Watch with step counter and heart rate monitor

This story was updated in November 2022 to include two new picks from Fitbit and add more information on the best fitness trackers and watches tested and vetted by the Good Housekeeping Institute's Media & Tech Lab.


A fitness watch or tracker is a valuable and practical way to measure activities like meeting your personal step count, running, swimming and more, so you can get even closer to achieving your health and exercise goals. In fact, a high-quality, reliable fitness tracker can encourage you to work out more: Results from a past Good Housekeeping survey found that 75% of people said using a fitness tracker helped improve their motivation to work out. But with so many different options on the market, it can be challenging to find the one that's right for you — and your budget. Not to mention that many of the best smart watches for women also provide fitness tracking, making the options seem endless.

The experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute's Media & Tech Lab have been testing fitness trackers and watches for women — as well as smart watches for men and smart watches for kids — for more than a decade. For our most recent roundup, we spent over 70 hours testing more than a dozen popular fitness trackers and watches. When we test fitness watches and trackers, we evaluate ease of use, battery life, accuracy, comfort and more. We also send them to a consumer panel to get feedback from real users. Our picks below are based on rigorous testing, consumer feedback, road testing and knowledge of top-performing brands.

Our top picks:

  • Best Overall Fitness Watch for Women

    Versa 3 Fitbit Read More

  • Best Value Fitness Tracker for Women

    Inspire 2 Fitbit Read More

  • Best Fitness Watch for Women With iPhones

    Apple Watch Series 7 Apple Read More

  • Most Stylish Fitness Tracker for Women

    Luxe With Special Edition Gorjana Bracelet Fitbit Read More

  • Best Lightweight Fitness Tracker for Women

    Charge 5 Fitbit Read More

  • Best Women's Fitness Tracker for Running and Cycling

    Forerunner 35 Garmin Read More

  • Best Women's Fitness Watch for Phone-Free Workouts

    vívoactive 4 Garmin Read More

  • Best Fitness Watch for Women That Looks Like a Real Watch

    Steel HR Hybrid Smartwatch Withings Read More

  • Best Women's Fitness Tracker for Swimming

    vívosmart 4 Garmin Read More

After checking out our top nine, scroll down to learn more about our process for testing fitness trackers and watches for women — and what you should keep in mind while shopping for one. Looking for additional ways to help you stay accountable and hit your benchmarks? These tools for tracking your fitness goals could give you that extra boost.

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1

Best Overall Fitness Watch for Women

Versa 3

Battery lifeUp to 6 daysWater resistance50 metersGPSYes

2

Best Value Fitness Tracker for Women

Inspire 2

Battery lifeUp to 10 daysWater resistance50 metersGPSConnects to phone's GPS

3

Best Fitness Watch for Women With iPhones

Apple Watch Series 7

Battery lifeUp to 18 hoursWater resistance50 metersGPSYes

4

Most Stylish Fitness Tracker for Women

Luxe With Special Edition Gorjana Bracelet

Battery lifeUp to 5 daysWater resistance50 metersGPSYes (connected to smartphone)

5

Best Lightweight Fitness Tracker for Women

Charge 5

Battery lifeUp to 7 daysWater resistance50 metersGPSYes

6

Best Women's Fitness Tracker for Running and Cycling

Forerunner 35

Battery lifeUp to 9 days (watch mode), up to 13 hours (GPS training mode)Water resistance50 metersGPSYes

7

Best Women's Fitness Watch for Phone-Free Workouts

vívoactive 4

Battery lifeUp to 8 days (smart watch mode), up to 6 hours (GPS mode with music), up to 18 hours (GPS mode without music)Water resistance50 metersGPSYes

8

Best Fitness Watch for Women That Looks Like a Real Watch

Steel HR Hybrid Smartwatch

Battery lifeUp to 25 daysWater resistance50 metersGPSNo

9

Best Women's Fitness Tracker for Swimming

vívosmart 4

Battery lifeUp to 7 daysWater resistance50 metersGPSYes (connects to smartphone's GPS)

How we test fitness trackers and watches for women

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Our fitness tracker and watch reviews are based on extensive in-Lab tests, as well as tests of new-model releases of past top performers. Lab evaluations include more than a dozen individual tests designed to measure performance, ease of use and durability.

We also have consumer panelists provide qualitative feedback that calls out specific features they appreciate, like a watch's sleep score or reminders to stand and stretch throughout the day. By the time our experts arrive at a final score for each watch, they've collected more than 300 separate data points. Here are the details:

✔️ Performance: This is the most heavily weighted part of our evaluation. We consider the overall functionality of each fitness tracker and watch, including the total number of performance features. Our engineers also measure battery life and the accuracy of the device's pedometer and heart monitor, when relevant. Finally, we check to see that any smart features function seamlessly, without glitches or syncing issues.

✔️ Ease of use: This evaluation begins right out of the box by noting how easy the fitness tracker or watch is to set up, including how intuitive it is to operate the device and how seamless it is to use the watch with its app, if applicable. Once the tracker is up and running, our experts measure how simple it is to navigate and check for notifications. They also pay attention to overall comfort, including the strap design.

✔️ Durability: This consists of two main Lab tests. There's the drop test, in which we drop fitness trackers from 30 inches (the height of a typical countertop), then check to see that they're still fully functional. After that comes the water-resistance test: We put each tracker in approximately eight inches of water for one minute to simulate full submersion; we then wait 24 hours before checking for functionality. A tracker that fails either test is automatically disqualified from our list of recommendations.

How to choose the right fitness tracker or watch for you

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As you shop around for the perfect fitness tracker, keep these factors in mind:

✔️ Budget: Fitness trackers and watches generally range in price from $100 to $500 or more. Typically, you'll get more features with pricier models, so make sure you'll actually use the features if you're going to spend more.

✔️ GPS: GPS comes in handy for fitness applications, such as tracking your hiking or running route and measuring distance and pace. However, watches with GPS often come with a higher price tag, so be sure you want these features if you're going to splurge on GPS.

✔️ Battery life: It's important to consider battery life if you don't like the hassle of charging your fitness tracker frequently or if you often forget to charge your tracker or watch.

✔️ Comfort and fit: Fitness trackers and watches come in different shapes and sizes. If you have small wrists, you may want to look for a slimmer or smaller watch face, so it doesn't feel clunky.

✔️ Water resistance: If you're planning on swimming while wearing your watch, make sure the watch is water-resistant. Be certain to check that it can be used while swimming, note the maximum depth the watch can handle, and look to see if there are any time restrictions. Some watches are water-resistant, but they can be submerged underwater to only a specific depth, and some may have a time limit for submersion.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

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Rachel Rothman, chief technologist and director of engineering at the Good Housekeeping Institute, has personally tested close to 50 fitness trackers and smart watches for the GH Institute during her tenure. She consistently meets with leading brands, such as Fitbit and Apple, as well as newer brands as they emerge, to stay in the know. She has spoken on panels at CES on the benefits of smart watches, fitness trackers and other related topics.

Jamie Kim has been testing consumer products for more than a decade, including a host of textiles, consumer electronics and wellness devices. She holds an apparel and textile design degree plus a mechanical engineering degree, making her the perfect person to lead a Good Housekeeping Institute review of fitness trackers and watches, where form and function are both incredibly important.

What wearable device that can count your steps and your heart rate?

Pedometers can help you track your daily steps, distance traveled, sleep quality, calories burned, and heart rate.

Do Heart Rate Monitors track steps?

The device uses optical sensors to track heart rate and provides metrics such as breathing rate, calories burned, and steps. It also measures sleep and stress levels and even lets you know if you're better off swapping a workout for a recovery day. The watch comes with a free 6-month subscription to Fitbit Premium.

Which smartwatch has the most accurate step counter?

The Fitbit Charge 5 is among the most accurate for measuring steps and heart rate (although accuracy isn't everything). It reliably detects, nearly always correctly identifies, and automatically begins to record workouts—running, walking, biking, swimming—after about 10 minutes of activity.

What's the best fitness tracker with heart rate?

Our Picks for the Best Heart Rate Monitor:.
Best Heart Rate Monitor Watch: Garmin Venu Sq 2..
Best Fitness Tracker with Heart Rate Monitor: Whoop..
Best Heart Rate Monitor Watch for Heart Patients: Polar H10 Heart Rate Sensor..
Best Heart Rate Monitor for Cycling: Wahoo Tickr..
Best Heart Rate Monitor for Running: Coros Pace 2..