One of the best health trackers for 2026

If you happen to’re trying to get match, sleep higher or simply preserve a better eye in your well being, a health wearable is a good place to begin. Whether or not you are into intense exercises or simply need to hit your step objective every day, one of the best health trackers accessible right this moment can provide a great deal of useful options, from sleep monitoring and resting coronary heart charge monitoring to built-in GPS and stress monitoring. Some are even sufficiently subtle to put on 24/7, like good rings, whereas others double as fashionable smartwatches.

There are nice choices on the market for learners in addition to extra superior customers, and the number of options means there’s one thing for each life-style and finances. On this information, we’ll stroll you thru one of the best health trackers you should purchase proper now, and clarify who every one is finest fitted to.

Finest health trackers for 2026

Fitbit

Tracker: Health, coronary heart charge, ECG, SpO2, pores and skin temperature, stress, sleep | Supported OS: Android, iOS | Max battery life: 7 days | Measurement: Small, massive | Water-resistant: Sure

Whereas we’ve not given the Fitbit Charge 6 the total assessment remedy but, we really feel assured recommending it because the successor to our earlier high choose, the Cost 5. The corporate added a couple of new options to the combination right here, specifically a extra correct coronary heart charge monitor, the flexibility to pair with train machines by way of Bluetooth and a bodily aspect button that can be utilized in tandem with the touchscreen to navigate the gadget’s interface. The Cost 6 has 20 train modes for monitoring, and because of Fitbit’s dad or mum firm Google, you possibly can skip via and management YouTube Music playback, offered you could have a YouTube Music Premium subscription.

In any other case, the Fitbit Charge 6 is similar to the Cost 5 that got here earlier than it. Key to its attraction is that it is decidedly not a smartwatch. Which means it has a barely decrease profile on the wrist and lasts days on a single cost whereas monitoring exercise and monitoring your coronary heart charge, step rely and sleep. It additionally has a full-color AMOLED show and a comparatively skinny design, which makes it really feel pretty premium when in comparison with different health trackers.

Different perks embrace contactless funds with Fitbit Pay and Google Pockets, plus a useful integration with Google Maps that allows you to see turn-by-turn instructions in your wrist. However make no mistake — built-in GPS stays the star of the present right here. If you happen to’re searching for a wearable that may precisely map out runs and bike rides whereas additionally holding monitor of your coronary heart charge and different stats throughout every exercise, the Cost 6 is a good choice for anybody searching for sturdiness and performance in a well being tracker.

Execs

Constructed-in GPS
Extra correct coronary heart charge monitor
Seven-day battery life

Cons

No integration with Apple Well being
Some information hidden behind Fitbit Premium paywall

Garmin

Tracker: Health, coronary heart charge, SpO2, stress, sleep | Supported OS: Android, iOS | Max battery life: 7 days | Measurement: 122-188 mm (small/medium), 148-228 mm (massive) | Water-resistant: Sure

A extra subtle-looking health band different is the $150 Garmin Vivosmart 5. It’s thinner than the Fitbit Cost 6 and matches in a bit higher with bracelets and different jewellery you may put on frequently. However its enticing design is simply a part of its attraction — Garmin is aware of monitor health, and the Vivosmart 5 is proof that you just don’t must drop tons of on one of many firm’s in-depth health watches to get a succesful gadget.

It has a number of the identical options because the Cost 6, aside from a built-in GPS. It does assist related GPS, although, so you possibly can map outside runs and bike rides so long as you deliver your cellphone with you. The Vivosmart 5 tracks all-day coronary heart rhythm because of its coronary heart charge sensor, plus sleep information and exercises, and we’ve at all times appreciated what number of exercise profiles Garmin has to select from, together with workouts like power coaching. The pedometer operate tracks your steps all through the day, making certain that even gentle actions contribute to your health objectives.

You may customise which present up in your gadget and alter them everytime you need. You’ll additionally get extra well being and wellness data like Garmin’s Physique Battery rating, which tells you ways lengthy after a tough exercise you’ll want to attend till you possibly can practice at peak efficiency once more, blood oxygen ranges, sleep stage information, girls’s menstrual cycle monitoring and extra. If you happen to’re searching for a well-rounded exercise tracker, the Garmin vívosmart 5 has all of it.

The most important disadvantages to health monitoring with the Vivosmart 5 are the aforementioned lack of built-in GPS, plus its barely more durable to make use of cell app. However on the flip aspect, Garmin gadgets can sync with Apple Well being, whereas Fitbit gadgets nonetheless don’t have that function.

Execs

Slim design
Glorious exercise monitoring options
Customizable on-device exercise modes
Syncs with Apple Well being

Cons

Linked GPS solely
Cumbersome cell app

XIAOMI

Tracker: Health, coronary heart charge, blood oxygen | Supported OS: Android, iOS | Max battery life: 18 days

Our earlier choose right here, the Xiaomi Smart Band 8, now has a successor within the Smart Band 9. The Xiaomi wearable we examined stood out as a result of it had the best interface to navigate when recording exercises, it additionally had probably the most comfy band to sleep in. The newest gadget has just about all the things you’d count on on a health tracker, and it comes at a value that’s arduous to beat. The 1.47-inch, 60Hz show is full shade and shines fairly shiny each indoors and out. Though it does not have a bodily navigation button, you possibly can transfer via the UI by swiping up and down, or left and proper.

The Sensible Band 9 excels like its predecessor in that its exercise stories are very detailed — greater than you’d assume. In contrast to a few of the different trackers we examined, the Sensible Band 9 doesn’t require you to obtain any workouts from its companion app. Which means, you will get proper into monitoring workouts as area of interest as snowboarding. When a exercise is full, you get all the knowledge you’d need in your wrist – from coronary heart charge readings to tempo and pace, to energy burned and extra. It might sound fundamental, however a few of the different trackers we examined solely report step rely and distance traveled after a stroll. The period of time spent in every coronary heart charge zone will seem in your abstract, from gentle, intensive, cardio to anaerobic.

Sleep monitoring can be simple on the Sensible Band 9 as properly because of its comfy, light-weight design. The do-not-disturb function is straightforward to activate from the watch face and the display should not wake you up at evening. The sleep insights after sporting it in a single day impressed me with their element. Proper on my wrist, I used to be in a position to learn the way lengthy I slept and in addition bought an in depth sleep graph that confirmed me once I was in gentle and deep sleep. This was all free, on my wrist and it was additional damaged down for me within the Mi app. I additionally was in a position to collect data on my common HR throughout sleep and my respiration patterns.

And, most significantly, you’ll go a very long time with the Sensible Band 9 earlier than it wants extra juice. Xiaomi guarantees as much as 18 days of battery life, which is a couple of extra days than the Sensible Band 8.

Execs

Straightforward to navigate interface
Full shade show
Comfy design
Good health monitoring and sleep monitoring
Lengthy battery life

Cons

No bodily navigation button

What do health trackers do finest?

The reply appears easy: Health wearables are finest at monitoring train, be it a 10-minute stroll across the block or that half marathon you’ve been diligently coaching for. Clearly, smartwatches might help you attain your health objectives too, however there are some areas the place health bands and good rings have confirmed to be one of the best purchase: focus, design, higher battery life, sturdiness and value.

After I say “focus,” I’m alluding to the truth that health trackers are made to trace exercise properly; the rest is additional. They usually don’t have the bells and whistles that smartwatches do, which may distract from their superior well being monitoring skills — issues like all-day resting coronary heart charge monitoring, stress monitoring, and even detailed sleep tracker insights. Additionally they are likely to have fewer sensors and inside elements, which retains them smaller and lighter. Health trackers are additionally a greater choice for individuals who simply desire a much less conspicuous gadget on their wrists all day.

Battery life tends to be higher on health trackers, too. Whereas most smartwatches final one to 2 days on a single cost, health bands provide between 5 and 7 days of battery life — and that’s with all-day and all-night use even with sleep monitoring options enabled. Many health trackers additionally slot properly into your current ecosystem, syncing seamlessly along with your smartphone, different health apps and cloud storage to maintain all of your information in a single place.

In relation to value level, there’s no competitors. Most worthwhile smartwatches begin at $175 to $200, however you will get a stable good band beginning at $70. That makes them a terrific entry level for learners who need to monitor their progress with out committing to a full smartwatch. Sure, dearer bands and good rings exist (and we advocate a couple of right here), however you’ll discover extra choices underneath $150 within the health tracker area than within the smartwatch area.

When to get a smartwatch as an alternative

If you happen to want a bit extra out of your wearable and don’t need to be restricted to a health or exercise tracker, a smartwatch could also be one of the best purchase for you. There are issues like on-watch apps, alerts and much more sturdy health options that smartwatches have and one of the best health trackers don’t. You need to use one to regulate good dwelling home equipment, set timers and reminders, verify climate stories and extra. Some smartwatches allow you to select which apps you need to obtain alerts from, and the choices transcend simply name and textual content notifications. Simply be sure your smartwatch is suitable along with your Android or iPhone, nonetheless, earlier than buying, as not all of them work with each working programs.

However the additional health options are arguably a very powerful factor to consider when deciding between a health tracker and a smartwatch. The latter gadgets are usually bigger, giving them more room for issues like GPS, barometers, onboard music storage and extra. Whereas you’ll find built-in GPS on choose health trackers, it’s not widespread.

If you happen to’re somebody who’s severely coaching — say for a race or an endurance problem — a devoted running watch could also be price contemplating. These usually present extra in-depth cardio analytics, restoration insights, and real-time tempo information that transcend what commonplace trackers can ship.

Different health trackers we have examined

Fitbit Encourage 3

The Fitbit Inspire 3 strips out all the posh options from the Cost 6 and retains solely the important monitoring options. You received’t get built-in GPS monitoring or Fitbit Pay or Spotify management however you do get stable exercise monitoring, automated exercise detection, smartphone alerts and many extra. The up to date model has a sleeker design and features a shade contact show and related GPS, the latter of which helps you to monitor tempo and distance whilst you run or bike exterior whilst you have your cellphone with you. When in comparison with the Cost 6, the Encourage 3 is extra modern, too. Its interchangeable bands allow you to swap up the feel and appear of your tracker everytime you need, and it’s slim sufficient to mix in with different jewellery you could be sporting. We have been additionally impressed by its multi-day battery life: Fitbit guarantees as much as 10 days on a single cost, and that checked out for us. After 4 days of round the clock use, the Encourage 3 nonetheless had 66 % battery left to go.

Health tracker FAQs

How lengthy do health tracker batteries final?

The battery lifetime of health trackers can range relying on the mannequin and its options. On common, most health trackers final between 5 to seven days on a single cost. Primary fashions with restricted options may stretch as much as 10 days or extra. Nonetheless, extra superior trackers with options like steady coronary heart charge monitoring, GPS, or always-on shows may have recharging after one to a few days. If you happen to’re utilizing GPS or streaming music via your health tracker, you will discover that this drains the battery quicker. By utilizing these options much less, or turning them off, you will prolong battery life.

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