Step It Up: Meet the Best Fitness Trackers That Make Sweat Your Bestie (2024)

If you want to know everything there is to know about your biometrics, look no further than the WHOOP fitness tracker. This wearable device measures every scientifically-proven metric that significantly impacts your physical and mental health with impressive accuracy. And to avoid total information overload, users can customize exactly what to track from over 140 behaviors and habits.

Not only is the device great at automatically detecting what you’re physically doing, but it’s also helpful when you need something to do. One of its standout features is personalized coaching—especially beneficial for those of us who can’t afford a personal trainer. Each workout is suggested based on your body’s signals, including “strain” and “recovery” scores.

Since the watch is so sleek, it’s perfect for daily wear. The more you wear it, the more it learns about you. Eating too late at night? It’ll let you know. Is your sleep routine out of whack? It’ll let you know that too. By tuning into your body’s needs, the WHOOP can drastically improve your daily habits.

• Color: Black (with different color bands sold separately)
• Size: One size fits all
• Battery life: Up to 5 days
  
• Waterproof? Water-resistant up to 10 meters
  

Glowing Editor Review: “I am a WHOOP girlie!!!” raves beauty editor Beth Gillette. “I like that it tracks my muscle strain versus calories, since I like weightlifting and calories/heart rate aren’t a super-accurate measure with lifting. A charge also lasts forever and you can legit charge it while you’re wearing it. OH, AND! I find that the sleep and recovery tracking are next-level.”

This wearable from Garmin works from sunup to sundown. As soon as you wake up, this fitness tracker delivers a personalized morning report that includes an overview of your sleep, training readiness, and even the weather before you head out for your day.

Especially great for runners, the smartwatch tracks your recent exercise history and performance to give you insight into whether your training is productive, peaking, or strained. With over 30 different built-in activity profiles, including open-water swimming, the fitness tracker also offers Garmin Coach training plans that create personalized daily workouts—from HIIT and yoga to strength training and Pilates—to help you reach your goals.

Users also love that the smartwatch has the ability to play music. Just download songs and playlists from your favorite music accounts for phone-free listening.

• Colors: Aqua, Amp Yellow, Black, Light Pink, Neo Tropic, or Tidal Blue
• Sizes: 42mm or 46mm
• Battery life: Up to 15 days
• Waterproof? Water-resistant up to 50 meters

Glowing Editor Review: According to commerce editor Samantha Jones, “I’ve tried WHOOP, Oura, and Apple Watch, but tbh, I keep coming back to the Garmin Forerunner. She’s not as sleek-looking, but she definitely has the most accurate GPS tracking for running, swimming, and cycling, in my opinion. I love that this model also offers sleep tracking, monitors your post-workout recovery, suggests new workout ideas, and even tells you when to take a day off. Plus, there’s no subscription required for any of the features.”

Arguably one of the buzzier options on this list, the Oura Ring gives the performance of a traditional fitness tracker worn on your wrist but in the sleek design of an everyday ring. Small but powerful, users love its pinpoint accuracy when it comes to tracking heart rate, body temperature, sleep, stress levels, blood oxygen, and more.

Also available in an uninterrupted circular design, this smart ring is beloved by celebs and tech-obsessed athletes alike. Every morning, the Oura app (very easy to set up, by the way) provides a rundown of how your body is functioning, giving you a sleep score, activity score, readiness score, and resilience level. Having these metrics can help you determine if you’re ready for a challenging workout or if it’s best to take it slow for the day.

All of my fellow uterus-owners will also be thrilled to know that the Oura Ring offers pregnancy and fertility insights through Natural Cycles, an FDA-approved app that uses your body temperature to pinpoint where you are in your cycle. Welcome to the 21st century!

• Colors: Silver, Black, Brushed Titanium, Stealth, Gold, or Rose Gold
• Sizes: 6-13
• Battery life: Up to 7 days
• Waterproof? Yes

Glowing Editor Review: “I used to be a fitness watch girlie, but I must admit I care too much about my jewelry matching my ’fit over how many steps I can get,” associate editor Siena Gagliano says. “The Oura Ring was the perfect solution. It tracks my steps and—best of all—sleep cycles without hindering a look or feeling bulky. In fact, I’ve had a million people compliment my ring, thinking it was a classic gold cigar band.”

This fitness tracker’s reputation precedes it. Popular among Apple users, the Series 10 version offers a sleeker, lighter, and more comfortable design than previous models. As I’m sure you already know, it easily connects with your iPhone so you can stay connected. Send a text, take a call, listen to music, use Siri—all things you can do with the Apple Watch. But let’s get into the nitty-gritty fitness specs, shall we?

The wearable truly shines when it comes to fitness tracking. You can select from an array of activities on your watch, from hiking and surfing to kickboxing and running, and it will provide you with tons of stats on your workout. Track the intensity of your workout with the goal of closing those notorious activity rings (aka your daily movement goals).

Similar to the Oura Ring, the Apple Watch easily connects with Natural Cycles for menstrual cycle tracking. The watch’s sensors can detect body temp fluctuations that indicate shifts in your cycles, along with app features that help you note confirmed period dates, jot down PMS symptoms, and track pregnancy.

• Colors: Rose Gold, Silver, Jet Black, Natural, Gold, or Slate
• Sizes: 42mm or 46mm with S/M or M/L band options
• Battery life: Up to 18 hours
• Waterproof? Water-resistant up to 50 meters

Glowing Editor Review: According to editor Corinne Sullivan, “I personally love my apple watch for tracking fitness. It has tons of activities and workouts available to choose from on the app, and it syncs automatically with my Peloton, which is v handy. In addition to tracking steps, it also keeps me motivated by setting a move goal, exercise goal, and standing goal, which I try and meet daily.”

If you’re looking for a fitness tracker that packs in the features for great value, here you go! At just $160, the Charge 6 boasts one of the brand’s most accurate heart-rate trackers and high/low heart-rate notifications. And let’s not underestimate the size of this wearable. With over 40 exercise modes, a built-in GPS, and reminders to move (that’s just scratching the surface), this tracker automatically detects your choice of workout with SmartTrack technology.

When you’re not moving, the Charge 6 is still working overtime. Every morning, the watch delivers a sleep score that informs you about your sleep quality. And stress levels? Don’t worry, because it gives you a daily stress management score too, helping you manage your routines and strains.

The wearable easily connects to YouTube Music for streaming your workout playlist, but you do have to pay extra for that. Luckily, the device comes with a free six-month membership for premium features. Even if you choose not to renew the membership, you’ll still have access to other convenient features like Google Maps, Google Wallet, and phone notifications.

• Colors: Obsidian, Porcelain, or Coral
• Size: One size fits all (but comes with two different-sized bands)
• Battery life: Up to 7 days
• Waterproof? Water-resistant up to 50 meters

Glowing Customer Review: “I purchased a new Fitbit as a mom of two toddlers who had lost the motivation to make myself a priority—2.5 months later, I’m averaging 12,000 steps a day, exercising 5 time a week, going to bed earlier, and my resting heart rate has dropped from 84 to 76. Having this data at hand motivates, educates, and inspires me to make myself a priority! This is the perfect training device for making new habits.”

I personally love the Galaxy Watch for its vibrant, eye-catching graphics (oh, and did I mention they’re fully customizable?!). Other testers noted how impressed they were with the visuals of this tracker, including diagrams that make it easier to digest your stats.

From the moment you wake up, the watch calculates your physical readiness and helps you stay on track toward your fitness goals throughout the day by delivering personalized wellness tips with Galaxy AI. Even when it comes to tracking your heartbeat, the technology filters out your body’s movements for a more accurate reading.

Although I’m highlighting this as a great fitness tracker option, the watch is also excellent for daily lifestyle activities. If you have a compatible Samsung phone, the watch allows you to go hands-free with calls, texting, and even streaming your favorite playlists and podcasts.

• Colors: 10 options
• Sizes: 40mm or 44mm with S/M or M/L band options
• Battery life: Up to 2 days
• Waterproof? Water-resistant up to 50 meters

Glowing Customer Review: “I upgraded from an older Samsung smartwatch and I am so glad I did. The size and look of this watch is so much better. The battery lasts a day with my use, and it seems to track all metrics well. Charging is simple and rather quick compared to my previous watch. For the price, this is on par with other name-brand smartwatches, so I feel it is a good value for the money.”

For a more vintage-feeling fitness tracker that actually looks like a watch, this Amazfit watch is a no-brainer. You can even choose between several analog watch faces, so it’s a fitness tracker that doesn’t scream, “Hey, I’m a fitness tracker!”

The watch can auto-detect eight exercise modes, or you can manually select from more than 150 activity modes. While wearing it, the watch tracks everything from heart rate and blood-oxygen saturation to stress levels and breathing rate.

Along with its impressive battery life, the Amazfit earns high praise for its GPS capabilities. It uses the same technology found in aircraft, so you can enjoy stronger positioning that’s highly accurate.

• Colors: Superspeed Black or Vintage Brown Leather
• Size: One size fits all
• Battery life: Up to 14 days
• Waterproof? Water-resistant up to 50 meters

Glowing Customer Review: “This watch is excellent, and at this price point, probably the best you can get. I don’t need too many features in my watch, but I need them all to work well and for the battery to last a relatively long time. My biggest issue with my last watch was that the GPS was a little wonky on my runs, but this one is perfect. It syncs everything to my Strava app seamlessly, and tracking wise, I can’t ask for more.”

Calling all fitness junkies! This one’s for you. Designed for anyone who wants to optimize every part of their day, this powerful ring tracker can track your macros, count your steps, provide guided workouts, and so much more. Unlike other mainstream fitness trackers, the Ring AIR’s focus is on providing insights into your body’s metabolism with real-time actionable nudges throughout the day to keep you moving toward your goals.

The ring helps you unlock your body’s full potential day after day. It suggests optimal times to expose yourself to natural sunlight to benefit your circadian rhythm, recommends the best times for caffeine consumption based on your sleep, and even makes you more aware of those pesky screen-time habits.

Similar to its more expensive counterpart, the Ring AIR is especially great for women who want to stay attuned to this unique journey called womanhood. The tracker not only helps you track your cycle with high accuracy but also offers pregnancy insights, such as when you’re most fertile.

• Colors: Aster Black, Bionic Gold, Matte Grey, Raw Titanium, or Space Silver
• Sizes: 5-14
• Battery life: Up to 6 days
• Waterproof? Yes

Glowing Customer Review: “I’ve been using this ring for about a month now, and overall, I’m quite pleased with it. It’s very comfortable to wear, and I hardly notice it during the day, which is a big plus. The ring offers a lot of useful data points, which I’ve found really insightful in tracking various aspects of my health and activity levels. If you’re looking for comfort and solid data, this ring delivers!”

It’s hard to beat the value of this pocket-sized fitness tracker. For less than what I’d probably spend on a night out in the city, I can guarantee you this smartwatch delivers a lot more value than a few cocktails. Plus, it’ll last you a lot longer—I’m talking over a week’s worth of battery life.

Don’t let the petite size fool you—this thing can pick up on more than you think. The Active Zone Minutes feature tracks your heart rate so you know when you’re in the fat-burning, cardio, and peak zones, allowing you to adjust your workout to match your fitness goals.

Other factors that the tracker monitors include your stress levels (it even provides a guided breathing session when you need to chill out for a moment), sleeping patterns, resting heart rate, blood oxygen, and skin temperature. The more it knows about your body, the more you’ll benefit from it.

• Colors: Morning Glow, Midnight Zen, or Lilac Bliss
• Size: One size fits all (but comes with two different-sized bands)
• Battery life: Up to 10 days
• Waterproof? Water-resistant up to 50 meters

Glowing Customer Review: “I love my new Fitbit. I also love that it came with two size bands, so that you can switch out to the one that fits you best. The Fitbit was very easy to pair up with my iPhone, and I especially love the app that you can download with it. I find that the app is extremely useful because it logs more than just my steps, such as sleep duration, weight, calorie count, water intake, heart rate, etc. The display on the Fitbit screen is also nice and vibrant, with easy-to-read info.”

While the price tag for this tracker is quite hefty, this one is packed to the brim with impressive features—some of which you probably didn’t even realize were possible in a watch. (Trust me!) Great for outdoor athletes, this tracker provides 24/7 stats, from your custom morning report to personalized coaching for sleep.

Users also have access to animated workouts, daily suggested workouts, and so much more. Since it’s equipped with features that automatically distinguish your type of activity, it’s perfect for outdoor athletes, whether that means skiing, trail running, or even surfing.

Plus, you can rest assured that your adventures stay on track, thanks to the tracker’s built-in GPS. With satellite imagery, map guides for trails, topography maps, and even ski maps, there’s plenty of information to ensure every step forward is the right step forward.

• Colors: Carbon Gray, Soft Gold, or Titanium
• Sizes: 42mm, 47mm, or 51mm
• Battery life: Up to 16 days
• Waterproof? Water-resistant up to 100 meters

Glowing Customer Review: “This watch is amazing. Feels great, sensors are spot-on when comparing to medical pulse oximeters, [has a] built-in compass that actually works, steps are counted accurately, screen is readable, and the glass is incredibly hydrophobic. Battery lasts for 10 days—10 full days—with heart-rate tracking every second, sleep tracking, etc. The built-in flash light seemed like a gimmick, but it’s fast become my favorite feature.”