The time of bulky fitness trackers has past. Minimal but functional fitness tracker has taken over the world and are a much better choice for those who looking for a minimal, comfortable, and functional option. Keep in mind that the best minimalist fitness tracker for another person may not very well be the best minimalist fitness tracker for you. It all depends on your specific needs such as heart-rate monitor, GPS.
The fitness trackers listed here as the best minimalist fitness trackers are minimal, clean designs backed with functionality and durability. For you utilitarians, you will find a fitness tracker that can be appreciated in aesthetics that will still fit your needs. Simplicity and ingenuity go a long away.
Based on checking the best minimalist fitness trackers, we have found that the best that are currently in the market are the following:
Best Minimalist Fitness Tracker Reviews
Fitbit Inspire HR Heart Rate & Fitness Tracker
Fitbit is one of the most popular brands in the fitness tracker world. The Fitbit Inspire HR is a simple activity-tracking device that delivers many great features at an excellent price point.
It features a built-in heart rate monitor that can show your metrics in real time on the screen. It can even guide your breathing if you need to unwind. The Fitbit Inspire HR can track up to 15 different defined exercises such as walking, running, biking, hiking, weight lifting, swimming, interval training, golf, and tennis. The tracker does not include built-in GPS for tracking distance so to get GPS information on outdoor activities you will need to sync it with your phone.
Fitbit Inspire HR is one of the best minimalist fitness trackers you can buy right now, and it’s notably thinner and lighter than the Fitbit Charge 3. It retains Fitbit’s iconic look with curved edges that give it a minimalist feel. You have three colour options (black, white and lilac) for this fitness tracker.
To go through your various stats you will need to swipe through screens and tap menu options to interact. Fitbit uses a black and white OLED display that is bright enough to make it easy to read even when outdoors. While working out, the device displays relevant stats such as steps taken, heart rate, heart rate zone, distance, calories burned, today’s date and more.
The Fitbit Inspire HR has a side button that is used to wake the device and take you back to the home screen. The button is also used to pause or stop exercise. That’s handy if you want to swipe on a touchscreen while your hands are sweaty.
Like the Inspire version, this model’s band is still made from a comfortable rubberized plastic. The band is easily swappable via the same pin system that’s used on the Versa, allowing you to swap for other styles, like a metal mesh band.
Battery life is also a strong positive on this tracker since its small display uses less power. Battery life easily reached four full days with daily one-hour workouts with connected GPS, regular notifications, and overnight sleep tracking. But the battery life actually depends on a few factors. Of course, the more you do with the device, the faster it will drain.
Overall, this is a great device for those who just want a minimalist fitness tracker with a heart rate monitor, and without breaking the bank. With this device, sharing stats with your friends is super easy. The Fitbit Inspire HR also comes with a swim-proof build which means you can safely shower with the device still on.
Get the look: Fitbit Inspire HR Heart Rate & Fitness Tracker
Withings Actività Steel – Activity and Sleep Tracking Watch
If you are someone who doesn’t like the look of the fitness trackers, you can’t go wrong with this tracker as it looks like a standard analog watch. The Activite Steel should be at the top of your list if you want to keep an eye on your daily activity from time to time.
This is not the smartwatch nor is it as powerful as some other fitness trackers. The Activite Steel can track your steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned and your sleep. It can even recognize different activities like walking, running and swimming.
This tracker’s design is minimalist and elegant. It has a normal watch face with two aluminum hands. There are two dials on the watch. The large outer dial tells the time, and the smaller inner dial shows you how many steps you’ve taken for the day. The only metrics you can track here are steps, distance and mileage.
Unlike many other fitness trackers in this price range, the Activite Steel is fully waterproof up to 150 feet deep so it’s perfect for swimmers. It’s also worth noting that Withing Activite Steel has a layer of swiss mineral glass covering the top of the mode. There are no buttons on the device, and that’s because everything is controlled with the free Withings Health Mate app. Even to set the time and adjust settings, you need to use the app .
Just like its predecessors, Withings Activite Steel is made from 316L stainless steel but eschews the domed sapphire glass hence the huge price difference. Furthermore, while the original Activite comes with a calf leather strap, you will get a silicone strap with the Activite Steel. The main advantage of the silicone strap is that it’s fine to get wet. Additionally, the silicone strap is very durable and soft which we like to see.The device also has quick release pins that make it easy to switch out straps if you’re in a hurry.
This fitness tracker has a black watch face, a black strap, and chrome hands. Black is the only colour option for strap but if you are willing to pay extra, you will have some other colour options such as mocha, khaki,…but they all come with a white watch face instead.
The Activite Steel is only available in one size that could be a problem for some. The watch face measures 36.3 millimeter around and 11.5 millimeter thick. The watch strap fits wrists up to 18mm around. At just 37 grams, the watch is lightweight and comfortable enough to wear all day.
All in all, The Activite Steel isn’t for regular runners or work-out enthusiasts as it doesn’t have a GPS nor does it have a heart rate monitor. But it succeeds as a simple tracker that looks minimalist while it does the basics. For the most part, it is pretty damn good at doing its basic job. Withings also did a great job at making sure you can wear this fitness tracker during a workout and to dinner.
Get the look: Withings Actività Steel – Activity and Sleep Tracking Watch
Misfit Shine – Activity and Sleep Monitor
If you’re in the minimalist style, you want to check out Misfit Shine due to its simplicity and clean lines. It is small, light and compact.
Although it doesn’t quite offer enough to shine above other advanced trackers, it still has some great advantages: It is completely waterproof and the lengthy battery life just sweetens the deal – lats up to 4 months. It has an “activity tracking” mode that can be set for cycling, swimming or sleep at the current moment.
The Shine’s got a weird minimal look. Made from aerospace grade aluminum, it has a curved coin-like disc shape, a matte surface and polished mirror edges.There are no number-based display, no charge ports and no buttons. It’s so minimal that most people barely pot it in its packaging.
It has 12 white LEDs that show the percentage of your daily progress you’ve achieved. You won’t notice these lights until you tap on the face. It also acts as a clock. To get the time, you will need to double-tap its face.
The Misfit Shine can be worn on your wrist or as a clip-on device with included accessories. At 0.33 ounces, the Misfit Shine is far lighter than most other models in the market. It is available in four colors including Gray, Black, Topaz or Coca-cola Red.
Get the look: Misfit Shine
Samsung Galaxy Fit Black (Bluetooth), SM-R370NZKAXAR
If you’re looking for a fitness tracker that’s minimalist and unashamedly sporty, then the Samsung Galaxy Fit is a great option.
What stands out is the 0.95-inches AMOLED touchscreen that’s protected Gorilla Glass. Thanks to the AMOLED touchscreen and the 120 x 240 resolution, you get sharp text and plenty of vivid color. Also, content looks vibrant and colors really pop against the black background. There is no ambient light sensor so you will need to manually adjust the brightness by swiping down on the main screen.
Samsung didn’t overly pack the Galaxy Fit with extra functions. The Fit is only 0.44 inches, it’s much slimmer than most fitness trackers. At 24 grams, the device is super lightweight to wear throughout the day. This fitness tracker also comes with high-quality silicone straps that are interchangeable, though Samsung doesn’t currently sell any replacement straps.
On the left side of the Fit is a physical button that wakes the display and takes you back to the previous screen. That means most of your interactions will be performed via the touchscreen. You can also press and hold the button to launch a quick-start workout, which can be set through the Galaxy Wearable app.
There’s a heart rate sensor underneath. You can set the heart rate monitor to always track your heart rate. This way once your heart rate is unusually high while resting, it can detect and send you a notification. But you will want to use the Frequent option to conserve battery.
If you are a swimmer, you’re in luck. The Fit has been given 5ATM water water-resistance rating as Samsung’s smartwatches, meaning it can withstand being submerged under 50 metres of water and you can take it into the pool or wear it in the shower. Pro tip: To prevent the screen from waking when water hits it, you can turn on the water lock setting.
The Galaxy Fit can last up to six days if you just use it for basic tracking. It typically lasts around four days – that’s with daily one-hour workouts, frequent sleeping tracking and heart rate and checking notifications.
On the downside, the Fit does not include built-in GPS or a connected GPS option to track runs and cycles. So you’re relying on the motion sensors for a bunch of different exercise types. Like the Fitbit Inspire HR, this device also drops the altimeter, which means elevation isn’t recorded.
Overall, GPS is missing so this fitness tracker may be not the right one for those who are serious about running. If you are a casual athlete looking for a simple, accurate fitness tracker at a great price, you will want to consider this minimalist fitness tracker. With its slimline design, excellent screen tech and core tracking features, this tracker is worth it.
Get the look: Samsung Galaxy Fit Black (Bluetooth)
Steel HR Withings
If you are looking for a watch that you can wear all the time – whether going swimming, walking the dog, going to a meeting or going out for the night. This hybrid watch might be the right one for you.
Steel HR watch looks like a traditional analog watch with a minute and hour hand. It also has a tiny round OLED screen on the face to show how many steps you’ve walked, heart rate, and notifications from your phone for calls, texts, email.
My favorite about the watch is that it also uses the OLED screen to show smart alerts from your smartphone apps. So you can keep walking and just glance at your wrist to see if a buzz is worth grabbing your phone for, that keeps you more productive.
The watch can track steps, distance, heart rate beats per minute, calories burned, swimming session duration, and sleep phases and interruptions. The watch automatically kicks in if it detects you walking, running or swimming ( It is water-resistant up to 165 feet deep ). There are 30 more support sports and activities you can choose from.
There’s no on-board GPS so if you want to know the location of your workout, the elevation at the location and the distance you’ve gone, you need to keep your phone on you.
The Withings Steel HR watch has a simple elegant design with most of the smarts of a smartwatch. It is available in a variety of sizes, colors and cases to best fit your needs. The Steel HR comes with a comfy silicone wristband but you can customize the watch if you’d like a leather or metal Milanese band too. The watch has 12 different band colors in total.
The watch face color is either white and black. I personally prefer the black watch face because that makes it easy to see the hands and numbers in most lighting conditions. The black watch face is also a great choice if you like to hide the tiny black OLED display for a more subtle look.
The best part of Withings Steel HR watch might be battery life. A full charge will power the watch for up to 25 days, making it the great fitness tracker for travel.
Get the look: Withings Steel HR
