Overwhelmed by all the choice? Fret not – we’ve listed all the specs alongside each device, to help you decide whether it’s worth buying for you. These are the main ones to keep an eye out for.
Fitness tracking
You should demand fitness tracking from your fitness tracker? Go figure. But it’s not quite that simple. The least you should expect from modern devices is accurate data on your number of steps, distance covered, total sleep and heart rate, as well as your estimated calorie burn.
Some fitness watches will go further and offer an in-depth look at your sleep, including how long you spend in light, heavy and rapid eye movement (REM) phases, and a few can show which heart rate zone you were in at different points during your workout.
Water resistance
The popularity of open water swimming rivalled that of banana bread during lockdown, and the health trend has lasted a lot longer than its carb-y counterpart.
If you want to record your swimming sessions, you’ll need a fitness watch that’s water resistant. If you prefer a swimming pool to a lake or the sea, and want a bit more data on your time in the water, some models can track your distance covered and how many lengths you swim, while others can automatically detect which stroke you’re using.
Battery life
Many fitness trackers nowadays will last a few days on a full charge but models rammed with smart features, such as the Apple Series 8, will need charging more frequently.
For those of you who are a tad forgetful, many models have power-saving algorithms and can last for an entire day after charging for just five minutes. Not bad!
Smartphone notifications
An untimely notification can throw a spanner in the works of any good workout, with the irresistible urge to check your phone turning a short break between hip thrusts into a social media scrolling session. Thankfully, many sports watches can sync with smartphones, displaying calls and messages as they arrive. This way, you’re saved from falling into an Instagram hole.
Apps
Fitness trackers will sync to a smartphone to display your key health stats on an app. While some will just provide an easy-to-read alternative to your fitness watch’s screen, others will offer additional features such as being able to log what you eat.
The Fitbit products featured in this list come with 12 months of free access to Fitbit Premium, which usually costs £7.99 a month. The brand describes it as a resource that can provide guided programmes and workout regimes to help you ‘stay active, sleep well, manage stress and more.’