We put the top-rated fitness trackers through the gauntlet to determine which one is truly the best. Splitting up the overall testing regime into five parts, we looked at the fitness impact, health impact, ease of use, ergonomics, and display of each product.
Fitness Impact
To evaluate fitness impact, we looked at the most common activities that these devices are used for: walking, distance precision, cycling, workout tracking, and other trackable features. We also looked at the community features of each tracker and weighed them heavily for their overall score.
To check the accuracy at step counting and distance, we measured out a mile track and walked it with each tracker. Throughout this, our tester manually counted steps with a crowd-clicker and then compared the results.
For cycling testing, we compared the GPS-enabled fitness trackers to the Strava app on an iPhone, verifying the accuracy of the top speed, average speed, and distance traveled.
We also tested each tracker on a treadmill to determine how well each device could determine distance tracking using an internal accelerometer and gyroscope (if included). Some of the devices allow for additional calibration for this setting, which increases accuracy.
Health Impact
Here we tested how these products perform at things that could impact your health. These products usually track heart rate, help manage dieting, implement lifestyle changes, offer useful health indicators, and can track your sleep. First, we compared the accuracy of the heart rate tracking of each of these devices with a Polar chest band heart rate monitor.
Next, we compared how these devices can help motivate you in implementing lifestyle changes, whether it was through diet or exercise. We compared how each one logged caloric intake, and whether or not the tracker would issue challenges or reminders to stand and engage in movement.
Finally, we slept with each of the trackers and compared how they did at tracking sleep, how easy it was to initiate tracking, and the quality of the data produced.
Ease of Use
The more convenient and easy to use these products are, the more likely you are actually to use one of these devices. For this metric, we evaluated at battery life, the quality of the companion app, navigating menus, and how easy it is to put on the wristband.
Battery
We compared and scored each model on its battery life and recharge time. We also timed and ranked each device on how long it took to send a day's worth of data to the phone. We then went through every menu on the device and the app, rating them on intuitiveness and clarity. Finally, we scored them on the manufacturers' stated waterproof recommendations and the ease of putting them on your wrist.
Fit
Trackers also have to be comfortable for all-day wear, so we included a comprehensive evaluation of fitness trackers involving a diverse panel of judges who rated comfort, profile, and ease of wearing during tasks like putting on a jacket and a backpack. We wanted to know if a tracker could snag clothing and how it fits under extra layers.
