Regrettably, acquiring the motivation to go to the gym isn’t possible through purchases. Solely relying on fitness wearables won’t improve your health, but a reliable fitness tracker could encourage you to exceed 500 daily steps. And that is noteworthy!

The conversation about fitness has shifted remarkably in recent times, largely due to the self-care trend. Diligently tracking your fitness, sleep, and overall health statistics has become integral to everyday wellness routines, just like skin care or consuming vegetables.

Whether you decide to buy an Equinox membership or utilize at-home fitness and smart home gyms, the top fitness trackers do more than just tally steps and check heart rates. The Apple Watch Series 11 links to various fitness applications, plays music, and allows text messaging. The original Fitbit concentrates on key metrics, while smart rings such as the Samsung Galaxy Ring and Oura Ring provide continuous health monitoring.

What’s appealing about fitness trackers?

We experimented with a range of wearables for this guide, and numerous Mashable staff members incorporate these devices into their daily lives.

For workouts, they serve as an excellent alternative to a personal trainer — recommending exercises, monitoring heart rate, and signaling when it’s time to rest. Whether you’re into gym sessions, running, swimming, following a YouTube workout, or simple walks, they will log your accomplishments and encourage you with fresh challenges.

In our evaluations, we discovered that the finest fitness trackers not only log exercises but also enhance the rest of your day. Trackers that keep tabs on sleep, body temperature, and blood-oxygen levels yield significant health insights and warn you if you’re pushing yourself too hard.

So, which fitness trackers do we trust every day? You’ll find our top picks listed below, alongside comparisons of popular models like the Apple Watch Series 11, Oura Ring 4, and Fitbit Charge 6.

Mashable team members and contributors Dylan Haas, Kimberly Gedeon, Sam Stone, Samantha Mangino, and Stan Schroeder assessed fitness trackers for this guide.

What’s new

In September 2025, we swapped out the Apple Watch Series 10 for the updated Apple Watch Series 11 as our preferred smartwatch. They share similar features and designs, but the Series 11 boasts remarkably enhanced battery life at the same price, making it more effective for sleep and fitness tracking.

We excluded the Whoop 4.0 from our top recommendations due to its discontinuation. We will soon evaluate the newer Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG, which feature more compact designs, extended battery longevity, and various band options. They also provide new health insights, such as a Pace of Aging score, which differ based on your Whoop membership level.

What’s on the horizon

We are exploring several new fitness trackers and re-evaluating some of our existing favorites for long-term functionality. This guide will be updated with our results. Here’s what to expect next:

– Apple Watch Ultra 3
– Garmin Forerunner 570
– Google Pixel Watch 3
– Fitbit Charge 6
– Oura Ring 4
– Suunto Run
– Whoop 5.0
– Whoop MG