Tracker: Fitness, heart rate, ECG, SpO2, skin temperature, stress, sleep | Supported OS: Android, iOS | Max battery life: 7 days | Size: Small, large | Water resistant: Yes

While we haven’t given the Fitbit Charge 6 the full review treatment yet, we feel confident recommending it as the successor to our previous top pick, the Charge 5. The company added a few new features to the mix here, namely a more accurate heart rate monitor, the ability to pair with exercise machines via Bluetooth and a physical side button that can be used in tandem with the touchscreen to navigate the device’s interface. The Charge 6 has 20 exercise modes for tracking, and thanks to Fitbit’s parent company Google, you can skip through and control YouTube Music playback, provided you have a YouTube Music Premium subscription.

Otherwise, the Fitbit Charge 6 is very similar to the Charge 5 that came before it. Key to its appeal is that it’s decidedly not a smartwatch. That means it has a slightly lower profile on the wrist and lasts days on a single charge while tracking activity and monitoring your heart rate, step count and sleep. It also has a full-color AMOLED display and a relatively thin design, which makes it feel fairly premium when compared to other fitness trackers.

Other perks include contactless payments with Fitbit Pay and Google Wallet, plus a handy integration with Google Maps that lets you see turn-by-turn directions on your wrist. But make no mistake — built-in GPS remains the star of the show here. If you’re looking for a wearable that can accurately map out runs and bike rides while also keeping track of your heart rate and other stats during each workout, the Charge 6 is a great option for anyone looking for durability and function in a health tracker.

Tracker: Fitness, heart rate, SpO2, stress, sleep | Supported OS: Android, iOS | Max battery life: 7 days | Size: 122-188 mm (small/medium), 148-228 mm (large) | Water resistant: Yes

A more subtle-looking fitness band alternative is the $150 Garmin Vivosmart 5. It’s thinner than the Fitbit Charge 6 and fits in a bit better with bracelets and other jewelry you might wear regularly. But its attractive design is only part of its appeal — Garmin knows how to track fitness, and the Vivosmart 5 is proof that you don’t need to drop hundreds on one of the company’s in-depth fitness watches to get a capable device.

It has a lot of the same features as the Charge 6, except for a built-in GPS. It does support connected GPS, though, so you can map outdoor runs and bike rides as long as you bring your phone with you. The Vivosmart 5 tracks all-day heart rhythm thanks to its heart rate sensor, plus sleep data and workouts, and we’ve always appreciated how many workout profiles Garmin has to choose from, including exercises like strength training. The pedometer function tracks your steps throughout the day, ensuring that even light activities contribute to your fitness goals.

You can customize which show up on your device and change them whenever you want. You’ll also get additional health and wellness information like Garmin’s Body Battery score, which tells you how long after a hard workout you’ll need to wait until you can train at peak performance again, blood oxygen levels, sleep stage data, women’s menstrual cycle monitoring and more. If you’re looking for a well-rounded activity tracker, the Garmin vívosmart 5 has it all.

The biggest disadvantages to fitness tracking with the Vivosmart 5 are the aforementioned lack of built-in GPS, plus its slightly harder to use mobile app. But on the flip side, Garmin devices can sync with Apple Health, whereas Fitbit devices still don’t have that feature.

Tracker: Fitness, heart rate | Supported OS: Android, iOS | Max battery life: 16 days | Size: 135mm–210mm | Water resistant: Yes

Engadget tested some of the cheapest fitness trackers you can buy, all coming in at under $100. At the top of the list is the Xiaomi Band 8, which beat the Fitbit Inspire 3 and the Amazfit Band 7, namely due to its many sport tracking modes, unique “pebble” running mode and free and accurate sleep monitoring features. It’s also quite comfortable and fairly stylish with its sleek and nimble design. It also has a quick-charge feature that makes it easy to wear for 10 to 14 days (depending on usage) before it runs out of juice. Importantly, the watch made it really easy to track niche exercises straight on the watch face without being too distracting during workouts. And like the other fitness trackers on this list, it works with both Android and iPhone too.

Pebble mode is a standout feature as it lets you attach the tracker to your shoe using the included running clip accessory, and it did a good job of reporting information about your pace and cadence directly on the display upon completing a run. More detailed insights are also viewable on your smartphone through the Mi companion app. When the Band 8 is on your wrist, it makes it easy to set up workout goals related to time, distance or calories burned per session for activities like deadlifting or skateboarding.

While the Amazfit Band 7 was only beaten by a hair in terms of its exercise tracking capabilities, the Xiaomi Band 8 had a real edge when compared to the Fitbit Inspire 3. Whereas Fitbit’s device was limited to only six pre-loaded exercise shortcuts, the Xiaomi Band 8 had more than 150 exercises you could track directly on the wearable straight out of the box. The Inspire 3 also blocked me from getting more detailed insights about my sleep and recovery because that information lives behind the Fitbit Premium paywall. Xiaomi’s devices, on the other hand, provided in-depth sleep reports with curated advice on how to improve your resting hours free of charge. — Malak Saleh, reporter

Tracker: Fitness, sleep | Supported OS: Android, iOS | Max battery life: 18 months | Size: N/A | Water resistant: Yes

All of the previously mentioned fitness trackers are attractive in their own way (bonus points to those that have interchangeable bands), but they share a similar look. There aren’t many alternative designs for these devices anymore. The $70 Withings Move watch is an exception, and one of the most traditionally fashionable fitness trackers you can get. It’s an analog watch face with a couple of health monitoring features including step, calorie, distance and sleep tracking, connected GPS, auto-recognition for more than 30 workouts and a water-resistant design. But we really love it for its long battery life: it’ll last up to 18 months before the coin cell needs a replacement. Although this means there’s no charger to juice the battery back up, you can pick up a replacement coin cell relatively cheaply.