Whether you are training for a marathon or working out for the first time in months, a fitness tracker can show you health and exercise data that can help you better understand your efforts. Most have heart rate, GPS and activity tracking built-in, and some can provide insights into your sleep and recovery. I’ve tested over a dozen fitness trackers and spoke with health and training experts to pick the best ones on the market.
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We spoke with health and fitness experts to better understand how fitness watches, bands and rings can support your exercise and wellness journey. Based on their advice, we kept the following criteria in mind while selecting and testing different models:
I’ve tested over a dozen fitness trackers and smartwatches for NBC Select. I am a runner and cyclist, and use fitness trackers to monitor my pace, heart rate and distance. I test each one for at least two weeks, using all of the features available, including sleep tracking. I often wear multiple fitness trackers at the same time to compare data like heart rate, average pace, mileage, elevation and sleep score.
To pick the best fitness trackers, I paid close attention to the following factors:
Our top picks come from well-known brands like Fitbit, Apple, Garmin, and Oura. I have tested each one, and some are recommended by experts in the health and fitness space.
In an effort to try as many options as possible, we contacted and received products from many brands, including (but not limited to) the ones on this list.
What we like
Something to note
Many NBC Select staffers use Fitbit fitness trackers and love them because they are lightweight and easy to use — the Charge 6 is also one of the lowest-priced trackers on our list.
Despite having rarely used Fitbit products in the past, the Charge 6 felt comfortable after only a few minutes of swiping through the watch and app. The screen and stats are bright, colorful and easy to understand.
The Charge 6 primarily tracks and showcases heart rate, daily steps, distance traveled, fitness activities, calories burned and nightly sleep. It does not track more advanced running stats like cadence, stride length, ground contact time and vertical oscillation (our picks from Apple and Garmin do). Some data like sleep insights and a daily readiness score are only available with a Fitbit Premium subscription, which costs $10 per month.
New to the Charge 6 is Google Wallet, Google Maps navigation and YouTube Music controls. It also now has a button on the left side that returns you to the home screen or pause workout screen. You can read more in our Fitbit Charge 6 review.
Display: 26mm touchscreen | Weight: 15g | Battery life: Up to 7 days | Built-in GPS: Yes | Sleep tracking: Yes (not including naps) | Heart-rate monitor: Yes, with EKG | Water resistance: Yes, up to 50 meters | Works best with: Fitbit app (iPhone or Android)
What we like
The Apple Watch is one fitness tracker that almost always stays on my wrist, and this is the brand’s lowest-priced model. It costs much less than the Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, but has almost all the fitness tracking features and metrics.
The Apple Watch SE is easy to use, especially if you have used an iPhone before. The apps are similar or identical, and the square shape of the watch makes it easy to scroll through notifications and texts. It shows detailed workout, health and sleep metrics via the Apple Health and Apple Fitness, no subscription required. You can also use the Siri voice assistant to make requests and send voice texts, which is much easier than typing a text mid-run, in my experience.
The watch has up to 18 hours of battery life, according to the brand — that’s less than most competitors. To avoid battery life woes, I typically charge it every morning after waking up. It comes in two sizes, 40mm and 44mm, with many watch band options.
Display: 40mm or 44mm touchscreen | Weight: 26.4g (40mm), 32.9g (44mm) | Battery life: Up to 18 hours | Built-in GPS: Yes | Sleep tracking: Yes (not including naps) | Heart-rate monitor: Yes, no EKG | Water resistance: Yes, up to 50 meters | Works best with: iPhone
What we like
Something to note
Voted the best smartwatch for Android in our NBC Select Giftable Tech Awards, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 stands out because of its sleek design, comfortable fit and easy to personalize screen.
It has a circular touchscreen display that’s colorful and responsive, in my experience. The watch has two buttons, which, by default act as a home and a back button. I love physical buttons on watches — touch controls are not ideal for outdoor runs, hikes or bike rides, especially in bad weather or while wearing gloves. You can reprogram these buttons to do other things like open a specific app or show your most recently used apps.
You can create custom watch faces directly on the watch itself or through Samsung’s Galaxy Wearable app — I used it to make multiple faces with custom stats, colors, fonts and layouts in minutes.
Like other smartwatches, it can send texts, answer calls, receive notifications and more. It supports tap-to-pay, which I used to pay for groceries and public transport with no issue.
Editor’s note: Samsung recently launched the Galaxy Watch 7, which has a few updates over the Watch 6, including sleep apnea detection. We may update this recommendation once we’ve finished testing it out.
Display: 40mm or 44mm touchscreen | Weight: 28.7g (40mm), 33.3g (44mm) | Battery life: Up to 40 hours | Built-in GPS: Yes | Sleep tracking: Yes (not including naps) | Heart-rate monitor: Yes, with EKG | Water resistance: Yes, up to 5 feet for 30 minutes | Works best with: Samsung and Android phones
What we like
Garmin makes some of the best fitness trackers for runners and athletes. The Forerunner 165 is one of their latest models, and it pairs some of the brand’s best features with a competitive price point.
The Forerunner 165 has more fitness and training features than most of the competition, including the options on our list. One feature I like is the morning report: every morning, the watch shows me a series of stats, including a daily exercise recommendation, my sleep score, the weather and more. Another is called body battery, an energy score that changes throughout the day based on exercise, stress, rest and sleep. The morning report and body battery helped me create a better workout routine.
Exercise stats are very specific, especially for running — you have multiple metrics and charts for things like pace, speed, heart rate, cadence, stride, intensity and more. All that data does mean Garmin has a slight learning curve, at least for the first few days. However, I felt comfortable navigating the app after a week of use.
Like most Garmin watches, the Forerunner 165 has excellent battery life — I averaged about 10 days before needing to charge. It also connects to GPS quickly, usually within five seconds.
Display: 43mm touchscreen | Weight: 39g | Battery life: Up to 11 days | Built-in GPS: Yes | Sleep tracking: Yes (including naps) | Heart-rate monitor: Yes, no EKG | Water resistance: Yes, up to 50 meters | Works best with: Garmin app (iPhone or Android)
What we like
Something to note
For in-depth data analysis, consider Whoop 4.0, says celebrity personal trainer Rhys Athayde. Whoop is not a typical fitness watch. It is a small, screenless tracker built into a stretchy polyester and nylon band. It doesn’t track daily steps, stairs climbed or active minutes, nor does it ping you with notifications.
Whoop analyzes your daily health and recovery metrics to give you scores on things like body strain, recovery and sleep in the Whoop app. It shows me how hard my workout sessions are for my body rather than how fast or far I run. Looking at these recovery-focused scores, I find myself thinking more about the quality of my workouts rather than the quantity.
NBC Select editor Jordan Bowman and I found it very comfortable to wear — Bowman wore it more often than other trackers because it never felt out of place on his wrist.
Whoop requires a subscription to use, which costs $30 per month or $239 per year. You have to pay the first year up front as part of buying the device.
Display: N/A | Weight: 18g | Battery life: Up to 5 days | Built-in GPS: N/A | Sleep tracking: Yes (including naps over 1 hour) | Heart-rate monitor: Yes, no EKG | Water resistance: Yes, up to 10 meters (for 2 hours) | Works best with: Whoop app (iPhone or Android)
What we like
Something to note
Athayde recommends the Oura Ring 3 for minimalists seeking sleep and recovery data analysis. It’s a ring that tracks your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, skin temperature and more, but not detailed exercise stats. In my review, I found it one of the most comfortable trackers, especially for sleeping.The Oura app categorizes your data into sleep, readiness, activity and resilience. The home page shows broad highlights from all four categories, and tapping the graphs and stats usually leads to even more detailed analysis of your metrics, in my experience.
The Oura app categorizes your data into sleep, readiness, activity and resilience. The home page shows broad highlights from all four categories, and tapping the graphs and stats usually leads to even more detailed analysis of your metrics, in my experience.
It isn’t a good substitute for a dedicated fitness watch — it does not track or show outdoor fitness data like pace, distance, heart rate zones, etc.
The Oura Ring comes in two styles, six colors and a range of sizes. While you can use the Oura Ring without a subscription, you’ll be limited to the current day’s sleep, readiness and activity scores. An Oura Ring membership costs $6 a month.
Editor’s note: Oura recently launched the Oura Ring 4, which has a sleeker design and longer battery life compared to the Oura Ring 3. We may update this recommendation once we’ve finished testing it out.
Display: N/A | Weight: 4-6 grams | Battery life: Up to 7 days | Built-in GPS: N/A | Sleep tracking: Yes (including naps) | Heart-rate monitor: Yes, with EKG | Water resistance: Yes, up to 100 meters (up to 12 hours) | Works best with: Oura app (iPhone or Android)
When shopping for any fitness tracker, price and compatibility are top of mind. But beyond those points, our experts recommend keeping the following in mind:
Prioritize comfort
Both Lewis-Trammell and Athayde say that comfort and wearability are the most important factors of any fitness tracker.
If you don’t ever wear rings, you probably won’t find the Oura Ring comfortable. Similarly, if you don’t like to wear a watch, a smartwatch like the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch might be uncomfortable. “Ultimately, you’re looking for a device you’re going to wear long term so that it can provide you with the most accurate data,” says Athayde.
Because trackers come in so many shapes and sizes, I recommend going to a store in-person to try a few different options and see what form-factor makes sense for you. Having tested over a dozen options, I am surprised how different each model feels, even ones with similar wristbands.
Identify your goals and needs
It’s not just athletes that benefit from fitness trackers, says Athayde. Everyone can benefit from the data fitness trackers provide, if you understand your wants and needs, in my experience.
Before shopping around, think about what data you care about. If you love outdoor exercise stats like pace and power, a Garmin watch may match your habits best. If you want broad exercise and health data, plus all the latest apps, a smartwatch from Apple or Samsung is a good fit.
What’s best for you depends on your daily habits and larger goals, according to our experts. Take stock of them before you checkout.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
I am a reporter at NBC select who covers technology and fitness including recent stories on running shoes, workout earbuds and more. For this piece, I interviewed fitness and health experts to get a better understanding of workout data and analysis. I also tested over a dozen top-rated fitness trackers and smartwatches. For a broader perspective, I spoke with other NBC Select staffers about their experience with fitness trackers.
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