A fitness tracker can be a great way to keep tabs on your general health. With so many baby boomers primed for retirement, focus will shift to their long-term care needs and these devices can monitor steps, distance traveled, and even heart rate in order to stay active. The medical technology behind these trackers is continually evolving. We hand-picked the five best fitness trackers released in 2019. Here’s why they are the best.
Fitbit Charge 3
Fitbit has continued to improve its fitness trackers by merging them with smartwatch design. The Charge 3 is the best fitness tracker in the current Fitbit line-up for many reasons. The buttonless design makes it easy to operate while running. The concave shape of the tracker also fits nicely against any wrist. Fitbit’s suite of tracking includes all-day heart monitoring and step counting and even a menstrual cycle tracker for women.
On the smart side of things, the Charge 3 is capable of handling basic phone notifications. You can answer and reject calls and even see and respond to your text messages. Don’t expect a full-fledged smartwatch experience, though. Fitbit’s Versa line is more suited to that.
Samsung Galaxy Fit
The Samsung Galaxy Fit is an excellent choice for Android users who want a reliable fitness tracker. The device is smaller than the Charge 3 and uses a touchscreen interface. The display isn’t always-on, which is unfortunate.
Samsung’s tracking app is not quite as robust as the Fitbit app. You can track more than 90 different goals and exercises, but the tracker only has automatic detection for six activities. The device is priced at just $100 though, so it’s a great budget fitness tracker.
Apple Watch Series 4
Apple paid particular attention to healthcare with the latest version of the Apple Watch. This version features an electrocardiogram app that has been certified by the Food & Drug Administration. It’s the first device that features over-the-counter ECG technology for consumers.
Other fitness features include GPS tracking, an altimeter, and heart rate monitoring. The Apple Watch is waterproof down to 50 meters and supports many different workouts. The Apple Watch is also the only fully-fledged smartwatch on the list. It is capable of controlling music, displaying notifications, and much more than most devices on this list. That extra function and the brand make the Apple Watch the most expensive fitness tracker on this list.
Garmin Vivosmart 4
The Garmin Vivosmart 4 is an excellent option for tracking your sleep cycle, too. While all the other trackers on this list feature some form of sleep tracking, only the Vivosmart 4 measures blood oxygen levels. That means the sleep tracker may help identify harmful conditions like sleep apnea in the long run. The tracker cannot diagnose sleep apnea, but it may help provide preliminary data that suggests more testing should be done.
Unlike other devices on this list, the Garmin Vivosmart 4 also measures its lifespan in years. A simple watch battery can keep the tracker running for up to a year or longer. The Vivosmart costs about $100, bringing it more in line with the Samsung Galaxy Fit.
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