Looking for fitness tracker for Christmas? Here are five to choose from.
Fitbit Charge 3
€150
When most people hear “fitness tracker”, they immediately think of a Fitbit. The company has certainly made its mark, and has an array of device ranging from the most basic of activity trackers to the all singing, all dancing smart watches. The Fitbit Charge 3 is the latest addition, lighter and slimmer than the last version but with just as many features. New It automatically recognises your exercise - if you go for a run, there’s no need to tell the device to start tracking - and will keep an eye on your heart rate too. That’s handy if you want to train using heart rate zones, or calm things down with a bit of meditation. It will link up to your smartphone too for notifications, and it’s water resistant to 50 metres.
Where to buy: Fitbit.com
Garmin Vivofit 4
€82
What is better than six month battery life? One year battery life. The Garmin Vivofit 4 offers a long battery life, automatic exercise tracking and motivation to get moving. You can set alarms and timers, find your phone, and keep pushing your daily activity goals, adjusting them every day as you complete your goals. There’s also handy things like a weather widget, so if you decide to go for a run you can check what the weather is going to throw at you. Handily, that will also give you the choice between getting rained on or staying in to work on an elliptical or go swimming instead.
Where to buy: buy.Garmin.com
Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro
€209
Samsung’s fitness tracker brings third party apps into the mix, with four built in - Endomondo, UA Record, MapMyRun and MyFitnessPal (all Under Armor owned services) - so you can choose what suits you best. The automatic exercise tracking also has heart rate zones, so you can tailor your workouts to your fitness goals. There is built in GPS too, so no need to bring your phone for runs, and a Spotify app to keep you entertained while you run.
Where to buy: Samsung.com
Nokia Steel HR
€149
The fitness tracker for people who don’t really like fitness trackers. The Nokia Steel HR looks like a regular watch, but it’s does some sneaky fitness related stuff in the background. The watch face has a small dial that tracks your movement, but it doesn’t do it in steps. Instead, the dial shows you how much of your goal you’ve completed. You just need to set the goal through the app to get going. A second dial shows your heart rate. There’s no charging either, because the tracker uses a battery with a six-month life.
Where to buy: Harvey Norman
Bellabeat Leaf Urban 4
£130
The Bellabeat Leaf stands out from the rest of the fitness trackers because not only is it not a straightforward silicon band, but it looks like a piece of jewellery. It’s designed with women’s health in mind, measuring activity, stress, meditation, sleep and reproductive health, and can be worn as a bracelet, necklace or clip. There are no screens or buttons to deal with, and it has a six-month battery life, so no charging to remember either.
