Fitness
Fitness Trackers

The best fitness trackers for keeping up with your goals

They're not just for graphing workouts — they're self-care tools.
By Leah Stodart and Jae Thomas with additional reporting from Mashable writers  on 
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.

Our Top 9 Picks

Apple Watch Series 6 (opens in a new tab)

Best Overall

Apple's cutting-edge tech blazes past rivals with ECG, a new SPO2 sensor, and 911 calls from anywhere.

The Good

  • Potentially life-saving ECG feature
  • Always-on Retina display
  • Automatic hand washing detection
  • Sleep tracking, finally
  • Workout detection automatically grabs last 10 minutes of data

The Bad

  • No in-depth info on sleep cycles
  • Not a ton of improvements over Series 5

The Bottom Line

The Series 6 goes *way* past casual fitness tracking with one-touch ECG and blood-oxygen monitoring.
Pros & Cons

Garmin Forerunner 745 (opens in a new tab)

Best For Running

Smarter training insights and better tracking of a runner's favorite paths make the 745 a true running buddy.

The Good

  • Pulse oximeter
  • Music apps and Garmin Pay-compatible
  • Built-in GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo mapping
  • PacePro and ClimbPro

The Bad

  • Simultaneous GPS + music drains battery quickly
  • Price varies between listings on Amazon

The Bottom Line

Dedicated marathoners deserve special running measures like Garmin's map and recovery tracking.
Pros & Cons

Fitbit Charge 5 (opens in a new tab)

Best Everyday Tracker

Not quite a smart watch, the Fitbit Charge 5 will track virtually every aspect of your health and fitness, all for under $200.

The Good

  • Week-long battery life
  • Tracks HRV, skin temperature, SPO2, breathing rate, menstrual cycles, and more
  • Sub-$200 price point

The Bad

  • Premium required for most content and detailed reports
  • No weather or music controls

The Bottom Line

If you don't want a full-on smart watch, the Fitbit Charge 5 will still give you basically every health and wellness function that exists — all for a reasonable price.
Pros & Cons

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 (opens in a new tab)

Best Samsung Watch

Samsung's latest is a true Apple Watch challenger, featuring body composition tracking and an Samsung-integrated OS.

The Good

  • In depth fitness tracking
  • Longer battery life than its predecessor
  • Great Samsung device integration
  • Reasonable price
  • Solid battery life

The Bad

  • Design isn't as modern as other watches

The Bottom Line

If you want a highly connected wearable but prefer Android to Apple, the Galaxy Watch 4 will be your new go-to.
Pros & Cons

Oura Ring (opens in a new tab)

Best non-bracelet wearable

The chic ring beloved by the NBA tackles sleep troubles with unique sensors for temperature and pulse.

The Good

  • One-of-a-kind body temperature sensor
  • App provides meaningful data with lifestyle suggestions
  • Reads finger's pulse for more direct heart rate/respiratory tracking
  • Particularly good at sleep tracking

The Bad

  • More wellness than fitness tracking

The Bottom Line

Unique sleep metrics like body temperature and pulse are built into this stylish, inconspicuous bling.
Pros & Cons

Fitbit Sense (opens in a new tab)

Best For Stress

Fitbit takes on health tracking in a new way by keeping you mindful of stress levels with a novel EDA sensor.

The Good

  • Great meditation companion
  • Option for always-on display
  • EDA is a unique way of tracking stress levels
  • Nearly week-long battery life

The Bad

  • Fitbit Premium subscription is pretty much required
  • Testy heart rate monitor
  • Extra insights require Fitbit Premium

The Bottom Line

Fitbit's stellar sleep tracking meets new stress mitigating tools like EDA for a true wellness watch.
Pros & Cons

Fitbit Inspire 2 (opens in a new tab)

Budget pick

Score must-have health features like sleep stage detection and workout recording at an affordable price.

The Good

  • Better-than-decent sleep analysis
  • Great price for the features
  • Automatically detects and records workouts
  • Guided breathing exericse
  • Incredible battery life
  • Often on sale for under $70

The Bad

  • No built-in GPS, but can still get phone notifications
  • Screen is dim

The Bottom Line

Avoid the intimidation factor without skimping on essential metrics or battery life.
Pros & Cons

Fitbit Ace 2 (opens in a new tab)

Best Fitness Tracker For Kids

A cool companion for kids who have a smartphone, the Ace 2 is a bit more advanced — but still fun.

The Good

  • Games and animations for motivation to get moving
  • Call alerts
  • Lots of patterns available
  • Parents can approve connections

The Bad

  • Less convenient if it's synced to parent's phone
  • Phone required for location tracking

The Bottom Line

The Fitbit Ace 2 grows with kids as they become independent and more interested in fitness progress.
Pros & Cons

Whoop 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

Best for sleep and recovery tracking

Take workouts, sleep quality, and recovery to the next level with Whoop's in-depth biometric tracking.

The Good

  • In-depth health and fitness tracking
  • Never has to be taken off — charge it while you wear it
  • Cool recovery and strain score features

The Bad

  • No screen
  • Monthly membership required

The Bottom Line

Serious fitness fanatics will love the how the Whoop 4.0 helps optimize workouts, recovery, sleep, and more.
Pros & Cons

You can't buy motivation. But, you can buy a fitness tracking device that lights a fire under your ass to take more than 500 steps in a day, and that's not nothing.

The rhetoric around fitness has changed quite a bit over the past few years (as made clear by Every Fashion Brand Ever releasing a line of matching leggings and sports bras). We can thank the self-care revolution for this one. Actively monitoring your fitness progression isn't just for athletes or people training for their hometown's 5K. It's a building block of wellness that people are baking into their daily groove, just like keeping up with a skincare routine or eating your vegetables.

Ever since the pandemic closed most gyms (with some starting to open back up), home fitness and smart home gyms are having a moment — and we don't think they're going anywhere, even when it's 100% safe to fight with sweaty strangers over the last elliptical again.

Fitness trackers fit really nicely into this widening self-made fitness market, which is one of the main reasons they've become so popular. Yes, they're a cool gadget, but beyond building up your tech arsenal, fitness trackers can help people find their way into self-care and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Here are just some of the great features a good fitness tracker will offer you:

  • Workout tracking

  • GPS tracking

  • Virtual rewards for staying active

  • Sleep tracking

  • Recovery suggestions

  • Mindfulness apps

  • Heart rate monitoring

  • Menstrual cycle tracking (which may be problematic in certain cases)

  • Body temperature measurements

  • Blood oxygen monitoring

  • Fall detection

  • Phone calls and notifications from your wrist

  • Tap-to-pay

  • Access to music

When it comes to exercising, they're the next best thing to having a trainer — suggesting workouts, watching your heart get stronger, and letting you know when it's time for a breather — all on your own time. Whether your preferred form of exercise is the gym, a long run, a few laps in the pool, a 10-minute workout on YouTube, or a casual walk around the neighborhood, it'll be there to catch all of your PRs and motivate you with challenges.

It's not just the time that you're sweating that matters: Restorative exercises(opens in a new tab) and recovery are just as imperative to keep an eye on. At-home yoga could be therapeutic on your days off from HIIT, with meditation sprinkled in there to keep stress or anxiety from eating at your will to get off the couch. A great fitness tracker can help with both of these things, as well as lay out a recovery plan when your body needs to rest — a constant reminder to love yourself just as hard as you push yourself.

This type of mindfulness isn't always easy, and the best fitness trackers are the ones that will keep you in check throughout your workout as well as the rest of your day. Casual activity tracking, trackers that monitor your sleep (sometimes going as deep as times spent in each stage of sleep), heart rate, body temperature, and blood-oxygen levels can provide insight as to how much energy you can put toward a workout on a given day. They'll also give you a head's up if you've been exercising too hard — all of which can aid in optimal performance and overall health.

What's the difference between a fitness tracker and a smartwatch?

It's been over 10 years since the first Fitbit came out. In that time, Fitbit and other popular tracker brands have solidified ~the look~: a skinny band with a screen that fits in line with that band (unlike the face of a watch). Most of these screens are touch screens and can be synced with a smartphone to display call and text notifications alongside simple activity metrics, like steps.

But a screen and the ability to read texts doesn't automatically meet "smart" guidelines. A fitness tracker is essentially a bracelet with sensors that send data to your phone to provide an expanded picture of the data it collects, and usually requires a phone for GPS and music, too. A smartwatch is essentially a fitness tracker plus your phone, but on your wrist. It has GPS built-in (sometimes using cellular data, which usually just acts as an extra line on your smartphone carrier bill) and can download apps from Spotify to Tinder. With something like an Apple Watch, you can send voice messages or take calls, have a full conversation via iMessage, and get all your social media notifications to your wrist.

Are all fitness trackers waterproof?

Any respectable tracker should be able to accompany you on a run in the rain without spazzing. At this point, almost every tracker goes past splash and sweat resistance to hit a 5 ATM rating, meaning the device can withstand pressure equivalent up to 50 meters (164 feet). These should be fine to wear in the shower, in the ocean, or in a hot tub.

Swimmers have a bit more to consider than the waterproof rating. Look for a tracker with built-in GPS that can not only follow you underwater, but accurately track your laps and pace. Dedicated modes for pool swims and open water swims are ideal. For more guidance on fitness trackers for swimming and other water sports, check out our roundup for the best waterproof fitness trackers.

What is the best fitness tracker for spinning?

Anyone who said "screw it, I'm dropping $2,000 on an exercise bike" over the past few years would probably like to know which tracker can best log their cycling data.

In the past, indoor cycling was hard to track because most trackers gather biking data through GPS and how far you've biked. A reliable pedometer was the best option for stationary spinning up until an easier way came along: Simply sync the bike with your tracker's app so your tracker has your exact progress — rather than expect a tracker to keep up in real-time.

If you already have an indoor bike, check to see which watches or software the bike is compatible with. For instance, the Peloton bike features Apple GymKit integration for Apple Watches and can also be synced with a Fitbit account. NordicTrack's iFit also offers two-way Apple Watch integration. Most modern trackers and watches are equipped with an accelerometer to accurately measure "distance" on a treadmill.

So, now that we've gotten all that out of the way, here are the best fitness trackers you can get in 2022:

Best Overall
Credit: mashable photo composite/Apple
Specs
  • Battery life: 18 hours
  • Built-in GPS/cellular: Both
  • Water resistant: Yes
  • Tracks: Steps, calories, sports (including underwater), heart rate, ECG, SPO2, time asleep, fall detection, menstrual cycles

The Apple Watch has been a game changer since its debut in 2015. Over the years, the tech giant has laid on the features that not only up the watch's convenience and fitness-related tracking (like underwater distance tracking, sports and daily activity metrics, and iMessages straight from the wrist) but features that crown it as a true health companion as well.

On top of previous additions like heart rate monitoring and FDA-cleared ECG capabilities, the Series 6 offers an SPO2 sensor and highly-awaited sleep tracking from Apple. Blood-oxygen levels can help detect sleep disorders or atrial fibrillation (AFib) and could be helpful info to show to your doctor.

While the Apple Watch Series 7 is available now and features a bigger display and faster charging, we still think the Series 6 is the best bang for your buck.

Check out our full review of the Apple Watch Series 6.

Best For Running
Credit: mashable photo composite/Garmin
Specs
  • Battery life: Up to 7 days
  • Built-in GPS/cellular: Just GPS
  • Water resistant: Yes (50 meters)
  • Tracks: Steps, calories, sports (including underwater), heart rate, personal running maps, SPO2, fall detection, recovery, women's health tracking

No general purpose tracker will coach you through marathon training like this. The aptly-named Garmin Forerunner line goes past other Garmin models (like the Vivoactive 4) with specialized running metrics like cadence and stride length, new track recognition, plus handy running and cycling workout suggestions.

Garmin's Elevate heart rate technology works in tandem with the new and improved Recovery Advisor, providing muscle-saving insights when you're working dangerously hard.

Best Everyday Tracker
Credit: mashable photo composite/Fitbit
Specs
  • Battery life: Up to seven days
  • Built-in GPS/cellular: Just GPS
  • Water resistant: Yes
  • Tracks: Steps, calories, sports (including underwater), ECG, EDA, stress, SPO2, heart rate, heart rate variability, breathing rate, skin temperature, sleep stages, menstrual cycles, cardio fitness level

For folks who don't want a watch that is basically just another phone, the Fitbit Charge 5 stays health and wellness focused with just a touch of smart connectivity. Along with basic workout tracking, it can measure things like workout intensity, gives you a daily readiness score, and can help optimize your workouts with 24/7 heart rate tracking.

You'll also score a ton of other health and wellness features like ECG and EDA scans, a stress management score, oxygen saturation monitoring, skin temperature tracking, personalized workouts, and more. One thing to note though, is that some of these features can only be accessed with a Fitbit Premium membership that's sold separately.

More from freelance writer SaVanna Shoemaker:

"When it comes to health and wellness [the Fitbit Charge 5] delivers a truly comprehensive tracking experience — especially when paired with the ultra-detailed reports provided with a Fitbit Premium membership."

Check out our full review of the Fitbit Charge 5.

Best Samsung Watch
Credit: mashable photo composite/Samsung
Specs
  • Battery life: 40 hours
  • Built-in GPS/cellular: Both
  • Water resistant: Yes
  • Tracks: Steps, calories, workouts (including underwater), ECG, sleep, SPO2, body composition, fall detection

Samsung's family tree of trackers and watches is a confusing one, but we'll make it easy: The Galaxy Watch 4 is the brand's smartest wearable yet. Released in August 2021, it aims for a better user experience with a new Samsung-focused OS (for easier integration with other Samsung devices). It also takes your fitness game up a notch with a new body composition tracking feature and upgrades to the blood oxygen readings, sleep tracking, and more.

More from culture reporter Tim Marcin:

"If you're an Android diehard who's long wanted a smartwatch but has held off, this makes the Galaxy Watch4 a good purchase. It works well and does pretty much everything most people actually use the Apple Watch for."

Check out our full review of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.

Best non-bracelet wearable
Credit: mashable photo composite/Oura
Specs
  • Battery life: Up to 7 days
  • Built-in GPS/cellular: Neither
  • Water resistant: Yes (100 meters)
  • Tracks: Sleep stages, steps, heart rate, body temperature deviation

This unsuspecting piece of jewelry is no thicker than a wedding band, but houses technology that keep an eye on your body's physiological responses to... life.

Oura uses a negative temperature coefficient sensor that scans while you snooze. It can't diagnose COVID-19 like some had hoped, but it can sense a potential fever or the temperature drop that happens before your period starts. It also watches your heart rate and HRV to tally a sleep score, plus concrete suggestions about how to get more rest.

Check out our full Oura 3 review.

Best For Stress
Credit: mashable photo composite/Fitbit
Specs
  • Water resistant: Yes (50 meters)
  • Battery life: Up to 6 days
  • Built-in GPS/cellular: Just GPS
  • Tracks: Steps, calories, sports (including underwater), heart rate, ECG, SPO2, fall detection, stress levels

Fitness buff meets wellness warrior with this Fitbit beast. Though it's nearly indiscernible from the Fitbit Versa 3, there's a bit more packed inside than the expected fitness and heart rate tracking — most notably an ECG app for detecting afib.

The Sense is also particularly in-tune to your stress levels, indicated by your body's electrodermal activity (EDA). The built-in skin temperature sensor doesn't provide your actual temperature like a thermometer does, but will let you know if your body goes above or below its baseline. Guided breathing and meditation sessions are also available through the mindfulness tab in Fitbit Premium.

Check out our full review of the Fitbit Sense.

Budget pick
Credit: mashable photo composite/Fitbit
Specs
  • Battery life: 10 days
  • Built-in GPS/cellular: Neither
  • Water resistant: Yes (50 meters)
  • Tracks: Steps, calories, heart rate, sleep stages, Cardio Fitness Score, women's health tracking

You don't need to drop $400 on the new Apple Watch to legitimize your fitness journey. Ease into a new routine with the Fitbit Inspire 2, an entry-level, sub-$100 tracker that keeps the fitness features that can't be compromised without connectivity overkill.

Not sure where to start? The next-gen Inspire has over 20 goal-based exercise suggestions to track goals like steps and calories burned. Every activity will earn you Active Zone Minutes, which are put toward the 150 minutes of blood pumping you should hit each week. With 24/7 heart rate monitoring, sleep stage detection overnight, and a 10-day battery, you won't miss a beat.

Check out our full review of the Fitbit Inspire 2.

Best Fitness Tracker For Kids
Credit: mashable photo composite/Fitbit
Specs
  • Battery life: Up to 5 days
  • Built-in GPS/cellular: Neither
  • Water resistant: Yes (50 meters)
  • Tracks: Steps, distance, in-game movements, time asleep, completed tasks, plus calories burned, body fat, and women's health tracking at age 13

When a smartphone enters the mix, the Fitbit Ace 2 takes the training wheels off. Taking after its adult counterparts, the Ace 2 uses a three-axis accelerometer and vibration motor to track advanced metrics like distance and calories burned, plus time spent awake and asleep. At age 13, (Fitbit asks for everyone's birthday), kids are automatically switched to an adult account for more granular info like body fat and menstrual tracking. They can still keep their Ace's body and swap the old band for a more mature Inspire band. 

Kid-specific content includes 20 animated clock faces that turn into celebrations when a goal is reached (like a rocket ship taking off as they inch toward their step goal) and fun fitness challenges. Unfortunately, the experience isn't as seamless when the Ace 2 is synced to someone else's phone. 

Best for sleep and recovery tracking
Credit: Mashable photo composite/Whoop
Specs
  • Battery life: Up to five days on a single charge
  • Built-in GPS/cellular: Neither
  • Water resistant: Yes, strap 10 meters, battery one meter
  • Tracks: Sports (including underwater), blood oxygen, skin temperature, heart rate, HRV, resting heart rate, sleep stages, daily strain, recovery rate, respiratory rate, menstrual cycles

For people interested in sleep and recovery tracking, you won't find a better wearable than the Whoop 4.0. The Whoop measures your daily activity strain, heart rate, sleep quality, and more to give you a daily recovery score. You'll also fill out a questionnaire each day that helps you see how different factors (like alcohol and stress) impact your overall recovery. 

While the Whoop doesn't have a screen and can't act like a smart watch, it has an insane amount of data and graphs in the app — so it's perfect for staying focused on your fitness. It's also priced with a monthly membership, so while you don't technically have to pay for the device itself, you'll have to pay $30 per month for as long as you use it.

Check out our full review of the previous generation of the Whoop, the Whoop 3.0.

Leah is a shopping reporter at Mashable, where she covers shopping trends, gift ideas, and products that make life easier. She graduated from Penn State University in 2012 and is watching horror movies or "The Office" when she’s not shopping online herself. You can follow her on Twitter at @notleah(opens in a new tab).


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