Health is wealth. It’s a simple yet true mantra; nothing is more important than your personal health. But where to start? Fitness trackers have come a long way since being glorified pedometers, although they still do that too, and incredibly well. Today, the best fitness trackers provide helpful insights like heart rate data. Many also provide coaching to improve your workouts, insights on how you can better recover, and in some cases, they can even track and help relieve your stress.

However, trying to find the right fitness tracker can feel like being cast out to sea, especially when you consider the best smartwatches have many of the same features as fitness trackers. Below, you’ll find a finely curated mix of both dedicated fitness trackers and smartwatches, and even a simple ring that you can wear if you’re not a watch person. All the devices below will help you live your goal of being as healthy as possible.

Get going with the best fitness trackers

The Fitbit Charge 5 was our previous best overall fitness tracker, but the Fitbit Charge 6 takes everything that made that tracker great and improves it. You get 40 different exercise modes (double from the Charge 5) that include running, biking, yoga, and weight-lifting, to name a few. The Fitbit Charge 6 improves upon its predecessors by taking more advantage of Google. This is the first Fitbit to get full Google Maps integration, YouTube Music, and Google Wallet (although you'll have to use your Google account for access). With the Google Maps feature, you can pair your phone and Fitbit, then you can receive directions from your tracker without pulling out your phone. This can be helpful when you’re in a new city and you’re walking from place to place.

Fitbit also brought back the side button for the Charge 6, so users now have another way to navigate through menus. Instead of being bound by tapping and swiping, pressing the side button can quickly bring you back to the home screen or scan through metrics for different activities. This can be especially helpful if you have gloves on and your Fitbit is having trouble registering taps and swipes. Speaking of easy navigation - Fitbit Premium provides a library of audio and video workouts that include high intensity training, dance cardio, cycling, guided mediation and more. Fitbit Premium also holds valuable insights like your Daily Readiness Score (how ready your body is for a workout), as well as stress and sleep scores. Keep in mind, Fitbit Premium is only available with a $10 a month subscription.

Fitbit also claims the new HR tracker is up to 60% more accurate than the Charge 5. This is especially helpful when doing high intensity and heart rate zone training, so you know when to ramp up and slow down. It also features an EDA sensor that helps the tracker monitor how your body responds to stress. The combination of accurate heart rate, stress monitoring, and a sleep score through sleep tracking helps you become the healthiest version of yourself both mentally and physically. This new, more accurate heart rate tracker can also stream to Peloton NordicTrack and Tonal compatible fitness equipment, making it easier for you to keep your heart rate visible during your training without you looking at your wrist every few moments.

The Mi Band 8, better known in international markets as the Smart Band 8, improves this popular tracker among the budget-conscious. One of the biggest improvements is automatic workout tracking, but this only works with a few activities, such as running, biking, and walking. Regarding data, all the usual suspects such as SpO2, heart rate and heart rate average are all available. The tracker can also track your sleep and breathing and provide insights on the companion app, called Mi Fitness, to help you improve your sleep and recovery.

Another great feature is Pebble Mode. Using a separately purchased strap, you can connect the device to your running shoes and gain helpful insights about your running form, such as your stride, cadence, and impact. For serious runners, these insights can help you improve to get the most out of your runs.

We’re sad to see that the Smart Strap 8 still doesn’t have NFC or onboard GPS, but Xiaomi did make improvements to the display. The display is now 100 nits brighter than the previous version, upgraded to 600 nits of peak brightness. That helps you to see the screen in bad lighting conditions. The refresh rate also improved from a lowly 30Hz to 60Hz for a smoother scrolling experience.

Even the smallest fitness bands on the market, including the Mi Band 7, aren't as discreet as the Oura Ring. Unlike the vast majority of fitness trackers that are worn on the wrist, the Oura Ring, as the name suggests, is a ring. It lacks a screen, and it doesn't push notifications, meaning it's less distracting compared to traditional fitness bands. But don't let its small form factor make you think of it any less because the Oura Ring is a very capable device that can track many metrics to keep you in your best shape.

The highlight of this product is its form factor and design. The Oura Ring Gen 3 comes in four different colors -- Silver, Black, Stealth, and Gold. It's made out of lightweight titanium, meaning it's quite durable. It's also lighter than a conventional ring, so you don't have to worry about taking it off frequently. Despite its relatively small form factor, the Oura Ring Gen 3 is said to last for up to 7 days on a single charge. It uses Bluetooth LE (Low-Energy) for its connectivity.

Coming in at $299, the Oura Ring Gen 3 is one of the most expensive trackers on this list, and it also demands a paid membership for the best support. Yes, you get six months of free membership with your purchase, but it's $6.99 per month after that, which definitely adds up as a significant cost for most people. With this membership, though, you get access to things like guided meditations, educational content, and personalized insights into your well-being. Some premium features, including the Relaxation time and Period Prediction, are only available with the membership. You can choose to ignore the membership, but without it, you'll only get access to the basic Oura Ring features like your Daily Readiness, Sleep, and Activity scores.

The Fitbit Sense 2 is like the company's other fitness trackers, but it brings many new and extra features. It also brings a slew of noteworthy improvements over its predecessors, including an updated design, internals, and more. The Fitbit Sense 2 uses aluminum for its case instead of the stainless steel from the previous model. Its slim and lightweight enclosure makes it comfortable to wear for long periods too.

One of the best things about Fitbit Sense 2 is that it comes with a host of sensors to track various metrics, including heart rate, ECG, EDA, blood oxygen, temperature, and more. That makes it better than a lot of other options on the market, including Fitbit's own Versa trackers. The Versa 4 comes close to matching the overall experience, but it trades some of the features in exchange for a cheaper price tag. The Sense 2 also senses (lame pun intended) and will automatically track workouts, such as running, aerobic sessions, swimming, outdoor cycling, and sports like basketball. This means you won't miss out on your workout stats even if you forgot to manually track a workout, which is convenient. Overall, it can track over 40 different exercises, and can handle being submerged up to 50 meters of water for those of who you prefer to get their exercise in the water.

The Fitbit Sense 2 comes with a vibrant 1.58-inch AMOLED screen that gets decently bright even under direct sunlight. The battery life of the Sense 2 is also pretty good, and it can last you for about three days on a single charge, even with all the health tracking features enabled. The Fitbit OS is clean and easy to get used to as is the app. In the app you can easily find all of your health metrics such as heart rate, breathing rate, skin temperature, and heart rate variable (HRV). All of these metrics not only display how you react to workouts, but also how your body reacts to stress throughout the day. In the app you can find other advanced metrics, like your Daily Readiness and Sleep Score, but you'll need a subscription to Fitbit Premium to take advantage of many of the more advanced health and fitness features on the Sense 2, as is the case with our best overall pick, the Fitbit Charge 6 as well.

Google addressed battery life and health tracking pain points from the previous generation with the Pixel Watch 2, which has 24 hours of battery life and new health and training sensors. The watch can automatically detect a workout and helps eliminate false steps, so you get an accurate read on how much you actually moved throughout the day.

There are 40 different preloaded workouts. You can expect everything from running and biking, to pilates, yoga, and swimming. There are even health coaches on-board. These coaches can help you with your pace as your run, which can be beneficial for those training for a marathon. You can also follow guided medications to help you relax and recover. The latter is often prompted by the new electrodermal activity sensor, which tracks your stress levels through skin temperature. And when you’re overly stressed, it will send you notifications with tips, insights, or meditations you can do to relieve stress. When it comes to a Fitness app, you'll be using the Fitbit app to manage and view all of your health insights. And if you've read the Fitbit Charge 6 or Fitbit Verse Sense 2 descriptions on this page already, you know the deal, especially when it comes to Fitbit Premium.

The safety features are also great. Safety Check is a useful tool for those who like to go running at night and alone. This feature allows you to share your location with up to 15 emergency contacts. If you don’t reach your return destination (your home) back within a specific time frame you set, it will text and share your location with your selected emergency contacts. Google made huge strides on the Pixel Watch 2 with health and safety at the forefront, and it shows.

The Amazfit T-Rex 2 has been out for a while now, yet it remains a reliable smartwatch among all the newer options that are out there right now. I still use it as my primary smartwatch, and I must admit that it's been holding up very well. It still suffers from a lot of the software issues I mentioned in my review last year, but it's a capable smartwatch, offering a good bang for your buck. It's also frequently discounted now, and you can snag it for as little as $180.

The highlight of the Amazfit T-Rex 2, at least for me, is the battery life. It takes a while to top up using its proprietary charger with magnetic pins, but it easily lasts me two weeks on a single charge, which is quite impressive. I use it to track all the health metrics, and I also use it to track my cycling activity every day for about an hour or so. I also have the always-on display enabled at all times, which is great.

The watch enclosure itself looks and feels great in hand. It's a rugged smartwatch that comes with 10ATM water resistance and STD-MIL-810G certification, and it's also validated to withstand extreme temperatures and environmental conditions from 70-degree to all the way down to -40-degree temperatures. The 1.39-inch AMOLED panel on the front also looks great and is very responsive, so there are no complaints there, either.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is packed with sensors to help you stay in the know and on top of your health. You can expect heart rate, stress, sleep, and blood oxygen monitoring, but the newest feature will send you heart-rhythm notifications when the sensors detect irregular heartbeats. From a fitness level, there are over 90 exercises it can track. Let's say you decide to go for a swim but forget to track the exercise manually. The Watch 6 can recognize certain exercises and will automatically track them for you. Plus, it gathers insights for your workouts, such as duration, calories burned, and the distance you covered.

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is available in two different colors: graphite and silver. Even with the progression from the Watch 5 to Watch 6, the design stayed relatively the same, but you do get an upgrade in RAM, going to 2GB from 1.5GB. This results in better UI performance, especially when you're multitasking. There's also a bright and clear AMOLED display that looks fantastic, even when hit with direct sunlight.

Internally, the watch sees an upgrade from the previous generation Exynos W920 process to the W930. This results in an extra smooth user experience with no slowdowns, jumpiness, or shutters as you navigate through the watch’s menus. You can also expect about 40 hours (almost two full days) of battery life. Of course, this will vary depending on how you use the watch, like using the “always-on display” will lower battery life, for instance.

Samsung also released a more premium version of the Watch 6, dubbed the Watch 6 Classic, that features the return of the fantastic physical rotating bezel. But if you don't want to spring for the classic, this is a great fitness tracker for Android users, especially if you want a smartwatch-style tracker.

If you prefer a smartwatch to a slim-style oval fitness tracker, and you’re looking for less downtime charging your device, the Garmin Venu 3 should be strongly considered. With the always-on display activated, and with regular use, you can expect about five days of battery life. Utilizing battery-saver mode, the watch can squeeze 20 days of use before needing to be powered up.

There are over 30 preloaded workouts available. And you can expect many of the usual suspects, such as running, swimming, and strength training. But a neat addition is pickleball, which you can now track your activity playing one of the fastest growing games in the country. Even those bound to a wheelchair can benefit from wheelchair specific activity tracking. But beyond working out your physical body, the Venu 3 strives to help you stay mentally healthy as well. The watch has a great speaker and display that can be used to help guide you through meditation exercises. That combined with insights like your body battery score and sleep score all provide you the tools to be a mentally healthier version of yourself.

Speaking of sleep, aside from tracking your sleep and providing you with insights you can view in the morning, the Garmin Venu 3 takes it a step further. An “Evening Report” takes that data and provides ways that can potentially help you sleep better. It takes data and turns it into actionable items so you can better perform throughout the day.

In a side-by-side comparison of previous generations, you aren’t going to notice really any difference in design. Aside from the brighter 2,000 nit display, which helps the screen remain visible in bad lighting conditions, most of its upgrades are what the device can do, not what it looks like. The Apple Watch Series 9 can track over 30 workouts and include running, cycling, machine workouts like elliptical and rowing, as well as yoga, and pilates. Although it's not as rugged as the Ultra 2, you can also track your swimming. There's also an array of sensors such as a blood oxygen sensor, ECG, and temperature sensors that provide helpful and accurate insights on your health and how well you're managing stress throughout the day. The heart rate sensor is also incredibly accurate and fast providing the accuracy of a chest-strap monitor and displaying changes in your heart rate without lag.

Beyond the impressive health capabilities, one of the newest features for overall convenience is the Double Tap. With Double Tap, you can control certain functionality without ever touching the display on your watch. For instance, if your alarm goes off in the morning, you can snooze it by double tapping your index finger and thumb together twice (hence, double tap). Or if your watch-free hand is holding a coffee for instance, and you receive a phone call, you can answer the call with the same gesture. The Double Tap can do several other things as well, which are incredibly helpful.

Siri is also on-board for the ride even when you aren’t connected to the internet. Let’s say both of your hands are full (you can’t double tap your fingers), you can ask Siri to do certain tasks that don’t require the internet, such as create reminders or alarms. The Apple Watch Series 9 helps users work smarter, not harder, and improves on the user’s experience.

If you fancy a rugged smartwatch to keep track of health and activity, then you might want to consider Garmin's Instinct 2 Solar. The highlight of this particular smartwatch is that it comes with "never-ending battery life." As the name implies, the Garmin Instinct 2 Solar support solar charging, so those with an active lifestyle who spend a lot of time outdoors will hugely benefit from this watch.

In case you're wondering, the Instinct 2 Solar charges using a transparent "power glass" that covers the screen and the panels surrounding it. This glass, according to the company, can keep the Instinct 2 Solar topped up for essentially unlimited battery life, provided you spend at least three hours outdoors every day. If that sounds like something you can do, then you should consider picking it up.

One thing to note about this smartwatch is that it lacks a touchscreen. It instead offers a button-based interface which works very well. The watch, however, leaves no stones unturned when it comes to smart features. From notification pop-ups and workout tracking to GPS, heart-rate tracking, and more, you get support for pretty much everything with this smartwatch. It also handles activity tracking very well, and it syncs with the Garmin Connect companion app available for Android and iOS to give all the workout insights you need.

I'd like to point out that Garmin has also announced an updated version of this model called the Garmin Instinct 2X Solar. We're still in the process of reviewing that particular model, and the Instinct 2 Solar remains my pick in the meantime.

Best fitness trackers in 2023: The bottom line

The Fitbit Charge 6 is our best overall pick for its affordability, and everything you get for the price. We love the return of the side button to help you navigate through the menus, especially when you have gloves on. The addition of Google Maps also helps you stay more in the moment by keeping your phone in your pocket, while ensuring you know where you are going.

If you’re looking for a more synergistic experience between your phone and wearable tech, we recommend going with the Samsung Watch 6 for Android users, or the Apple Series 9 for Apple users. Both feature advanced heart rate tracking ECG, as well robust sleep and recovery data. Both options are far more expensive, but you get far more control of many aspects found on your phone without having to take your phone out of your pocket.