It’s one thing to get in a good workout, after which you are drenched in sweat and feel the burn for days. It’s another thing to know exactly how your body handled that workout and what metrics resulted from your physical push. Sure, fitness trackers may seem trendy, but for athletes and the generally health-conscious consumer, these wrist-worn aids have become an integral part of their daily routines as they help measure caloric burn, distance, and more.
The metrics gained from a fitness tracker can not only help you push yourself during a workout, but they can also protect you as they monitor your heart rate, sleep, oxygen, and even blood pressure. Regardless of your activity level, one of these five highly-rated fitness trackers can help you meet and maintain your overall health and wellness goals.
Top Five Best Fitness Trackers
Fitbit Charge 5
While a smartwatch can do the trick of monitoring your fitness and other basic body metrics, you’ll pay the price for a smartwatch’s other, potentially unrelated features. If you’re looking to just track your fitness, look no further than our number one pick—the Fitbit Charge 5. The sleek, unobtrusive design makes the tracker a comfortable accessory that is packed with powerful monitoring capabilities. Here are just a handful of the metrics this tracker measures while lasting up to seven days on one full charge.
- SpO2 tracking
- ECG app for heart rhythm assessment
- Resting heart rate
- Heart rate variability
- Skin temperature variation
- Breathing rate
- Blood glucose tracking
- Menstrual health tracking
- Sleep tracking and sleep stages
With GPS, a clock, and call and text notifications, the water-resistant tracker still comes in at about fifty bucks less than your basic smartwatch. Go here to check out what else you can get when you go with the Fitbit Charge 5.
Garmin Vívosmart® 5
Second on our list is Garmin’s Vívosmart® 5. Sleek and reliable are just some of the features of this simple but oh-so-powerful tracker. Designed for daily life and fitness, this tracker is comfortable and offers the largest screen yet for Garmin’s fitness tracking line. According to Garmin, wearers can get an uninterrupted picture of their health with up to 7 days of battery life when the device is in smartwatch mode. Here’s a list of some of the features the Vivosmart® 5 has to offer:
- Stress tracking
- Sleep score and advanced sleep monitoring
- Hydration tracking
- Mindfulness
- Women’s health tracking
- Respiration tracking
- Fitness age
Polar Ignite
If you’re looking for something stylish with a more traditional watch face, look, and feel, then consider the Polar Ignite. The Ignite is a waterproof fitness watch with advanced wrist-based heart rate and integrated GPS. Setup of the watch requires you to enter several stats and metrics about your body and your activity history. The information informs prompts that are activated by sensors to help guide your physical activity throughout the day, so you can live into your best, most-healthy self. Another smart fitness tracker with a long-lasting battery life, the Polar Ignite is a bit more pricey than our top picks, but the much more personal tracking features make it worth the extra. Here are a few features of the Polar Ignite:
- GPS
- Calorie burn
- Distances moved
- Continuous heart rate monitoring
- Personalized workout recommendations
- Guided breathing exercises
- Sleep and recovery metrics
- SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen saturation readings
Withings ScanWatch
The ScanWatch by Withings is the maker’s first watch to be FDA-cleared for its oximetry and ECG features. Health and fitness are a priority of the hybrid watch (yes, we said “hybrid” because it’s a fitness tracker and a smartwatch). The ScanWatch empowers wearers to keep their eye on vital metrics while the device’s battery runs for 30 days. Arguably the most stylish watch-type design of our recommendations, this FSA-eligible tracker offers the following features via a digital screen surrounded by a traditional watch face:
- Oximeter monitor
- ECG heart monitors and reporting
- AFib detection
- Breathing disturbance monitoring
- Sleep analysis
- Activity and movement
- Calorie burn
Explore the ScanWatch or Withings’ other health and fitness tracker options here.
Fitbit Luxe
Circling back to one of the original fitness tracker brands, Fitbit offers another highly-rated device wearers will find fashionable, functional, and incredibly affordable. For less than $100 bucks, the Fitbit Luxe boasts a jewelry-like design, lending itself to be worn with almost any outfit, so like you, its tracking never stops. And what exactly does the tracker monitor for you? The Luxe monitors are similar to those of the Fitbit Charge 5, giving wearers function, facts, and fashion. Your luxe will monitor the following and more:
- SpO2 (blood oxygen) tracking
- Activity and movement
- ECG app for heart rhythm assessment
- Resting heart rate
- Heart rate variability
- Skin temperature variation
- Breathing rate
- Blood glucose tracking
- Menstrual health tracking
- Sleep tracking and sleep stages
Every fitness tracker brand works hard to keep up with the active lifestyles of its consumers. This list offers you some of the most highly-rated, well-priced options on the market today. If you’re curious about other options from these makers, check out their websites for various styles, screen sizes, applications, and more.
Links:
https://www.fitbit.com/global/us/products/trackers/charge5?sku=421BKBK
https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/782585
https://www.polar.com/us-en/ignite
https://www.withings.com/us/en/scanwatch
https://www.fitbit.com/global/us/products/trackers/luxe?sku=422GLWT