Best fitness trackers of 2025 to help you stay active

With basic step-counting bands, subtle smart rings and fitness-ready watches, the best fitness trackers come in all shapes and sizes. Whether your goal is to move more, sleep better or stress less, there’s a tracker that can help.

You can pay anywhere from £50 to more than £500, but even the more affordable fitness trackers track workouts, monitor sedentary time, sleep quality, heart health and even stress levels – delivering insights you can use to switch up your lifestyle and build healthier habits.

As a full time fitness tech tester, I’ve reviewed dozens of fitness trackers from the most popular brands. Those leading the innovation, including Garmin, Fitbit and Apple, and those aiming for the budget end like Xiaomi and Amazfit.

You can find reviews of my top 10 recommendations for the best fitness trackers below, along with answers to frequently asked questions, such as how to decide if you need GPS and the differences between the best smartwatches and a fitness tracker.

The best fitness watches: At a glance

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How to choose the best fitness tracker

Before you choose a fitness watch, you need to understand your goals. If you just want the basics like steps, sleep and resting heart rate – something to encourage you to move more – a budget-friendly tracker may be enough.

Meanwhile runners, cyclists, swimmers and gym goers optimising their training will need GPS, a reliable optical heart rate sensor and a wider suite of training, coaching and recovery insights.

Battery life varies a lot, too. Some smartwatches, like the Apple Watch, only last a few days, while other sport watches can go for a month on a single charge. The best last at least a week off the plug, even with regular GPS training sessions.

Comfort is also critical. To unlock the daily insights, you need something light and well-fitting, a fitness tracker you’ll want to wear twenty-four seven. If you don’t need a screen, you can always opt for a more subtle smart ring. If you need a display, and you want the brightest, go for AMOLED (a type of screen where each pixel lights up by itself).

Also consider extras like offline music, contactless payments, safety tools and whether you like the partner apps. My top tip: you can download most partner apps for free to take a look before you buy.

How we test fitness watches