In recent years, fitness trackers have become increasingly popular among people who want to lose weight and stay fit. They help you monitor your progress by tracking your steps, calories burned, distance traveled, amongst other things. But, what is the top rated fitness tracker? which ones are the best?
These are great questions.These days, there are dozens of different types of fitness trackers available, ranging from simple pedometers to smartwatches. Some even include GPS capabilities and other great metrics that help you achieve your health and fitness goals.
In this post we will take a look at the top 3 rated fitness trackers and then narrow it down to the top rated fitness tracker overall.
What Are the Top Rated Fitness Trackers? (Updated List)
| # | Preview | Product | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Fitbit Charge 5 Advanced Fitness & Health Tracker | Best Overall |
| 2 | | Apple Watch Series 7 | Best Smartwatch Hybrid |
| 3 |  | Fitbit Luxe | Budget Friendly |
Why Should You Get a Fitness Tracker?
There are many reasons why you should get a fitness tracker. First of all, a fitness tracker helps keep you motivated. In other words, a fitness tracker motivates you to do better. For example, if you see how much you have improved over time, you will feel proud and motivated to keep going. As I have said many time, what you track tends to improve over time.
Another reason to get a fitness tracker is that it makes you accountable. When you wear a fitness tracker, you know exactly where you stand in terms of daily steps, calories burned, distance walked, and even helps you track your sleep so you can improve in that areas as well. If you decide to slack off on exercising, you may quickly realize just how far behind you really are. Accountability is such an important part of improving anything in your life.
Having a fitness tracker can also help you lose weight. When you start wearing a fitness tracker, you may notice that you eat less than usual. Why? Because you’re aware of what you’re eating, and you’re forced to stop yourself from overeating.
What to Look for When Buying a Fitness Tracker?
Everyone has different preferences on what is important or not when deciding on a fitness tracker, but I want to offer my opinion on the most important things that the Fitness Tracker should have.
Built in GPS and Application Management
A built in GPS feature allows you to see real time pace and distance without having to lug around your phone during outdoor activity. You should also have the ability to see a map of your workout route in an application environment. You want to make sure that the fitness tracker you choose, has access to a good fitness app. that would sync with your tracking device. Regardless of the one you decide on.
Having access to a good fitness app. that can sync with your fitness tracker is a must in my opinion. This allows you to take full advantage of any accountability and motivational features that you have access to. A good fitness app acts as your accountability partner and really help you to stay focused on achieving your goals.
Advanced Heart Rate Tracking
A good fitness tracker will have advanced heart rate tracking that includes features that track calories burned and continuous heart rate tracking. You will also want the ability to see your resting heart rate trends and cardio fitness level in the Fitness app. This allows you to optimize workouts and see exactly what your optimal heart rate is based on your activity level at any given time.
A good fitness tracker will also have the ability to Keep track of your heart health with a compatible ECG app that assesses your heart for atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm, which you can then share the results with your doctor.
Stress and Sleep Management
It is known that your stress level and the amount of sleep you get affects your ability to exercise and benefit from that exercise. Your fitness tracker should have the ability to obtain a daily score showing your body’s physical response to all kinds of stress. You also wan the ability to monitor your sleep patterns so that you can have better control over the quality and quantity of the rest and sleep you get.
Best Fitness Tracker Reviews and What is The Top Rated Fitness Tracker Overall?
Here are the reviews of the best fitness Trackers.
1. Fitbit Charge 5 Advanced Fitness & Health Tracker (Best Overall)
The Fitbit Charge 5 is an advanced fitness and health tracker that not only tracks your activity but also helps you improve it. It’s the best fitness tracker for tracking your heart rate, sleep quality and more. The device has an OLED display and can be used with its companion app.
The Charge 5 comes in two sizes: small (for women) and large (for men). You can choose between silver or black colors. The Charge 5 is also compatible with iOS and Android devices. This means you don’t need to buy any additional apps.
The Charge 5 has advanced heart rate features that are unparalleled in the industry, plus you get all of the benefits of using the Fitbit app. A big plus is that you get a six month Fitbit Premium Membership included with the purchase price. You can also check out to see if the Charge 5 is the best Fitbit for 2022 and see our full review here.
Pros
- Best fitness tracker for tracking your sleep
- Has a built-in speaker
- Can be synced via Bluetooth or Wi-fi
- Comes with a six month Fitbit Premium Membership
- Nicely priced (about $120)
Cons
- No Built in Alexa or Google Assistance
2. Apple Watch Series 7 (Best Smartwatch Hybrid)
The Apple Watch Series 7 is smartwatch manufactured and marketed by Apple Inc. It was announced on September 10, 2019 alongside the iPhone 11 series of smartphones. The watch features a new display that has a resolution of 1125×1440 pixels, which is double that of the previous generation. The watch is available in three finishes — Space Black, Silver, and Gold — along with two strap options, Sport Loop and Classic Buckle.
The Apple Watch Series 7 comes in two sizes — 38mm and 42mm. It has a larger display compared to its predecessor, Series 6. It measures you blood oxygen level, takes an ECG, tracks your sleep and has an emergency SOS feature.
The Apple Watch Series 7 also allows you to access world class workouts on your iPhone, iPad or Apple TV. Their app is amazing and you get all of the benefits it has to offer.
Pros
- Large Display
- There are more than 300 apps available for the watch.
- waterproof to 50m
Cons
- A bit pricey (about $400)
- No speakers, which means no music or podcasts.
3. Fitbit Luxe (Best Fitness Tracker with Style
This fitness tracker is for those who are not really thrilled with the way fitness trackers look on the wrist. They want more style to go with their outfits and are fashion minded, but with the important health and fitness benefits of a good fitness tracker. It not only looks nice, but it is very comfortable to wear as well.
The Fitbit Luxe not only has the Jewelry design, but it has a boat load of features as well. Features such as an always on display mode, daily readiness score, activity zone minutes, 24/7 heart rate monitoring and much more. It also allows you to use the amazing Fitbit app and all of its features and benefits.
You can also stay connected from your wrist with call, text and smartphone notifications you can read at a glance with its easy to read display. It has a sleep score monitor as well as oxygen saturation monitoring.
Pros
- It’s stylish
- It tracks your steps, sleep, calories burned, distance traveled, etc.
- You can sync it with your phone to track all of that data
Cons
- Only a 5 day battery life
- You can sync it with your phone to track all of that data
Fitness Tracker FAQ’s
Here are some commonly asked questions about Fitness Trackers.
Are Fitness Trackers Waterproof?
Yes, but technically most of them are WR50, water resistance rated, meaning they are water resistance capabilities under 50 meters of submersion. Fitbit and Apple may advertises the devices are capable of handling activities such as swimming, or salt water, and, in some cased, even in a hot tub or shower. However, neither of these company’s recommend using the device where high water pressure may be exposed to the device, in cases like SCUBA diving, or water skiing. Nothing is truly “waterproof” and I highly doubt that water damage would be covered under any type of warranty.
How Accurate are the Heart Rate Monitors on These Devices?
Heart rate monitors vary in accuracy. For example, chest strap heart rate monitors are more accurate than wrist heart rate monitors. However, they are definitely accurate enough to benefit from measuring your heart rate during exercise. Here is a post on how heart rate monitors work for more information.
What’s the Difference Between a Smartwatch and a Fitness Tracker?
This is a great question. A smartwatch is basically a computer worn on the wrist that provides notifications for calls, texts, emails, and calendar events. Fitness trackers are devices worn on the wrist that track steps taken, calories burned, distance traveled, and heart rate. The more expensive smartwatches are typically hybrids that have both capabilities. Such as the Apple Watch Series 7 listed above or the Fitbit Sense.
Conclusion: What is the Top Rated Fitness Tracker?
So there you have it! My favorite Fitness Tracker is the Fitbit Charge 5 for it’s diversity and overall quality. If you have any questions about any of the units listed here, please feel free to comment below and I will be glad to get back to you. Also, if there is a particular Fitness tracker, or any other Fitness Device that you would like us to review, feel free to comment below.