Summer is a good time to get fit; the bright, warm weather makes embarking on lengthy sessions of outdoor exercise more appealing. However, if you’re dedicated to a fitness regime, then investing in a fitness band could help you to reap even greater returns. Here are some great choices of activity tracking wearables that can sync well with an iPhone.
Fitbit Charge HR
Fitbit is a firmly established name in the world of fitness trackers – and, upon looking over the features and capabilities of this wearable, you could easily see why. Heart rate, calories burned, floors climbed and sleep quality can all be measured. We especially like the more automated features, such as SmartTrack, which can recognize for itself what activities you are engaging in before accordingly recording it in the Fitbit app.
All of this, and you can also enjoy, according to Fitbit, a battery life reaching up to 5 days. The Fitbit Charge HR is available in a choice of six colors: black, plum, blue, tangerine, teal and pink. It retails for $149.95, a good price for possibly the best dedicated fitness tracker.
Microsoft Band 2
There’s a lot to like about the Microsoft Band 2. For a start, it looks both stylish and inconspicuous, while it’s packed with sensors which can track your heart rate, calorie burn, sleep quality and more. Much data about your activity can also be transferred to the Microsoft Health app for ready viewing on easy-to-understand charts. The wearable can also alert you about updates in your iPhone’s email, text and calendar apps.
Still, you might consider the band, at a retail price of $249.99, expensive for what it is. Microsoft is, right now, actually offering the product for $174.99, a pretty generous saving of $75 – but only for a limited time through select retailers. You could also be disappointed by the 48-hour battery life, which isn’t ideal for a device intended for all-day-round use.
Garmin vívofit 3
At $99.99, this is the least pricey of the fitness bands that Garmin currently sells – and, unsurprisingly in light of this, it also has the most basic, stripped-down functionality. However, if you don’t want to spend extra cash for smartphone-augmented notifications on your wrist, we reckon it represents a pretty good deal.
So, while you can still easily keep track of steps taken, calories burned and physical distance covered, the comparatively primitive technology also means an amazing 1-year battery life. Plus, the band can still automatically save your progress to the Garmin Connect app.