The Best Fitness Trackers To Help You Reach Any Health Goal

I still remember my high school cross-country days, when I only had a minimalist digital running watch (essentially a glorified stopwatch, the “lap” function was the most high-tech feature) to map my miles. Now, there are so many incredible fitness trackers to choose from, which do everything from measure your pace to analyze your sleep quality. And, after working as a health and fitness journalist for over a decade, I’ve had the joy of testing dozens of them for myself.

• Best for Runners: Garmin Forerunner 265 Smart Watch, $436
• Best Health Tracker: Oura Ring 3, $349
• Best Hybrid Health Fitness Tracker: Garmin Venu 3S Smart Watch, $450
• Best for Discrete Tracking: UltraHuman Ring AIR, $349
• Best for iPhone Users: Apple Watch Series 10, $399
• Best for Beginners: FitBit Charge 6 Fitness Tracker, $160
• Best Fitness Band: Whoop 4.0 Fitness Tracker, $239

“We are living in a more technologically-literate and health-conscious era,” says Emily Schofield, certified personal trainer and regional gym manager at Ultimate Performance Los Angeles. “More and more people are aware of the importance of moving their bodies, getting their daily steps in, having a healthy heart rate, having a good Vo2 max, etc. As a result, the fitness tracker market is huge, with gadgets that claim to record dozens of health metrics.”

There’s truly a fitness tracker for everyone. Training for a marathon? Garmin has excellent features for runners. Curious to track your sleep and menstrual cycle? Oura will offer the data you need. Or maybe you want a multi-functional smartwatch? You can’t go wrong with an Apple Watch. To suss out the truly best fitness trackers and health trackers for all exercisers, I chatted with trainers and Vogue editors, plus included some of my own tried-and-true favorites.

Garmin

Forerunner 265 Smart Watch

$450 $420 (7% off)

AMAZON

Why We Love It: When it comes to running watches, you truly can’t go wrong with the classic Garmin Forerunner. The 265 model features a number of advanced training and recovery metrics that are well-suited for runners, such as: “Morning Report” which provides an overview of your sleep and training outlook when you wake up; a daily suggested workout; Garmin Coach training plans to help reach your goals; and info on your training status and readiness. Also, most runners will tell you that Garmin is one of the best when it comes to accurate GPS (a must for precise pacing). Vogue’s senior shopping editor Talia Abbas borrowed her partner’s 965 model while training for the New York City Marathon last year, but is now testing the running-specific 265S for an upcoming half. “It has many similar features I loved in the 965, but is really a running-focused watch.” She adds, “The 42mm diameter of the 265S is also much better suited for my own wrist size, with a colorful Amoled touch screen display that’s honestly been a game changer to use!”

Oura

Ring 3

$349

OURA

$355 $280 (21% off)

AMAZON

Why We Love It: I’ve tried many, many fitness trackers—but I tend not to stick with one watch or band for very long. I’ve worn the Oura ring, however, for the past three years—and I’m completely obsessed. Its sleep tracking capabilities are excellent, it discreetly measures my stress levels and activity throughout the day, and I personally love how it measures my menstrual cycle phases. And don’t just take my word for it: “I’m a big fan of the Oura Ring because it offers a holistic approach to wellness that goes beyond just hitting a step count or burning calories,” says Louis Chandler, Alo Moves and Alo Wellness Club Trainer. “For my clients, especially those with busy schedules, the Oura Ring helps ensure every workout, rest day, and recovery strategy is truly aligned with what their body needs.”

Garmin

Venu 3S Smart Watch

$450

AMAZON

Why We Love It: The Garmin Venu 3S is ideal for anyone seeking a slightly more sleek, everyday-watch-meets-tracker. In addition to fitness tracking, this watch has a wide range of unique features aimed at supporting overall well-being, such as: stress tracking, women’s health tracking, guided meditation, jet lag advisory, fitness age (which measures how fit you are compared to your actual age), Garmin coaching, on-screen workouts, and more.

UltraHuman

Ring AIR

$349

ULTRAHUMAN

$349 $299 (14% off)

AMAZON

Why We Love It: The Ultrahuman Ring hit the market a couple years ago to much excitement, primarily because it doesn’t require a subscription (like the Oura ring). It also has a number of health and fitness features designed to help you reach your goals, such as: sleep analysis, recovery assessment, and in-app performance coaching.

Apple

Watch Series 10

$399

APPLE

Why We Love It: “I have clients who swear by their Apple watches because they’re reliable and perform well and they also look good on their wrists,” says Schofield. Personally, while I don’t wear my Apple Watch daily, I do love throwing it on before a run or workout to accurately track my fitness. The Series 10 has a much longer battery life than other generations, sleep tracking capabilities, and other health metrics tied to heart health. As a runner, I love the pacer feature, which allows you to see if you’re ahead or behind your goal pace—plus, I like that I program running workouts right on the watch. In my opinion, no other smartwatch interface compares to the ease of the Apple Watch, which makes the experience of using this device all the more enjoyable.

Charge 6 Fitness Tracker

$160 $120 (25% off)

AMAZON

Why We Love It: “I would say that, for most people, the Fitbit is going to be your go-to device,” says Schofield. “It’s one of the cheaper options on the market, it’s durable, and it’s reliable.” The Fitbit Charge 6, in particular, is a great all-around fitness tracker for a range of goals. The minimalist band has sleep tracking, a VO2Max monitor, smart tracking capabilities (which automatically detects your workouts), and stress management monitoring, among a long list of other health and fitness features. Plus, at $159, it’s a much more accessible price point than many other trackers.

Whoop

4.0 Fitness Tracker

$239

AMAZON

$239

WHOOP

Why We Love It: For anyone who doesn’t want yet another screen to look at, but does want to track their fitness—consider the Whoop band. This minimalist, distraction-free tracker auto-detects your fitness activity, analyzes your sleep, and measures trends regarding your health and well-being. For me, the most impressive feature of the Whoop is its “Strain” tracker, which simply quantifies the amount of physical and mental stress you’re putting on your body (based on a number of metrics). Not only does this feature help you more mindfully plan your workouts, but it also helps identify what aspects of your lifestyle are causing your body (and mind) undue strain.

While a health or fitness tracker isn’t a medical device, it can be helpful for tracking your progress and even proliferating healthy lifestyle choices. “I believe having the ability to receive data and stats can be beneficial so you get more feedback and potentially reward for engaging in healthy habits,” says Rebecca Skolnick, PhD, licensed clinical psychologist and co-founder of MindWell NYC. "These devices may also be helpful for becoming more aware of problematic sleep issues or stress levels, which could motivate someone to reach out for help in those areas.”

Many trainers are also fans of fitness trackers. “[They] can be a powerful tool for staying accountable and gaining insights into your overall well-being. Whether you’re just getting started or pushing toward specific training goals, the data they provide can help you make more informed choices and see real progress over time,” says Chandler.

That said, Skolnick does not recommend these devices for anyone with a history of disordered eating, or other mental health conditions that may be exacerbated by an influx of data or metrics.

“Fitness trackers offer a ton of benefits—they can monitor your heart rate, track your workouts, count your steps, analyze your sleep, and even provide insights into your stress levels. They make it easy to see where you’re at and set attainable goals,” says Chandler.

Many of these trackers can also help you measure where your body is at on any given day. So perhaps one day you didn’t sleep well or you’re still recovering from a particularly grueling workout, then the data can help you make more informed decisions about the most beneficial workout to try.

“And don’t underestimate the social network side of fitness trackers,” says Schofield. “Uploading your outdoor activities, pictures and videos to apps like Strava have created popular social media communities, allowing people to connect with, and follow, like-minded people and spur each other on with encouragement.”

That said, there can be drawbacks if you become too focused on the numbers, says Chandler. “It’s important not to let the data overshadow how your body feels. I always remind my clients to use the data as a guide to inform decisions, but not as the sole factor.”

Start by identifying your goals. “If you’re focused on heart rate zones and performance metrics, a tracker with advanced fitness analytics might be best,” says Chandler. “But if you’re looking to improve sleep, drink more water, or incorporate more movement in your day, a more entry level option can be a great place to start.” He also recommends considering comfort and usability—if the device isn’t comfortable or the app isn’t user-friendly, you’re less likely to make it a part of your routine.

“For the most part, choose a fitness tracker that aligns with your day-to-day life,” says Schofield. “If a watch works for you, fantastic. If you prefer a ring, go for it.”

Bottom line: The best tracker is the one that you’ll actually enjoy using.

Again, the way you use a tracker will ultimately come down to your health and fitness goals.

So, the first step is defining specific, achievable goals. Then, “use the tracker to measure progress,” says Chandler. “For example, if your goal is to increase your daily activity, set a step goal and gradually increase it each week. If you’re working on increasing strength, track your workouts and celebrate milestones.”

One thing Schofield always recommends to her clients is to “gamify their data, and use that data to support a healthy lifestyle. For instance, if they’ve recorded 70,000 steps one week, then that can incentivize them to go for 72,000 the following week, and so on.

Both Schofield and Chandler also note that the sleep data found in so many of these trackers can be incredibly helpful, after all, sleep is the foundation of performance, recovery, and overall well-being. “If your fitness tracker is telling you you’re only getting four-and-a-half hours of quality sleep a night, then you can use that data as a ballpark figure to try and improve,” says Schofield.

It’s worth noting that when it comes to health metrics (heart rate variability, respiratory rate, etc.), these trackers are most helpful for identifying trends, rather than giving granular data. Schofield also emphasizes they are not incredibly accurate at measuring calorie burn, so it’s best not to pay too much attention to those measurements.

“While they’re not 100% accurate,” she says, “if you’re using these devices to track your daily steps and monitor your activity levels, I would recommend everyone invest in a good-quality, reliable fitness tracker.”

• Emily Schofield is certified personal trainer and regional gym manager at Ultimate Performance Los Angeles
• Louis Chandler is a trainer at Alo Moves and Alo Wellness Club.
• Rebecca Skolnick, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and co-founder of MindWell NYC