If today is the day you're going to head down the path of healthy living, one of the best ways to help you stay on that path is with fitness tech gadgets. They make tracking fitness goals easier and partly because they cost so much money you feel obligated to make the most of your purchase (ask my mom, it worked for her). If you're looking for the perfect fitness tech, this is where you want to get started.
Apple ecosystem
Apple Watch is bursting at the seams with fitness tech. Not only can it track your heart rate and movement, but it also offers heart rhythm monitoring and Gym Connect, which allows you to connect your Apple Watch with supported gym equipment like treadmills and ellipticals.
Fitness smarts
Fitbit is the most popular fitness tracker maker in the industry, but did you know they also make a smartwatch? It's got a great battery life and exclusive workout routines that you can deliver right to your wrist.
GPS for less
Garmin's Vivoactive HR gives you a good balance between smartwatch and fitness tracker. It has a heart rate monitor and onboard GPS, as well as smart notifications and a built-in sports app.
Steps and more
Fitbit's Charge 3 is an ideal all-around fitness tracker with all the basics; step tracking, calories burned, sleep tracking, swim-proof, and more. It also has guided breathing sessions, women's health tracking, and Fitbit Pay. It's also our top pick for the best fitness tracker with heart rate monitors.
Entry-level
Fitbit's entry-level tracker is the Inspire. While it doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of the more expensive models, it does track your steps, workouts, sleep, swimming, calories burned, and more. It also allows you to get notifications from your iPhone. As with many of the Fitbits, it comes in several different colors, and you can buy additional bands to change up your look.
Fitbit-connected
The Fitbit Aria features a polished glass surface with a digital display that syncs your weight, BMI, and body fat percentages straight to your Fitbit account and recognizes up to 8 users while keeps everyone's results separated and private. It's also one of iMore's favorite smart scales.
Weigh in the dark
The Index tracks a slew of in-depth metrics, including body weight, BMI, water percentage, and skeletal muscle mass. It's able to recognize 16 different users through the Garmin Connect app and has extra-large white-on-black numbers to make it easy to read the display, even in the dark.
Better heart rate tracking
If you want to get serious about your heart rate, the Scosche Rhythm+ monitor armband is an external heart rate monitor you can use with your Apple Watch. The water-resistant (IP67) device connects to an adjustable neoprene strap, and it uses an 8-hour rechargeable battery, so you can plug it in after workouts as you might with an Apple Watch.
Stay hydrated
Staying hydrated is super important, and a good stainless steel water bottle will last you for years and years. This 20oz Contigo water bottle is insulated, so it will keep your water nice and cool for hours, and its leak-proof lid means you can toss it in your gym bag and not have to worry about water getting everywhere.
All-around tracking
Under Armour's calorie counter and diet tracker is fantastic for helping you lose weight and eat right. The fact that it connects with over 50 fitness trackers and apps means you can build yourself an ecosystem of fitness support, helping you set goals and reach them.
For runners
Strava is a wonderful run tracking app that tracks your routes and distance, journaling your progress as you jog your way to good health. You can set personal records and pit yourself against other users on the leaderboards to see how you stack up.
Apple Watch companion
RunKeeper is one of the best ways to keep track of your running goals and routes with a premium element for even more. The Apple Watch companion app lets you leave your phone at home while still tracking your stats.
Find the perfect piece of tech to help you lose the pounds
You can always trust iMore. Our team of Apple experts have years of experience testing all kinds of tech and gadgets, so you can be sure our recommendations and criticisms are accurate and helpful. Find out more about how we test.
There's no shortage of amazing tech to help you lose weight, get fit, and stay in shape. Of course, we're all partial to the Apple Watch here at iMore, so you can't go wrong with that if it's in your budget.
If you're looking for a great all-around tracker, Fitbit's Charge 3 offers an amazing array of features and connects to other great fitness devices like the Aria smart scale. If you just want a simple fitness tracker with some excellent features but without the hefty price tag, the Fitbit Inspire is the way to go.
