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14 Of The Best Fitness Trackers For Staying Active This Summer
The perfect fit for movers, shakers and everyone in between
Fitness trackers are as much of a fashion essential nowadays as sliders in spring and a panama hat in the summer. Like questioning whether trees falling in a forest truly make a sound, if a person goes for a jog and doesn't track it, does it really count as a run? (Of course it does, but you see where we’re going with this.)
Like with dating, cooking, working and socialising, technology has transformed the way people interact with fitness during lockdown. And now, even with the easing of restrictions, many former gym bunnies are sticking with at-home fitness workouts via apps and live streaming platforms, saving time and money on costly memberships.
However, choosing the best fitness tracker – that counts your steps, checks your vital signs, keeps track of calories, monitors your sleep and allows you to play music via Bluetooth – is pretty tricky when there's so many on the market. Especially now they come in all shapes, sizes, with varying price tags and rainbow-coloured straps.
To make the task a little bit easier, our Hearst Institute wellness expert took some of the top models on the market out for a spin to cut through the noise and bring you their six top picks.
And, if that’s not enough, our fitness-obsessed ELLE UK editors have also put their personal know-how to good use, scouring the internet to bring you some of their favourites - don’t say we never do anything for you.
What is the best fitness tracker?
Hearst Institute's tried and tested options:
- Best fitness tracker: Fitbit Charge 4
- Best for ease of use: Polar Ignite 2
- Best for quick charging: Huawei Watch Fit Elegant
- Best for discretion: Fitbit Inspire 2
- Best for style: Withings Steel HR
- Best for the gym: Garmin Vivosmart 4
Editor's picks:
- Apple Watch, Gold Stainless Steel Case with Leather Link
- Garmin Vivoactive 3 GPS Smartwatch
- Fitbit Versa 2 Smart Fitness Watch
- Huawei Band 4 Pro
- Fitbit Versa 2 Health and Fitness Smartwatch
- Apple Watch Series 3
- Garmin Forerunner 735XT GPS Multisport and Running Watch
- Hybrid Smartwatch
- Huawei Watch GT2
What to look for when buying a fitness tracker
First, ignore the fancy features and make sure you actually like the look of your fitness tracker. It’s all well and good having a timepiece that can record your VO2 max, but it’s not going to be much use if you never wear it. Keep an eye out for interchangeable straps for a fully customisable aesthetic, too.
Right, now that’s out of the way, let’s talk tech. The bare minimum you should ask of any modern fitness tracker is for it to monitor your steps, distance covered, heart rate, estimated calorie burn (this is only ever a ballpark figure as accurately calculating the number of calories you burn would rely on more variables than any tracker can monitor) and sleep.
When recording sleep, a few fitness trackers will only provide basic data on your time spent snoozing, while others can break your night down into heavy, light and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, while also handing out (much-needed) tips on how to optimise your time between the sheets (hint: whiling away the early hours scrolling through social media is not ideal... who knew?).
Some models will be water resistant and able to track your swimming sessions, recording your number of lengths and total distance covered which is perfect if you’ve got a penchant for the pool.
Battery life is another key feature to look out for. Most trackers will last more than seven days on a single tank, while others will 'survive' for more than three weeks which is ideal if you’re always forgetting to give your tech some juice. And, if you’re something of a socialite, many models will now ping, vibrate, display and (in some cases) even allow you to respond to notifications from a smartphone they are synced with, meaning you can stay in the loop with just a glance at your wrist.
How we test fitness trackers
We took more than 30 top trackers and put them through their paces, quite literally. Each one was worn for a selection of sports and workouts, and then stayed on our wrists as we went about our everyday activities. The models that made this list tracked our health stats accurately, looked great, felt comfortable and had innovative features that set them apart from their competitors.
Here are the select few that made the cut:
By this point, the Fitbit team is well-versed when it comes to creating quality fitness trackers, and the Charge 4 is our pick of the bunch. Accurate and easy to use, it automatically logs exercises such as walking, running and swimming, and the in-built GPS will map your route. The screen is black and white, but you can connect it to your phone to see your stats in colour via the app. It also comes with 12 months of Fitbit Premium and a personalised wellness resource that can create guided programmes to help you hit your fitness goals.
Key specifications
Screen size: 1.57 inch
Works with: Apple and Android
Strap material: Elastomer
GPS: Yes
Weight: 28g
Number of exercises tracked: 20
Despite its impressive credentials (such as tracking an unparalleled 130 different activities) the sleek Ignite 2 is delightfully simple to use. The face is lightweight and sits comfortably on the wrist, while the rubber strap didn’t rub at all during workouts or as we slept. It tracked our sleep phases, giving an eye-opening insight into our nightly slumber, and provided an interesting breakdown of our heart rate zones during workouts, showing which exercises really set our pulses racing. It can also control your music and display phone notifications. The screen can be a bit tricky to see while running, but it’s still a top tracker.
Key specifications
Screen size: 1.7 inch
Works with: Apple and Android
Strap material: Silicone with stainless steel buckle
GPS: Yes
Weight: 35g
Number of exercises tracked: 130
Huawei Watch Fit Elegant
With a name like Watch Fit Elegant, this Huawei had no other option but to look good. Fortunately, it delivered. The vibrant 1.64 inch screen is fully customisable, so you can display the metrics that mean the most to you - whether that’s steps, heart rate, the weather or otherwise. Thanks to quick charging tech, it can last for an entire day after being plugged in for just five minutes, while a full tank will keep it running for more than a week. There are also workout demonstrations, guided breathing practices and stress level monitoring to help you keep your cool at all times.
Key specifications
Screen size: 1.64 inch
Works with: Apple and Android
Strap material: Silicone
GPS: Yes
Weight: 21g
Number of exercises tracked: 96
This Fitbit packs the brand’s customary accurate tracking capabilities into a smaller package which is far less conspicuous than other models on this list. As with the Charge 4, it also comes complete with Fitbit’s useful 'active zone minutes' tool, which recognises when slightly more strenuous everyday activities like washing the car cause your heart rate to spike. Other useful features include breathing exercises and menstrual health tracking. One drawback we did find, however, is that, if you want your run or bike ride to be mapped, you’ll have to take your smartphone with you to use its GPS.
Key specifications
Screen size: 1.4 inch
Works with: Apple and Android
Strap material: Elastomer
GPS: Yes, via phone
Weight: 17g
Number of exercises tracked: 20
At first glance, this is just a stylish timepiece. Delve deeper, however, and you’ll find a precise fitness tracker that can automatically record 10 activities including walking, running, swimming and dancing. (Our daily activity levels are set to skyrocket when clubs reopen.) The battery lasts for 25 days - the longest of any tracker we tested - it’s water resistant to a depth of five metres, your heart rate is shown on a discreet screen within the watch face and it can display notifications from your smartphone. We found the app was a little cluttered, and there are no additional features like move reminders, but that doesn’t stop this being a solid, stylish option.
Key specifications
Screen size: 1.42 inch
Works with: Apple and Android
Strap material: Elastomer
GPS: No
Weight: 41g
Number of exercises tracked: 30
If you prefer squats and hip thrusts to a session spent on the treadmill, then may we introduce your new gym buddy: the Vivosmart 4. It can count your reps while strength training, as well as keep an eye on your rest times so you don’t get sucked into a TikTok hole between sets. But it’s not just in the gym that this Garmin is a hard taskmaster. It will vibrate to remind you to move if it notices you’ve been sitting or sedentary for too long - something we welcomed while WFH. The charger’s a bit fiddly, and there’s no GPS so you’ll need to have your phone on you to map your running route, but those were our only complaints.
Key specifications
Screen size: 0.39 inch
Works with: Apple and Android
Strap material: Elastomer
GPS: Yes, via phone
Weight: 17g
Number of exercises tracked: 9
Editor's picks
Garmin Vivoactive 3 GPS Smartwatch
Features: Contactless payment, heart rate monitor, 15 preloaded sports apps, fitness tracker, long battery life, swim and shower resistant.
Garmin - £169.99
Fitbit Versa 2 Smart Fitness Watch
Features: Heart rate monitor, Amazon Alexa voice assistant, on-screen coaching, connected GPS, water resistant to 50m, six day battery and ability to store up to 300 songs.
Fitbit - £159.00
Huawei Band 4 Pro
Features: Colour touchscreen, waterproof to 50m, built-in GPS, heart rate monitor, sleep guidance
Huawei - £49.99
Fitbit Versa 2 Health and Fitness Smartwatch
Features: Built-in Amazon Alexa, ability to play up to 300+ songs, five+ days of battery and sleep monitor.
Fitbit - £199.00
Apple Watch Series 3
Features: GPS, 38mm silver aluminium case with sport band and water resistant to 50m.
Apple - £199.00
Garmin Forerunner 735XT GPS Multisport and Running Watch
(Comes with heart rate monitor)
Features: Water resistant to 50m, smart notifications and heart rate tracker
Garmin - £349.99
Huawei Watch GT2
Features: Menstrual management, power saving technology, 3D glass screen, sleep tracking, bluetooth calling, up to two weeks battery life, heart rate monitor and indoor and outdoor workout trackers.
Huawei - £99.99
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
Harry’s news reporting has been published in over 70 newspapers across the UK. Now, he specialises in home appliances, health and fitness, bringing you reliable reviews on the best homes, sports and nutrition products on the market to help you upgrade your home and training routine.
Outside the office, he has dedicated countless hours to learning about different physical training methods, experimenting with everything from CrossFit to powerlifting.
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