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Fitness trackers have evolved significantly, offering a range of features that cater to various fitness goals and lifestyles.

Introduction to Fitness Trackers

Fitness trackers have come a long way from the simple bands that tracked steps and little else. Modern trackers can monitor everything from your heart health to how well you’ve recovered from a hard bout of training. Even flagship smartwatches, which used to be lackluster trackers, have become adept workout companions. Whatever your fitness goals are, there’s likely a fitness tracker that can help you achieve them.

Compared to other gadgets, wearables are incredibly personal, which means there are several considerations to take into account before making a purchase. This makes it challenging to declare any one fitness tracker as the best for everyone. Thankfully, the variety available in 2025 ensures that there is something to fit every lifestyle.

Best Fitness Trackers and Watches

Best Fitness Tracker Overall: Amazfit Active 2

The Amazfit Active 2 delivers outsized value for the price. It boasts a stylish design and a wide array of health tracking features, including built-in GPS and AI chatbots to provide extra context to your data.

Score: 7
Pros: Stacked feature set for the price, stylish design, good battery life
Cons: Touchscreen and voice commands can be finicky, cannot edit workouts, AI chatbots are underwhelming

Where to Buy: $99.99 at Amazon, Walmart, and Amazfit

Specifications: Size: 43mm with 20mm straps; Weight: 29.5g for standard, 31.7g for premium; Battery life: Up to 10 days; Display type: OLED touchscreen; GPS: Five GNSS systems; Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi; Water resistance: 5ATM; Music storage: N/A

The Amazfit Active 2 stands out as the best all-rounder on the market. While smartwatches are becoming increasingly high-tech, the Active 2 maintains the essence of a classic fitness tracker—affordable, comprehensive health features, and a comfortable yet stylish design. At $99.99 for the standard version and $129.99 for the premium version with a leather band, it offers exceptional value.

The hardware and design are surprisingly chic for the price. The standard version features a stainless steel case and tempered glass screen, while the premium version upgrades to sapphire crystal and includes an extra leather strap. The display is bright at 2,000 nits, and users can expect around 10 days of regular use on a single charge, although power users may see closer to eight or nine days.

Health features include continuous heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen rate, heart rate variability, stress tracking, and skin temperature tracking. The device also offers a daily readiness score and detailed sleep tracking. For workouts, it supports 160 different sport types, including HYROX and a strength training mode that automatically counts reps. Built-in GPS with five satellite systems is included, along with offline maps and turn-by-turn directions.

While the Active 2 excels in many areas, it does have some drawbacks. The touchscreen can be difficult to use with sweaty fingers, and the onboard AI assistant for voice commands sometimes requires clear enunciation. Advanced health features like EKGs or sleep apnea detection are absent, but this device is designed to be a straightforward fitness tracker that looks like a watch, and it accomplishes that goal effectively.

Best Fitness Watch for Casual Users: Garmin Venu Sq 2

The Garmin Venu Sq 2 is an excellent replacement for aging Fitbit smartwatches. It not only resembles them but also includes far more fitness features, boasts long battery life, and does not require a subscription.

Score: 8
Pros: Bright display, long battery life, extensive training and health features, no subscriptions
Cons: Cluttered app, proprietary USB-A charger

Where to Buy: $249.99, $149.99 at Amazon, Walmart, and Garmin

Specifications: Size: 40mm with 20mm straps; Weight: 38g; Battery life: Up to 11 days; Display type: OLED touchscreen; GPS: All-systems GNSS; Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus; Water resistance: 5ATM; Music storage: 4GB (for Music Edition)

The $250 Garmin Venu Sq 2 is recommended for anyone looking to replace their Fitbit Versa 2, 3, or 4. It features a similar aesthetic but comes with a superior OLED display and longer battery life.

Garmin is renowned for its comprehensive fitness tracking, and the Venu Sq 2 is no exception. It includes built-in GPS for tracking walks, runs, and bike rides, along with various sports profiles like yoga and strength training. Smart features include push notifications, timers, contactless payments, and safety features like Garmin’s Incident Detection, which is a form of fall detection. However, it’s worth noting that you will need to carry your phone, as the Venu Sq 2 lacks LTE capabilities.

For those interested in onboard music, the Music Edition is available for an additional $50, providing storage for about 500 songs. However, given that most users will likely have their phone on hand, this option may not be necessary.

What stands out about this watch is its ability to grow with users. It offers recovery metrics and sleep tracking, along with Garmin Coach—a built-in, free training program for beginner and intermediate runners aiming for 5K, 10K, or half marathon events. Health tracking includes heart rate, blood oxygen, intensity minutes, stress, hydration, respiratory rate, and menstrual cycles. None of these features are locked behind a paywall, although Garmin has introduced a premium tier that offers personalized AI-powered insights for $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year.

While the Venu 3 offers newer heart rate sensors and nap detection, its $450 price tag may deter casual users. Garmin’s Forerunner 165, priced at $249, is a budget training watch that shares many features with the Venu Sq 2 but has a sportier design.

Best for Serious Outdoor Athletes: Garmin Fenix 7S Pro

The Garmin Fenix 7 Pro series is designed for serious outdoor athletes, featuring an updated optical heart rate sensor for improved accuracy, excellent battery life, a brighter MIP display, and solar charging options.

Score: 8
Pros: Hands-free flashlight, long battery life, multiband GPS, upgraded heart rate monitor
Cons: Improved MIP display can still be hard to read in dim lighting, too similar to the standard Fenix 7

Where to Buy: $899.99, $733.98 at Amazon, $749.99 at Best Buy, and Garmin

Specifications: Sizes: 7S Pro: 42mm with 20mm straps; 7: 47mm with 22mm straps; 7X: 51mm with 26mm straps; Weight: 7S Pro: 63g (Solar), 58g or 65g (Sapphire Solar, titanium or stainless steel); Battery life: 7S: up to 11 days, 14 with Solar; 7: up to 18 days, 22 days with solar; 7X: up to 28 days, 37 with solar; Display type: MIP touchscreen; GPS: All-systems GNSS and dual-frequency GPS; Connectivity: Bluetooth, Ant Plus, Wi-Fi; Water resistance: 10ATM; Music storage: Up to 32GB

The Fenix 7 Pro lineup is robust, featuring built-in multiband GPS, solar charging on all models, and extensive data metrics. Each model includes a hands-free LED flashlight, an upgraded heart rate sensor, and an improved MIP display that is easier to read in low light.

Garmin wearables are known for providing in-depth metrics, and the Fenix 7 Pro lineup is no exception. Users can expect excellent recovery metrics, training guides, and coaching programs—all without additional fees. The quick GPS signal acquisition is particularly beneficial for winter training, and the watches are built to military-grade standards, offering up to 10ATM water resistance.

While the MIP display is brighter, it may not be as user-friendly as the OLED displays found in the Garmin Epix 2 and Epix Pro models. The choice between the Fenix 7, Fenix 7 Pro, Epix 2, and Epix Pro largely depends on whether you prioritize display brightness, battery life, or price.

Best Non-Wrist Tracker: Oura Ring 4

The Oura Ring 4 is a unique option for those seeking a discreet fitness tracker. Priced at $349, it is less distracting than wrist-based options, lacking a screen and notifications.

Score: 9
Pros: More sizes, slimmer design, expanded auto workout detection, redesigned app, better battery life
Cons: Subscription required for full features, lacks a charging case

Where to Buy: $349 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Oura

Specifications: Sizes: 12 proprietary sizes, 4–15 (sizing kit needed); Weight: 4–6g (depends on size); Battery life: Up to seven days; Display type: None; GPS: None; Connectivity: Bluetooth; Water resistance: Up to 328 feet; Music storage: None

The Oura Ring 4 tracks various metrics, including heart rate variability, body temperature, blood oxygen, all-day heart rate monitoring, and cycle tracking. The updated sensor algorithm improves accuracy, and the ring now offers an expanded size range, making it more accessible to users.

While it tracks typical metrics like steps and calories burned, its primary focus is on sleep and recovery. Users receive daily scores for readiness, sleep, and activity, providing a holistic view of wellness. The app has been revamped to better organize features and metrics, and a recent update improved step-tracking accuracy.

Oura has also introduced Health Panels, allowing users to schedule blood tests with local Quest Diagnostics locations. The results can be viewed within the Oura app, and the AI chatbot, Oura Advisor, can help interpret the results.

For Samsung Galaxy Watch users, the $399.99 Galaxy Ring offers a compelling alternative, providing better battery life and no subscription requirement. However, it is primarily designed for Android users and is most effective when paired with other Samsung devices.

Best Fitness Band: Amazfit Band 7

The Amazfit Band 7 is an affordable option that offers numerous features, including an OLED display and long battery life.

Score: 7
Pros: Super affordable, good feature set for the price, comfortable and lightweight
Cons: Difficult to put on one-handed, some app quirks, GPS can be unreliable

Where to Buy: $49.99 at Amazon, Amazfit, and Best Buy

Specifications: Size: 42mm x 24mm x 12.2mm with 16mm straps; Weight: 28g; Battery life: Up to 18 days; Display type: OLED; GPS: Tethered; Connectivity: Bluetooth; Water resistance: 5ATM; Music storage: None

The Amazfit Band 7 is hard to beat at its price point of $49.99, often available for even less. It provides a simple and casual tracking experience without breaking the bank.

While the design may not attract compliments, the Band 7 features several attractive watch faces that utilize its OLED touchscreen. Users can expect around 14 days of battery life on a single charge, making it a suitable option for sleep tracking.

Despite its low price, the Band 7 offers an impressive array of features, including Amazon Alexa, continuous heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen monitoring, stress tracking, advanced sleep tracking, and menstrual tracking. While it lacks contactless payments and relies on tethered GPS, the trade-off is reasonable given its extensive feature set.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the fitness tracker market in 2025 offers a diverse array of options tailored to various needs and preferences. Whether you are a casual user, a serious athlete, or someone looking for a discreet tracking solution, there is a device that can meet your requirements. The Amazfit Active 2 stands out as the best overall fitness tracker, while the Garmin Venu Sq 2 and Fenix 7 Pro cater to casual and serious athletes, respectively. The Oura Ring 4 and Amazfit Band 7 provide unique alternatives for those seeking different forms of tracking. With so many choices available, consumers can find the perfect fitness tracker to support their health and fitness journeys.

Source: <a href="https://www.theverge.com/22985108/best-fitness-tr