If you're looking to get fit, sleep better or just keep a closer eye on your health, a fitness wearable is a great place to start. Whether you're into intense workouts or just want to hit your step goal each day, the best fitness trackers available today can offer loads of helpful features, from sleep tracking and resting heart rate monitoring to built-in GPS and stress tracking. Some are even subtle enough to wear 24/7, like smart rings, while others double as stylish smartwatches.
There are great options out there for beginners as well as more advanced users, and the variety of features means there’s something for every lifestyle and budget. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best fitness trackers you can buy right now, and explain who each one is best suited for.
The answer seems simple: Fitness wearables are best at monitoring exercise, be it a 10-minute walk around the block or that half marathon you’ve been diligently training for. Obviously, smartwatches can help you reach your fitness goals too, but there are some areas where fitness bands and smart rings have proven to be the best buy: focus, design, better battery life, durability and price.
When I say “focus,” I’m alluding to the fact that fitness trackers are made to track activity well; anything else is extra. They often don’t have the bells and whistles that smartwatches do, which could distract from their advanced health tracking abilities — things like all-day resting heart rate monitoring, stress tracking, and even detailed sleep tracker insights. They also tend to have fewer sensors and internal components, which keeps them smaller and lighter. Fitness trackers are also a better option for those who just want a less conspicuous gadget on their wrists all day.
Battery life tends to be better on fitness trackers, too. While most smartwatches last one to two days on a single charge, fitness bands offer between five and seven days of battery life — and that’s with all-day and all-night use even with sleep tracking features enabled. Many fitness trackers also slot nicely into your existing ecosystem, syncing seamlessly with your smartphone, other fitness apps and cloud storage to keep all your data in one place.
When it comes to price point, there’s no competition. Most worthwhile smartwatches start at $175 to $200, but you can get a solid smart band starting at $70. That makes them a great entry point for beginners who want to track their progress without committing to a full smartwatch. Yes, more expensive bands and smart rings exist (and we recommend a few here), but you’ll find more options under $150 in the fitness tracker space than in the smartwatch space.
When to get a smartwatch instead
If you need a bit more from your wearable and don’t want to be limited to a fitness or activity tracker, a smartwatch may be the best buy for you. There are things like on-watch apps, alerts and even more robust fitness features that smartwatches have and the best fitness trackers don’t. You can use one to control smart home appliances, set timers and reminders, check weather reports and more. Some smartwatches let you choose which apps you want to receive alerts from, and the options go beyond just call and text notifications. Just make sure your smartwatch is compatible with your Android or iPhone, however, before purchasing, as not all of them work with both operating systems.
But the extra fitness features are arguably the most important thing to think about when deciding between a fitness tracker and a smartwatch. The latter devices tend to be larger, giving them more space for things like GPS, barometers, onboard music storage and more. While you can find built-in GPS on select fitness trackers, it’s not common.
If you’re someone who’s seriously training — say for a race or an endurance challenge — a dedicated running watch may be worth considering. These often provide more in-depth cardio analytics, recovery insights, and real-time pace data that go beyond what standard trackers can deliver.
Other fitness trackers we've tested
Fitbit Inspire 3
The Fitbit Inspire 3 strips out all the luxury features from the Charge 6 and keeps only the essential tracking features. You won’t get built-in GPS tracking or Fitbit Pay or Spotify control but you do get solid activity tracking, automatic workout detection, smartphone alerts and plenty more. The updated version has a sleeker design and includes a color touch display and connected GPS, the latter of which lets you track pace and distance while you run or bike outside while you have your phone with you. When compared to the Charge 6, the Inspire 3 is more fashionable, too. Its interchangeable bands let you switch up the look and feel of your tracker whenever you want, and it’s slim enough to blend in with other jewelry you might be wearing. We were also impressed by its multi-day battery life: Fitbit promises up to 10 days on a single charge, and that checked out for us. After four days of round-the-clock use, the Inspire 3 still had 66 percent battery left to go.
Fitness tracker FAQs
How long do fitness tracker batteries last?
The battery life of fitness trackers can vary depending on the model and its features. On average, most fitness trackers last between five to seven days on a single charge. Basic models with limited features could stretch up to 10 days or more. However, more advanced trackers with features like continuous heart rate monitoring, GPS, or always-on displays may need recharging after one to three days. If you're using GPS or streaming music through your fitness tracker, you'll find that this drains the battery faster. By using these features less, or turning them off, you'll extend battery life.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/best-fitness-trackers-133053484.html?src=rss
If you’re looking to get healthier without spending a fortune, the best cheap fitness trackers prove you don’t need to splash out on the best smartwatches to stay on top of your goals. Whether you're counting steps, keeping track of heart rate monitoring or trying to improve your sleep patterns, these affordable wearables pack serious health tracking capabilities into wallet-friendly packages.
The best budget fitness trackers are perfect for everyday activity tracking, whether you're going for a jog, hitting the gym or just aiming to move a bit more. Many also include extras like support for third-party apps, music control, basic smartphone notifications and wellness insights that help you form better habits over time.
No matter your price point, there’s a tracker out there that can help you build a routine, stay motivated and maybe even make fitness fun. We’ve rounded up the top picks that strike the right balance between features, accuracy, and affordability — so you can find the best fitness tracker for your lifestyle, whether you're a total beginner or a casual running watch user looking for something simple.
All of the best fitness trackers should have at least three features: a program for activity tracking, the option to monitor and collect data about your sleep patterns and the ability to do things like heart rate monitoring and blood oxygen level tracking (though, the readings might not be super accurate). Don’t set your sights too high and expect metrics like blood pressure monitoring or ECG support; for that, you’d need to invest in a more expensive fitness watch or wearable like a Samsung Galaxy Watch, which falls under the best smartwatches category and will set you back over $400.
Fitness features
A cheap workout tracker can be great for someone looking to keep tabs on small, achievable goals like 10,000 steps before sundown or 30 minutes of a HIIT workout to get your heart rate peaking. An experienced long-distance runner looking to train for a triathlon might opt for a more expensive device that can measure cadence or ground contact time, and can track more customizable workouts, offer different sports modes or give deeper insights into performance data.
At the very least, a budget workout tracker should be able to offer fitness tracking features beyond walking and running — otherwise, it would just be a pedometer. The number of activities a device will recognize varies. Some will get funky with it and consider skateboarding a workout, while others won’t be able to track a jumping jack.
At this price point, you can expect a device to measure a mix of cardio, machine workouts and strength training. With each, you might get a numerical or visual breakdown of heart rate activity, overall pace, and calories burned per session. Although some cheap trackers can offer a really good overview of heart rate zone activity during a workout, a more technically advanced device might be able to go a step further and explain what your results mean and coach you on how to keep your heart rate in a specific bracket so that you can burn more fat per workout. I found that the more budget-friendly the device, the more likely it is that a tracker will fall short when it comes to smart counseling or offering predictive insights beyond a given workout. If a budget tracker does happen to offer some semblance of a coaching program, you can expect it to sit behind a paywall.
Workout tracking and planning your recovery is just as essential to any fitness journey. A sub-$100 device should be able to tell you how long you’ve slept and provide a breakdown of deep, light and REM sleep patterns. It's not a guarantee that you will get a sleep “score” or insights on how to get better rest — that data is usually found on more expensive wearables. Also, because these trackers aren’t designed for bedtime specifically — be mindful of comfort. The bands and watch face on a budget fitness watch may not be ideal for getting some good shut-eye.
Connectivity and practicality
Not all of the best budget fitness trackers are designed to seamlessly integrate with a smartphone. The trackers tested for this roundup can’t directly make calls or send texts to contacts on a paired iPhone or Android smartphone. They can, however, display and dismiss incoming calls and notifications via a Bluetooth connection. You can forget about checking your email or paying for a coffee from your wrist using these more affordable devices.
Most cheap fitness trackers also won't include built-in GPS tracking. Instead, they usually depend on a paired smartphone to gather location data. The drawback of using a fitness tracker without GPS is that it might not provide as precise for tracking distance or pace. You also can't use a budget tracker to get turn-by-turn directions during a walk or while running errands. For the more outdoorsy consumers, having GPS could be a key safety feature if you want this kind of functionality at your fingertips.
Design
You also might find that an inexpensive fitness tracker is harder to navigate than a more advanced smartwatch. Whether it be a screen size issue or simply not having a smart enough interface, don't expect every feature to be one that you can engage with directly on your wrist. You’ll likely need to use your phone to input data or access detailed wellness metrics.
Build quality will also vary. While you won’t get premium materials or ultra-bright OLED screens, most best cheap fitness trackers include some level of sweat and water resistance — perfect for everyday wear and casual workouts. And for those starting out with basic gadgets to support their fitness journey, these affordable trackers offer a great balance of essential features without the hefty price tag.
Other budget fitness trackers we tested
Amazfit Bip 6
The Amazfit Bip 6, an $80 smartwatch from Zepp Health, didn’t quite make the cut. As a fitness tracker, it’s decent, but it’s a frustrating smartwatch substitute. For workouts, the built-in GPS tracks runs and rides without your phone and, combined with the heart rate and blood oxygen sensors, collects a good amount of data to create accurate pictures of your exertion levels, cadence and pace. It’s remarkably lightweight but doesn’t feel cheap and the AMOLED screen is bright and sharp. It’s not an always-on display, but lifting your wrist wakes it reliably.
The sleep tracking data is on par with what we measured on other smartwatches and there’s even a daily readiness score that compares your sleep quality and the previous day’s exertion to estimate how physically prepared you are for the day ahead — similar to what Pixel Watches, Fitbit devices and Garmin watches offer. And since the watch battery lasts for over a week on a charge, you may be a lot more apt to wear it to bed than a watch you have to charge daily.
We weren’t expecting an $80 device to be a serious Apple Watch challenger, but the Bip 6’s glitches and overly complicated interface (both on the app and on the watch itself) were disappointing. During a week of testing, I got multiple repeated notifications, even after they were deleted, along with suggestions to stand when I was actively doing chores around the house. The watch faces are not customizable, so it was hard to get the info I needed at a glance (the Zepp app has lots of paid watch faces that may have what I wanted, but I didn’t want to pay $3 for something that’s free elsewhere).
Marketing details state that the Bip 6 can auto-detect workouts, including walking and bike riding. During testing, I walked once or twice per day for over one mile and went on two bike rides, but no workout was ever detected. The watch integrates with Apple Health, so I was able to see how it compares to the data my Apple Watch gathers. After a week of wearing the Bip 6, with no changes to my daily routine, I averaged 400 fewer calories burned and 2.4 fewer miles tracked each day. That was possibly the biggest disappointment of all. — Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter
Wyze Watch 47c
I didn't have high expectations of the Wyze Watch 47c, but I was shocked at how little this tracker can do. The 47c can only track walks and runs. It has a dedicated widget, a small logo of a man running, and when you tap it, it begins measuring your pace, heart rate, calories burned and mileage. It does not auto-detect or auto-pause workouts and it doesn't differentiate between a run and walk. Most importantly, this device can’t track any other exercises. It’s basically a glorified pedometer.
The 47c was also my least favorite to sleep with, mainly because the square watch face is so large and heavy. Even if I did manage to sleep through the night with it on, it only gave me a basic sleep report. — M.S.
Garmin vivofit 4
The Garmin vivofit 4 has a tiny display that is not a touchscreen and all navigation happens through one button. The watch face is impossible to read outdoors and the exercise widget is also very finicky. To start tracking a run, you have to hold down the main button and flip through some pages until you get to a moving person icon. Once there, you have to press the bottom right corner of the bar and hold down and if you press for too long or in the wrong spot, it’ll switch to another page, like a stopwatch. It’s incredibly frustrating.
Once you start a run though, it will start tracking your steps, your distance — and that's pretty much it. It does not auto-detect or auto-pause workouts. It doesn't alert you of any mileage or calorie milestones. — M.S.
What about fitness rings?
While smart rings are gaining popularity for health tracking, they generally don’t fall into the “budget” or “cheap” price range. A smart ring like the Oura Ring offers features such as sleep monitoring, heart rate tracking and readiness scores in an ultra-compact form factor that fits on your finger instead of your wrist. These rings are best suited for people who want discreet, all-day health insights without wearing a traditional watch or band — but with prices typically starting above $300, they’re more of a premium option than a budget-friendly pick.
Georgie Peru contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/best-cheap-fitness-trackers-140054780.html?src=rss
The insights are more repackaging data you already know with common sense advice than deductive analysis.
After nearly a decade of wearables testing, I've amassed a truly terrifying amount of health and fitness data. And while I enjoy poring over my daily data, there's one part I've come to loathe: AI summaries.
Over the last two years, a deluge of AI-generated summaries has been sprinkled into every fitness, wellness, and wearable app. Strava introduced a feature called Athlete Intelligence, pitched as AI taking your raw workout data and relaying it to you in "plain English." Whoop has Whoop Coach, an AI chatbot that gives you a "Daily Outlook" report summarizing the weather, your recent activity and recovery metrics, and workout suggestions. Oura added Oura Advisor, another chatbot that summarizes data and pulls out long-term trends. Even my bed greets me with summaries every morning of how its AI helped keep me asleep every night.
Each platform's AI has its nuances, but the typical morning summary goes a bit like this:
Good morning! You slept 7 hours last night with a resting heart rate of 60 bpm. That's in line with your weekly average, but your slightly elevated heart rate suggests you may not be fully recovered. If you feel tired, try going to bed earlier tonight. Health is …
Jim Rowley, CEO of Crunch and a Marine vet, said Pilates was life-changing for him.
Courtesy of Crunch Fitness
The CEO of Crunch said a routine of weightlifting, walking, and Pilates keeps him healthy at 58.
His supplement stack includes creatine, a hot trend for muscle-building, brain health, and longevity.
He said long-term fitness is about functionality, with a balance of strength, mobility and cardio.
Marine Corps. vet Jim Rowley has been lifting heavy weights for decades, buthis first few Pilates classes left him frustrated, sweating, shaking — and eager to go back for more.
Rowley is the CEO of worldwide gym franchise Crunch Fitness, and has more than three decades of experience in the fitness industry. After his military service, he rose through the ranks at 24 Hour Fitness, becoming division president before going on to help launch UFC Gym, later taking the lead at Crunch.
He told Business Insider that the lengthening, strengthening effect of Pilates has helped him ease the achy joints and tight muscles from decades of hard work in the gym and at the office.
"It changed my life, to be honest with you. I became much more limber," he said.
Crowley, who recently turned 58, said Pilates is now one of the foundational building blocks in his four-part longevity routine.
He also changed up his weightlifting routine, honed his supplement stack, and has a cardio routine rooted in his military experience.
"As you're active and aging, why would you not want to have more strength, more muscle, and greater mobility?" he said.
Pilates classes: to build muscle and mobility
Rowley said starting Pilates about three and half years ago helped him focus on muscles that hadn't gotten much attention over the years, including stabilizers in the the hips.
"Pilates was an opportunity for me to try to lengthen, strengthen, and activate some of the smaller muscles," he said.
Now, he goes to class twice a week for an hour per session, often with his wife.
The Pilates classes he takes are mostly attended by women, Rowley said. He expects to see the gender balance shift: the challenge and resistance training in the workouts offer a lot for men who want to work on building muscle and athleticism.
Pilates can be done on a mat or on a reformer machine, like this.
PixelsEffect/Getty Images
"There's a strength component instead of just the mobility and the balance," he said. "The biggest benefit for me has been my core strength has gotten through the roof."
The improved stability has helped relieve back pain, which can come from muscle imbalances.
Dumbbells: for better range of motion during strength training
Dumbbells are ideal for building muscle while protecting your joints because they offer a greater range of motion than a barbell.
Svetlana-Cherruty/Getty Images
Rowley still lifts weights, but has tweaked his routine so that instead of focusing on a big bench press as a point of pride, he's working more with dumbbells and machine exercises.
Dumbbells allow for a greater range of motion, which can help promote mobility and joint health. Exercise machines provide stability and a fixed range of motion, so you can focus on targeting specific muscle groups.
Both types of exercise are good for building muscle, with less strain or injury risk than intense barbell work.
"I don't lift for ego anymore," Rowley said.
Creatine supplements: for a healthy brain and body
Rowley is a self-proclaimed "supplement freak" who takes an estimated 40 pills a day, from a multi-vitamin for nutritional balance to probiotics for a healthy gut.
The list is carefully curated from his decades of experience in the fitness industry.
At the top of his must-have list is creatine, a naturally-occurring compound in the body that provides energy to the muscles so you can push through a few more reps. It's also a hot trend for longevity thanks to recent research suggesting it helps support a healthy brain and heart as we age.
Creatine is a widely-studied fitness supplement for building muscle, and new research suggests it could help with longevity too.
Stefan Simonovski/Getty Images
"There's a lot of supplements out there that are pure garbage," Rowley said. "Creatine to me is like a life source. I can tell you that my muscles feel better, my muscles fill up, I have the ability to go longer in the gym."
Rowley's supplement regimen also includes:
Vitamin D, which supports energy and the immune system.
Magnesium, linked to better sleep and muscle health.
Glutamine, for improved muscle recovery.
10,000 steps a day: for cardio without joint pain
Fitness for a long, healthy life isn't just about lifting big weights, or even having sculpted and lean muscles. Good cardio health is a crucial part of longevity, and benchmarks of aerobic fitness like VO2 max are increasingly a source of bragging rights in the fitness world.
For Rowley, it comes down to functionality, and whether you can keep up with the activities of your life.
"We look at the aesthetic of lean muscle and muscle mass as, wow, that person spends time in the gym, but could they run a mile? Could they run two miles or three miles?" he said.
His definition of peak fitness goes back to the Marine Corps. standard of military fitness: the ability to do 20 dead-hang pull-ups, rep out 100 crunches in a minute (or hold a plank for more than three minutes) and run three miles in 18 minutes.
However, as we age, running can put stress on the joints, so Rowley said he focuses on walking as much as possible, aiming for 10,000 steps a day for low-impact cardio and to reduce his time sitting. Walking is cardiologist-approved exercise, and the benefits for a healthier heart start at as few as an extra 500 to 1000 daily steps.
Hitting the full 10,000 steps a day is a big commitment to stick to consistently, but Rowley said the payoff is better resilience and functionality as you age.
"It's not easy to do, but what's harder: making that decision now or dealing with negative health in your older years? So choose your hard," he said.
Like his "White Lotus" character Saxon Ratliff, Patrick Schwarzenegger is a lover of smoothies determined to match his parents' stratospheric success.
While his arrogant and shallow character rubbed many viewers the wrong way, Schwarzenegger, however, is nothing but charming as we chat on the phone while he gets his steps in around LA. "I walk and talk," he explains.
I've discovered there are parts of Schwarzenegger's routine that Saxon would be positively allergic to, such as heading to the beach with his fiancée in the morning to say prayers and share a moment of gratitude.
For the latest installment of Business Insider's "5-9" series, which Schwarzenegger took part in to promote Venmo's new debit card, the 31-year-old actor shared how else he spends the hours of the day when he's not working.
What time do you usually get up, and what's your morning routine?
I've gone to a new state or country every week since "The White Lotus" came out, so it's been a whirlwind of not having a routine and waking up at the most random times.
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Patrick Schwarzenegger
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
This is my first full week in LA since the start of the year, and it's been great. I got up today at 6.15 a.m. — I never set an alarm clock, but I always wake up around 6 a.m. My fiancée and I went on a walk for our coffee and then down to the beach to say our gratitude and prayers.
Usually, I'd work out after, but I didn't today as my fiancée had to go to the airport. So we made some breakfast, I had a sauna, and then went to the office.
What do you have for breakfast?
This morning, I had egg bites and Greek yogurt with berries, which is what I have on most days: eggs, Greek yogurt, fruit, or oatmeal. I try to get 40 to 50 grams of protein and some sort of carbs and fat.
Do you eat before or after working out, or both?
Afterward, if I'm working out really early in the morning, but sometimes I'll have something light before, like some fruit and nuts or peanut butter and banana.
Much has been made of your character's love of smoothies on "The White Lotus." Are you a fan?
Oh yes, I am. I used to drink smoothies all the time. Now I don't drink them as much, but I do love them. This conversation is actually making me want to go get a smoothie.
If I'm gearing up for a role or a project and I need to gain weight, then I will bring in the smoothies because they help me get a lot of calories quickly. So I do love a peanut butter banana smoothie.
The best combo.
10,000 steps and recovering in the sauna
Tell me more about your approach to working out.
I work out in the mornings when I can and try to get my 10,000 steps in too.
Are you walking now?
I am. I walk and talk. I try to do five days of lifting a week, and some sort of cardio. I stay pretty active.
Abby Champion and Patrick Schwarzenegger in New York in March 2025.
Food, sleep, and hydration are the main things. I love the sauna, the jacuzzi, and massages, but they're less important.
When you're not working, how do you relax and have fun?
Working out is fun for me. It is part of my daily life and what I like to do, and I feel better. And the same with my eating.
I also like going on walks, hanging with my friends and family, hiking, biking, and watching movies and TV shows. I love cooking and baking and finding new coffee shops, and I use my new Venmo debit card for all of it.
Martinis and early nights
What do you like to have for dinner, and who cooks?
I would get in trouble if I said I always cook dinner. Abby cooks most of the time. I cook breakfast pretty much every morning, although she made the egg bites today.
We go out frequently, but try to cook as much as possible when we're in town because we're not often here.
Patrick Schwarzenegger as Saxon Ratliff in season three, episode four of "The White Lotus."
Fabio Lovino/HBO
What's your favorite thing to cook?
We cook sweet potatoes every night. We love Japanese sweet potatoes. We also make a lot of eggs and pancakes. Abby makes a really good chicken salad. She makes a bunch of good stuff for me.
Lucky you.
I know, seriously.
So what's your ideal evening when you're at home?
Well, last night Abby and I went and did a workout together. We did this hot Pilates class, and then we picked up some food, made dinner, had a little dessert, went on a walk afterward for the sunset, then watched a movie. If it's a date night, we go out, get some cocktails, and have fun.
Do you have a favorite cocktail?
I've been on a martini kick in recent years.
Nice. Do you have a nighttime routine?
No, I don't really. I kind of just get in bed, and I'm usually pretty tired from the day. I try not to watch TV in the bedroom, and I fall asleep pretty easily at around 10 p.m. I try to get eight hours.
I suppose when you're so active, you get into bed and you're exhausted.
Yeah, exactly … I'm always out in the sun and walking around, and I sleep better.
Putting a treadmill in your home can help you stick to your workout plan. We ran for miles and miles on the most popular models to help your choose the best one for you.
For the most sensitive parts of the human body, friction is the enemy. Here’s how to keep it at bay with our favorite lubes made of water, silicone, or natural oil.
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