<h2 class=”body-h2″>What to consider when buying a fitness tracker</h2><p>It’s important to choose an activity tracker or fitness watch that’s right for you and your lifestyle. Perhaps you’re a keen runner and built-in GPS is a priority. You may want a waterproof watch to track your swims. Or maybe you just want something stylish that won’t look out of place in the office, while keeping an eye on your activity levels. </p><p>Before you buy, think about which features are important to you. Here are the main ones to consider. </p><h3 class=”body-h3″><strong>Fitness tracking</strong></h3><p>Many trackers allow you to record different workouts, with the number of options ranging from 10 activities to as many as 150 different types of exercise. Most trackers will allow you to record walking, <a href=”https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/health/health-advice/a27029532/running-tips-beginners/” target=”_blank”>running</a> (both indoors and outdoors) and <a href=”https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/health/health-advice/a26747816/how-to-get-cycling/” target=”_blank”>cycling</a>, while others monitor everything from swimming and <a href=”https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/product-reviews/health-leisure/g33079493/best-yoga-mats/” target=”_blank”>yoga</a> to circuit and interval training. </p><h3 class=”body-h3″><strong>GPS</strong></h3><p>While some devices come with built-in GPS, more basic models often rely on an accelerometer, which can quickly become inaccurate. Having a GPS chip improves location accuracy, elevation and distance, so you can map your running and walking routes more accurately. </p><h3 class=”body-h3″><strong>Sleep tracking</strong></h3><p>Sleep tracking capabilities vary between devices. Some just total up the number of hours you’re getting, while others break this down into heavy, light and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Some also provide a score for the quality of your sleep and offer tips on how to improve it.</p><p class=”body-tip”>If improving your slumber is priority, check out our ring review of the celeb-favourite sleep tracker, the <a href=”https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/product-reviews/health-leisure/a60175227/oura-ring-review/” target=”_blank”>Oura Ring</a>. </p><h3 class=”body-h3″><strong>Heart rate sensor</strong></h3><p>Heart-rate monitors can provide more accurate calorie burn data and some will indicate the zone your heart rate is in. This information can be useful if you’re training for a specific purpose, such as weight loss or to improve your cardiovascular endurance.</p><h3 class=”body-h3″><strong>Waterproofing </strong></h3><p>All fitness trackers are sweat-proof and many are also waterproof, meaning they can be worn when you’re in the shower or when swimming. If you swim several regularly, look out for a fitness tracker that will monitor your pool sessions, including the number of lengths you swim, as well as the time you’re active and the calories you burn.</p><h3 class=”body-h3″><strong>Third-party apps</strong></h3><p>If you’re already using a smartphone app such as Strava to track your exercise sessions, look for a fitness tracker that’s compatible with your favourite app. This means you can leave your smartphone behind if you wish, safe in the knowledge that you’ll still be able to import your data – the wearable will continue to log your steps, distance and calorie burn and will automatically update your phone app once you reconnect it via Bluetooth.</p><h3 class=”body-h3″><strong>Battery life</strong></h3><p>How long your fitness tracker lasts between charges depends on the number of sensors you use and how often your screen is displaying information. Many models in our round-up last for more than seven days on a single charge, with some taking even longer to run flat. </p><h3 class=”body-h3″><strong>Smartphone notifications</strong></h3><p>The majority of fitness trackers and watches can be synced with your smartphone to ping or vibrate when you get a call, message or other notification. </p>”/>
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Cons
- Short battery life
- Only compatible with iOS
- Expensive
Score: 85/100
Apple’s newest smartwatch isn’t hugely different from the impressive Series 8 at first glance. You get the same range of health data, including blood oxygen monitoring, in-depth sleep tracking and ECG readings. It also has all the fitness features you’d expect – heaps of workout modes, accurate activity tracking, and you can see which heart rate zone you’re in while exercising.
What it does have over its predecessor is a brighter screen that’s easier to read in dim or glaring light, and Apple’s most powerful chip ever, which allows you to do much more hands-free; even Siri responds faster. This also enables the handy new double tap feature – simply tap your index finger and thumb together twice to answer a call, turn up your music or scroll through your Smart Stack.
The battery life is still a little disappointing and it isn’t compatible with Android devices. But, it’s super easy to set up, you can switch up your strap for a range of different designs and our experts thought the price was pretty reasonable for what is an impressive piece of tech – especially if you trade in your old Apple Watch when you buy.
Read our tech editor’s verdict on the Apple Watch Series 9.
Key specifications
| Weight | 31.9g for 41mm size, 38.7g for 45mm size |
|---|---|
| Screen size | 1.9inch |
| Works with | iOS |
| Battery Life | Up to 18 hours |
| GPS | Yes |
| Water resistant | Up to 50 metres |
Cons
- Limited third-party app support
Score: 83/100
A fitness watch isn’t just about functionality – you want something that will look good too. Enter this attractive new Huawei model, which has an elegant pendant design, a sleek strap and over 25,000 watch faces to choose from.
Aesthetics aside, the iOs and Android-compatible wearable is brimming with features to help you reach your health and fitness goals. It offers everything from workout modes (no fewer than 100), heart rate monitoring and SpO2 readings, to in-depth sleep analysis, stress management and exercise plans. It also has smart menstrual cycle and fertility tracking, with personalised predictions based on physiological indicators such as body temperature and breathing rate.
The huge 14-day battery life means you don’t have to carry a charger around with you, the AMOLED screen is crystal clear, responsive and easy to read on the move, and the Huawei Health app is a pleasure to navigate and use. Its GPS also proved extremely accurate during testing.
Third-party app support is limited – Google Maps, Spotify and Apple Pay are a no-go – but that may or may not bother you.
Key specifications
| Weight | 37g |
|---|---|
| Screen size | 1.3inch |
| Works with | Android, iOS |
| Battery life | Up to 7 days |
| GPS | Yes |
| Water resistant | Yes |
Score: 83/100
A departure from Garmin’s traditional rugged style, the Vivomove Trend is part of the brand’s hybrid collection – combining classic analogue style with smartwatch functionality – and we’re big fans.
Design-wise, the watch is petite and lightweight, it felt comfy to wear and, best of all, it has a hidden touchscreen – just flick your wrist or tap the screen to watch the ticking hands move away so you can see your stats and smart notifications.
The display, which is bright and easy to read, reveals metrics such as heart rate, step count, sleep, stress and blood oxygen levels, and you can access additional features via the Garmin Connect App, including menstrual cycle, hydration and respiration tracking. It also comes with all your usual workout modes, including cardio, strength training, cycling, swimming and running. Just note that it doesn’t have built-in GPS, so you’ll have to tuck your phone into your pocket for GPS support. We would have liked to see more data on the in-workout screen, but you easily review these in the app after your session.
The Vivomove Trend is the very first Garmin model to offer wireless charging – no need to scramble around looking for a lead – plus a quick 15-minute charge will give you up to 24 hours of battery.
If you’re after a stylish office-to-gym model, this is your perfect match.
Key specifications
| Weight | 43.3g |
|---|---|
| Screen size | 1.01inch |
| Works with | Android, iOS |
| Battery life | 3-5 days |
| GPS | Yes |
| Water resistant | Up to 50 metres |
Cons
- Could be more responsive
- Lacking buttons
Score: 82/100
There’s a lot to love about this sleek and stylish fitness tracker. It manages to pair precision and performance with simplicity, proving surprisingly easy to set up thanks to its clear instructions.
The GPS tracking was accurate and it provided a detailed breakdown of our heart rate zones during exercise – our favourite feature – showing our work rate in each session. It is very similar to the original Polar Ignite, but the brand says the Ignite 2 has a slightly longer battery life in training mode. Like the original, it can track an impressive 130 different activities, but we found it often didn’t detect when we started exercising.
The watch itself feels lightweight to wear and the comfortable rubber strap didn’t rub at all during workouts. However, the touch screen can be difficult to see while running. It also wasn’t very responsive, sometimes lagging behind or failing to recognise our commands.
Key specifications
| Weight | 35g |
|---|---|
| Screen size | 1.7inch |
| Works with | iOS, Android |
| Battery life | Up to 5 days |
| GPS | Yes |
| Water resistant | Yes |
Score: 77/100
Not a fan of swiping through your notifications on a touchscreen with sweaty hands mid-workout? There’s no such problem with this shiny Samsung offering, which boasts a mechanical rotating bezel for easy menu navigation – just give it a twist and get scrolling.
There are 90 trackable activities, including swimming, detailed sleep stats (including REM stages, snore detection (!) and a personalised sleep coach), plus handy auto-start and auto-pause capabilities. There’s also a BioActive sensor to give you the lowdown on your blood oxygen levels, stress and body composition.
In terms of smart features, you can take calls, send texts, stream music, make payments via Samsung Wallet, and there’s fall detection and an emergency SOS feature for peace of mind. The 40-hour battery life (30 with the always-on display) is disappointing, but it goes from 0-100% in just 70 minutes.
Key specifications
| Weight | 33.3g |
|---|---|
| Screen size | 1.3inch |
| Works with | Android |
| Battery life | Up to 40 hours |
| GPS | Yes |
Score: 74/100
The Fitbit Sense 2 stands out from the crowd for its revolutionary wellbeing and stress tracking functionality. It has a continuous cEDA sensor, which tracks electrodermal activity in your skin and will ping you when it senses your body is under stress. Our tester raved about the mindful breathing sessions, daily stress management scores and the option to log your feelings, saying they were more mindful of their mental health when wearing the watch.
It also monitors your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, skin temperature and sleep, using the data to provide a ‘daily readiness score’ that lets you know whether your body can handle intense exercise, or you should prioritise rest. If you are ready to push yourself, there are 41 exercise modes, from yoga to gymnastics, with detailed data screens and heart rate zone tracking. We particularly liked the active zone minutes, which tell you when you’ve reached your weekly goal.
Though it has a built-in microphone and speakers so you can make and receive calls, you can’t access any third-party apps, there’s no music playback or WiFi, and you can’t use Google Assistant. On the plus side, you get up to six days of battery life on a single charge and there’s a fast-charge feature.
Key specifications
| Weight | 37.6g |
|---|---|
| Screen size | 1.1inch |
| Works with | Android, iOS |
| Battery life | Up to 3 days |
| GPS | Yes |
| Water resistant | Up to 50 metres |
Cons
- Short battery life
- £7.99 monthly premium Fitbit subscription
Score: 74/100
Android users looking for a sleek, simple wearable, should consider Google’s second-generation smartwatch. It looks more like a classic timepiece than a tracker, with a glossy pebble-shaped face and subtle silicone strap.
Our experts praised the crystal-clear, responsive AMOLED display and rated the smooth digital crown for scrolling through apps. On that note, you can access all Google’s services, including Gmail, Calendar, Google Maps and Google Assistant, allowing you to essentially run your life from your wrist.
The Pixel Watch boasts Fitbit’s health and fitness tracking features, with 40 workout modes, sleep stages, menstrual tracking, plus health metrics including breathing rate, HR viability, heart rate zones, and basics such as step count, calorie burn. Unlike the original Pixel watch, it also has a skin temperature sensor for tracking stress and offers automatic workout detection.
With a premium Fitbit subscription (you get six months free with the device, then it’s £7.99 a month), you can unlock extras such as a ‘readiness score’ to let you know whether to push for a personal best or take a rest day, a breakdown of your daily stress levels, mindfulness sessions, workout videos and more.
One downside is the lacklustre battery life – it lasts up to 24 hours– but that’s also the case with many of its smartwatch competitors.
Key specifications
| Weight | 31g |
|---|---|
| Screen size | 41mm |
| Works with | Android |
| Battery life | Up to 24 hours |
| GPS | Yes |
| Water resistant | Up to 50 metres |
Cons
- Short battery life
- Basic design
Score: 73/100
New to running and shopping for your first fitness watch? This simple design from Polar will provide all the key data and metrics on your running activity. On the vibrant, easy-to-read screen, you can see your pace, distance, duration and heart rate – this is shown at the top of the display and the digits change colour depending what heart rate zone you’re in. Our expert loved this feature, saying it was easy to glance down and keep track of their HR when on the move, but you can also toggle through to see more detailed stats.
The Polar Pacer app provides plenty of data from your runs, and gives you the lowdown on your night’s rest, detailing your sleep stages and quality of sleep. It will also give you a training load value, letting you know how much strain your body was under during a session and provides suggested workouts and recovery based on your monthly load – particularly useful if you’re at the start of your running journey.
There are also fitness tests to help you see how your training is going, fuel reminders so you don’t forget to eat that gel on your long run, and a handy carb calculator to ensure you’re getting the right fuel for exercise.
Key specifications
| Weight | 40g |
|---|---|
| Screen size | 1.2inch |
| Works with | iOS, Android |
| Battery life | Up to 35 hours |
| GPS | Yes |
| Water resistant | Up to 50 metres |
Cons
- Watch face can be glitchy
- Button could be more responsive
- Lacks automatic workout detection
- No contactless payments or music playback
Score: 73/100
The Polar Ignite 3 may have fallen short of its predecessor in our scoring, but there’s still plenty to love about this sleek, stylish fitness watch.
It boasts a robust titanium finish – so you can happily wear it during outdoorsy activities, without worrying about scratching or dropping it – and it’s surprisingly lightweight with a comfortable strap to boot.
In terms of features, it offers advanced sleep and wellbeing tracking (we loved the ‘alertness forecast’, which tells you when you’ll perform at your best during the day), plus a shiny new skin temperature sensor to track any deviations. Then there are the fitness tests, meditations and super-detailed workout reports.
Technophobes will be pleased to know that the watch is a cinch to set up and use, with an ultra-clear AMOLED display and one button for scrolling. The Polar Flow app also has lots of stats for you to peruse and, according to our expert, is easy to navigate.
Key specifications
| Weight | 36g |
|---|---|
| Screen size | 1.28inch |
| Works with | Android, iOS |
| Battery life | Up to 120 hours |
| GPS | Yes |
| Water resistant | Up to 30 metres |
Score: 72/100
If you like the sound of the Sense 2 above, but you don’t want to spend close to £200, the new Charge 6 should be on your radar.
As well as accurate step and activity tracking, it boasts a full suite of health metrics to help you better understand your body. This includes a skin temperature sensor for identifying illness, menstrual health tracking, ECG readings to determine if you have irregular heart rhythms and electrodermal activity scans to measure you stress levels. The sleep data available via the Fitbit app is extremely comprehensive and we liked the smart alarm, which wakes you up during your optimal stage of sleep.
In terms of smart features, integration with Google means you can enjoy turn-by-turn directions with Google Maps, make contactless payments on the go with Google Pay, and enjoy music playback via YouTube Music. You can also access call, text and email notifications via the bright screen.
Overall, a seriously capable tracker for a reasonable price. Just note, some data, such as the ‘daily readiness score’, is only available with a Fitbit Premium subscription. Access is free for the first six months with the watch, then it’s £7.99 a month.
Key specifications
| Weight | 31g |
|---|---|
| Screen size | 1.04inch |
| Works with | Android, iOS |
| Battery life | Up to 7 days |
| GPS | Yes |
| Water resistant | Up to 50 metres |
Cons
- Lacks GPS
- No contactless payments
- Basic instructions
Score: 71/100
If you’re in the market for your first fitness tracker and don’t fancy splurging on a smart watch with fancy features, the Honor Band 9 is an excellent starting point.
It has a whopping 96 workout modes, spanning everything from yoga and swimming to tennis and skateboarding. It also boasts automatic workout detection, so you needn’t worry about pressing ‘start’ before you get moving – a feature our tester appreciated. In terms of health metrics, there’s continuous heart rate monitoring, sleep and stress tracking as well as menstrual health insights.
Our expert found the companion app a cinch to set up, but they would have liked more detailed instructions to help them get the most out of the device.
Although it lacks GPS and contactless payments, it will inform you of any calls, messages and app notifications via the bright AMOLED display. What’s more, it’s extremely lightweight, with a comfortable strap and a slim design, so it won’t look too bulky on your wrist. Then there’s the long-lasting battery life, with up to 14 days of juice (10 with heavy usage) on one charge. For less than £60, it’s a reliable bargain.
Key specifications
| Weight | 16.3g without strap |
|---|---|
| Screen size | 1.57inch |
| Works with | Android, iOS |
| Battery life | Up to 14 days |
| GPS | No |
| Water resistant | Up to 50 metres |
Final verdict on fitness watches
If you’re a dedicated Apple user, then the Apple Watch 9 is your best bet. For Samsung users, the brand’s Watch 6 Classic offers a seamless experience and for those on other Android devices, the Huawei GT4 is equal parts stylish and functional.
If you’re a keen runner, we’d recommend the Polar Pacer and if you want to focus on your holistic health, then the Fitbit Sense 2 has plenty to offer.
If you’re looking for something cheap and cheerful, then the shiny new Honor Band 9 will set you back just under £60.
Why you can trust Good Housekeeping
The GHI’s wellness tester, Kim Hawley, has over 30 years of experience working in the health and fitness industry. She holds a level 4 personal training qualification, a nutrition qualification and has worked in leading health clubs across the UK.
At the GHI, we’ve tested almost 30 massage guns and counting, and are always on the look out for the latest innovations. We put each and every device through rigorous testing, both in real-world and lab conditions to provide unbiased reviews you can trust.
Priyankaa is our senior health and wellness writer, specialising in expert-tested reviews and roundups on the latest health and fitness products. From walking boots to running machines, Priyankaa has written about hundreds of products and is passionate about providing in-depth, unbiased reviews. Plus, as an avid runner and gymgoer, she knows exactly what to look for when finding the right gymwear, fitness tracker or earphones.
Priyankaa has an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University and over five years’ experience in health and fitness journalism. Priyankaa has written for Stylist’s Strong Women Training Club, where she regularly wrote about diversity in the fitness industry, nutrition tips, training advice and her experience completing various fitness challenges.
She has also written for a variety of publications including Business Insider, Glamour, Bustle, Metro, HuffPost UK, gal-dem and more.
Outside of work, Priyankaa can usually be found trying out a new gym class, seeking out London’s best eats or watching a Spanish TV show in a bid to keep up her language skills.
Kim Hawley is our health and fitness product tester. Her career in fitness has spanned over 30 years. Prior to joining the Good Housekeeping Institute, she worked as a personal trainer, writer and fitness instructor for some of London’s most prestigious health clubs, including The Harbour Club, David Lloyd and The Chelsea Club. Passionate about women’s health and fitness, especially in pre/post menopause, she is also a Level 4 PT and holds a professional nutritional qualification. Kim is responsible for rigorously testing everything from cross trainers to smart watches.
Yanar was our former Fitness Group Testing Manager. She managed health and fitness product testing across all the magazines, overseeing all testing processes and ensuring our lab and panel tests are conducted to the highest standards. Yanar spent 15 years as a health and wellness content editor and writer for national titles such as Runner’s World, Men’s Health and Women’s Health. Yanar is a Level 3 qualified PT, trained yoga teacher and a registered yoga therapist. She has been into fitness and wellness her whole life. After many years running races and marathons, she now trains and competes in CrossFit and Olympic lifting. She passionately advocates strength training for women to build a stronger mind and body for life.
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