The best fitness trackers reviewed (2023)

We've been reviewing the best fitness trackers to help you follow your exercise regime

Closeup of fitness trackers on a woman's wrist

by Chris Williams |
Updated on

The most telling thing about the success of fitness trackers is that we’ve stopped calling them ‘trackers’ and mostly just call them ‘my watch’.

Sleek, affordable and capable of integrating with other devices and platforms to dazzling effect, fitness trackers strive to be your motivational buddy, your step counter, your coach and your cheerleader.

Compared to the pithy digital watch of only a few years ago, the fitness tracker is a wonder. Depending on specification, they can command your phone to play music through your headphones, set and adjust your fitness goals, monitor your sleep patterns and read your messages.

Sales soared over lockdowns as we yearned for fitness and freedom. Now they’re as much a part of life as posh coffee or a streaming binge. Truth be told, they’ve all reached a fairly standardised level of reliability now, so it’s mostly a matter of price, specification, aesthetics and connectivity.

We’ve taken the industry's front runners and looked at what they offer, and how well they cater to a walker's or trail runner's needs.

picture on a watch worn by a runner
Credit: Kamil S

Our shortlist

Fitbit Charge 5 – Best in Test

Amazfit Band 7 – Best Value

Garmin Vivosmart 5 – Best for ruggedness

Huawei Band 7 – Best for simplicity

Fitbit Versa 3 – Recommended

Fitbit Sense 2 – Recommended

The best fitness trackers

Best in Test

Fitbit Charge 5

Rrp: £169.99

Price: £118.39
Alternative retailers
OnBuy.com£85.00View offer
Argos£129.00View offer
Currys£129.00View offer
Jacamo£129.99View offer

Description

Fitbit nailed the art and science of the friendly, encouraging, motivational tracker years ago,

Pros

  • Up to 7 days of battery
  • Water-resistant

Cons

  • The “keep it up!” messages can be irritating

Best Value

Amazfit Band 7

Rrp: £49.90

Price: £49.90
Alternative retailers
Box.co.uk£54.99View offer
Jacamo£55.00View offer
JD Williams£55.00View offer

Description

Amazfit specialises in high-spec devices at bargain bin prices. The Band 5 easily rivals the

Pros

  • Great value
  • Long battery life
  • Amazon Alexa built-in

Cons

  • Lacks quality of more expensive rivals

Best for ruggedness

Garmin Vivosmart 5

Rrp: £129.99

Price: £109.00
Alternative retailers
Currys£124.00View offer
Boots£129.99View offer

Description

From the off, the Vivosmart 5 felt more dedicated to rugged outdoor use than its peers, thanks to

Pros

  • Tough
  • Feature-rich
  • Easy to use

Cons

  • Slightly fussy app

Best for simplicity

Description

There’s plenty to like about the Huawei Band 7. It’s clear, straightforward, accurate and fun,

Pros

  • Good lifestyle functions
  • Accurate
  • Easy and intuitive to use

Cons

  • No GPS
  • Feels a bit fragile

Recommended

fitbit versa 3

Rrp: £199.99

Price: £149.00

Description

A Fitbit favourite, the Fitbit Versa 3 is one of those comprehensive fitness trackers you know

Pros

  • Huge array of health and wellbeing features
  • Good battery life
  • Mix of sport and lifestyle features

Recommended

Fitbit Sense 2

Rrp: £269.99

Price: £179.00
Alternative retailers
OnBuy.com£86.33View offer
Currys£144.00View offer
JD Williams£149.99View offer
Jacamo£149.99View offer

Description

The Fitbit Sense 2 joins a long line of popular fitness trackers from Fitbit. It's got all the

Pros

  • Good wellbeing tracking features
  • Great battery
  • Comes with 6-month premium membership

Cons

  • Less affordable than comparable options

Key features to look for in a fitness tracker

two fitness watches on a table
Credit: Andreas Urena

GPS: Not many fitness trackers come with built-in GPS. It's a real bonus point if they do. Some can offer GPS tracking via smartphone connectivity as an alternative.

App connectivity: Fitness trackers have their own-brand apps, but you'll also want to check if you can also integrate other fitness apps too, such as Strava.

Battery life: The longer the better, naturally. When brands give an average battery life figure, it pays to check what the criteria are because it's often a very optimistic result.

Waterproofing: The standard waterproofing for fitness trackers is water resistant down to 50 metres (5ATM). But some vary, so it's a feature to check.

Screen size: There's a balance to be had here. Bigger screens offer better ease of use, but too big and the fitness tracker becomes bulky. This is subjective thing, because peoples' wrists are different sizes.

Toughness: This largely relates to the materials used. For example, a silicone strap offers better flexibility and therefore durability and longevity than a TPU one.

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