Top 5: Best Fitness Band/Activity Trackers

Chart: Looking for a new fitness band? Here are the best non-smartwatch activity trackers available in Australia as of November 25, 2014.

The focus here is on fitness bands and pocket activity trackers (which tend to have band attachments), not fitness/coaching-oriented smartwatches like the Garmin Fenix 2 and TomTom Multi-Sport Cardio — or full-blown phone-connected smartwatches with some fitness features like the Samsung Gear S, Motorola Moto 360 and Pebble.

Some devices also blur the lines. Garmin’s new Vivosmart packs the good stuff of an activity tracker, plus the notifications of a smartwatch. Then there’s the Basis Peak… But we’ll compare all those another time.

Also See The Gizmodo Top 5: Best Smartwatches Of 2014

Our fitness tracker pick: The Jawbone UP24 scores top honours in our meta-chart, even as finishing touches are made on its successor: the Jawbone UP3. Meanwhile, the Fitbit Zip, Misfit Shine and Nike+ Fuelband SE all came close to making the chart — followed by a large pack of devices including the Polar Loop, Microsoft Band, Sony SmartBand SWR10, Runtastic Orbit and Huawei Talkband B1.

Coming soon: Besides the UP3, Jawbone’s UP Move is on the way — along with the Fitbit Charge / HR (an update to the recalled Fitbit Force). The Moov also continues to look impressive; if you can get one. Right now there’s a limited quantity available.

As with our recent Top 5 Android Smartphones chart, we’ve aggregated scores from a selection of other leading tech sites along with our own Gizmodo Australia score (out of 100). We’ll be including scores on most Australian reviews going forward. See how we rate and review for more. We won’t update this chart for every new activity tracker launch, but will maintain it enough to ensure it stays reasonably current.

No pricing in the table as this can change regularly. Use the Dick Smith links for a guide to current costs.

More: The Best Fitness Tracker For Every Need



Top 5 Chart

Click review for more information

8.2
8.0
7.6
7.6
7.1

Jawbone UP24

Fitbit One

Withings Pulse 02

Fitbit Flex

Garmin Vivofit
Scoring Panel
  Gizmodo Australia
77/100
Gizmodo Australia
75/100
Gizmodo Australia
Gizmodo Australia
72/100
Gizmodo Australia
70/100
  The Verge
8.1/10
The Verge
9/10
The Verge
7.1/10
The Verge
8/10
The Verge
7.9/10
  Good Gear Guide
4.5/5
Good Gear Guide
4.25/5
Good Gear Guide
Good Gear Guide
4/5
Good Gear Guide
  CNET
4/5
CNET
3.5/5
CNET
4/5
CNET
3.5/5
CNET
3.5/5
Quick Specs
Tracking Sleep, smart alarm, steps/distance, calories, idle alert Sleep, steps/distance, stairs climbed, calories Sleep, steps/distance, elevation, calories, blood oxygen, heart rate (built-in) Sleep, steps/distance, calories, movement reminder Sleep, steps/distance, inactivity alert, calories, time, heart rate support for separate HR monitor
Wireless Sync Bluetooth Bluetooth, USB ANT dongle (included) Bluetooth Bluetooth, USB ANT dongle (included) Bluetooth, USB ANT Stick
Stated Battery Life Up to 2 weeks (built-in) 10-14 days Up to 2 weeks (built-in) Up to 5 days 1+ Year (replacable)
Water Resistance Splash-resistant, do not submerge Rain, splash, and sweat-proof (not waterproof) No Up to 10m Up to 50m
Weight / Colours 19-23g (small, medium, large) / Red, pink, orange, black, blue, green 8g / Black, burgundy 8g / Optional wrist bands in black and blue; clips in orange, blue, green, black 13.4g (small); 14.6g (large) / Black, slate, tangerine, teal, navy, violet, blue, lime, pink, red 25.5g / Black, blue, green, purple


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