The Best Fitness Watches and Trackers For Women – 2023

Fitness trackers have become popular in recent times, with the ever-increasing clamor for healthy living. The watches and tracker are designed to track and compute information concerning your workout, health, and other physical activities.

After putting in painstaking research and tests, we have picked some of the best fitness watches, trackers, and jewelry that can help you monitor your physical activities more effectively. We believe the Garmin fēnix 5S is the best fitness watch. It excels with its accurate activity tracking, superb design, durability.

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Best Sport Watches For Women

1. Garmin fēnix 5S

A lot of the best fitness watches on the market today are made by Garmin. Like the other fitness watches on this list, it is designed to track different activities. While the watch is mostly used for running and jogging, it comes with features that compute swimming, skiing, and even golfing information. The watch comes with Garmin’s popular Elevate heart rate tech that monitors the heart rate across different activities. However, it goes beyond just computing heartbeat per minute. It calculates calories burned and displays the intensity of any exercise. 

With a lot of fitness watches, visibility is an issue. The Garmin Chroma Display ensures that you can see the watch display clearly at all times, even in sunlight. As regards the comfort, it is incredibly comfortable. It does seem that the lightweight watches are usually more comfortable on the wrist than the heavier ones. The watch has a smart fit on the wrist, and it does not, in any way, feel bulky.

Quite interestingly, it features a GPS system that ensures easier navigation in unfamiliar terrains. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity are also impressive.

Furthermore, the Fenix 5s doesn’t look too sporty. To some extent, it resembles a normal watch, making it perfect for women who like to wear activity trackers in public. The band can be easily replaced with any QuickFit band, depending on the preference of the wearer. The price is quite steep but justified by all the amazing features.

Features: GPS and GLONASS satellite Reception, LED Backlight, Garmin Chroma Display

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2. Apple Watch Series 5

Apple watches have some of the most advanced smartwatch features, and few other brands come close to replicating the quality and functionality of their watches. Its list of functionality is long, so we will focus on the most important ones. The GPS tracking, the music, phone notifications, and heart monitor are some of these interesting features. The third-party apps further make the watch interesting as they enhance the features and improve the overall functionality of the watch.

Even when you don’t have your phone with you, you can still make calls, text, play music, and talk to Siri. With this model, Apple offers a lot of personalization as you get to choose from different colors, finishes, and straps. The aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium finishes all come at different prices. Interestingly, there is also a ceramic model of the watch.

Apple smartwatches have not always offered the best screen visibility, with the new LPTO screen material and the always-on feature, better screen visibility has been achieved in the Series 5. The watch comes with a new processor called the S5. While there is no significant difference in the speed of the S5 and S4 processors, the S5 is more efficient.

The altimeter and compass are new features that were not included in Series 4. With this improvement, you can get information about your elevation and how far above sea level you are. All these features make it the perfect smartwatch for outdoor activities; still, it is a very fashionable watch that can be used casually.

Features: SOS Emergency Feature, Always-on screen, 32GB Onboard Storage

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3. Garmin fēnix 6S

Arguably one of the most exquisite smartwatches ever made, the Garmin fēnix 6S is a trendy smartwatch amongst women. The Fenix 6 comes in different styles and sizes, the 6S being one of them. (This is probably as a result of some customer complaints about the size of previous models.) Women find it harder than men when shopping for GPS watches as they are typically large and don’t fit well on women’s wrists. However, with these new Garmin models, you will find one that will fit you perfectly.

Smartwatches are not exclusively made for outdoor activities. They are versatile enough to be worn casually, and not just when you are running, hiking, cycling, etc. The Fenix 6S comes with a number of interesting features that will surely get your attention. For example, it computes much more data than previous models. It features a wonderful mapping system that can show your real street maps and topo maps. Also, you can easily customize your workout pattern on the watch. Outdoor navigation is made easier by the built-in sensors for 3-axis compass, gyroscope, and barometric altimeter.

Typically, Garmin smartwatches project your activity to friends and family through Livetrack. However, the fēnix 6S works with Strava also. This makes it possible for you to send computed info to your friends and family by text or email. Garmin’s QuickFit band system makes changing the band very easy.

Features: 3-axis Compass, Advanced Sleep Monitoring, Quickfit Band System

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4. Fitbit Ionic

If you are more concerned about the activity-tracking ability of a smartwatch above other features, this may be the watch for you. Fitbit watches are prime examples of sports watches. They can be used for a wide variety of physical activities ranging from running to hiking, and even gym workouts. It is a very functional watch that keeps track of your steps, distance moves, heart rate, and some other information. Interestingly, it can also compute your swimming workout data. It does have a GPS feature, however, the watch is more tailored towards activity tracking.

Women often find it hard to get a good fit when shopping for smartwatches. As this is a fairly small watch, the fit should not be a problem. You won’t be able to send real-time updates of your workout to your family and friends. Nonetheless, there are some other interesting features that make up for that. Phone notifications are displayed on the watch, and you can also make direct payments with it. Also, if you are running with a hydration belt it’s good to know that this watch is water-resistant.

For a lot of women, music is an essential part of running and other workouts. The Fitbit Ionic watch can store and play up to 300 songs, it can even download playlists from Pandora. The battery life is also quite commendable. You are guaranteed about 4 days when used as an activity tracker. In GPS mode, it’ll only last for 10 hours. 

Features: NFC chip For wireless payments, pulse and heartrate tracker, smartphone app notifications

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5. Fitbit Versa

With the Versa smartwatch, Fitbit was able to achieve a more contemporary design, quite different from the design of their past products. Due to the ultra-thin, anodized aluminum case, and tapered design, the watch is very lightweight. In fact, Fitbit claims it is one of their lightest smartwatches. While the lightweight is a feature that will attract a lot of women, there are those who want their watches to feel a bit heavy on the wrist; it all comes down to personal preference.

A common problem with smartwatches is visibility. The display on the watch is impressive as the color touch screen is designed to reach a brightness of up to 1000 nits, which is enough for visibility in sunny conditions. Furthermore, the watch can store and play up to 300 songs. For activity tracking, it monitors your heart rate, tracks your run, and also your sleep. It is one of the few watches that can also compute your swimming information. In the dedicated swimming mode, it tracks the number of laps as you swim.

They may not look the same, but the Versa and Ionic watches are quite similar with respect to the features they come with, with the Versa being lighter and more attractive. Also, the Fitbit Versa is not a GPS watch. However, it is not just a sports watch. The design makes it suitable for everyday use.

Features: 4-day Battery Life, Bluetooth 4.0., Anodized Aluminum Body

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6. Samsung Gear Sport

How about a smartwatch you can swim with? The Gear Sport is a decent watch that comes with a number of interesting features, one of which is the sleek design. When compared to the Gear S3, the Samsung Gear Sport is slimmer and more suited for swimming. Admittedly, it is not the most exquisite smartwatch. However, it comes with all the necessary features you may need for your workout and casual use. The watch is one of the more affordable Samsung watches. 

While it is smaller than the previous model, it is a bit heavier, and you may notice this on the wrist. The bezel and metal body are designed to stay in place so that the movement of the wearer does not cause a corresponding movement of the watch. If the strap that comes with the watch feels too tight against your wrist, you can easily change it to a more comfortable one. Samsung is known for good graphics, and that virtue is upheld even in a product as small as a watch. The 1.2-inch Super AMOLED screen is very clear and bright. The 1.2-inch size makes this a better watch for women than the 1.3 inch Gear S3.

The Samsung Gear Sport is the first smartwatch to support Spotify. You are allowed to sync offline Spotify tracks, such that when you are out on your runs, you can listen to music. The T9 keyboard is out of date, but who cares, as long as it gets the job done. You check out all our recommendations on the best running watches with music here.

Features: Samsung Pay NFC compatibility, water-resistant, compatible with both Android and iOS

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7. Suunto 3

The Suunto 3 fitness watch stands out from the other watches on our list by some really unique features. The watch is designed to provide adaptive guidance for the user. Using your planned exercise, training history, and fitness levels as factors, the watch is able to generate for you a 7-day training schedule that will improve your overall fitness level. It has built-in sport modes for running, cycling, swimming, and more. Just like it improves physical fitness, it also monitors sleep and generates some important statistics as regards your sleep duration. Additionally, the watch tracks distance, speed, and route through your phone’s GPS.

Suunto 3 has a lightweight design that attracts a lot of women. It also has a good fit on the wrist, and it stays in place. The battery life is really impressive. Without the GPS training mode, the watch can stay on for up to five days. However, with the GPS training mode connected, it will stay on for about 30 hours. The silicone strap and stainless steel bezel construction add to the simple yet attractive appearance of the watch.

All your phone calls and notifications can be accessed through the watch. Furthermore, you get to share your workout information with friends and family on your social media with impressive data overlays. These features are impressive enough for a watch that comes at such an affordable price. If what you are looking for is a simple yet functional fitness watch, this is one of the ones you should consider.

Features: Adaptive Training Guidance System, Activity Tracking, GPS Tracking

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Best Fitness Trackers for Women

Fitness trackers may closely resemble fitness watches. Fitness watches also function as fitness trackers. However, fitness trackers are exclusively designed for activity tracking. Typically, they are not as expensive as fitness watches, and they have smaller displays. Nonetheless, if activity tracking is all you want, you should take a look at some of these. Here are some of the best fitness trackers for women. 

8. Fitbit Charge 3

The Fitbit Charge 3 is exclusively designed for activity tracking, and it does reasonably well at that. The tracker can compute information in different activity modes, including running, swimming, yoga, cycling, and more. More interestingly, activities like biking and running are automatically recognized by the tracker, such that if you forget to start the tracker at the beginning of your exercise, it starts automatically. Also, there is an automatic stop feature that causes the watch to stop tracking when you stop exercising.

You get your workout statistics in real-time as well as calories burned, so you’ll always know how you’re performing at all times. 

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The tracker has been improved significantly when compared to the Charge 2 that doesn’t have the smartphone notification feature. The Charge 3 takes a step closer to popular smartwatches with the smartphone notification. Once connected to your phone, you will get text, e-mail, and alarm notifications. Also, it is water-resistant up to 50 meters.

The PurePulse heart rate monitor with the SpO2 Pulse oximetry sensor is responsible for the heart rate and calorie tracking. It also gives you feedback as to the intensity of your workout. This helps you to know when to try harder and when to slow down. It doesn’t have a dedicated GPS, but when connected to your phone, it can track your pace, distance, and location through your phone’s GPS.

Features: PurePulse heartrate monitor, SpO2 pulse oximetry sensor, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 display

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9. Garmin vívofit 4

The best thing about this tracker is that Garmin included its impressive GPS technology, so you won’t have to connect to your phone’s GPS to track your distance and route. Not a lot of trackers come with onboard GPS, but the vívofit 4 does. It is a simple tracker with a mildly sophisticated look. The tracker is indeed a testament to the saying “less is more.” As it is very durable and functional, it is a great option for intense exercise and activities. 

As it is waterproof, it can be used to track swimming information. In addition to heart-rate tracking, it tracks steps, distance traveled, and calories burned. These features are needed by both amateurs and professional athletes. Have you ever seen a tracker that can automatically detect the kind of physical activity you are doing? The vívofit 4 comes with a MOVE IQ technology that enables it to detect the particular activity you are engaged in.

The comfort it gives is remarkable as it is very lightweight, and it fits perfectly. Furthermore, the battery can last up to a year without being recharged. That is unbelievable. A lot of athletes have listed the durability and water-resistance as the reasons for choosing this tracker. You can practically wear it without ever removing it until you need to charge it. Going by all these features, the tracker comes at a very reasonable price. It would definitely be a good bargain for you. You may also like our recent guide on the best Garmin running watch reviews.

Features: MOVE IQ technology, True Up technology, onboard GPS

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10. Fitbit Inspire HR

There’s not much to say other than this fitness tracker is one of the best on the market. Fitness trackers can be quite basic in their features, but this tracker has all the features you will need to track your fitness activities and improve your fitness level. One thing we love about this tracker is the size. It is very small, and if you don’t know better, you may mistake it for a wrist band. The 128 X 72-pixel resolution is sharp and bright enough for optimal visibility.

On its own, the tracker can compute your steps, distance, heart rate, hydration, and more. However, you can also view your calls, text messages, calendar, and other notifications when it is connected to your smartwatch. It makes your workout easier because you can easily set goals on the tracker as regards your calories, distance, or time. 

Auto-recognition is quite common in fitness trackers these days, and this tracker features it. So, when you forget to start the tracker, it will start by itself and track all your data. All the basic features needed in a fitness tracker are included. Although it is quite durable, it is not the toughest tracker. It is an accurate tracker that comes at a reasonable price.  

Features: Monochrome OLED display, Bluetooth 4.0, 128 X 72-pixel resolution

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11. Samsung Galaxy Fit

Samsung has etched its name in the hearts of many as one of the best tech brands in the world. The Samsung Galaxy Fit is an accurate fitness and health tracker that women love. What really stood out is the price of the tracker. Samsung products tend to be of a high price. However, this tracker comes at a very affordable price that takes nothing away from its functionality. Prior to the release of this tracker, the brand had made a lot of other trackers that are quite exquisite, but they still lacked an entry-level tracker.

It comes with just the right features for good activity tracking. It is pretty small and lightweight, like most fitness trackers are, making it optimal for exercise and sleep. It is designed to track steps, floors climbed, heart rate, sleep, calories burned, and more. It doesn’t have an onboard GPS, and it doesn’t connect to smartphone GPS also. Apart from this, it is an accurate fitness tracker that fits quite nicely.

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The tracker supports up to 90 different activities, and what is more impressive is that it automatically tracks running, walking, cycling, rowing, and other elliptical workouts. It monitors your sleep and computes your different sleeping stages so you can determine if you are sleeping well or not. Also, you can receive phone notifications and even reply with some preset responses.

Features: 120 x 240 resolution, MCU Cortex M33F processor, 120mAh battery

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12. Garmin vívosport

There are just a few fitness trackers that come with GPS, and the Garmin vívosport is one of them. Like the other trackers in this review, it is lightweight, and it tracks accurately. The battery can last up to a week in the tracking mode. However, when the GPS is in use, it lasts less than 9 hours. It accurately monitors your heart rate and even your stress levels. With the tracker, you can better understand what your stress triggers are and avoid them.

The band is very thin and fits comfortably on the wrist. Some male athletes may find it too thin as a matter of fact, but it’s perfect for women, who typically don’t like heavy and thick fitness trackers. The color touchscreen is always on, so you shouldn’t have a problem seeing the display, even in sunlight. There is also a LiveTrack 5 technology that tracks your location and workout activity and sends them to your friends and family in real-time. 

This tracker falls right in between a high-end fitness tracker and an entry-level fitness watch. However, it clearly distinguishes itself from others with the GPS feature. It automatically detects activity, and when it does, it starts tracking. Being a fitness tracker, it doesn’t have a lot of advanced features apart from the GPS, but it does come with all the necessary features you will need for activity tracking.

Features: MOVE IQ technology, LiveTrack 5 technology

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Top Fitness Tracking Jewelry for Women

These offer the most basic fitness tracking, however, if you need to look really stylish for an event and you still want to monitor your fitness activity closely, you should check out these accessories.

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13. Motiv Ring

If you love the functionality of a fitness tracker but don’t want to wear something as conspicuous the fitness watches or bands, this could be the perfect tracker for you. It is a very discreet tracker that will compute information about the steps you take, your heart rate, and the distance you travel. As you can probably guess already, the ring does not have a long battery life, and will only last for two days of continuous use.

It is not the most sophisticated or most accurate tracker. Nonetheless, it gives you the most basic information you may require about your fitness activities. It is designed to track your sleep automatically, and as it is waterproof, it can be used when swimming.

More interestingly, the ring can be used as part of two-factor authentication for Facebook, Amazon, and some other sites. So, it safeguards your online accounts. Fitness watches and bands can be too conspicuous or unsuitable for some events, and with a tracker as discreet as this, you can dress up in your fashionable dresses and still track your physical activities.

Features: Lightweight Titanium, iOS + Android Compatibility, 3-axis Accelerometer

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14. Bellabeat Leaf

This is another beautiful piece of jewelry that can track a whole lot of things, including your sleep patterns, stress levels, menstrual cycle, and more. The menstrual cycle tracker is useful for women as it helps to keep track and calculate future dates. The battery life is one of the most impressive features of the leaf, as it can last up to six months. The pendant can be worn in a number of ways. You can wear it as a bracelet, a necklace, or even a clip.

The stress tracking is also quite commendable as it reminds you when you get too stressed, so you can calm down or take steps that will reduce your anxiety. It is quite resistant to water, but you shouldn’t take it swimming.

Synchronization is also very easy, as long as you have the app on your device, you can easily sync anytime and get information about your physical activities. On its own, the Bellabeat Leaf is a very beautiful piece of jewelry. However, combined with the tracking capabilities, it becomes more interesting.

Features: Menstrual cycle tracking, activity and sleep tracking

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15. Spire Stone Stress Management and Activity Tracker

More than being a piece of jewelry, the Spire Stone is an activity tracker that tracks your physical activity. Also, it is a “mindfulness jewelry” and, in combination with the companion app, helps you meditate and relax better. It monitors breathing patterns, and through meditation, it helps to increase focus, calmness, and achieve better sleep.

If you need a discrete device that can help you monitor your physical fitness activities and help you relax better, the Spire Stone can do that for you. According to the manufacturers, the stone should be attached to your pant or bra where it measures the movement of the torso and, through its respiration sensors, sends the information to your smartphone. This doesn’t mean you cannot use the stone if you don’t have your phone around. It can store data for the last six hours for you to access later on your phone.

It may not be the best when it comes to calorie counting, but it does monitor breathing patterns accurately. Also, it can help you take a step closer to a healthier lifestyle by giving you info on your stress levels and meditation techniques. The design is quite sleek, and it excels in terms of aesthetics.

Features: Wireless charging, water-resistant, 10-day battery life

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Fitness Watches and Trackers For Women – Buyer’s Guide

When choosing a fitness watch, you need to choose one that will suit your physical activities. You also need to know the exact information you want to track. Fitness watches do not only track physical activities, but they can also track health indicators, so you need to be aware of all these before you go ahead and buy one. Read our article on the benefits of running to further motivate you.

Here are some other things you should consider.

Weight

Fitness watches should be lightweight, however, owing to additional features, a lot of these watches can be heavy. If weight is an important factor in your physical exercise, go for lightweight options.

Related: Best Workout Shoes for Women

GPS

Not all watches have GPS, although most watches that don’t have onboard GPS are designed to connect to your phone’s GPS. It is not always easy to bring your phone with you when working out. If navigation is going to be a problem, you need a GPS fitness watch.

Price

Fitness watches can be really expensive; the better the features, the more expensive the watch. This doesn’t mean you have to go over the top to purchase one. List the features you need in a fitness watch and determine what your budget is. You will get a fitness watch that fits into your budget. However, you may need to compromise on the features. You may also like our recent post on the best wallet finder and the best running watch.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Difference Between a GPS Watch, Sports Watch, Fitness Watch, Fitness Tracker and Activity Tracker?

When it comes to differentiating between these various devices, there can be some confusion. They overlap in their definitions and features, but they have individual peculiarities.

A GPS watch through an onboard GPS feature syncs with GPS satellites to compute activity data.

A sports watch and a fitness watch are virtually the same. They have the function of tracking fitness, and they may include additional features. They can also include GPS or not.

A fitness tracker or activity tracker is designed to track physical activities aimed at improving fitness either through GPS or other dedicated features.

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While smart/fitness watches function as trackers, they may or may not include GPS.

How Do Fitness Watches Calculate Calories?

Fitness watches are not absolutely accurate in calculating calories burned, but with the aid of an algorithm that takes your movement and the intensity of your physical activities into consideration, your energy expenditure is calculated. From this information, the algorithm determines the calories burned.

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Which is the Best Fitness Watch and Tracker for Women? – Final Thoughts

Living a life of fitness may require changing your lifestyle, and for every effort you put in, there should be some accountability. A fitness watch will give that accountability as you can effectively track your workout data. With the right fitness tracker, you can share your workout data with friends and family for more motivation.

From our review of these products, the Garmin fēnix 5S is our pick at the best fitness watch and tracker for women. It is a comfortable and durable lightweight watch that effectively tracks workout data across a wide range of outdoor activities. When choosing an activity tracker, however, you should carefully consider the price, the weight, and the activities you want to track.

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