5 Best Fitness Trackers of 2021
The Fitbit and Fitness Tracker revolution has begun. Should you go with the name brand, or are there other options out there? We put together the best fitness trackers, watches, and activity tracking heart monitors in 2021
Best Fitness Tracker Reviews
Comparison Chart of the Best Heart Rate Activity Trackers
Picture | Brand & Model | Price Range | Best Price |
Garmin Forerunner 235 | $219-240 | Check Best Price | |
Fitbit Versa Smart Watch | $185-199 | Check Best Price | |
Fitbit Charge 4 | $149-169 | Check Best Price | |
Garmin Vivomove HR | $199-229 | Check Best Price | |
Garmin Forerunner 35 | $125-139 | Check Best Price |
How an Activity Tracker Benefits You
- Keep track of your progress.
- Free workout trainer and tips.
- Helps in setting achievable goals.
- Monitoring your health.
- Habit formation.
- User friendly fitness tracker interface.
- Helps you to stay motivated.
- Quantified Self Concept
People have reported that when they set goals, having the fitness tracker to hold them accountable and give them reminders made their weight loss journey more successful.
Knowing your steps and your progress can be a good motivation tool and encourage you to move more.
People reported liking knowing how many calories were burned, how many steps and progress they have made throughout the day. It’s very accurate, and also great for people just trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Fitness trackers are great for if you work a desk job or don’t get a chance to move around a lot. It gives you friendly reminders to get up and move!
Reviews of the Fitness Trackers of 2021
Editors Choice: Garmin Forerunner 235
- GPS Running Watch with Wrist-based Heart Rate and display type is sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel(MIP)
- Customize Your Watch and Your Training, Larger Screen - a 44% Larger Screen than the 225 but the Same Physical Size
- Audio Prompts - Receive Audio Prompts from Your Connected Smartphone That Include Laps and Lap Times. Smartwatch Mode: Up to 9 days. GPS mode: Up to 11 hours
- Smart Notifications - See Incoming Email, Text Messages, Call Alerts, Calendar Reminders and More from Your Compatible Smartphone
- Battery Life 11 Hours Training, 9 Days Watch, Activity Tracking, Notifications + Heart Rate. Refer user manual below
- Garmin Forerunner 235 GPS Running Watch: Make the most of your workout with this watch, which uses a wrist-based Elevate heart rate monitor to calculate your VO2 max and help you predict race times for various distances. Track your activity levels and receive a nudge when you have been sitting for too long, and monitor your steps taken, calories burned, distance traveled and sleep quality and quantity for an overall picture of your physical fitness.
FitBit Versa Smart Watch
Outperform yourself every day with this Fitbit Versa smart fitness watch. It adapts to your feedback and provides personalized insights on your physical activities, and its built-in memory stores over 300 songs to keep you motivated. Track your endurance continuously via the PurePulse heart rate monitor of this water-resistant Fitbit Versa smart fitness watch.
- Includes all Versa Lite Edition features plus: store and play 300+ songs, utilize on-screen workouts that play on your wrist and coach you through every move and track swim laps and floors climbed
- Track your all-day activity, 24/7 heart rate, & sleep stages, all with a 4+ day battery life (varies with use and other factors) and a slim, comfortable design with a lightweight, anodized aluminum watch body
- Use 15+ exercise modes like Run or Swim (Fitbit Versa is water-resistant to 50 meters) to record workouts and connect to smartphone GPS for more precise real-time pace & distance
- Access your favorite apps for sports, weather & more and get call, calendar, text, and app alerts
- Get call, text, calendar and smartphone app notifications when your phone is nearby. Plus send quick replies on Android only
- Automatically track select sports & workouts with SmartTrack and use female health tracking in the Fitbit app to log periods, symptoms and more
Fitbit Charge 4
Understand your health and take action to improve with Fitbit Charge 4—an advanced fitness tracker that uses 24/7 heart rate & personalized insights to reveal what's below the surface.
- Better measure calorie burn, understand resting heart rate & more with 24/7 heart rate tracking and a battery life of up to 7 days (varies with use and other factors)
- Choose from 15+ exercise modes like run, bike, swim, yoga, circuit training and more, set a goal, and get real-time stats during your workouts to see how you can keep getting better
- Automatically record time spent in Light, Deep and REM sleep stages and see activity trends, health insights and personalized guidance in one place with Fitbit Today
- Swim proof and water resistant to 50M so you can track swims and wear in the shower. Also connect to smartphone GPS for real-time pace and distance during outdoor runs and rides
- Stay connected to your day with everyday apps for weather and more and get call, text and smartphone app notifications on your wrist
Garmin Vivomove HR
- Garmin AUTHORIZED DEALER - Includes Full Garmin USA WARRANTY
- Garmin Vivomove HR, Sport, Black with Black Silicone Band (Large)
- INCLUDED IN THE BOX: Vivomode HR - Charging Cable - Documentation - Authorized Garmin USA Dealer Warranty
- BUNDLE INCLUDES: Garmin Vivomove HR, Sport, Black with Black Silicone Band (Large) - 1 Year Extended Warranty
- 1 Year Extended Warranty in Addition to the Included Full Manufacturer Warranty
- Touch screen displays precise watch hands that show the time and dynamically move out of the way when you swipe through your messages, heart rate info and more
- Elevate™ wrist heart rate technology provides 24/7 heart rate monitoring without a chest strap
- Manage fitness and stress levels with wellness monitoring tools, including VO2 max, fitness age, all-day stress tracking and a relaxation timer
- Also displays steps, calories, distance, heart rate and intensity minutes
- Stay connected with smart features such as auto uploads, notifications, music controls and more
- Battery lasts up to 5 days in smart mode and 2 weeks in watch mode on a single charge
Garmin Forerunner 35
- Built-in GPS - built-in to acquire satellites quickly to track how far, how fast and where you run, even under tree cover. No phone required!;Water rating : 5 ATM
- 24/7 heart rate monitoring - warm gives you heart rate all day and night -no additional Strap required. sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP)
- Vibration alerts - helpful vibration alerts notify you of running prompts, activity tracking milestones, smart notifications and virtual pacing progress
- Updated display - new high resolution display that is perfect for indoor/outdoor viewing. Smartphone compatibility- iPhone, Android. Compatible with Garmin Connect Mobile. Display size- 0.93 x 0.93 inches
- Smart connectivity - auto uploads, smart notifications, live track, music controls and automatic sw updates
- NOTE: Refer User Guide on Technical Specification before use
- Monitors heart rate¹ at the wrist, all day and night, using Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate technology
The Garmin Forerunner 35 has a built-in GPS and tracking modes for cycling, walking, indoor or outdoor running, and cardio. ... Cyclers can use it with cadence sensors and a footpad, but the main purpose of this watch is running. The watch is also certified waterproof up to 50 meters, although it doesn't track swimming.
Frequently Asked Questions
What device can my activity tracker connect to?
Fitness trackers can connect to any bluetooth enabled device. Your fitness tracker can connect to both modern iphone and modern android devices. You do need a cellphone however.What else does a fitness tracker do?
Fitness trackers can also track your sleep and calories burned. Fitness trackers also can connect to your phones and display text messages, and incoming calls.
How does the Heart Rate Monitor Work in a Fitness Tracker?
Activity Trackers describe their heart rate technology as having the optical sensors on the underside. When your heart pumps, your capillaries grow and shrink based on blood volume differences. In turn, the LED lights on the device reflect onto the skin to detect blood volume variance, with algorithms processing these in order to try and accurately measure the beats per minute.