10 Best Fitness Trackers 2024 in the United States

When it comes to choosing a fitness tracker, life can be tough. Technological advancements are happening rapidly, and it seems like companies are creating new styles and models every day—it is hard to keep up! Hopefully with this guide shopping for a fitness tracker will be as easy as a jog in the park.

All-day Trackers are intended for those who want the most basic type of tracker, and are great for people who would like to know how many miles they are walking in a day, those who are new to workout routines, or for those who want to become more aware of their health and fitness. Some trackers can be paired to your smart-phone and will send data directly to the app, allowing you to see the summary of your day. Most all-day trackers will record basic information including the amount of steps taken, the number of stairs climbed, the duration of your exercise along with the amount of calories burned, the calories consumed (which can be collected via barcodes on your smartphone or manual entry), and sleep quality. Keep in mind, however, that not every basic tracker will have all of these things.

Training Trackers contain everything listed above, as well as extra features that will help fine-tune your workouts. These trackers are for people who train competitively and repetitively and go into excessive details about their progress and goals. Training trackers will most likely be more expensive than a general tracker that is only used to monitor one thing, or surface components.

Features that may be found in more advanced trackers include:

• Heart-rate monitors that track your pulse and help you to determine whether you are in the right “mode” for cardio, fat burning endurance, etc.
• Breathing patterns can be measured to optimize workout longevity and gain endurance.
• Gyroscopes measure changes in your orientation to determine if you’re standing, sitting, swimming, biking, or any other activities you take part in during your day.
• GPS tracks your location, and some fitness trackers will provide you with a good route for an outdoor run with variations.
• Barometers measure the pressure of the atmosphere and determine your altitude, therefore allowing for the calculation of the number of steps you have climbed. This is a great feature for those who like to go hiking and for those who do hilly workouts.
• Speed and pace can be found on some trackers and are great for those in training, especially if you are not going to be working out on a machine where these can be set.
• Swimming pool laps are an option on some trackers. The trackers that can do this are completely waterproof, whereas most without this feature are mostly water and sweat-resistant.
• Active minutes record stationary activities, such as in yoga when you are exerting force but not physically taking steps and moving in a different direction.

Style and design: Many activity trackers are made for the wrist, but many have the option of being worn around the neck, or clipped to a pocket, belt, or strap of any kind. Consumers liked models that were available in multiple colors and textures, especially those who want to wear the tracker all day and need to look professional, or want to wear it discretely.

Display: The more expensive and in-depth models show their data and information on display on the actual model; there is no need to view this data through your smart phone or computer, which will be needed for most watches that have a simple display. These trackers have an associated app that will store, interpret, and analyze your activity information.

Battery: The battery life will vary from model to model. A tracker that has very advanced technology as well as looks and sensory information will have a much shorter duration than a simple tracker with a small LED watch-face. Some trackers may have rechargeable batteries, while some may run on others.

Convenience: Many customers have bought models that are waterproof, even if they don’t necessarily use it for swimming. It is convenient to be able to wear it anywhere, at any time without having to worry about water usage.

Durability: Some buyers expressed that they have lost their trackers due to poor clasps or hooks that are supposed to keep the tracker attached to your body.

• Before you buy, make sure your device is compatible with your phone or computer.
• Many fitness trackers have an associated app that allows you to set and reach certain goals. These apps can offer encouragement through text messages and friendly competitions where you can share your fitness data with your buddies.

Fitbit: Readily available in over 100 types of phones and has been the top selling fitness tracker since 2007.

Samsung: Has been around for over 70 years and continues to lead the global market in technology innovations.

Garmin: Offers trackers that specialize in data collection for activities and hobbies like golfing and sailing.

Jawbone: Has won awards for many of their products, including the "Fitness Wearable of the Year" in 2014.