Best health trackers compared

Are you sleeping enough? How many calories are you taking in? How exhausted does your body get during various daily chores? Knowing the details of our everyday lives can help us understand our bodies better, but tracking all this information by your lonesome can get difficult.

Cue health trackers: these small and handy devices exist to track your body’s state at all times and provide a plethora of information that answers the ‘why’ of your health. As it turns out, there’s a lot of these devices to choose from: while some offer only bare functionality, others promise to turn you into the world’s first cyborg. Which do you get? Here’s an overview of the best health trackers on the market.

Jawbone UP2: An issue many have with health trackers is that they’re cumbersome: at best, they’ll come off as a watch you have to carry at all times. This is one issue that Jawbone’s UP2 manages to avoid: with its slick, minimal design, you might find yourself forgetting that you’re wearing a health tracker. Of course, reduced size also means less data available and a nonexistent user interface, but we can’t have everything: UP2’s affordable price and design make it a great contender for the title of best health tracker regardless of its drawbacks.

Under Armour Band: Another stylish health tracker that suffers from a lack of interface, Under Armour’s Band is pricier and more accessible than the UP2: the increase in accessibility comes in no small part from a easy-to-use and comprehensive tracking app. There’s also the brand to consider: those who like working out in a full Under Armour clothing set will no doubt appreciate the opportunity to wear a matching health-tracking band as well.

Fitbit Blaze: It’s safe to say that health tracker manufacturers are all struggling with the same question: how do you make a health tracker with all the possible features without sacrificing aesthetics? Fortunately for Fitbit lovers, Blaze doesn’t suffer from a lack of true display like the above models while still managing to avoid an overall clunky appearance. Moving on from appearance, Blaze’s features are decent for the most part: while it has standard 24/7 tracking, it lacks more sophisticated heart rate monitoring options and some other features. The price could also be considered its downside, although most higher-end health tracker devices are notably pricey.

Microsoft Band 2: Microsoft has its fingers in everything. And when something doesn’t work out, there’s no shame in trying again: the new and improved Band boasts a package of features that would make any health tracker jealous while staying good looking all the way. As usual, the device has improved compatibility with Microsoft machines but is a breeze to use on any system: the screen is minimalistic and intuitive enough to blend into the tracker seamlessly, sporting more utility than the overwhelming majority of similarly-sized screens. And while the price tag definitely makes this one of the pricier health trackers available, the presence of GPS tracking on top of an already-impressive set of features makes the Band 2 a top choice on the current market.