Fitness trackers can help you achieve your goals
Fitness trackers are packed with features to help you keep up with step, exercise and movement goals whether it’s a Fitbit, Apple or Garmin. They’re also able to track your sleep patterns and some even let you know when you should be taking a rest day.
There are dozens of dedicated fitness tracker options to choose from that come in the form of wristbands, shoe insoles with activity-tracking features and smartwatches. We’ve rounded up our favorite trackers based on price, form and function. Each of them requires a mobile app to track your progress and some let you see phone notifications on your wrist.
Fitness tracking is great for keeping you motivated, but remember that not even the most advanced activity tracker will do the work for you. Still, no matter your health and fitness goals, any one of the activity trackers here will help you achieve peak performance. These are three of CNET’s top choices as the best fitness trackers for 2024.
Best all-around fitness tracker: Fitbit Charge 6
CNET take: The Fitbit Charge 6 is the best Fitbit you can get right now. With great health and fitness features including an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) app and excellent sleep tracking, it now connects to gym equipment and fitness apps so you can see your live heart rate data during a workout. The Charge 6 also connects to Google Maps from your phone for turn-by-turn navigation on your wrist and has closer integration with other Google apps like YouTube Music and Google Wallet.
The Charge 6 has a built-in GPS so you can track outdoor workouts without your phone, plus a blood oxygen sensor. The Daily Readiness Score can also tell you if your body is up to taking on a workout, or if you should take a rest day. But many of Fitbit’s most useful features, like this score, are only available as part of Fitbit’s $10-a-month Premium service. Without a Premium subscription, you can still use the Charge 6 for fitness and health tracking, it just won’t give you the most in-depth metrics and trends over time. The battery should last you at least four to five full days, and it’s compatible with iPhone and Android.
Best battery life: Fitbit Inspire 3
CNET take: If you’re looking for a fitness band that’s discreet, affordable and has a long-lasting battery, consider the Fitbit Inspire 3. You won’t get the built-in GPS or mobile payment options on the Charge 6, but it has health and fitness tracking essentials, including heart-rate monitoring, automatic
workout detection and a detailed sleep analysis.
The battery can last as long as 10 days, so you won’t need to charge it as often as other Fitbits. But beware that the screen is small, so it can be more difficult to read than other trackers and smartwatches.
Best smartwatch for fitness features: Apple Watch Series 9
CNET take: Unlike some of the other devices on this list, the Apple Watch Series 9 is a true smartwatch. It has a temperature, blood oxygen and ECG sensor and comes in 41 and 45mm sizes. You can also choose a cellular or LTE model that lets you take calls and answer messages from
your wrist without your phone, although that does cost extra. There are comprehensive tools for runners and cyclists on the Series 9 that give you in-depth looks at your running metrics. With WatchOS 10 you can also connect Bluetooth cycling accessories like power pedals to the watch.
The Series 9 also has the S9 chip that enables the Double Tap gesture so you can pinch your thumb and forefinger together to control the watch when you can’t reach it with the other hand. Battery life generally lasts 18 hours with typical use, so you will need to charge this watch every day, unlike many of the other fitness trackers on this list.