Can wearable tech change your life?
Fitness trackers have been proven to boost both your activity and motivation in your favourite sport by allowing you to hit your goals and monitoring where you can still improve.
Plus, they’re a lot cheaper than a personal trainer. We’ve tested out ten of the best gadgets and gizmos that monitor your fitness, heart rate and overall wellness – these handy watches and chest straps will help you stay happy and healthy on the go.
What’s in a name?
While the terms ‘fitness tracker’ and ‘smartwatch’ are often used interchangeably, the main difference is that fitness trackers usually feed your workout and health data into an app, and don’t have interactive screens, while a smartwatch will show you your stats in real-time on an interactive menu. Fitness trackers are more streamlined and simple in design, tend to have a longer battery life and are often more affordable than smartwatches. They also don’t necessarily need to be worn on your wrist – we’ve included running insoles and even a sleep tracking mat in our list of the best trackers around.
Key features to look out for in a fitness tracker:
Fitness
If sport is a key part of your life, a fitness tracker is the perfect way to monitor your progress in your chosen discipline. When shopping for a new fitness tracker, think about what sport you’ll primarily wear it for.
Runners will be in the market for a tracker that measures heart rate, pace and lap time, while cyclists will want a watch that shows cadence and distance covered. Swimmers should pick a fully waterproofed tracker, while hikers and skiers heading out for long trips outdoors should choose a tracker with good battery life.
Health
Most of us keep an eye on our healthy habits even when we aren’t working out, and a wrist-worn fitness tracker can help here, too. Many models will track your sleep patterns and step count, monitor your breathing and even keep track of your menstrual cycle, making it easier to feel well on the go or during a busy day at work.
Get the right fit and style
Most wearable fitness trackers are designed to fit on your wrist, watch-style, or strap snugly to your chest. Chest strap trackers will monitor heart rate more accurately, while wrist trackers are ideal for more casual all-day use, and also mean you can access some data on the go.
Fitness trackers, unlike chunky smartwatches, tend to be slim and unobtrusive, and are designed to be comfortable and lightweight to wear while you work out. If you’re after something sporty that’s also stylish, some brands, such as Fitbit and Polar, make bright, interchangeable straps for many of their models.
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Polar Pacer Watch
If your main passion is running, the Pacer is here to keep up. This running-specific GPS watch is packed with specialised programmes and matches up with the Polar Flow app to record your training sessions and show you data as you progress.
The Pacer is ideal if you’re just getting into running and aren’t sure where to start – a built-in walking test will analyse your aerobic fitness from the get-go, and then personalise running workouts for your ability level.
The silicone band and lightweight watch face make this a comfortable choice you won’t notice you’re wearing while you jog.
Buy now £169.50, Polar
Wahoo Tickr X Chest Strap
Keep it simple with Wahoo’s effective Tickr X, a chest strap heart rate monitor that accurately tracks your heart rate on the sweatiest and speediest of runs or cycles, and then stores your data safely even if you don’t have your phone handy.
Once you do have your device, the Wahoo Fitness app will show you your cadence and calories burned from each workout. On test we liked the Running Smoothness function, which measures different variables to help you hone your efficiency over time.
Buy now £64.99, Wiggle
Myzone MZ-Switch Heart Rate Monitor
Did you know that the accuracy of your heart rate monitor can be affected by the workout you’re doing? Myzone’s MZ Switch eliminates any possible inaccuracies when you switch disciplines as this clever tracker is designed to be worn comfortably three ways.
Pop it on your wrist or arm or for lower intensity workouts such as walking, and on your chest for an accurate reading on fast-paced workouts. The monitor is waterproof and swimming-friendly, measures calorie burn and has a massive six-month battery life.
Buy now £139.99, Amazon
Huawei Band 4 Watch
Most wearable tech comes with a hefty price tag – but if you’re on a budget, you can still get a comfortable and reliable little tracker for under £20. Huawei’s Band 4 is simple to use, comfy to wear on your wrist and accurately tracks your heart rate. It also records running stats and shows notifications from an Android smartphone when you’re on the go.
The Band 4 is also water-resistant enough to wear in the pool, so you can keep up with swimming stats. Our top pick if you’re getting into beginner triathlon – or if you’re watching the pennies.
Buy now £19.00, AO
Karoo Hammerhead 2 Cycling Computer and Heart Rate Monitor
Cyclists can feel even more in touch with their two-wheeled workouts by firing up the Karoo Hammerhead 2, a quality cycling computer that doubles up as a fitness tracker when used with the Hammerhead Heart Monitor (£53).
The wide screen shows easy-to-follow navigation as well as tracking your stats, distance and speed, and you can also pick structured workouts to follow. The Hammerhead 2 is compatible with apps such as Komoot and Strava, so you can plan routes and see past adventures. Ideal for dedicated cyclists who don’t want to double up on their tracking tech.
Buy now £359.00, Wiggle
Fitbit Luxe Watch
Sporty trackers aren’t usually that exciting to look at – well, they weren’t until Fitbit brought out their very snazzy new Luxe, where fitness trackers meet jewellery. A fitness and wellness tracker with design-led straps (we like this limited-edition bracelet style), the Luxe is the perfect tracker to wear all day from work to gym and to track your workout and your downtime. The Luxe can monitor sleep patterns, heart rate, breathing rate and even stress levels. A great all-rounder.
Buy now £99.00, John Lewis
Nurvv Run Insoles
Pound the pavements or tackle the trails and get insights into your running performance as you go with Nurvv’s clever insoles. Just pop these comfortable insoles in your favourite trainers and they’ll feed back pace, distance and cadence, then analyse your data to suggest how and where to improve.
There are a few downsides to the Nurvvs – they’re expensive, and they only have a battery life of a scant five hours. Casual joggers will get on better with a wearable watch fitness tracker, but serious runners and athletes may find that Nurvv helps them perform to a whole new level.
Buy now £99.00, Amazon
Fitbit Charge 5 Watch
One tracker to rule them all? If you’re more of an all-rounder than a dedicated athlete when it comes to sport and you like to mix your workouts up, you’ll need a fitness tracker that can keep up with any adventure.
Our favourite on test was Fitbit’s ever-popular Charge 5, which we found intuitive to use and comfortable to wear on daily runs, hikes, cycles and swims. The Charge happily tracks your workouts, monitors heart rate and has 20 exercise modes to choose from. You can also easily swap from a sporty silicone band to a leather or woven band when you’re back in the office after exercise.
Buy now £107.99, Amazon
Garmin Lily Watch
If you’re as focused on wellness as you are on sport and you like the idea of a fitness tracker you can wear all day, every day, Garmin’s pretty Lily might be your perfect match. This watch-style tracker is small, lightweight and comfy to wear, and it looks smart, with different neutral-toned watch straps to choose from and an eye-catching patterned face.
The Lily is packed with useful features including a heart rate monitor, stress level tracking and sleep monitoring, and it can also track your menstrual cycle and stages of pregnancy. The Lily is also waterproof enough to take swimming or to the spa.
Buy now £159.99, Amazon
Withings Sleep Analyzer Mat
A fitness tracker that’s two foot long? Withings’ Sleep Analyzer Mat is all about the science of sleep, measuring in-depth data and delivering a report to your phone in time for the morning. Whether you suffer from sleep apnea or just want to get a handle on a better night’s kip, this mat faithfully tracks your heart rate, movement and sleep cycles and syncs to your phone (including Apple Health app). A good way to improve your rest without having to resort to fiddly wearable devices.
Buy now £119.95, Amazon
