The Best Fitness Trackers
Even if a lot of people consider that we are slaves to technology, it is that very technology that helps make certain aspects of our lives better and more productive. Fitness trackers are a great example of how technology can keep a person on the right track, exercise-wise. They are a wonderful workout companion that gives people a bunch of useful information on their progress and actually motivates through numbers to push people in doing more physical activities.
| Rank | Product | Highlights |
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#1 | 
Fitbit Flex 2 Smart Fitness Activity Tracker |
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#2 | 
BIGGERFIVE Fitness Tracker |
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#3 | 
Fitbit Inspire HR |
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#4 | 
FITFORT Fitness Tracker |
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#5 | 
LETSCOM Fitness Tracker |
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Understanding Fitness Trackers
A fitness tracker is a kind of like a watch that is designed to gather a series of data about your physical activity. They are portable devices that record certain body parameters. Contrary to popular belief, fitness trackers aren’t just designed for athletes, but for pretty much every person who is interested in staying in shape and monitoring their health through sports activities.
Depending on the type of fitness tracker you choose and what are the features it’s equipped with, you can expect the device to give you information such as: number of steps you take throughout the day, your pulse rate, the number of calories you burn, and even information related to the duration and quality of your sleep.
Since there are different types of fitness trackers out there, some are suitable for certain types of physical activities, while others do a better job of recording data that is useful for other activities. Some examples include:
A fitness bracelet is most suitable for people who practice athletics or swimming. With a swimming fitness tracker, for example, you can get reliable data, but you need to make sure that it comes with the proper waterproof rating (67/68) so that you can be sure the device can be submerged into the water without suffering any damage.- Clips are better for running, and we recommend them to those who are passionate about daily jogs, those who participate in marathons, but also for professional athletes that participate in sports races. A clip tracker is considered to be more reliable for runners because it is more accurate in detecting the steps and the distance.
Heart rate monitor trackers are equipped with sensors that detect changes in your heart rate. They are particularly useful for people who want to lose weight and have better insight into the number of daily calories they burn throughout the day. There are also heart rate trackers with integrated GPS systems, and they are mostly used by cyclists or people who hike on a regular basis.
A fitness bracelet is most suitable for people who practice athletics or swimming. With a swimming fitness tracker, for example, you can get reliable data, but you need to make sure that it comes with the proper waterproof rating (67/68) so that you can be sure the device can be submerged into the water without suffering any damage.
Clips are better for running, and we recommend them to those who are passionate about daily jogs, those who participate in marathons, but also for professional athletes that participate in sports races. A clip tracker is considered to be more reliable for runners because it is more accurate in detecting the steps and the distance.
Heart rate monitor trackers are equipped with sensors that detect Sensors in Fitness Trackers
Most of the technology behind what makes a fitness tracker so useful is focused on the sensors that gather the needed information. These sensors are used to record and interpret the data in order to give you better insight into your progress and show you the exact numbers that you need to know in order to assess your fitness goal.
Fitness trackers have an accelerometer at hand, which is a sensor meant to detect linear acceleration. These devices use three accelerometers, one for each axis. For rotating motions, these sensors need gyroscopes (three of them, to be more precise). There are certain fitness trackers that are also equipped with magnetometers that, as you might have guessed, will pick up magnetic fields. Naturally, the fitness tracker model you opt for may have variations of these sensors, and some of them include all three types.
Photoplethysmography is another type of sensor that is usually found on a fitness tracker. What this sensor does is use light to detect your heartbeats. By using one or multiple LEDs, the fitness tracker will emit a certain amount of light that reflects off the tissue and blood. As blood is pumped throughout your body, there will be a change in the amount of light reflected.
Best Fitness Trackers
Time to review some of the best fitness trackers that you can currently get your hands on, so that you can stay on top of your fitness goals and actually see the progress you’re making.
1. Fitbit Flex 2 Smart Fitness Activity Tracker
OVERVIEW:
- Available colors: 3
- Key features: silent alarm, call/text notifications, sleep tracker
- Waterproof: yes
Best for swimming
When it comes to fitness trackers, Fitbit is a brand that almost everybody has heard of. It makes some of the most advanced and good-looking trackers on the market, and the Flex 2 is a great example of such a product. It is an ultra-thin tracker available in three colors, including a ravishing magenta and a delicate lavender shade.
This wristband monitor is made from durable elastomers, having the same level of quality as some of the market’s best sports watches. Because it is waterproof and really lightweight, it’s one of the best fitness trackers for swimming that money can buy. It can also gather a bunch of other important information, like the number of calories you burned or how many steps you took in a day.
One other cool feature that’s worth mentioning is the sleep tracker. Using silent alarm technology, the Flex 2 can slowly vibrate to wake you up, which eliminates the need for pesky alarms in the morning. You can download the Fitbit app to stay in touch with important information. The SmartTrack technology will recognize and record your selected workouts.
| Pros | Cons |
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Who Should Buy This?
The Flex 2 by Fitbit is a great fitness tracker for swimmers, as it is fully waterproof and has such a slim and lightweight design that it will not pose an inconvenience while you’re swimming.
2. BIGGERFIVE Fitness Tracker
OVERVIEW:
- Available colors: 5
- Key features: activity tracker, sleep monitor, alarm, app connectivity
- Waterproof: yes, IP67
Best for kids
Made with a short strap to fit a child’s hand, the Biggerfive fitness tracker is an excellent companion for parents who care about the physical health of their kids. The tracker is suitable for children between the ages of 4 and 15, as the strap can be adjusted to fit wrists with a circumference between 4.5 and 6.9 inches.
This product can record information related to a child’s daily activities, including the number of steps taken, how many calories were burned, how many active minutes the child had during a day, and others. The sleep monitor will detect your child’s deep sleep and light sleep phases and will help you understand more about their sleeping patterns.
You can also use the fitness tracker to set an alarm for your child, but also friendly reminders for important things, like drinking water or when it’s time to start doing homework. The tracker is compatible with the VeryFitPro. Thanks to this connectivity, the tracker can display call and SMS alerts, but also notifications from a series of popular social media platforms.
| Pros | Cons |
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Who Should Buy This?
This fitness tracker is designed for kids between the ages of 4 and 15, regardless of whether the young ones are involved in professional sporting activities or the parents just want to gain more insight on the child’s health-related lifestyle.
3. Fitbit Inspire HR
OVERVIEW:
- Available colors: 3
- Key features: heart rate monitor, app connectivity, GPS sensor, automatic exercise recognition
- Waterproof: no, only water-resistant
Best overall
Fitbit is back with yet another amazing fitness tracker, which is a little less expensive compared to the Flex 2, but still is a very reliable unit that you can count on. While this particular Fitbit model was mostly designed to keep an “eye” on your heart rate, it is one of the best trackers overall because it balances accurate sensors, a quality construction, and a good price.
The Inspire HR comes with a sleep tracker that connects to an app, showing you just how much of your rest is spent in deep sleep and in light sleep mode. The sensors on this tracker will accurately show you walking and running distance, number of steps taken, and other important information about your daily movement.
Thanks to the goal-based exercise modes, you can tell your tracker, if you plan on going on a bike ride, for example, and the device will keep you informed on your progress and notify you when you’ve reached your goal. However, one of the key features of the device is the heart rate monitor, which helps you understand and make the best of your exercise sessions, all whilst keeping your heart in the best shape possible.
| Pros | Cons |
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Who Should Buy This?
The Fitbit Inspire HR tracker is mostly centered on the idea of monitoring one’s heart rate throughout the day, but it is one of the best fitness trackers overall because of its solid construction and good price.
4. FITFORT Fitness Tracker
OVERVIEW:
- Available colors: 2
- Key features: heart rate monitor, blood pressure monitor, activity tracker, camera trigger
- Waterproof: yes, IP68
Best for blood pressure monitoring
Keeping an eye on your blood pressure is important, regardless of whether you have a condition that’s related to it (like heart problems, hypertension, or diabetes) or you just want to make sure that daily stress and other possible mental problems aren’t causing your blood pressure to rise.
Having a fitness tracker like the one from FITFORT can help you keep an eye on that, but also on other important activity stats that might give you more insight and put you on the right path towards getting more. This fitness tracker will gather important information related to your heart rate, quality of sleep, number of steps, and other such info.
Equipped with a color LCD display, this little gadget is designed to be waterproof and comfortable to wear. The screen has five different brightness levels for several times during the day, and it can track up to 14 different exercises. It can be charged via USB and it’s compatible with a wide variety of iOS and Android-based devices.
| Pros | Cons |
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Who Should Buy This?
If you want an affordable fitness tracker that keeps an eye on your important vitals and help you monitor your blood pressure, the FITFORT bracelet might be the product you’re looking for.
5. LETSCOM Fitness Tracker
OVERVIEW:
- Available colors: 8
- Key features: smartphone connectivity, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracker
- Waterproof: yes, IP67
Bargain buy
The last item on the list is dedicated to people who are on a tight budget but still want to experience what it’s like to have a lightweight and smart bracelet that can track their physical activity and translate it into numbers that give people the bigger picture of where they’re at, exercise-wise.
So, what exactly can you expect from this fitness tracker? It is able to provide you with a GPS sensor that tracks your location so that you can get post-workout maps that followed your trail. It features 14 different exercise modes and a sedentary alert to remind you to stop sitting down and get a little bit of movement in. The tracker will also give you information on your heart rate while you’re working out, which is super important if you have a heart condition and need to be careful with your heart rate.
This fitness tracker also monitors your sleep by measuring the light and deep stages, so you can identify patterns and understand more about the way you rest and how you can improve that if need be. The tracker can be connected to a compatible smartphone, making it easier for you to get notifications of calls, e-mails, or text messages.
| Pros | Cons |
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Who Should Buy This?
If you’re looking for a daily fitness tracker with the smartphone connectivity that’s available at a really good price, we recommend taking a look into the LETSCOM band.
Bottom Line
When it comes to fitness trackers, there isn’t a whole lot to understand before deciding on the model that you want. It’s all about the features that are included and the accuracy of the sensors, and the only way to make sure that you’re buying the best of the best is to focus on customer reviews and the popularity of the brand.
It also depends on what exactly you’re looking to monitor with this tracker because if you are only interested in the number of daily calories burnt and the number of steps you take, you won’t need a sophisticated tracker. But if you do decide to invest in a product with more features, it’s also important that the app and the bracelet don’t have any syncing issues and that the app is user-friendly and easy to navigate.
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