The best fitness bracelet
Boris Hofferbert
The best fitness bracelet for us at the time of the Garmin Vivosmart HR – but it depends very much on which activity or sport you want to use a fitness tracker. We tested the candidates of Garmin, Fitbit, Jawbone and Co. continuously, bicycling and swimming and tell you which bracelet holds what it promises.
Update November 3, 2017
Our new favorite is the Fitbit Charge 2. Here is the current test.
Short overview: Our recommendations
Garmin Vivosmart HR
bought by 70 readers
Our test winner Garmin Vivosmart HR is characterized by the highest versatility in training and the sophisticated additional features that can even replace a smartwatch. In addition, it is solid and can be easily worn while showering or swimming.
Battery capacity may not be the best in the test field, but the features I offer let me get over it. If you are not averse to an all-rounder with a futuristic design, you will get the best fitness tracker for us at the moment with the Vivosmart.
Fitbit charge HR
bought by 8 readers
The Fitbit Charge HR is a very good fitness bracelet, but still has to fight with a few weaknesses. It is thin, looks elegant and has an OLED display that displays all important data at the touch of a button. Also smart features such as wake-up, answering calls and playing music are included.
Unfortunately, the Fitbite Charge is not waterproof and only protected against splashing water. In addition, the battery only lasts for a few days. Nevertheless, it is a good fitness bracelet for those who do not practice water sports.
Withings Activité Pop
bought by 4 readers
The Withings Activite Pop gives you a slightly different pedometer – it actually looks like a wristwatch. Unobtrusive yet functional, the Pop does what it should – but not anymore. Unfortunately, it is not necessary to use smart functions here and it is only possible to set an alarm time via the smartphone.
Unlike the Fitbite, however, it is waterproof and its band can be replaced individually. If you just want to evaluate your running and sleeping activities, pop could be a good alternative.
Moov Now
bought by 7 readers
Unusual in almost all things is the Moov Now fitness bracelet. Starting with the rather unconventional design, right up to the equipment. It measures no steps, but optimizes your workout with various adjustable sports. Even in the swimming pool, it can be worn and even the swum lanes are easily registered.
Unfortunately, smartphone functions and an alarm clock are missing completely. But if you value a specific sport and your individual workout, then Moov Now is worth considering.
comparison Chart
| test winner | Nice, but faulty | Wristwatch meets fitness tracker | Precise fitness trainer | ||||
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| model | Garmin Vivosmart HR | Fitbit charge HR | Withings Activité Pop | Moov Now | Jawbone UP 3 | Polar Loop 2 | Xiaomi Mi Band 1S |
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| Show technical data | |||||||
| display | touchscreen | OLED | – | – | – | LED | – |
| sensors | Pedometer, sleep phases, heart rate monitor, altimeter | Pedometer, heart rate, altimeter, sleep phases, 3-axis accelerometer | Pedometer, sleep phases | 3D Omni-motion sensor, accelerometer, geomagnetic sensor, position sensor, tilt sensor, heart rate monitor, sleep monitor, pedometer | Tri-axis accelerometer, heart rate, skin temperature, ambient temperature | Heart rate, sleep monitoring, pedometer | Pedometer, sleep monitoring, heart rate monitor |
| Battery life | up to 5 days | up to 5 days | Battery: up to 8 months | Battery: up to 6 months | up to 7 days | up to 8 days | up to 7 days |
| connections | USB | – | – | – | USB | – | |
| waterproof | up to 50 meters | – | up to 50 meters | Yes | up to 10 meters | up to 20 meters | 1.5 meters |
| strap sizes | 136 to 187 mm (standard) 180 to 224 mm (XL) |
140 to 160 mm (standard) 160 to 190 mm (L) 190 to 220 mm (XL) |
up to 195 mm | 2 sizes available | Adjustable | cut individually | – |
| Weight m. bracelet | 30 grams | 35 grams | 45 grams | 29 grams | 38 grams | 5.5 grams | |
| model | Garmin Vivosmart HR | Fitbit charge HR | Withings Activité Pop | Moov Now | Jawbone UP3 | Polar Loop 2 | Xiaomi Mi Band 1S |
That’s how we tested
Even the biggest sports muff knows: exercise is good. In the everlasting fight against the inner bastard fitness bracelets help: They measure the sport activity in the everyday life and motivate with hints and detailed evaluations to sporting achievements – so at least the theory.
We have tested various pedometer with prices between 20 and 140 euros over several weeks in detail and sweat not only a lot, but also found out what the fitness bracelets have in sports everyday life on it.
Fitness bracelets in comparison: the test field
We looked at a total of seven fitness trackers, six of which function as a classic everyday companion: the Garmin Vivosmart HR, the Withings Activité Pop, the Polar Loop 2, the Jawbone Up 3, the Fitbit Charge HR and the Xiaomi Mi Volume 1S. The also tested Moov Now falls a bit out of line, because he rather focused on targeted training sessions including Coaching via App instead of a continuous activity recording.
We tested only models without GPS module, because fitness bracelets with GPS are again a good deal more expensive. In the end, they are only interesting for a few sports such as cycling – and in some cases the smartphone can supplement this function.
In addition to extensive walking tours, the activity trackers also had to prove themselves in disciplines such as jogging, cycling and – if they are involved – swimming.
We evaluated the accuracy of the measurements as well as the operation of the bracelets, the associated smartphone apps and the advanced features. If a fitness bracelet casually takes over smartwatch functions or convinces with a particularly enduring battery, we point out in the test.
What fitness bracelets do – and what not
Practically all sports bracelets in our test have two main points in common: they count the walking or running steps through a series of sensors, calculating the calories burned and the active minutes per day. In the end, they are pedestrians. An exception is Moove Now, which also offers an activity overview – more on this in the individual test.
First and foremost, fitness bracelets are pedometer – but there are also additional features
Some models go a little further and measure, for example, how many floors you have walked or the pulse rate at rest and in training phases. From these measurements as well as the data determined by the user, such as size, age and weight, the apps determine the athletic performance.
All trackers offer the option of defining day or week destinations, and help motivate them to achieve their goals.
measuring sleep
Also, the record of sleep quality offer all fitness bracelets. The trackers measure both the light and the deep sleep phases based on the nocturnal movements of the wearer and provide appropriate evaluations. Some models also take the pulse measurement into consideration.
Since we have no way to check the accuracy of the sleep phase measurement in our test, the feature plays a minor role in the assessment. However, roughly the individual fitness bracelets provide comparable measurement results, even if interim awake phases are not always determined correctly. We consider the sleep measurement rather than a nice gimmick with limited expressiveness.
Restrictions without GPS
For the tracking of sports such as cycling or the precise evaluation of completed steps, none of the devices in our test field is suitable. Here you need a fitness wristband with integrated GPS module. However, the corresponding devices are only available for a minimum of 150 euros. After all, some vendors allow to make corresponding recordings via app and smartphone GPS and integrate them into their own fitness profile.
Speaking of App: All fitness bracelets require to set up a user account and install an app on the smartphone or tablet. The profiles store the recorded fitness data and evaluate progress during training. While some apps focus on the essentials, others like Jawbone offer extensive fitness tips or extra features like food diaries.
The data exchange takes place on all bracelets via Bluetooth, whereby at least version 4.0 is compulsory on the smartphone. The tapes do not have to be permanently connected, as they also record their data away from the smartphone – so the phone can be left at home on the jogging lap.
Another tip for Windows Phone users: While matching apps for Android and the iPhone for all fitness bracelets can be found in the comparison test, only Garmin and Fitbit also serve the small but loyal fan base of Windows Phone users. If you are traveling with a Lumia smartphone, you have to restrict yourself when choosing a fitness tracker.
Relatively accurate measurements
Pleasingly: In the basic discipline “counting steps”, none of the tested devices makes a gross blunder. However, one should be careful not to wear the straps on the “dominant” arm, as everyday tasks such as brushing teeth or doing household chores will quickly screw up the steps to the top. Right-handed people should wear the band on the left, left-handed person on the right.
All wristbands tested were very precise in counting the steps
In our tests, among other things, we have several times a test distance of about 3 kilometers with the pedometer and have the measured steps compared both with each other and with the very precise internal pedometer of the Google Nexus 6P. On this track we went about 4,200 steps, which also confirmed all trackers with a margin of +/- 100 steps.
Just as reliably, the fitness bracelets saw the switch from walking to jogging, resulting in a correspondingly adjusted calorie consumption.
The sensors of the tested bracelets work well through the bank at a good level of performance. Nevertheless, one should always keep in mind that each pedometer is subject to certain measurement inaccuracies. The simultaneous testing of multiple bracelets sometimes resulted in differences of up to 400 measured steps throughout the day. The bracelets therefore provide less a “step-by-step” measurement than a general guideline for daily activities.
Great differences in concept and operation
As similar as the various activities that record the fitness bracelets, so different presents the technical implementation of the devices.
Although all tested fitness trackers come as an arm band or an ankle band, the similarities already stop there. For example, some models offer a display with different functions, while other than “pure” bracelet or – in the case of Withings Activité Pop – even present as a classic, analog wristwatch.
Even when operating the individual manufacturers go different ways. While Garmin’s Vivosmart HR incorporates a touch screen that controls many functions of the wristband and the connected smartphone, other fitness bracelets “only” offer a button to toggle the display or completely dispense with manual operation without an app.
Conceptually, the bracelets have little in common
Another big difference is in the energy supply. Five of the seven bracelets tested rely on a built-in battery that charges after a few days of use. Unfortunately, all companies use their own, proprietary cable instead of relying on a classic microUSB cable.
The Moov Now and the Withings Activité Pop take a different approach and put instead of a battery on ordinary button cells that need to be replaced after several months – the round shape of the fitness bracelets provides a real comfort plus, but at the expense of the environment going.
Test winner: Garmin Vivosmart HR
Overall, the Garmin Vivosmart HR was the most convincing in our test. It is functionally superior to the other fitness bracelets in the comparison test and scores with a good measurement performance as well as with sophisticated smartwatch functions.
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