top Fitness Trackers 2026: Tested wearables for all gym-goers

Although it might be tempting to opt for the slightly cheaper Huawei Band 11, we recommend that everyone chip in the extra £30 to get the Huawei Band 11 Pro as you’ll be getting a handful of tasty extras that are well worth the additional cost, the most notable of which is GPS connectivity.

With GPS to hand, the Band 11 Pro can be used to track any outdoor runs, which is great for anyone who either doesn’t want to be confined to just the treadmill or would rather leave their phone at home whenever they put on their running shoes. Admittedly the performance isn’t as strong as the dual-band GPS you’ll find on more expensive Huawei watches, but for £69.99, it’s great to have it at all.

Working in tandem with its GPS capabilities, the 11 Pro is also designed to better withstand the elements than its cheaper sibling. The aluminium frame is robust, and the wearable can still work whilst submerged in watery depth of up to 50 metres, so you won’t have anything to worry about if you accidentally spill your water bottle all over it.

The 1.62-inch AMOLED display is very colourful, and you won’t have any issues with seeing what’s on screen when out in the sunshine. You can also get the Band 11 Pro to run for up to 14-days on a single charge, ideal for anyone who wants to wear the device 24/7 to track their rest and recovery.

Who should buy the Huawei Band 11 Pro?

Entry-level runners who want an affordable device with GPS tracking.

Huawei Band 11 Pro: Further considerations

If you don’t need GPS tracking, the Huawei Band 11 is cheaper.

If you don’t have a lot of money to spend on a fitness tracker, but you’re also not a fan of having a bit of plastic strapped to your wrist, then Xiaomi’s Smart Band 10 is the budget option that feels far more premium than its price tag would suggest.

Xiaomi ditched the plastic case a long time ago, now giving you the choice of aluminium or a new ceramic look. You can match that up with a TPU or flurorubber band or easily swap those out for a more metallic look or a knitted option. Don’t want to wear it on your wrist? There’s even a pendant accessory if you’d rather track from around your neck.

That high-quality case now surrounds a larger 1.72-inch AMOLED display where the bezels have slimmed down around it, giving you more room for a great array of watch faces and readable notifications.

The big fitness and health tracking changes lie with a new nine-axis sensor that notably improves the Band 10’s swim tracking abilities. Along with a surprisingly impressive heart rate tracking performance, you can now also broadcast HR to other devices, including cycling computers. There’s richer sleep tracking to delve into as well, helping you to make better decisions about your recovery time.

While battery life remains the same 21 days (or nine days in always-on display mode) as the Band 9, it’s still a fitness tracker that will let you make the most of its strong monitoring abilities for well over a week.

Who should buy the Xiaomi Smart Band 10?

Anyone who wants a competent fitness tracker with all the key features at a reasonable price.

Xiaomi Smart Band 10: Further considerations

Some fitness trackers provide more accurate heart rate readings.

For the longest time, the Whoop Strap dominated the screenless fitness tracker scene, building up a strong user base but also requiring a hefty annual subscription fee (though you get the device included). As much as the Whoop Strap will still have an audience amongst professional athletes who will make full use of the features available, for everyone else, the Fitbit Air has arrived to offer a proper, low-cost alternative.

Without a screen, the Fitbit Air is a distraction-free device that can just crack on with measuring your heart rate, overall exertion throughout the day, signs of atrial fibrillation and, crucially, how well your body has rested during overnight sleep or during any daytime naps. This all combines to give you a better understanding of whether your body is hitting the right balance between exercise and recovery, something that a lot of fitness trackers have previously overlooked.

It’s supremely comfortable to wear 24/7 and the battery lasts a week, which is decent. The pebble-like device can be easily removed to put into different bands and you can even use it alongside a Pixel Watch for more accurate data or chop and change between the two depending on what you’re doing.

The Air connects to the vastly improved Google Health app (it replaces the Fitbit app), which is brilliantly designed, showing you all the key information you want to see at a glance, but what takes it to a whole other level is the AI-powered Health Coach. This Gemini-powered chatbot works like a personal trainer, giving you advice on what workouts to tackle and how to find a schedule that works to suit your needs. It feels like a whole new style of fitness tracking that actually responds to your needs and doesn’t lecture you.

The only problem is that the Health Coach isn’t included with the Air by default; you need an active Google Health Premium subscription, which costs £7.99/$9.99 a month (or an annual fee). Thankfully, you do get three months of the service included for free with the Air, and with a library of workouts, meditations and recipes also available, we think it’s a worthy purchase for those who want to start their fitness journey off on the right foot.

Who should buy the Fitbit Air?

Folks who want a distraction-free fitness tracker that focuses on rest and recovery.

Fitbit Air: Further considerations

You’ll need to have a separate Google Health Premium subscription to make the most of the Fitbit Air.

Huawei’s Watch Fit lineup has long offered some of the best fitness trackers we’ve ever tested and that trend only continues with the Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro. Although you can opt for the slightly cheaper Watch Fit 5 if you’re on a budget, the Pro model provides a much sturdier build and a brighter screen to boot.

In fact, the larger 1.92-inch display (which isn’t that far off the 2-inch variant of the pricey Garmin Venu X1), can reach an absurdly bright 3000 nits, which is more than what you get from certain flagship wearables and even matches the peak of top-tier picks like the Apple Watch Ultra 3. For a fitness tracker that costs just a fraction of the price of Apple’s outdoor watch, that’s incredible value for money.

The new mini-workouts are fantastic for busy professionals or parents who only have a few minutes to spare throughout the day, and a helpful onscreen panda can show you how to perform the moves within the workout. You’ll also be prompted to do another mini-workout if the watch reckons that you’ve been stationary for too long, so it does a good job at making sure that you get in a bit of exercise where possible.

All of this sits on top of the existing fitness tracking framework which is exemplary in its category. Not only are there tons of workouts to dive into, but Huawei’s sleep tracking software breaks down complex information into easy-to-understand advice. It’s a great watch overall, but bear in mind that the Apple Watch SE 3 costs less at £219 and boasts far more smart features, so it’s worth weighing up the type of features you’re most interested in before buying. 

Who should buy the Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro?

Runners and gym goers who want a comprehensive fitness tracker with a great display.

Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro: Further considerations

The Fit 5 Pro is more expensive than the cheapest Apple Watch, which has a wider ecosystem of apps.

The Garmin Cirqa is a direct competitor to the Fitbit Air and the Whoop Strap 5.0, and just like those other screenless fitness trackers, the Cirqa provides a distraction-free means of keeping tabs on your health and fitness. What separates the Cirqa from the competition however is that it’s the one screenless wearable that really offers you the best value for money without a subscription attached.

As much as we love the Fitbit Air, the only way to really make the most of that device is to sign up for the Google Health Coach. By comparison, although Garmin does offer a Connect+ subscription for AI-driven insights, it really isn’t necessary given the sheer amount of data that’s included with the base price. For example, after a run you can dive into everything from your stride length to your maximum speed and also your heart rate throughout the workout.

What’s great is that, even though all that data is available for those who want to pore over the details, the Cirqa is one of Garmin’s more accessible watches for the fact that its sole push button can be used to start and stop the onboard workout tracking in an instant. You can then see what benefit that workout had on your overall fitness in the Garmin Connect app. It’s a great feature that gets you straight into the action, although we do wish that you could assign specific workouts to the button – by default it tracks a generalised ‘Timed Activity’ which omits certain data sets like the distance you’ve covered.

Although the Garmin Connect app has more of a learning curve than the Google Health app, it has no shortage of ways to keep you motivated. The Garmin Coach feature can build a training plan for you to follow, which is handy if you’re just starting out and aren’t quite sure where to begin, while the Challenges tab has lots of digital badges that you can collect by achieving certain milestones. It’s because of features like these that Garmin has become so popular in the world of fitness, and the Cirqa offers up that ecosystem but at a much more affordable price.

Who should buy the Garmin Cirqa?

Those who want access to the Garmin ecosystem but at a cheaper price tag.

Garmin Cirqa: Further considerations

The Connect app has more of a learning curve than other fitness apps.

The Charge 6 takes what made the Charge 5 so good and makes it even better.

Fitbit’s main addition this time around is access to Google Maps, Google Pay and YouTube Music (although no other music streaming services are available), making it closer to a smartwatch than ever before.

Even with these changes, its primary focus is still fitness tracking with support for more than 40 workouts (some automatically) and your sleep. Data collected is extensive too, with the likes of steps, distance, calories burned, hourly activity and heart rate all monitored.

The colour display is very impressive, and the device is easy to navigate using a combination or touch and the new side button. It’s also great to see built-in GPS, though it is unreliable at times.

There’s still no altimeter, so you can’t measure floors climbed, while many advanced features are reserved for Google Health Premium subscribers. However, even if you don’t pay, the Charge 6 still delivers a very good all-round fitness tracking experience.

Who should buy the Fitbit Charge 6?

Anyone who appreciates an intuitive fitness tracking software that’s easy to follow.

Fitbit Charge 6: Further Consideration

Things can get expensive when you factor in the cost of Google Health Premium for all available features.

Ever since its first iteration, the Amazfit Bip has punched above its weight in terms of features and performance. For the Bip 6, manufacturer Zepp has certainly gone big with the upgrades.

For starters, it’s swapped TFT for a big and bright 1.97-inch AMOLED display and it instantly makes this budget smartwatch feel more premium.

Features-wise, you’re getting the ability to make calls over Bluetooth, load on transport cards to make it easier to travel and have access to the Zepp Flow AI Assistant that’s worked well in some, but not all scenarios.

In the fitness department, it has built-in GPS to track outdoor runs and is even capable of recording Hyrox workouts. It can track heart rate and blood oxygen levels, and even serve up useful scores to tell you if you’re ready to tackle a more intense workout. There’s also room for free offline maps for adventurers, which is a rare feature to find on a wearable this cheap. 

Topped off with a battery life of up to 14-days (or around 6 days in heavier use), and there are few better fitness trackers at this price that can compete with what the Amazfit Bip packs and delivers.

Who should buy the Amazfit Bip 6?

Those who value having a great screen above all other features.

Amazfit Bip 6: Further Consideration

Fitbits are a better option for a more intuitive fitness tracking experience.

Read our full
Amazfit Bip 6 review

Withings’ ScanWatch 2 might be the most complete hybrid watch you can buy, but the Light offers everything most people are looking for at a more affordable price.

That includes a gorgeous premium design, which is relatively lightweight but still impressively durable. Within it you’ll find a tiny 0.63-inch monochrome display that is easy to control using the rotating physical crown.

There’s enough room to display all key information except phone notifications, which often get annoyingly cut off. The ScanWatch Light can track over 40 workouts (some automatically), although data is generally limited to heart rate (including zones), steps, distance and pace.

Sleep tracking is good and battery life is truly excellent. You’ll struggle to get the 30-day stint that Withings claims you can, but around 1-2 weeks is well within reach.

If you can live without 24/7 temperature tracking, ECGs, irregular heart rhythm notifications and blood oxygen monitoring, the ScanWatch Light is the Withings watch to get.

Who should buy the Withings ScanWatch Light?

Anyone who wants to indulge in fitness tracking but with the cleaner look of an analogue dial.

Withings ScanWatch Light: Further considerations

The monochrome display is too small to read notifications comfortably.

The Inspire 3 is the cheapest model in the current Fitbit line-up, making it an excellent entry point into fitness tracking.

It’s still more expensive than its rivals, but Fitbit’s software experience and ecosystem are both excellent, so for some it may be worth paying a little extra – even if paying more for such a small display does sting a little.

It helps that you get up to 10 days of battery life (though a little less if you use the always-on display feature), as there’s 24/7 heart rate monitoring now bolstered by SpO2 data, as well as sleep tracking. Just bear in mind that there’s no built-in GPS support, and as with all Fitbits, you’ll need to subscribe to the paid Google Health Premium plan to get every bit of data out of it.

Who should buy the Fitbit Inspire 3?

Anyone who wants to get into the Fitbit ecosystem without spending too much money.

Fitbit Inspire 3: Further considerations

You can get more features from similarly priced competitors, not to mention larger screens.

Read our full
Fitbit Inspire 3 review

The Garmin Lily 2 is one of the most stylish fitness trackers – especially if you want to wear one with smarter clothing.

Activity tracking is accurate and the Body Battery and stress tracking features are a delight to use, giving a good insight into overall wellness.

Sleep tracking could be better, as could women’s health tracking, and it doesn’t cater to hardcore athletes with a lack of built-in GPS and other features like recovery time, both of which are offered by the similar-priced Vivoactive range. Still, the Garmin Lily 2 excels for casual exercisers seeking a discreet and comfortable companion for their everyday wellness journey.

For those with larger wrists or a strong focus on training metrics, the Vivoactive will be a better fit, but if you prioritise comfort, style and reliable fitness tracking in a compact package, the Garmin Lily 2 is a great option to consider.

Who should buy the Garmin Lily 2?

Anyone who’s fed up with boring-looking fitness trackers that don’t pair well with everyday fashion.

Garmin Lily 2: Further considerations

More robust smartwatches from Apple and Samsung are better for tracking women’s health.