The Insider Pick:

  • There is no shortage of fitness trackers to choose from, but after our testing and research, the new Garmin Vivosport came out on top. Its accurate tracking, sleek design, and advanced features like waterproofing and built-in GPS make it a well-rounded tool for keeping tabs on both your workouts and activities.

The line between fitness trackers and smartwatches is blurring as smartwatches offer more fitness tools. While devices like the Apple Watch Series 3 and the Fitbit Ionic are strong choices for tracking your daily activity, we decided to stay in the fitness tracker realm for this guide.
Those looking for a device dedicated to tracking daily activity, workouts, and sleep have a vast number of choices even without including members of the smartwatch family. To help you decide on the best fitness tracker for your needs, there are a few things you’ll want to take into consideration:
  • Comfort and design: Since you’ll be wearing your tracker on a daily basis (even to bed if you want to track sleep) comfort is definitely a priority. If it’s not comfortable, you won’t want to wear it often, which defeats the whole purpose of a fitness tracker. The same goes for design. If you have a small wrist, you may want a tracker with a sleek and more understated look. Or maybe the display is most important to you, and you like the idea of being able to read the time and date as well as your fitness stats. Fitness trackers come in all shapes and sizes, so you’ll be able to find one that suits your style.
  • Features: Not all fitness trackers are created equal when it comes to this arena. If you’re looking for a no-frills fitness tracker, then one that tracks steps and your sleep might suffice. However, if you work out often or want more insights into how your activity impacts your overall fitness level, a more advanced tracker with a heart ratemonitor or a built-in GPS may be the one for you. You should also consider the types of workouts you like to do. For example, if you’re a swimmer, waterproofing is a must. Just starting out on your fitness journey? A device that gives you coaching and goals to work towards may be the extra motivation you need to stay on track.
  • App experience: Most fitness trackers are designed to work in tandem with your smartphone, syncing the data collected with a downloaded application. This allows you to gain even more insight into your health and save the information collected to track your progress over time. Unfortunately, not all apps are created equal, and you may find there are some app experiences you prefer over others. It’s important to choose a fitness tracker that gives you a good app experience. Easy navigation and compatibility with your phone’s operating system are a must.
There are many factors to consider, but we also tested multiple devices and analyzed the reviews to find the best fitness trackers you can buy. Whether you’re interested in advanced workout stats, or simply want a general overview of your activity for the day, our list features fitness trackers with a wide range of capabilities so you can find the one best suited to your lifestyle.

Read on in the slides below to learn why the Garmin Vivosport is our top pick and why you should also consider the Misfit Ray, the Fitbit Charge 2, the Fitbit Alta HR, the Huawei Band 2 Pro, the Moov Now, and the Garmin Vivofit Junior 2.

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