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The 11 Best Free Workout Apps Tested by Experts 2026

At the least, each tracker needed to last the better part of a day (i.e., a full night’s rest and a workout the following day) or to have a fast-charge option available for convenience. Similar to the Venu 3, this tracker measures energy expenditure by updating your body battery with recommended rest times and activity levels, and it also highlights which muscles you worked during physical activity. After a strength-training session, https://www.webmd.com/diet/default.htm the Lily’s post-workout app summary listed the types of exercises I performed, from barbell squats to sumo-stance deadlifts.

Lifestyle / Hybrid Smartwatch

However, features like calorie counting and blood pressure monitoring can be less precise, as they rely on estimates or algorithms rather than direct measurements. The Pace 3 offers impressive performance tracking and accurate GPS in a budget-friendly package. Overall, the APEX Pro 2 is an incredible pickup for those wanting a no-frills smartwatch focused on performance, GPS tracking and durability. My biggest gripe was with music, because there’s no native Spotify or Apple Music app; you can store music on the watch for phone‑free sessions, but tracks need to be transferred manually via the app. The 1.4in AMOLED display is crisp and bright, easy to read in sunlight, and the watch itself is comfortable for 24/7 wear. Runners aren’t left behind with adaptive training plans in the Huawei Health app, guided workouts on the watch and pacing prompts that keep you honest.

There’s no screen, which means if you want to monitor your workout in real time you will need to do so on the app. Thankfully, it’s very consistent about automatically detecting and recording your workouts. So if you like to get all the data, but want a workout free of notifications, the Whoop is the wearable for you. We’ve tried a handful of smartwatches, rings, and other fitness trackers, here are the ones we recommend most.

The Apple Watch Series 7 has a full-color display while some fitness trackers are in black and white. When going out into the sun, keep in mind that come displays may dim or brighten without you manually switching it yourself. The majority of fitness trackers have options to connect with friends, participate in challenges, and climb leadership boards. The Apple Watch Series 9 gives you the option to compete weekly with friends to see who can crush their move goals.

While Oura tracks up to 40 different kinds of workouts, including both cardio and strength, the accuracy isn’t always there. I’ll wear both my Apple Watch and Oura Ring to compare calories burned, and Oura always lists around half the calories burned as my Apple Watch. This score typically compares your activity to rest, as well as HRV and lets you know if you’re “ready” to take on the day.

Shred: Home & Gym Workout

men’s workout tracker

It’s a big reason Fitbit dominated the basic fitness-tracking category in the early days of wearables. Its app, while now partly behind a subscription, remains one of the most encouraging and user-friendly. Fitbit still makes solid-performing fitness trackers supported by the excellent Fitbit app and ecosystem.

Best Screenless Fitness Tracker

OnePlus is a Chinese company based around the mantra of “never settle” and they’ve definitely not held back on features in this watch. Third‑party reviews of unimeal app support is limited compared to Apple or Garmin’s ecosystems, and voice assistant features depend on your phone. Running form metrics and training load insights help you balance volume and recovery. As someone who enjoys running and cycling, I was eager to see how the Pixel Watch 3 could enhance my workouts.

Best Smart Ring: Oura Ring 4

If you like the no frills appearance, the Whoop 5.0 can definitely accomplish most of your tracking needs. “Whoop’s activity sensing has improved over the years and continues to take steps,” says Samuel. It can track anything from running, cycling, and rowing to weightlifting, yoga, soccer, and even massage therapy. From our personal experience with Whoop, we love how it fits on the wrist. It is one of the more comfortable fitness trackers we’ve worn—the strap has a soft back, is woven with microfilament yarn, and can also be easily adjusted.

Blood Oxygen Monitoring

Our recommendations are grounded in real-world testing to help you find the best gear for your needs. Some of us just want to head down to the basement and pretend we are biking through some scenic town in Sweden. However easy or hard you want to take your biking sesh, there’s probably a program just for you. In addition to bicycle cardio workouts, Peloton’s subscription service offers Yoga, stretching, and strength training classes as well for a more well-rounded exercise experience.

Get Motivated With the 10 Best Fitness Trackers of 2026

The Oura Ring Gen 4 stands out for its discreet design and advanced sleep tracking capabilities. While it lacks a display and requires a subscription for full access, it’s an excellent choice for users seeking a non-intrusive health monitoring device. We tested features like move alerts, sleep tracking, GPS, activity tracking, stress monitoring, and more. While we tested the smartphone features, like playback control and texting, they weren’t our main priority. For activity tracking, I looked at how many activity or sport modes were available and how well each watch tracked my movement during those workouts and activities.

  • I try new models constantly, comparing them against previous versions and similar competitors.
  • If you’re looking for a quick, new workout to do, SmartWOD can provide it.
  • It helps you train smarter, recover better, and frankly, just be more in tune with your body day to day.
  • It’s a fitness tracker first, with excellent all-day tracking of steps, sleep, stress, and Body Battery (Garmin’s fantastic energy-level metric).
  • Apple’s latest entry-level smartwatch has an always-on display that the company claims to be more scratch-resistant than its predecessor.
  • In addition to sleep tracking, it monitors readiness, stress, and activity, providing daily updates on core vitals, including breathing rate, heart rate, and body temperature.

FITVII FINO 2 Fitness Tracker

The intelligent sleep analysis feature helps you understand your sleep patterns, allowing you to make adjustments for better rest. Additionally, it includes multiple sports modes, letting you accurately track various activities like running and cycling. Finally, stay connected with real-time notifications for calls and messages, so you never miss important updates while on the go. It tracks all the essentials, including 24/7 heart rate monitoring, stress levels (with an EDA sensor), skin temperature, and, yes, even sleep. It’s also Alexa/Google Assistant compatible, features a built-in GPS, and is even swimproof down to 50 meters.

The Apple Watch is more expensive but also offers a longer list of additional features that may be important to others, such as cellular connectivity, Apple Pay, and fall detection. Obviously, we undertake extensive fitness tracking to test the best fitness trackers, conducting a variety of workouts including running and cycling. All of our reviewers engage in a variety of different sports, together they bring years of experience and a huge variety of disciplines to the table.

One of our other product testers owns the Fenix 6 Pro Solar, and he gave the battery life a perfect score of 5 out of 5, too. With a gorgeous display, long battery life, and bountiful health insights, the Garmin Vivoactive 5 is an excellent wellness-focused smartwatch. But this version also includes upgraded features like sleep coaching, post-workout recovery insights and a more advanced heart rate sensor. “It’s important to note that I am generally 100 years old and grumpy about this type of stuff, [but] still, the set up on this watch was a bit of a pain,” says Zucker. Sometimes the most durable fitness tracker is unnecessary, though, especially if you are using it for pavement running. In fact, a plastic construction fitness tracker can be a much better choice for cardio-intensive activities like running and biking, since the material is going to be much lighter than stainless steel or titanium.

Just a note: these aren’t fitness trackers…they’re fitness watches

One of the coolest features of the Pace 2 is the Muscle Heatmap, which allows users to see which muscles they worked out the most to best adjust their next training session. Oh, and if you’re not exactly sure which workouts to complete this week, the device is loaded with 200 exercises to give you a little inspiration. Fitbit is arguably the most recognizable name in the fitness tracker game, and its Charge 5 is lightyears better than its previous iteration. First, it has a crisper, cleaner display, alongside a more streamlined design that sits subtly on the wrist.

Best Fitness Trackers for Men of 2026

You can read all of our thoughts on this app in our Strava fitness app review. Strava also integrates and syncs automatically to major fitness tracker brands popular among cyclists and runners—Garmin, Polar, Wahoo, and FitBit, for example. You can connect your Zwift account and indoor bike to Strava as well, so indoor rides populate the app as well. “I think the social network-esque aspect of it is what really differentiates it from other free cycling GPS apps,” our tester and long-time Strava user Amanda Capritto says. “You can follow people on Strava just like on Instagram or Twitter.” Along with that, Strava encourages group challenges and interaction  with other athletes through clubs.

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