The Garmin Vivosmart 5 at £149.99 is the best all-round fitness tracker right now, combining advanced health metrics, accurate GPS, and a 14-day battery life in a slim wristband design. However, the Google Fitbit Charge 6 at £99.95–£129.95 delivers exceptional value for most users, matching Garmin’s core features—heart rate, GPS, sleep tracking, and stress monitoring—at a significantly lower price point.
Fitness trackers have fractured into three distinct tiers: budget basics under £50 for step counting and sleep, mid-range smartwatches £50–£150 with GPS and advanced sensors, and premium wearables above £200 with multi-sport modes and extended battery life. Your choice depends entirely on whether you want passive health monitoring or active workout tracking—and crucially, whether you need GPS built-in.
Our Top Picks
Google Fitbit Charge 6 — Best all-round value
Price: £99.95–£129.95
The Charge 6 is the sweet spot for most people: built-in GPS, optical heart rate monitoring, stress tracking, SpO2 (blood oxygen) monitoring, and sleep stages tracking, all in a thin rectangular screen design. Battery lasts 7 days on a single charge. The colour screen is bright enough to read in sunlight, and Fitbit’s app ecosystem is the most mature in the market. Chlorine-resistant up to 50m, so it handles swimming.
Garmin Vivosmart 5 — Best for serious fitness enthusiasts
Price: £149.99
Garmin’s slim AMOLED display houses far more detail than the Fitbit: it shows daily stress levels with specific body battery scores, detailed sleep stages (REM/light/deep), and training load metrics that adjust to your individual fitness level. The 14-day battery is class-leading—you’ll charge it fortnightly, not weekly. No built-in GPS, but pairs seamlessly with your phone. Best if you’re willing to spend an extra £50 for deeper health insights.
Polar Ignite Fitness Watch — Best for running and training structure
Price: £114.00
Polar prioritises workout tracking over daily metrics: it includes built-in GPS, running power metrics (specific to runners), guided training programs, and training load balance. The screen is smaller than the Charge 6 but adequately functional. Battery lasts 5–6 days. Best for runners and cyclists who want structured training plans baked into the device itself.
Fitbit Inspire 3 — Best budget option with Fitbit reliability
Price: £79.95–£99.99
The entry point to Fitbit’s ecosystem. It tracks steps, heart rate, sleep, and stress, but lacks GPS and SpO2 monitoring. For casual users who walk/run without needing turn-by-turn navigation and want a sub-£100 tracker that syncs reliably with a smartphone app, this is adequate. Water-resistant to 50m.
Sigma Sport Activo — Best ultra-budget tracker
Price: £14.95
A bare-bones step counter and sleep tracker with no screen—just Bluetooth syncing to an app. If you want movement data without any complexity or screen glare, this works. Misleading marketing calls it “activity tracking,” but it’s really just a pedometer. Buy only if you need the absolute minimum.
iTouch Active Smartwatch — Best cheap smartwatch crossover
Price: £33.00
A budget smartwatch hybrid that adds call/text notifications and basic sports modes to fitness tracking. Includes 7 days battery and water-resistance. Don’t expect accuracy matching £100+ trackers, but it’s excellent value if you want notifications as well as activity data.
Garmin Vivoactive 6 — Best premium all-in-one sports watch
Price: £299.99
For serious endurance athletes: built-in GPS, 11-day battery life, 30+ sport modes, training apps (Garmin Coach), music storage (500 songs), and Garmin Pay for contactless payments. The AMOLED screen is vivid. This is a proper sports computer on your wrist, not just a tracker. Overkill for casual fitness, but unmatched for triathletes and ultrarunners.
Quick Comparison
| Tracker | Price | Best For | Standout Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Fitbit Charge 6 | £99.95–£129.95 | Most people | Built-in GPS + colour screen + 7-day battery |
| Garmin Vivosmart 5 | £149.99 | Health tracking enthusiasts | 14-day battery + Body Battery stress score |
| Polar Ignite | £114.00 | Runners & cyclists | Training Load Balance + GPS |
| Fitbit Inspire 3 | £79.95–£99.99 | Budget shoppers | Affordable Fitbit ecosystem entry |
| iTouch Active | £33.00 | Budget smartwatch wants | Call notifications + fitness tracking |
| Garmin Vivoactive 6 | £299.99 | Endurance athletes | Music storage + 11-day battery + sport modes |
How We Chose
- GPS accuracy: Only trackers with built-in GPS (not phone-dependent) scored highly for running/cycling routes. GPS is essential if you track outside without a phone.
- Battery longevity: Minimum 5 days acceptable; 7+ days ideal. Garmin’s 14-day stands out as exceptional.
- Sensor suite: Heart rate accuracy, SpO2, stress metrics, and sleep staging matter far more than cosmetic design. We weighted optical HR sensors over wrist-based alternatives.
- Price-to-feature ratio: We rejected anything charging £150+ without GPS, advanced sleep tracking, or multi-sport modes (exception: Garmin Vivosmart 5, whose stress/body battery metrics justify premium pricing).
The Bottom Line
Buy the Google Fitbit Charge 6 at £99.95–£129.95 unless you have a specific reason not to—it’s GPS-enabled, has the largest ecosystem of compatible apps, and battery lasts a full week. Spend more only if you’re a serious endurance athlete (Garmin Vivoactive 6, £299.99) or obsessed with deep health metrics (Garmin Vivosmart 5, £149.99). Skip anything under £50 unless you literally only want step counting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best fitness trackers under £100?
The Google Fitbit Charge 6 at £99.95 and Fitbit Inspire 3 at £79.95 are the strongest sub-£100 options. The Charge 6 includes GPS and stress tracking; the Inspire 3 omits GPS but costs £20 less. The iTouch Active at £33 adds smartwatch notifications if you want a multi-function device instead of a pure tracker.
Do I really need GPS in a fitness tracker?
Yes, if you run or cycle outdoors and want accurate distance/route mapping without carrying your phone. If you’re a walker or gym-goer, GPS is optional—you can use phone-tethered tracking instead. Fitbit Charge 6 and Polar Ignite include GPS; Vivosmart 5 doesn’t but pairs with your phone.
Which fitness tracker has the longest battery life?
The Garmin Vivoactive 6 lasts 11 days; the Garmin Vivosmart 5 reaches 14 days. Both vastly outpace the Fitbit Charge 6 (7 days) and Polar Ignite (5–6 days). If you hate charging devices, Garmin’s 14-day battery is a game-changer.
What’s the difference between a fitness tracker and a smartwatch?
Trackers (Fitbit, Garmin Vivosmart) prioritise health metrics and sync via Bluetooth to your phone; smartwatches (Garmin Vivoactive, iTouch) add standalone notifications, apps, and GPS. Trackers are thinner and last longer; smartwatches are more feature-rich but drain faster.
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