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The selection of the best fitness bands is an inherently personal process, much like choosing any other daily wearable. Optimal fitness bands should seamlessly blend comfort and style, while also aligning with your unique lifestyle and exercise preferences. Are you an avid cyclist, a rowing enthusiast, or dedicated to weightlifting? Are long hours spent on the track your routine, or do you primarily seek gentle hourly reminders to stay active?
No matter what you’re looking for, there’s never been a better time to find a powerful, high-tech tool that can help you improve your workouts or jump-start your routine. We’ve tried a lot of them over the years to come up with this list. Don’t forget to look at our Best Smartwatches and Best Running Gear tips while you’re here.
Best Fitness Bands Comparison Table
| Product Name | Brand | Display Type | Heart Rate Monitor | GPS | Battery Life | Water Resistance | Additional Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitbit Charge 5 | Fitbit | Touchscreen | Yes | Yes | Up to 7 days | Up to 50 meters | Skin temperature sensor |
| Fitbit Inspire 3 | Fitbit | OLED | Yes | No | Up to 10 days | Up to 50 meters | Smartphone notifications |
| Amazfit Band 5 | Amazfit | AMOLED | Yes | Yes | Up to 15 days | Up to 50 meters | Alexa voice control |
| Garmin Vivomove Sport | Garmin | Analog | Yes | No | Up to 5 days | Up to 50 meters | Smartphone notifications |
| Realme Band 2 | Realme | Color | Yes | No | Up to 12 days | Up to 50 meters | Blood oxygen monitor |
| Redmi Smart Band Pro | Redmi | AMOLED | Yes | No | Up to 14 days | Up to 50 meters | Alexa voice control |
| Mi Smart Band 6 | Xiaomi | AMOLED | Yes | No | Up to 14 days | Up to 50 meters | Sleep tracking |
Fitbit Charge 5
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | AMOLED |
| Battery life | Up to 7 days |
| Water resistance | Up to 50m |
| Heart rate monitor | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes |
| GPS | Connected GPS |
| NFC | Yes |
| Compatibility | Android, iOS, and Windows |
| Weight | 27g |
Even though Fitbit has had tough competition from other companies, most notably the Apple Watch, I’ve always liked its trackers. They have just the right amount of beauty, cost, availability, and ease of use. They are great for anyone who isn’t an ultramarathoner or a semipro powerlifter trying to set a personal record.
The Charge line has always been the best, and the Charge 5 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is no different. Last year’s version had rounded edges, a bright AMOLED screen, and almost every gadget you could want, from stress scans to electrocardiograms. The Charge 5 Best Fitness Bands pairs quickly with Android phones, just like the Apple Watch does with iPhones. It also has both built-in and connected GPS, so it’s easy to track workouts outside.
The Good
- The images on an AMOLED display are clear and bright.
- It can handle water up to 50m deep, so you can swim with it.
- Up to 7 days of battery life.
- Heart rate monitor and sleep tracking are already built in.
- Contactless payments can be made with NFC.
The Bad
- No GPS built in; only GPS that you connect.
- Compared to other fitness trackers, it’s pretty pricey.
Fitbit Inspire 3
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | OLED |
| Battery life | Up to 10 days |
| Water resistance | Up to 50m |
| Heart rate monitor | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes |
| GPS | Connected GPS |
| NFC | No |
| Compatibility | Android and iOS |
| Weight | 20g |
If all you want is a simple health tracker that will keep track of your steps and sleep and let you know when someone calls, there are many copies of this fitness tracker on the market on the internet. If you’re going to spend $80, you might as well get the original. This year, Fitbit released the latest version of its very popular Inspire, which, thankfully (in my view), does not use Wear OS. Instead, it still uses Fitbit’s clear and easy Fitbit app, has a pedometer, tracks SpO2 and sleep, and comes with a wide range of watch faces and extras.
Not everything was easy. When the Inspire 3 Best Fitness Bands wouldn’t change the time zone for a day or two, I had trouble connecting, and I had to restart my phone. The Inspire 3 also often overestimated how much sleep I had gotten, which made me doubt their new Sleep Profile tool. I had a nighttime cough for two months. The Inspire 3 always said I slept 7 hours a night because I was sleeping still, but when I switched to a more sensitive fitness tracker, it said I only slept 5 hours. But if you don’t have any health problems, it is more reliable and easy to get than a fake Inspire 3, and Fitbit often has sales on its trackers.
The Good
- The images on an OLED display are clear and bright.
- It can handle water up to 50m deep, so you can swim with it.
- Up to 10 days on a single charge.
- Heart rate monitor and sleep tracking are already built in.
- It’s easy to wear because it’s not too heavy.
The Bad
- No GPS built in; only GPS that you connect.
- There is no contactless payment support for NFC.
Amazfit Band 5
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | AMOLED |
| Battery life | Up to 15 days |
| Water resistance | Up to 50m |
| Heart rate monitor | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes |
| GPS | Connected GPS |
| NFC | No |
| Compatibility | Android and iOS |
| Weight | 24g |
The Amazfit Band 5 is a Best Fitness Bands $50 fitness tracker that claims to have many of the best features of this year’s most expensive smartwatches. It measures blood oxygen (SpO2), keeps track of stress, warns you when your heart rate is too high, has Amazon Alexa built in, tracks your sleep, and has a number of other features found in high-end products.
In our tests, the Amazfit Band 5 did a good job of tracking exercise and sleep. It wasn’t great, but it was good enough for a cheap tracker, and it did more than other trackers of the same price. Even better, the battery lasted for 15 days, so we didn’t have to worry about charging it every day.
The Good
- The images on an AMOLED display are clear and bright.
- It can handle water up to 50m deep, so you can swim with it.
- Up to 15 days on a single charge.
- Heart rate monitor and sleep tracking are already built in.
- Compared to other fitness trackers, this one has an affordable price.
The Bad
- No GPS built in; only GPS that you connect.
- There is no contactless payment support for NFC.
Garmin Vivomove Sport
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | Analog |
| Battery life | Up to 2 weeks |
| Water resistance | Up to 50m |
| Heart rate monitor | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes |
| GPS | Connected GPS |
| NFC | No |
| Compatibility | Android and iOS |
| Weight | 38g |
Garmin has made some really great hybrid trackers in the past, but because of how much they cost, it’s hard to suggest them. But the Vivomove Sport gets things right at last. It looks like a traditional Swatch because the OLED screen is hidden, but in terms of accuracy, you don’t lose anything.
You give up some features like built-in GPS and NFC payments for $179.99. But you do get push alerts and access to Garmin’s whole platform for tracking fitness. There are some trackers that look more like jewelry, like the Bellabeat line or the Fitbit Luxe, but the Vivosport Move is made to be more durable for busy people.
The Good
- A unique and classic look is offered by an analog display.
- It can handle water up to 50m deep, so you can swim with it.
- Up to two weeks of battery life.
- Heart rate monitor and sleep tracking are already built in.
- Both Android and iOS devices can use it.
The Bad
- No GPS built in; only GPS that you connect.
- Compared to other fitness trackers, it’s pretty heavy.
- There is no contactless payment support for NFC.
Realme Band 2
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | LCD |
| Battery life | Up to 12 days |
| Water resistance | Up to 50m |
| Heart rate monitor | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes |
| GPS | Connected GPS |
| NFC | No |
| Compatibility | Android and iOS |
| Weight | 27g |
The Realme Band 2 is an affordable and best fitness band with a lot of functions for a low price. It has a colorful 1.4-inch touchscreen display, can measure your heart rate and blood oxygen levels, and can run for up to 12 days on a single charge. It also has 90 sports modes for tracking running, cycling, swimming, and other exercises.
There are also warnings when you’ve been sitting still for too long and smartphone notifications. The Realme Band 2 can handle water up to 50 meters deep, so you can swim and do other things in the water with it. Overall, it’s a good choice for people who want a basic exercise tracker that won’t break the bank.
The Good
- Up to 12 days on a single charge.
- It can handle water up to 50m deep, so you can swim with it.
- Heart rate monitor and sleep tracking are already built in.
- Compared to other fitness trackers, this one has an affordable price.
- Both Android and iOS devices can use it.
The Bad
- There is no AMOLED screen; only LCD.
- There is no contactless payment support for NFC.
- No GPS built in; only GPS that you connect.
Redmi Smart Band Pro
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | AMOLED |
| Battery life | Up to 14 days |
| Water resistance | Up to 50m |
| Heart rate monitor | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes |
| GPS | Connected GPS |
| NFC | No |
| Compatibility | Android and iOS |
| Weight | 13g |
The Redmi Smart Band Pro is a Best Fitness Bands with a lot of features for what it costs. It has a 1.47-inch AMOLED touchscreen device with a resolution of 240 x 240 pixels. It can track your heart rate and last up to 14 days on a single charge. It also has 11 sports modes for tracking running, cycling, and other exercises. There are also breathing exercises, sleep tracking, stress monitoring, and smartphone alerts.
The Redmi Smart Band Pro can be submerged in water up to 50 meters deep, so it can be used for swimming and other water sports. It also has voice control for Alexa, which lets users handle smart home devices and use other Alexa features right from their wrist. Overall, it’s a great deal for those on a budget who want a fitness tracker with a lot of features.
The Good
- The images on an AMOLED display are clear and bright.
- It can handle water up to 50m deep, so you can swim with it.
- Up to 14 days on a single charge.
- Heart rate monitor and sleep tracking are already built in.
- It’s easy to wear because it’s not too heavy.
The Bad
- No GPS built in; only GPS that you connect.
- There is no contactless payment support for NFC.
Mi Smart Band 6
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | AMOLED |
| Battery life | Up to 14 days |
| Water resistance | Up to 50m |
| Heart rate monitor | Yes |
| Sleep tracking | Yes |
| GPS | Built-in GPS |
| NFC | Yes |
| Compatibility | Android and iOS |
| Weight | 24g |
The Mi Smart Band 6 is Best Fitness Bands with a number of features that make it a great choice for people who want a simple device to start with. It has a 1.56-inch AMOLED touchscreen device with a resolution of 152 x 486 pixels. It can track your heart rate and last up to 14 days on a single charge. It also has 30 sports modes for keeping track of running, riding, swimming, and other activities.
There are also breathing exercises, sleep tracking, stress monitoring, and smartphone alerts. The Mi Smart Band 6 can handle water up to 50 meters deep, so you can swim and do other water sports with it. It also has advanced health tracking tools, like monitoring blood oxygen levels and keeping track of your menstrual cycle. Overall, the Mi Smart Band 6 is a good choice for people who want a fitness tracker with lots of features and a low price.
The Good
- The images on an AMOLED display are clear and bright.
- It can handle water up to 50m deep, so you can swim with it.
- Up to 14 days on a single charge.
- Heart rate monitor and sleep tracking are already built in.
- It’s easy to wear because it’s not too heavy.
- Built-in GPS
The Bad
- There is no contactless payment support for NFC.
- The band isn’t too heavy, which could make it feel less strong.
FAQs
A fitness band is a wearable device that keeps track of physical exercise and health metrics like heart rate, steps taken, calories burned, and quality of sleep.
A: Fitness bands use different sensors, like accelerometers and heart rate monitors, to keep track of how much you move and other health data. Most of the time, they connect to a mobile app or another gadget to share information about the user’s health and fitness.
A: Fitness bands can encourage you to be more active, keep track of your progress toward your fitness goals, and give you information about your health and happiness as a whole. They can also help people find ways to improve and make good changes in their lives.