So, you’re thinking about getting a fitness tracker? Great choice! Fitness trackers are a fantastic way to jumpstart your health journey, stay motivated, and keep track of all those little wins that add up to big changes over time. But, as a beginner, it can be overwhelming to know where to start, especially with the dozens of choices out there. Don’t worry – by the end of this guide, you’ll have a clear picture of the best fitness trackers to get you started on your fitness journey.
Why Use a Fitness Tracker as a Beginner?
Starting your fitness journey can feel like a mountain to climb, but fitness trackers can make it easier, and even fun. Fitness trackers are like a mini coach on your wrist. They help you measure your steps, your heart rate, your sleep patterns, and even remind you to get up and move. They’re great for motivation because they turn your progress into real numbers that you can see and improve on. Plus, many of them are integrated with apps that make it easy to share your progress with friends, compete in challenges, or set personalized goals.
Fitness trackers can guide you to understand your current activity level and push you to do just a bit more every day. Over time, those extra steps, calories burned, or minutes of exercise can lead to a healthier lifestyle. Now that you know why a fitness tracker is so helpful, let’s break down the best ones for beginners available on Amazon.
1. Fitbit Inspire 3
The Fitbit Inspire 3 is one of the most popular choices for beginners, and for good reason. With over thousands of high ratings on Amazon, it offers a user-friendly experience without overwhelming you with complicated features. The Inspire 3 tracks your steps, calories burned, heart rate, and sleep stages – all the basic information you need to understand your health better.
What’s great about the Inspire 3 is that it also comes with guided breathing sessions and a relaxing interface. For beginners who might find exercise a little intimidating, these features can help reduce stress and bring mindfulness into your day. Plus, Fitbit’s app is top-notch – it integrates well with other apps and offers lots of motivation through challenges and virtual badges.
You’ll also get access to Fitbit Premium for the first six months, which gives you personalized insights, guided workouts, and even sleep analysis. If you’re looking for something simple, sleek, and affordable, the Fitbit Inspire 3 is a fantastic place to start.
Why You’ll Love It:
- Simple, beginner-friendly interface
- Excellent heart rate and sleep tracking
- Motivating challenges and virtual badges
- Available on Amazon with great reviews and plenty of stock
2. Amazfit Band 5
Another budget-friendly yet feature-packed tracker is the Amazfit Band 5. This fitness tracker offers a surprising amount of features for the price, making it one of the best options if you don’t want to spend a lot but still want a high-quality experience.
The Amazfit Band 5 comes with heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and even a SpO2 sensor, which measures your blood oxygen levels – a feature typically seen in higher-end fitness trackers. The Band 5 also features Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant, which makes it convenient for controlling smart home devices or setting quick reminders.
One of the most appealing features of the Amazfit Band 5 is its battery life. Unlike some trackers that need a recharge every few days, the Band 5 can last up to two weeks on a single charge. This is particularly great for beginners who don’t want to worry about remembering to charge another gadget every night.
Why You’ll Love It:
- Extremely budget-friendly
- Long battery life (up to 14 days!)
- Built-in Amazon Alexa
- Includes SpO2 and stress tracking
- Highly rated on Amazon and easy to use
3. Garmin Vivosmart 4
If you’re serious about improving your health and are looking for something with a bit more functionality but still simple enough for a beginner, the Garmin Vivosmart 4 is a great option. Garmin is known for its reliability, especially when it comes to fitness-related products, and the Vivosmart 4 is no exception.
One of the coolest features of the Vivosmart 4 is its “Body Battery” energy monitor. This feature helps you understand your body’s energy levels throughout the day by analyzing your sleep, heart rate variability, and stress levels. This way, you can decide when it’s best to exercise or when you need to rest – a great option for beginners who might need help understanding their limits.
The Vivosmart 4 also offers advanced sleep tracking, including pulse oximetry to measure blood oxygen levels during sleep. This can be really insightful if you’re looking to improve your sleep quality. Like the Amazfit Band 5, the Vivosmart 4 is lightweight, comfortable, and has an elegant design that you can wear all day.
Why You’ll Love It:
- Body Battery energy monitoring helps plan exercise and rest
- Detailed sleep tracking with blood oxygen measurement
- Slim, elegant design that’s easy to wear all day
- Reliable and sturdy brand, widely available on Amazon
4. Xiaomi Mi Band 7
The Xiaomi Mi Band 7 is another affordable yet feature-rich option that’s great for beginners. The Mi Band 7 features a bright AMOLED display, which makes it easy to view your stats at a glance, even if you’re outdoors on a sunny day. The touchscreen is intuitive, which makes navigating through the features easy for first-time users.
It provides all the basics – heart rate tracking, sleep monitoring, and step counting – but it also offers a wide range of exercise modes. If you’re interested in trying out different types of exercise, the Mi Band 7 has over 110 sport modes, from swimming to yoga. This is great if you’re someone who likes variety or wants to experiment to find what type of exercise you like best.
Another standout feature is the battery life. Like the Amazfit Band 5, the Mi Band 7 can last up to 14 days on a single charge, making it one less thing to worry about. For its price, it offers some of the best value for beginners looking for a solid fitness companion.
Why You’ll Love It:
- Bright and colorful display
- Over 110 sport modes to explore
- Affordable with long battery life
- Highly rated with thousands of positive reviews on Amazon
5. Apple Watch SE
If you’re an iPhone user and want something that’s a bit more versatile, the Apple Watch SE is a fantastic fitness tracker that’s beginner-friendly. While it’s on the pricier side compared to others on this list, the Apple Watch SE does so much more than just track your fitness – it’s also a smartwatch that can keep you connected throughout the day.
The Apple Watch SE tracks your daily activity, measures your heart rate, and even offers fall detection, which could be helpful if you’re worried about safety during workouts. The Workout app lets you track everything from walking and running to HIIT and yoga, and it seamlessly syncs with the Health app on your iPhone to keep everything in one place.
One of the best features of the Apple Watch SE for beginners is its activity rings. The rings help you visualize how active you’ve been throughout the day, and it’s surprisingly motivating to close those rings daily! The Apple Watch SE is ideal for anyone looking for a device that’s stylish, powerful, and integrates smoothly with their Apple ecosystem.
Why You’ll Love It:
- Combines fitness tracking with smartwatch features
- Activity rings make staying active fun and motivating
- Fall detection and emergency SOS features
- Seamlessly integrates with iPhone and Health app
- Highly rated and available with different customization options on Amazon
6. Samsung Galaxy Fit 2
For those who use Android devices and want a simple, easy-to-use fitness tracker, the Samsung Galaxy Fit 2 is a fantastic option. It’s sleek, lightweight, and offers all the basic features you need to get started – step counting, heart rate monitoring, and sleep tracking.
The Galaxy Fit 2 also has an automatic workout detection feature, which is particularly helpful if you’re just getting started and aren’t sure which activities count as exercise. It’ll automatically detect activities like walking, running, and even dynamic workouts, so you don’t have to manually start an activity each time.
Its battery life is also impressive, lasting up to 15 days on a single charge, which means more time tracking and less time tethered to the wall. It’s also water-resistant, so you can wear it while swimming or in the shower without worry.
Why You’ll Love It:
- Automatically detects various workouts
- Lightweight and comfortable to wear all day
- Long battery life (up to 15 days)
- Perfect companion for Android users, highly rated on Amazon
Features to Look For in a Fitness Tracker as a Beginner
Now that you know some of the best fitness trackers available, you may be wondering what features you should look for to get the most out of your device as a beginner. Here are some features to consider:
- Step Counting: Nearly every fitness tracker can count steps, which is a great place to start if you’re trying to increase your daily activity levels.
- Heart Rate Monitoring: Heart rate tracking helps you understand your overall fitness and helps you ensure you’re exercising in the right intensity zone.
- Sleep Tracking: Sleep is an essential part of your health. Understanding your sleep quality can help you make necessary adjustments to improve your overall well-being.
- Ease of Use: Choose a tracker with an interface that’s easy to understand. Some trackers come with touchscreens, while others have buttons. Pick one that you feel comfortable using.
- Battery Life: If you don’t want to be charging your tracker every night, look for one with long battery life. Some trackers can go for days, or even weeks, on a single charge.
- App Integration: Many fitness trackers connect to a mobile app where you can see your stats in detail. Make sure the app is user-friendly and compatible with your phone.
- Water Resistance: If you plan to swim or want to wear your tracker in the shower, look for one that’s water-resistant.
Wrapping It Up: Which Fitness Tracker Is Right for You?
Choosing the right fitness tracker as a beginner comes down to what features are most important to you and how much you’re willing to spend. If you’re on a budget but want great features, the Amazfit Band 5 or Xiaomi Mi Band 7 are solid choices. If you’re after a more premium experience and own an iPhone, the Apple Watch SE is versatile and motivating. And if simplicity and reliability are what you’re after, the Fitbit Inspire 3 or Garmin Vivosmart 4 might be your perfect match.
Whichever you choose, remember that the best fitness tracker is the one that motivates you to be more active, sleep better, and ultimately lead a healthier lifestyle. Each step, each minute of exercise, and each night of quality sleep is progress towards your goal, and a fitness tracker can be the partner you need to keep going.
Happy tracking, and here’s to the start of a healthier you!