If you need the best way to achieve your fitness goals, you need to start by tracking all your daily activities, whether walking, running, or exercising in the gym. The best step counter makes it easier to understand how you have gained and areas you could improve.
Step counters, also called pedometers, allow you to hold yourself accountable to your fitness and health goals. For example, if you only want to stay active, you can invest in a basic pedometer that will show you the steps you've taken and how long you've walked.
However, if you set higher health and fitness goals, you might need the best pedometers which track your sleep quality and physical activities along with your heart rate and more. Your best step counter can come in a wrist wearable design and can connect to your smartphone's step counter apps or fitness trackers.
Here are some of the best step counters you can get today.
1. Best Overall: FitBit Inspire 2 Health & Fitness Tracker
- Earn Active Zone Minutes as you progress toward your weekly 150 minutes of heart-pumping activity and use 20 plus exercise modes to track...
- Track all-day activity: your steps, distance, hourly activity and calories burned.Maximum operating altitude: 28,000 ft
- Use 24x7 heart rate to track resting heart rate & better measure calorie burn
- Enjoy 10 days of battery life for daily progress without constant charging. Varies with use and other factors. Track your time in light,...
Fitness tracking could get no easier than using this tracker; it is a step counter, heart rate monitor, sleep tracker and will also track calories burned during any activity. While it does all that, the Fitbit Inspire 2 also notify you of incoming calls, texts, and other notifications pf your smartphone.
It is wearable on your wrist, thus ideal for both men and women. Besides, it also comes in a sleek design that will work with all your outfits. The wrist fitness tracker is available in three colors; black, rose, and white.
It is easy to set healthy habits using this tracker, and you can connect it to your fitness app fr better results. It also comes with a free FitBit premium trial and is compatible with all smartphones.
The best step counter comes with a strong battery that will serve up to 10 days of continuous battery life. The wristband is also water-resistant, and the tracker is also Bluetooth-enabled.
While it comes at a higher price compared to other step trackers, this Fitbit model is designed for the most stringent fitness needs for serious athletes. Unfortunately, it does not support voice assistant features, play music, or GPS.
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2. Best Step Counter for Running: Lintelek Fitness Tracker with Heart Rate Monitor and GPS
If most of your physical activity routine includes a lot of running, you will find just the right tracker that even uses GPS. The Lintelek step counter will track your steps, distance covered, time on the run, calories burned, and record your route.
Additionally, this tracker will also record your heart rate and sleep quality. When connected to smart devices such as your phone, it will notify you of notifications, from texts, calls, to social media and news alerts.
Apart from running, this tracker comes with 13 more sports modes, including walking, cycling, hiking, dancing, yoga, tennis, and more. It is your best fitness tracker for different workouts, and it comes at an affordable price and in a wide array of colors to choose from.
It comes has a long battery life, and it is easy to charge with a USB cable. When you need an early alarm that won't bother the whole house, you can set a silent one on the step counter, and it will softly buzz on your wrist.
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3. Best for Walking: 3DFitBud Simple Step Counter Walking 3D Pedometer
- SIMPLE & EASY TO USE - 3D Pedometer for Steps Only. It is ready to use straight out of the package. The simple feature and design makes it...
- TRACK YOUR DAILY STEPS – Created with simplicity but effectively counts your steps so you can still view your progress on the move...
- ACCURATE READING - It has advanced 3D Tri-Axis Sensor technology - much more accurate than most pedometers. 3D Tri-Axis Sensor technology is...
- EXTRA LARGE DIGIT DISPLAY - With full screen display you can clearly and easily read the numbers at a glance.
- BATTERY INCLUDED - Enjoy Great Battery Life. Pedometer auto sleeps when you are not moving and auto wakes and counts steps when you start...
If you only need a step tracker to use with your fitness apps, this is one of the best pedometers you can get. The 3DFitBud Simple Step Counter Walking 3D Pedometer comes in a simple clip-on design for easy portability, and it starts counting your steps as soon as you make ten steps in a row.
The tracker is also one of the easiest to read basic pedometers with large numbers displayed on the screen. Unlike other activity trackers, this model comes with the strongest batteries that can last you a whole year. In addition, this best pedometer auto sleeps when you are inactive to save battery life.
It comes in different colors and comes with a clip, and so you can attach it to your clothes or bags. The activity tracker uses an advanced 3D Tri-Axis technology to guarantee reliable tracking.
It is easy to use with a simple reset button when you think the step count is inaccurate. It also requires no charging, but you will lose other features like sleep tracking and configuring with a mobile device.
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4. Best for Cycling: CATEYE - Velo 7 Wired Bike Computer
- All your favorite stats: Displays current, max, and average speed, total distance, trip distance, elapsed time, pace arrow, and clock.
- Don't sweat the small stops: Caught at a red light? Stopping for coffee? We've got you covered. Your CatEye computer knows when you've...
- Wired sensor: The Velo 7 comes with a wired speed sensor.
- Go the distance: With a battery that lasts up to three years, you can install it and forget about it.
- Perfect for beginners: The Velo 7 is an entry-level computer that is perfect for beginner cyclists looking to take their riding to the next...
When you adopt healthy habits for workouts, it doesn't always require you to walk or run to use the best pedometers.
If you love riding your bike or using a stationary exercise cycle, you will need a pedometer that'll track capable of tracking steps as you cycle.
This Cateye model is water-resistant and designed to track your active minutes on a bike. While it won't offer other readings, such as heart rate monitoring, advanced sleep monitoring, or blood oxygen levels, it is your best bet if you are not actively walking or running as part of your exercise routine.
The clip-on bike computer is designed to track instance, speed, and active time. It will halt counting at the slightest stop, so you can be sure to get accurate readings only. It uses a wired sensor plus a durable battery with 3-year battery life.
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5. Best for Hiking: Polar Grit X - Rugged Multisport GPS Smart Watch
- LIGHTEST OUTDOOR WATCH WITH ULTRA LONG BATTERY LIFE: Up to 40h battery life with full GPS and HR tracking (even up to 100h with power save...
- MILITARY LEVEL DURABILITY: Grit X has passed several MIL-STD-810G tests and is water resistance up to 100m / 10ATM.
- NAVIGATION: The real-time turn-by-turn route guidance and route import from Komoot keep you on the right track. Compass and...
- AUTOMATICALLY DETECTED UPHILL AND DOWNHILL stats from Hill Splitter tell you how you performed on the ascent and descent sections of...
- AUTOMATIC OVERNIGHT RECOVERY MEASUREMENT: Polar Nightly Recharge lets you know when you can safely push your body further. +130 SPORT...
When you want to lose weight or enjoy hiking, using a reliable outdoor step counting accessory is ideal for your goals. This rugged, military-style step counter is designed to track steps in the extreme outdoors.
Additionally, the tracker is equipped with the best technology to monitor your heart rate and sleep patterns to show your personal data for recovery. It would be best to have this pedometer for hiking since other pedometers will struggle to count steps uphill or downhill.
It is a waterproof smartwatch that comes with 7-day battery life. In addition, it comes with GPS abilities so that you can track your routes, and it is also available in different colors.
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Factors to Consider When Buying Your Best Step Counter
Choosing only one out of so many pedometers on the market is no easy task. Luckily, a few considerations could help you narrow down to your most suitable step counter. Here are a few factors you will need to consider before making a purchase.
a) Style
There are many reasons you will need to use a step counter, but for all, comfort is an important consideration. As such, you need to understand these three types of styles for wearing or carrying your pedometer and how each makes your fitness routines easier or more successful.
- Wristbands. The most common type of step counter is designed like a watch. It is your best wearable style when you want a pedometer to bring to all activities. With this wrist step counter, you will run, play other sports like tennis, and track your sleep pattern without it feeling bulky.
- Clip-on pedometers. You can bring it with you on your belt loop or bag when you want to count steps. While it is lightweight and easy to clip on, it may not offer the same accuracy as one with a wristband. In addition, it is also no the best step counter for you if you would like extra features like heart monitoring or sleep tracking.
- Lanyard pedometers are attached to your neck like a necklace, and you can trust them to count your steps when running or walking. Unfortunately, this style is not the most comfortable when you want to run long distances as the pedometer could be too distracting or irritating around your neck.
b) Battery life
All step trackers use batteries; some will need replacing while others are rechargeable. To be reliable, it needs a battery that lasts longer so you can fulfill your milestones and burn more calories.
However, you might need to consider that those with the longest-lasting batteries also tend to be a bit more costly than the most basic form pedometers. Consider the following factors to get a tracker with the best battery life for your needs.
- Mode recharging if it needs charging, and how long it needs to charge
- Type of batteries if they need replacement
In most cases, a tracker that comes with a rechargeable battery will come with a charger. Also, the charge can last anywhere between one to ten days, depending on how much you use it daily.
For trackers that need replacing batteries, the charge can last for months or even several years, depending on your daily consumption.
To save your charge, you can look for a tracker that automatically sleeps when it does not detect motion.
c) Other features
While you mainly want an accurate step counter, it could also be better to get an activity tracker that offers more features to improve your fitness and health goals.
The best activity tracker, albeit more expensive than basic step counters, can also monitor blood pressure and oxygen while active, heart rate while walking or sleeping, or your sleep patterns to monitor your recovery.
In addition, you can also look for a tracker you can connect to smart home devices and those that work with a companion app so you can record all your personal data. Such smart features are ideal for you if your goals include weight loss or you are a serious athlete looking to be in better shape.
If you need a smart tracker, make sure it can connect to your devices. Like an Apple Watch, some are designed for compatibility with Apple devices, while others are best for android users. A tracker that is compatible with your smartphone or laptop will allow you to get text, call, and social media notifications, while some more expensive models will also stream music.
Also, the best step counters will be water-resistant, so you can use them outdoors or in the gym without warring about sweat. In addition, you can also get an exclusive tracker if your workout includes swimming; some waterproof step counters will get damaged if exposed to water for long periods.
d) Budget
As with all good products, the more features you need from fitness trackers, the pricier they get. Therefore, it is best to plan ahead of time and understand why a step counter is important to your daily routines.
If you need to lose weight, you will find expensive trackers designed to help you lose more calories. Some of the best models even measure your stride length and, based on your weight and height, can offer the best accuracy when counting lost calories.
Alternatively, if you are only looking to stay more active, a basic step counter will suffice. It does not need other fancy features such as heart and sleep monitoring but will remind you to get on your feet if you stay inactive for too long.
