Here at Hip & Healthy, we have to put our hands on our hearts and say that we’re fitness tracker junkies – we’re the girls that can tell you how many miles (to the yard) we ran during marathon training and which pair of Nikes took the most slog!
So after Nike’s Fuelband gave up the ghost, we decided it was time to get ourselves a new piece of arm candy. It seems that whatever sport is your poison, there’s a fitness tracker to suit you. From the everyday Fitbit enthusiasts to the more specific Triathlon watches from TomTom and the like, we take a look at which one works best for you.
Tracking everything from weight to calories (accurately based on your heart rate) and sleep, the Fitbit range is a dream for any fitness enthusiast. Link it up to My Fitness Pal and let it work out what exercise you’re doing – although sadly there’s no Barry’s Bootcamp setting. Choose the Charge or Charge HR for everyday fitness and step tracking, or go hard with the new Blaze (made to rival the Apple Watch but with a much longer battery) for added music control, GPS and on screen workouts. And if that’s not enough for your competitive streak, get one for your friend and challenge them to beat you at a work week hustle or a weekend warrior step off – just make sure you’ve got the step count to win…
For anyone running a Marathon or prepping for a Triathlon, the new TomTom Spark is a godsend. With a built in heart rate monitor, this watch doesn’t just track your daily activity. The multisport mode allows you to track runs and cycles with GPS as well as your swims – yep, you got it: this bad boy is waterproof! With capacity to store over 500 songs too, you won’t even need to carry your phone when exercising. And if you really want to give your body that extra push, you can choose to train in a specific heart rate zone like fat burning or cardio endurance to make sure you’re getting the most out of your workout. Perfect to help you push for that sub-four-hour marathon then…
The obviously flashy choice, the Apple Watch is definitely a jack-of-all-trades. Featuring all-day activity tracking and notifications that sync with your iPhone, this is a piece that Apple aficionados will love. It’s full of the company’s beautiful design elements, with the daily progress goal coming in the form of an activity ring, but you can also track your heart rate, steps and calories (through My Fitness Pal again). If there’s a negative though, the notorious battery life of Apple products means that you’ll probably spend all night charging it rather than tracking your sleep time, but it is definitely an impressive piece of kit.
Remember the original UP? Well, one of the first ever fitness trackers is now into its third iteration with the aptly named UP3. This bracelet not only tracks your sleep, but also pinpoints the best time to wake you up in your sleep cycle (as if there is such a thing?!). Oh, and if you’re idle for too long, it will quite literally give you a buzz, With an impressive array of designs and colours, the UP3 is less chunky than some of its competitors too, making it perfect for slimmer wrists.
When the original Misfit Shine launched a few years ago, it was the first fitness tracker that looked more like a piece of jewellery than a piece of hardware. And as an added bonus this is one of the only trackers not to need charging – simply replace the battery every 6 months or so. Because the Speedo edition is waterproof too, you can track your whole fitness life on one piece of kit – everything from a leisurely stroll to swims, cycling and running. Thanks to an impressive array of accessories, you can wear the Shine as a necklace or bracelet – or even clip it onto your clothing if discretion is more your thing
So whether you’re looking for something to track your sleep or want to beat your friends, there’s a fitness tracker made just for you.
words by Jemma Crow
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