9 Best Fitness Trackers for Women, Tested by Experts

Battery life: 6+ days | Water resistant: Yes, up to 50 meters | Built-in GPS: Yes

Who it's best for: Whether you want a watch for tracking workouts or to track everyday analytics like step counts, this Fitbit is a great, reasonably priced watch.

Why we love it: Fitbit's newest smart watch is a favorite among our Lab experts, thanks to its intuitive design, tracking capabilities, heart rate monitor and impressive battery life (it lasts at least six days, if not more!). Its large, always-on screen makes it easy to quickly see your sleep and activity stats, control your music, peek at your text notifications or pick up a call if your phone is within range. The watch tracks your sleep and provides a score to let you know how well or poorly you slept so you'll know if you need more rest or if you're energized enough for an intense workout.

The Versa 4 also comes with access to voice assistants from Amazon. It has free built-in GPS too, so you can take it with you on your next hiking or biking trip — and even go swimming with it on. What's more, it tracks your heart rate night and day, and it also counts steps, distance, calories burned, hourly activity, active minutes and floors climbed. You can use the Fitbit app to set goals for yourself and see even more stats. Don't worry if you forget to manually log your workout; the watch can detect your activity and input it automatically.

Tester's notes: "It holds you accountable to be more active and it's extremely simple to set up and use for basic features," said one tester. The easy-to-read screen has a trade-off: Testers who have small wrists found it bulky. When trying on the Fitbit Versa 2, I personally found it the screen to uncomfortably rest on my wrist bones and I disliked the appearance of the thick wristband.

Battery life: Up to 10 days | Water resistant: Yes, up to 50 meters | Built-in GPS: No (connects to phone's GPS)

Who it's best for: For less than $100, this watch is great for anyone on a budget who wants a simple variety of tracking capabilities.

Why we love it: Fitbit is a brand that consistently does well in our tests, and our pros love this slim, no-frills fitness tracker that was a Good Housekeeping Fitness Awards winner. It has everything you need for basic activity tracking, like steps, distance and calories burned, making it great for simple workouts from walking to biking. It also has a heart rate monitor to better track your activity.

If you don't like wearing a fitness tracker on your wrist, you can buy a clip that attaches the tracker to your clothing or sports bra. Swimming is unlikely to be a problem with this tracker because, according to the brand, you can swim with it up to a depth of 50 meters, plus the battery will last as long as 10 days. A downside is that the Inspire 3 comes in just three colors.

Tester's notes: “I often forgot the Fitbit was there during workouts because of how minimal it felt,” one tester said. Testers also found it easy to read the display despite its smaller size, and the tracker earned top scores all around for design, functionality and setup. Personally, the long screen was a bit uncomfortable at first, but I eventually didn't notice it on my wrist as much. Despite the long size, the screen is only visible on a smaller portion of it at a time as you scroll, which I thought was an odd design choice.

Battery life: Up to 2 weeks | Water resistant: Yes, up to 50 meters | Built-in GPS: Yes

Who it's best for: Avid runners, cyclists, swimmers or hikers can use this watch for phone-free workouts, no matter where they are.

Why we love it: Whether I'm running a half marathon or a quick 5K, my Garmin Venu 3S watch is strapped onto my wrist. You don't need to be near your phone to track a workout — even if you're running 20 miles from your home — and you can connect the watch to headphones to listen to music as you run. The interface makes it incredibly easy to read mileage, pace, time and heart rate while running, which is useful for anyone utilizing zone running (a type of training that requires you to complete runs within specific heart rate ranges). While training for a 5K, I loved building custom training runs in the Garmin app that I could then follow on my watch to remember when to sprint or jog during interval and speed work.

The tracking capabilities of this watch are truly endless. Beyond running, I've tracked weightlifting workouts, hikes, bike rides, kayaking routes and swimming sessions with this watch. There is even a built-in GPS that can help you navigate long runs or hikes. It's overall an expensive, but excellent choice for athletes of all trades, but especially avid runners.

Tester's notes: I was never a fan of watches because I found them bulky and uncomfortable to wear, but after a few days of wearing this watch, I was converted. Now, I only take the watch off when I need to charge it, shower or to go to a formal event, but it otherwise blends in with my day-to-day outfits. Plus, the battery life is superb (the brand claims up to two weeks), so I rarely find myself needing to charge it. I also love that the watch sends reminders to get moving after sitting for too long and it adjusts goals like step count over time so that you can gradually increase your fitness levels. Another tester and I both experienced itchy, red skin under the watch at times during runs in the summer, but I haven't had any issues since cleaning the device with alcohol wipes every night.

At multiple doctor appointments I cross checked my heart rate and the watch was always plus or minus one heart beat per minute away from what the doctor recorded. However, I find that in all activities, this watch tends to overestimate by a bit — rather than 3.1 miles after a 5K my watch read 3.2 miles or rather than 2000 yards of swimming my watch read 2200 yards — but that is common with many fitness trackers in my experience.

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Battery life: 4–5 days | Water resistant: Yes, IP68 or up to 10 meters | Built-in GPS: No

Who it's best for: If one more screen in your life sounds intimidating, consider this screen-free fitness band that still tracks tons of analytics and workouts.

Why we love it: This GH Fitness Awards winner impressed our fitness pros with its minimalist design and health tracking which collects insight and data on everything from your sleep to blood oxygen levels, skin temperature, heart rate and much more. Though we wish the Whoop 4.0 wasn’t subscription-only (it’ll cost you $30 per month or $239 for the year), our Lab experts think this comfortable and versatile wearable is well worth it.

Setting it apart from other fitness trackers on the market, the Whoop doesn’t feature a display, which some of our testers really appreciated. We also love that the app is intuitive to use and breaks down health metrics in a way that’s easy to digest. Plus, you can even choose among a variety of bands to suit your style and each purchase from Whoop's website comes with a lifetime warranty.

Tester's notes: “I’m glad the device didn’t have an interface or make any noises or vibrations," one tester said. Another tester said, “The sleep tracker on the Whoop was by far my favorite feature. Keeping track of my (lack of) sleep was eye-opening and the information provided on the app was beneficial to creating better habits.”

Compared to the slimmer Fitbit options, I personally thought the Whoop 4.0 was too thick and noticeable, but most testers did not share my sentiments. One shared, “It is extremely comfortable and does not feel as if I am wearing a large, clunky smart watch."

Battery life: Up to 7 days | Water resistant: Yes, up to 50 meters | Built-in GPS: Yes

Who it's best for: Lightweight and slim, this watch is ideal for anyone looking for a subtle (yet feature-rich) watch for workouts and swimming.

Why we love it: With its lightweight design, this fitness tracker is convenient to wear every single day if your main concern is tracking your steps. It has many of the same features as other Fitbit models, such as heart rate and blood oxygen measuring — just with less bulk. While many smart watches can be used to track swimming, I like this tracker for swimmers because of its slim, lightweight design that doesn't drag you down as you swim laps. You don't even have to take it off at the end of the day, since it's water-resistant and has a battery life of seven days, according to the brand.

Unlike some Fitbit trackers, this model comes with a built-in GPS to better record outdoor runs, and a six-month free trial to Fitbit Premium which unlocks access to advanced analytics and insights, such as a breakdown of your sleep score (based on how long and deeply you slept) and a wellness report that gives you a personalized summary of your activity, sleep, heart rate and more. It comes in only three colors — black, white and coral — but you can always swap for a more stylish band by shopping Fitbit's accessories.

Tester's notes: Our GH testers found this watch comfortable and easy to wear, noting it encourages them to move more and be more active in general. "The step count is motivating and sleep tracking seems on point as well," said one tester.

Battery life: Up to 18 hours | Water resistant: Yes, up to 50 meters | Built-in GPS: Yes

Who it's best for: iPhone users who want to receive texts and calls while on a walk or run without their phone will be pleasantly surprised by the feature-rich Apple Watch Series 9.

Why we love it: We are currently testing the new Apple Watch Series 10, but in the meantime, we highly recommend the Apple Watch Series 9. If you already use an iPhone, nothing beats the seamless experience you get when using it alongside other Apple products, whether AirPods or an Apple Watch. With this watch, you can track different types of workouts, from running and yoga to HIIT and swimming (yes, it's water- and dust-resistant). Plus, the watch will notify you if you forget to start recording an activity to ask if you'd like to start a workout (walk, run, etc.).

Apple has two dedicated apps — Health and Activity — to show your stats, in addition to a premium home workout program, Apple Fitness+, to help you stay fit. This watch is on the pricey side but it is so much more than just a fitness tracker: You can call, text and use Apple Pay with it.

Our experts loved the Series 9’s large, beautiful and bright retina display, though they admitted that the fact that it needed to be charged nearly every day can be a hassle. It's available in numerous shades, material and band combinations that we found easy to switch out.

Tester's notes: "I find it very rewarding when I’m told I’ve met a goal – like an exercise or 'move' goal," says GH Institute Executive Director of Strategy and Operations Lexie Sachs. "Some mornings I hit my 'move' goal before I even leave for work (i.e. when I do a morning workout and then start getting ready for the day) and it’s a great feeling." Keep in mind that some testers found this watch too big and uncomfortable to sleep with.

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Battery life: Up to 30 days | Water resistant: Yes, up to 50 meters | Built-in GPS: No

Who it's best for: Want to keep your fitness tracker under wraps? This classic-looking watch is ideal for anyone who wants the features of a fitness watch without the appearance of one.

Why we love it: Previous models of the Withings ScanWatch have been winners of the Good Housekeeping Fitness Awards, but this newer edition is great for people who don't want to look like they're wearing a fitness tracker since it closely resembles a regular watch. Even though it doesn't have built-in GPS to record running routes, it tracks activities like steps and distance, measures heart rate and gives a sleep score.

It has an impressive battery life (the brand says up to 30 days), and the Health Mate app can help you dig deeper into your fitness stats. Plus, we like that it's available in both 38 millimeter and 42 millimeter sizes and if you don't like the watch's band, you can swap it out for a different wristband.

Tester's notes: GH Institute Test Engineer Alec Scherma found the ScanWatch 2 easy to set up and connect with the app. "I like it because it looks more like an analog watch than a digital smart watch, but still has a small digital screen up top," he said. However, he pointed out that heavy lifters may need to be careful when using the watch during certain workouts as flexing your wrist can accidentally hit the side button, which will pause your workout. I personally found the watch too large and bulky for my wrist, but it's a great option for those who prefer a classic watch face.

Battery life: Up to 5 days | Water resistant: Yes, up to 50 meters | Built-in GPS: No; connects to smartphone's GPS

Who it's best for: Jewelry wearers will love the Fitbit Luxe's special band options.

Why we love it: This fitness tracker performed well in our road tests, as we would expect of a Fitbit device, but what really stood out was its stylish design. This Fitbit Luxe is a limited edition that features a bracelet band from the popular jewelry brand Gorjana. Unlike most fitness trackers that have silicone bands, this fitness tracker looks more like a bracelet than a workout device.

When we tested this watch, we found it extremely comfortable. And surprisingly, the metal bracelet was pleasant to wear at the gym. The bracelet's size is customizable, with removable chain links to fit your wrist. Not only does it look chic, but it also counts steps, tracks miles, logs how many exercise sessions you've done per week and more. Plus, we found it handy that it reminded us to move when we were sitting too long. At first, we found the interface not as intuitive to use as we would have liked, but after using it for a while, we were able to navigate it with ease.

Tester's notes: Our tester received multiple compliments on this watch while wearing it to dinner, shopping and appointments. And if you change your mind, we found it easy to swap out the bracelet for the pink silicone band that's included. The brand offers other Luxe band options, too, if pink — or silicone — isn't your preferred look.

Battery life: Up to 15 days | Water resistant: Yes, up to 50 meters | Built-in GPS: Yes

Who it's best for: Athletes or anyone who participates in high-intensity workouts (marathon training, triathalons, etc.) can find all the features they're looking for with the Garmin Forerunner 265S.

Why we love it: Arguably the best Garmin watch available, the Forerunner 265S is currently ranked as our top pick from the brand. Theoretically, you could go for a two-week hike that involves swimming in lakes and this watch won't die and will help you track it all. We love that this watch can track over 30 different activities — including running, swimming, biking and Pilates — so it's perfect for the all-around athlete. You can even specify the type of running you're doing, from outdoor track to trail running to treadmill jogs.

Our Lab pros found the screen to be easy to read without significant glares from the sun. One standout feature is the Body Battery monitoring, which tracks physical activity, sleep and more, providing a personalized score to represent how much energy you have. This can help you determine how long you need to rest, sleep and recover, plus when to be active again. And since there's a built-in GPS, you can run phone-free and download music to listen to on your walks or runs.

Tester's notes: "I love that almost every feature on the watch is customizable, so you can always program it to display or hide the stats that are most important to you," said one tester. Our testers also noted that this watch recharged so quickly that there wasn't a large gap of time when they were unable to wear it. And while it's a bit bulky, I found this watch to still be comfortable to wear even on my small wrists.