The ten greatest health trackers in 2024

Health trackers have come a great distance from the easy bands that tracked steps and little else. Fashionable trackers can monitor all the things out of your coronary heart well being to how nicely you’ve recovered from a tough bout of coaching. Even flagship smartwatches, which was once lackluster trackers, have turn out to be fairly adept exercise companions. No matter your health objectives are, there’s most likely a health tracker that may enable you to obtain them.

In comparison with another devices, wearables are extremely private, which implies there are just a few further concerns you’ll need to bear in mind earlier than reaching in your pockets. It makes it arduous to say that anyone health tracker is the perfect for everybody. Fortunately, the perfect factor about health trackers in 2024 is that there’s sufficient selection to suit into each sort of way of life. 

Proper now, we’re heading into the vacation purchasing season. Just a little endurance goes a great distance this time of 12 months. Retailers and firms alike will likely be making an attempt to do away with previous inventory, which means reductions galore forward of Black Friday. If you happen to don’t want the newest and biggest, it’s a very good time to snag final 12 months’s fashions in nicer supplies.

Dimension: 46mm w/ 22mm straps / Weight: 34g / Battery life: As much as 14 days / Show kind: OLED touchscreen / GPS: Twin-frequency and 6 GNSS techniques / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 2.3GB

The Amazfit GTR 4 punches method above its weight. It features a complete array of options you’d count on to see on a lot pricier wearables, like a brilliant OLED display, blood oxygen monitoring, sleep stage monitoring, stress monitoring, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and an offline digital assistant. It’s additionally bought a local digicam distant and a helpful Pomodoro timer inbuilt. And for out of doors health fanatics, the GTR 4 additionally has multiband GPS for extra correct GPS monitoring in difficult environments. You’ll be able to even import GPX routes from websites like Strava and Komoot. The GTR 4 takes a extra holistic method to well being, buying and selling in steps for PAI factors to gauge whether or not you’re getting the beneficial 150 minutes of average exercise per week.

For good options, the GTR 4 has all of the fundamentals: push notifications, fast textual content replies on Android, alarms, timers, and the power to make and take calls over Bluetooth. The one factor the GTR 4 is basically lacking is contactless funds, but it surely greater than makes up for it, given the expansive function set and battery life. It lasts about 10–14 days on a single cost with regular use and a couple of week with heavy utilization. It might not have the model recognition of a Fitbit, however since Google nerfed each the Versa 4 and Sense 2 final 12 months, you would possibly need to overlook that. Plus, the GTR 4 doesn’t have thick bezels like both of these watches. Watchfaces on the OLED show are crisp, and animations are easy. When you think about that Amazfit watches are sometimes on sale, it’s a no brainer.

Learn my full evaluate of the Amazfit GTR 4 right here.

Sizes: 40mm w/20mm straps / Weight: 38g / Battery life: As much as 11 days / Show kind: OLED touchscreen / GPS: All-systems GNSS / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 4GB (for Music Version)

The $250 Garmin Venu Sq 2 is the watch I like to recommend for anybody trying to exchange their ageing Fitbit Versa 2, 3, or 4. It’s bought an identical look and vibe, with a a lot nicer OLED show and longer battery life.

Garmin is thought for its complete health monitoring, and that’s not an exception right here. After all, you get the fundamentals, like steps and energy burned, however you get an entire lot extra, too. There’s built-in GPS for monitoring walks, runs, and bike rides, in addition to loads of different sports activities profiles like yoga and energy coaching. For good options, you get push notifications, timers, contactless funds, and a bunch of security options like Garmin’s Incident Detection, which is its tackle fall detection. (You will want to hold your cellphone with you, nonetheless, as this doesn’t have LTE.)

If you’d like the choice of onboard music, you possibly can shell out $50 further for the Music Version, which comes with sufficient storage for about 500 songs. I wouldn’t suggest it, nonetheless, as you’ll most definitely have your cellphone on you since this isn’t a real standalone watch.

What I like most about this watch, nonetheless, is it’s one that you would be able to develop with. On prime of restoration metrics and sleep monitoring, it additionally has Garmin Coach — a built-in, free coaching program for newbie and intermediate-level runners hoping to deal with a 5K, 10K, or half marathon. For well being monitoring, you possibly can monitor coronary heart fee, blood oxygen, depth minutes (what number of minutes of average train you get per week), stress, hydration, respiratory fee, and menstrual cycles. And the perfect half is Garmin doesn’t lock any of this behind a paywall.

One word: there’s a Venu 3, which provides a more recent coronary heart fee sensor and nap detection. I preferred it fairly a bit, and it ticks off a number of the proper containers — apart from worth. It’s $450, which places it outdoors what I’d contemplate excellent for informal customers. The opposite possibility is Garmin’s Forerunner 165 — it’s a $249 finances coaching watch that’s fairly just like the Venu Sq 2 feature-wise, albeit with a sportier vibe. Principally, go together with what you discover on sale. I firmly consider older fashions are nonetheless a sensible choice if all you need is the fitness-tracking fundamentals. That is very true since newer software program updates usually make their technique to older Garmins. Garmin customers additionally have a tendency to hold onto their system for a very good whereas. Strava’s 2023 year-end survey discovered that the most well-liked smartwatch amongst its customers was an eight-year-old Garmin!

Learn my full evaluate of the Garmin Venu Sq 2.

Sizes: 7S Professional: 42mm w/20mm straps, 7: 47mm w/22mm straps, 7X: 51mm w/26mm straps / Weight: 7S Professional: 63g (Photo voltaic), 58g or 65g (Sapphire Photo voltaic, titanium or chrome steel) 7: 79g (Photo voltaic), 73g (Sapphire Photo voltaic) 7X: 96g (Photo voltaic), 89g (Sapphire Photo voltaic) / Battery life: 7S: as much as 11 days, 14 w/ Photo voltaic, 7: as much as 18 days, 22 days w/ photo voltaic, 7X: as much as 28 days, 37 w/photo voltaic / Show kind: MIP touchscreen / GPS: All-systems GNSS and dual-frequency GPS / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 10ATM / Music storage: As much as 32GB

Garmin’s flagship Fenix 7 sequence isn’t any joke, and the Fenix 7 Professional lineup takes it up a notch. It’s bought built-in multiband GPS, photo voltaic charging on all fashions, the choice of touchscreen or button navigation, topographical maps, and oodles upon oodles of information. Plus, each Fenix 7 Professional mannequin has a hands-free LED flashlight, an upgraded coronary heart fee sensor, and an improved memory-in-pixel show that’s barely simpler to learn in low lighting.

Garmin wearables are additionally identified for offering in depth, in-depth metrics, and the Fenix 7 Professional lineup isn’t any exception. You get glorious restoration metrics, in addition to useful coaching guides and training packages. The very best half is Garmin doesn’t cost further for these options. That’s excellent news, as these are costly watches.

I recognize how shortly these Fenix 7 watches are capable of decide up a GPS sign. That’s a should when you’re coaching within the useless of winter. These watches may also take a beating. All fashions are constructed to military-grade requirements and have as much as 10 ATM of water resistance. Meaning they’re greater than able to a dunk within the ocean.

Though the display is brighter, MIP shows nonetheless aren’t my absolute favourite — the OLED on the Garmin Epix 2 and the Epix Professional are loads simpler on the eyes. It’s admittedly powerful to select between the Fenix 7, Fenix 7 Professional, Epix 2, and Epix Professional lineups — particularly now that the Epix Professional additionally has nice battery life, the LED flashlight, and now is available in a number of sizes. What it boils right down to is whether or not you prioritize a brighter show, longer battery life, or worth.

Personally, I favor the Epix Professional for higher readability, however the Fenix 7 Professional is the higher alternative if that is your first introduction to Garmin’s platform. You’ll get higher battery life, the identical LED flashlight, all the identical coaching options, and a decrease beginning worth. (You can too take a look at our Garmin shopping for information when you’d like much more alternate options.)

Technically, there’s a new Fenix 8 sequence on the block. That mentioned, I nonetheless suppose the usual Fenix 7 lineup is an effective alternative, particularly given how costly the brand new Fenix 8 is. We’re nonetheless reviewing it, however the primary updates over the Fenix 7 lineup are “smarter” options like a voice assistant. If that’s not a priority, an older mannequin may be friendlier to your finances — particularly as retailers are likely to low cost older inventory across the vacation season.

Learn my full evaluate of the Garmin Fenix 7S Professional.

Sizes: 8 proprietary sizes, 6-13, sizing equipment wanted / Weight: 4–6g (will depend on dimension) / Battery life: As much as 7 days / Show kind: None / GPS: None / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: As much as 328 toes / Music storage: None

The overwhelming majority of health trackers are worn on the wrist, however the $299 Oura Ring isn’t. The good ring is an effective possibility for people who find themselves in search of one thing somewhat extra discreet. It’s additionally much less distracting than another wrist-based choices, because it lacks a display and doesn’t mirror push notifications out of your cellphone. 

Whereas smaller than your common wearable, the Oura Ring nonetheless tracks a ton of metrics, together with coronary heart fee variability and physique temperature. The third iteration of the system additionally introduces SpO2 sensors, in addition to all-day coronary heart fee monitoring and interval predictions. Since launching, the Oura Ring has additionally added exercise monitoring, blood oxygen ranges, chronotypes to assist visualize your circadian rhythms, and a brand new social function referred to as Circles. It’s additionally begun rolling out an entire new sleep phases algorithm that it claims is extra correct than earlier than. If you happen to’re in search of some stress reduction, the Oura Ring additionally helps you to observe guided meditation classes. 

The Oura Ring tracks typical metrics — resembling steps and energy burned —  however its most important focus is sleep and restoration. Every day, you’re given three units of scores in your readiness, sleep, and exercise. It’s a easy, holistic have a look at your general wellness and an excellent decide if you would like a extra hands-off expertise together with your knowledge.

If you happen to’ve bought a Samsung Galaxy Watch, you might need to contemplate the $399.99 Galaxy Ring. It’s a bit costlier than the bottom Oura Ring, but it surely doesn’t include a subscription, and also you get significantly better battery life when used with the Galaxy Watch. The {hardware} can also be glorious, particularly the charging case. That mentioned, that is solely an possibility for Android customers, and even then, you don’t actually unlock its full potential except you’ve bought different Samsung gear.

You won’t need to purchase at this precise second, nonetheless. Android Authority noticed some certification filings for a possible Gen 4 mannequin earlier this summer time. Corporations often do that when a brand new launch is imminent. If one thing new is within the works, it’s seemingly Oura will launch it earlier than Black Friday. So, it’s a very good time to carry out when you can wait.

Learn my full evaluate of the Oura Ring (Gen 3).

Dimension: 42mm x 24mm x 12.2mm with 16mm straps / Weight: 28g / Battery life: As much as 18 days / Show kind: OLED / GPS: Tethered / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: None

It’s really arduous to beat the Amazfit Band 7’s $49.99 worth — doubly so since you possibly can usually discover it on sale for even much less. Sporting the Band 7 looks like a throwback to 2014, which is nice if all you’re in search of is a straightforward and informal tracker that received’t break the financial institution.

Nobody goes to go with you on the Band 7’s design, but it surely’s bought a handful of cute watchfaces that make good use of its OLED touchscreen. And regardless of having an OLED show, you’ll nonetheless get roughly 14 days of battery life on a single cost. It’s additionally extremely light-weight, making it a very good possibility for sleep monitoring as nicely.

You additionally get an absurd variety of options for the worth. That features Amazon Alexa, steady coronary heart fee monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring, stress monitoring, superior sleep monitoring, coaching metrics like VO2 max and cargo, irregular coronary heart fee alerts, menstrual monitoring, push notifications, discover my cellphone, a digicam distant, and even a Pomodoro timer. You’re sacrificing contactless funds and should accept tethered GPS, however this can be a honest tradeoff contemplating all the things else you’re getting. It’s not the best choice for hardcore health monitoring, however this can be a nice possibility if all you’re trying to do is casually observe exercise and your steps.

Amazfit’s been making surprisingly good finances trackers for some time. That mentioned, when you’re somewhat cautious of a lesser-known model, the $159.95 Fitbit Cost 6 is a good various. It’s pricier, however you get a number of what Amazfit is lacking. That features Google companies like YouTube Music, Google Pockets, and Google Maps. Plus, it has built-in GPS and the power to broadcast your coronary heart fee with some Bluetooth-compatible gymnasium tools.

Learn my full evaluate of the Amazfit Band 7.

Sizes: 37mm with 18mm straps / Weight: 45g / Battery life: As much as 39 days / Show kind:  OLED show / GPS: Tethered GPS / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: N/A

The $249.95 Withings ScanWatch Mild is a fetching hybrid analog smartwatch. Consider it as a dressier health band with some Swatch-like design sensibilities. It’s bought all of your fundamentals like easy push notifications, timers, and alarms. Plus, you possibly can observe steps, sleep, menstrual cycles, and GPS actions straight from the wrist. It appears to be like spiffy on the wrist, and when you like a pop of shade, Withings presents minty inexperienced and pale blue shade choices. It’s additionally bought glorious battery life, with an estimated 30 days on a single cost. I bought rather less in testing at round 25 days, however that’s nonetheless significantly better than the overwhelming majority of flagship smartwatches. This additionally appears to be like far more fashionable than beefier multisport watches with comparable battery life.

Like its identify suggests, the Mild is a pared-down model of the $349.95 ScanWatch 2. The principle belongings you’re lacking are an EKG sensor for atrial fibrillation detection, a temperature sensor, blood oxygen monitoring, and an altimeter for monitoring elevation. For primary health monitoring, you don’t really want these sensors. That’s why I feel the additional $100 in financial savings is value it for the Mild, particularly since each are missing in security options, contactless funds, and another bells and whistles you will get from different watches within the $350 worth vary. That mentioned, if you would like extras, the ScanWatch 2 additionally will get you a barely extra elegant look due to the second step-counter dial.

Another choice I like is the $179.99 Garmin Vivomove Sport, which really dominated this class the previous few years. It’s arduous to beat the worth, particularly because it will get you entry to Garmin’s platform. Nonetheless, Garmin’s “hidden” OLED show can get washed out in brilliant lighting, and battery life was considerably shorter than different hybrid analog watches at round 5 days. Nonetheless, when you’d relatively a platform with a deal with health relatively than wellness, the Vivomove Sport often is the higher transfer over a Withings watch.

Learn my full evaluate of the Withings ScanWatch 2 and Mild.

Sizes: 42mm, 46mm / Weight: 29.3g (42mm), 35.3g (46mm) / Battery life: As much as 18 hours / Show kind: All the time-on LTPO OLED / GPS: Constructed-in GPS, plus GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou / Connectivity: LTE (optionally available), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: As much as 50 meters / Music storage: 32GB

If you happen to’re in search of a smartwatch that does health nicely, then iPhone homeowners have to look no additional than the $399 Apple Watch Collection 10. (The LTE model prices $50 extra.) That is one other 12 months of iterative updates, however the Collection 10 is a way more snug watch than in years previous. It’s thinner and lighter, plus there’s a bigger show. If you happen to’ve bought a Collection 5 or older, now is an effective time to improve.

With watchOS 11, there’s a brand new suite of coaching options. There’s Coaching Load, which supplies you higher perception into how intensely you’ve been figuring out the previous week in comparison with the final 28 days. There’s additionally a brand new Vitals app that flags when key metrics, like sleep length or coronary heart fee, could also be out of whack. Plus, you possibly can lastly pause your rings for relaxation days. The software program replace additionally brings some savvy updates to the Sensible Stack. For instance, when you’re in a loud cafe questioning what track’s enjoying, the Sensible Stack can now floor the Shazaam widget. It additionally now helps Stay Actions, turning your wrist right into a mini Dynamic Island. Well being-wise, we additionally now have FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection.

After all, we even have to deal with the Apple Watch ban. As of January 18th, 2024, new Apple Watches offered within the US have the blood oxygen function disabled because of an ongoing patent battle with medical system maker Masimo. This isn’t an enormous deal for most individuals, as this function isn’t that helpful for most individuals but, and the brand new sleep apnea function solely makes use of the accelerometer relatively than the blood oxygen sensor. You would possibly need to contemplate a refurbished Collection 7 or 8 if blood oxygen sensing is vital to you, nonetheless.

If you happen to’re a first-time purchaser, you may as well go for the second-gen Apple Watch SE. It’s barely cheaper at $249, and whilst you don’t get as many options, it’s a very good introduction to the ecosystem. In any other case, when you’re the kind of athlete who covets a Garmin, you may additionally need to contemplate splurging on the Apple Watch Extremely 2. It’s costlier at $799, but it surely does have the brightest display of any Apple Watch, comes with dual-frequency GPS, has diving and mountain climbing security options, and is product of extra sturdy supplies. There’s additionally a fetching new black shade.

Learn my full evaluate of the Apple Watch Collection 10.

Sizes: 47mm / Weight: 60.5g / Battery life: As much as 100 hours / Show kind: All the time-on OLED / GPS: Constructed-in GPS / Connectivity: LTE (optionally available), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 10ATM, IP68 / Music storage: 32GB

Honestly, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely left me a bit disillusioned after reviewing it — not as a result of it’s a foul piece of {hardware}, however as a result of it copies a bit an excessive amount of from Apple. Even so, that is essentially the most full-featured health smartwatch a Samsung cellphone proprietor can purchase.

Whereas I favor the Galaxy Watch 7 myself, I can’t say it’s the perfect for health monitoring. There was an excessive amount of of a niche between it and the Extremely in my testing so far as accuracy, particularly for GPS monitoring. However what actually sealed the deal for me was the distinction in battery life. It’s merely night time and day, and the Galaxy Watch 7 actually struggled on this area. (The gaps are a lot much less egregious between the bottom Apple Watch and Extremely 2.)

The caveat is, if all you need is informal health monitoring, the Galaxy Watch 7 is the higher alternative for wearability. It’s simply extra snug for sleep monitoring and lighter general. Simply remember it lacks the Extremely’s emergency siren and shortcut button, and the display doesn’t get fairly as brilliant.

With each watches, you get a quicker processor, a brand new 3-in-1 BioActive Sensor, some AI well being options, and FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection. The newer {hardware} makes for a extra futureproof buy, however I discovered the AI well being options to be hit-or-miss in follow. As all the time, some options, like EKGs and sleep apnea detection, are restricted to Samsung homeowners. That makes this difficult to wholeheartedly suggest this to non-Samsung Android customers.

But when the Extremely doesn’t float your boat, now is an effective time to seek out the Galaxy Watch 6 sequence, notably the bottom fashions, on sale. The bottom Galaxy Watch 7 could have newer {hardware}, however so far as precise use goes, it’s not a large replace over final 12 months. And when you’re right into a bodily rotating bezel, simply go forward and snag a Galaxy Watch 6 Traditional.

Learn my full evaluate of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely.

Sizes: 41mm, 45mm / Weight: 31g / Battery life: As much as 24 hours / Show kind: All the time-on OLED / GPS: Constructed-in GPS / Connectivity: LTE (optionally available), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 32GB

With the Pixel Watch 3, Google is lastly finished enjoying catch-up.

There are really too many updates to name each out individually, however general, they fall into two buckets: refinement and growth. The {hardware} is generally the identical as final 12 months’s Pixel Watch 2 by way of design. Nonetheless, we now have a brighter display, smaller bezels, and a brand new 45mm dimension. The bigger dimension is sort of good, particularly when you favor bigger screens with out sacrificing wearability.

Battery life can also be higher. There’s a brand new battery-saver mode that kicks in whenever you hit 15 % and the brand new shows are additionally extra energy environment friendly. Plus, bedtime mode is computerized now, in order that helps the watch last more in a single day for sleep monitoring. It’s solely a modest enchancment over the Pixel Watch 2, but it surely’s dramatic in comparison with the unique.

Software program is the place the Pixel Watch 3 makes essentially the most updates. There are a ton of latest health and well being options, together with a brand new working dashboard, customized working exercises, and AI-generated exercise recommendations. There’s additionally a revamped Each day Readiness Rating and a brand new Cardio Load metric, which gauges how intensely you’ve been exercising. For European customers, you may as well get the brand new Lack of Pulse function, which calls emergency companies in your behalf if it detects you now not have a pulse. Sadly, this isn’t obtainable stateside, because it hasn’t but obtained FDA clearance.

The Pixel Watch 3 additionally higher integrates with Google companies and the Pixel ecosystem. Now you can view your Nest Doorbell or Digital camera feed straight from the wrist — and it’s fairly helpful when you get a number of packages or visitors. You probably have Google TV, you should utilize the watch as a distant. Now that the watch has an extremely wideband chip, it will possibly additionally now unlock your Pixel cellphone. You can too use the Recorder app to seize audio and ship it straight to your Pixel cellphone.

That mentioned, a few of these options now imply the Pixel Watch works greatest with a Pixel cellphone. If you happen to’re in search of alternate options to Google and Samsung, the $299.99 OnePlus Watch 2 is a robust various. You’re giving up LTE, but it surely’s a handsome-looking watch with surprisingly lengthy battery life and Google Assistant from the get-go.

Learn my full evaluate of the Google Pixel Watch 3.

Sizes: 43mm by 28mm by 10mm / Weight: 18g / Battery life: 4–5 days / Show kind: None / GPS: None / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: As much as 10 meters / Music storage: None

The Whoop 4.0 will not be for the informal fanatic. Not solely does it include an costly month-to-month subscription, however the data it offers is just helpful when you’re actively coaching for a cardio-intensive sport. If energy coaching is your most important type of train, you’re higher off wanting elsewhere. Just like the Oura Ring, this can be a distraction-free tracker that focuses on sleep and restoration. The principle distinction is that this has a extra athletic bent. As an illustration, you’ll get far more perception into how a lot pressure you’ve taken on up to now week. 

Whoop additionally offers a number of novel methods to put on its tracker, together with in underwear and arm/knee sleeves. This makes it an interesting possibility when you’re a kind of unicorns who wants a secondary tracker to complement one other type of health monitoring. Once more, this can be a tracker greatest appreciated by individuals who go arduous and aren’t afraid to experiment. Plus, Whoop not too long ago lowered its subscription costs in sure tiers, so whereas it’s nonetheless costly, it’s not fairly as expensive because it was once.

Learn my full evaluate of the Whoop 4.0.

Replace September twenty third: Up to date with the Pixel Watch 3, Apple Watch Collection 10, and Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely. Additionally added new details about potential Oura Ring Gen 4 and vacation purchasing.