In my testing, the Withings Sleep tracked all the core sleep metrics with reliable accuracy and offered useful bonus tools as well. The band also delivers multi-day battery life, offering a much more convenient charging schedule than most smartwatches or trackers. You can even charge it while it’s on your wrist, so you never need to interrupt your routine. The Whoop 4.0 hardware is “free,” but only with a $30/month membership, and you’re locked into a 12-month minimum to get started.
What fitness tracker is the most accurate?
The cellular version of the Apple Watch SE 3 supports 5G for faster downloads and better coverage. If you like to decide whether it’s leg day based on how you felt when you rolled out of bed, you probably won’t like this fitness tracker. Another downside is that the sleep and recovery tracking are pretty mediocre.
How do sleep trackers measure sleep quality and quantity?
We found it a genuinely helpful addition in monitoring our sleep-wake cycle. The screenless Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG provide more activity detail and biometric data than most wearables. The Whoop MG performed well across all our tests, on par with our picks in tracking workout distances, steps, and heart rate. But for most people who just want those basic data points, it’s overkill. Unique among trackers we’ve tested, the Apple Watch has a wheelchair option, which tracks pushes instead of steps. It also showed signs of a decent battery life; some testers found it middle of the road, while others had excellent results.
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These trackers are worth the wrist space and are sure to help you hit your next wellness goal. Put a number to just how fit you are by comparing your actual age with Garmin fitness age in the Garmin Connect app. This feature interprets your VO2 max estimate1, which describes your cardiorespiratory fitness, and compares your current VO2 max fitness level to the normal values of different ages of people (of the same gender).
Who Shouldn’t Use a Sleep Tracker?
Then, I evaluate how well companion apps present data and support behavior change. Accuracy without usability means little in the real world, and I only recommend devices that offer actual usefulness for the average shopper. Outside of sleep tracking, the watch handles everything you’d expect from a flagship smartwatch, with seamless access to Gemini, Gmail, Calendar, Maps, and YouTube Music.
In our 1-mile distance test, the Charge 6 was -0.02 miles off and had an error rate of 1.3% in our step-count test, performing just below our pick. After two days of use, our battery was at 68%, putting it slightly off pace with the company’s estimate of lasting seven days. When it comes to tracking distance, the Fitbit Charge 6 performs well and has built-in GPS, which the Inspire 3 does not. Its predecessor, the Charge 5, was previously a pick in this guide and is still widely available, but several reviewers have noted difficulty syncing the fitness tracker to the Fitbit app. We did not experience any such difficulty with the Charge 6, but you’ll need a Google account even if you already have the Fitbit app.
Through the free app you can also (manually) track blood glucose and connect to your phone’s GPS. The app also offers the ability to set reminders to move, create fitness goals, and log details like heart rate, sleep, and activity for a stress management score. While not essential, these are nice add-ons that are presented in easy to understand language for someone interested in recording their nutritional health on another level. When the Inspire 3 is synced through the Fitbit app, the home screen can be changed to a variety of backgrounds that show time, heart rate, step count, and other information.
Best Smart Watch With Sleep Tracking
The Charge 6 added a helpful haptic side button for easy screen navigation. Fitbit’s free app is very easy to navigate, and peppered with tips and information on specific metrics. It connects you to a large and active social network, which may help motivate you to meet your goals. There’s also Fitbit Premium, the upgraded version of the Fitbit app, which costs $10 per month or $80 annually (first-time Premium users can activate a six-month trial subscription).
Where did you see a lower price?
- It even includes features like respiration tracking, wheelchair activity monitoring, and Garmin Pay for contactless purchases.
- We favored sleep trackers that looked discreet during the day and were lightweight and comfortable enough that we could forget we were wearing them while sleeping.
- Additionally, it has basic sleep tracking functions, but not as advanced as other bands like the Fitbit series offer.
- It’s important to keep in mind that some companies charge monthly subscriptions for access to your sleep data (Oura), while others offer lifetime access for free (Ultrahuman).
- Not only will they track your sleep cycles, but using the sensors to detect sleep, they will also change your music.
- Similar to the Whoop band, the readiness score was helpful in understanding how to plan workouts and recovery.
And despite what TikTok wellness bros might say, getting rest shouldn’t feel like a science experiment. Between endless sleep hacks and half-baked advice about blue light and cold showers, it’s hard to know what actually matters. Sleep trackers won’t fix your sleep https://www.healthline.com/health/hydration-top-iphone-android-apps-drinking-water overnight, but they can help you figure out what’s going on when you close your eyes. Over time, they reveal trends in your sleep stages, resting heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), restlessness, sleep latency (the fancy word for how long it takes you to fall asleep), and overall habits. Internally, the Charge 6 provides all the basics, including step and activity tracking, sleep tracking, ECG support, skin temperature tracking, SpO2 monitoring, and the option to take EDA scans. Plus, the tracker boasts improved heart rate tracking for more accurate stats than ever, thanks to improved machine learning algorithms.
We’ll break down their key features, pros and cons, and provide a handy comparison chart so you can make an informed decision with confidence. Android Authority‘s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on almost two decades of expertise. The Bía Smart Sleep Mask takes a straightforward design to unparalleled levels. The mask serves its core purpose of helping you stay asleep in the absence of complete darkness, with a full blackout effect to ensure no light whatsoever, but this function is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Venu 3 also has nap detection, by the way, so you’ll still get credit for falling asleep watching a movie—but it also won’t confuse that with your regular night’s sleep. If you want sleep tracking in addition to other features, check out our other guides for health tracking and for running. A fitness tracker’s job isn’t done when you finish your workout, or even when you take your last steps of the day.
Runner-up: Fitbit Charge 6
Tracking your sleep is one of the most effective ways to better understand how your body functions and to improve your health, recovery, and performance. But with so many options, the key is finding a device that fits your lifestyle, sleep habits, and budget. Most sleep trackers monitor your sleep stages (light, deep, REM), total time asleep, and nighttime disruptions. Others go deeper, tracking heart rate variability (HRV), breathing patterns, and oxygen saturation. Many also offer daytime tools ranging from basic wellness tracking to full-fledged smartwatch features.
There are many other sleep trackers on the market that don’t require a subscription. The Garmin Venu 3 includes a Sleep Coach as standard while the Redmi Watch 5 offers a wealth of sleep data, including finding out your “Sleep Animal” through the accompanying Mi Fitness app. The Ultrahuman Ring AIR and Withings ScanWatch Horizon perform well and capture lots of sleep data with no need for a subscription. If you’re a fan of ring trackers, the Oura Ring 3 has an emphasis on sleep, capturing accurate sleep data, helping you take a more holistic view of your health.
What to look for in a good sleep tracker
Senior mattress and sleep editor Bridget Chapman tested the fourth-generation model and says, “I was so impressed by how much it tracks and how digestible it makes the information. The Eight Sleep Pod Core 5 elevates your current mattress with advanced comfort features, while providing detailed statistics solely focused on sleep health. Half of the component is a cover that slips over your bed like a fitted sheet, teeming with undetectable sensors that monitor key wellness metrics, from your heart and breathing rate to full-body temperature reading. The cover connects to the Pod Core’s other half and primary engine “the Hub,” and uses AI power to automatically respond to your activity. I wear the devices consistently, often alongside trusted reference tools to verify accuracy. I experiment with varied sleep patterns and environments to see how the trackers perform under different circumstances.
It is worth noting that the accuracy of a given sleep tracker may vary depending on who wears it. “For example, our sleep changes with age, so check that your sleep tracker has been tested on your age group. For example, older people tend to be more restless at night, and this may affect the accuracy of optical sensors that measure heart rate. “Sleep is a very personal experience and so is tracking of one’s sleep,” Dzierzewski said. These and other questions can help guide decision-making about sleep trackers,” Dzierzewski said. In our review of the Fitbit Luxe, we noted it was comfortable to wear day and night, making it an ideal purchase as a sleep tracker.
This glow-in-the-dark feature is useful in the mornings on waking up but may not be enjoyed unimeal app as much during the night. A Honolulu-based fitness enthusiast, Kaitlyn pairs over a decade of journalism experience with a passion for all things health and wellness within the tech sphere. In contrast, non-wearables can often be plugged in while you sleep, eliminating the need to charge them. Think about the kind of analytics that would be most meaningful for you, and also consider whether you want a tracker that proactively offers you sleep tips.
Best Sleep Tracking Smart Home
Unlike Pillow and Sleep as Android, which both required watching (and rewatching) an instructional video, SleepScore’s startup process was straightforward. After setting the wakeup alarm, the app asks a few questions about your day (caffeine? exercise?) and then automatically starts tracking. It determines how much you slept and how much time you spent in each sleep stage. A “sleep coach” even tells you how many hours of sleep you need each night. We did find that the screen is a little more difficult to see in some indoor situations and you aren’t able to change the display brightness. Also, with options for a face between 42 and 46mm, this is a larger device that may feel a little bulky on smaller wrists.
What is the best overall sleep tracker?
There are devices that excel at tracking how long and how well you slept, and devices that attempt to tell you when you’re well-recovered and ready for your next challenge. All the usual sleep, activity, and readiness scores are there, and there’s also Oura Advisor, an AI health tool where you can ask questions. In our review we found its sleep tracking to be highly accurate, and Oura remains a mainstay when it comes to accurate sleep tracking. As our top pick, we recommend the best smart ring, the Samsung Galaxy Ring, thanks to its great health-tracking, AI features, and very discreet design. However, you could also try something more specialized like a headband, some earbuds, a specialized sleep analyzer. If none of these fit the bill, you might consider one of the best Apple Watches or best smartwatches.