Best Smartwatch for Calorie Tracking
Whether you are a workout fanatic or simply want to keep track of how many calories you are burning throughout the day, a fitness tracker will help you achieve your goals. Fitness trackers are wearable devices that allow users to set goals and measure the progress that they are making. The cool thing about these devices is that they are equipped with a plethora of other fitness-focused features that will help you stay on top of your game.
Since fitness trackers do much more than count your steps, as a pedometer does, it’s tricky to pick the best ones. There are multiple models, and they all excel at different things. This is why we have created a top 5 list of the best smartwatch for calorie tracking.
When selecting the top 5 devices, the rule of thumb was that all of them should provide excellent calorie-tracking features. Therefore, you can’t make a wrong choice here. Without any further ado, let’s jump right into it.
Best Smartwatch for Calorie Tracking
Apple Watch 6
We will kick things off with the world’s most famous smartwatch, the Apple Watch 6. The wearable device was built around the idea of bringing the future of health on your wrist, and therefore, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to find out that it is packed with tons of health and fitness oriented features.
Apple Watch 6 does a fantastic job for calorie tracking, and when you pair it with the Activity app on your iPhone, you will get so many details about your workouts that you will be able to monitor every step in your progress. Some of the most notable features that Apple Watch 6 offers and won’t find on other devices are blood oxygen level monitoring and the electrocardiogram app.
Since this is Apple we are talking about, one of the wearable device’s best features is its sleek design. The design doesn’t just look amazing, but it’s also versatile. It looks good when you wear it while jogging the track and also with a suit. By using this smartwatch, you will be able to monitor your health better than with any other wearable device. However, there is a downside.
Apple Watch 6 is quite expensive, and there is no doubt about that. Buying this smartwatch is a serious investment, and we have to let everyone know that Apple Watch 6 works best when connected to an iPhone.
Fitbit Sense
If you are searching for a smartwatch that excels at calorie tracking, you can’t go wrong with Fitbit Sense. The smartwatch is equipped with a plethora of activity tacking modes that will help you get accurate information about your workouts, stress levels, skin temperature, and even sleep cycles.
The device is also equipped with a built-in heart rate monitor that will prove quite useful when you are trying to lose weight. Keeping the heart rate high is a must when working out, and the Fitbit Sense will let you know if you are doing well or if you need to put in more work.
Fitbit Sense is equipped with a powerful battery that lasts for upwards of 6 days. To make things even more impressive, the battery uses fast-charging technology and can achieve a full day’s charge in only 12 minutes. Therefore, you will never run out of battery if you choose to go for the Fitbit Sense.
Another cool feature that we need to mention is the built-in GPS. The GPS is a great feature to have on fitness trackers because it will record detailed statistics of all your runs, hikes, and rides. What’s really cool about Fitbit Sense is that it offers all new owners a 6-month free Fitbit Premium trial. The subscription brings personalized insights such as SpO2, breathing rate, heart rate, and many more health metrics.
Polar Ignite
The Polar Ignite stands out from all the other smartwatches featured on our list with its premium stainless-steel rim and LED touchscreen design. While the design might not matter that much if you are only looking for a device to help you keep track of calories burned, it’s nice to know that you can wear the device on any occasion on not only when working out.
Nonetheless, Polar Ignite is bundled with lots of cool fitness features such as a daily training guide. The guide basically coaches the user to help them get the best workouts possible and achieve all their fitness goals. You will never workout alone after strapping the Polar Ignite to your wrist.
Working out too much without resting is never a good idea, and the designers of Polar Ignite are aware of that. This is why they have equipped the smartwatch with advanced sleep-tracking features that provide users with insight and statistics that showcase how well they are sleeping. In fact, the smartwatch has a dedicated app called “Nightly Recharge” that will measure your recovery.
You can use the data to know if you should take a break or continue working out.
Garmin Forerunner 245
Garmin is a tech company that focuses on creating fitness-oriented devices. Garmin Forerunner 245 is the perfect example, and the reason why we are saying that is that the smartwatch takes calorie tracking to the next level. Garmin Forerunner 245 doesn’t only show you how many miles you run or how many calories you burned.
It also presents important metrics such as pace, interval, heart rate, and more. If this isn’t impressive enough, you should know that the Garmin Forerunner 245 features a special app called Running Dynamics. The app will monitor things such as ground contact time and stride length to let you know what are the improvements you need to make to get to the next level.
Even though it might seem that the Garmin Forerunner 245 is only good for track runners, this isn’t the case. The smartwatch features an extensive range of useful features and a battery life that lasts for up to 7 days. Another notable feature that needs to be mentioned is the security system.
Garmin Forerunner 245 tracking features include incident detection that can happen during certain activities such as hiking, for example. If the smartwatch detects an accident, it will automatically send the user’s real-time location to their emergency contacts.
Fitbit Charge 4
We know that some people are not looking to spend $300 on a smartwatch, and they just want to get an affordable device that will help them keep track of all fitness activities. If that is what you are looking for, you will love Fitbit Charge 4. Despite selling for an affordable price tag, Fitbit Charge 4 delivers amazing features that will make all workouts more fun and intense.
The design of the wearable device is minimalist and durable. You don’t have to worry about cracking the display after accidentally dropping it because it’s built to last. Talking about durability, we want to highlight that Fitbit Charge 4 is fully waterproof, and it can be submerged up to 50 meters.
Fitness Charge 4 is equipped with GPS tracking, 24/7 heart rate tracking, step counting, elevation monitoring, and calorie counting. Therefore, you can rest assured knowing that Fitbit Charge 4 has all the features that it needs to help you monitor your fitness progress.
The Fitbit operating system will display all essential metrics such as steps and heart rate, but it can also go more in-depth if you access the sub-menu. There you will find all the important details such as the pace of running, distance, and more. Even though the fitness tracker weighs in at only 3.53 ounces, it’s still equipped with a powerful battery that lasts for days on end.
Smartwatch Buying Guide
It can seem quite challenging for people to figure out what is the best smartwatch for them since there are so many options, but you don’t have to worry about it. Here is where we come in. Check out the smartwatch buying guide below to see the features you need to look for in the best smartwatch for calorie tracking.
- Dedicated Fitness Trackers
Since you are searching for the best smartwatch for calorie tracking, your top priority should be to purchase a wearable device that is packed with dedicated fitness trackers. From calorie tracking to step counting, you want your smartwatch to provide accurate readings. Another important feature to look for is fitness guides. These are apps that allow smartwatches to let you know where you need to improve, such as the pace of running, for example.
- Battery Life
All the devices featured on our list are capable of monitoring all fitness activities and providing you with detailed statistics. However, some of them offer better battery life than others. We think that battery life is important for smartwatches because, without a good one, you will have to keep the device charging continuously. The Fitbit Sense is a great choice in terms of battery because it reaches a full day’s worth of charge in only 12 minutes.
- Built-in GPS
One essential feature that sometimes gets overlooked when searching for the best smartwatch for calorie tracking is the built-in GPS. The GPS is required to allow the smartwatch to track not only your steps but also your route and speed. Some devices such as the Garmin Forerunner 245 will detect if an incident happens and share your GPS location with emergency contacts.
- Heart Rate Tracking
There is no better way to determine how many calories you are burning than using a heart rate tracker. Fortunately, most smartwatches are now equipped with dedicated heart rate sensors that continuously monitor your heart rate. You can use this information to figure out if the workouts you are putting in are difficult or if you need to increase the challenge. The sensors will also monitor your heart rate during the day. Therefore, people who like to constantly monitor their health should make sure to get a device that ships with accurate heart rate sensors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which fitness tracker is most accurate for calories burned?
Every smartwatch reviewed by us excels at tracking calories burned. If we had to pick one as the best, we would go with Fitbit Sense because this is a device that is fully dedicated to tracking fitness activities. From skin temperature to calories burned, Fitbit Sense will provide you with the most detailed information.
Do smartwatches accurately track calories?
Stanford University conducted a study on the most popular wearable devices to see how accurate they are. The results showed that most calorie tracking readings have an average error of 30 percent. This is all thanks to the fact that the calculations made by the algorithm are all based on estimations.
How do I calculate how many calories I burn in a day?
If you want to check out how many calories your body burns in a day but don’t want to use a smartwatch, you should be pleased to know that you can do it with math. You will need to calculate your BMR and activity level. After having these values figured out, you need to place them in the following equation “BMR x activity level = calories needed to maintain weight.”
How can I burn 500 calories a day?
Burning 500 calories a day is easier than you think. You can do this with an at-home workout that only lasts 30 minutes (you can find guides on YouTube), or you can go out for a jog or to cycle. We highly recommend cycling if you have a bike. Cycling is easier on the knees than running, and it’s more fun. If you really want to take the number of calories burned to the next level, you need to try plyometrics.
What’s better, a Fitbit or Apple Watch?
Both smartwatches are amazing, and there is no doubt about that. However, they both are targeting different customer bases. Apple Watch is designed for people who want a feature-packed smartwatch that integrates with their iPhone. On the other hand, Fitbit focuses on the fitness community, and it offers a slew of features that are catered to them.
