10 Best Fitness Tracker Watches in 2022 (Personal Trainer-Reviewed)
When searching for the right wearable device, it's important to know whether you want a fitness tracker watch or a smartwatch. A smartwatch and a fitness tracker watch have two completely different functions. While a smartwatch is designed for maximum integration with your phone, a fitness tracker watch is made specifically for gathering reliable health data and its durable hardware. One is built for communication and the latter is made for expanding the benefits of exercise.
Choosing between the two may be difficult because their functions tend to blend and overlap. The similarities between the two devices also cause their pricing to remain relatively the same. Fitness tracker watches are, from the outset and design, built for the sole goal of monitoring and optimizing your health. Picking the right one for you can be tough, so we compiled a list of the best fitness tracker watches to buy this year. Our favorite is the Garmin Fenix 6 for its many supported sports and exercises, built-in GPS, resistance to water, snow, mud, and dirt, and extra features like cashless payment and large storage for music! We've also included a buying guide reviewed by a certified personal trainer!
Quick List - Top Fitness Tracker Watches
I am the manager and head personal trainer for a local fitness facility. I graduated from college with my bachelor's in Exercise Science and have been in the industry for the past 5 years since. I am super passionate about fitness and how our bodies work!
mybest US' editing team consists of experienced members who have backgrounds in writing, editing, translation, and more. We are dedicated to researching what makes a product or service the best to users in the US in order to create top-quality articles. From skincare, to kitchen appliances, and to DIY supplies, our mission is to find the best ones for you.
The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.
How to Choose Fitness Tracker Watches
There are a variety of factors you need to consider before buying your fitness tracker watch. Aside from how the device looks and feels on your wrist, its core purpose is key part of your purchasing decision. This purpose can usually be discovered when looking at the five factors below.
Know What Data You Want To Track
Fitness trackers should mainly be chosen on the specific lifestyle goals you have and the analytics you care about tracking. You don’t need something high-end if you aren’t an athlete and you just want to stay fit after working in the office.
As a personal trainer, I try to get out and move every single day, even on weekends. Even if it's a "rest" day, I still try to go for at least a mile walk just to get some sort of movement in. Having a fitness tracker watch helps me know how far I've gone and how many calories I have burned from my highest movement days to my lowest movement days.
Two fitness tracker watches that I love are the FitBit and the Apple Watch. Both are great fitness trackers and can be worn by the everyday person to the most experienced athlete. They are both very user-friendly, help you achieve goals, and are convenient on a day-to-day basis.
Your Heart Rate is The Most Important Metric to Track
Most fitness tracker watches use an optical heart rate monitor that tracks pulse through changes in light. Although they are not as accurate as chest straps, wrist-based heart rate monitors are more convenient for all exercises.
Having a fitness tracker watch that reports reliable heart rate data is vitally important for knowing when you are overtraining or undertraining.
Generally, a moderately intense workout will have your heart rate at 50 to 70 percent of its maximum and a vigorously intense workout will have your heart rate at 70 to 85 percent of its maximum. To calculate your maximum, simply subtract your age from 220. For example, a 45-year-old's maximum heart rate is 175.
Consider how the watch monitors your heart rate. Many indicate this visually, but if it's better for your uses, some watches will send you an alert if your heart rate goes outside the normal scope of activity.
Calorie Trackers Can Give You Personalized and Accurate Data
Fitness watches that include a calorie tracker can provide useful information on the calories you burn. After entering personal data into the watch such as your weight, body mass index (BMI), height and age, the watch will estimate your basal metabolic rate. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the caloric amount your body burns at rest.
Knowing your BMR will help the watch give you a somewhat accurate estimate of the calories you burn in a day or the calories you burn during certain activities. This can aid you in monitoring overall health or help you lose weight.
For Varied Workouts, Look for Features like Timers and Sensors
Data is collected by the amount and type of sensors in the device. Accelerometers, magnetometers, and heart rate sensors are some of the sensors that fitness tracker watches have now.
These sensors help you get more accurate data when you're swimming, running, sleeping, and at rest. With that said, there are different categories of data that someone may want to track on a daily basis, including but not limited to:
- Pedometer, for counting your daily footsteps
- Distance traveled, useful for those counting miles or kilometers on walks and hikes
- Vo2 Max, measures the volume of oxygen your body utilizes while exercising
- Sleep data, useful for tracking the amount of sleep you're getting or if your sleeping cycles are regular
- Stress monitoring, usually measures your heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) to give you a reading on your body's stress levels
- Menstruation cycle tracking, for keeping track of one's menstrual cycle and ovulation times
GPS Tracking Can Help You Track Distance and Location on Runs
GPS Tracking on your fitness watch can be a useful tool. It can help you figure out routes while walking or running and can aid you in navigating should you get lost on a hike. Emergency services have even utilized GPS-enabled fitness watches to save trapped hikers.
There are two types of GPS options in a fitness tracker: connected GPS and built-in GPS. If your fitness tracker has connected GPS, you have to carry your phone around with you or have it near you while you are exercising. For athletes who don’t want to carry their phones around, finding a fitness tracker watch with built-in GPS functionality is a necessity.
Timers are a great accessory when doing Tabata workouts or AMRAPs. That way, if you do not have a clock in sight, you have one on your wrist! Timers are usually already downloaded on fitness tracker watches, but there are different timer apps that you can download as well.
Pick a Water- and Scratch-Resistant Device That Can Survive in All Scenarios
Having a device that is resistant to certain environments will bring peace of mind while you're wearing it. Water-resistance is one of the most common resistances folks look for. You can look for the IPX rating or ATM rating on your tracker, which helps you find out the level of water resistance a certain watch has.
IPX is a rating used for water resistance and ATM rating is used for depth resistance, although ATM is much more common to find listed, as it also implies water resistance.
IPX6, for example, protects against general splashing or rain, but IPX8 can be submerged and used for swimming. However, ATM rating is used to determine how deep one can go in the water. Simply look for the number listed and multiply it times ten.
One ATM is used up to 10 meters, three ATM is used up to 30 meters, five ATM is used up to 50 meters, and so on. Five ATM is a very common rating on fitness trackers.
Certain fitness tracker watches are built with Gorilla glass displays to prevent scratching, a brand of strengthened glass made by Corning. There are other resistances to look for if you are doing more extreme sports. Resistances to snow, sand, dirt, and mud are needed if you are going to do obstacle course racing or go skiing down a mountain.
Make Sure It's User-Friendly Enough for Your Needs
Before purchasing a fitness watch, one must consider their own personal needs. A lot of complicated data may just get in your way if you're getting it for casual calorie burning or purchasing it for a child.
You will want to consider a simple interface, simple features, and how easy it is to find and access the features you choose. Some fitness trackers come with automatic features you don't even have to activate, such as automatic calorie counting and step counting.
A more fitness-minded individual may want a more detailed and complicated watch, with deeper features and more technical, data-driven information. Some watches let you set goals, like taking 10,000 steps or burning 500 calories. Devices may also be pre-loaded with tracking for your favorite sport or workout or have hydration tracking.
Although, with some watches giving an alert when you've been sitting for too long or offering ideas for stretches you can try, fitness trackers can also be useful for more sedentary people.
Find a Fitness Tracker With a Decent Battery Life
The battery life when choosing your fitness tracker watch can be a dealbreaker if it's too low. If you don’t mind having to charge your device’s battery often, then this isn’t a concern. However, folks such as athletes who go on long hikes or people who tend to forget to charge their devices would prefer something that has the ability to run for days on end.
It's also good to consider watches that have fast charging capabilities, which will increase charging speed, some taking the watch from zero percent to eighty percent in only 45 minutes. Method of charging is also useful to look for, as it can vary from USB, USB-C, wireless and more. Be mindful of proprietary chargers, as they can only be used with the device they came with, and are not universal.
This is important, but the battery life is only a small part of a fitness tracker watch. When I used a FitBit, I loved it because the battery life lasted for three days. Now that I use an Apple Watch, I have to charge it every single night. That's not a deal-breaker for me, though. If you are consistent in plugging your phone in each night, you will learn to do the same for whatever fitness tracker watch you buy.
Keep An Eye Out For Extra Useful Features
In the age we live in, fitness trackers are for much more than fitness. Look for extra useful features that can be useful in everyday life. Bluetooth music controls can be found on some watches, enabling you to sync your watch to playlists on Spotify, Apple Music, and more. This is great for exercising to music but can also be useful for any casual wearer.
Some fitness trackers include cashless payment options as well, allowing you to easily pay for items without worrying about carrying your wallet or purse with you. Features like Apple Pay allow you to sync your credit cards to your watch to make purchases quick and simple.
10 Best Fitness Tracker Watches Ranking
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Garmin Garmin Fenix 6｜010-02158-00 | | Best for Overall Multi-Sport Functionality | |
2 | Polar Polar V800｜90082710 | | Best Fitness Tracker Watch for an Amateur Athlete | |
3 | Apple Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS)｜MKN03LL/A | | Best Fitness Tracker Watch for iOS Users | |
4 | Samsung Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro｜SM-R365NZRAXAR | | Best Fitness Tracker Watch for Swimmers | |
5 | Fitbit Fitbit Charge 3｜47401975 | | Best Fitness Tracker Under $100 | |
6 | Garmin Garmin Vívosmart 4｜010-01995-11 | | Best Fitness Tracker for Sleep | |
7 | Fitbit FB512GLWT | | Best for Women's Health | |
8 | Popglory P22 | | Best Fitness Tracker With Blood Pressure Monitoring | |
9 | Garmin 010-01847-00 | | Best Fitness Tracker With the Longest Battery Life | |
10 | Fitbit Fitbit Ace 2｜FB419BKBU | | Best Kids' Fitness Tracker |
GarminGarmin Fenix 6 ｜ 010-02158-00
Best for Overall Multi-Sport Functionality
Pros:
- Tracks many different sports and exercise
- Great battery life, with options to put in on battery saver mode to extend life
- Safety assistance to help alert others when there's an emergency
- Resistance to most elements, such as water, snow, dirt, and mud
- Holds your music playlist, has a contactless payment app and has many more downloadable apps and widgets
- Built-in GPS
Cons:
- Complex interface
The Garmin Fenix 6 has a wide range of features and capabilities! It has multiple battery life modes, safety assistance to help alert friends and family of emergencies, and resistance to snow, water, dirt, and mud, with an ATM water rating of 10 which means it's usable up to 100 meters underwater!
Alongside its massive list of sports you are able to track, it can also store a lot of music with its 32 gigabytes of on-device storage and features a contactless payment method called Garmin Pay. However, one issue is that the menu interface is very complex, making it difficult to find all the options the watch provides.
Best Fitness Tracker Watch for an Amateur Athlete
Pros:
- Simple, approachable interface and options for casual wearers and beginners
- Water and scratch-resistant
- Excellent battery life, with adjustable battery modes
- Music control and weather forecast
- Built-in GPS
Cons:
- Band material irritates some peoples' skin
This is the easiest fitness tracker to use with its simple menu. The device tracks data 24/7 so there are no settings or modes that need to be manually turned on. It is water-resistant and scratch-resistant because of its Gorilla glass display and has an ATM rating of 10.
It has about seven days of battery life with the built-in GPS off and 40 hours of battery life with it on. You can also customize the workout routines you have via their web app and it comes with music controls and weather updates. However, some reviewers complained about syncing issues between devices.
AppleApple Watch Series 5 (GPS) ｜ MKN03LL/A
Best Fitness Tracker Watch for iOS Users
Pros:
- Easily integrates with Apple devices
- Fall detection calls emergency services if it detects you have fallen during activity
- Stores and streams music, podcasts, and audiobooks
- Built-in GPS
Cons:
- Relatively low battery life
The Apple Watch Series 7 was designed specifically for anyone with an iPhone. This fitness tracker features fall detection, dangerous noise-level notifications, and a heartbeat sensor. This fitness tracker watch can store or stream podcasts, music, and audiobooks.
One big con to the device is its battery life, with an average of 18 hours. It also only pairs with iOS devices. Reviewers love the customization options and how easily it links to their Apple devices. However, many reviewers criticized that the charging cord is sold separately.
SamsungSamsung Gear Fit2 Pro ｜ SM-R365NZRAXAR
Best Fitness Tracker Watch for Swimmers
Pros:
- Integration with the Speedo app, which is great for swimmers
- Supports Spotify music playlists offline
- Built-in GPS
- Built-in heart rate monitor, no chest strap required
Cons:
- Battery drains quickly
The Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro is the best device for swimmers. It connects to the Speedo app which you can use to track your swim goals, total time, pace, and distance. The training sessions are personalized and users even have the ability to set up competitions with their friends who also use the app.
It supports Spotify music offline with four gigabyte of available storage and has a built-in heart rate monitor, which reviewers say is nice versus watches that require a chest strap. Although some reviewers say the battery life is weaker than they'd like.
FitbitFitbit Charge 3 ｜ 47401975
Best Fitness Tracker Under $100
Pros:
- Many features for a low price tag
- Water-resistant
- Built-in GPS
- Compatible with Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant
- Stores and plays music
Cons:
- The face is not scratch resistant
The Fitbit Inspire 2 has many great features for a very low price tag, for those looking for a cheaper option. It has all-day stress tracking and heart rate tracking, as well as distance traveled, calories burned, and a sleep tracking system.
The device has an excellent battery life, lasting six to ten days at a time, which reviewers love. Reviewers also say it's very easy to use. However, negative reviews complain about how often and intensely the watch vibrates and that it's rather distracting.
GarminGarmin Vívosmart 4 ｜ 010-01995-11
Best Fitness Tracker for Sleep
Pros:
- Detailed sleep tracking, including options for detecting sleep apnea and other breathing issues
- Long battery life of seven days
- Measures vo2 max, which is useful for measuring your body's oxygen use
- Timers for various activities, such as walking, running, and swimming
Cons:
- No GPS feature available
Garmin Vívosmart 4 is one of the best choices for those who care about the quality of their sleep. This fitness tracker watch can also detect sleep apnea and other breathing disorders that occur at night. On the companion mobile app, you can track how long you were in deep, light, and REM sleep as well.
It is extremely comfortable to wear and reviewers don’t report any issues when going to bed with it on. The major downside for this watch is that there is no GPS feature, connected or built-in, so still have to take your phone with you while working out.
Best for Women's Health
Pros:
- Detailed female health-tracking, including ovulation, menstrual symptoms, and periods
- Excellent sleep tracking, monitoring your breathing and quality of sleep
- Heart rate tracking notifies when the wearer is too far below or above their personal average
- Includes Fitbit Pay, a cashless payment app
Cons:
- Watch will notify you when you have a call, but you cannot make a call from the watch
- Can control music, but not store it
The Fitbit Sense is a fitness tracker with women's health in mind, letting the user track their sleep health, manage their stress levels, and track their menstrual cycle. It contains a calendar that lets the wearer track periods, fertile windows, and ovulation, as well as menstrual symptoms, such as headaches.
The watch can also control music, but you must have the playlist on your phone, as the watch does not store music. Reviewers love the sleep tracking abilities, including the Smart Wake alarm, a feature that wakes you at the optimal point in the sleep cycle. Although, some reviewers say the heart rate tracking could be more accurate.
Best Fitness Tracker With Blood Pressure Monitoring
Pros:
- Monitors blood pressure and blood oxygen, which isn't common in a fitness tracker
- Features basic functionality including step counter and calorie counter
- Customizable watch faces to personalize your fitness tracker
- Features a range of pre-loaded trackable sports and exercises
Cons:
- Rather limited in its features
The Popglory Smartwatch is a great choice for those who would like to monitor their blood pressure and have basic fitness tracker capabilities at the same time. It measures blood pressure and blood oxygen with the help of an accompanying app called HeroBand III.
It also includes some basic fitness tracker features such as step counting, calories burned, and sedentary reminders to get you active. Reviewers love the blood pressure monitor, as most fitness trackers currently available do not have that feature. However, some reviewers say the step counter is inaccurate.
Best Fitness Tracker With the Longest Battery Life
Pros:
- Long battery life, lasting one year
- No charger needed, as the battery is a replaceable cell battery
- ATM water resistance rating of five
Cons:
- Relatively simple in tracking abilities, as emphasis is on the battery
The Garmin Vivofit 4 is a fitness tracker featuring an impressive one-year battery life thanks to a replaceable coin cell battery. It includes basic functions like step counting, calories burned, and sleep monitoring.
It includes some convenient extra features, such as weather updates, alarms, and timers. Reviewers love the long battery life, one individual even claiming that the watch's band is wearing out before the battery! Although some reviewers say the display is small and rather hard to read.
FitbitFitbit Ace 2 ｜ FB419BKBU
Best Kids' Fitness Tracker
Pros:
- Child-friendly games and goals encourage kids to get active
- ATM water resistance rating of five
- Sleep tracking to help parents monitor healthy sleep
- Long battery life
Cons:
- Only tracks steps and sleep
The Fitbit Ace 3 is the best fitness tracker for kids ages six and up. Some of its prominent features include up to eight days of battery life, sleep tracking, water resistance, and parental controls. It helps to engage the child's interest by providing competition, games, and goals that they can challenge friends and family to.
This fitness tracker watch does not come with GPS. It is recommended to pair the device with a smartphone for tracking your child's location. Reviewers love the engaging goals that encourage children to move, saying their kids love the cute images on the watch. However, some say the buckle on the band breaks quite easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have some questions about fitness tracker watches? Here's what Gentry had to say in answer to a commonly asked one!
Are fitness watches accurate for measuring the calories you burn?
Gentry says, "This is a question that I get asked a lot by my own clients. For the most part, yes. But, remember, it all depends on the metrics that you put in depending on your personal weight, height, and more. When I work out with clients and do the same exact workout, our calories burned are always different."
Achieve Your Health and Fitness Goals with These Other Products as Well!
Your fitness goals don't (and shouldn't) end at just owning a fitness tracker. Here are some other products you can use to achieve maximum health.
Buying Guide Reviewed by Personal Trainer Gentry Washburn
This expert reviewed the contents of the buying guide for accuracy and provided factual corrections when necessary. They did not participate in the product selection process, nor are they affiliated with any of our choices unless explicitly stated so.
Top 5 Fitness Tracker Watches
No. 1: Garmin｜Garmin Fenix 6｜010-02158-00
No. 2: Polar｜Polar V800｜90082710
No. 3: Apple｜Apple Watch Series 5 (GPS)｜MKN03LL/A
No. 4: Samsung｜Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro｜SM-R365NZRAXAR
No. 5: Fitbit｜Fitbit Charge 3｜47401975
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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