For most people choosing a fitness band in 2017, the Fitbit Alta HR was the best all-round pick: it combined a slim design, heart-rate and sleep tracking, and roughly seven days of battery life. Runners who wanted GPS without carrying a phone, or swimmers who wanted dedicated swim tracking, were better served by the Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro. These are historical recommendations, not current buying advice: the prices below are US prices reported in 2017, and current app, phone and service compatibility for this older hardware has not been verified.
“Fitness tracker” here means a wrist-worn band mainly for activity, heart rate, sleep, exercise and wellness—not a full smartwatch. The shortlist focuses on strong new 2017 releases, then includes the Fitbit Charge 2 as a notable tracker already on sale that year. That distinction matters: New Atlas’s November 2017 roundup ranked 2017 releases and chose Alta HR, while BGR’s broader guide chose Charge 2 overall; they were judging different pools of products. New Atlas · BGR
Quick comparison: the leading fitness trackers of 2017
Prices are historical US figures reported in 2017, not current offers. Battery figures are estimates, not guarantees; GPS, heart-rate monitoring, display use and notifications can change runtime.
| Tracker | Best for | 2017 US price | GPS | Heart rate | Swimming | Battery estimate | Main compromise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitbit Alta HR | Most people; discreet daily and sleep tracking | $149.95, contemporary listed price | Phone-assisted | Yes | No dedicated swim tracking | About seven days, contemporary coverage | No standalone GPS |
| Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro | Runners and swimmers wanting a screen | $149.99, contemporary price | Built-in GPS/GLONASS | Yes | Yes; Speedo On integration | Up to three days typical use; up to five days at lower use, Samsung estimate | More watch-like and more frequent charging |
| Misfit Flare | Simple, low-cost tracking | $59.99, contemporary price | None stated | Not listed in the cited 2017 coverage | Swimproof; swim tracking was described as a paid upgrade in 2017 coverage | Replaceable coin cell rated in months, contemporary coverage | Limited display and feature set |
| Garmin vívosmart 3 | Garmin users interested in wellness metrics | $139.99, contemporary price | No built-in GPS | Yes | Swim-friendly; dedicated swim metrics not established here | Up to five days, Garmin estimate | Phone needed for GPS routes |
| Huawei Band 2 Pro | Lower-cost phone-free GPS | Not stated in the cited material | Built-in GPS | Not stated in the cited material | Waterproof construction reported; swim metrics not established here | Not stated in the cited material | App, support and regional availability need checking |
| Polar A370 | Polar training-platform users | Not stated in the cited material | Phone-assisted GPS | Continuous tracking | 30-meter water resistance; swim metrics not established here | Up to four days under Polar’s stated activity and heart-rate conditions | Requires a phone for GPS; shorter stated runtime than Alta HR |
| Fitbit Charge 2 | Workout-focused Fitbit users | About $150 in 2017 coverage | Phone-assisted | Yes | Not recommended here as a dedicated swim tracker | Not stated in the cited material | No standalone GPS |
Where a detail is marked “not stated,” the cited 2017 material does not establish a comparable figure; it should not be read as proof that a feature was absent.
#1 Best Overall
- 【25 Sports Modes & Smart Activity Tracking】Track virtually any activity with 25 built-in modes (running, swimming, yoga, etc.). It automatically records your steps, distance, and calories burned. The built-in stopwatch helps you time your workouts precisely, helping you crush your fitness goals.
- 【 Universal Compatibility & Stable Connection】Works seamlessly with both iOS and Android smartphones. Receive call, text, and app notifications (SNS) reliably on your wrist. The Bluetooth connection is stable, so you stay connected without constantly re-pairing.
- 【Comfortable, Lightweight & IP68 Waterproof】Crafted for all-day comfort. The lightweight, skin-friendly band feels like a natural part of you, even while sleeping. With an IP68 rating, it's resistant to rain, sweat, and you can wear it while swimming or showering without worry.
- 【24/7 Accurate Health Monitoring】Keep a close eye on your well-being with all-day automatic heart rate tracking, detailed sleep stage analysis (deep, light, awake), blood oxygen (SpO2) saturation monitoring, and advanced blood pressure data. Gain valuable insights into your body's patterns and make informed decisions about your health.
- 【10-14 Day Long Battery Life – Wear It Day and Night】Forget daily charging anxiety. A single, full charge powers up to 7 days of continuous use. Monitor your sleep seamlessly every night and enjoy worry-free weekends or travel without carrying a charger. Running watch Regular use up to 10-14 days, standby for 30 days.
Best overall: Fitbit Alta HR
The Alta HR was the strongest default choice for a buyer who wanted a band rather than a small smartwatch. Its slim profile made it a natural all-day and overnight companion, while its optical heart-rate sensor supported heart-rate tracking alongside steps, activity, sleep monitoring and reminders to move. It also offered basic smartphone notifications and Fitbit’s established app and social features. The contemporary roundup listed it at $149.95 and reported about seven days of battery life. Fitbit’s Alta HR manual documents the optical heart-rate sensor, three-axis accelerometer, Bluetooth 4.0 and rechargeable lithium-polymer battery.
The important omissions are equally clear: Alta HR has no standalone GPS and is not a dedicated swim tracker. It is therefore a poor choice for phone-free route recording or regular swim workouts. Its wrist heart-rate readings are consumer wellness and training guidance, not medical measurements.
Best for runners and swimmers: Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro
The Gear Fit2 Pro makes the most sense when a casual band’s limitations—especially phone dependence and lack of swim tracking—would get in the way. Samsung’s product specifications list GPS and GLONASS, 5ATM water resistance, a 1.5-inch curved Super AMOLED touchscreen, heart-rate sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, barometer, music player and 4GB of internal storage. It also included Speedo On swim integration, making it the clearest swimming recommendation among these picks. Its historical US price was $149.99.
Samsung estimated up to three days in typical use and up to five days with lower use; GPS and screen activity can shorten that. The bright display and extra functions make it more watch-like and less discreet than Alta HR. Samsung specified compatibility with Android and iOS phones, but that historical claim does not establish present-day app or feature support. Check the October 2017 product sheet alongside current support information before relying on an old unit.
Recommended Free Tools
Best value for basic tracking: Misfit Flare
At a reported 2017 price of $59.99, the Misfit Flare offered an inexpensive, uncomplicated route into tracking steps, distance, calories and light/restful sleep. Its replaceable coin-cell battery was reported to last months rather than days, which avoids frequent charging. The trade-off was simplicity: it was not a feature-rich screen-based workout companion, and its app and accessory ecosystem were not the main reason to choose it.
Rank #2
- 【24H Health Monitoring】Fitness Tracker With the function of monitoring heart rate and blood oxygen, you can track your health data 24/7 and help adjust your overall condition.The sleep tracker also analyzes your sleep quality, tracks your deep sleep, light sleep, and awake periods, rates your sleep quality, and helps you adjust your sleep habits.
- 【All Day Activity Tracking】The fitness tracker can automatically tracks your steps, distance and calories burned.Accurately record all-day activities and give professional analysis on improving your sports and daily habit.
- 【1.1" AMOLED Color Touchscreen】The fitness tracker showcases a sleek curved design and boasts a 1.1" AMOLED color touchscreen, enhancing your visual and operational experience. Choose from our extensive collection of 70+ cloud-based watch faces to personalize your device according to your preferences, mood, or outfit. Moreover, you can customize your favorite photos in the album as a unique dial to show your unique style and theme every day.
- 【25 Sport Modes】The digital watch offers over 20 sports modes, covering almost all your daily physical activities.Inclued walking, running, cycling, indoor running, free training, etc. Store the last 5 exercise records,helping you exercise and train more effectively.
- 【Smart Message Notification】The watch can receive Social software message notifications from mobile phones, including SMS, QQ, WeChat, WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, etc. Also can receive incoming call notifications and reject calls. so you never miss an important call or message.
New Atlas’s 2017 coverage described the Flare as swimproof to about 50 meters/164 feet, while noting that swim tracking required a paid upgrade at that time. That is a historical description of the 2017 offering, not a statement about any current service or policy. See the contemporary roundup.
Best Garmin wellness band: vívosmart 3
Garmin’s vívosmart 3 was a better match for someone already using Garmin’s platform or interested in wellness features beyond basic step counting. It combined heart-rate monitoring with stress and sleep tracking, breathing exercises, and estimated VO₂ max and fitness-age features. Its contemporary US price was $139.99, and Garmin rated battery life at up to five days.
It has no built-in GPS, so route recording depends on a connected phone. The VO₂ max and fitness-age figures are estimates rather than lab results. Garmin’s manual gives the battery estimate; its product page is marked discontinued: vívosmart 3 product information.
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Best budget GPS band: Huawei Band 2 Pro
The Huawei Band 2 Pro stood out in 2017 as a relatively low-cost way to get built-in GPS and VO₂ max-related features in a band. It is worth considering in a historical comparison when leaving the phone behind matters more than app polish or a deep training ecosystem. The cited contemporary material does not establish a comparable US price, battery estimate or complete feature-by-feature specification, so none is supplied here.
Regional availability, app quality, phone compatibility and support deserve particular attention with an older Huawei device. A 2017 product description cannot confirm that its app or services still work with a phone in 2026.
Rank #3
![SAMSUNG Galaxy FIT 3 [2025, 40MM] 1.6' AMOLED Display | IP68 Water Resistant | 14 Days Battery Life | 100+ Watchfaces | 100+ Exercise Modes | International Model (Fast Charger Bundle, Black)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/418RlYE+wfL._SL160_.jpg)
- Vibrant 1.6” AMOLED Display – Large, high-res screen with smooth touch for easy navigation
- 5ATM & IP68 Water Resistance – Swim-ready and dust-resistant for active lifestyles
- Up to 14 Days Battery Life – Powerful 208mAh battery for long-lasting performance
- 101+ Workout Modes with Auto Detection – Automatically tracks common workouts for seamless fitness tracking. Advanced Health Tracking – Includes sleep coaching, SpO2, heart rate, and snore detection
- International Model No Warranty in the US. ONLY compatible with Android devices. Samsung Pay - Not Supported. NOT compatible with iPhone or iOS devices.
Best for Polar users: Polar A370
The Polar A370 paired continuous heart-rate tracking with Polar’s training ecosystem. Its GPS was mobile GPS rather than a clearly documented standalone receiver in the cited specifications, so runners needed a phone for route tracking. Polar specified up to four days of battery life with 24/7 activity tracking, continuous heart rate and one hour of daily training, and up to 13 hours in training mode with mobile GPS enabled. The band had 30-meter water resistance; that rating alone does not establish swim-tracking capability. Consult Polar’s technical specifications and A370 support page.
Best Fitbit already on sale in 2017: Charge 2
The Charge 2 is a useful alternative for buyers who wanted more visible workout feedback than Alta HR provided. It had a larger display, interchangeable bands, heart-rate monitoring, exercise features, floors climbed, sleep tracking and connected GPS. Fitbit added Sleep Stages to Charge 2 in March 2017, estimating light, deep and REM sleep using movement and heart-rate variability, according to Tech Advisor’s review. Its 2017 price was about $150.
The Charge 2 still relied on a phone for GPS; it did not record routes with standalone GPS. Alta HR is the better fit for a slimmer, less conspicuous band and sleep comfort; Charge 2 is the more workout-oriented choice if a larger display and broader on-device exercise feedback matter. Fitbit’s Charge 2 manual provides its historical device documentation. A broader 2017 roundup also compared it with older trackers and smartwatch-like devices: Fortune/Time.
Choose by what you actually need
If you run without your phone
Choose a model with built-in GPS, such as Gear Fit2 Pro or Huawei Band 2 Pro. Garmin’s older vívosmart HR+ was another phone-free GPS option, with up to eight hours in GPS mode and up to five days in ordinary activity-tracking mode according to its manual. For an in-band GPS route, do not mistake “connected GPS” on Alta HR, Charge 2 or A370 for a receiver built into the tracker.
If you swim regularly
Gear Fit2 Pro is the strongest pick in this group because it pairs a 5ATM rating with explicit Speedo On swim integration. Water resistance, being wearable in water, and recording meaningful swim metrics are different capabilities. A rating or “swimproof” description by itself does not confirm pool lengths, strokes or open-water GPS.
Rank #4
- Stunning images, smooth touch: Immerse yourself in brilliant clarity with the large 1.72-inch AMOLED display.Vacuum filling sealing technology enables symmetrical 2.0mm ultra-thin bezels, expanding screen-to-body ratio from 66% to 73%. Enjoy incredibly smooth and seamless interaction with crisp, color-accurate images, right on your wrist.
- Fast charging, longer adventures: Say goodbye to daily charging hassles! Enjoy an exceptional 21 days of battery life on a single charge. And when you need more power, it only takes an hour to fully recharge the device with fast charging. Freedom without limits!
- Revolutionize your swimming and training sessions: The Xiaomi smartwatch is equipped with a new high-precision electronic compass that tracks swimming direction like never before, delivering unparalleled accuracy for pool sessions. Plus, gain detailed insights through professional analysis of your workouts to optimize each session.
- Master your nighttime recovery: Discover the secrets of your sleep with comprehensive and enhanced sleep monitoring. Get comprehensive insights into your sleep stages and quality, helping you wake up refreshed and optimize your well-being.
- 1500 nits HBM brightness,Glanceable in any light:25% brighter than before, the display achieves a remarkable 1500 nits HBM brightness, making every message readable even in direct sunlight.
If sleep tracking matters most
Alta HR is the most comfortable-looking choice for overnight wear; Charge 2 is a good alternative if you also want a larger workout display. Charge 2’s sleep stages and other tracker sleep labels are estimates, not clinical polysomnography. Fit and battery matter: a tracker left off overnight cannot provide complete sleep data.
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For a rechargeable tracker, Alta HR’s roughly seven-day contemporary battery report is the longest among the primary rechargeable picks with a stated comparable figure here. For a different maintenance pattern, Misfit Flare used a replaceable coin cell reported to last months. Garmin’s simpler vívofit 3 was rated for approximately one year on a replaceable battery, but it lacks many features of the leading contenders; see Garmin’s vívofit 3 specifications.
If you mainly want a low purchase price
Misfit Flare was reported at $59.99 in the 2017 coverage. Fortune/Time reported the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 at about $35 and described step, distance, calorie and heart-rate tracking. Xiaomi’s historical low price came with geography-dependent availability, warranty and app-support questions, so the dollar figure alone does not settle which is better value. A poorly syncing or uncomfortable band can be a worse buy than a discounted established model.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Built-in GPS or phone-assisted GPS?
Built-in GPS is worth paying for when you want to leave your phone behind and still record a route, pace and distance for running, cycling or walking. It is less valuable if the phone normally comes along and the tracker’s main jobs are daily activity, sleep and heart rate. Phone-assisted GPS can keep the band simpler and slimmer; a built-in receiver can use more battery and often comes with a larger, more feature-heavy device. GPS does not by itself guarantee better wrist heart-rate readings or better coaching.
How accurate are 2017 fitness trackers?
Use these devices to follow broad patterns and compare your own activity over time, not as exact instruments. Step counts, calorie burn, wrist optical heart rate, sleep stages, stress, fitness age and VO₂ max are estimates affected by device algorithms and wearing conditions. Wrist heart-rate readings can vary with fit, movement, skin contact, exercise intensity and individual skin characteristics. VO₂ max figures from a band are not equivalent to laboratory testing, and sleep labels are not a diagnosis.
Best Value
- Google Fitbit Air is the unbelievably comfortable, exceptionally smart way to transform your health[1]; and Google Health brings together effortless tracking and adaptive coaching to help make the most of your everyday[2]
- Unlock more with Google Health Premium: With a premium membership, get personalized coaching that’s built with Gemini and adapts to your life[2]; get a 3-month trial at no cost to you[5] (Google Health Premium subscription sold separately)
- Comfortable fit - One Size Tracker (130-210 mm): The lightweight, micro-adjustable fit sits comfortably and quietly, so you can wear Google Fitbit Air through work, play, and sleep; advanced sensors and new algorithms power more accurate, precise health tracking, 24/7[1]
- Designed for every occasion: With no screen to distract you or disrupt your style, your tracker moves seamlessly from bracelet to workout band to sleep band, and you can change looks in seconds – just press the pebble in, click, and go
- Long battery life: Google Fitbit Air’s battery lasts up to a week, and fast charging gets you one day of battery life in just five minutes[6,7]
A contemporary TechRadar review captured the broader distinction: a tracker can be useful and motivating as a lifestyle product without being a rigorous scientific instrument. Do not rely on one for medical decisions.
Compatibility and buying an older tracker today
Historical 2017 compatibility is not proof that a device still works fully with a current phone or app. Before buying a used or refurbished unit in 2026, check the exact model, your phone’s operating system, app availability, account requirements, notification and music limitations, and whether chargers and replacement bands can still be found. Also confirm that the device can be reset and paired; a working screen does not guarantee the supporting service is available.
- Confirm iPhone or Android support for the exact model and verify which features work on each platform.
- Check Bluetooth and operating-system requirements in current manufacturer support material.
- Confirm the vendor app is available for your phone and that account-based functions remain accessible.
- For music or notifications, check whether the feature depends on a particular phone ecosystem or service.
- Factor in replacement bands, chargers, warranty and return terms before treating a low resale price as a bargain.
The Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro was specified for Android and iOS, but that does not establish current service continuity. Garmin’s vívosmart 3 product page is explicitly marked discontinued. Treat all 2017 prices in this guide as archival, not as current market values.
When a fitness watch makes more sense
If you want apps, richer notifications, music controls, payments or structured training tools, a fitness watch or smartwatch may suit you better than a discreet band. Devices such as the Garmin vívoactive HR, Fitbit Blaze or Apple Watch were alternatives in the 2017 market, but they are not direct equivalents to a simple activity band: they are larger and more watch-like, and battery life and phone ecosystem become more prominent parts of the choice. For basic steps, sleep and everyday heart-rate trends, the smaller bands above are the more focused category.
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