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📂 Category: Gear,Gear / Buying Guides,Gear / Products / Health and Fitness,Gear / Products / Outdoor,Buying Guide
📌 Main takeaway:
Other fitness trackers to consider
Photo: Adrian So
Garmin Instinct 3 for $400: Garmin’s Instinct line doesn’t have as many high-end features as the Fenix 8, but it’s popular because it’s cheaper and has a cool, chunky retro aesthetic that I love. This year’s updates include the built-in flashlight and a new reinforced bezel, which is good considering I was still able to improve the Fenix and Epix watches a bit. For more information, check out our guide to the best Garmin watches.
Coros Apex 4 for $429: Coros is the king of affordable watches for athletes (and women), and the Apex 4 is the company’s alpine watch that Kilian Jornet recently used in his States of Elevation project. Battery life lasts forever. It has five specialized climbing modes and vertical GPS, and can automatically detect climbing routes. I love this watch for climbing.
Fitbit Charge 6 for $100: This tracker has been our overall top pick for over a year, and it’s still the best and most cost-effective way to use Fitbit’s premium health tracking software. However, it was launched in 2023 and has become a bit long.
Coros Nomad for $349: Coros also has an angler-specific sports watch with sports modes for fishing. A new feature called Adventure Journal also lets you record voice memos and pinpoint locations while you walk and run so you can remember where bathrooms, campsites, or really cool berry picking spots are.
Apple Watch Ultra 2, $699: I no longer recommended the Watch Ultra 2 last year because the greatly extended battery life (up to 42 hours from 36) plus satellite communications is reason enough for any outsider to get the Watch Ultra 3. You definitely shouldn’t buy it at full price. But it is He is It’s compatible with WatchOS 26, so if you can find it on sale, I won’t think you’re stupid to buy it.
Garmin Venu X1, $800: Garmin’s Venu line extends to a strange place. It has a polymer case, a nylon strap, and a huge 2-inch AMOLED display, which is great for viewing built-in maps. It has speakers and a microphone for taking calls, and a lot of the Fenix’s fitness functionality, but without the sleek, durable metal frame or crazy battery life. It works fine. It’s hard to look at it and not think that it’s plastic and that it costs twice as much as an Apple Watch.
Photo: Julian Chocato
OnePlus 3 watch for $300: My kingdom for a smart watch that lasts more than a day! The OnePlus Watch 3 (9/10, WIRED recommends) can last for five days on a single charge. OnePlus now includes many of the current standard health features, such as fall detection, a skin temperature sensor, irregular heart rate notifications, and an electrocardiogram. This is another great choice if you want a smartwatch that’s also a good fitness tracker.
Suunto Run for $249: I love how light and thin this watch is (36 grams), especially on the Lime watch which is now sold out. It has a bright AMOLED display, up to two weeks of battery life, and dual-frequency microsatellites. But Suunto’s software is old and difficult to navigate when compared to Garmin, Coros, or Apple’s software. Offline maps are also not supported.
Amazfit Bip 6 for $80: Amazfit trackers are improving very quickly! Like the Active 2, the Bip 6 is a great little watch, with a gorgeous, large, responsive AMOLED display, over a week of battery life, and 140 sports modes. I still find the tracker and Zepp app laughably inaccurate at times, but it’s cheap, convenient, and works well. However, for just $20 more, I’d get the Active 2 instead.
Xiaomi Smart Band 9 for $60: I was shocked at how much I liked this small, affordable fitness band. The 1,200-nit display is clear and bright, and the touchscreen is responsive. The aluminum case feels sturdy, and it tracks your steps and heart rate with reasonable accuracy. However, there’s no comparison between the user experience of Mi Fitness and Fitbit, especially at this price. (yet.)
Photo: Julian Chocato
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra, $380: Your eyes did not deceive you. Samsung’s Galaxy Watch Ultra (7/10, WIRED review) is a direct clone of the Apple Watch Ultra, but for Samsung phone owners. It even has the Quick Button (which Apple calls the Action Button) and the Double Pinch feature (which Apple calls Double Tap). The Apple Watch is better, with more sports, a better interface, and better overall algorithms like Training Load and Vitals. However, what Galaxy Watch Ultra He doesIt works well, and Samsung has the resources to catch up quickly. It has a sapphire glass face of up to 10 ATM, an IP68 rating, and can withstand altitudes of up to 9,000 meters (about 3,000 feet) and temperatures of up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. It also has outback navigation, dual-band GPS, a compass, and navigation, which Samsung calls Track Back and which Apple calls Backtrack (this is getting ridiculous). Battery life is still only enough for a couple of days and changing. This is the 2025 model, which added more storage and a new color, but you can buy the 2024 model for less.
Buyer beware
Evie Movano ring, $269: Evi announced an upgraded version of Movano, with an AI chatbot trained in the medical journal and improved sleep and heart rate tracking. I tested it out and unfortunately didn’t find enough of a display to overturn my previous review (4/10, WIRED review). The smart ring market has expanded significantly since then, and many of the new rings clearly feature female-centric features. It simply doesn’t offer enough features to be an attractive product at the moment.
Nowatch B for $399: This beautiful tracker aims to measure your stress responses every minute. Unfortunately, this consumes a lot of battery power; You have to charge it for three hours and recharge it every two days. This is ironic, especially since the Fitbit monitors your stress level relatively quickly. We’ve been in contact with Nowatch and will retest once the company improves its algorithm.
Amazfit T-Rex 3 for $280, Amazfit Helio Ring for $200, Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro for $400: We tried everything across the Amazfit lineup, including the smart ring. I have nothing to complain about in terms of build quality – balance is a con for the Samsung Galaxy Watch if you’re not looking hard – and WIRED reviewer Simon Hill and I found functionality somewhat limited. Reviewer Brent Rose also found the T-Rex 3 Pro to be a very poor dupe of the Garmin Fenix 8. The Active 2 is the only Amazfit watch I like now.
Compare the 14 best fitness trackers
Frequently asked questions
Fitness tracker vs smart watch
The categories can overlap greatly, but fitness trackers, as we consider them here, have a good focus on health. I’m less concerned with whether a fitness tracker can replicate every feature on your smartphone than I am with whether the health feature set is robust and accurate; If it can track multiple activities; And if it remains stable and secure while doing multiple fitness activities. We also include non-wrist wearable fitness trackers, which include Whoop, smart rings, heart rate monitors, and blood sugar monitors.
Some wrist-based fitness trackers have the ability to read emails and control music, but the screens are often smaller and less bright. However, battery life is often much better, which makes a difference, especially if you track your sleep over time. However, if you’re more interested in the option of accessing apps without having to pull out your phone, you may want to consider purchasing a smartwatch. (If you don’t want any notifications at all, get a smart ring instead.) Don’t see anything here that perfectly suits your style? Check out our guide to the best smartwatches.
My tracker is not working! What should I do?
Here are some ways you can easily treat what ails you (or your device):
- Make sure it fits. The optical sensors will not work if your device slides loosely around your wrist. You can customize most devices with new bars. Make sure it is securely fastened one inch above your wrist.
- Wash it! I’m horrified by the number of people who tell me that their fitness trackers give them wrist rashes. Wipe it down with a little dish soap and water after your sweat session.
- Get out from under the cover of the tree. Does your device use multiple satellite positioning systems to track your location when you start exercising outdoors? This is much harder to do if you are under power lines, trees, or even (gulp) indoors.
- Establish a routine. There’s nothing quite as frustrating as opening your tracking app and finding out the battery ran out before you went to bed last night. Keep your app updated regularly. Check if your tracker is connected to your phone, and keep chargers everywhere.
A study published in December 2024 found that many smart watch wristbands contained high levels of PFHxA, a “permanent chemical” that can affect the immune system, thyroid, kidneys, and reproductive system. How do you know if your band contains PFHxA?
- Check if the belt says it is made of “fluororubber.” Fluorinated synthetic rubber is the material with the highest levels of PFHxA.
- Check if the company has tested its products. For example, Garmin watches do not contain PFAS.
- If you’re not sure, most trackers let you replace bands made of silicone, metal, leather, or other materials. Companies often have their own accessories; If you need some ideas on what to look for, check out our guide to the best Apple Watch accessories.
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