A fitness tracker that withstands water depths, comes in plenty of colors and patterns, and fits more slender wrists could be great for women on the move.
Share on PinterestA quick look at the best fitness trackers for women
- Best overall: Garmin Fenix 7 | Skip to review
- Best budget: Amazfit Band 7 | Skip to review
- Best for iPhone users: Apple Watch Series 8 | Skip to review
- Best multipurpose: Fitbit Sense 2 | Skip to review
- Best for swimming: Garmin Swim 2 | Skip to review
- Best for weightlifting and CrossFit: WHOOP 4.0 Band | Skip to review
- Best for sleep tracking: Oura Ring Gen 3 | Skip to review
- Best for stress management: Fitbit Charge 5 | Skip to review
A fitness tracker can be very beneficial whether you’re looking to upgrade your exercise routine, improve your sleep schedule, or keep tabs on your health.
With so many products on the market, finding a fitness tracker that meets your needs can be challenging.
But plenty of high quality fitness trackers are available, including options for women of all ages and experience levels.
How we chose these fitness trackers
The fitness trackers included in this article were selected based on the following criteria:
- Features: The fitness tracker includes a variety of features, such as heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, menstrual cycle tracking, and smartphone integration.
- Price: These trackers provide a good value for the cost, and we’ve included a range of options to suit a variety of budgets.
- Reviews: Customer reviews for these fitness trackers are mostly positive.
- Vetting: The fitness trackers on our list have been vetted to ensure that they align with Healthline’s brand integrity standards and approach to well-being. You can read more about our vetting process.
Here are 8 of the best fitness trackers for women in 2023.
Healthline’s picks of the best fitness trackers for women
Best overall
Garmin Fenix 7
4.6 (1k+) from Amazon- Battery life: up to 18 days (136 hours with GPS)
- App connectivity: Garmin Connect, Spotify
- Metrics tracked: heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, sleep, steps, calories burned, floors climbed
- Sport modes: 50+, including hiking, climbing, cycling, and strength training
- Price: $699.99
Price may vary.
Healthline's review
The Garmin Fenix 7 is our top choice.
It provides detailed data on your run metrics, including:
- distance
- time
- pace
- cadence
It also tracks your daily activity and estimates your VO2 max — the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise.
What’s more, the watch provides suggested running workouts based on your training performance for the week.
Another helpful feature for runners is the built-in GPS, which tracks your speed, distance, and elevation in real time.
The watch’s maps are clear and easy to read. It also has a “back to start” feature that guides you back to your starting point, which is super helpful if you’re running somewhere new.
The Fenix 7 offers a massively improved battery life of up to 18 days with regular use and 136 hours using GPS. The Solar and Sapphire Solar models add solar charging for even longer battery life.
It has a water rating of 10 ATM, which means it can withstand pressure equivalents of up to 328 feet (ft), or 100 meters (m). While you can take it swimming or snorkeling, the company doesn’t recommend wearing it for scuba diving.
Additional features include:
- heart rate and sleep tracking
- weight and calorie intake tracking
- stress management tools
- music apps
- more than 20 supported exercise activities
- hands-free communication via Bluetooth to answer incoming calls from a paired phone
Solo runners will appreciate the incident detection, which detects falls and sends an automated text to your designated emergency contact to let them know where you are.
The Garmin Fenix 7 series is a solid choice for smaller wrists. The Fenix 7 models vary in band size, wrist circumference, case diameter, and screen size, so anyone should be able to find a size that suits their wrist.
Those with menstrual cycles will appreciate the option to use Garmin Connect to track periods. Y0u can log physical and emotional symptoms each day, which can help you see patterns of hormonal fluctuations each month that may be affecting your sleep or stress levels.
One thing that sets Garmin apart is that the cycle tracking can also be used by those transitioning into menopause.
Available colors: silver with graphite band, slate gray with black band, mineral blue titanium with whitestone band
Pros & cons
- incident detection
- multiband GPS
- strong battery life and fast charging
- difficult to break or scratch
- touch screen with button controls option
- large and bright display
- new flashlight (X models)
- wireless charging
- downloadable TopoActive maps over Wi-Fi
- expensive
- no microphone
- low contrast, non-AMOLED screen
- potentially confusing array of eight Fenix 7 models with differing prices and features
- limited smart features for the price
- band not as resistant to wear and tear
- hard to navigate music and songs from the watch
- incident detection
- multiband GPS
- strong battery life and fast charging
- difficult to break or scratch
- touch screen with button controls option
- large and bright display
- new flashlight (X models)
- wireless charging
- downloadable TopoActive maps over Wi-Fi
- expensive
- no microphone
- low contrast, non-AMOLED screen
- potentially confusing array of eight Fenix 7 models with differing prices and features
- limited smart features for the price
- band not as resistant to wear and tear
- hard to navigate music and songs from the watch
Product details
- Display: 1.3-in memory-in-pixel
- Style: smartwatch
- Water resistance: 10 ATM (about 100 m)
- Built-in GPS: yes
- Smart notifications: yes
- Music control: yes
- Mobile payments: yes
- Returns: free returns for Prime members
- Shipping: free shipping for Prime members
- Display: 1.3-in memory-in-pixel
- Style: smartwatch
- Water resistance: 10 ATM (about 100 m)
- Built-in GPS: yes
- Smart notifications: yes
- Music control: yes
- Mobile payments: yes
- Returns: free returns for Prime members
- Shipping: free shipping for Prime members
Best budget
Amazfit Band 7
4.1 (33.5k+) from Amazon- Battery life: up to 18 days
- App connectivity: Zepp
- Metrics tracked: heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, sleep
- Sport modes: 120, including walking, running, cycling, and swimming
- Price: $49.99
Price may vary.
Healthline's review
While this product from Amazfit may be one of the most affordable options on the market, it boasts an impressive selection of fitness-related features.
Compared with the Band 5 (Band 6 was skipped), the Amazfit Band 7 has a bigger and brighter screen, a bigger battery, 100 new sport modes, and an always-on display (AOD) for only a slightly higher price and weight.
The device keeps tabs on your:
- heart rate
- sleep quality
- blood oxygen saturation levels
It’s also equipped with a crisp AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) display and long battery life of up to 18 days.
It even has 120 sport modes, four smart sport modes, and stress management tools such as breathing exercises. Its ExerSense software recognizes when you’re walking, running, rowing, or using an elliptical machine.
Additionally, with the use of the Cycle Tracking widget, the device offers menstrual tracking and will alert you when you’re ovulating or about to start your period.
The Amazfit Band 7 has Alexa built in and can connect with your smartphone to:
- alert you of new calls and texts
- control your music
- send you reminders to keep moving throughout the day
The Band 7 has a water rating of 5 ATM, which means it can withstand pressures equivalent to a depth of 50 m (164 ft).
It also calculates your Personal Activity Intelligence (PAI) score, which takes into account all activity that affects your heart rate (even playing with your pet!) and gives you an average score for the day. PAI wasn’t created by Amazfit — it’s an algorithm developed and used in cardiac research and rehabilitation.
Available colors: black or beige bands by default; orange, blue, pink, and green straps available as $10 add-on from Amazfit website
Pros & cons
- relatively affordable price
- good amount of tracking capabilities for the price
- 1.5-inch (in) color touch screen
- 50 watch faces to choose from, 8 of them editable
- Alexa integration and music playback
- only connected GPS, no built-in GPS
- touch screen only (no physical buttons)
- no tap-to-pay
- no speaker
- relatively affordable price
- good amount of tracking capabilities for the price
- 1.5-inch (in) color touch screen
- 50 watch faces to choose from, 8 of them editable
- Alexa integration and music playback
- only connected GPS, no built-in GPS
- touch screen only (no physical buttons)
- no tap-to-pay
- no speaker
Product details
- Display: 1.47-in HD AMOLED display
- Style: activity tracker
- Water resistance: 5 ATM (about 50 m)
- Built-in GPS: no
- Smart notifications: yes
- Music control: yes
- Mobile payments: no
- Returns: free returns for Prime members
- Shipping: free shipping for Prime members
- Display: 1.47-in HD AMOLED display
- Style: activity tracker
- Water resistance: 5 ATM (about 50 m)
- Built-in GPS: no
- Smart notifications: yes
- Music control: yes
- Mobile payments: no
- Returns: free returns for Prime members
- Shipping: free shipping for Prime members
Best for iPhone users
Apple Watch Series 8
4.7 (94+) from Amazon- Battery life: up to 18 hours
- App connectivity: Apple app suite, Spotify, Pandora
- Metrics tracked: calories burned, steps, heart rate, sleep metrics, distance, pace, blood oxygen levels, body temperature, menstrual cycle tracking
- Sport modes: walking, running, cycling, elliptical, rower, stair stepper, HIIT, hiking, yoga, functional strength training, dance, cooldown, core training, Pilates, tai chi, swimming, wheelchair, multisport, other
- Price: $399.00
Price may vary.
Healthline's review
Packed with features and available in a range of colors and sizes, the Apple Watch Series 8 is a high tech fitness tracker worth the splurge. It has added health and safety options since Series 7 that make it an even more impressive wellness device.
Series 8 watches have the Apple Watch’s first temperature sensors — two of them — that record your body’s temperature throughout the day and night and track them in the Apple Health app.
Car crash detection is also new, alerting emergency responders and your emergency contacts if you’re unresponsive after 10 seconds.
Series 8 also has updated to the always-on display, which is slightly larger thanks to thinner bezels.
The watch tracks your daily activity and offers a variety of exercise modes, including:
- cycling
- dance
- yoga
You can also create group exercise challenges to do with your friends and family.
It has a waterproof rating of up to 164 ft (50 m), so it can also be used in the pool.
Additional metrics tracked include:
- heart rhythm
- blood oxygen levels
- sleep cycles
The newest version has the ability to take an electrocardiogram (ECG) with the built-in ECG app to measure heart health and can give you insights into how your body is responding to stress.
But it doesn’t detect heart attacks. If users experience any symptoms, such as chest pain, pressure, or tightness, the company urges users to call emergency services immediately.
People who have periods will appreciate the updated suite of menstrual tracking features. The new temperature sensors allow the watch to deliver ovulation estimates and more detailed period predictions. The watch can also track your menstrual cycle, fertile windows, and symptoms, such as cramps and fatigue.
Two communication models are available: GPS and GPS + Cellular. Both let you take advantage of GPS features. But with the cellular version, as long as you’re in cellular range, you can leave your iPhone at home and still:
- make and receive calls
- send and receive messages
- stream music
- access the Internet
With the GPS model, you can do these things only if your iPhone is nearby or your watch is connected to a Wi-Fi network.
You can enable Apple Pay on your watch, which allows you to use your stored card wherever contactless payments are accepted.
While the watch’s battery life in regular mode is only 18 hours, the charging speed of the Series 8 matches that of the Series 7. According to Apple’s website, the battery can reach an 80% charge in about 45 minutes and a 100% charge in 75 minutes using a fast-charging cable.
Available colors: starlight, midnight, silver, and (Product)Red aluminum cases and silver, graphite, or gold finishes in stainless steel; many wristband colors
Pros & cons
- upgraded with blood oxygen and ECG apps
- new automatic body temperature sensors
- seamless integration with iPhone
- dust- and crack-resistant screen
- GPS and GPS + Cellular models available
- upgraded Bluetooth 5.3 connection
- doesn't offer blood pressure monitoring
- shorter battery life than other options
- expensive
- upgraded with blood oxygen and ECG apps
- new automatic body temperature sensors
- seamless integration with iPhone
- dust- and crack-resistant screen
- GPS and GPS + Cellular models available
- upgraded Bluetooth 5.3 connection
- doesn't offer blood pressure monitoring
- shorter battery life than other options
- expensive
Product details
- Display: retina display
- Style: smartwatch
- Waterproof rating: up to 164 ft (50 m)
- Built-in GPS: yes
- Smart notifications: yes
- Music control: yes
- Mobile payments: yes
- Returns: free returns for Prime members
- Shipping: free shipping for Prime members
- Display: retina display
- Style: smartwatch
- Waterproof rating: up to 164 ft (50 m)
- Built-in GPS: yes
- Smart notifications: yes
- Music control: yes
- Mobile payments: yes
- Returns: free returns for Prime members
- Shipping: free shipping for Prime members
Best multipurpose
Fitbit Sense 2
4.2 (2k+) from Amazon- Battery life: 6+ days
- App connectivity: Fitbit, TRX Training, and more
- Metrics tracked: heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, sleep
- Sport modes: 40+, including running, cycling, strength training, and yoga
- Price: $299.95 (plus monthly or annual fee for premium membership)
Price may vary.
Healthline's review
Walking the tightrope between fitness tracker and sports watch can be challenging, and the Fitbit Sense 2 gets the balance just right.
For the fitness enthusiast, it offers a whole suite of health and workout features to monitor stress, heart rate, fitness, and sleep, plus sensors including heart rate, ECG, electrodermal activity (EDA), blood oxygen, and temperature.
For the smartphone fan, it adds Google Maps, Google Wallet, built-in Alexa, built-in GPS, and on-wrist Bluetooth calls, texts, and phone notifications. Everything works seamlessly in the refreshed FitbitOS, thanks to parent Google.
The EDA scan app is a stress management tool that tracks your heart rate and tiny electric changes on your skin to show how your body responds during mindfulness sessions and how well you handle stress.
By adding the menstrual health tile in the Today tab of the Fitbit app, you can track your menstrual cycle, log your periods, and record any monthly symptoms. You can also set notifications to be reminded of when your period is supposed to start.
The Fitbit ECG app on the Fitbit wrist device combines with the Heart Rhythm Assessment in the Fitbit app on a phone or tablet to create and record an ECG on the wrist device. You can view results on your wrist device, phone, or tablet and export a PDF from the Fitbit app to your doctor.
Available colors: shadow gray band with graphite aluminum case, lunar white band with platinum aluminum case, and blue mist band with pale gold aluminum case
Pros & cons
- all-day activity tracking and stress detection
- health metrics dashboard with skin temperature, oxygen saturation, and 24/7 heart rate
- 40+ exercise modes
- sleep monitoring with daily sleep stages and sleep score
- supports Google Maps and Google Wallet
- built-in Alexa
- small and large wristbands available
- premium membership ($9.99/month or $79.99/year) required to use advanced features
- notification replies available only for Android users
- does not have Google Assistant
- requires smartphone for music controls
- subpar speaker quality
- all-day activity tracking and stress detection
- health metrics dashboard with skin temperature, oxygen saturation, and 24/7 heart rate
- 40+ exercise modes
- sleep monitoring with daily sleep stages and sleep score
- supports Google Maps and Google Wallet
- built-in Alexa
- small and large wristbands available
- premium membership ($9.99/month or $79.99/year) required to use advanced features
- notification replies available only for Android users
- does not have Google Assistant
- requires smartphone for music controls
- subpar speaker quality
Product details
- Display: 1.5-in AMOLED display
- Style: smartwatch
- Water resistance: 164 ft (50 m)
- Built-in GPS: yes
- Smart notifications: yes
- Music control: no
- Mobile payments: yes
- Returns: free returns for Prime members
- Shipping: free shipping for Prime members
- Display: 1.5-in AMOLED display
- Style: smartwatch
- Water resistance: 164 ft (50 m)
- Built-in GPS: yes
- Smart notifications: yes
- Music control: no
- Mobile payments: yes
- Returns: free returns for Prime members
- Shipping: free shipping for Prime members
Best for swimming
Garmin Swim 2
4.5 (902+) from Amazon- Battery life: up to 7 days (13 hours with continuous GPS)
- App connectivity: Garmin Connect, Spotify
- Metrics tracked: heart rate, stress, sleep
- Sport modes: pool swimming, open water swimming
- Price: $249.99
Price may vary.
Healthline's review
The Garmin Swim 2 offers plenty of features to help maximize your performance next time you hit the pool.
In addition to your heart rate, it tracks your:
- pace
- stroke count
- swimming efficiency
- distance
There’s even an option to put it in “open water” mode, which uses GPS and tracks your performance while you’re swimming in an ocean or river.
Like the Fenix 7, the Garmin Swim 2 can track your menstrual cycle via Garmin Connect, if you wish.
It also provides pacing alerts to help you stay on track and includes modes designed for both pool and open-water swimming.
Plus, the Garmin Swim 2 features:
- smartphone notifications
- fitness tracking
- stress tracking
- built-in sport apps for other activities, such as jogging and cycling
The Garmin Swim 2 doesn’t support Garmin Pay, which may be a downside for some. It also lacks a built-in music player, though you can control music with it when you’re near your phone.
The Swim 2 is water-resistant up to 164 ft (50 m) and offers a battery life of up to 7 days with regular use or 13 hours with continuous GPS.
Available colors: whitestone, slate
Pros & cons
- multiple swim-specific features
- strong battery life
- water-resistant up to 164 ft (50 m)
- open water swimming tracking via GPS
- relatively expensive
- limited smart features for the price
- multiple swim-specific features
- strong battery life
- water-resistant up to 164 ft (50 m)
- open water swimming tracking via GPS
- relatively expensive
- limited smart features for the price
Product details
- Display: 1.04-in memory-in-pixel
- Style: activity tracker
- Water resistance: 5 ATM (about 50 m)
- Built-in GPS: yes
- Smart notifications: yes
- Music control: yes
- Mobile payments: no
- Returns: free returns for Prime members
- Shipping: free shipping for Prime members
- Display: 1.04-in memory-in-pixel
- Style: activity tracker
- Water resistance: 5 ATM (about 50 m)
- Built-in GPS: yes
- Smart notifications: yes
- Music control: yes
- Mobile payments: no
- Returns: free returns for Prime members
- Shipping: free shipping for Prime members
Best for weightlifting and CrossFit
WHOOP 4.0 Band
4 (66+) from Best Buy- Battery life: up to 5 days
- App connectivity: Apple Health, Strava, TrainingPeaks
- Metrics tracked: heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, sleep, and more
- Sport modes: none
- Price: device free with membership; $30/month with a 1-month free trial; 1-year commitment required afterward; discounts offered on longer memberships
Price may vary.
Healthline's review
If you don’t like the bulkiness of most smartwatches, you’ll love the minimalist design of the WHOOP 4.0.
Unlike other devices on this list, the WHOOP doesn’t receive smartphone or other app notifications.
Instead, it’s entirely focused on collecting your data, including:
- activity
- sleep
- blood oxygen levels
- heart rate
- body temperature
It’s especially beneficial for weightlifting and cross-training activities such as CrossFit, which incorporate a wide variety of movements. It measures your daily recovery level, which estimates how well your body is adapting to stress.
The strap tracks the strain on your body as you work out and the intensity of the workout itself. It suggests a target daily exertion level to prevent overtraining and injury.
The strap is included with your monthly WHOOP membership, which comes with:
- personalized sleep and training recommendations
- daily performance reports
- access to the online WHOOP community
The paid monthly membership costs $30 per month.
Just keep in mind that you can’t play music directly from the band, so you’ll need to keep your phone with you if you want to listen.
Both the WHOOP 4.0 and the battery pack are water-resistant up to 32.8 ft (10 m) for 2 hours.
Menstrual Cycle Coaching is a newer feature of the WHOOP that’s intended to help members who menstruate optimize their sleep and training for different phases of their cycle.
This feature is not intended for those who use hormonal birth control, which eliminates natural monthly hormonal fluctuations (though the original WHOOP sleep and strain recommendations are accurate for those using hormonal birth control).
Available colors: onyx band free with membership; other colors available to purchase on WHOOP website
Pros & cons
- recovery and strain scores
- motivating community feedback
- simple design
- can be worn on wrist or biceps or in WHOOP 4.0 clothes
- free strap with membership
- membership starting at $30 per month
- no screen (requires phone to view stats)
- no clock
- recovery and strain scores
- motivating community feedback
- simple design
- can be worn on wrist or biceps or in WHOOP 4.0 clothes
- free strap with membership
- membership starting at $30 per month
- no screen (requires phone to view stats)
- no clock
Product details
- Display: none
- Style: activity tracker
- Water resistance: up to 10 m
- Built-in GPS: no
- Smart notifications: no
- Music control: no
- Mobile payments: no
- Returns: returns within 30 days
- Shipping: free shipping for WHOOP Pro members
- Display: none
- Style: activity tracker
- Water resistance: up to 10 m
- Built-in GPS: no
- Smart notifications: no
- Music control: no
- Mobile payments: no
- Returns: returns within 30 days
- Shipping: free shipping for WHOOP Pro members
Best for sleep tracking
Oura Ring Gen 3
- Battery life: up to 7 days
- App connectivity: Apple Health, Google, Fit, Health Connect, Strava, and more
- Metrics tracked: heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, steps, calories burned, sleep
- Sport modes: none
- Price: $299 (plus membership fee)
Price may vary.
Healthline's review
The Oura Ring Gen 3 is an innovative fitness tracker designed for comfort and convenience.
Unlike others on this list, the Oura Ring is worn on your finger and easily doubles as a piece of jewelry.
Thanks to tiny sensors, the device collects detailed information about your activity and sleep habits to help you manage your health.
It measures metrics such as:
- resting heart rate
- heart rate variability
- body temperature
- step count
- calories burned
It’s also one of the best sleep trackers, as it’s comfortable to wear at night and collects data on your sleep quality, including the stages and duration of your sleep. The Oura app offers an individualized sleep report every morning.
However, because the device doesn’t include a screen, you can’t control music or receive smartphone notifications with the Oura Ring.
The Oura is water-resistant up to 328 ft (100 m) and boasts a battery life of up to 7 days, making it a very practical product.
In addition to a period prediction feature, which uses biosignals such as temperature and data from past cycles to predict your period start date, the Oura uses temperature tracking to provide insight into your fertility.
Typically, a slight rise in temperature indicates that ovulation has occurred, and a sustained temperature increase may mean pregnancy.
The Oura ring comes with a free 1-month free membership to the Oura app for new members. You’ll need the app to access your data (the app costs $6 per month after the free trial ends).
Nonmembers can still use the Oura app to access the personalized sleep, readiness, and activity scores that the app prepares daily using the ring’s input from 20 biometric signals in your body.
The sizing of the Oura Ring is different from standard U.S. ring sizes. Therefore, it’s important to take advantage of the sizing kit that comes with every order.
Available colors: finishes in silver, black, stealth, gold, and rose gold
Pros & cons
- long battery life
- three personalized scores per day, summarizing your body's sleep, readiness, and activity
- learns and helps predict your menstrual cycle
- comfortable
- comprehensive sleep tracking capabilities
- can't control music or receive smartphone notifications
- may be uncomfortable to wear while lifting or playing sports
- requires phone to view stats
- long battery life
- three personalized scores per day, summarizing your body's sleep, readiness, and activity
- learns and helps predict your menstrual cycle
- comfortable
- comprehensive sleep tracking capabilities
- can't control music or receive smartphone notifications
- may be uncomfortable to wear while lifting or playing sports
- requires phone to view stats
Product details
- Display: none
- Style: ring
- Water resistance: up to 100 m
- Built-in GPS: no
- Smart notifications: no
- Music control: no
- Mobile payments: no
- Returns: returns within 30 days
- Shipping: $15 for shipping
- Display: none
- Style: ring
- Water resistance: up to 100 m
- Built-in GPS: no
- Smart notifications: no
- Music control: no
- Mobile payments: no
- Returns: returns within 30 days
- Shipping: $15 for shipping
Best for stress management
Fitbit Charge 5
4.3 (41k+) from Amazon- Battery life: up to 7 days
- App connectivity: Fitbit, TRX Training, and more
- Metrics tracked: heart rate, blood oxygen, sleep, steps, and more
- Sport modes: 20, including running, cycling, strength training, and yoga
- Price: $149.95
Price may vary.
Healthline's review
In addition to tracking metrics like your daily steps, distance, calories burned, and heart rate, the Fitbit Charge 5 has a built-in EDA Scan app for stress management, which takes just 2 minutes and measures small electrical changes in your sweat.
Plus, the device provides a Daily Readiness score using your heart rate variability, sleep, and recent activity level.
The Daily Readiness score tells you whether your body is up for a high intensity workout or you need to take a break and opt for a yoga or meditation session instead.
You can also enable Fitbit Pay, log your food and water intake, and receive alerts on your menstrual cycle, including your fertile windows and the expected date of your next period.
Plus, the tracker has:
- built-in GPS
- an ECG app
- robust sleep tracking
- up to 7 days of battery life
It’s also waterproof up to 164 ft (50 m).
The only downside is you can pair the Charge 5 with music streaming apps only if you have a Fitbit Premium account.
Available colors: black, lunar white, and steel blue
Pros & cons
- robust activity offerings, including meditation
- crisp display
- SpO2 and skin temperature variation tracking
- small and large watch bands included
- color touch screen
- requires Premium account for music streaming and Daily Readiness score
- touch screen only (no buttons)
- robust activity offerings, including meditation
- crisp display
- SpO2 and skin temperature variation tracking
- small and large watch bands included
- color touch screen
- requires Premium account for music streaming and Daily Readiness score
- touch screen only (no buttons)
Product details
- Display: 1.04-in display
- Style: activity tracker
- Water resistance: up to 50 m
- Built-in GPS: yes
- Smart notifications: yes
- Music control: no
- Mobile payments: yes
- Returns: free returns for Prime members
- Shipping: free shipping for Prime members
- Display: 1.04-in display
- Style: activity tracker
- Water resistance: up to 50 m
- Built-in GPS: yes
- Smart notifications: yes
- Music control: no
- Mobile payments: yes
- Returns: free returns for Prime members
- Shipping: free shipping for Prime members
Product comparison
All the fitness trackers on our list have heart rate tracking and sleep tracking, but each one has additional characteristics that you may find helpful.
Here’s a quick comparison of our top picks:
ProductPriceBattery lifeBuilt-in GPSPhone connectivityMusic playbackMobile paymentsGarmin Fenix 7$699.99up to 18 daysyesyesyesyesAmazfit Band 7$49.99up to 18 daysnoyesyesnoApple Watch Series 8$399up to 18 hoursyesyesyesyesFitbit Sense 2$299.956 daysyesyesyes, but no controlsyesGarmin Swim 2$249.99up to 7 daysyesyesyesnoWHOOP 4.0$30 per monthup to 5 daysnonononoOura Ring Gen 3 $299up to 7 daysnonononoFitbit Charge 5$149.95up to 7 daysyesyesnoyesKeep in mind that the prices listed above are based on the current list price and may vary by retailer.
How to choose the best activity tracker for your needs
When picking a fitness tracker that suits your needs, be sure to consider which features and functions are important to you.
For example, some products are specifically designed for certain sports and activities, such as:
- running
- biking
- swimming
Others offer a variety of sport-specific modes.
Certain devices may include additional features such as:
- GPS navigation
- sleep tracking
- menstrual cycle tracking
- smartphone integration
- heart rate monitoring
There are also many types of fitness trackers available, including:
- smartwatches
- armbands
- rings
- chest straps
- clip-on trackers
Price is another key factor to keep in mind, as fitness trackers can vary quite a bit in terms of price.
Look for a product that’s within your budget and remember to account for additional costs, including any required accessories or subscriptions.
What are the benefits of wearing a fitness tracker?
Wearing a fitness tracker is a motivating way to monitor different aspects of your health all in one place and to find out how your body is responding to your workouts. Plus, most trackers now monitor:
- sleep (both duration and quality)
- menstrual cycles
- stress
Some wearables can even remind you to take a few deep breaths when stress is running high.
If you’re working toward a particular fitness goal, just wearing a device can be motivating. In fact, research has shown that regularly wearing a fitness tracker can help with weight loss and increase motivation to move.
One small study observed that women, in particular, find wearable devices that offer the following helpful:
- challenges
- leaderboards
- information on general health
- helpful and motivating notifications
Frequently asked questions about fitness trackers
What is the difference between a fitness tracker and a fitness watch?
A fitness tracker will help you keep track of your health and exercise via workout tracking and biometric sensors. A fitness watch does all this but also has connectivity so that it can deliver notifications and updates from your paired smartphone.
Advanced fitness watches even have microphones and speakers that let you take calls and access the Internet directly from the watch.
Is it worth wearing a fitness tracker?
Research suggests that fitness trackers can increase your motivation to exercise and progress toward your fitness goals.
They can also help you monitor your health and engage in wellness practices. High end models help you navigate and stay safe on long treks or expeditions.
But fitness trackers can have downsides. They can be costly in terms of both money and time. Some people lament that they now have one more screen to check and are developing a preoccupation with numbers and sensor readings.
There are also privacy concerns over the large amounts of personal data gathered and health concerns over the extremely low radiation (ELF) that the devices emit. But the radiation from fitness trackers is less than that of most smartphones, and companies are going to great lengths to keep gathered health information secure.
If you can support the costs and discipline yourself to use your tracker as a tool and not a distraction, a fitness tracker may be a good way to advance both your physical and your mental health.
What is the best women’s Fitbit?
If you’re looking for the Fitbit with the most robust features, the Fitbit Sense 2 and Charge 5 are solid choices because they both have stress management and ECG capability plus more standard offerings that track:
- menstrual cycle
- activity
- sleep
- heart rate
Which fitness tracker is most accurate?
Some studies have found the Apple Watch and Garmin watches to be more accurate for measuring heart rate than Fitbit trackers, although this varies depending on the device. The step counts provided by the Apple Watch, Garmin watches, and Fitbit devices are generally considered accurate.
Many fitness trackers tend to overestimate daily energy expenditure and may not accurately assess different stages of sleep, but they can help give you an idea of your overall activity levels and total sleep and wake times.
Which is better, Garmin or Fitbit?
Garmin is known for making sport-specific watches and fitness trackers that are well liked by runners, swimmers, and cyclists.
Fitbit’s devices tend to focus more on tracking everyday activity levels, health metrics, and a wider variety of exercise types.
Whether Garmin or Fitbit is a better fit for you may depend on:
- what kind of tracker you like to wear
- the types of exercise you enjoy
- which health metrics you want to track
What is the best Fitbit for an older woman?
The Fitbit Sense 2 and Charge 5 models are good options for an older woman. Both are comfortable and easy to use, and they offer similar health-tracking options. Where they differ is in their communication capabilities.
The Sense 2 has a built-in microphone and speaker, which means it’s possible to answer phone calls directly on the fitness tracker. The Charge 5 will notify you of the call, but you need to have your smartphone nearby to answer.
Also, the Sense 2 has an altimeter sensor that can track the number of floors you walk and built-in GPS that can track your workouts without a phone.
In general, the Sense 2 may be a better choice for an older woman who wants an advanced fitness tracker, whereas the Charge 5 is a more basic model for about half the price.
The bottom line
Fitness trackers can be a reliable tool to upgrade your workout and enhance your health.
A variety of options are available, and each one includes a unique set of features and functions.
When picking a product that’s right for you, be sure to consider factors such as the type of fitness tracker, sports modes, additional features, and price.