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Fitness trackers are popular fitness devices. Depending on your situation a built-in GPS might be a requirement. If that is the case for you, you will love these 7 fitness trackers.
List of the 7 best fitness trackers with built-in GPS:
Here are the 7 best fitness trackers with built-in GPS compiled in a short list:
- Fitbit Charge 4
- Huawei Band 4 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
- Garmin Vivoactive 4
- TicWatch Pro
- Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS)
- Amazfit Bip
Is a fitness tracker worth it?
Fitness trackers are one of the most popular fitness devices. One of the features many people value is a built-in GPS system. This allows you to track your workout route without having to carry any other devices with you.
You know how the saying goes: “what gets measured gets done”. With a fitness tracker keeping track becomes a lot easier. Instead of noting things down with pen and paper or measuring your heart rate with a clock and your fingers you just have to wear a little device that does all these things for you.
Some people wonder if they really need a GPS on their fitness tracker. A built-in GPS allows you to measure pace and distance very accurately without having to carry a phone with you. These stats are also easier to check on a watch compared to having to get your phone out of your pocket during a workout.
If these benefits sound like something you would like a fitness tracker with built-in gps might be the right choice for you.
The advancements in technology are amazing. You can get a fitness with the basics, and sometimes a few bonuses covered, at a relatively low price. That being said, the built-in GPS does add to the price of a fitness tracker.
If you don’t value a built-in GPS as much but you do love other features you might like the fitness trackers under $100.
If you prefer the lowest-priced fitness trackers that still do the job the list of fitness trackers under $50 might be better for you.
Some of the most basic features of a fitness tracker are a step counter, heart rate, and reminders, for example to drink more water. At slightly higher price points you can also find blood oxygen monitors, solid waterproof design, sleeker designs, higher-quality screens, and more.
Even though there is a big high-end market for fitness trackers, you can also find less expensive fitness trackers that take care of many things like a built-in GPS.
A fitness tracker can be a great investment in your physique. The extra motivation you get from tracking things can help you improve your lifestyle that much more.
Best fitness trackers with built-in GPS
Discover the 7 best fitness trackers with built-in GPS to buy so you can keep track of some of your most important physical statistics on a budget.
1. Fitbit Charge 4 Fitness Tracker
The first fitness tracker with built-in GPS combines excellent functionality with a wallet-friendly price.
If you really value big smartwatch screens with a lot of colors the Fitbit Charge 4 may not be the right choice for you.
If on the other hand you mostly care about the built-in GPS, step counter, heart rate monitor, waterproof design, music control, NFC payment, and a SpO2 Monitor (Oxygen Saturation) combined with a good battery life. This fitness tracker is likely what you are looking for.
Details
- Step Counter: Included
- Heart Rate Monitor: Included
- Waterproof: Up to 50 meters
- Blood Pressure Monitor: Not included
- Battery Life: Up to 7 days
- Battery Life With GPS Function On: Up to 5 hours
- Music Control: Included
- Gps Function: Built-in (no phone required)
- SpO2 Monitor (Oxygen Saturation): Included
- NFC Payment: Included
- Warranty: Check the policy
2. Huawei Band 4 Pro Fitness Tracker
The second place on this list goes to the Huawei Band 4 Pro. This fitness tracker has slightly less features but in return, the investment price of this device is a lot lower too.
The Huawei Band 4 Pro Fitness Tracker is again a fitness tracker with a more minimalist screen which again helps with keeping the price down. Even though this device looks small, it packs a lot of features.
Some reasons why this fitness tracker are the good battery life, heart rate monitor, music control, and the SpO2 Monitor (Oxygen Saturation). You don’t have the ability to do NFC payments with this device but depending on your usage this does not matter that much.
Huawei might not be the most popular brand name in the world of fitness trackers but this forces them to step up with amazing value. They definitely succeeded with this.
Details
- Step Counter: Included
- Heart Rate Monitor: Included
- Waterproof: Up to 50 meters
- Blood Pressure Monitor: Not Included
- Battery Life: Up to 12 days
- Battery Life With GPS Function On: Up to 7 hours
- Music Control: Included
- Gps Function: Built-in (no phone required)
- SpO2 Monitor (Oxygen Saturation): Included
- NFC Payment: Not included
- Warranty: Check the policy
3. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2
The next option is a smartwatch that also focuses on other desirable aspects of a fitness tracker besides the bare fitness tracking.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 goes beyond with its colorful screen and attention to design. Another welcome feature is the ability to store music on this device.
Besides the more “extra” features this fitness tracker also provides you with a step counter, heart rate monitor, waterproof design, music control, NFC payment, and a SpO2 Monitor (Oxygen Saturation) combined with a good battery life.
If you want some additional features, pleasant design, colorful screen, and the ability to listen to music without having to carry an extra music storage device, and you don’t mind investing a little more for these features, this smartwatch is an excellent choice.
Details
- Step Counter: Included
- Heart Rate Monitor: Included
- Waterproof: Up to 50 meters
- Blood Pressure Monitor: Not included
- Battery Life: Up to 5 days
- Battery Life With GPS Function On: Not mentioned
- Music Control: Included
- Gps Function: Built-in (no phone required)
- SpO2 Monitor (Oxygen Saturation): Included
- NFC Payment: Included
- Warranty: Not mentioned
4. Garmin Vivoactive 4
The next option in this list of fitness trackers with GPS is another slightly higher-investment watch.
As you should expect from a watch at this price point the Garmin Vivoactive 4 includes a step counter, heart rate monitor, waterproof design, music control, NFC payment, and a SpO2 Monitor (Oxygen Saturation) together with a good battery life.
Some features you won’t find in just any smartwatch include a colorful screen, visually-pleasing design, music storage, and on-screen animations for workouts.
Details
- Step Counter: Included
- Heart Rate Monitor: Included
- Waterproof: Up to 50 meters
- Blood Pressure Monitor: Not included
- Battery Life: Up to 8 days
- Battery Life With GPS Function On: Up to 6 hours
- Music Control: Included
- Gps Function: Built-in (no phone required)
- SpO2 Monitor (Oxygen Saturation): Included
- NFC Payment: Included
- Warranty: Check the policy
5. TicWatch Pro
The next option is great overall but especially great for a more specific group of people, individuals who expect their watch to take some beating.
One reason for this is that the TicWatch Pro has a military standard 810G design. This includes: high and low temperature resistance, anti-shock, dust-proof, humidity-proof, sand & dust-proof, etc. On top of that this device has a power-saving modus that allows the battery to last up to 30 days.
Besides that this watch includes a step counter, heart rate monitor, waterproof design, music control, and NFC payment.
If you only plan on using your fitness tracker in a more “city-life environment”, there are devices with similar important features at a lower price point.
Details
- Step Counter: Included
- Heart Rate Monitor: Included
- Waterproof: Up to 1.5 meters
- Blood Pressure Monitor: Not included
- Battery Life: Up to 30 days
- Battery Life With GPS Function On: Not mentioned
- Music Control: Included
- Gps Function: Built-in (no phone required)
- SpO2 Monitor (Oxygen Saturation): Not included
- NFC Payment: Included
- Warranty: 30-day money-back, 12 months for quality-related issues
6. Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS)
The next fitness tracker is one reserved for iPhone users. It is not the least expensive option on the list but it still offers a wide variety of features at a good price.
The Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS) comes with a step counter, heart rate monitor, built-in GPS, music control, and a NFC payment option. One downside of this device is its relatively short battery life of up to 18 hours. Certainly for people who aim to keep track of their fitness stats 24/7.
You may be surprised to find the apple watch series 3 when there is also the apple watch series 6 available. For many people who are looking for a fitness tracker with GPS, the series 3 offers the most essential features at a way lower price.
Some of the main features the series 6 has over the series 3 are a SpO2 Monitor (Oxygen Saturation), ECG app, international emergency calling, fall detection, compass, and some less significant differences.
If these are features you don’t mind investing a little more for, you can check out the Apple watch series 6.
Details
- Step Counter: Included
- Heart Rate Monitor: Included
- Waterproof: Up to 50 meters
- Blood Pressure Monitor: Not included
- Battery Life: Up to 18 hours
- Battery Life With GPS Function On: Up to 5 hours
- Music Control: Included
- Gps Function: Built-in (no phone required)
- SpO2 Monitor (Oxygen Saturation): Not Included
- NFC Payment: Included
- Warranty: One-year limited warranty
7. Amazfit Bip Fitness Smartwatch
This last smartwatch is again more of a budget option with fewer additional features but still with a built-in GPS which allows you to track your route without phone.
Like most of the previous options, the Amazfit Bip Fitness Smartwatch offers a step counter, heart rate monitor, and a swimming proof design.
A more remarkable aspect of this smartwatch is its long battery life, up to 45 days when you activate the low power-consuming mode. And this is again at a very competitive price.
Details
- Step Counter: Included
- Heart Rate Monitor: Included
- Waterproof: Up to 50 meters
- Blood Pressure Monitor: Not Included
- Battery Life: Up to 45 days
- Battery Life With GPS Function On: Up to y hours/days
- Music Control: Included
- Gps Function: Built-in (no phone required)
- SpO2 Monitor (Oxygen Saturation): Not Included
- NFC Payment: Not Included
- Warranty: One-year limited consumer warranty
Differences cheap vs expensive fitness trackers
As you can tell the prices for fitness trackers can range from $25 to many 100’s of dollars. What are some of the main differences between cheap and expensive fitness trackers?
The most obvious difference is the features that are included. Some fitness trackers include everything from a simple step counter to a big colorful screen and NFC payment option.
Another difference is the accuracy of measurements. Not all step counters, heart rate monitors, etc. in fitness trackers are of the same quality. Cheaper fitness trackers might miscount more steps, or give a slightly less accurate heart rate. Being a little off every once in a while is not the end of the world for most people, others want it to be exactly right.
The materials used for making the fitness trackers also vary. Some fitness trackers are made to be shock proof, others are a lot more fragile.
All in all which fitness tracker is right for you depends on what features align with your goals and preferences.
Fitness tracker FAQ
Do you need a new smartphone for a fitness tracker?
Some fitness trackers show data very well without any smartphone. Others do require an app on your smartphone to get a good look at the data it tracks.
The phone requirements for fitness trackers vary from model to model. Most of the phones around are suited for fitness trackers but it is always smart to double-check if your phone model matches before you order.
Are calorie counters accurate?
Many fitness trackers also include a calories burned measurement. The reason that we don’t mention these is because these measurements are basically irrelevant.
Counting how many calories a person burns is extremely hard to measure accurately. Even two people of the same age, height, weight, and activity levels likely don’t burn the same amount of calories due to many different reasons.
In short, calorie counters are not accurate enough to completely rely on. They can give you an estimation but you have to take this with a big grain of salt.
Are fitness trackers waterproof?
Most fitness trackers are at least waterproof up to the point of being able to run in the rain with it. Many fitness trackers are also suited for swimming, and even diving up to a certain depth.
As you may notice, most of the devices on this list of fitness trackers with built-in GPS are waterproof up to 50 meters. That being said, it is always smart to check how waterproof the specific fitness tracker you have in mind is.
Are fitness trackers good for motivation?
This depends from person to person but most people benefit from being able to measure how they did for the day.
The built-in step counters are the main motivational part of a fitness tracker. The amount of stories about someone going for a walk at the end of the day because they were not yet at their daily goal is endless.
Setting reminder alarms for things like drinking enough water is another way fitness trackers can help you reach your health goals.
