You may be looking to increase your fitness, but a bit concerned about how to do it. A fitness monitor can help you track where you are and help you get to where you want to be. After you start using a fitness monitor, you may be surprised to discover how much you actually move throughout the day. On the other hand, you may be a bit discouraged to discover how many of your hours are sedentary!
When you are shopping for a fitness monitor, you should consider your activity level, your budget and the features that you need. If you are an athlete, you may want to consider a sport specific monitor. Swimmers may need a water-proof fitness monitor, while runners may want one with GPS that records miles. Whatever your needs are, there is a fitness monitor out there for you!
Fitbit Flex 2 – Best Cheap Fitness Monitor
There are not a ton of features with the Fitbit Flex 2, but it is inexpensive, gives you the basic data that you need and it works well! This is perfect for the person just getting into fitness who has a budget!
Screen: No
Heart rate tracker: No
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Waterproof: Yes
Activity tracking: Yes
GPS: No
Battery life: 5 days
Compatibility: Android/iOS/Windows
Features:
- Comfortable and light
- Fun software
- Battery life isn’t stunning
- Feature-light
The design of the Fitbit Flex 2 is simple. It should suit a variety of styles. There are a selection of different straps that you can use to accessorize it. Flex 2 is also waterproof, so it can go with you into the shower or the pool!
One of the drawbacks of the Fitbit Flex 2 is that there is no screan or heart rate tracker. Therefore, five days of battery life isn’t that great. However, if you want a fitness monitor that is light and comfortable on your wrist, offers the basic features and is inexpensive, Flex 2 is definitely a great option.
Fitbit’s Flex 2 is an affordable and versatile sensor that can be popped into a wristband or a pendant to wear around your neck. The tracker is swim-proof and can track lap swims, plus it automatically recognizes a variety of exercises so you don’t have to launch a workout on the device or in the Fitbit smartphone app to track your stats. It offers smartphone alerts via vibration and color-coded lights, too.
- SIZES Small and large
- BATTERY LIFE Up to 5 days
- MYFITNESSPAL COMPATIBLE Yes
- FOOD TRACKING Yes
Amazon’s Bestseller
The Fitbit Blaze costs just $20 more than the Fitbit Charge 2, yet offers a larger, more colorful display and guided on-screen workouts. You can also swap out its band, and the Blaze lasts a good week before needing to be recharged. At $149, it’s definitely worth considering.[easyazon_infoblock align=”right” cart=”n” identifier=”B019VM3CPW” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]
- SIZES Small, Large
- BATTERY LIFE 5 days
- MYFITNESSPAL COMPATIBLE Yes
- FOOD TRACKING Yes
- COMPATIBILITY Android, iOS
- WATER-RESISTANCE Splash-proof
- SLEEP TRACKING Yes
- SILENT ALARM Yes
- GPS No
- HEART RATE MONITOR Yes
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Best Running Fitness Monitor – Garmin Forerunner 25
For runners, you want a fitness monitor that will track distance, speed and pace. The Garmin Forerunner 25 will notify you of every mile that you run! The Garmin Forerunner 25 looks great and with a battery life of 10 hours, it can double as your everyday timepiece. It is affordable and has all the basics that a runner would need!
- SIZES -One size/adjustable strap[easyazon_infoblock align=”right” identifier=”B013GVDTI4″ locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]
- BATTERY LIFE 10 weeks or 8-10 hours in GPS mode
- MYFITNESSPAL COMPATIBLE Yes
- FOOD TRACKING No
- COMPATIBILITY Android and iOS
- WATER-RESISTANCE Swim-proof
- SLEEP TRACKING No
- SILENT ALARM No
- GPS Yes
- HEART RATE MONITOR No, sold separately
Garmin Vivosmart 3
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The Garmin brand’s fitness monitors and trackers are often thought to be for the more serious athlete than most other brands. This is evident from the complexity of Garmin’s Connect app and the numerous variables that are monitored. Garmin’s Vivosmart 3 is great for the swimmer. It is waterproof and can be worn while showering or during a pool workout. It also has a rep counter for use during workouts.
Some of the other great features of the Garmin Vivosmart 3 include a heart rate monitor and music controls for your smartphone. The battery life is 5 days. I lacks a GPS, which makes it a bit less expensive than other Garmin models. Garmin’s app is a bit harder to navigate than the trendy Fitbit brands which use Myfitnesspal.
It is priced well at $114.99. You get lots of great features for just around $100!
- Garmin vivosmart 3 – Black, Large
- Monitor wellness with all-day stress tracking and the relaxation-based breathing timer
- BUNDLE INCLUDES:Garmin 010-01755-13 vivosmart 3 – Black, Large – 1 Year Extended Warranty
- “1 Year Extended Warranty in Addition to the Included Full Manufacturer Warranty”
Apple’s 3rd Generation Smartwatch
For the athlete with a larger budget and desiring lots of features, Apple’s third generation smartwatch is a great pick! It has cellular network connectivity, so you can leave your phone behind during your workouts. The Series 3 is waterproof up 50 meters, so you can go for a swim with it as well!
Apple’s 3rd Generation Smartwatch has a built-in GPS, so you can precisely track your outdoor activities. There is also an ultra precise heart-rate sensor. The 3rd Generation comes with casing options that range from aluminum and stainless steel all the way to ceramic in the Edition models. You can also customize it with an excellent selection of bands to help you customize it.
This is one fitness monitor that strikes the perfect balance between design, available features and the ease of use![easyazon_image align=”left” height=”375″ identifier=”B075TDYHPB” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41tetHElCtL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]
Hey Melinda, I really enjoyed reading your review about the best fitness monitors for 2018. I really liked the amazons bestseller. I like the fact that it captures my heart rate. Because that way I can monitor how long I have to do breaks between my sets. I have one question though How do I charge it? like phone? or with induction?