I know you’ve probably tried everything to lose weight, but have you considered a fitness tracker? You can track your workouts, heart rate, and even sleep patterns with these gadgets!
If you’re looking for the best fitness trackers to help you reach your weight loss goals, I’ve got you covered!
In this blog post, I’ll review some of my favorite models to help you narrow down your choices. I’ll tell also tell you what they do well and where they fall flat!
1. Best Overall Fitness Tracker For Losing Weight: Fitbit Charge 4
The Fitbit Charge 4 is the best fitness tracker for losing weight. It has a great price point, is easy to use, and great for any activity level. The Fitbit Charge 4 has the most accurate activity tracker on the market, with the widest range of activity options.
It is compatible with Android and IOS systems.
Special Features
- Seven-day battery life
- Sleep tracker
- Heart rate monitor
- Built-in GPS
Pros
- Includes Fitbit app
- Water-resistant up to 50 meters
- Spotify connection (Premium only)
- Fitbit pay available
- Shows blood oxygen levels
- Wellness and relaxation features
- Menstrual tracking
- Inactivity reminders
Cons
- Cannot connect to Apple Music
- No color on the display
- Screen wake doesn’t always work
- Not compatible with Google Fit
- Cannot accept phone calls
- Doesn’t measure skin temperature (common in other Fitbits)
2. Best Budget-friendly Fitness Tracker For Losing Weight: Mi Smart Band 5
The MI Smart Band 5 has all the features you would expect in a fitness tracker. It is the one I personally own! It’s cheap and it works.
It includes an activity monitor, sleep tracking, a heart rate monitor, and the ability to connect to phone notifications.
The MI Smart Band 5 also has a bright color touch screen and can connect to your phone’s GPS for better activity tracking. When it comes to the best fitness tracker for losing weight, the MI Smart Band 5 owns the budget-friendly market.
The app is available for iPhone and Android devices.
Special Features
- 11 sports modes
- Heart rate monitor
- Sleep tracker
Pros
- Water-resistant
- 14-day battery power
- Price point (between $30 – $50)
Cons
- No voice assistant
- Cannot make payments
- MI Fit app is not as intuitive as other fitness apps
Download this cheat sheet to learn the secrets to go from busy and out-of-shape to energetic and fit!
3. Best Fitness Tracker Under $100: Amazfit Bip
For those who love the Apple Watch but can’t handle the price, the Amazfit Bip comes in under $100 with a similar look and feel to its Apple counterpart. The Amazfit Bip works more like an activity tracker and less like a smartwatch with all the expected capabilities of a fitness tracker.
The Amazfit Bip can track activity, heart rate, and sleep tracking. You can customize the color watch face and get phone notifications. It also has a built-in alarm and some music controls.
At an average cost of $70, the Amazfit Bip gives you a good mix between fitness trackers and smartwatches.
It works for the IOS and Android system.
Special Features
- Sleep tracking
- 10 sports modes
- Heart rate monitor
- Built-in alarm
- Integrated GPS
Pros
- Two-week battery life
- Water-resistant
- Pushes phone notifications
- Menstrual tracking
Cons
- Heart rate monitoring can be inaccurate at times
- Cannot answer calls or respond to messages
- App set up is often a struggle
4. Best Fitness Tracker Under $300: Galaxy Watch Active 2
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 is a great fitness tracker that costs around $280. The watch has a sleek, customizable face with a digital touch rotating dial that lets you quickly look through applications directly on the smartwatch.
With automatic workout detection, the Galaxy smartwatch is made for users who often forget to use manual activity settings.
The Galaxy Watch Active 2 has limited usability on the IOS system, and iPhone users can look at the Apple Watch 3 for similar features and price range.
Special Features
- ECG for heart monitoring cleared by the FDA
- Sleep tracker
- VO2 monitor
- Built-in GPS
Pros
- Water-resistant up to 5 meters
- 7 auto-detect activities
- 39 activity modes
- Running coach
- Menstrual tracking
- Offline storage for music
- Map features
- Inactivity reminders
Cons
- Short battery life
- Not a large amount of 3rd party apps
- Limited functionality on IOS
- You cannot pause an automated workout
5. Best Smartphone Watch That Also Includes A Fitness Tracker: Apple Watch Series 6
The newest Apple Watch Series 6 is at the top of everyone’s list for fitness trackers. Apple has created a perfect ecosystem that allows the watch to function with smart features while including all the activity tracking you could possibly want.
With a bright color screen, the 6 series has improved brightness for use in the sun. The watch has all the bells and whistles. The biggest downfall is the limited sleep tracking. The Fitbit still owns this space. It also has poor battery life and will likely make it about 18 – 20 hours.
The Apple Watch only works on the IOS system.
Special Features
- Measures blood oxygen levels (Sp02)
- Real-time elevation tracking
- ECG reader
- Fall detection
- 5GHz Wi-Fi
- Sleep tracking
- Menstrual tracking
Pros
- Built-in GPS with cell option available
- Water-resistant up to 50 meters
- Automatic hand washing detection with a 20-second timer
- Map features and bike directions
- 16 workout options
- High and low heart rate notifications
- Emergency SOS button
- Inactivity reminders
- Connects to Fitness+ only available on the IOS system
- Apple Pay
Cons
- Poor battery life
- It cannot be used on any other system
- Limited sleep tracking metrics
- High price point
6. Most Accurate Fitness Tracker For Calorie Counting: Fitbit Sense
With all the best bells and whistles when it comes to health tracking, the Fitbit Sense is considered the most accurate fitness tracker on the market. The fitness tracker comes with the best in ECG and heart rate monitoring — taking only seconds to read.
Fitbit created a bright color display that is easy to see in the sun and added new features like an SP02 sensor, skin temperature monitor, and stress monitor. The stress setting will give you a prompt when it reads high-stress levels asking you if you need a minute to meditate (this setting can be turned off).
Made for IOS and Android systems.
Special Features
- ECG sensor and blood oxygen reader approved by FDA
- EDA sensor for stress readings
- Skin temperature monitor
- Sp02 sensor
Pros
- Long battery life
- Built-in GPS
- Spotify connection
- Inactivity reminder
- 20 different activities
- Customizable activity screen
Cons
- No music storage
- Buttonless design
- Band release can be hit easily
- Best used with Fitbit premium ($9.99 subscription per month)
7. Best Fitness Tracker For Running: Garmin Forerunner 245 Smartwatch
The Garmin Forerunner 245 Smartwatch is best used by runners. With specialized metrics and training tools, this smartwatch helps with weekly and daily training statistics.
With a bright color display, the Garmin Forerunner 245 has internal music storage and a great battery life allowing you to leave the smartphone at home during your runs.
Made for IOS and Android systems.
Special Features
- Weekly training stats
- Fall / incident detection
- Built-in GPS
Pros
- Race previous runs
- Training load
- Workout effectiveness
- Connection with running dynamics pod
- Spotify and Deezer connection
- Body battery (a daily energy counter)
Cons
- The menu is difficult to use
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Can a fitness tracker help me lose weight?
A fitness tracker can assist you in weight loss. The tracker does not help with weight loss if you do not include exercise and diet improvements.
While the fitness tracker can remind you to get moving and help you track your food intake, it is up to you, the person wearing the tracker, to start making life changes to improve weight loss.
Use the fitness tracker to help you improve your weight loss by:
- Turning on movement reminders
- Setting daily step goals
- Motivate yourself to improve your steps each day
Click the link for more information on How To Workout To Lose Weight and burn more calories!
2. How to use a fitness tracker to lose weight?
A fitness tracker can improve weight loss by reminding you to improve your movement throughout the day, set goals, monitor your heart rate, and get accountable.
To lose weight using a fitness tracker, you need to make sure you have the right fitness tracker. Some trackers offer a large amount of data, while others focus on specific exercise styles.
Do the research to make sure your fitness tracker is great for the type of exercise you prefer, like running, swimming, or biking.
Once you have your tracker set up, customize your daily and weekly goals. Ensure you also turn on movement reminders and give the tracker a chance to be your accountability partner.
Your tracker likely comes with a social community. Use it to add friends that will help you improve your daily movement. Use the community to motivate yourself. Even small movements throughout the day can improve your health.
3. Can a smartwatch/fitness tracker count calories?
Each fitness tracker and smartwatch measures calories in a slightly different way. The trackers use an accelerator and gyroscope to measure the movement your body is making. The tracker then calculates calories based on the information you provide the system.
The system uses your base metabolic rate (BMR), which is the calories to keep your body working at rest. The system needs your weight, height, age, and gender to calculate this rate.
Once your BMR is calculated, the system has a specific calculation that puts your movements and base rate together to create a caloric output. One of the best fitness trackers for losing weight and having the most accurate calorie counters is Fitbit Sense.
4. How accurate are calorie counts on fitness trackers?
Fitness trackers are not 100% accurate. Many studies done by different universities (Including Stanford) have proven that different trackers will overestimate and underestimate different activities. Many companies that make the products also state in fine print that their product is not 100% accurate.
The heart rate monitor on most fitness trackers has been proven to be accurate.
The Stanford study found that calorie counts, on average, were inaccurate by 25% or more.
5. What are fitness trackers missing?
Fitness trackers are missing customization. Many fitness trackers have numerous data points for each person, including: sleep, exercise, periods, food, stress, and overall health.
The problem with fitness trackers (and their apps) is not every person needs each data point. At some point, the data can be overwhelming.
As more data points are added, like meditation and stress relief, it becomes more critical for fitness trackers to allow the user to customize their experience within the apps and on their tracker.
Conclusion
If you are thinking about investing in a fitness tracker to lose weight, you have to take a look at the 7 options I recommend!
I reviewed them all for you – no need to scour the internet or go store to store! I tell you each devices’ special features, pros, and cons so that you can make an informed decision about which one is right for your needs and budget.
Start tracking your workouts, calories, heart rate, and even sleep patterns! Give yourself the gift of motivation to stay on a healthy path! Which one are you going with?
Lily
Hi, I'm Lily! Like you, I have struggled with my weight. It was not an easy journey but I was able to lose 40 pounds and have kept it off for 14 years. My goal is to share with you all the research, tips, and tricks that I have learned over the years to help you lose weight also.Download this cheat sheet to learn the secrets to go from busy and out-of-shape to energetic and fit!