One of the best health trackers and watches for 2024

Health trackers have come a good distance from the straightforward bands that tracked steps and little else. Fashionable trackers can monitor every part out of your coronary heart well being to how nicely you’ve recovered from a tough bout of coaching. Even flagship smartwatches, which was once lackluster trackers, have turn out to be fairly adept exercise companions. No matter your health objectives are, there’s most likely a health tracker that may assist you obtain them.

In comparison with another devices, wearables are extremely private, which suggests there are a couple of additional concerns you’ll need to bear in mind earlier than reaching on your pockets. It makes it onerous to say that anyone health tracker is one of the best for everybody. Fortunately, one of the best factor about health trackers in 2024 is that there’s sufficient selection to suit into each sort of way of life. 

Proper now, we’re heading into the vacation purchasing season. Just a little persistence goes a good distance this time of 12 months. Retailers and firms alike shall be making an attempt to eliminate outdated inventory, that means reductions galore forward of Black Friday. Should you don’t want the most recent and best, it’s a very good time to snag final 12 months’s fashions in nicer supplies.

Dimension: 46mm w/ 22mm straps / Weight: 34g / Battery life: As much as 14 days / Show sort: OLED touchscreen / GPS: Twin-frequency and 6 GNSS methods / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 2.3GB

The Amazfit GTR 4 punches method above its weight. It features a complete array of options you’d anticipate to see on a lot pricier wearables, like a brilliant OLED display screen, blood oxygen monitoring, sleep stage monitoring, stress monitoring, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and an offline digital assistant. It’s additionally received a local digital camera distant and a helpful Pomodoro timer in-built. And for outside health fans, the GTR 4 additionally has multiband GPS for extra correct GPS monitoring in difficult environments. You’ll be able to even import GPX routes from websites like Strava and Komoot. The GTR 4 takes a extra holistic method to well being, buying and selling in steps for PAI factors to gauge whether or not you’re getting the really useful 150 minutes of average exercise per week.

For sensible options, the GTR 4 has all of the fundamentals: push notifications, fast textual content replies on Android, alarms, timers, and the power to make and take calls over Bluetooth. The one factor the GTR 4 is absolutely lacking is contactless funds, but it surely greater than makes up for it, given the expansive function set and battery life. It lasts about 10–14 days on a single cost with regular use and a couple of week with heavy utilization. It could not have the model recognition of a Fitbit, however since Google nerfed each the Versa 4 and Sense 2, you would possibly wish to overlook that. Plus, the GTR 4 doesn’t have thick bezels like both of these watches. Watchfaces on the OLED show are crisp, and animations are clean. When you think about that Amazfit watches are sometimes on sale, it’s a no brainer.

Learn my full evaluate of the Amazfit GTR 4 right here.

Sizes: 40mm w/ 20mm straps / Weight: 38g / Battery life: As much as 11 days / Show sort: OLED touchscreen / GPS: All-systems GNSS / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 4GB (for Music Version)

The $250 Garmin Venu Sq 2 is the watch I like to recommend for anybody seeking to substitute their growing old Fitbit Versa 2, 3, or 4. It’s received an analogous look and vibe, with a a lot nicer OLED show and longer battery life.

Garmin is understood for its complete health monitoring, and that’s not an exception right here. After all, you get the fundamentals, like steps and energy burned, however you get a complete lot extra, too. There’s built-in GPS for monitoring walks, runs, and bike rides, in addition to loads of different sports activities profiles like yoga and energy coaching. For sensible options, you get push notifications, timers, contactless funds, and a bunch of security options like Garmin’s Incident Detection, which is its tackle fall detection. (You will have to hold your cellphone with you, nevertheless, as this doesn’t have LTE.)

If you need the choice of onboard music, you possibly can shell out $50 additional for the Music Version, which comes with sufficient storage for about 500 songs. I wouldn’t advocate it, nevertheless, as you’ll almost certainly have your cellphone on you since this isn’t a real standalone watch.

What I like most about this watch, nevertheless, is it’s one you can develop with. On prime of restoration metrics and sleep monitoring, it additionally has Garmin Coach — a built-in, free coaching program for newbie and intermediate-level runners hoping to sort out a 5K, 10K, or half marathon. For well being monitoring, you possibly can monitor coronary heart price, blood oxygen, depth minutes (what number of minutes of average train you get per week), stress, hydration, respiratory price, and menstrual cycles. And one of the best half is Garmin doesn’t lock any of this behind a paywall.

One observe: there’s a Venu 3, which provides a more recent coronary heart price sensor and nap detection. I preferred it fairly a bit, and it ticks off loads of the suitable bins — aside from worth. It’s $450, which places it exterior what I’d take into account splendid for informal customers. The opposite choice is Garmin’s Forerunner 165 — it’s a $249 finances coaching watch that’s fairly just like the Venu Sq 2 feature-wise, albeit with a sportier vibe. Mainly, go together with what you discover on sale. I firmly consider older fashions are nonetheless a good selection if all you need is the fitness-tracking fundamentals. That is very true since newer software program updates usually make their approach to older Garmins. Garmin customers additionally have a tendency to hold onto their units for a very good whereas. Strava’s 2023 year-end survey discovered that the preferred smartwatch amongst its customers was an eight-year-old Garmin!

Learn my full evaluate of the Garmin Venu Sq 2.

Sizes: 7S Professional: 42mm w/ 20mm straps; 7: 47mm w/ 22mm straps; 7X: 51mm w/ 26mm straps / Weight: 7S Professional: 63g (Photo voltaic), 58g or 65g (Sapphire Photo voltaic, titanium or chrome steel); 7: 79g (Photo voltaic), 73g (Sapphire Photo voltaic); 7X: 96g (Photo voltaic), 89g (Sapphire Photo voltaic) / Battery life: 7S: as much as 11 days, 14 w/ Photo voltaic; 7: as much as 18 days, 22 days w/ photo voltaic; 7X: as much as 28 days, 37 w/ photo voltaic / Show sort: MIP touchscreen / GPS: All-systems GNSS and dual-frequency GPS / Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 10ATM / Music storage: As much as 32GB

Garmin’s flagship Fenix 7 sequence isn’t any joke, and the Fenix 7 Professional lineup takes it up a notch. It’s received built-in multiband GPS, photo voltaic charging on all fashions, the choice of touchscreen or button navigation, topographical maps, and oodles upon oodles of knowledge. Plus, each Fenix 7 Professional mannequin has a hands-free LED flashlight, an upgraded coronary heart price sensor, and an improved memory-in-pixel show that’s barely simpler to learn in low lighting.

Garmin wearables are additionally identified for offering intensive in-depth metrics, and the Fenix 7 Professional lineup isn’t any exception. You get wonderful restoration metrics in addition to useful coaching guides and training packages. One of the best half is that Garmin doesn’t cost additional for these options. That’s excellent news, as these are costly watches.

I admire how shortly these Fenix 7 watches can choose up a GPS sign. That’s a should in the event you’re coaching within the useless of winter. These watches may take a beating. All fashions are constructed to military-grade requirements and have as much as 10ATM of water resistance. Meaning they’re greater than able to a dunk within the ocean.

Though the display screen is brighter, MIP shows nonetheless aren’t my absolute favourite — the OLED on the Garmin Epix 2 and the Epix Professional are a lot simpler on the eyes. It’s admittedly robust to choose between the Fenix 7, Fenix 7 Professional, Epix 2, and Epix Professional lineups — particularly now that the Epix Professional additionally has nice battery life, the LED flashlight, and now is available in a number of sizes. What it boils right down to is whether or not you prioritize a brighter show, longer battery life, or worth.

Personally, I choose the Epix Professional for higher readability, however the Fenix 7 Professional is the higher alternative if that is your first introduction to Garmin’s platform. You’ll get higher battery life, the identical LED flashlight, all the identical coaching options, and a decrease beginning worth. (You too can try our Garmin shopping for information in the event you’d like much more options.)

Technically, there’s a new Fenix 8 sequence on the block. That mentioned, I nonetheless suppose the usual Fenix 7 or 7 Professional lineup is the higher total worth. The Fenix 8 provides diving options and voice assistant capabilities, but it surely additionally ups the usual Fenix 7’s beginning worth of $650 by a further $350. That’s robust to swallow, particularly since vacation season is upon us and retailers might supply reductions on older fashions to eliminate present stock.

Learn my full evaluate of the Garmin Fenix 7S Professional.

Sizes: 12 proprietary sizes, 4–15, sizing package wanted / Weight: 4–6g (will depend on dimension) / Battery life: As much as seven days / Show sort: None / GPS: None / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: As much as 328 ft / Music storage: None

The overwhelming majority of health trackers are worn on the wrist, however the $349 Oura Ring isn’t. The sensible ring is an efficient choice for people who find themselves searching for one thing a little bit extra discreet. It’s additionally much less distracting than another wrist-based choices, because it lacks a display screen and doesn’t mirror push notifications out of your cellphone. 

The brand new Oura Ring 4 isn’t functionally that a lot completely different from the earlier Gen 3. It’s slimmer, contains a new all-titanium design, has improved battery life, and has a brand new sensor algorithm that Oura says is extra correct. Not one of the new software program options are gatekept to the Ring 4, so Gen 3 homeowners shouldn’t really feel the necessity to improve until their ring not lasts greater than two days on a single cost. That mentioned, the fourth-gen ring has an expanded dimension vary spanning from 4 to fifteen. Should you felt your Gen 3 was a bit cosy or couldn’t discover a dimension that match proper, you could have a greater choice now.

Whereas smaller than your common wearable, the Oura Ring nonetheless tracks a ton of metrics, together with coronary heart price variability, physique temperature, blood oxygen, all-day coronary heart price monitoring, and cycle monitoring. Since launching, the Oura Ring has additionally added exercise monitoring, blood oxygen ranges, chronotypes to assist visualize your circadian rhythms, a social function known as Circles, improved stress monitoring, cardiovascular age and capability metrics, and even an AI chatbot (in beta). It’s additionally rolled out a brand new sleep levels algorithm that it claims is extra correct than earlier than. The app has additionally been fully revamped to raised manage all these new options and metrics.

The Oura Ring tracks typical metrics — reminiscent of steps and energy burned —  however its primary focus is sleep and restoration. Every day, you’re given three units of scores on your readiness, sleep, and exercise. It’s a easy, holistic take a look at your total wellness and a perfect choose in order for you a extra hands-off expertise together with your knowledge.

Should you’ve received a Samsung Galaxy Watch, chances are you’ll wish to take into account the $399.99 Galaxy Ring. It’s a bit costlier than the bottom Oura Ring, but it surely doesn’t include a subscription, and also you get significantly better battery life when used with the Galaxy Watch. The {hardware} can also be wonderful, particularly the charging case. That mentioned, that is solely an choice for Android customers, and even then, you don’t unlock its full potential until you’ve received different Samsung gear. I additionally advocate the Ultrahuman Ring Air for people who don’t like the concept of Oura’s month-to-month subscription.

You’ll be able to learn my experiences with a bunch of different sensible rings, however proper now, the Oura Ring is probably the most polished with one of the best total expertise. Should you don’t thoughts a last-gen mannequin, my professional tip is to get the Gen 3. Oura shall be seeking to eliminate stock, so it’s possible you’ll have the ability to snag a very good low cost whereas provides final.

Learn my full evaluate of the Oura Ring 4.

Dimension: 42mm x 24mm x 12.2mm with 16mm straps / Weight: 28g / Battery life: As much as 18 days / Show sort: OLED / GPS: Tethered / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: None

It’s really onerous to beat the Amazfit Band 7’s $49.99 worth — doubly so since you possibly can usually discover it on sale for even much less. Carrying the Band 7 seems like a throwback to 2014, which is nice if all you’re searching for is an easy and informal tracker that gained’t break the financial institution.

Nobody goes to go with you on the Band 7’s design, but it surely’s received a handful of cute watchfaces that make good use of its OLED touchscreen. And regardless of having an OLED show, you’ll nonetheless get roughly 14 days of battery life on a single cost. It’s additionally extremely light-weight, making it a very good choice for sleep monitoring as nicely.

You additionally get an absurd variety of options for the value. That features Amazon Alexa, steady coronary heart price monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring, stress monitoring, superior sleep monitoring, coaching metrics like VO2 max and cargo, irregular coronary heart price alerts, menstrual monitoring, push notifications, discover my cellphone, a digital camera distant, and even a Pomodoro timer. You’re sacrificing contactless funds and must accept tethered GPS, however it is a honest tradeoff contemplating every part else you’re getting. It’s not the best choice for hardcore health monitoring, however it is a nice choice if all you’re seeking to do is casually observe exercise and your steps.

Amazfit’s been making surprisingly good finances trackers for some time. That mentioned, in the event you’re a little bit cautious of a lesser-known model, the $159.95 Fitbit Cost 6 is a good different. It’s pricier, however you get loads of what Amazfit is lacking. That features Google companies like YouTube Music, Google Pockets, and Google Maps. Plus, it has built-in GPS and the power to broadcast your coronary heart price with some Bluetooth-compatible gymnasium gear.

Learn my full evaluate of the Amazfit Band 7.

Sizes: 37mm with 18mm straps / Weight: 45g / Battery life: As much as 39 days / Show sort:  OLED show / GPS: Tethered GPS / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: N/A

The $249.95 Withings ScanWatch Mild is a fetching hybrid analog smartwatch. Consider it as a dressier health band with some Swatch-like design sensibilities. It’s received all of your fundamentals like easy push notifications, timers, and alarms. Plus, you possibly can observe steps, sleep, menstrual cycles, and GPS actions straight from the wrist. It appears to be like spiffy on the wrist, and in the event you like a pop of coloration, Withings affords minty inexperienced and pale blue coloration choices. It’s additionally received wonderful battery life, with an estimated 30 days on a single cost. I received rather less in testing at round 25 days, however that’s nonetheless significantly better than the overwhelming majority of flagship smartwatches. This additionally appears to be like far more fashionable than beefier multisport watches with comparable battery life.

As its title suggests, the Mild is a pared-down model of the $349.95 ScanWatch 2. The primary belongings you’re lacking are an EKG sensor for atrial fibrillation detection, a temperature sensor, blood oxygen monitoring, and an altimeter for monitoring elevation. For fundamental health monitoring, you don’t actually need these sensors. That’s why I believe the additional $100 in financial savings is value it for the Mild, particularly since each are missing in security options, contactless funds, and another bells and whistles you may get from different watches within the $350 worth vary. That mentioned, in order for you extras, the ScanWatch 2 additionally will get you a barely extra elegant look due to the second step-counter dial.

An alternative choice I like is the $179.99 Garmin Vivomove Sport, which truly dominated this class up to now few years. It’s onerous to beat the value, particularly because it will get you entry to Garmin’s platform. Nevertheless, Garmin’s “hidden” OLED show can get washed out in brilliant lighting, and battery life was considerably shorter than different hybrid analog watches at round 5 days. Nonetheless, in the event you’d quite a platform with a deal with health quite than wellness, the Vivomove Sport often is the higher transfer over a Withings watch.

Learn my full evaluate of the Withings ScanWatch 2 and Mild.

Sizes: 42mm, 46mm / Weight: 29.3g (42mm), 35.3g (46mm) / Battery life: As much as 18 hours / Show sort: All the time-on LTPO OLED / GPS: Constructed-in GPS, plus GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, Beidou / Connectivity: LTE (optionally available), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: As much as 50 meters / Music storage: 32GB

Should you’re searching for a smartwatch that does health nicely, then iPhone homeowners have to look no additional than the $399 Apple Watch Collection 10. (The LTE model prices $50 extra.) That is one other 12 months of iterative updates, however the Collection 10 is a way more snug watch than in years previous. It’s thinner and lighter, plus there’s a bigger show. Should you’ve received a Collection 5 or older, now is an efficient time to improve.

With watchOS 11, there’s a brand new suite of coaching options. There’s Coaching Load, which provides you better perception into how intensely you’ve been understanding the previous week in comparison with the final 28 days. There’s additionally a brand new Vitals app that flags when key metrics, like sleep length or coronary heart price, could also be out of whack. Plus, you possibly can lastly pause your rings for relaxation days. The software program replace additionally brings some savvy updates to the Good Stack. For instance, in the event you’re in a loud cafe questioning what track’s enjoying, the Good Stack can now floor the Shazaam widget. It additionally now helps Stay Actions, turning your wrist right into a mini Dynamic Island. Well being-wise, we additionally now have FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection.

After all, we even have to deal with the Apple Watch ban. As of January 18th, 2024, new Apple Watches offered within the US have the blood oxygen function disabled as a result of an ongoing patent battle with medical machine maker Masimo. This isn’t an enormous deal for most individuals, as this function isn’t that helpful for most individuals but, and the brand new sleep apnea function solely makes use of the accelerometer quite than the blood oxygen sensor. You would possibly wish to take into account a refurbished Collection 7 or 8 if blood oxygen sensing is vital to you, nevertheless.

Should you’re a first-time purchaser, it’s also possible to go for the second-gen Apple Watch SE. It’s barely cheaper at $249, and when you don’t get as many options, it’s a very good introduction to the ecosystem. In any other case, in the event you’re the kind of athlete who covets a Garmin, you may additionally wish to take into account splurging on the Apple Watch Extremely 2. It’s costlier at $799, but it surely does have the brightest display screen of any Apple Watch, comes with dual-frequency GPS, has diving and climbing security options, and is made from extra sturdy supplies. There’s additionally a fetching new black coloration.

Learn my full evaluate of the Apple Watch Collection 10.

Sizes: 47mm / Weight: 60.5g / Battery life: As much as 100 hours / Show sort: All the time-on OLED / GPS: Constructed-in GPS / Connectivity: LTE (optionally available), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 10ATM, IP68 / Music storage: 32GB

In truth, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely left me a bit disenchanted after reviewing it — not as a result of it’s a foul piece of {hardware}, however as a result of it copies a bit an excessive amount of from Apple. Even so, that is probably the most full-featured health smartwatch a Samsung cellphone proprietor can purchase.

Whereas I choose the Galaxy Watch 7 myself, I can’t say it’s one of the best for health monitoring. There was an excessive amount of of a spot between it and the Extremely in my testing so far as accuracy, particularly for GPS monitoring. However what actually sealed the deal for me was the distinction in battery life. It’s merely evening and day, and the Galaxy Watch 7 actually struggled on this enviornment. (The gaps are a lot much less egregious between the bottom Apple Watch and Extremely 2.)

The caveat is, if all you need is informal health monitoring, the Galaxy Watch 7 is the higher alternative for wearability. It’s simply extra snug for sleep monitoring and lighter total. Simply bear in mind it lacks the Extremely’s emergency siren and shortcut button, and the display screen doesn’t get fairly as brilliant.

With each watches, you get a sooner processor, a brand new 3-in-1 BioActive Sensor, some AI well being options, and FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection. The newer {hardware} makes for a extra futureproof buy, however I discovered the AI well being options to be hit-or-miss in observe. As all the time, some options, like EKGs and sleep apnea detection, are restricted to Samsung homeowners. That makes this difficult to wholeheartedly advocate this to non-Samsung Android customers.

But when the Extremely doesn’t float your boat, now is an efficient time to search out the Galaxy Watch 6 sequence, notably the bottom fashions, on sale. The bottom Galaxy Watch 7 might have newer {hardware}, however so far as precise use goes, it’s not a large replace over final 12 months. And in the event you’re right into a bodily rotating bezel, simply go forward and snag a Galaxy Watch 6 Basic.

Learn my full evaluate of the Samsung Galaxy Watch Extremely.

Sizes: 41mm, 45mm / Weight: 31g / Battery life: As much as 24 hours / Show sort: All the time-on OLED / GPS: Constructed-in GPS / Connectivity: LTE (optionally available), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi / Water resistance: 5ATM / Music storage: 32GB

With the Pixel Watch 3, Google is lastly executed enjoying catch-up.

There are really too many updates to name each out individually, however total, they fall into two buckets: refinement and growth. The {hardware} is generally the identical as final 12 months’s Pixel Watch 2 by way of design. Nevertheless, we now have a brighter display screen, smaller bezels, and a brand new 45mm dimension. The bigger dimension is kind of good, particularly in the event you choose bigger screens with out sacrificing wearability.

Battery life can also be higher. There’s a brand new battery-saver mode that kicks in once you hit 15 p.c and the brand new shows are additionally extra energy environment friendly. Plus, bedtime mode is computerized now, in order that helps the watch last more in a single day for sleep monitoring. It’s solely a modest enchancment over the Pixel Watch 2, but it surely’s dramatic in comparison with the unique.

Software program is the place the Pixel Watch 3 makes probably the most updates. There are a ton of recent health and well being options, together with a brand new working dashboard, customized working exercises, and AI-generated exercise ideas. There’s additionally a revamped Day by day Readiness Rating and a brand new Cardio Load metric, which gauges how intensely you’ve been exercising. For European customers, it’s also possible to get the brand new Lack of Pulse function, which calls emergency companies in your behalf if it detects you not have a pulse. Sadly, this isn’t out there stateside, because it hasn’t but obtained FDA clearance.

The Pixel Watch 3 additionally higher integrates with Google companies and the Pixel ecosystem. Now you can view your Nest Doorbell or Digital camera feed straight from the wrist — and it’s fairly helpful in the event you get loads of packages or friends. If in case you have Google TV, you need to use the watch as a distant. Now that the watch has an extremely wideband chip, it could actually additionally now unlock your Pixel cellphone. You too can use the Recorder app to seize audio and ship it straight to your Pixel cellphone.

That mentioned, a few of these options now imply the Pixel Watch works greatest with a Pixel cellphone. Should you’re searching for options to Google and Samsung, the $299.99 OnePlus Watch 2 is a robust different. You’re giving up LTE, but it surely’s a handsome-looking watch with surprisingly lengthy battery life and Google Assistant from the get-go.

Learn my full evaluate of the Google Pixel Watch 3.

Sizes: 43mm by 28mm by 10mm / Weight: 18g / Battery life: 4–5 days / Show sort: None / GPS: None / Connectivity: Bluetooth / Water resistance: As much as 10 meters / Music storage: None

The Whoop 4.0 is just not for the informal fanatic. Not solely does it include an costly month-to-month subscription, however the data it offers is barely helpful in the event you’re actively coaching for a cardio-intensive sport. If energy coaching is your primary type of train, you’re higher off wanting elsewhere. Just like the Oura Ring, it is a distraction-free tracker that focuses on sleep and restoration. The primary distinction is that this has a extra athletic bent. As an illustration, you’ll get far more perception into how a lot pressure you’ve taken on up to now week. 

Whoop additionally offers loads of novel methods to put on its tracker, together with in underwear and arm/knee sleeves. This makes it an interesting choice in the event you’re a kind of unicorns who wants a secondary tracker to complement one other type of health monitoring. Once more, it is a tracker greatest appreciated by individuals who go onerous and aren’t afraid to experiment. Plus, Whoop just lately lowered its subscription costs in sure tiers, so whereas it’s nonetheless costly, it’s not fairly as dear because it was once.

Learn my full evaluate of the Whoop 4.0.

Replace, November sixteenth: Adjusted pricing and availability.