How to Choose the Right Fitness Tracker For You

Fitness Trackers have gained skyrocketing popularity. With the high demand of wanting more out of them, they have come a long way in development. What used to be having fun with counting steps has turned even the pickiest techno-geeks into tracking enthusiasts. You’ve probably overheard a few conversations where someone blurts out “I just got my 10,000 steps in!”  Much more than your basic step counter they are the gadget of the future. Understanding what you need in a tracker and what’s available are key to purchasing the best options for you.

Technology is a Journey

Here’s some things to consider that will help guide you to the right product.

Are you a beginner to the fitness arena and would just like something simple that is a good guide or are you and extremist that wants all readouts possible?
Most people are in between and want a tracker that does most of the basics. Finding a tracker that is mid priced will cover most of what you need.

What are you going to be using the Fitness Tracker for?
If you enjoy tracking steps, sleep and some fitness and health readouts your lower end of spectrum will work great. If you are a runner or are sport specific, you may have to look towards the higher functioning trackers for meaningful data.

How are you going to use the Fitness Tracker?
If you are using it every day and recharging drives you crazy, pay a little bit more and get a bigger battery life. You may want it as your primary watch so you don’t have to have separate gadgets. Combining them will make your life easier.

Do you need it to connect to extra gadgets?
Sport enthusiasts need to know how far they’ve gone so connecting to an external GPS would make sense. Some of the higher end trackers have built in GPS and heart rate monitoring features without having extra gadgets and chest straps.

How much do you want to spend?
Take a look at the price ranges for all fitness trackers from highest to lowest. You will be able to judge what a moderately priced tracker means.

What Monitors can Track

Take a look at the list below and see what’s important to you.  Don’t worry if you have no idea what some of the items on the list are. Most likely you don’t need that  data just yet and will end up paying higher prices for something you don’t need or use.

• Step tracking
• Stress tracking
• Smart alarms
• Sleep Insights
• Sleep Stages via heart rate
• Automatic exercise detection
• Rep counting for gym exercises
• Heart rate variability stress scores
• Continuous 24/7 heart rate monitoring
• Dedicated run and swim tracking
• 25 day battery life
• 50m water resistance
• Incoming call alerts
• Sports modes
• VO2 Max data
• Guided breathing exercises
• Built-in GPS
• Pairs with a smartphone
• iOS and/or Android
• Third party apps

Things to Consider about the Design

Fitness Trackers can be cute, sexy and clever. Finding the right one for you has to include ease of use.  Switching bands for smaller wrists for example, or being able to connect to a smart phone if you can’t read the screen will take out the frustration of not wanting to wear it. Do you like wearing wrist bands or would that drive you crazy? Consider how you would like to wear it and pick a design that works for you.

• Screen you can see
• Fashionable/Sleek designs
• Adjustable
• Wear on the wrist or as a clip
• Easy to wear

One of the best places to look for ideas is by reading people’s reviews of some of the products.  Pick a few trackers that you think might suit you and just start reading. You’ll hear from others how they’ve used the technology or even if they think it’s useful. Then pick some of the more advanced products and read their reviews.

source https://www.healthy4lifeonline.com/how-to-choose-the-right-fitness-tracker-for-you/