Best fitness trackers 2024: Measure steps, sleep, calories and more (2024)

The best fitness trackers come in all shapes and sizes. While some smart wearables focus predominantly on tracking your vital stats — such as the budget-friendly Xiaomi Smart Band 7 or the innovative Oura ring — others can be a convenient one-stop shop for all your needs. For example, many of the best Garmin watches can map your running trails, tell the altitude, and even warn you when the weather conditions are about to change. Smartwatches like the Apple Watch Series 8, on the other hand, can act as a handy extension to your phone, thanks to smart features like contactless payment solutions, notification alerts or music playback.

The right fitness tracker can be invaluable to achieving your health and fitness goals. It is like having a pocket-sized personal trainer — it will help you make better fitness decisions and hold yourself accountable, Nathan Kennedy, a certified personal trainer, told Live Science. If you want to know more about the potential benefits of using fitness trackers, or how reliable they really are, scroll down to our Fitness tracker FAQs section to see what the experts say.

We know that picking the right fitness tracker can be tricky, which is why we have spent countless hours trying and testing some of the best models on the market. We looked at design, features, comfort, durability and performance, as well as looks, ease of use, and connectivity with third-party devices. You can check our How we test section down below for more information on our fitness tracker testing protocol.

The quick list

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The best fitness trackers we recommend in 2024: Fully tested by our expert team with hands-on, real-world experience

The best fitness tracker for iPhone users

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If you are looking for great GPS and heart rate hardware, The Apple Watch Series 8 is a fantastic fitness tracker and our favorite of all the watches we have tested. We liked it so much that we gave this iconic wearable a massive 4.5 stars in our Apple Watch Series 8 review — and we even prefer it to the newer, more expensive Apple Watch models.

Apple really does offer best-in-class when it comes to health and safety features. In the Series 8, you will find an ECG monitor that can detect abnormal heart rhythms, a blood oxygen monitor and sleep tracking too. There is also an advanced gyroscope for fall detection, as well as ovulation tracking for those with a menstrual cycle. These are all features that you can find in other trackers, but in our experience the heart-tracking capabilities of Apple outstrip its competitors.

On top of that, the watch has an app library that’s bigger than all of its rivals put together. You can find second-party apps that will improve your yoga flows, help track your workouts and guide you on meditations. Compared with its predecessor, the Apple Watch Series 8 also offers more in-depth data on activities like running, including heart rate zones. You can even create custom workouts and save them to your watch.

But it is not without its faults; the watch is only compatible with iPhones and battery life only lasts for one day. Still, we think the model is the best combination of value, features and performance available on the market.

• Read our full Apple Watch Series 8 review

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Best smartwatch for tracking workouts

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A Garmin Fenix 7 is the best fitness tracker to get if you want the most comprehensive set of built-in exercise features available. These stand out when you bring other hardware into the mix.

During our Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar review, we were thoroughly impressed with its performance and functionality. This rugged watch can connect to heart rate straps and foot pods, bike turbo trainers, and even Garmin’s bike lights. We liked that you can download continents’ worth of maps to the watch’s internal memory and plan hike, bike and run routes so you can leave your phone at home.

It lets you download music and podcasts from some of the most popular music services, including Spotify and Deezer. And the MiP screen only becomes clearer in bright sunlight, so tracked outdoor sessions won’t kill the long-lasting battery.

Its heart rate and GPS accuracy are great, and the presentation of stats like training load and VO2 Max seems tailored for the fitness enthusiast.

A Garmin Fenix 7 may be a bit much if you just want to track 5km runs a couple of times a week. It is not light and it is not cheap. The bulk isn’t ideal for sleep tracking, so consider Garmin’s Versa 2 if you like the sound of Garmin’s style but would prefer something smaller.

That said, Garmin’s watches are less intimidating than they once were. The Fenix 7 has a touchscreen and a quick swipe up from the watch face gives you a neat run-down of all your important daily stats. It has encyclopedic features, but works well for casual all-day tracking too.

• Read our Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar review

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Best budget fitness tracker

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The Xiaomi Smart Band 7 has joined the flock of one of the most popular wearable brands in the world, offering users features often reserved for premium-priced wearables. It may not be the highest rated watch in this guide — it scored 3.5 stars in our Xiaomi Smart Band 7 review — but for $39.95, this fitness tracker is hard to beat for the sheer number of its features.

It looks good, too. Closely resembling the Fitbit in design, the crisp 1.62'' AMOLED high-resolution display is glare-resistant and 25% larger and brighter than its predecessor – the Xiaomi Smart Band 6.

The Smart Band 7 is iOS and Android compatible, pairing with its own Mi app to give access to data like heart rate, oxygen monitoring, sleep, and workout analysis. You can also follow guided meditations via the app and check in on your daily stress level data. Xiaomi has thrown the kitchen sink at fitness enthusiasts, offering GPS tracking and 110 sport and fitness modes, including swimming (the watch is 50 meters waterproof) and yoga.

We loved the female health management feature that allows you to track your periods and form patterns between your workout data and health stats. However, we found that a few features lacked accuracy, including sleep (and sleep stages) data and workout stats like calories and distance. The touchscreen also became unresponsive during sweaty workouts, which could be frustrating for activities like running or CrossFit.

• Read our full Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 7 review

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Best fitness tracker under $150

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Smartwatches tend to be pricier than fitness trackers, simply because they pack more features and have a more robust design. However, some models can still offer all the bells and whistles of premium smartwatches — but with a much more wallet-friendly price tag. The Amazfit Active is one of those rare exceptions.

There is plenty to like about this budget-friendly smartwatch. It is feather-light, compact, comfortable to wear, and packed to the brim with tracking features. During our Amazfit Active smartwatch review, it thoroughly impressed us with its long battery life — up to a whopping 30 days in the battery-saving mode — and the good accuracy of its heart rate and movement sensors. We also liked its intuitive controls and an exceptionally bright, detailed and colorful display.

The Amazfit Active measures your heart rate, heart rate variability, body temperature, blood oxygen, steps, breathing rate, stress level and sleep quality. This smartwatch can also track up to 120 sports activities, and thanks to its AI-powered coaching apps, even help you boost your exercise performance. Moreover, it features GPS navigation, compass, Alexa voice assistant, phone call extension, and a myriad of other apps.

However, the Amazfit Active may not perform well in challenging outdoor conditions. That is because this model comes with a rather delicate, plastic-feeling frame, and its display is not strengthened with Gorilla glass or Sapphire Crystal. In addition, some of its features are hidden behind a paywall.

• Read our full Amazfit Active smartwatch review

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Best running watch

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The Garmin Forerunner 965 is an excellent choice for runners thanks to its user-friendly design, excellent navigation, and a wealth of features designed to boost your exercise performance. It is also more affordable than some of the more premium Garmin models — which is why we gave it a strong 4.5 stars in our Garmin Forerunner 965 review.

The Forerunner watches have won our seal of approval multiple times, even despite the ever-increasing retail prices. We loved the Garmin Forerunner 955, but had to admit it was slightly too expensive for a watch with a plastic shell. The Forerunner 965 has stepped up its design, though — while the main part of the shell is still made from a plastic “resin”, its bezel is now crafted from rock-hard titanium.

The Forerunner 965 screen boasts the biggest OLED Garmin has put into a watch to date, a 1.4in panel of 454 x 454 pixels. The display is also crisp, bright and colorful, making it easy to track your stats and follow the route on-the-go.

The Garmin Forerunner 965 is packed to the brim with features that can help you level up your running performance. There is a good range of reliable health and activity stats to give you valuable insights into your cardiovascular health, exercise performance and recovery time. The Forerunner 965 is also equipped with excellent navigation systems and detailed maps, so you'll not veer off the track and get lost when running through unfamiliar places. Mind you, this model currently has the 8.8GB Europe Topo maps pack installed, but you can freely install others if you like.

You also have 32GB on which to store any music you might want to carry around with you, smart notifications and handy workout suggestions to spruce up your exercise routine.

• Read our full Garmin Forerunner 965 review

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Best fitness tracker for wellness

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The budget-friendly Amazfit Balance is a great option for those who want to better manage their sleep hygiene and stress levels. This sleek fitness tracker is packed to the brim with wellness apps and advanced health tracking features designed to help you boost your post-exercise recovery and live a more mindful lifestyle. It also comes with a whopping 14-day battery life, crisp AMOLED display, dual-band GPS navigation, compass, altimeter, and many other features typically reserved for more premium models.

During our Amazfit Balance review, it thoroughly impressed us with its performance and stylish, unobtrusive design. This smartwatch accurately measured our heart rate, breathing rate, heart rate variability, and body composition, and did a great job at picking up on our stress levels, sleep duration, and overall sleep quality.

We also liked its easy-to-use, colorful display and comfortable, buttery-soft strap. Not to mention, it was one of the lightest and most compact smartwatches we have ever tested.

For roughly two hundred dollars, the Amazfit Balance offers great value for money. However, some of its additional features, such as the AI-powered fitness coach chatbot, are locked behind a paywall. Moreover, the display in the Amazfit Balance does not feature Gorilla Glass or any other sturdy materials, so it may not be the best choice for those who engage in extreme sports or heavy manual tasks.

• Read our full Amazfit Balance review

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Best smartwatch for sleep tracking

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If you are looking for a fitness tracker that can help you get a more restful shut-eye, you can't go wrong with the Fitbit Charge 5. It’s rare to see a fitness tracker this small that is so comprehensive in the stats it can gather, and Fitbit’s sleep tracking is among the best on the market — which is why we gave it a strong 4-star rating in our Fitbit Charge 5 review.

But it is not just the extensive sleep metrics that make the Charge 5 stand out among competitors — it is one of the best Fitbit models out there, we dare say. If you have your heart set on a Fitbit, you just have to decide whether you would prefer this or the bigger, more expensive Fitbit Sense. This model is much smaller, as it is more of a band than a watch. And you do not get the downloadable apps available on Fitbit’s Versa and Sense — like Spotify, for example. If you want to go for a run and listen to music, you will have to use your phone if you are using a Charge 5.

However, the sheer amount of stuff Fitbit packs into the Charge 5 is impressive. It has full GPS, for phone-free route tracking. It has the EDA stress sensor Fitbit introduced in the Sense watch, and even an ECG sensor. This analyses your heart rhythm to check for abnormalities, using hardware completely separate from the optical heart rate reader on the back.

Mind you, to see the Fitbit Charge 5 at its full strength you will need to sign up for Fitbit Premium. It costs $9.99/£7.99 a month and the watch includes a 6-month trial. While a Charge 5 works fine without it, fitness plans and even blood oxygenation readings sit behind this paywall.

• Read our Fitbit Charge 5 review

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Best fitness tracker for seniors

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It is not our all-time favorite. During our Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 review, we found its workout tracking features to be imprecise and the watch itself quite uncomfortable to wear. We were not impressed by its poor battery life, either — just like its younger sibling Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, it does not last more than a day on a single charge. However, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 may be one of the best fitness trackers for seniors right now. It features a colorful, crisp display with large, easy-to-read icons and widgets, and it comes with a host of accurate health tracking features — including ECG (a measurement of electrical impulse activity in the heart) and body composition.

Moreover, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 comes with built-in emergency features that could be particularly useful for those who are frail or require frequent medical assistance. It can detect falls and send SOS signal to emergency services, and in case of an accident, the Galaxy Watch 6 will display the user’s medical information to first responders and medical staff.

We liked its smartwatch capabilities, too. The watch features contactless payments, GPS navigation, and a handy phone extension that allows you to text and take calls. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is also compatible with third-party apps.

It may not be the most advanced or thoughtfully designed fitness tracker on the market, but it delivers good value for less than $300.

• Read our full Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 review

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Best screen-free fitness tracker

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The Whoop 4.0 does not resemble any other fitness tracker on the market — but that's what makes it so special. This peculiar-looking wearable lacks a giant touchscreen or bulky buttons; instead, it comes with a discrete “sensor suite” and a woven, elasticated strap. It may come as a surprise, but the Woop 4.0 does not count steps, either. What you get, however, is continuous monitoring of health metrics including heart rate, skin temperature and heart rate variability, as well as in-depth sleep tracking. This data is then combined and analysed to produce three easy-to-understand daily scores; strain, sleep and recovery.

During our Whoop 4.0 review, we tested it for nearly a month, and found this alternative approach had both benefits and drawbacks. This fitness tracker will not find any devoted fans among endurance athletes, since it does not have a screen, in-built GPS or other features that display stats while running. On the other hand, its discreet, screenless design will appeal to swimmers and weightlifters.

The Whoop 4.0 feels sturdy, durable and shows no signs of damage after being smacked with a dumbbell or submerged in a swimming pool.

The strain, sleep and recovery scores allowed us to get the most out of our training sessions without having to ponder on the individual metrics. But if you like your numbers, you can still get plenty of in-depth data on the Woop's dedicated app.

• Read our full Whoop 4.0 review

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Best looking fitness tracker

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We have tested both the Withings Scanwatch and the newer Withings ScanWatch Horizon — and the original model remains our favorite. It expertly blends a fashionable wristwatch design with high-tech health and fitness tracker.

We loved testing this sophisticated watch during our Withings ScanWatch review — we thoroughly enjoyed playing with features like on-the-spot oxygen and ECG monitoring, sleep and fitness tracking, and basic metrics on calories and step count. It is brilliant for gathering comprehensive data on your health, helping to provide a holistic picture of your wellbeing.

The crown on the side of the watch flicks through features on a small digital screen within the clock face, bringing old and new together into one medical-grade wearable.

The Withings ScanWatch is iOS and Android compatible and partners with the Health Mate app, where you have access to a dashboard of data like blood pressure, average heart rate, and more in-depth sleep analysis. You can also link up to third-party apps including Strava and Apple Health, and set up weight loss goals, macro tracking, or step count. It’s even waterproof (up to 50 meters) if you fancy taking it for a swim, but it’ll set you back a cool $249.95/£279.95.

• Read our full Withings ScanWatch review

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Best smart ring

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We were impressed with the performance of the Oura ring during our month-long testing period, and we consider its accurate sleep tracking to be the real stand out feature. During our Oura ring Generation 3 review, we found that whenever we woke up feeling groggy and poorly rested, this sleek wearable was able to show us exactly when our rest had been disturbed and how it had affected our REM sleep.

The ring is able to take this data and make suggestions too. For example, our tester was advised to shift their workouts to earlier in the day and found that doing so had a positive impact on their sleep latency (how long it took them to fall asleep.)

As the ring is so small, it does not have a screen. Instead, you will have to rely on a companion app to look at most of your health data. We did not find this to be a massive issue, although it does mean there is no easy and quick way to check things like your heart rate when you are in the middle of a workout.

There is an impressive amount of data gathered by the ring. It measures your heart rate at various intervals throughout the day, along with your heart rate variability at night, to help check for potential health problems. And it has a helpful ‘readiness’ feature that will let you know if you should prioritise exercise or rest.

We did find that it is not 100% accurate at tracking all health metrics. For example, we found it massively over estimated calorie burn during our testing period. And its ‘auto-detect’ feature often attributed the wrong exercise to our workout, for example recording a HIIT session as a weights session.

Despite this, we really like it, thanks to its unusual design and brilliant, unmatched sleep-tracking ability.

• Read our full Oura ring Generation 3 review

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Best Garmin alternative

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The Coros Apex 2 strikes a perfect balance between quality and affordability which is why we gave it a strong 4-star rating in our Coros Apex 2 review. And although this rugged smartwatch was designed with outdoor enthusiasts in mind, it can pull some serious weight in the gym, too. The Apex 2 is relatively light and compact, looks good on the wrist, comes with a long-lasting battery life, and boasts an eye-pleasing design — we reckon it can easily compete with the top offerings from Garmin, Fitbit and Apple.

In addition, the Coros Apex 2 is one of the least expensive ways to get a dedicated fitness watch with true on-watch mapping that does not need any kind of internet connection to work. And yes, Garmin’s mapping features may be more advanced and detailed, but the price of entry is higher for those. And the Coros Apex 2 beats such models with its use of durable materials like titanium and sapphire.

In our view, its health tracking abilities fall slightly behind those of the best from Garmin or Apple, but this mostly seems to affect all-day readings. But if you do not mind these tiny discrepancies, the Coros Apex 2 can be an invaluable companion on hiking trails.

• Read our full Coros Apex 2 review.

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Our expert consultants

Nathan Kennedy

Nathan Kennedy is a UK-based certified personal trainer, online fitness coach, and a representative for Bio-Synergy, a sports nutrition brand. He told Live Science about the potential health and fitness benefits of using fitness trackers.

Alka Patel, MD

Dr. Alka Patel is a lifestyle medicine physician and longevity expert based in London. She achieved a distinction in the MRCGP (Membership of the Royal College of GPs) and 10 more titles including a Diploma in Lifestyle Medicine. For this piece, Dr. Patel commented on the validity of calorie measurements and sleep tracking features.

Mark Estes III, MD, FAHA

Dr. Mark Estes III is a Pittsburgh-based cardiologist and past chair of the American Heart Association’s scientific publishing committee and Council on Clinical Cardiology. For this piece, he commented on the use of fitness trackers for detecting cardiovascular problems.

Best fitness trackers: Frequently Asked Questions

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How we tested these fitness trackers

How we test the best fitness trackers

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You can trust our recommendations when it comes to picking the best fitness trackers; each product on this list has been tried and tested by our expert fitness team. We gathered a range of top wearables and put them through their paces, wearing them for a variety of activities including running, swimming, gym sessions, HIIT workouts, and more.

We looked at the features, feedback and metrics on offer from each one, from the industry-standard step-counters to more detailed data like heart rate variability and blood oxygen saturation. Other factors considered included their design, comfort and performance, with our experiences in each area used to decide a final score out of five stars.