Wearable fitness trackers can help you keep in touch with your current activity levels and motivate you to reach a goal.
If you want the best fitness tracker for small wrists, we suggest the Fitbit Inspire.
We have been using fitness trackers since the first Fitbit and we have doubled down on our research to bring you below our top seven choices in the market, along with some helpful buying tips.
Contents
Our 7 Best Fitness Trackers for Small Wrists
To save you time, here is our shortlist of the top 7 best fitness trackers to choose if you want a device to suit a smaller wrist.
- Fitbit Inspire 2 – Our Top Choice
- Garmin vivosmart 4 Fitness Tracker – For Functionality
- Polar A370 Fitness Tracker – Best for Ease of Use
- Apple Watch 38mm Series 3 – Supports Apple Fitness+
- Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro Smart Fitness Band – Best for Water-Resistance
- Fitbit Charge 5 – Best for Heart Monitoring
- Amazfit Band 5 Fitness Tracker – Best Budget Choice
Notes On Fitness Trackers For Small Wrists Or Not
Fitness trackers can do a lot more than just count steps. Some brands with a cool swag of functions are calling them health trackers.
Fitness Tracker Functions
Fitness trackers (let’s stick with “fitness”, not “health”) can take readings of or monitor things like blood oxygen levels, heart rate variability for fitness levels.
Some fitness trackers even have an ECG function to test for evidence of an irregular heart. Also tests for tracking electrical changes to the skin for stress indications known as EDA (Electrodermal Activity).
But these Fitness Trackers are not medical devices. And most manufacturers say that in their blurb somewhere.
Fitness Tracker Accuracy
Fitness trackers notably have fluctuations in data accuracy between brands, between models and between their readings and those of a serious grade machine.
For as accurate readings as possible, it’s worthwhile taking time to read and follow the manufacturer’s setup instructions. This will include where and how the tracker should lie on the wrist.
Water Resistance in Fitness Trackers
As for being water-resistant to 50 meters. As far as I understand whether it’s 20, 30 or 50 meters it just means that you can swim with it. Don’t go deep-sea diving with it.
I wouldn’t recommend doing anything with the tracker whilst submerged.
For anyone who sweats a lot, like me, it’s comforting to have the water-resistant label. I have managed to send gym machines a bit crazy after perspiring over them for 20 minutes.
Best Fitness Tracker for Small Wrists
The Fitbit Inspire – Our Top Choice
Since 2007, Fitbit has made its way into the niche market of wearable fitness trackers. The Inspire model gives users up to 10 full days on one battery charge, making it a terrific option for people on the go.
Minimalist and simple, slim and light, the Inspire fits nicely on small wrists.
The Fitbit Inspire is swim-proof, connects easily to your smartphone app, and comes with 20 goal-based exercises to choose from for your fitness needs. In addition, the light-up touch-screen is ideal for both day and night monitor options.
The premium version of the Inspire comes with an app to which all the data from the watch is downloaded. That plus stored information offers things like meal ideas, different level workout programs, bespoke exercises, sleep tracking and quite a bit of interesting stuff.
I’m not a great fan of these subscription apps but I thought it was worth seeing what’s on offer and I found useful programs so it was worth accepting the free year trial. Cancelling is straight forward if it doens’t suit.
Reviewer…“I replaced my Fitbit Zip with the Inspire 2 and love it!! It’s dainty enough for my small wrist, easy to read, accurate with data, and offers the basic info I need. For such a reasonable price, it’s packed with options. I highly recommend it if you don’t need a gazillion features“
We tried it on someone (Steve) who has a big wrist. He found the only way to get accurate readings was by wearing it on the inside of the wrist.
You can wear the Inspire, with a classic band, steel mesh, leather materials or even with a belt clip.
Dimensions: 3.7cm l x 1.68cm w x 1.29cm
Fits wrist circumference: 5.5″ – 7.0″ (140mm x 180mm)
Dimensions: 1.46″ x 0.66″ x 0.51″ (L3.7cm x W1.68cm x H1.29cm)
Weight: 1.06 Ounces
Pros:
- Lasts up to 10 days with one charge
- 1 year free trial for premium
- Heart rate monitor with active zones report
- Small or large band
Cons:
- The screen could be brighter outdoors
- Does not track floor climbing
The Garmin vivosmart 4 – For Functionality
Coming in as another favorite of ours is the Garmin vivosmart 4 fitness tracker. This device has a slim bright display that is easy to read and lasts approximately seven days before needing a full charge.
This model is an upgrade to the Vivofit HR but with more bells and whistles.
I had to choose the grey and rose gold one ‘cos it’s cute and I’m a girl. But it is a third again in price than the black one below. We couldn’t see any functional difference.
The Garman vivosmart 4 (black, grey or other) provides all the information you want in a wearable tracker, including advanced sleep tracking with blood oxygen levels.
The tracker acts as a pulse oximeter which is a way of estimating how much oxygen is being carried in the blood. This is done by shining light through the skin and measuring the reflected hue.
This is a common medical process but methinks less reliable or accurate outside of hospital. Although I did enjoy playing around with it.
As with a lot of these measurements they are best used as comparative aids. Like when a figure changes quickly or a trend appears.
In addition, you can monitor current stress levels, HRV (heart rate variability) with the tracker and use their optional method for “relaxation breathing” to let all your cares fly away.
For some people the triggers for stress works and the reminders to take it easy are welcomed. For others, like myself, think the data is not to be relied one hundred percent upon.
The fitness activity monitors work well for yoga, running, swimming, strength training, and more.
This Garmin tracker syncs with Apple and Android devices to send text message replies on top of the vibration of all notifications. It can also connect to your smart device’s GPS as well.
Fits wrist circumference: 4.8″ – 7.4″ (122-188mm)
Dimensions: 7.5″ x 0.2″ x 0.5″
Weight: 0.64 ounces
Display size: .26″ x .70″ (6.6 x 17.7mm)
Pros:
- More stylish and sleek than other brands
- Display adjusts to light levels
- Measures blood oxygen levels
- Very light
Cons:
- Small viewing screen
The Polar A370 Fitness Tracker – Easy to Use
Third on our top list of wearable fitness devices is the Polar A370 fitness tracker. The slim design of this Polar model provides exceptional data from sleep to a wide range of activities.
It’s light and comfortable on slim wrists yet with a good screen size.
It consistently measures heart rate and is compatible with many 3rd-party apps. The Polar A370 makes tracking distance, calories, and sleep easy.
The convenience of the Polar A370 allows notifications for incoming text messages, calls, calendar appointments, and more, giving the user flexibility in a wearable tracker.
One of the best features for me was the in-depth training benefit feedback system. It is based on variable heart rate zones. It’d great to see what type of training is most effective, helping you decide when to go for it and when to recover.
And notably, you get to know in which zone burns the most calories. It’s a feature of most Polar models.
And if you want more info on calorie sucking machines check out our article on cardio machines that burn the most calories.
Battery life is up to 4 days without all the functions according to Polar’s manual. That seemed to be the maximum as it needed charging after less than 2 days when we had it.
Pros:
- Sleep tracker was one of the more accurate
- Easily switch bands
- Great for training metrics
- Ability to customize exercise training programs
Cons:
- Limited battery life
- Does not have a built-in GPS
The Apple Watch Series 3 (38 mm) – Apple Fitness+ Option
Apple offers a terrific wearable fitness tracker specifically for small wrists in their 38mm Series 3 Apple Watch model. The smaller size is sleek enough for anyone while still providing exceptional features.
Although the screen is a little smaller. Small wrists, good eyes!
When you purchase an Apple Watch, the Apple Fitness+ includes 11 different workouts to help you stay motivated and engaged in reaching your fitness goals.
As an added feature, your data syncs automatically to your iPhone or other Apple device you choose for your convenience.
They add 25 new workouts every week that range from 5 to 45 minutes in length to suit any busy lifestyle.
It’s feature-rich as you would expect from Apple although you have to pay more for the series 6 or 7 (less suited for small wrists, we reckon) to get blood oxygen and ECG apps.
Pros:
- High-quality features
- GPS option
- Built-in Siri can power other apps
Cons:
- Expensive
- Battery depletes faster when taking calls during exercise activities
Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro Smart Fitness Band – GPS mapping
Samsung boasts resistance for 30 minutes in up to 5 feet of water for the Gear Fit2 Pro Smart Fitness Band.
Encouraging for anyone who, like me, tends to sweat a lot, I still wouldn’t go swimming with it on.
The Fit2 although quite big, we still think is comfortable for slim wrists.
The Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro Smart works with several 3rd-party fitness apps to help you use your data to reach all of your goals. Use MapMyRun, MyFitnessPal, and UnderArmour apps for the best experience possible.
With enough capability to download your favorite Spotify playlist, you can walk or run to the music you want to hear. In addition, it is compatible with both iOS and Android devices for a versatile tracker to suit anyone.
Pros:
- In-built GPS
- Recharging cradle
- Supports Spotify offline
- Has pre-installed fitness apps
Cons:
- Can be complicated to set up initially
- Relatively big/heavy
The Fitbit Charge 5 – Best for Heart Monitoring
If monitoring your heart rate is the primary focus of your health regime, the Fitbit Charge 5 provides exceptional features.
And for features this is like the Fitbit Inspire on steroids.
The on-wrist ECG app will pick up any evidence of atrial fibrillation. It’s something that I have had many times in the past but I was unable to prove how effective this was either way.
And for the EDA (detects skin or Electrodermal Activity) scan, you need to press with finger and thumb for 3 minutes and the tracker logs reactions to stress. You can then follow the recommendations for relaxing.
Like the Garmin above this health tracker has sleep tracking capabilities and a pulse oximeter for calculating blood oxygen levels.
Blood oxygen levels and sleep pattern monitoring can help you see changes in your well-being as you work towards your fitness goals.
With the built-in GPS on the Fitbit Charge 5, you can leave your mobile phone at home while out for a walk or run and still have access to all the activity stats you need.
It’s not the most suited for small wrists but does come with large and small bands. The latter being comfortable enough.
Pros:
- Built-in GPS
- Quite keenly priced
- Calculates blood oxygen
- Monitors changes in skin temperature
- Uses attractive OLED display
Cons:
- Does not have any physical buttons for selections
- No Alexa or music storage
The Amazfit Band 5 Fitness Tracker -Best Budget Choice
Before I continue with the review of this amazing tracker, it has to be said that not only is the band too big for a small wrist it’s design is also not very secure with a sort of peg and whole setup.
If there was a fudge to make it more secure it would be a great buy for the petite of wrist. I can think of a way but it would look pretty tacky.
If you need to monitor your heart rate, sleep patterns, and other essential health features, the Amazfit Band 5 Fitness Tracker is a terrific budget-friendly choice. But it appears to have a whole host of other features too.
It has the SpO2 sensor to monitor blood oxygen levels. The monitor doesn’t happen all the time though eg whilst asleep. It’s a manual measurement.
The Amazfit Band 5 uses Alexa built-in to pair with compatible devices and make everyday tasks more convenient.
With a display screen of only 1.1 inches, this wearable fitness tracker is slim enough but for reasons mentioned above not ideal for a small wrist as if the tracker is too loose the readings may prive inaccurate.
It has an extraordinary battery life that can last up to 15 days without recharging.
This model includes 11 sports modes and is “water-resistant” for swimming activities.
Pros:
- Many features
- 15 days battery life
- Inexpensive
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Built-in Amazon Alexa features
Cons:
- Bad band design
- Difficult to read the display in sunlight
How to Choose the Best Fitness Tracker: Buying Guide
With so many devices available on the market today, it can be challenging to determine which one will work best for your needs.
Just because the tracker is smaller does not mean it will be less effective. So before you rush out and purchase the first model you find, these elements can help you narrow down your choices.
- Overall cost
- Compatibility to mobile phone or fitness apps
- Battery life and charging elements
- Water-resistance
- Durability
- Size of display
Things to Look For
While not all of these elements may be critical to your decision, it can be a good idea to explore the differences between each model. Unfortunately, not all devices will suit every individual.
For example, you may find that when deciding between two brands, you prefer one over the other because of the strap size or how long the battery lasts.
The available features you want and need in a fitness tracker, such as the heart rate monitor and GPS, should help you narrow down your choice.
Many brands will have alternative strap sizes and materials to suit your lifestyle.
What You Need to Know
Many slim fitness trackers are available that are simple to use and will provide the health and fitness statistics you want in a wearable device. But you should be aware of some not-so-common elements.
Precautions for Using This Type of Product
Some fitness trackers may “entice” you to hold a monthly or yearly membership. Not all trackers have this option, but many will also offer additional workout routines and features with a subscription.
Before making your final decision, be sure to read the fine print so you do not purchase a wearable device that requires you to pay for an additional fitness plan if it isn’t in your budget.
Fitness trackers do not replace a doctor’s advice, and you should consult your physician before starting any new exercise routine.
If you are just starting out, check our article on the beginner’s guide to exercise.
Finally For The Best Fitness Tracker For Small Wrists
Anyone who prefers to wear a fitness tracker that will not get in the way or become too bulky will enjoy having a smaller device to help maintain their fitness goals.
Most of these seven fitness trackers can suit many individuals, with the Fitbit Inspire topping the list as the best fitness tracker for small wrists.
It will last up to ten days before you need to charge it, making it extremely convenient for busy people, it has all the regular features and at a reasonable price.
