The Best Fitness Trackers on the Market Right Now

With so many to choose from, we've narrowed it down to our top picks

Written by Hana Brannigan

When it comes to fitness trackers and smartwatches, there are so many on the market that it can be difficult to know where to begin. But this is why we researched the best ones no matter if you’re a serious triathlon athlete or just looking to live a healthier lifestyle.

Fitbit Charge 2

At $150, this fitness tracker will probably get you the most bang for your buck. The band is sleek and small enough that it’s not a distraction like some other bulky trackers on the market. In addition, the features look simple and you can customize your settings to fit your goals and lifestyle.

Not to mention, the battery lasts about 5 days so you don’t have to worry about constantly charging it.

However, if you’re a dedicated long-distance runner or swimmer, this band is not going to give you all the features you need. But if you just enjoy being active or on a journey to a healthier lifestyle the Fitbit Charge 2 will give you everything you need.

With fun communities you can join, daily step reminders, little messages of encouragement, and weekly stat updates, the Fitbit Charge 2 ranks high on our list.

Polar M430

For $200, The Polar M430 definitely doesn’t disappoint if you’re looking for a more complex tracker. It includes everything the Fitbit Charge 2 has (sleep tracking, heart rate monitor, step tracker, etc.), but also includes a GPS function, fitness tests, a fitness diary and it’s said to also be very accurate.

It doesn’t have the sleekest design, so if you don’t mind sporting an athletic orange, white, or black band, this tracker won’t disappoint.

TomTom Spark 3

Some notable features on the TomTom Spark 3 are its GPS function, route tracker, ability to track multiple forms of activity, heart rate monitor and training programs.

But one of it’s most unique features is that you can upload and listen to your music with the device so you can train phone-free.

The design is very simple, but almost to a fault as it looks like an outdated piece for its functionality. Especially since it is not a touchscreen like most watches in the market.

Apple Watch 3

This new smartwatch is named the most fully-featured smartwatch by Business Insider. It’s basically a phone attached conveniently to your wrist. The customization is top-notch, it’s waterproof, lightweight and has nearly all the functions of a basic fitness tracker. The design is sleek and simple, and there are a ton of options when it comes to different bands.

The battery life doesn’t compare to other fitness trackers through, with it lasting only about a day. If you turn off some of the functions you may be able to squeeze some extra life out of it.

You do pay for all the features, with the total cost rounding up to about $330-$360. Of course, the cheaper and almost-just-as-good option is the Apple Watch 2, but Apple stopped selling that model so it might be difficult to find.

Garmin Forerunner 735XT

The Garmin Forerunner is one of the most complex and powerful wearables on this list since it was designed for serious athletes. The watch comes with an optical heart rate sensor and detailed stats about your activity and performance levels.

Triathlon athletes, or at least those who are serious about long-distance training, will get the most bang for their buck out of this watch since it tracks detailed information like stride length, ground contact time, recovery tips, and more.

And the great thing is, that it isn’t as bulky as it sounds. In fact, the screen is easy to read, and the body is lightweight.

Garmin Vivosmart 3

The Garmin Vivosmart is compared to the Fitbit a lot because of its slim design and an easy-to-use activity tracker. However, it has slightly more features than the FitBit like a stress-level tracker, VO2 max level and it’s also waterproof.

The battery life falls a few days short of the Fitbit, though. But it might be because of the more advanced smart tracking features. The app is also similar to the Fitbit, with easy-to-read steps, sleep time, calories burned, active minutes and any other features you want on the home screen.

Samsung Gear S3

The Apple Watch isn’t the only smartwatch that can connect to your phone. The Samsung Gear S3 can connect to any Android, but it has fewer features and is slightly more buggy than the Apple Watch because of its Tizen-based software.

The watch is very sturdy though, it’s waterproof, has an easy-to-navigate screen, you can respond to notifications, pay with Samsung pay, and it has all the basic fitness tracking features. While it is no Apple Watch because of some of the bugs it still has, it’s probably the best smartwatch out there for Androids.

Get On Track

That concludes the list of our choices of the best fitness trackers. Each one is unique to various lifestyles, so whichever you choose should be based on what your goals are. Have you had any experience with the watches on this list? Let us know in the comments.

Hana Brannigan


SOURCE: THE GENTLEMANUAL