Smartwatches, fitness trackers, and their companion apps have made it more convenient to get a wealth of fitness and health data that are customized to you and your daily activities. With all the choices available in the market, choosing the best one isn’t as easy as it sounds. With that said, we recommend getting a fitness tracker that lets you monitor your heart rate so you can get insights on your workout intensity and sleep, and more.
In this article, we round up the best fitness trackers with a heart rate monitor and discuss why they are good options and whether they’re suited for your needs. We also added a list of the top budget fitness trackers with a heart rate monitor under $200 if you want to stay within a budget.
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Best Fitness Trackers With Heart Rate Monitor Comparison Chart
| Model | Price | Standout Features |
| Apple Watch Series 6 | Amazon product Amazon product | Robust health and fitness tracking features, including an FDA-approved ECG, and wide third-party app support |
| Fitbit Sense | Amazon product Amazon product | Great for tracking stress levels and boasts up to 6 days of battery life |
| Garmin vivoactive 4 | Amazon product Amazon product | Monitors underwater optical heart rate, features a pulse oximeter, and provides heart rate variability data |
| Amazon product Amazon product | Packs similar features to a smartwatch minus the squircle shape typical of health watches | |
| Apple Watch SE | Amazon product Amazon product | More affordable than the Apple Watch Series 6 and still has a wealth of health and fitness tracking features (but doesn’t include ECG and an SpO2 sensor) |
1. Apple Watch Series 6
Overall Best Fitness Tracker/Smartwatch
Like most Apple devices, the Apple Watch Series 6 offers the best interface among the best fitness trackers with a heart rate monitor on our list. Just like most fitness trackers, the Apple Watch Series 6 tracks your daily activities, calorie burn, and the like. It takes it up a notch with its game-changing FDA-approved ECG app, 2nd generation optical heart rate sensor (so it’s good even underwater), blood oxygen saturation sensor, and always-on altimeter for users who like to hike or go on uphill rides. The Apple Watch Series 6 even alerts you when it detects irregular heart rhythms.
Of course, it also comes with a ton of smart features, such as Apple Pay and Siri. It’s also water-resistant to up to 50 meters and if you don’t like taking your phone with you while exercising, you can opt for the GPS + cellular model. The major downside to the Apple Watch Series 6, however, is its battery life. Some smartwatches and fitness trackers have a battery life of a couple of days without the use of GPS, but the Apple Watch Series 6’s is only 18 hours.
The Apple Watch Series 6 is available in 40mm and 44mm case sizes and GPS only and GPS + Cellular models.
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To read more Apple Watch Series 6 comparisons, click here.
2. Fitbit Sense
Advanced Stress, Health & Activity Tracking Features
Similar to the Apple Watch Series 6, the Fitbit Sense also offers a wealth of health tracking features and sports a squircle profile. The Sense features an EDA Scan app and a skin temperature sensor that monitors electrodermal activity. The data you get from the EDA Scan app gives insights into your stress levels so you can make necessary changes in your habits and routines. Just like the Apple Watch 6, the Sense can alert you of any heart rhythm irregularities or atrial fibrillation as well. The advantage of the Sense to the Apple Watch Series is its longer battery life of up to 6 days when the GPS is not in use and up to 12 hours with GPS on.
Sleep tracking, swim tracking, blood oxygen sensor, and menstrual cycle tracking are also notable features of the Sense. It also comes with a built-in GPS and smart features like Fitbit Pay, built-in Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa if you use voice assistants a lot. New Fitbit Premium users can also enjoy a free 6-month Fitbit Premium subscription with their purchase.
Amazon productTo read more Fitbit Sense comparisons, click here.
3. Garmin vivoactive 4
Another Great Option for Tracking Stress Levels
Like the first two fitness tracker/smartwatch hybrid in our list of the best fitness trackers, the Garmin vivoactive 4 also features a pulse oximeter that monitors your blood oxygen levels. It can also monitor menstrual cycle, sleep, swim laps, hydration, heart rate, calorie burn, and more. Among the vivoactive 4’s highlights are its body battery energy monitoring, respiration rate, and HRV (heart rate variability) insights that you can check through Garmin’s Respiration Widget. These give you an idea of when your body is at an optimal level to perform for the day or whether you should take it easy and rest.
The vivoactive 4 also hosts a wide array of smart and safety tracking features. You can use it to pay contactless through Garmin Pay or check notifications without taking your phone out. If you need help with training for running or a marathon, the vivoactive 4’s Garmin Coach can serve as your personal trainer as well.
Amazon productTo read more Garmin comparisons, click here.
4. Fitbit Charge 4
Great Balance of Features & Budget-Friendliness
Some users are not a fan of smartwatches with big watch faces and prefer a slimmer device on their wrist, just like the
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5. Apple Watch SE
A More Cost-Effective Apple Watch Option
Unlike the Apple Watch Series 6, the Apple Watch SE (Special Edition) is not equipped with a blood oxygen level sensor, ECG, and an Always-On Retina display. But because of this, it’s more affordable than the Series 6 as well. It still comes with a reliable heart rate monitor that can provide insights into your sleep, heart health, workouts, and daily activities at a much lower cost.
The Apple Watch SE also tracks elevation through its altimeter sensor and features Emergency SOS dialing, fall detection, Apple Pay, and Siri. Just like the Series 6, the Apple Watch SE is available in 40mm and 44mm case sizes and GPS + Cellular and GPS models.
To read more Apple Watch SE comparisons, click here.
Best Budget Fitness Trackers With Heart Rate Monitor
| Model | Price | Standout Features |
| Fitbit Inspire 2 | Amazon product Amazon product | Slim and lightweight fitness tracker that features 24/7 heart rate monitoring and up to 10 days of battery life. |
| Xiaomi Band 5 | Amazon product Amazon product | At under $40, this activity tracker with a heart rate monitor and magnetic charging is a steal |
| Samsung | Amazon product Amazon product | Features automatic activity detection and an impressive 15-day battery life |
1. Fitbit Inspire 2
Great for users who want a basic fitness tracking device to track sleep and daily activities
Fitbit’s Inspire 2 costs under $100 and features core health and fitness tracking features. These include 24/7 heart rate monitoring and tracking of menstrual cycles, calorie burn, steps, and more. Its 10-day battery life also makes it easy to track your sleep patterns consistently as you don’t have to charge the Inspire 2 as often as you need to charge an Apple Watch.
In addition, you can connect your phone’s GPS to the Inspire 2 as well if you want to track distance. If you’re a new Fitbit Premium user, you’ll also get a 1-year free access to Fitbit’s premium membership platform
To read more Fitbit Inspire 2 comparisons, click here.
2. Xiaomi Mi Band 5
Affordable fitness tracker under $50
For its price, the Xiaomi Mi Band 5 boasts a lot of activity and fitness tracking features. It can monitor your heart rate 24/7 (including heart rate curve and resting heart rate), menstrual cycle, sleep (light, deep, REM), and more. Its 1.1″ AMOLED display clearly shows time, heart rate, and steps. Its magnetic charging is an added bonus, too.
Amazon product3. Samsung Galaxy Fit2
The Galaxy Fit2 boasts an impressive battery life on top of its activity tracking features
If you’re into the Samsung ecosystem, then the Samsung Galaxy Fit2 is a great option for you. It’s budget-friendly as well and more affordable than the Samsung Galaxy smartwatch line. The Fit2 features heart rate monitoring and sleep, steps, and calorie burn tracking, among many others. One of its highlights is its 15-day battery life. This feature makes it more convenient to track your sleep insights as you won’t have to charge your Galaxy Fit2 as frequently as when you use smartwatches.
Amazon productSummary
Fitness trackers with a heart rate monitor offer a great deal of health and fitness insights to help you develop healthier habits
Amazon productAmong the best fitness trackers with heart monitor are the Apple Watch Series 6, Fitbit Sense, Fitbit Charge 4, Garmin vivoactive 4, and Apple Watch SE. The Apple Watch Series 6 and Fitbit Sense both support an ECG app and alert you when they detect irregular heart rhythms. Among the five that made it to our list, the Charge 4 is the most affordable option as it’s not a smartwatch and fitness tracker hybrid.
Meanwhile, if you’re on a budget and want a fitness tracker with a heart monitor that’s under $100, the Fitbit Inspire 2, Xiaomi Mi Band 5, and Samsung Galaxy Fit2 are among the best options. They are affordable, reliable, and offers the core health and fitness tracking features that’s more than enough for many.
FAQs
The Apple Watch Series, Fitbit, and Garmin are among the top fitness tracker/smartwatch brands with reliable heart rate sensors.
The Fitbit Inspire 2, Xiaomi Mi Band 5, and Samsung Galaxy Fit2 are among the best budget-friendly activity trackers.
The Apple Watch Series 6 and Fitbit Sense support an ECG app that helps detect Atrial fibrillation and alerts you when you have irregular heart rhythm.
Among the best fitness tracker with heart rate monitor on our list, the Samsung Galaxy Fit2 has the most impressive battery life of up to 15 days. The Inspire 2 comes second at up to 10 days of battery life.