Blog

Best fitness trackers in 2023: Top activity bands from Fitbit, Garmin and more | Tom's Guide

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

We worked out with dozens of the best fitness trackers to find the best models for you. Step Counter Heart Rate Watch

Best fitness trackers in 2023: Top activity bands from Fitbit, Garmin and more | Tom

1. The quick list 2. Best overall 3. Best value 4. Best fitness smartwatch 5. Best for runners 6. Best for iPhone users 7. Best fitness tracker ring 8. How to pick a fitness tracker 9. How we test 10. Features comparison

Looking to get in shape, count your steps, or just get some extra motivation to be more active? The best fitness trackers we’ve tested can help you hit your health and fitness goals, get more sleep and track your overall well-being, all from your wrist. They can even monitor your progress and provide detailed insights and guidance on how you're doing or changes you could make. 

As exercise-oriented wearables, fitness trackers can measure your heart rate, read your blood oxygen levels, accompany you swimming and tell you if you're well-rested.  Some models even offer on-the-spot ECG readings and can monitor how much time you spend in deep or REM sleep. 

Some fitness trackers, like the Fitbit Charge 5, Fitbit Sense 2, and Garmin Forerunner 265 can even be used to pay for groceries, play music, answer texts, and much more. But with so many devices, choosing one of the best fitness trackers or fitness watches for your needs can be tricky.

We put top models to the test running, biking, swimming — even sleeping — to see which excel, and which couldn't make it past the starting block. Here's our round-up.

Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness Editor and she's spent years writing about all things health and fitness. She crossed the finish line of her last marathon in 3:38, with the Garmin Forerunner 965 on her wrist. 

Here’s the best fitness trackers you can buy right now based on our testing and reviews. Scroll on for our full in-depth reviews. 

Best for most people 

The Fitbit Charge 5 ticks all of the boxes when it comes to affordability, built-in GPS, a bright screen, and all of the fitness tracking metrics Fitbit has on offer. 

The Fitbit Inspire 3 is a beautiful little tracker for those on a budget. For $100 you’re getting 10 days of battery life, a colorful band, a bright screen, and heart rate and sleep monitoring. 

Best fitness tracking smartwatch 

The Fitbit Sense 2 is a smartwatch jam-packed with health and fitness tracking features including an EDA sensor, stress tracking, and on-board GPS. Plus, it looks beautiful.

Best for runners

The Forerunner 265 is a stunning running watch with a bright, AMOLED screen. The watch comes in two different screen sizes, accurate GPS, and advanced training metrics. 

Best Apple Watch

Best for iPhone users 

Best fitness trackers in 2023: Top activity bands from Fitbit, Garmin and more | Tom

Fitness Strap Tracker The Apple Watch 9 is more than a fitness tracker, it’s an extension of your iPhone on your wrist, but it also tracks sleep, workouts, and even your menstrual cycle.