8 Of The Best Fitness Trackers

8 Of The Best Fitness Trackers

/

From monitoring your heart rate to counting the calories you burn, fitness trackers have become so much more than glorified pedometers. By gamifying your exercise or just showing you the results of your efforts, they can inspire you to go faster, higher and stronger. Whether you’re heading out for a run or staying in for a HIIT workout, this is SLMan’s pick of the wearables that will support you every step of the way…

Best For... Style

Apple Watch Series 5

The latest Apple Watch does so much more than tell the time and let you Whatsapp your mates via your wrist. Set specific workout goals and let it track your daily performance, giving you a full summary at the end of each session and a wider overview of weekly improvements. An Always On feature means it can continuously record your metrics, whether you’re working out or just sitting at your desk. The device’s activity rings let you monitor how much you stand, move and exercise throughout the day, and it can also be synced to any at-home gym equipment.
 
From £399
 
Visit Apple.com
 

Best For... Marathon Training

Polar Vantage V
Training for a race? Then the Polar Vantage V is for you. Lighter and smarter than its predecessor, the Vantage V supports over 130 sports and exercise routines, with bespoke algorithms set up to track each activity as well as Precision Prime technology, which accurately monitors your heart rate. The Vantage V’s personalised features enable smarter and faster post-workout recovery. It will also log your sleeping patterns and how your muscles feel the morning after a cardio-intensive session. As an added bonus, the device’s battery life lasts over 40 hours.
 
From £439
 
Visit Polar.com
 

Best For... Smashing Your Goals

Fitbit Charge 4

The sleek, water-resistant Charge 4 is the latest addition to the Fitbit family. With built-in GPS, seven-day battery life and sleep tracking, the Charge 4 is a solid all-rounder. It’s also loaded with Fitbit’s new Active Zone Minutes, which encourages users to ‘earn’ minutes and reach their target total by completing cardio-intensive or fat-burning workouts. Based on a World Health Organization, the default goal is to earn 150 Active Zone Minutes a week, but this can be adjusted. Post-workout, use the tracker to guide you through breathing and meditation exercises.
 
£129
 
Visit JohnLewis.com

Best For… Monitoring Heart Health 

Omron Heart Guide

Designed to promote good heart health, the Heart Guide from Omron is a wearable blood pressure monitor coupled with a fitness tracker and smartwatch. As well as tracking your step count, calories burned and distance covered in daily workouts, the clinically approved Heart Guide will monitor your blood pressure and track your heart rate. If you feel comfortable sleeping with it on – it’s quite large – it will also record your sleeping pattern. The device syncs easily to your phone and all the data it pulls can be sent over to you in an Excel file or PDF.
 
£499
 
Visit Omron-Healthcare.co.uk

Best For… Everyday Use

Garmin Vivoactive 4
The Vivoactive 4 sits in Garmin’s mid-range price bracket. As well as a GPS tracker and heart rate monitor, it comes with a selection of animated on-screen workouts and Garmin Coach, which will help you train for everything from your first 5k to a road bike race. It tracks your hydration and stress levels as well as your sleeping patterns, giving you an all-round picture of your health during leisure time and while you’re active. The handy Garmin Pay feature means you can exercise wallet-free and still grab a post-workout coffee.
 
£279.99
 
Visit JohnLewis.com

Best For... Simplicity

Samsung Galaxy Fit

There’s no need to switch this tracker on and off, as the Samsung Galaxy Fit automatically starts tracking your metrics as soon as you begin moving. It will log your daily steps, heart rate and calories burned, as well as caffeine and water intake. While you’re working out, it can instantly detect what exercise you’re doing and will adjust its tracker based on that specific routine. Lightweight and barely noticeable, with an eight-day battery life, the Samsung Galaxy Fit is easy to use and can comfortably be worn all day and night.
 
£89.99
 
Visit Currys.co.uk

Best For… Swimming

Garmin Swim 2

For swimmers of all abilities, the Garmin Swim 2 has been designed to take your sessions to the next level. It can track your heart rate, overall distance, pace, stroke count and distance per stroke, as well as automatically registering your stroke style. Users can set up auto rests, so the device will remind you when to take a break between drills, or create a bespoke workout and training plan which the Swim 2 will coach you through. For open-water swimmers, the Swim 2 has a useful GPS and route tracker.
 
£219.99
 
Visit JohnLewis.com

Best For... Your Wallet

Moov Now

Don’t be discouraged by the simple design. The compact Moov Now comes with all the smart features you need, including a real-time audio coach to help motivate, a fitness tracker that logs data via your smartphone and an impressive six-month battery life. Moov Now also offers guided workouts which your device can talk you through, including running, boxing and bodyweight training. Lightweight and waterproof, it comes with a choice of two strap sizes.
 
£59.95
 
Visit Amazon.co.uk

DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at [email protected].