Tough men don’t really need to wear a lot of fancy digital gewgaws when they pump iron, run up mountainsides, swim laps in the pool, or scale the face of El Capitan. That being said, keeping track of miles run, active and resting heart rates, calories burnt, steps stepped and varying sleep patterns can add a lot of benefit to a workout routine — or even an everyday, going-about-your-business routine. It’s also kind of fun to know how much sleep you’re getting, or how far you’ve run or walked any given day, week, or month. Here are five solid wearable fitness devices, at different prices, that will let you do just that.
Fitbit Charge HR
The Fitbit Charge HR, coming in at just under $150, offers round-the-clock heart rate monitoring, sleep monitoring, and silent sleep alarms, as well as calorie tracking, so you can see how may calories you’ve burnt off. And since this Fitbit works with compatible mobile devices via apps from the Apple Store, Google Play, and the Windows Store, you can make use of your water-resistant health monitor’s caller ID functions. If you want a fitness band that comes with a lot of useful bells and whistles, the Fitbit Charge HR is an excellent, multifaceted choice.
Jawbone UP2
If you’re the type of person who demands a bit of style with your fitness tracker, the Jawbone UP2 could be just the piece of wrist adornment for you. With its sleek design, choice of colors (black, oat spectrum, violet, turquoise, and more) and cool features, like the UP Smart Coach app, movement and sleep tracking sensors, and the 10-day rechargeable battery, the Jawbone UP2 is a sensible, extremely fashionable choice. And with a price point of around $100 or less (depending on where you buy one), it’s also a pretty affordable choice as well.
Garmin Vívofit 3
When looking for a wristband to monitor your health, the Garmin Vívofit 3 (yes, the accent over the ‘i’ is intentional) packs a lot of fitness punch into a small device. In addition to counting steps, monitoring sleep, and automatically detecting and differentiating between different types of activity via the Garmin Move IQ, this 24/7 wearable band keeps an eye on your activity all day long (thanks to its 1-year battery life), and tells you when it’s time to add some movement to your routine. In other words, it’s a wonderful device for people who want to be more active, but need a bit of a push now and then when that comfy sofa keeps beckoning to them.
Misfit Shine 2
If you want to class things up in a futuristic kind of way, the Misfit Shine 2 is your ticket to the Space Age. It’s an elegant piece of thin jewelry (8 mm) constructed from aircraft-grade aluminum that also happens to have a lot of practical functions tucked inside. The Misfit Shine 2 is water-resistant up to 50 meters and boasts a vibration alarm, 12 intense LED lights for monitoring the time, multicolor animations to “keep you motivated” as you try to move more, and responsive capacitive touch sensors. it also comes with a Misfit Link that works with a variety of smart devices, allowing you to “control your world.” It really is an attractive fitness band that will not only make you look good, but hopefully also help keep you healthy.
Fitbit Surge
Fitbit also offers what they tout as their “super watch”: the Fitbit Surge. While not as thin or modish as some of the other wearable fitness devices we’ve looked at — i.e. not that pretty — it’s definitely a good choice for men and women serious about fitness. With GPS tracking (great for reviewing your runs and rides), multi-sport tracking, sleep alarms and wireless syncing, and quite a few other features, the Fitbit Surge, coming in at around $200, is an easy-to-use piece of rugged, wearable gear that should work like a champ.
