Whether you’re a long distance runner looking to optimize workouts or a hardcore gym rat aiming for better recovery, these top wearable tech devices can help you push past your limits.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 stands out for its a sleek design and robust fitness features. It boasts a high-resolution display and offers advanced sleep and workout tracking, including a health snapshot feature.
1. Fitbit Charge 4
If you’re a dedicated fitness fiend who wants a precise way to track and monitor your health and fitness, you can’t do better than the Fitbit Charge 4. It offers many of the same functions as other top wearables including tracking steps, distance, calories burned and floors climbed. It also includes a smartwatch functionality to log calls, text, calendar and smartphone app notifications.
It also tracks your resting heart rate and provides a cardio fitness score, plus it’s water-resistant to 50 meters. A new feature is Active Zone Minutes, which aims to help you spend more time in workout zones (fat burn, cardio and peak). It also offers guided breathing sessions based on your heart rate.
2. Garmin Forerunner 920XT
The Garmin Forerunner 920XT packs a fleet of high-end training features into a sleek, wet suit-friendly package that’s about 15% lighter than its predecessor. It’s a great choice for triathletes and runners who want advanced data such as running dynamics, VO2 max estimate and live tracking.
The 920XT tracked our outdoor running and cycling workouts very accurately. But it fell short in our indoor pool tests, failing to find a GPS signal and sometimes dropping a length’s worth of distance because of accelerometer-based calculations.
When paired with a smartphone and the Garmin Connect Mobile app, completed workouts automatically upload to your Garmin account. It also provides smart notifications and live tracking when paired with a compatible VIRB sports camera or third-party power meters.
3. Withings Smart Scale
Withings’ latest smart scale offers a full range of metrics, plus an app with a polished and informative experience. Up to eight users can be recognized automatically, and the scale offers “eyes closed” mode for those who don’t want to see a number at weigh-in (it’s also suitable for pregnant women and those with pacemakers).
This sleek and efficient smart scale also provides heart rate readings via an electrode in the scale’s handle, and it can sync data to fitness apps like Apple Health, Google Fit, Weight Watchers, and RunKeeper. It can even help track dietary changes and exercise progress to reach health goals.
4. Amazon Halo Band
Amazon Halo is a screen-less fitness tracker that requires a monthly membership fee. You get a six-month free trial, then pay $4 a month (core metrics like steps and calories count aren’t subscription-based).
The Halo’s two microphones scan your voice throughout the day and listen for changes in tone that suggest emotions, while a body scanner zaps the device against your naked torso to assess body fat. These features raise privacy concerns, but are entirely optional.
Another neat feature is a movement assessment that watches you perform lunges and squats to measure stability, mobility and posture, then recommends exercises to improve. This is also a great option for athletes looking to monitor their heart rate.
5. Apple Watch SE
If you already have an Apple Watch, this year’s new SE is a great way to get a new look. It runs the same software as the pricier Series 8, but lacks its ECG and blood oxygen monitoring capabilities. It also doesn’t have the newest battery technology or wrist temperature sensors that let you know when you’ve been in water or had cold hands (it takes five nights to set up that feature).
Still, it’s one of the best fitness trackers available and packs an impressive list of features for its price tag. It can track workouts, display iPhone notifications and provide high and low heart rate alerts. It also detects falls and car crashes, can call emergency services and has a compass that helps you retrace your steps.
6. Oura Smart Ring
Oura is a beautiful wear-and-forget device that provides a rich set of data about your health. It’s a good choice for people who prioritize sleep and wellness, and want more data than what you get from a screenless tracker.
The ring contains sensors that monitor heart rate and oxygen levels, skin temperature, and movement. A new feature called Workout Heart Rate uses green LEDs to detect your pulse during exercise.
The Oura app translates the data into daily readiness scores that are tailored to your individual baselines and priorities. The ring also gives detailed sleep reports and helps you track trends over time.
