The Best Wearables For Tracking Your Fitness Goals, According To Experts
If you’ve ended up here, chances are you’re on a mission to crush your fitness goals and eyeing a wearable to help along the way. Whether you’re training for a marathon, chasing a personal best on your Peloton, or just trying to hit that sweet, sweet 10,000 steps, there’s a wearable that’s got your back (or wrist… or finger). But with so many options out there, how do you even begin to choose? Lucky for you, we’ve rounded up the most expert-approved options that’ll make reaching your goals feel a little less daunting and a lot more stylish.
Best Wearables For Tracking Your Fitness Goals
Fitbit Charge 6: Best for Beginners
Why It’s Worth Your Time: The Fitbit Charge 6 is perfect for someone who’s just dipping their toes into the world of fitness wearables. Think of it as your “starter pack” to smarter living.
Features You’ll Love:
- Tracks all the basics like steps, heart rate, calories burned, and sleep.
- Built-in GPS for tracking your runs without your phone.
- Water-resistant up to 50 meters (aka sweat-proof and splash-friendly).
Price: Around ~$140.
Who Should Wear It: If you’re new to fitness tracking and want a no-fuss, easy-to-use device, this one’s for you. Hand-holding not included, but it comes pretty close.
Garmin Vivoactive 6: Best Overall
Why It’s a Winning Choice: This is the Swiss Army knife of wearables. It balances robust fitness features with smartwatch capabilities, making it versatile for everything from gym workouts to outdoor adventures.
Features You’ll Love:
- Tracks health, sleep, and fitness activities for the full picture of your wellness.
- Unique features like a Body Battery (because humans aren’t Duracell bunnies) and Garmin Coach.
- Crazy good battery life, so you’re not constantly tethered to a charger.
Price: ~$300.
Who Should Wear It: General fitness enthusiasts who want all the features minus the drama.
Expert’s Note: The Garmin Vivoactive 6 has everything you need and nothing you don’t. And yes, it’s worth learning how to use the app.
Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen): Best for iPhone Users
Why It’s a Rockstar: Look, you knew this one was coming. If you’re an iPhone user, this wearable syncs as seamlessly as your morning routine should.
Features You’ll Love:
- Detailed health metrics, from heart rate to sleep tracking.
- Siri is at your disposal when you need her (or forget to set a timer for your plank).
- Water-resistant up to 50 meters because, apparently, most wearables are now amphibious.
Price: Starting at ~$170.
Who Should Wear It: iPhone loyalists and multitaskers who like keeping everything in one ecosystem (because organizational goals, right?).
Heads-Up: Battery life could be better, but hey, we’re not all perfect either.
Garmin Forerunner 265: Best for Runners
Why It’s a Game-Changer: For runners, this is like having a coach on your wrist (without the annoying whistle). It optimizes your training and recovery with features designed specifically for the pavement pounders out there.
Features You’ll Love:
- Advanced running metrics like cadence, stride length, and ground contact time.
- Multi-band GPS for hyper-accurate route tracking.
- Long battery life, even on marathon training days.
Price: ~$450 (because marathon medals don’t come cheap, and neither do the gadgets that get you there).
Who Should Wear It: Runners who care about every stat and want to shave precious seconds off their time.
Fun fact? It basically reads your mind. Okay, not really, but it does know when you should ease off or push harder.
Google Pixel Watch 3: Best for Android
Why It’s Android’s BFF: The Google Pixel Watch 3 is all about making fitness tracking effortless for Android users, syncing beautifully with Google’s suite of apps.
Features You’ll Love:
- Built-in Fitbit fitness tracking.
- Automatic workout detection (even when you forget to log that random walk).
- Cardio load and daily readiness scores to keep you on your A-game.
Price: From ~$270.
Who Should Wear It: Android users who want a sleek, minimalist design without skimping on the techy stuff.
Oura Ring 4: Best Smart Ring
Why It’s Cool: Hate having things strapped to your wrist? Enter the Oura Ring 4, a more discreet way to track your health and fitness. Sleek and stylish, it’ll have you explaining to your friends that it’s not “just a ring.”
Features You’ll Love:
- Tracks sleep stages, stress levels, body temperature, and heart rate.
- Lightweight and water-resistant up to 100 meters.
- Paired nicely with nailing that elusive 8 hours of sleep.
Price: ~$349.
Who Should Wear It: The minimalists among us who’d rather skip the smartwatch tan line and want a focus on wellness tracking.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a calorie-counting newbie or a seasoned runner chasing your next PR, there’s a fitness wearable that fits your vibe (and wrist, or finger). When choosing the right device, think about your goals, your phone preferences (Apple vs. Android wars, anyone?), and which features truly matter to you. After all, there’s no point in paying for something that tracks your swimming metrics if you can’t recall the last time you hit a pool!
Still can’t decide? Pick one, give it a go, and remember that you’re the one putting in the work. The wearable? It’s just there to keep track while you crush it!
