The 6 Best Fitness Tracking Bands of 2026

Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links. Here’s how we test products and why you should trust us.FitbitProsAn entry-level priceSmall, discreet, and comfortableConsBattery life only 7 daysIf you’re dipping your toes in, getting your feet wet, or insert your choice of water metaphor here, the Fitbit Air is an attractive starting place. For only $99 you get a small but mighty device, one decent looking strap, and a not-half-bad suite of free health features with Google Health. In my experience, the tracking is accurate and the band is comfortable both to exercise and sleep in.It’s not all roses. The battery life claims to be seven days, which is about half as long as its top competitors. But these things charge so fast, it doesn’t really make a difference. Really, the worst part is the tease of more features that you eventually will have to pay for. Every Fitbit Air comes with a three-month trial to Google Health Premium, and while you don’t need it, you’re likely going to get used to the features just in time for you to be willing to pay for them. It’s not my preferred strategyThe Best Subscription-Based Screenless TrackerWhoop 5.0The Best Subscription-Based Screenless TrackerWhoop 5.0ProsWhoop app is detailed and easy to navigateConstantly adding features and updatingConsSubscription model gets expensive and doesn't allow for resaleI’ve written about Whoop so much at this point, I’m starting to feel like a broken record. But this fitness tracker band is the one that first cracked the formula on how to do screenless tracking comfortably and accurately. And it still does those things, relentlessly adding features like Advanced Labs, updated heart rate algorithms, and Strava integration. It all makes for a feature-set worth paying annually for. And good thing too, because a subscription is the only way you’re getting in the door.It doesn’t work at all without one. So think about it more as $240 per year for the whole Whoop experience. When you really think about it, you’re renting. When the next year comes, prepare to fork over that cash again.The high annual subscription cost, plus the fact that you can’t just flip it when you get a new one or move on to try something else, are weaknesses competitors are starting to address. The hardware has been easy for others to replicate and improve upon. Right now, the biggest reason to not look elsewhere is still the software.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowProsA single physical buttonSubscription is purely extrasGreat activity detectionConsA wider strap than othersOne of the more recent additions to the market has quickly climbed the ranks to be one of the favorites here at Esquire. The Garmin CIRQA smart band has been impressing both me and Esquire’s digital design director Mike Kim. Yes, it feels great to wear—and comes in four different colors—but it’s also great tech. My issue with Garmin has always been information overload on my wrist, but the Garmin Connect app itself is wonderfully easy to navigate. Plus, for a free app, the tracking and amount of deep diving you can do on data is remarkable.But there is one reason I love the CIRQA above all else. It has one feature the Whoop doesn’t: a single physical button that lets you start and stop workouts. This is paramount if you are super serious about training. If you are serious, you can get more details by paying for Garmin Connect+, but the experience feels pretty complete without it. The only thing I wish is that it was slightly less chunky. The strap is wider than the Whoop, but really I find myself missing the thinness of the Fitbit Air the most.ProsComfortable strapGreat for basic step and sleep trackingConsLackluster appActivity detection can be wonky Despite being perfectly fine without a subscription, both the Fitbit and Garmin give soft suggestions that you are missing out on the “full experience” without paying an annual fee. If you want the most tracking and data you can get for a flat fee of $100, the Amazfit Helio is really your only option. There is nothing here locked behind any kind of extra or optional subscription. Truly, what you see is what you get.The main sacrifice you’ll have to make is all your data living in a fairly inelegant app. Zepp Health is not up to the standards you’re used to if you’re coming from Whoop, Oura, or even the new and improved Apple Health. That being said, if you just need something for the basics, this is it.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowProsA focus on longevityMeasures biological age as well as heart rate and blood oxygenIf your focus is less on fitness and more on overall well-being and awareness of your health, you might be the target audience for the Hume Band. This, admittedly pricey, smart band is going to help you build habits to extend your longevity. I’m not going to regurgitate the marketing copy about the devices adding years to your lifespan, because who even knows, but the point here is to be more holistic than just “did you get enough sleep to work out today?”But, like I said, it’s not cheap. Even on sale, you’re starting at $250. And to get the full benefits of body composition tracking, you’ll also need to pick up the Hume Pod smart scale. Another $230. If you get it all, you’ll get exceptionally accurate personalized coaching that’s more impressive than anything else on this list. It’s not a miracle and it can’t make you healthier by just wearing it—you still have to do that work by yourself.ProsSyncs with Speediance home gym equipmentOptional subscription included free for the first yearCan track sleep and daily metrics as wellConsReally not worth it unless you have a Speediance home gymThis one comes with a major caveat. I’ll only recommend this one to those who have a Speediance home gym or plan on getting one. If you’re already making that investment, throwing in this $160 strap is a bit of a no-brainer. It speaks directly to your other Speediance equipment, always knowing exactly what workout you just did. And you get a year of access to the premium subscription with purchase. That’s what I like to see.