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 ChartClick review for more information |
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Jawbone UP24 |
Fitbit One |
Withings Pulse 02 |
Fitbit Flex |
Garmin Vivofit |
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Scoring Panel | |||||
Gizmodo Australia 77/100 |
Gizmodo Australia 75/100 |
Gizmodo Australia – |
Gizmodo Australia 72/100 |
Gizmodo Australia 70/100 |
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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 – |
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CNET 4/5 |
CNET 3.5/5 |
CNET 4/5 |
CNET 3.5/5 |
CNET 3.5/5 |
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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 |