Choosing a fitness tracker is kind of like deciding which cereal to buy at the grocery store; the sheer number of options is overwhelming. They all look good.
To start, you should consider your lifestyle and what you want your tracker to do for you. Maybe you want one that records your speed while you run and counts your steps taken per day or one that documents your REM and non-REM sleep cycles and monitors your heart rate. Perhaps you want a fitness tracker that is a combination of all the above.
Different devices excel in different areas, which is why we recommend spending time researching your favorites before finalizing a purchase. For your easy perusal (and shopping), we listed the key attributes of 6 highly-ranked options, below. The ball is in your court.
1. The Fitbit is undoubtedly one of the best in its category; it uses continuous heart rate monitoring, which, in turn, can provide you with more accurate feedback on your activity, sleep, and calorific burn than its competitors. Its OLED display also let's you see your call notifications (it links to your smartphone), daily stats, and the time of day.
Fitbit Charge HR Wireless Activity Wristband, $149.95, available at Amazon.
2. The Misfit Shine turns all our your daily stats — steps, calories, distance and sports activities — into easy to read charts. Unlike other devices that need to be recharged constantly, this one features a replaceable, coin-cell battery that runs for up to 6 months at a time.
Misfit Shine Activity and Sleep Monitor, $70.67, available at Amazon.
3. This tracker isn't as sleek-looking as the Fitbit or Jawbone, but don't let its bulkier appearance dissuade you from giving it fair consideration. Its built-in GPS accurately tracks your running, biking, and swimming with live paces and distances. As an added bonus: The display is touchscreen-enabled and sunlight-readable.
Garmin Vivoactive, 229.99, available at Amazon.
4. Aside from being waterproof up to 3oo feet (!!), Runtastic's Orbit also tracks your steps, active minutes, calories burned, sleep cycles, personal goals, and ambient lighting. It's under-$100 price tag is pretty sweet as well.
Runtastic Orbit 24 Hour Activity Tracker, $78.62, available at Amazon.
5. Your can clip the Jawbone UP to your person or strap it around your wrist to track your steps, exercise, overall calories burned, hours slept, and quality of sleep. Using its associated Food Score app, you can also track your food, drink, calories, and nutrients — helping you stick to a balanced and healthy diet.
Jawbone Up More Activity Tracker, $39.99, available at Amazon.
6. For just $45, this devices offers sleep and step tracking at a fraction of competitor prices. The Razer Navu X's has a "no-screen, no-fuss notification interface, meaning you keep your head up and in the game at all times," according to Amazon. Our favorite feature is its LED light display, which — with the accompaniment of the Nabu X Utility app — can be color customized to correspond to incoming notifications, so you know exactly what you've received.
Razer Navu X Smartband, $45, available at Amazon.
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