versa 4 and Sense 2 last year, you might want to overlook that. Plus, the GTR 4 doesn’t have thick bezels like either of those watches. Watchfaces on the OLED display are crisp, and animations are smooth. When you consider that Amazfit watches are often on sale, it’s a no-brainer.
Best fitness watch for casual users
Garmin Venu Sq 2
$ 224
$ 250
10 % off
$ 224
$ 224
$ 250
10 % off
The Garmin Venu Sq 2 is a great replacement for a Fitbit smartwatch. Not only do they look similar, but the Venu Sq 2 has way more fitness features, long battery life, and no subscription.
$224 at Amazon$250 at Garmin
Sizes: 40mm w/20mm straps / Weight: 38g / Battery life: Up to 11 days / Display type: OLED touchscreen / GPS: All-systems GNSS / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 4GB (for Music Edition)
The $250 Garmin Venu Sq 2 is the watch I recommend for anyone looking to replace their aging Fitbit Versa 2 or 3. It’s got a similar look and vibe, with a much nicer OLED display and longer battery life.
Garmin is known for its comprehensive fitness tracking, and that’s not an exception here. Of course, you get the basics, like steps and calories burned, but you get a whole lot more, too. There’s built-in GPS for tracking walks, runs, and bike rides — as well as plenty of other sports profiles like yoga and strength training. For smart features, you get push notifications, timers, contactless payments, and a bunch of safety features like Garmin’s Incident Detection, which is its take on fall detection. (You will need to carry your phone with you, however, as this doesn’t have LTE.)
The Garmin Venu Sq 2 has a bright, beautiful OLED display and long battery life. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
If you want the option of onboard music, you can shell out $50 extra for the Music Edition, which comes with enough storage for about 500 songs. I wouldn’t recommend it, however, as you’ll most likely have your phone on you since this isn’t a true standalone watch.
What I like most about this watch, however, is it’s one that you can grow with. On top of recovery metrics and sleep tracking, it also has Garmin Coach — a built-in, free training program for beginner and intermediate-level runners hoping to tackle a 5K, 10K, or half marathon. For health tracking, you can monitor heart rate, blood oxygen, intensity minutes (how many minutes of moderate exercise you get per week), stress, hydration, respiratory rate, and menstrual cycles. And the best part is Garmin doesn’t lock any of this behind a paywall.
One note: there is a Venu 3, which adds a newer heart rate sensor and nap detection. I liked it quite a bit, and it ticks off a lot of the right boxes — except for price. It’s $450, which puts it outside what I’d consider ideal for casual users. I firmly believe older models are still a good choice if all you want is the fitness-tracking basics. This is especially true since newer software updates often make their way to older Garmins. Garmin users also tend to hang onto their device for a good while. Strava’s 2023 year-end survey found that the most popular smartwatch among its users was an eight-year-old Garmin!
Best for serious outdoor athletes
Sizes: 7S Pro: 42mm w/20mm straps, 7: 47mm w/22mm straps, 7X: 51mm w/26mm straps / Weight: 7S Pro: 63g (Solar), 58g or 65g (Sapphire Solar, titanium or stainless steel) 7: 79g (Solar), 73g (Sapphire Solar) 7X: 96g (Solar), 89g (Sapphire Solar) / Battery life: 7S: up to 11 days, 14 w/ Solar, 7: up to 18 days, 22 days w/ solar, 7X: up to 28 days, 37 w/solar / Display type: MIP touchscreen / GPS: All-systems GNSS and dual-frequency GPS / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 10ATM / Music storage: Up to 32GB
Garmin’s flagship Fenix 7 series is no joke, and the Fenix 7 Pro lineup takes it up a notch. It’s got built-in multiband GPS, solar charging on all models, the option of touchscreen or button navigation, topographical maps, and oodles upon oodles of data. Plus, every Fenix 7 Pro model has a hands-free LED flashlight, an upgraded heart rate sensor, and an improved memory-in-pixel display that’s slightly easier to read in low lighting.
Garmin wearables are also known for providing extensive, in-depth metrics, and the Fenix 7 Pro lineup is no exception. You get excellent recovery metrics, as well as helpful training guides and coaching programs. The best part is Garmin doesn’t charge extra for those features. That’s good news, as these are expensive watches.
I appreciate how quickly these Fenix 7 watches are able to pick up a GPS signal. That’s a must if you’re training in the dead of winter. These watches can also take a beating. All models are built to military-grade standards and feature up to 10 ATM of water resistance. That means they’re more than capable of a dunk in the ocean.
The hands-free flashlight rules! Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Although the screen is brighter, MIP displays still aren’t my absolute favorite — the OLED on the Garmin Epix 2 and the Epix Pro are a lot easier on the eyes. It’s admittedly tough to pick between the Fenix 7, Fenix 7 Pro, Epix 2, and Epix Pro lineups — especially now that the Epix Pro also has great battery life, the LED flashlight, and now comes in multiple sizes. What it boils down to is whether you prioritize a brighter display, longer battery life, or price.
Personally, I prefer the Epix Pro for better readability, but the Fenix 7 Pro is the better choice if this is your first introduction to Garmin’s platform. You’ll get better battery life, the same LED flashlight, all the same training features, and a lower starting price. (You can also check out our Garmin buying guide if you’d like even more alternatives.)
That said, I still think the standard Fenix 7 lineup is a good choice — especially if solar charging isn’t all that appealing to you. Plus, many of the new features that launched with the Fenix 7 Pro and Epix Pro have trickled down to the standard line via OTA updates. You can also save a couple hundred dollars this way if budget is your main concern. In general, the holiday season is right around the corner, so I recommend keeping your eyes peeled for deals as retailers try to get rid of old inventory.
Best non-wrist tracker
Sizes: 8 proprietary sizes, 6-13, sizing kit needed / Weight: 4–6g (depends on size) / Battery life: Up to 7 days / Display type: None / GPS: None / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: Up to 328 feet / Music storage: None
The vast majority of fitness trackers are worn on the wrist, but the $299 Oura Ring isn’t. The smart ring is a good option for people who are looking for something a little more discreet. It’s also less distracting than some other wrist-based options, as it lacks a screen and doesn’t forward push notifications.
The Oura Ring is one of the most recognizable smart rings around. Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge
While smaller than your average wearable, the Oura Ring still tracks a ton of metrics, including heart rate variability and body temperature. The third iteration of the device also introduces SpO2 sensors, as well as all-day heart rate monitoring and period predictions. Since launching, the Oura Ring has also added activity tracking, blood oxygen levels, chronotypes to help visualize your circadian rhythms, and a new social feature called Circles. It’s also begun rolling out a whole new sleep stages algorithm that it claims is more accurate than before. If you’re looking for some stress relief, the Oura Ring also lets you track guided meditation sessions.
The Oura Ring tracks typical metrics — such as steps and calories burned — but its main focus is sleep and recovery. Each day, you’re given three sets of scores for your readiness, sleep, and activity. It’s a simple, holistic look at your overall wellness and an ideal pick if you want a more hands-off experience with your data.
That said, 2024 is shaping up to be the year of the smart ring. Samsung just confirmed it’s working on a Galaxy Ring that’s slated for launch later this year. I’m currently testing a new ring from Movano, and Amazfit is expected to launch another compelling option in the near future — both of these won’t have a subscription. If you can be patient, you might want to wait to see what happens in the smart ring space over the next few months.
Best fitness band
Size: 42mm x 24mm x 12.2mm with 16mm straps / Weight: 28g / Battery life: Up to 18 days / Display type: OLED / GPS: Tethered / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: None
It’s truly hard to beat the Amazfit Band 7’s $49.99 price — doubly so since you can often find it on sale for even less. Wearing the Band 7 feels like a throwback to 2014, which is great if all you’re looking for is a simple and casual tracker that won’t break the bank.
No one is going to compliment you on the Band 7’s design, but it’s got a handful of cute watchfaces that make good use of its OLED touchscreen. And despite having an OLED display, you’ll still get roughly 14 days of battery life on a single charge. It’s also incredibly lightweight, making it a good option for sleep tracking as well.
The Amazfit Band 7 won’t turn heads, but it’s the type of capable yet affordable fitness band that’s much harder to find nowadays. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
You also get an absurd number of features for the price. That includes Amazon Alexa, continuous heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring, stress tracking, advanced sleep tracking, training metrics like VO2 max and load, abnormal heart rate alerts, menstrual tracking, push notifications, find my phone, a camera remote, and even a Pomodoro timer. You’re sacrificing contactless payments and will have to settle for tethered GPS, but this is a fair tradeoff considering everything else you’re getting. It’s not the best option for hardcore fitness tracking, but this is a great option if all you’re looking to do is casually track activity and your steps.
Amazfit’s been making surprisingly good budget trackers for a while. That said, if you’re a little wary of a lesser-known brand, the $159.95 Fitbit Charge 6 is a decent alternative. It’s pricier, but you get a lot of what Amazfit is missing. That includes Google services like YouTube Music, Google Wallet, and Google Maps. Plus, it has built-in GPS and the ability to broadcast your heart rate with some Bluetooth-compatible gym equipment.
Most stylish fitness watch
Withings ScanWatch Light
$ 250
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The Withings Scanwatch Light is a hybrid analog smartwatch that tracks the basics like steps and activities, while delivering up to 30 days of battery life.
$250 at Withings$250 at Amazon
Sizes: 37mm with 18mm straps / Weight: 45g / Battery life: Up to 39 days / Display type: OLED display / GPS: Tethered GPS / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: N/A
The $249.95 Withings ScanWatch Light is a fetching hybrid analog smartwatch. Think of it as a dressier fitness band with some Swatch-like design sensibilities. It’s got all your basics like simple push notifications, timers, and alarms. Plus, you can track steps, sleep, menstrual cycles, and GPS activities straight from the wrist. It looks spiffy on the wrist, and if you like a pop of color, Withings offers minty green and pale blue color options. It’s also got excellent battery life, with an estimated 30 days on a single charge. I got a little less in testing at around 25 days, but that’s still much better than the vast majority of flagship smartwatches. This also looks way more stylish than beefier multisport watches with similar battery life.
Like its name suggests, the Light is a pared down version of the $349.95 ScanWatch 2. The main things you’re missing are an EKG sensor for atrial fibrillation detection, a temperature sensor, blood oxygen tracking, and an altimeter for tracking elevation. For basic fitness tracking, you don’t really need those sensors. That’s why I think the extra $100 in savings is worth it for the Light, especially since both are lacking in safety features, contactless payments, and some other bells and whistles you can get from other watches in the $350 price range. That said, if you want extras, the ScanWatch 2 also gets you a slightly more elegant look thanks to the second step-counter dial.
The ScanWatch 2 is about $100 more but adds more advanced health tracking. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Another option I like is the $179.99 Garmin Vivomove Sport, which actually dominated this category the past few years. It’s hard to beat the price, especially since it gets you access to Garmin’s platform. However, Garmin’s “hidden” OLED display can get washed out in bright lighting, and battery life was significantly shorter than other hybrid analog watches at around five days. Still, if you’d rather a platform with a focus on fitness rather than wellness, the Vivomove Sport may be the better move over a Withings watch.
Best fitness tracker for iPhone users
Sizes: 41mm, 45mm / Weight: 32g (41mm), 39g (45mm) / Battery life: Up to 18 hours / Display type: Always-on LTPO OLED / GPS: Built-in GPS, plus GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou / Connectivity: LTE (optional), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: Up to 50 meters / Music storage: 32GB
If you’re looking for a smartwatch that does fitness well, then iPhone owners need to look no further than the $399 Apple Watch Series 9. (The LTE version costs $50 more.) This year’s updates were pretty iterative, but the updated S9 processor makes this the smartest fitness tracker around for Apple users.
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With watchOS 9, Apple added advanced running metrics and the ability to create custom workouts. This year’s watchOS 10 update adds greater integration with cycling accessories, as well as custom workout plans within Fitness Plus. Hikers also get better maps and directions on the wrist. Otherwise, the watch is incredibly similar to last year’s Series 8. That’s fine! Not only could you save a bit of extra dough by opting for an older model, but you’re still getting the vast majority of the features that matter. Exclusive to the Series 9 are the forthcoming double-tap gesture, brighter screens, and offline Siri capability — but these are fairly minor if your real focus is fitness. But if you want to use Siri to interact with your health and fitness stats, that’s also a Series 9 exclusive.
Of course, we also have to address the Apple Watch ban. As of January 18th, 2024, new Series 9 sold by Apple (and eventually, third-party retailers) will have the blood oxygen feature disabled due to an ongoing patent battle with medical device maker Masimo. This isn’t a huge deal for most people, as this feature isn’t that useful for most people yet. You might want to consider a refurbished Series 7 or 8 if blood oxygen sensing is important to you, however.
If you’re a first-time buyer, you can also opt for the second-gen Apple Watch SE. It’s slightly cheaper at $249, and while you don’t get as many features, it’s a good introduction to the ecosystem. Otherwise, if you’re the type of athlete who covets a Garmin, you may also want to consider splurging on the Apple Watch Ultra 2. It’s more expensive at $799, but it does have the brightest screen of any Apple Watch, comes with dual-frequency GPS, has diving and hiking safety features, and is made of more durable materials.
Best fitness smartwatch for Samsung phones
Sizes: 40mm, 44mm / Weight: 28.7g (40mm), 33.3g (44mm) / Battery life: Up to 30 hours with AOD, 40 hours without AOD / Display type: Always-on OLED / GPS: Built-in GPS / Connectivity: LTE (optional), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: Up to 50 meters, IP68 / Music storage: 16GB
If you have a Samsung phone, this is the best full-featured smartwatch for fitness tracking. It (and the Watch 6 Classic) are the first watches to get Wear OS 4 and One UI 5 Watch, which adds a bunch of health and sleep tracking improvements like temperature-based cycle tracking, personalized heart rate zones, and custom workouts. It also has the same 3-in-1 sensor, which enables body composition analysis. That’s a unique feature that no other smartwatch at the moment is capable of. You can also access workout videos from the Samsung Health app — though the production values aren’t as good as Fitness Plus or Peloton.
While I prefer the Classic overall (I mean, rotating bezel!), the base Watch 6 model is our pick for general fitness tracking due to its lighter weight and smaller size. Overall, it’s less distracting during workouts and more comfortable for sleep tracking. That said, the Classic is a very capable tracker, even if its aesthetic and larger size lend it toward being a better smartwatch. However, if you want a more rugged fitness watch with truly multiday battery life, you might be better off with the $449.99 Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. The Pro is also getting some new software updates in One UI 5 Watch, including turn-by-turn navigation for running and walking.
We pick the Galaxy Watch 6 base model (top) as our overall fitness tracking pick due to its lighter weight and smaller size. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
The big thing with the Galaxy Watch 6 series is that battery life has improved over last year. In my testing, I was able to last an entire day without worrying about battery under various scenarios. For example, on outdoor GPS runs with the always-on display enabled, I only saw a battery drain of 3–4 percent per mile. Fast charging enables you to get eight hours of battery life on a single charge, and the improved bedtime mode mitigates overnight battery drain to 10–15 percent — even if you turn on continuous SpO2 sensing, snore detection, and skin temperature tracking.
While Wear OS 4 and One UI 5 Watch look, feel, and function similar to Wear OS 3 / One UI Watch 4.5, you now get cloud backups. Google has also continued to expand third-party app offerings, so there are more choices than ever. However, some features are limited to Samsung owners, making it hard to wholeheartedly recommend this to non-Samsung Android users.
Best fitness smartwatch for Android
Sizes: 41mm / Weight: 31g / Battery life: Up to 24 hours / Display type: Always-on OLED / GPS: Built-in GPS / Connectivity: LTE (optional), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 32GB
Last year, the Google Pixel Watch shifted the playing field for Android smartwatches. Now, the Pixel Watch 2 is here, and while it looks the same as its predecessor, it’s a significant improvement over last year.
Under the hood, you get a newer processor, Wear OS 4, and a new multipath sensor. What this translates to is much faster charging, zippier performance, and battery life that actually lasts 24 hours with the always-on display. On the health front, you have more accurate heart rate tracking, automatic workout tracking, and the Fitbit Sense 2’s continuous electrodermal activity sensor for stress tracking. Plus, there are new personal safety features: Safety Check and Safety Signal. The former is a proactive timer that alerts emergency contacts to your location while the latter allows you to use emergency features even if you don’t have an active LTE plan, provided you have a Fitbit Premium subscription. (Note: you still need the LTE version of the watch for Safety Signal to work.)
The Pixel Watch 2 is a significant update over the original. Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
These are the main updates, but there are also a bunch of tiny fixes and updates here and there that address many of the quirks with the first-gen watch. That said, we still have concerns in terms of durability, repairability, and size. The Verge staff has cracked and scratched our devices, and Google doesn’t offer any repair options — just the Preferred Care extended warranty. (And even then, this is a new addition with the Pixel Watch 2 that’s limited to the US and Canada.) And while the 41mm size is fetching on petite wrists, it may appear too dainty for people with larger wrists.
But if you’re looking for alternatives to Google and Samsung, the $299.99 OnePlus Watch 2 was just announced at MWC 2024. I’m still putting that watch through its paces, but so far it looks to be a promising option now that Fossil has decided to quit smartwatches altogether.
Best for early adopters and elite athletes
Whoop 4.0
$ 30
This distraction-free recovery tracker helps you monitor your sleep quality and cardiovascular strain. The hardware is “free,” but it costs $30 per month.
$30 at Whoop
Sizes: 43mm by 28mm by 10mm / Weight: 18g / Battery life: 4–5 days / Display type: None / GPS: None / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: Up to 10 meters / Music storage: None
The Whoop 4.0 is not for the casual enthusiast. Not only does it come with an expensive monthly subscription, but the information it provides is only useful if you’re actively training for a cardio-intensive sport. If strength training is your main form of exercise, you’re better off looking elsewhere. Like the Oura Ring, this is a distraction-free tracker that specializes in sleep and recovery. The main difference is this has a more athletic bent. For instance, you’ll get way more insight into how much strain you’ve taken on in the past week.
Whoop also provides a lot of novel ways to wear its tracker, including in underwear and arm/knee sleeves. This makes it an appealing option if you’re one of those unicorns who needs a secondary tracker to supplement another form of fitness tracking. Again, this is a tracker best appreciated by people who go hard and aren’t afraid to experiment. Plus, Whoop recently lowered its subscription prices in certain tiers, so while it’s still expensive, it’s not quite as pricey as it used to be.
The Whoop 4.0 is best for elite athletes or people who don’t mind experimental trackers. Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge
Update March 11th, 12:54PM ET: Replaced Garmin Vivomove Sport with Withings ScanWatch Light, moved Vivomove Sport to alternatives in same section. Updated other text regarding OnePlus Watch 2 and smart rings.
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