Best Fitness Trackers for 2022
Updated: Feb. 10, 2023If you want to start tracking your daily activity, these are the best fitness trackers to help you achieve your goals.
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What to Consider When Buying a Fitness Tracker
There are a few key things to think about when shopping for a fitness tracker.
First, decide which features are most important to you. Basic activity trackers usually measure steps taken, distance traveled and minutes of activity, while more advanced models can monitor your heart rate, sleep patterns and more. Also consider what activities you do the most; there are sport-specific trackers for running, swimming and biking.
Finally, consider your budget. Activity trackers can cost anywhere from $30 to several hundred dollars.
All-Around Best Fitness Tracker
If you’re looking for a well-designed fitness tracker that can do it all, the Fitbit Versa 2, which costs around $200, is one of the best options out there. This smartwatch-inspired tracker monitors your heart rate, steps, distance traveled, calories burned, hourly activity, active minutes, sleep quality and floors climbed. It also comes with Amazon Alexa, allowing you to check the weather, set an alarm and more using voice commands. Because it’s equipped with Fitbit Pay, it can be used to control your Spotify or Pandora app. All of these features make it one of the best fitness trackers on the market.
Best Fitness Tracker for the Budget
For an affordable yet reliable fitness tracker, consider the Fitbit Inspire, which costs less than $70. This simple Fitbit tracks your steps, distance, hourly activity, active minutes and calories burned, as well as your sleep patterns. It automatically records workouts, and its small, simple screen is intuitive and easy to use. Plus, its slim profile is comfortable and less cumbersome than other fitness trackers.
Best with Heart-Rate Monitor
Not all fitness trackers come with heart-rate monitors, but the Fitbit Charge 3 offers 24/7 heart rate tracking, along with many other features. This Fitbit retails for $150 (although it’s often on sale for less) and can track your daily steps, distance, active minutes, sleep time and calories burned. You can even use it to track your weight and log food! It includes more than 15 exercise modes. And it’s water-resistant so you can wear it for swimming workouts.
Most Stylish Fitness Tracker
Many fitness trackers have a utilitarian appearance. But if you want a more stylish option, the Bellabeat Leaf Nature has a versatile, fashion-forward design. This unique tracker can be worn as a bracelet, necklace or clip, and the $75 unit is shaped like a leaf with a decorative rose-gold casing.
The Bellabeat tracks steps, distance moved, calories burned from home gym workouts, sleep patterns, reproductive health, menstrual cycle and stress. Unlike other fitness trackers that need regular charging, this one has a coin cell battery that you simply replace every six months or so.
Best for Kids
Fitness trackers can be a fun way to motivate children to stay active, but you might not want to purchase a “full-size” tracker for them. Instead, the Fitbit Ace 2 is a product designed for kids six and up, with its focuses on basic measurements like steps, sleep time and active minutes.
The $70 Ace 2 lets kids earn virtual badges and enjoy fun on-screen celebrations when they reach goals. They can even challenge friends to competitions for extra motivation.
Best Watch for Runners
The Garmin Forerunner 645 is an ideal fitness tracker for avid runners because it provides advanced data such as ground contact time balance, stride length, vertical ratio and more — everything you need to lower your times. It includes a heart-rate monitor, smart notifications and Garmin’s contactless payment solution. It gets top marks from reviewers who say its GPS is incredibly accurate, and Garmin products can even track treadmill workouts. At full price the Forerunner 645 is $400, but it’s often on sale for significantly less.
Best Fitness Tracker Ring
If you don’t want a wrist-based fitness tracker, you might prefer the Motiv Smart Ring. This unique smart fitness device costs $200, and it measures active minutes, heart rate, steps, distance, sleep, calories burned and more. The ring is waterproof and comes in seven unisex sizes. It even has built-in security features that allow you to use it as part of two-step authentication systems.
