Our fitness is just another thing we like to keep track of these days. Fitness trackers can track your activity, exercise, and even your sleep, helping you set and achieve your fitness goals whether you’re inside, outside, or even in water. (On the couch too, probably, but wearing a fitness tracker on the couch is about as redundant as carrying an umbrella in the desert). By counting steps, calories and your heart rate, these health bands offer you the math and motivation to achieve your workout goals, whatever they may be. Read on to learn about the top 10 best fitness trackers on the market and discover which one is right for you.
FITBIT ONE
With the Fitbit One you get no-frills activity tracking that you wear on your clothing, not your wrist. With this device you’ll get the basics, including step and stair tracking, plus sleep tracking.
FITBIT BLAZE
Do your workout in a blaze of glory, with the FitBit Blaze. It has step tracking, sleep monitoring, 24/7 heart rate monitoring, and several sports modes too, which will track particular exercises using the built-in heart rate monitor. And did we mention it looks good. Real good.
MICROSOFT BAND 2
With a better screen, greater comfort and a better look than the original, the Microsoft Band 2 has no less than 11 sensors and utilises integration with Cortana on Windows Phone, while Android and iOS devices get calendar and message notifications. It’s a great all-round fitness tracker, as good in the gym as it is for running or playing golf. The battery only lasts 2 days but charges quickly, and only the Fitbit Surge rivals the Microsoft Band 2 as the most powerful, no-nonsense, all-features device on the market.
FITBIT SURGE
Fitbit Surge is a watch, fitness device and activity tracker all in one. It has its own built-in GPS and optional heart rate monitor, and a display that never sleeps and always stays on. It tracks running and walking and will keep track of calories burned. The screen can be set to display messages and incoming calls from your smartphone: the Fitbit Surge is an ideal fitness tracker with rudimentary smartwatch features.
GARMIN VIVOSMART
Like the name suggests, Garmin’s Vivosmart is indeed smart. It will learn and adapt to your current activity level, and then assign you a daily fitness goal. It has a monochrome display for receiving messages from your smartphone and you simply swipe the screen to read the full message. It is also water resistant, so it’s a good fit for runners and other outdoor sports enthusiasts.
FITBIT CHARGE HR
This tracker is ideal for men and women who want to keep a close eye on their heart rate as an integral part of their over health and fitness goals. The Fitbit Charge HR uses an optical heart rate monitor that uses blood flow sensors to gauge your pulse. It has a small OLED screen to display the time as well as short messages. It will recognise when you’ve fallen asleep and turn itself off. Battery life is very good with one charge lasting up to five days.
GARMIN VIVOACTIVE HR
For a fitness tracker than utilises more advanced smartwatch features, upgrade to the Garmin Vivoactive HR. While you can’t respond to messages from the vivoactive HR itself, it’s the closest a fitness tracker comes to being a smartwatch through its colour touchscreen, heart rate monitor, and customisation of apps, widgets and watchfaces through Garmin’s Connect IQ store. It costs more, though, retailing at US$250.
MISFIT SHINE
For elegance, choose the Misfit Shine, which will track your steps, sleep, and calories, but lacks a heart rate monitor. It’s comfortable to wear and has a sleek, minimalist design.
WITHINGS PULSE
Keep track of your blood oxygen levels with the Withings Pulse. This device has all basic fitness features – pedometer, distance tracker, calories burned tracker, and sleep tracker – with the special feature of measuring the oxygen level in your blood. This is ideal for fitness enthusiasts who want to know if enough oxygen is getting to their muscles during workout.
JAWBONE UP2
The Jawbone Up2 is fantastic everyday fitness band. It provides simple but effective activity and automatic sleep tracking, though it lacks heart rate tracking. It is sleek and comfortable and comes in a variety of colours, so is ideal for the more fashion-conscious. You can wear it in the shower but not while swimming, and it has an excellent 10-day battery life.
Amidst all your fitness commitments, remember to keep track of the Repair Express blog, which is consistently being updated with all the latest and greatest in tech news. Safeguard your mobile devices with our can’t-be-beat services; we have the best turnaround time and the best warranty in the business.
