A fitness tracker is a wearable device designed to keep you in your best shape by keeping tabs on your daily physical activities such as steps, distance run, heart rate, etc.

On a basic level, a fitness or activity tracker can give you an insight into your day-to-day activities, such as step or distance tracking, calorie counting or sleep.

Particular types of exercise or sports, such as running, cycling, swimming or golf are supported by more advanced devices. Others offer multi-sport tracking – so you can track your whole workout from the treadmill to the pool.

Some offer more advanced sensors for tracking, such as heart rate monitors, and some basic smart notifications such as text or email.

Those with built-in GPS are able to operate independently to your phone, meaning you can leave it at home while out for a run or cycle.

So if you are fitness or health conscious, or even just a common exercise buff, read the article below to see if a fitness tracker is the right gadget for you.

Fitness Tracker

Several types of devices and applications are offered to the fitness world by the wearables industry. Consumers can choose from a multitude of tracking devices, sensors, software apps, and wearable apparel technology.

From gamification of club activities to full-body suits retrofitted with sensors to track physiological data, consumers and athletes can gain more insight into their fitness goals and progress.

Moreover, the healthcare sector has already witnessed solutions for wearable technology. Wearables include a software platform and headband for brain injury detection.

A wristband that monitors blood oxygen wirelessly and smart patches for remote monitoring and home diagnosis also come into the fray.

A tattoo-like plastic patch that can monitor vital signs, a smart contact lens that can monitor the user’s blood sugar levels, and activity trackers that helps you monitor your health.

Fitness tracker, also known as an activity tracker, is a standalone device that can be worn on the wrist or in multiple locations on the body.

As the name suggests, it’s a wearable device that monitors your daily physical activities and fitness-related metrics such as steps, running distance, heart rate, sleep patterns, swimming laps, calories burned, and more.

It’s an activity tracker that acts like a smartwatch but does more than just showing time.

Whether you’re a fitness freak or a gym nut or a casual runner, fitness trackers are specifically designed to keep you in your best shape by keeping tabs on your daily activities.

If you’re a fitness freak that wants everything fitness related and nothing else, then fitness tracker is your thing.

Main Advantages of Fitness Trackers

Fitness trackers are highly specialized in the functionality they offer when compared to smartwatches.

Like smartwatches, fitness trackers can be synched with apps downloaded onto the phone. However, fitness trackers are designed with a particular goal in mind – monitoring your health.

Therefore, you can expect more specialized features than what smartwatches offer.

They Cost Less than Smartwatches

Fitness trackers, on average, may be more budget-friendly than smartwatches. Fitness trackers don’t aim for stylishness like smartwatches, so they may cost less.

Fitness trackers usually sport a sleek and compact design. It does not have any excessive features in its visage for it mostly aims to let consumers do more and not wear more.

They Have Numerous Additional Functions

Fitness trackers usually come with additional functions for monitoring health and location. Fitness trackers from major brands like Garmin Singapore have high-end GPS tools that are not typically found in smartwatches.

Additional functions like GPS that helps you with location is handy whenever you go to different places. With a built-in GPS feature, you can continue to exercise or stay active without the fear of getting lost.

They Are Built for Exercise

Fitness trackers have smaller screens and are slimly built compared to smartwatches. Also, they tend to be sweat resistant as well. They should be worn when you exercise at the gym or outdoors.

Most fitness trackers are equipped with characteristics that enable them to be worn on the outdoors. They are made to fully function even in the midst of the harshest outdoor activities.

They Have Great Features for Health Monitoring

Fitness trackers are commonly equipped with a range of tools to monitor your sleep, heart rate, distance traveled, time traveled, pacing, and many more.

Some fitness trackers can also display time and notifications from the phone, similar to smartwatches. Generally speaking, if you buy a fitness tracker, you can expect an array of health and exercise-related features.

Best Garmin Fitness Trackers of 2019

Garmin Vivosmart 3 GM-010-01755-91 Activity Tracker

Your activity tracker doesn't define you, but it's what you do with it that does. That's why vivosmart 3 features a discrete but attractive profile to help it fit right in with any fashion, and its smart features keep you on your toes.

Using the vivosmart 3, you can track activity, get smart notifications, monitor your heart rate, and even access detailed fitness monitoring tools such as VO2 max estimate and your fitness age.

Features and Design

• Glass - Chemically Strengthened Glass
• Case Material - Silicone
• Case Color - Black
• Strap Material - Black Silicone
• Movement - Digital
• Function - Heart-rate monitor, Fitness monitoring tools
• Local Warranty - 1 Year
• Water Resistant - 50m
• Gender - Unisex
• International Warranty - 1 Year
• Case Size - 9.6mm x 19.2mm

Good For

• Casual wear.

Garmin Forerunner 935 GM-010-01746-16 Activity Tracker

The Forerunner 935 GPS running/triathlon watch features a lightweight and comfortable design which you’ll be happy to wear all day.

The 935 is compatible with Garmin's line of easy-to-swap QuickFit™ bands. With a band to suit every event, you can easily change from classic leather to sporty silicone and even high-end metal.

Features and Design

• Glass - Chemically Strengthened Glass
• Case Material - Fiber-reinforced Polymer
• Case Color - Black
• Strap Material - Silicone
• Movement - Rechargeable lithium-ion
• Function - Activity Tracking, Built-In Heart Rate Monitor
• Local Warranty - 1 Year
• Water Resistant - 5 atm
• Style - Sports
• Gender - Unisex
• International Warranty - 1 Year
• Case Size - 47 mm

Garmin Fenix 5X GM-010-01733-10 Activity Tracker

Combining the best features that Garmin's fitness and outdoor watches have with world-class performance, fēnix 5X is the premiere multisport training companion.

Through the Fenix 5X, you get advanced features such as built-in activity profiles, Elevate™ wrist heart rate technology, performance metrics, and training status readings that show the fitness-enhancing effects of your workout.

Smart notifications² help you stay in touch on the go. Plus, with no tools required, QuickFit™ bands let you tailor the look to any lifestyle or activity. Go from workplace to workout without breaking stride.

Features and Design

• Glass - Chemically Strengthened Glass
• Case Material - Stainless Steel
• Case Color - Black
• Strap Material - Silicone
• Movement - Rechargeable lithium-ion
• Function - Heart rate monitor, Auto Scroll (cycles through data pages during workout), Step counter
• Local Warranty - 1 Year
• Water Resistant - 10 atm
• Style - Sports
• Gender - Unisex
• International Warranty - 1 Year
• Case Size - 51 mm

Garmin Forerunner 35 GM-010-01689-42 Unisex Watch

Forerunner 35 is a watch that has a slim and lightweight design which is perfect for daily runs, training, and racing. The watch features built-in wrist-based heart rate as well as GPS that tracks your distance, pace, intervals and more.

The watch captures all your stats while working out. Thus, your watch is all you need. With the Garmin Forerunner 35, you need no phone, no chest strap when you work out.

Features and Design

• Glass - Chemically Strengthened Glass
• Case Material - Silicone
• Case Color - Black
• Strap Material - Silicone
• Movement - Rechargeable lithium-ion
• Function - Step counter, heart rate, GPS
• Local Warranty - 1 Year
• Water Resistant - 5 atm
• Style - Sports
• Gender - Unisex
• International Warranty - 1 Year
• Case Size - 40.7 mm

Garmin Vivoactive GM-010-01605-24 Unisex Tracker

With vívoactive HR, you can easily run, bike, swim, golf, ski and more. All so you can keep your life in balance, its GPS-enabled built-in sports apps track your stats while smart notifications allow you to stay connected.

vívoactive HR continues to track activity³ throughout your day by counting steps and floors climbed as well as monitoring sleep and calculating intensity minutes.

Features and Design

• Glass - Chemically Strengthened Glass
• Case Material - Plastic
• Case Color - Black
• Strap Material - Plastic
• Movement - Rechargeable Lithium-ion
• Function - Activity Tracking, Heart Rate Monitor, GPS, Inbuilt sports apps
• Local Warranty - 1 Year
• Water Resistant - 5 atm
• Style - Casual
• Gender - Unisex
• International Warranty - 1 Year
• Case Size - 30.2 mm

Takeaway

Fitness trackers are activity trackers that monitor your physical activities to keep you in your best shape. It’s exactly what it says it is – a fitness tracker.

It’s a fitness enthusiast’s personal activity tracker that records a person’s daily physical activity along with other health-related data.

Fitness trackers, as the name suggests, pretty much do exactly what they sound like: tracks fitness-related metrics such as steps, running distance, heart rate, sleep patterns, swimming laps, calories burned, etc.

If you’re a fitness freak that wants everything fitness related and nothing else, then fitness tracker is your thing.

Ultimately, you should go for a fitness tracker if you're mainly interested in a wearable to track exercise and activity, or would rather not get a replacement for your watch.