Suppose you are one of those that crave excitement, adventure and like to exercise in unconventional ways rather than just grinding away on a treadmill.
In that case, it can be challenging to monitor your fitness level.
For that, you need a fitness tracker so that every hop, skip, jump, and stroke is tabulated.
If you are getting your exercise from hopping, skipping, jumping, and stroking, you could have more issues than just monitoring burned calories.
Anyone can get a cheap ball-bearing pedometer, but you need more than that for accurate fitness information.
A high-quality fitness tracker will store all of your data – not just how many steps you have taken – and it will sync it either with an online database or one on your home computer so you can track your progress.
It should be geared to monitor your chosen kind of exercise, be that swimming, rock climbing, pumping iron, or bar hopping.
It should be comfortable and easy to wear. If you’re lazy, it should have a built-in coaching mechanism to help keep you motivated.
Garmin Vivofit 4
- Features always on customizable color display and 1 plus year battery life; no charging necessary. Safe for swimming and showering
- Tracks steps, distance and calories burned, monitors sleep and provides a personalized daily step goal (heart rate monitoring not available on this product)
- Periodically syncs to Garmin Connect, where you can save, plan and share your activities, get involved in social challenges and more
- Garmin Move IQ feature automatically detects activity and classifies activity type on Garmin Connect. Smartphone compatibility is iphone and android
- Width is 0.75 inch and thickness is 0.37 inch. Circumference for large is 5.83 to 8.46 inch and Circumference for regular is 4.80 to 7.40 inch. Display size is 0.43 x 0.43 in inches and Display resolution is 88 x 88 pixels
Best All-Purpose: As was the case with our GPS running watches roundup, one of the most popular and beloved names in fitness tracking was Garmin.
The Vivofit is ideal for the average user looking to up their game.
It is wrist-mounted and easy to forget once it is on. It uses standard watch batteries, which will give you about a year of uninterrupted monitoring without the need to recharge.
It even tracks your activity while you sleep so that you get credit for calories burned between the sheets *wink*.
It is also a pedometer for measuring your steps and waterproof up to 50 meters, so you can take it for a swim so long as you aren’t doing any freediving.
The activity monitor will flash red if you are inactive for too long, so expect to suddenly be forced to do some office calisthenics or some dreaded desk dancing.
It learns from your activity over time and sets daily goals for you, which it keeps track of them through the Garmin Connect™ system. Connects via Bluetooth 4.0, so no cables are needed.
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Jawbone Up 24
- Provides the motivation you need on your wrist to move more, sleep better, and improve your fitness
- Tracks steps, exercise, overall calories burned, hours slept and quality of sleep
- Track your food, drink, calories, nutrients and use the UP App Food Score to quickly know if you are eating right
- Smart Coach communicates with you via vibrations at the wrist from a Smart Alarm? to wake you up with an Idle Alert to get you moving
- Connect with your friends and family so you can reach your goals together or see how you measure up on the team leaderboards
Powerful Minimalist: The Jawbone is easily one of the most comfortable fitness trackers you can find. It is also one of the most extensive when combined with the UP App.
It syncs to your smartphone or computer automatically and easily tracks your food intake through pictures or barcodes, your daily water consumption, and your sleep patterns, as well as your active vs. passive periods while awake.
It suggests milestones and lays out a total body plan that will have you in peak condition in minimum time. It is unmatched for simplicity.
Despite its many qualities, the Up24 has two issues that may be a dealbreaker for some. First, it is ugly as sin. It looks like you have a synthetic earthworm wrapped around your wrist.
It might as well be a medic alert bracelet saying you are allergic to sex.
Secondly, it doesn’t have a built-in screen, so if you are a little OCD and need to check your status on the go, it won’t be able to help you unless you are lugging your phone around.
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Misfit Shine
- Splashproof disc with red LED progress and time display
- Smart button enabled to control connected household devices
- Automatically tracks steps, distance, calories, and light and heavy sleep
- Flash Cyclist is water resistant up to 30m and suitable for everyday use. This means splash/rain resistant, NOT suitable for showering, bathing, swimming, snorkeling, and similar water work.
- Wirelessly syncs with paired smartphone to upload data and Non-charging, replaceable battery lasts up to 6 months
Simply Stylish: The Shine is the opposite of the Jawbone in appearance. It was brought back from the future by stylish beings just to monitor your fitness levels.
The minimalistic silver or colored plate uses a simple light system to let you know how active you have been. At the same time, it automatically transmits extensive information to your computer.
It is waterproof up to 50 meters, so it is another good choice for swimmers. Tracks not only steps but speed, distance, and calories burned.
Also, monitors your sleep time and the depth of your sleep based on heart rate. It uses a replaceable battery, so no need to charge.
This is the smart fitness tracker that you can truly wear out to dinner with the boss.
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Fitbit One
- One syncs automatically and wirelessly to tablets, computers and 150+ leading iOS, Android and Windows smartphones using Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology. Syncing to computers requires Internet connection and USB port. Syncing to mobile devices requires Bluetooth and Internet connection. Syncing range: 20 feet. Call notifications via Bluetooth 4.0
- Water Resistance: Charge has been tested up to 1 ATM meaning it is sweat, rain and splash proof. However, the device is not swim proof. We also recommend taking Charge off before showering because, as with any wearable device, it’s best for your skin if the band stays dry and clean.
- Warning: Do not use if you have a pacemaker or other internal, or implanted medical device. Not intended for use by children under 13. Always consult your physician. Slippery when wet
- We recommend charging your device every few days to ensure you are always tracking. Charge time: One to two hours. Battery life: up to 7 - 10 days. Battery type: Lithium-polymer
- Syncs with Windows Vista and later, Mac OS X 10.6 and up, iPhone 4S and later, iPad 3 gen. and later, and leading Android and Windows devices
Top Clip-On: The nicest thing about the Fitbit One is that it clips discreetly to your belt rather than riding around on your wrist.
This can interfere with its accuracy from time to time and cause it to come loose, but for those who don’t want a gaudy piece of jewelry, this is a smoother choice.
For a low-price fitness tracker, the One is packed to the gills with technology.
It gives you charts and graphs to track your progress, monitors your heart rate, stairs climbed, and even lets you upload your information online to compete with friends or strangers.
Logs your meals, your sleep, and your water intake to help you set a comprehensive diet and fitness plan. The only downside is it only works with a handful of mobile devices.
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Withings Pulse HR
Best Bang for Your Buck: There are two things that put the Pulse apart from many of the other fitness trackers.
First, it not only tracks your heart rate but also keeps an eye on your blood oxygen levels, so you know not only how fast your heart is beating but whether or not you are getting enough air.
For older users or those with infirmities, this can be imperative information.
Secondly, the HR can seamlessly interface with other Withings fitness gear to create a complete body-monitoring system.
Add in a heart rate or blood pressure monitor, a body analyzer, or scale, and you’ll know everything you need to improve your workout.
The wristband is also replaceable to complement your personal style.
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Last update on 2024-04-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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