Reviewed by Catherine Eves
Fitness trackers are gaining in popularity, which means the market is almost overrun with clunky watches claiming to change your life. Here, we’ve rounded up the best fitness trackers helping you create (and stick to) positive lifestyle changes for improved health and wellness.
BELLABEAT LEAF, $99.00 Sleek and chic, Bellabeat’s Leaf tracker is described as “smart jewelry,” and we think that’s quite apt. It can be worn as a necklace or a bracelet, and Bellabeat provides both the neck chain and wristband to accommodate. Besides step counting and activity tracking features, the Leaf also allows users to log their water consumption, sleep patterns, and reproductive cycle. We love that it doesn’t need to be taken off to charge and features a six-month replaceable battery with the hardware to help you change it yourself.
APPLE WATCH SERIES 4, $399.00 The mother of all fitness trackers, the Apple Watch includes pretty much any smart-tracking feature you can imagine. The watch’s fourth iteration takes a significant step towards heart health— featuring a heart rate tracker, the watch will send alerts to your phone if it detects low or high heart rates and irregular rhythms. You can also run an electrocardiogram whenever you sense an irregularity. Other safety features include fall detection and an emergency SOS. With daily goals (and the prominent buzzing when goals are reached) oriented to standing, movement, and activity, the Apple Watch significantly helps ward off a sedentary lifestyle.
FITBIT VERSA, $199.95 The Fitbit Versa is like an alternative to the Apple Watch due to its wide variety of features. Worn around the clock, the Versa is shower- and swim-proof, lightweight and comfortable, and able to track sleep stages. Users can review the time each night spent in light, deep, and REM sleep and get personalized insights about how to get better shut-eye. Other cool features include Cardio Fitness Score, which assesses the wearer’s fitness and tracks improvements overtime, and personalized on-screen workouts that play straight from the device.
GARMIN VÍVOSPORT, $169.99 The vívosport’s slim design means it fits comfortably on any wrist. (Larger fitness trackers, for instance, have been known to get in the way of exercises like push ups or some yoga poses.) With a built-in GPS, the vívosport is one of the most financially responsible trackers that is able to log runs, walks, and hikes without connecting to a phone. We love the Move IQ, which automatically detects when you’re breaking a sweat. Other features include daily fitness monitoring, stress tracking, and access to Garmin Connect—a popular online community that connects Garmin users to compete in challenges, find support, and encourage each other’s wellness triumphs.
