Fitness trackers have evolved a lot over the years, both in terms of the form factor and functionality. Modern-day fitness trackers are no longer limited to just tracking your daily steps and sleep duration. They've now become reliable tools for helping you get more active on a day-to-day basis, helping you get quality sleep, and even tracking vital metrics like heart rate, oxygen levels, and more. As long as you're ready to find the right product, these fitness trackers can help you achieve all your fitness goals with ease.
There's no shortage of fitness trackers on the market, meaning you'll have to skim through dozens of these products to find the one that aligns with your fitness goals. I've managed to put together a healthy list (no pun intended) of fitness trackers for you to check out. From simple trackers for day-to-day usage to more sophisticated options that double up as a smartwatch, there's something for everyone on this list.
Best fitness trackers in 2023
Fitbit Charge 5
The best tracker out there with a sleek form-factor.
The Fitbit Charge 5 is a solid fitness tracker that offers a good set of features for the price.
- Bright and beautiful OLED display
- Tracks a variety of metrics
- Small and slimmer factor than Charge 4
- Battery life could've been better
- Slightly expensive for just a fitness tracker
Fitbit's Charge lineup has been around for a while now, and they continue to dominate the U.S. market by offering a good set of features. The Charge 5 is currently one of the best and most affordable fitness trackers from Fitbit, and it comes with pretty much everything you expect from a basic fitness tracker. It has a simple yet elegant design, is available in a bunch of different colorways, and it also has the perfect size for most users. The housing of the tracker is made out of aluminum, glass, and resin, whereas the included band is made out of silicone.
The Fitbit Charge 5 sports a bright 1.04-inch (diagonal) touchscreen OLED display on the front that lets you interact with all the features the tracker offers. Inside the Charge 5, you get more than a few sensors and components. It packs an optical heart rate monitor, red and infrared sensors for oxygen saturation (SpO2) monitoring, a device temperature sensor to measure the skin temperature, multipurpose electrical sensors compatible with the ECG app & EDA Scan app, a 3-axis accelerometer, and more. Notably, you also get built-in GPS, GLONASS, and NFC support.
This particular fitness band also supports smart features like contactless payments, notifications, and more. The Charge 5 also has built-in memory to store up to seven days of detailed motion data, minute by minute. Additionally, it can also store daily totals for up to 30 days. The Charge 5 is also water-resistant, up to 50 meters, which is great. In the battery department, Fitbit says the Charge 5 can work for up to 7 days on a single charge. Your mileage may vary based on your usage, and I expect the battery life to dip further with features like Always-On display and SpO2 monitoring turned on.
All things considered, the Fitbit Charge 5 is a solid fitness tracker that offers a good set of features. It may not be the most affordable fitness tracker in this collection, but it gets the job done for a reasonable price.
Mi Smart Band 7
An affordable tracker to start your fitness journey with
The Xiaomi Smart Band 7 is an affordable fitness tracker that does a good job of keeping track of steps, heart rate and sleep, with a large and vibrant screen too.
- Beautiful display
- SpO2 monitoring
- Great value for money
- No built-in GPS
- no NFC or voice assistant
The Mi Smart Band 7 is one of the most popular options in Xiaomi's reliable line of fitness trackers. It made a debut in China by the name of Mi Band 7, but Xiaomi is referring to it as Mi Smart Band 7 in the international markets. It's available to purchase in the U.S. via Amazon for around $69. There's a lot to like about the Mi Smart Band 7, especially at this price. It lacks some high-end features, but it makes up for it with other features while keeping the price low.
In terms of the design, we're looking at a tiny oval-shaped device that's detachable from its band. The tracker itself measures just 12.2 mm in thickness and weighs 13g. This should give you an idea of how lightweight and comfortable it would be to wear it on a day-to-day basis. One of the best things about the Mi Band 7 is that it's very easy to buy replacement bands for the tracker. Xiaomi sells a lot of them, and you're bound to find a lot more from third-party vendors.
As for activity tracking, the Mi Band 7 supports all the essentials, including steps, workouts, sleep tracking, and more. It can also keep track of your blood oxygen levels and heart rate. The highlight of the Mi Band 7 is that it can also track menstruation cycles and breathing, which is great. The only real drawback is that the Mi Band 7 doesn't automatically detect workouts, meaning you'll have to log the exercise manually. However, the Mi Band 7 comes with a lot of workout modes, including cycling, yoga, fishing, and even parkour. You'll find the right workout, but you'll have to turn on tracking manually.
I suggest you read my colleague Ben Sin's Mi Band 7 review to learn more about this fitness tracker and get a good idea of what to expect from it before making a purchase decision.
Oura Ring Gen 3
Sleek and comfortable to wear
The Oura Ring Gen 3 is the most discreet fitness tracker you can buy right now. It's one of the most expensive trackers in this collection, but it also supports a long list of features for the price.
- Elegant design and finish
- Excellent sleep tracking
- Convenient and easy to wear
- Expensive price tag
- No automatic workout detection
Even the smallest fitness bands on the market, including the Mi Band 7, aren't as discreet as the Oura Ring. Unlike the vast majority of fitness trackers that are worn on the wrist, the Oura Ring, as the name suggests, is a ring. It lacks a screen, and it doesn't push notifications, meaning it's less distracting compared to traditional fitness bands. But don't let its small form factor make you think of it any less because the Oura Ring is a very capable device that can track a lot of metrics to keep you in your best shape. I am only adding this as a bonus option because it's not for everyone. Coming in at $299, the Oura Ring Gen 3 is one of the most expensive trackers on this list, and it also demands a paid membership to offer the best support. Yes, you get six months of free membership with your purchase, but it's $6.99 per month after that, which definitely adds up as a significant cost for most people.
The highlight of this product is its form factor and design. The Oura Ring Gen 3 comes in four different colors -- Silver, Black, Stealth, and Gold. It's made out of lightweight titanium, meaning it's quite durable. It's also lighter than a conventional ring, so you don't have to worry about taking it off frequently. Despite its relatively small form factor, the Oura Ring Gen 3 is said to last for up to 7 days on a single charge. It uses Bluetooth LE (Low-Energy) for its connectivity.
The Oura Ring also offers a long list of features to help you stay in your best shape. With its membership, you get access to things like guided meditations, educational content, and personalized insights into your well-being. You can also choose to ignore the membership, but without it, you'll only get access to the basic Oura Ring features like your Daily Readiness, Sleep, and Activity scores. Some premium features, including the Relaxation time and Period Prediction, are only available with the membership but leave I'll it up to you to decide while making a purchase decision.
Fitbit Sense 2
An impressive fitness tracker with a big screen
Fitbit's Sense 2 is an impressive wearable that offers helpful insight into your health and activity levels. Its slim and lightweight enclosure makes it comfortable to wear for long periods. It also offers impressive battery life of up to six days. The performance is just 'OK,' and it lacks true smartwatch features that put the Sense 2 in a strange place among other wearables.
- Lightweight and comfortable to wear
- Good battery life
- A fantastic suite of health and fitness features
- Easy-to-use UI
- Many of the more advanced health and fitness features require a subscription
- Speaker is not very good
- No Google Assistant
- No music controls
The Fitbit Sense 2 is my pick for the best smartwatch-style fitness tracker you can buy now. It's relatively new to the market and brings many new features over Fitbit's other activity trackers. It also brings a slew of noteworthy improvements over its predecessors, including an updated design, internals, and more. The Fitbit Sense 2 uses aluminum for its case instead of the stainless steel from the previous model. Its slim and lightweight enclosure makes it comfortable to wear for long periods too.
One of the best things about Fitbit Sense 2 is that it comes with a host of sensors to track various metrics, including heart rate, ECG, EDA, blood oxygen, temperature, and more. That makes it better than a lot of other options on the market, including Fitbit's own Versa trackers. The Versa 4 comes close to matching the overall experience, but it trades some of the features in exchange for a cheaper price tag.
The Fitbit Sense 2, in case you're wondering, comes with a vibrant 1.58-inch AMOLED screen that gets decently bright even under direct sunlight. The battery life of the Sense 2 is also pretty good, and it can last you for about three days on a single charge, even with all the health tracking features enabled. The Fitbit OS is clean and easy to get used to, but do keep in mind that you'll need a subscription to take advantage of many of the more advanced health and fitness features on the Sense 2. You can learn more about this particular smartwatch-style activity tracker in our Fitbit Sense 2 review.
Amazfit T-Rex 2
A reliable and affordable rugged watch for fitness
The Amazfit T-Rex 2 is a good rugged smartwatch for those who have an active lifestyle. It offers reliable activity tracking and impressive battery life.
- Impressive battery life
- Rugged design and build quality
- Affordable price tag
- Only available in one size
- The software could've been better
The Amazfit T-Rex 2 has been out for a while now, yet it remains a reliable smartwatch among all the newer options that are out there right now. I still use it as my primary smartwatch, and I must admit that it's been holding up very well. It still suffers from a lot of the software issues I mentioned in my review last year, but it's a capable smartwatch, offering a good bang for your buck. It's also frequently discounted now, and you can snag it for as little as $180.
The highlight of the Amazfit T-Rex 2, at least for me, is the battery life. It takes a while to top up using its proprietary charger with magnetic pins, but it easily lasts me two weeks on a single charge, which is quite impressive. I use it to track all the health metrics, and I also use it to track my cycling activity every day for about an hour or so. I also have the always-on display enabled at all times, which is great.
The watch enclosure itself looks and feels great in hand. It's a rugged smartwatch that comes with 10ATM water resistance and STD-MIL-810G certification, and it's also validated to withstand extreme temperatures and environmental conditions from 70-degree to all the way down to -40-degree temperatures. The 1.39-inch AMOLED panel on the front also looks great and is very responsive, so there are no complaints there, either.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
A good Wear OS watch with all the tracking features you need.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is one of the best Android smartwatches out there right now. It brings a lot of upgrades to the table compared to the older model, has excellent health tracking features, and offers good battery life too.
- Comfortable to wear
- Good battery life
- Reliable fitness tracking
- Some features are exclusive to Samsung phones
Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 is one of the best smartwatches out there for Android users. Just like its previous-gen model, the Galaxy Watch 5 also comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes and runs the latest version of Wear OS 3. It's the same operating system that's also running on Google's new Pixel Watch, meaning you get access to Google Maps' turn-by-turn navigation and Google Assistant. All the fitness and health tracking features are handled by the Samsung Health app, which is more reliable than a lot of options out there.
The Galaxy Watch 5 supports the best of Samsung's health features, including SpO2 measurements, auto-workout detection, sleep tracking, and an electrocardiogram. The watch will also show you all the notifications and let you interact with them without having to pull out your device. You can learn more about the experience of using this watch in our Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 review. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 also offers decent battery life, but don't expect to go for days on a single charge. I suggest you check out the TicWatch Pro 5 if you want a reliable smartwatch that can last you for multiple days on a single charge. It runs the same operating system as the Galaxy Watch 5 with some minor tweaks, and it also offers the same set of fitness and health tracking features along with a secondary display.
There's a lot to like about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, especially for its $280 asking price. But it only works with Android phones, so keep that in mind. You can also consider buying the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro if you want a bigger watch with a rugged build. Alternatively, you can also save some money on your purchase by snagging the Galaxy Watch 4, which still holds up pretty well against the newer models.
Apple Watch Series 8
iPhone users can't go with an Apple Watch, be it for fitness or daily use
The Apple Watch Series 8 is the latest smartwatch from Apple. It's not a huge change from the Series 7, but it offers fresh features like crash detection, a new temperature sensor, and more.
- Beautiful Retina display
- Premium design
- Crash detection
- Not a huge improvement over Series 7
It's tough to put together a list of the best fitness trackers without including an Apple Watch. There's no denying that the Apple Watch stands among the best when it comes to health and fitness tracking, so including this smartwatch is just a no-brainer. The original version of this list included the Apple Watch Series 7, but I've replaced it with the relatively newer Series 8 model.
Apple Watch Series 8 isn't significantly different from the previous model, but it comes with a new skin temperature sensor that enables menstrual cycle tracking and allows you to get more accurate sleep data. These two features are crucial for a lot of users, which is why the new Apple Watch Series 8 has earned the top spot for iPhone users. Also new to the Apple Watch Series 8 is the company's new crash detection feature. This particular feature may not be worth the upgrade just by itself if you already have one of the new iPhones, but it's certainly one of the highlight features of the current Apple Watch.
As far as fitness tracking is concerned, the Apple Watch Series 8 has a ton of different workout modes, including running, cycling, walking, strength training, and more. You can also add new workouts in the Workouts app, and the Apple Watch Series 8 can automatically detect and track them for you when you're ready.
All things considered, the Apple Watch Series 8 is the default option for iPhone users that comes with all bells and whistles like a skin temperature sensor, crash detection, and more. The added skin temperature sensor and the crash detection feature may not be enough to warrant an upgrade to the Series 8 from the last-gen watch, but it's definitely worth considering if you're coming from an older one. Alternatively, you can also consider buying the Apple Watch Ultra, which is the company's new rugged smartwatch for athletes and advanced users. The Ultra model costs more than the Series 8 model, but it's also fitted with much-improved hardware and software features.
Garmin Instinct 2 Solar
Best fitness watch with "unlimited battery life"
The Garmin Instinct 2 Solar is perfect for those who have an active lifestyle and spend a lot of time outdoors.
- Incredible battery life solar charging
- Rugged form-factor
- Comes in two different sizes
- Expensive price tag
- No storage for music
If you fancy a rugged smartwatch to keep track of health and activity, then you might want to consider Garmin's Instinct 2 Solar. The highlight of this particular smartwatch is that it comes with "never-ending battery life." As the name implies, the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar support solar charging, so those with an active lifestyle who spend a lot of time outdoors will hugely benefit from this watch.
In case you're wondering, the Instinct 2 Solar charges using a transparent "power glass" that covers the screen and the panels surrounding it. This glass, according to the company, can keep the Instinct 2 Solar topped up for essentially unlimited battery life, provided you spend at least three hours outdoors every day. If that sounds like something you can do, then you should consider picking it up.
One thing to note about this smartwatch is that it lacks a touchscreen. It instead offers a button-based interface which works very well. The watch, however, leaves no stones unturned when it comes to smart features. From notification pop-ups and workout tracking to GPS, heart-rate tracking, and more, you get support for pretty much everything with this smartwatch. It also handles activity tracking very well, and it syncs with the Garmin Connect companion app available for Android and iOS to give all the workout insights you need.
I'd like to point out that Garmin has also announced an updated version of this model called the Garmin Instinct 2X Solar. We're still in the process of reviewing that particular model, and the Instinct 2 Solar remains my pick in the meantime.
Best fitness trackers in 2023: The bottom line
If you skipped straight to the conclusion to find the best option, then I recommend going with the Fitbit Charge 5. It's one of the best fitness trackers on the market right now that offers all the essentials without burning a huge hole in your wallet. It may not have all the bells and whistles, but it looks sleek, has a relatively small form factor, and it can also keep you on track with all your activity goals for many days on a single charge.
Fitbit Charge 5
The Fitbit Charge 5 is a solid fitness tracker that offers a good set of features for the price.
Those who are shopping for a smartwatch-style fitness tracker should consider buying Fitbit's Sense 2. It's not a full smartwatch replacement, which is why I've also highlighted the Galaxy Watch 5 and the Apple Watch Series 8 in this particular list for those who are leaning towards buying a more capable device that doubles up as a reliable activity tracker too. You can also stop by our best smartwatch guide in case you don't want to limit yourself to fitness trackers and explore more options.