Band on the run

With so many fitness bands claiming to be the best, how do you know which one is right for you? We put six of the most popular to the test

BEST FOR TIGHT BUDGETS XIAOMI MI BAND 2 $35, kogan.com

Although there’s a lack of integrated GPS and the band feels cheap compared to the others, Xiaomi’s superbly priced tracker gives admirable performance for its featherweight price. Of course, the 0.42-inch OLED screen is fuzzy compared to the Samsung, but it displays time, calories, steps and heart rate adequately enough. The Mi Band 2 is also good in bed, keenly spotting when you drop off and wake up. Steps and heart rate tracking are less accurate, yet in the right ballpark. Auto-recognition can be sluggish, but a claimed 20-day battery life is promising.

BEST FOR AUTOMATIC TRACKING SAMSUNG GEAR FIT2 PRO $329, samsung.com/au

However you move and relax, Samsung’s waterproof sleep and fitness tracker will keep tabs. This band isn’t dainty, but it’s futuristically sleek, with a customisable Super AMOLED display. There’s also Spotify offline support and access to various fitness apps. The battery lasted just over two days, or roughly nine hours with GPS, and we experienced some lag in heart rate monitoring, making this better for casual runners rather than interval trainers. Automatic activity tracking is excellent – throw on the band and go.

IDEAL FOR SWIMMERS MISFIT SHINE 2 $107.94, misfit.com

Misfit’s bargainous and impressively accurate sleep, swim and activity tracker has the best claimed battery life here at up to six months. Its 12-LED display uses light patterns to communicate notifications and goal achievements, though interpreting these takes practice. Like the TomTom, the waterproof Shine 2 is easy to set up, with plentiful data displayed in-app. If it wasn’t for the round disc being prone to popping out of the band – perhaps stick it in the included Action Clip instead – this could be a winner.