Your guide to the latest and best fitness trackers of 2017. Check out our latest reviews and buyers‘ guide on the top activity trackers for this year.<\/b>
Jump straight to our full best fitness bands chart
Fitness trackers , which are also called activity trackers, activity monitors or fitness bands, are like high-tech pedometers that can count your steps and then estimate the distance you’ve travelled and the calories you’ve burned. See also: Best Fitbit.
Read our pick of the Best Fitness Tracker Deals .
You can use fitness trackers to monitor your activity, but the general idea is that they spur you on to exercise more, helping you to get fitter and\/or lose weight.
Some fitness trackers have a display that shows you steps and calories information, and often the time too, and they tend to be worn on the wrist like a watch or clipped onto your clothes.
Any data they capture will then be synced with an app on your smartphone , tablet or PC, and there you’ll find a more detailed view of your activity.
You might also be able to add friends that use the same brand of fitness tracker to compete against, but not every fitness tracker offers this. Pitting yourself against others can be extremely motivational.
Bear in mind that fully fledged smartwatches also offer fitness tracking but it tends to be basic so very few have made it into this chart. If you like the idea of tracking activity with a smartwatch that also does other cool things like notifications and apps, check out our best smartwatch chart.
You might also find historical data in the app that will tell you whether you’re improving.
All basic fitness trackers should be able to monitor steps, distance covered, calories burned and active minutes. Some might also have a clock so you can tell the time, although some are simply a series of LEDs that give you an approximation rather than the exact time.
More advanced fitness trackers will add features like sleep tracking, a built-in vibrating alarm, a barometer to measure height climbed, heart-rate monitoring, session recording for various sports and more.
Few are completely waterproof, but virtually all can withstand sweat and rain. We’ve also rounded up the best activity fitness tracker for swimmers
Some also have built-in GPS, but that’ll add to the price tag and take from the battery life. Without it, though, keep in mind that you’ll need to take your phone with you on a run to accurately record distance and the route you took.
Batteries in non-GPS fitness trackers can range from a few days to several months depending on their power source and they type of tracker you opt for.
As well as the fitness tracker itself, the app it uses is a crucial piece of any activity monitor. For some, the software can even be more important than the hardware.
Why? The software provides extra features, such as the ability to compete with friends, track food and drink intake, monitor your weight and more.
Conversely, some apps can be limited or poorly designed which could discourage you from using the fitness tracker at all. Among the best apps are Fitbit’s, Jawbone’s and Misfit’s.
The cheapest trackers worth buying can be found for as little as \u00a320-\u00a340, with the most expensive (such as the Apple Watch 2) costing over \u00a3350. That means there’s something in the chart below which will fit your budget.
If you want to compare trackers more closely, check out our activity tracker comparison reviews , such as Apple Watch vs Fitbit .
Keep your eye on Jawbone over the next few months as there may be some good deals to be had as it shifts stock. The company is reportedly exiting the consumer hardware market and will move into the health market, dealing primarily with clinicians and health providers. Equally, though, keep in mind that you will be purchasing a discontinued product.<\/p>\n