11 Best Fitness Trackers [Tested and Reviewed]

The "Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS Model) 45mm", a smartwatch exclusively for iPhone users, was launched by Apple in September 2023. This high-performance model features an upgraded processor and chip from the previous model, and the storage capacity has doubled compared to the previous model.

The auto-detection feature for workouts supports a total of nine activities, including basic workouts such as walking, running, cycling, rowing, and pool swimming. Notifications for detected exercise begin about 10 minutes after the start of the activity, and recording starts automatically. Since the data is recorded from the time the exercise started before the notification, you can accurately record the actual duration of the exercise without any discrepancy. You can also effectively record daily activities such as commuting and walking.

The health monitoring features are robust, allowing for not only heart rate and blood oxygen concentration measurements, but also the recording of electrocardiograms. The accuracy of the blood oxygen concentration measurement is high, with a margin of error of about 1% compared to professional equipment. It also supports skin temperature measurement during sleep, making it possible to predict health conditions and physiological cycles from the data. In addition, it allows for the detection of irregular heartbeats and sleep tracking, making it suitable for those who want to manage their health in detail.

The automatic workout detection feature supports a total of seven types of exercise, including basic walking, running, cycling, as well as elliptical training, pool swimming and more. There's no need to manually record your exercise activities; you'll receive a detection notification about 10 minutes after starting your workout, and the recording will begin automatically. Data is recorded retroactively up to the start of the exercise, so you can document your actual workout time without any discrepancies. You can also record daily activities, such as walking for more than 10 minutes or bike riding.

Most measurement functions are highly accurate and the automatic workout detection feature is also excellent. This wearable tracker is perfect for Android users who want a high-powered, highly accurate health and fitness record of their activities.

The "Amazfit GTS 4 mini" is a compact model launched in August 2022 by the smartwatch maker, Zepp Health. It's a compact smartwatch characterized by its slim and lightweight design.

The automatic workout detection feature is compatible with four types of exercises: walking, running, elliptical, and rowing. It does not support cycling, which is disappointing considering this is one of the most common exercise activities. About five minutes after starting the exercise, a detection notification comes in, and the recording starts when the start button is pressed. The data is recorded retroactively to the start time, allowing you to keep data without discrepancy with the actual workout time. Operation after the notification is required, but it allows you to record even your daily minor exercises.

The health management functions are comprehensive, equipped with many popular features such as sleep, stress, calorie consumption, and menstrual cycle tracking. Our testers noted a slight difference in heart rate measurements compared to specialized equipment, but the blood oxygen concentration and step count were accurately measured. Even compared to specialized equipment, the sleep time measurement is sufficiently precise.

The battery lasts up to 15 days with standard use. Even with heavy use, it can last more than a week. Because there's no need to charge it frequently, you can keep wearing it even while sleeping or bathing. We recommend this model for those who struggle with frequent charging.

The automatic workout detection feature supports a total of six exercise types, from basic workouts like walking, running, cycling, to some of the more rare activities like rope jumping. You can start recording your workout by pressing the start button that appears in the notification about 10 minutes after detection. Although it is possible to record before the notification, in our tests there was about a five minute discrepancy from the start. Keep in mind that it doesn’t record every minor movement, but even if you forget to start recording and begin exercising, you can still save your data.

The healthcare functions are adequately equipped, capable of measuring sleep, blood oxygen concentration, calories burned, heart rate, stress, etc. While the sleep measurement was accurate in determining the time it took to fall asleep, the time of waking up was recorded with a discrepancy of more than 30 minutes, and there was a significant error in the number and duration of REM and deep sleep. On the other hand, the accuracy of the blood oxygen concentration and step count measurements were extremely high. Even when compared with professional devices, the margin of error is about 1%, which is very accurate.

The battery life is extremely long-lasting, providing up to 16 days of use under normal conditions, and up to six days when in always-on mode. The charging speed is also fast, fully charging in about one hour. Therefore, charging for just one hour per week should be enough for regular use.

The automatic workout detection feature works for five types of exercises: cycling, running, swimming, walking, and the elliptical machine. About 10 minutes after starting the exercise, you'll receive a detection notification, and you can start recording by selecting the start button. Although it does not retroactively record back to the start of the workout, you can record data from five minutes before the notification. In case you forget to start your workout and start exercising, you can still properly save your data.

In addition to measuring sleep, stress, and calorie consumption, it is also possible to measure heart rate and blood oxygen concentration. In terms of measurement accuracy, though there was a large error in heart rate compared to professional equipment, the blood oxygen concentration and step count were accurate with about a 1% difference. Also, the sleep measurement was very accurate, with just a one-minute difference in bedtimes and wake-up times compared to professional equipment.

The battery can run for about 11 days in smartwatch mode, so you don't need to charge it every day. On the other hand, in GPS mode, it lasts only about 26 hours, so if you frequently do long hours of exercise, it would be a good idea to charge it every day.

The "Google Pixel Watch 2" is an Android-exclusive smartwatch launched by Google in October 2023. In addition to improved battery life from the previous model, the optical sensor has been enhanced, improving the accuracy of heart rate measurements.

The automatic workout detection feature supports a total of seven types of activities, including basic exercises like walking, running, and outdoor cycling, plus cross-training, swimming, and more. Exercise detection notifications appear about 10 minutes after you start working out. The record even tracks back up to 10 minutes before the user officially starts the workout. Not only is this useful for when you forget to start a workout during serious exercise, but it's also helpful for keeping track of everyday exercise.

The accuracy of measuring steps and sleep was high, and recorded little error compared to specialized equipment. On the other hand, the accuracy of heart rate measurement was somewhat low, with more than a 3% error compared to specialized equipment. The measurement of blood oxygen concentration is only during sleep, and the health management function is modest.

The battery life is on the shorter side, lasting up to 24 hours at most in always-on display mode. On the other hand, the charging speed is fast, allowing for a 50% charge in just 30 minutes. It would be best to charge it frequently every day, such as during a bath or before going out.

The automatic workout detection feature supports a total of seven types, including walking, running, and outdoor cycling. Notifications of detection come about 10 minutes after you start exercising, and by selecting the start button, recording will begin. It is possible to record retroactively back to before the notification, but in our tests there was a discrepancy of about 2 minutes from the start. Despite the discrepancy, in the rare case that you start exercising and forget to start your workout, you can still securely keep your data.

The device comes with a full set of health management functions, including sleep tracking, calorie consumption, and stress level measurement. However, the heart rate measurement had an average error of approximately 1.5% when compared to professional equipment. On the other hand, the sleep tracking was accurate enough to be reliable, but it should be noted that blood oxygen concentration can only be measured during sleep. 

The "Charge 6" from Fitbit was released in October of 2023. It now allows for the control of music playback (YouTube Music), a feature not present in previous models, and has an integrated Google Maps tool.

The automatic detection feature for workouts can handle a total of seven types, such as walking, running, and outdoor cycling. Although it claims to automatically detect from the start of the exercise, it was only detected once in three validations, leaving our testers less than satisfied with the automatic detection feature.

All essential healthcare functions are included. It supports constant tracking of heart rate, consumed calories, steps, etc. The accuracy of sleep measurement is excellent, with a difference of only six minutes compared to professional equipment. On the other hand, the accuracy of the heart rate measurement is low, with an average error rate of about 3% compared to professional equipment. Also, the measurement of blood oxygen concentration is only during sleep, so the overall health management function is modest.

The battery lasts more than 7 days with a single full charge. As you only need to charge it once a week, even people who tend to forget to charge can say that the chances of running out of battery are low.

Zepp Health, a smartwatch maker from China, launched the 'Amazfit Band 7' in September 2022, featuring a larger screen than its predecessor models.

 
The automatic workout detection feature supports four types: Walking, running, elliptical, and rowing machine. It's a bit unsatisfying as the types are limited, and it doesn't include cycling, which is frequently used. On the other hand, it detects exercise pretty quickly, within about five minutes from the start. However, it does not allow recording retrospectively from the time of detection.

The "COROS PACE 3" is from a startup founded in the state of Virginia, in the U.S. in 2014. This fitness tracker features an impressively lightweight design, weighing only about 30g, including the band.

While the workout screens and record management are extensive on this fitness tracker designed for exercise, it does not support automatic detection. Every time you exercise, you need to start recording your workout, which means that everyday activities like commuting and walking cannot be logged.

The health monitoring features are capable of performing basic measurements such as heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, and sleep. Although the accuracy of heart rate measurement is significantly inferior to specialized equipment, the measurement of blood oxygen saturation was excellent with an error of approximately 2% compared to professional devices. The accuracy of sleep measurement was also high, with a total sleep time difference of only 10 minutes compared to specialized equipment.

The battery life is incredibly long, lasting up to a maximum of 17 days with everyday use. You can continue using it without the battery dying even with a charge once every two weeks. On the other hand, when the GPS feature is operating, it can only be used continuously for up to 38 hours, so people who frequently engage in outdoor activities such as running or cycling, where GPS recording is necessary, should charge it regularly.