What's New in Fitness Trackers? The Latest Tech & Features of 2025

Garmin's Venu 3 earned a solid 8/10 from us for reliable fitness tracking—during our testing we found the heart rate monitoring and sleep analysis to be particularly accurate, which makes it great for data-driven training and recovery. The built-in GPS and IP68 water resistance mean you can take it on runs and swims with confidence, but our experience shows its calling and texting features lag behind competitors. Setup and phone connection were sometimes finicky, and workout-tracking feels a bit basic compared with high-end multisport watches.

The Fitbit Charge 6 punches above its price with built-in GPS and tight Google integration—during our review we appreciated phone-free outdoor tracking and convenient access to Maps and Wallet. Its slim, lightweight design makes it comfortable for all-day wear and sleep tracking, which in our testing produced solid insights, but continuous use with the always-on display drops battery life to about 2–3 days. Also note the proprietary charger and smaller screen size if you prefer a larger smartwatch display.

Withings ScanWatch 2 is a stylish hybrid that earned a middling 6/10 in our testing because its elegant analog look and huge battery life—up to 30 days—don’t fully compensate for weak fitness tracking. We found the FDA‑cleared ECG and small digital readout useful for health monitoring, and it’s water resistant to 5 ATM, but the lack of built‑in GPS and less accurate heart rate during exercise limit its value for runners and serious athletes who need precise tracking.

The Apple Watch Series 10 feels like a polished incremental upgrade: in our testing the thinner, lighter chassis and brighter display improved daily comfort and readability, and sleep apnea detection is a meaningful addition for health-conscious users. Despite those perks it scores 7.5/10 because battery life remains short—about 18 hours—so you’ll likely charge nightly, and the blood oxygen feature is currently disabled. If you’re coming from an older model it’s a helpful step forward; if you own a recent Series watch, upgrades are modest.

Xiaomi Smart Band 9 Active is a budget-friendly tracker that impressed us with its 1.47‑inch bright display and support for over 50 sports modes, making it versatile for varied workouts. Our experience shows the health suite—heart rate, SpO₂, sleep, and stress tracking—covers the basics, but reliability is inconsistent: heart rate readings can deviate 10–20 BPM versus professional gear, and there’s no built-in GPS or always‑on display. If you want lots of modes at a low price, it’s a sensible pick with those caveats.

The Polar Ignite 3 Titanium feels comfortable on the wrist and delivers excellent battery life—our testing showed up to five days in watch mode and around 30 hours with continuous GPS—so it’s a strong companion for multi-day tracking. It scores 7/10 because the user interface can be sluggish, and we missed onboard music and contactless payments for a fuller smartwatch experience. GPS and heart rate tracking work well for training, but wet-weather touchscreen responsiveness and the lack of extra buttons can hamper usability.

The Huawei Band 9 stands out for long battery life—our testing showed up to 14 days between charges—so it’s ideal for users who hate daily charging and want basic health monitoring. It includes heart rate and sleep tracking plus activity alerts, but it lacks built‑in GPS, relying on your phone for outdoor routes, which limits accuracy for serious runners. Priced a bit higher than some rivals like the Xiaomi Smart Band series, it’s best if battery endurance is your top priority.

The Google Pixel Watch 3 scored 7.5/10 with us thanks to smart integration with Google services and a sleek design available in two sizes that fits most wrists. During our review we found the health and fitness tracking comprehensive, but the smaller 41mm model needs daily charging and the watch’s underside can scratch more easily than we’d like. If you use Google apps heavily and want tight ecosystem integration, it’s a strong choice—just plan on charging nightly and treating it gently.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch7 (44mm) is our top-rated choice in this batch with a 9.5/10 score for its bright 1.5‑inch Super AMOLED, advanced heart and ECG sensors, and ample 32GB storage for apps and music. In our testing it delivered excellent tracking accuracy and a smooth experience, though battery life can struggle to last a full workday and there’s no rotating bezel, which some users prefer for navigation. If you own a Samsung phone you’ll get the most out of its wide feature set, but non‑Samsung compatibility is limited.

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch7 40mm is a lightweight option that fits smaller wrists comfortably and keeps a modern circular aesthetic, and in our testing we liked the fit and look. It scored a middling 6/10 because the battery life under basic use can be disappointing—our experience shows models with Always-On Display and GPS can drop to 6–10 hours. It still offers heart-rate and sleep tracking, GPS and IP68 water resistance with activity alerts, but plan to charge more often if you enable advanced features.

The Forerunner 165 is aimed at runners who want a bright, easy-to-read display without extras, and in our testing the AMOLED screen stood out for mid-run visibility. It scored 6.5/10 because while heart rate and sleep tracking work solidly, our experience shows the lack of dual-band GPS can hurt accuracy under dense tree cover and it doesn’t support multisport activities like triathlons. If you prioritize straightforward run metrics and readable on-the-go data over multisport software, this is a sensible midrange Garmin.

The Galaxy Watch7 44mm earned a high 9/10 in our testing and stands out as our top-rated choice for comprehensive capabilities, thanks to a new 3nm processor that keeps daily tasks snappy. During our review we found advanced tracking—heart rate, sleep, GPS and activity alerts—to be dependable, though battery life still disappointed us by rarely lasting more than 12–14 hours with heavy use. If you want a feature-packed, powerful smartwatch and don’t mind nightly charging, this model is a compelling pick.

Amazfit’s Balance 2 impressed us with exceptional endurance—our testing showed up to 21 days of battery life, which is a huge convenience if you hate topping up every few days. It scored 8/10 for offering strong heart-rate, sleep and GPS tracking plus activity alerts, but our experience shows it lacks LTE cellular support and the app ecosystem still trails Apple and Wear OS. If battery life and solid core performance are your priorities, the Balance 2 delivers serious value.

Garmin’s Lily 2 Classic is an elegant, lightweight choice made for smaller wrists—during our review its heart-rate monitoring, Body Battery and stress tracking gave reliable day-to-day insights. It scored 6.5/10 largely because the touchscreen can be sluggish and there’s no built-in GPS, so our experience shows you’ll need your phone for accurate outdoor routes. If you want a stylish health-focused watch rather than a full-featured sports device, the Lily 2 Classic balances looks and core sensors well.

The COROS Pace 3 punches above its budget price with a lightweight build and impressive battery life that made it comfortable for long sessions in our testing. It scored 7.5/10 as a value-oriented runner’s watch, but our experience shows smartwatch features are basic and heart-rate accuracy can wobble during very intense efforts. You’ll also manage music via manual MP3 uploads since streaming services aren’t supported, so pick this if you prioritize endurance and affordability over full smartwatch bells and whistles.

Garmin’s Forerunner 945 LTE is built for athletes who want accurate activity tracking, long battery life and external sensor compatibility—during our review its tracking and sensor support impressed. It earned an 8/10 thanks to dependable performance, though in our testing occasional software bugs and the need for restarts were a drawback and some features felt uneven. If you want LTE-enabled safety and strong sensor integration for training, this is a compelling, mostly reliable option despite periodic firmware hiccups.

The Garmin Instinct 3 AMOLED blends rugged durability with a vibrant display and a metal-reinforced bezel that held up well in our testing, making metrics easy to read outdoors. It scored 7.5/10 for standout battery life—up to 18 days in smartwatch mode and 30 hours in GPS mode—and handy extras like a built-in LED flashlight, but our experience shows it lacks a touchscreen and on-device maps or advanced navigation features. Choose this if durability, visibility and long runtime matter more than map-centric navigation.

The Fitbit Inspire 3 is a straightforward, affordable tracker that covers heart rate, sleep and stress tracking well—during our review it delivered reliable daily health insights and up to about 10 days of battery life. It scored 6/10 because it lacks built-in GPS and the small display can be hard to read in bright sunlight despite a bright AMOLED panel and optional always-on mode. If you want long endurance and simple, comfortable health monitoring without phone-free GPS, this is a sensible pick.

Lightweight and distraction-free, the WHOOP 4.0 earned a solid 7/10 in our testing for delivering deep recovery insights without a screen. We found the SuperKnit strap comfortable for all-day wear and the tracker’s heart-rate variability and sleep analysis give genuinely useful guidance for training load, but the subscription model and slow app synchronization add friction and extra long-term cost. Because it lacks built-in GPS you’ll need your phone for location-based workouts, and while its IP68 rating handles swims, the tradeoffs make it best for recovery-focused users rather than standalone athletes.

The fēnix 8 scored an impressive 8.5/10 and in our testing stood out for a bright AMOLED screen and a rugged titanium-and-sapphire build that feels at home outdoors. We found its advanced heart-rate monitoring and full GPS capabilities excellent for serious training, providing reliable data for miles of runs and long rides, though the premium $899.99 price and occasional software freezes or restarts during workouts were frustrating. During our review we also noted it lacks air integration for tank pressure, so while it’s a top-tier multisport watch, divers and budget-conscious buyers may look elsewhere.

At under $50 the Amazfit Band 7 is a budget-friendly tracker that scored 6.5/10 in our review for offering long battery life and a huge range of sports modes. We found its up-to-18-day endurance and 120+ activity profiles practical for casual users, but our experience shows the lack of built-in GPS and occasionally inaccurate heart-rate readings limit value for serious runners who need phone-free tracking. During our testing the Band 7’s 5 ATM water resistance held up well, but limited third-party app integration keeps it best as an inexpensive standalone option.

This variant of the Fitbit Charge 6 emphasizes battery life and comfort, earning a 6.5/10 in our review for its week‑long endurance and built‑in GPS that keeps activity tracking accurate without your phone. We liked the slim form factor for sleep monitoring, but the display is constrained by thick bezels and the proprietary charger’s weak magnets can make charging finicky. Also be aware some advanced features require a Fitbit Premium subscription, which affects the overall value proposition.

If you want a discreet, stylish tracker, the Oura Ring Gen3 Horizon is a strong pick—its sleek design and up to six-day battery life make it easy to wear 24/7. In our testing we found its sleep and readiness tracking to be top-tier, which explains its solid 7/10 score, but be aware it lacks a screen and haptic feedback so you won’t get real-time cues during workouts. Also note the subscription requirement for full functionality and no GPS, so it’s best for sleep-focused users rather than athletes.