If price is not an issue, then Fitbit Charger HR priced is definitely our #1 recommendation. It’s a great combination of style and function and offers everything you would want in your fitness tracker.
However, if you’re looking for a fitness tracker that fits your budget then Garmin Vevofit is definitely the best bang for your buck.
Fitness trackers is the next big step that you can take towards a healthier life. Now that the world is moving towards big data and everybody is looking forward to track, analyse and improve their performance, these trackers make it possible.
Top Recommendation : Fitbit Charger HR
Fitbit Charger HR is a obvious upgrade to Fitbit’s previous bestseller Fitbit Flex.
This beast from Fitbit comes at a price tag of $149.95, 2 colours and a comfy 21mm wide strap with a textured finish.
The activity tracker comes with a small, monochrome, OLED display that allows you to track and see your daily activity metrics. You can activate it by either double tapping the screen or pressing the button on the side.
The Fitbit Charger HR can easily sync with android/iOS/Windows phones and Mac/Pc via Bluetooth 4.0. However, you can also download the official Fitibit app, a much preferred option, on your smartphone to keep a track of your day’s activity.
This tracker does not come with a heart rate monitor or a GPS, so if those two features are important to you then the upgraded version i.e. Fitbit Surge would be a better choice for you.
It takes 2-3 hours to completely charge this Fitbit and it can easily last 5-7 days of consistent use.
It also comes with a caller ID. So you can simply connect it with your phone or PC/MAc and the tracker will notify you of an incoming call along with the caller ID. Sweet.
One drawback of this tracker is that there is no pre-existing watch preset and you’ll have to flick your wrist upwards to activate clock.
Best Fitness Tracker under $100 (Best for Runners) : Garmin Vevofit
Garmin Vevofit is our top recommendation in the budget fitness tracker category and for all the right reasons.
We consider Vevofit to be on the low-end device category in the market when you consider packaging and additional-features that make the premium products, well..premium. However, this if you’re someone who values functionality over perks, this device is built just for you.
Garmin Vevofit offers a commendable 1 year battery life and does not go to sleep. Ever.
Garmin achieved this by giving up a lot of features like backlight (Yes, theres no backlight) and stripping the device to its bare minimal
There are two components to Vevofit, the strap and the tracker. The strap isn’t something that will impress you and will probably take you back a few decades to the time as the strap matches those sports watch plastic straps that used to be pretty popular.
While the strap isn’t really an eye candy, it is pretty durable and unlike other straps is not a hindrance while you work on your computer.
Unfortunately, the strap can get pretty uncomfortable when wet and can cause a little bit of itching.
It is waterproof for up to 50 meters and this makes it a good fit for swimmers and water sport fanatics.
To power the tracker, Vevofit uses two removable batteries (2 x CR1632) and for to connect your device to your phone or computer, you can use ANT+ and Bluetooth 4.0.
Software
The software on Vevofit allows you to track and check your daily progress data on your tracker. However, you can even connect it to Garmin’s existing online exercise-logging platform that is also available on iPhone and Android as an app.
The tracker does not have a GPS and that’s probably one of the key reasons why the battery lasts for a complete year.
Since the tracker is connected to your phone via bluetooth, as long as the device is reachable to your phone via bluetooth, your activity data and reports will be synced in real time.
Price
This fitness tracker is priced at just $70 and is definitely the best bang for your buck you can get at this price.
PROS
- Long battery life
- Accurate, detailed tracking
- Waterproof
CONS
- Wristband is plain, a little uncomfortable
- Display has no backlight
Best Tracker with Heart Rate Monitor/GPS : Fitbit Surge
Fitbit surge is a beast when it comes to fitness and activity trackers.
Surge is the top model in product category by Fitbit and definitely boasts the best features out there.
Data tracking
As usual, you can track data like estimated distance travelled, flights of stairs climbed, total steps taken, real time heart-rate and total calories burnt.
Surge also features a clock, thus turning into a shabby but practical smart watch.
Display
The display is on all the time and is clearly visible in all light conditions and comes with a backlit screen in case, no external light source is available and the full OLED screen displays everything from call notifications to text messages.
Battery Life
Fitbit Surge is quick to charge (average time for 100% charge: 1 hour) and can easily last 4-5 days in after every complete charge.
Comfort
The strap It is definitely comfortable to wear and you won’t mind wearing it 24×7.
It can get quiet bulky for a fitness tracker and can become an issue for weight lifters and while strength training.
Heart Rate Monitor
There is a heart rate monitor, but there have been a lot of complaints on how effective it actually is.
The fact is that, to get your heart monitor to work as it should, you need to strap up the tracker really tight on your wrist so that it doesn’t miss a beat. However, doing this is not at all comfortable on the wrist and can cause rashes and irritation.
If heart rate tracking isn’t much of an issue for you then, this makes a great gadget to help you keep track of your daily activity.
Best Fitness tracker for Style : Withings Activité
Withings Activité is your just-another-swiss-analogue-watch and isn’t really anything like your conventional fitness trackers, like the one’s we’ve reviewed above.
It tracks your activity and sleep using an accelerometer built-in the watch. Activité connects to your mobile phone via bluetooth and is sadly supported for iPhone users only, however, android support is coming soon.
The key aspect of the watch is it’s beautiful design and premium look with the added benefit of a activity data collector and tracker. Everything you need can be managed and changed using your smartphone and that includes changing time on the watch.
It’s an amazing option if you need something formal and wouldn’t feel weird while out for a date or at the bar with your friends.
It looks amazing, it feel great to wear and it tracks your daily activity accurately.
