Whether you’re looking for structured workout programs, real-time feedback, or a bit of inspiration for the new year, we’ve done the heavy lifting to bring you the apps worth downloading. With five predecessors, Fitbit certainly knows a thing or two about activity trackers – and with a load of new features, the Charge 6 is a step up from the 5. There’s a few other nods to Apple’s tracker here, most notably a handy action button for quick-starting workout tracking.
Best Fitness Tracker for iPhone Users: Apple Watch Series 10
If ECG and skin temperature tracking are important to you, skip this wearable. The Garmin Forerunner 965 is a running watch with multi-sport functionality. It features an AMOLED display, multi-band GPS, and built-in maps and tracks your activity, recovery, and sleep. We like it more than the Galaxy Watch6 because that version seems to be more concerned about smartphone capabilities, though the 40-hour battery life is much longer than the 24 to 48 hours you get on the Watch5. The GalaxyWatch 7 looks cool, but because it uses artificial intelligence (AI) to track many of the metrics, we’d https://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/g19543131/seven-fitness-weight-loss-apps/ like to test it to gauge its accuracy before giving it our full-fledged endorsement.
Is MyFitnessPal a free calorie tracker app?
With a design that’s more smartwatch-like, Garmin also makes some of the best fitness trackers in 2025, including the Vivoactive 6. For the cost-conscious, the Amazfit Active 2 and Amazfit Band 7 each punch well above their respective price classes. Another useful feature includes the watch’s Track Back functionality, which uses the built-in GPS to direct you back to the start of your trail run, hike, or ride.
- For example, the Whoop Strap 4.0 will measure things like the strain currently on your body.
- Smart rings pack a ton (no literally, an absurd amount) of sleep/stress stats and workout/health information into a tiny package you wear on your finger 24/7.
- You can make contactless payments and control a phone’s music player, but offline integration with services like Spotify or Deezer is absent.
- Our favorite fitness tracker recommendation for most is the Garmin vivoactive 5, which measures resting and active heart rate, tracks your sleep and stress, menstruation cycles, and more.
- The Suunto Race 2 leans more adventure with dual-band GNSS (L1+L5) positioning ensures pinpoint accuracy whether you’re running through city streets or navigating alpine trails.
- If you opt for the solar-powered version, that jumps up to a whopping 48 days (albeit in lieu of the that superbly bright AMOLED screen and touchscreen functionality).
Best Fitness Tracker for Everyday Use: FitBit Charge 6
Furthermore, some apps reward badges for hitting new personal records which, just like a follow on social media, can feel very rewarding. Other than finding one at the low, low price of free, here are some things to consider for the right fitness app for you. When I think of an app for a beginner, I would want value, ease of use, and good instruction.
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All this data is sent to an app on your smartphone, where you can track changes over time. Most apps give you virtual ‘awards’ for achieving particular goals, such as taking 10,000 steps per day or going to bed on time. In our Apple Watch SE 2 review we did write “Apple’s cheaper smartwatch is all most people will need”. It’s also got neat safety features like Car Crash Detection, making it perhaps the best fitness tracker choice for iOS users. The Fitbit Charge 6 is the most advanced band-style fitness tracker you can buy from Fitbit these days, and it’s packed with more features than you’ll find from the Fitbit Luxe at the top of this list.
Is Fitbit or Apple Watch better for fitness tracking?
You should know the type of training you should do to best achieve those goals. While many fitness apps have diverse options of daily workouts—HIIT, strength training, cardio, and barre—some apps may specialize in only one or two modes of training. The Vivosmart 5 from Garmin is lightweight and slim with a small display that makes it a good choice for those seeking a minimalist fitness tracker.
Metrics
You also need a Google account to use the Charge 6, even if you already have a Fitbit account (you can still track workouts through the Fitbit app). Sometimes when flicking through the touchscreen, we pressed too hard, causing the Inspire 3 to activate a mode we didn’t want or bring up another screen that we had to swipe out of. Again, this may be a slight drawback to the tracker’s relatively minimalist design and smaller-than-most screen. For all of the devices, we tested how well they estimated distance traveled by walking a mile on a treadmill.
Wearable
An Apple Watch or Pixel Watch lets you use third-party apps, make contactless payments (Apple/Google Pay), and take calls. A Huawei Watch Fit 4 will let you answer a call on your wrist (via Bluetooth), but you can’t download Spotify, set up a cellular plan for standalone support, or pay for a coffee after a run. A smartwatch tracker offers a much larger, more engaging screen, with a range of basic and advanced options.
It’s also one of the best fitness trackers for heart rate monitoring despite using Garmin’s older optical sensors. It wasn’t always bang-on in testing but it handled most workouts with a reliability equal to some of Garmin’s pricier watches. Other health insights include new recovery insights –including daily readiness and cardio load scores – ECG readings, irregular heart rate alerts, sleep tracking and blood-oxygen measurements.
For instance, if you’re traveling across time zones, Oura Ring 4 better captures the impact of jet lag on your readiness and sleep. The stress monitor can also help you identify stress patterns that Gen3 simply can’t. Speaking of traveling, this reviews on unimeal Oura Ring 4 comes with a dock that allows you to charge your ring without needing a direct power source nearby.
You don’t need to spend more than $100 on a fitness tracker that gets the job done. If you’re not ready to invest or you’re on a budget, I recommend the Amazfit Bip 3 Pro. The daytime stress features have also gotten an improvement—one of our favorites is illness detection.
Best Fitness Tracker for Running
It allows you to track your own strength training workouts with their library of exercises, each with written and visual instructions. Another good workout tracker is Hevy, which has a robust community of support where you can share your workouts and view, like and comment on others’ workouts. The app features a variety of workouts—hundreds in different formats, from written workouts to perform at your own pace, to on-demand and live fitness classes with excellent instruction that Amanda rates a 4 out of 5. Workouts cover different modalities, from strength training, HIIT, and cardio, to yoga, pilates, and mobility exercises. Equipment is needed for most workouts, but Amanda says you can filter your search for workouts by the type of gym equipment needed. One callout that Amanda has is that Caliber lacks integration with common fitness trackers.
Nike Training Club
You get all the power of other watches without the bulky weight and height. The Oura Ring 4 is a fitness tracker that monitors you from the finger, pulling in insights from sleep and daily tracking, and presenting it all in an easy-to-understand app. This guide is designed to help you find the option that best suits your needs, budget, and style. We recognize that getting basic tracking is now easy and affordable—you can get a capable band for around $50/£50. However, the price quickly scales up when you consider different form factors, niche fitness insights, or dedicated smart features.
