11 Best Fitness Trackers That Doesn’t Need a Smartphone

Fitness trackers are becoming one of the essential gadgets for monitoring health and fitness. Having a fitness tracker helps you keep an eye on your daily fitness activities. 

As there is a deep-sea of fitness trackers in the market, most of them need smartphone connectivity to view fitness data and fitness stats. But for the elderly, it’s difficult to connect their fitness tracker with a smartphone; they also don’t like to keep smartphones in their pockets. 

Therefore, we have gathered a list of some best fitness tracker that doesn’t need smartphone connectivity to measure your fitness. You can view insights into your activities directly on your fitness tracker. Plus, these trackers are skin-friendly and comfortable to use elderly. 

In A Hurry! Here Are Our Best Picks!

     

Fitness Tracker That Doesn’t Need a Smartphone

1- Galaxy Watch Active 2

This is the watch that I have been personally using for the last year. Galaxy Watch Active 2 has broad fitness data to view on the watch itself, so you don’t need to connect it with a smartphone. 

Although it comes with Bluetooth, you can also connect it with a smartphone to access more features and watch faces. But if you don’t need smartphone connectivity, we recommend choosing its LTE variant, which gives an option to make calls and send SMS without a smartphone connection. 

Galaxy Watch Active 2 feels more comfortable at 42 grams of weight. And the 1.2″ display also looks more crisp and vibrant, making it easy to read in sunlight conditions. 

Being a great fitness tracker, Galaxy Watch Active 2 offers tons of health and fitness features, including a heart rate monitor, which is more accurate than before. 

Advanced sleep tracking gives more in-depth insights into your sleep on the watch, and you don’t even need to connect it with your smartphone to view these insights. You can also monitor the stress and find the best time to calm your body via its breathe app. 

For the elderly, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 adds a fall detection feature that sends SOS to emergency contacts in case of any incident. 

You can set daily fitness goals on your watch, and it will effectively monitor your daily goals. The built-in GPS allows you to track your routes while performing outdoor exercises like running or cycling. The watch contains all the good sports and workout mode that helps you perform your activities the next way. 

Limitation:

Although Galaxy Watch Active 2 works without smartphone connectivity, you can’t access the history of previous fitness data, sleep data, and others. Similarly, you can’t use third-party apps like Strava, Myfitnesspal, or Google fit without smartphone connectivity. 

2- Fitbit Charge 5

 

Charge 5 is a flagship fitness tracker that offers more advanced health tracking tools. You can monitor your workouts and health without connecting it with a smartphone.

Charge 5 contains much improved features than its predecessors, like an AMOLED display, ECG app, and more advanced health features. 

We have tested over 20 fitness trackers in the last few years, but among all, the Fitbit Charge 5 feels more comfortable and lightweight. It only weighs 28 g which is perfect for the elderly or people with small wrists. 

The Fitbit Charge 5 tracks your heart rate and notifies you when your heart rate is above or below your threshold. 

Similarly, for the elderly, it also added a new ECG app that measures your heart health whenever you want. Fitbit Charge 5 became better than the Galaxy Watch Active 2 because of its SpO2 sensor. The SpO2 feature helps you keep an eye on your blood oxygen saturation rate, the key factor of overall wellness.

What I like the most in the Fitbit trackers is Active Zone Minutes. It counts your time spent in any heart-pumping activity. Further, Charge 5 added 20 sports modes that monitor your activities and show real-time stats. 

What we don’t like in Fitbit charge 5

Overall, Charge 5 is a good fitness tracker with all the essential health tracking features. But the only limitation of this tracker is its small display screen. Suppose you are a person with weak eyesight, then it may be difficult for you to read the dial-in outdoor situations. It’s especially not recommended for elderlies with weak eyesight. 

3- Amazfit GTS

If you want to see more in-depth insights into your workouts and fitness routine, then Amazfit GTS 5 is a great option. The bigger 1.65″ AMOLED display gives a 341 PPI display, and the 2.5D glass lens makes the screen more stunning. 

GTS shows more comprehensive insights into your daily fitness goals that you don’t need to connect with a smartphone.

You can view different progress bards, charts, and the history of your fitness data. But connecting it with a smartphone allows you to check notifications on your watch. 

Amazfit GTS offers 12 sports modes that accurately track your sports activities. We have seen that Amazfit is improving the sensor’s performance.

The advanced PPG sensor in GTS monitors 24/7 heart rate with more accuracy. Plus, you will get detailed data on your heart rate intervals during any fitness activity. 

For fitness enthusiasts, Amazfit GTS brings a PAI health assessment system that gives you a score based on the past 7 days of activity. Using this score, you can improve your weekly performance more quickly. 

This fitness tracker has a built-in microphone that enables you to do voice searches via Google assistant. Having a GPS at this price range is a big plus; you would be able to track routes directly on your wrist. 

What We Don’t Like In Amazfit GTS:

Amazfit GTS is best for indoor and casual health tracking, but it’s not suitable for more advanced health training and tracking high-intensity moves. So if you are a serious fitness lover, then Amazfit GTS is not something made for you. 

4- Garmin Vivosmart 4

Vivosmart 4 is the best option for a slim and lightweight fitness tracker. This wearable comes with useful wellness features to help maintain a healthier lifestyle. 

This fashionable Garmin tracker doesn’t need smartphone connectivity to track fitness activities. But first, you have to connect it with your smartphone via Bluetooth, and once you don’t know you’re good, you can use it without a smartphone.

You can track your running and jog without having a smartphone in your pocket. Once you have completed your exercises, you can sync all the data on your smartphone app. 

But the problem is without smartphone connectivity, you will be unable to get notifications, calls, and SMS alerts. Similarly, you can’t connect your Garmin Vivosmart 4 to any third-party app without smartphone connectivity. 

Vivosmart 4 includes all the valuable fitness features when it comes to fitness tracking. The core feature spotted in this tracker is VO2 max, which gives you an idea of your aerobic health. Based on the VO2 max reading, Vivosmart 4 gives you an estimated fitness age value. 

Under the hood, Vivosmart 4 comes with a Pulse Ox sensor, sleep tracking, body battery energy, stress tracking, and 24/7 heart rate monitoring. 

Garmin Vivosmart 4 is recommended for all those who want more features on a smaller budget. But this tracker is not suitable for those with weak eyesight. Because it has 0.26″ x 0.70″ (0.26″ x 0.70″ display size which is difficult to read under strong sunlight conditions.

5- Apple Watch Series 7

Apple Watch 7 doesn’t need any praise, and it takes the first spot in list of list of fitness tracking. Apple 7 is the best fitness tracker for people with serious fitness goals. It works perfectly without a smartphone; just like other fitness trackers, you have first to connect it with your iPhone. 

The cellular version of the Apple Watch 7 is still a mini iPhone that enables you to make phone calls, reply to a text, and use the internet on your watch without smartphone connectivity. 

Watch 7 includes improvements like a 1.9″ bigger display and QWERTY keyboard, allowing you to type messages on the big screen quickly. 

Unluckily, no battery improvement is seen in Apple Watch 7, but fast charging becomes more powerful. It only takes 2.5 hours to charge your watch from 0 to 100% fully.

Apple Watch 7 offers more premium features in the health department, including the ECG app, which is more efficient and fast than predecessor apps. You will also see an improved stress tracking plus mindfulness app that helps you calm yourself with a beautiful animation on your watch. 

It has a more in-depth sleep tracking system. The thing that I like the most is the accuracy of the SpO2 feature that measures your blood oxygen level. Similarly, for the elderly, it also includes fall detection, detects any incident, and sends SOS to emergency contacts. 

Although the Apple Watch 7 doesn’t come with many improvements over its predecessor, it is still a good fitness tracker that works without smartphones. It gives all the features that you demand to maintain a healthier lifestyle. 

 6- Garmin Venu 2 Plus

 

Garmin Venu 2 Plus, a multisport watch, is packed with many outdoor features and is the best watch for outdoor enthusiasts. The durability and robustness of the watch enable you to track activities in a more challenging environment. 

Compared to the previous model, Venu 2 has two new features: a voice assistant and answering phone calls from your wrist. 

It isn’t easy to carry a smartphone during outdoor sports, so Venu 2 plus works without a smartphone and makes you stress-free to take a phone. Once your watch is connected with the Garmin Connect app, then you don’t need to carry your phone in your pocket. After completing your sports activities, you can sync data to your phone.  

Garmin menu 2 plus works as a virtual coach and enables you to perform training more effectively. You can use animated on-screen workouts, animated cardio, and HIIT exercises to see how to perform these exercises in the right way. 

Similarly, it also includes advanced strength training that shows which muscle groups you worked on and which need improvements. 

In a health department, it includes most premium features like Pulse OX sensor to measure your urgent blood level, body battery energy, health snapshot, respiration tracking, fitness age, and more. 

Using all these features, you can improve your training and outdoor performance. Plus, in-depth insights into your activities helps you to keep your eye on your weak points if you can improve them quickly.

And the good news is you don’t need any smartphone connection to use all these features; that’s why Venu 2 is one of the best fitness trackers that work without a smartphone.

7- Galaxy Watch 4

This wear OS watch is best for android users. Galaxy Watch 4 is equipped with the latest ECG sensor that measures your heart health and a more accurate blood pressure monitoring. 

The new thing in Galaxy Watch 4 is a BioActive sensor that measures body composition, which helps you know overall wellness and health metrics. 

Galaxy Watch 4 comes with a 1.4″ super AMOLED display that looks more crisp and vibrant. People who don’t want to connect their watch with a smartphone should choose the LTE variant of the Galaxy watch 4. The LTE variant gives all the smartphone features on your watch. 

Talking about its GPS, Galaxy Watch 4 has more accurate GPS tracking than its predecessors, which enables you to measure routes during running, cycling, or hiking. 

In addition to this, Watch 4 supports more than 90 exercises so that you can track every outdoor and indoor activity more effectively. Further, you will get advanced sleep tracking, calories counter, stress tracking, and a breathing app to calm yourself. 

You can store tons of songs on your Galaxy watch 4 as it offers 16GB of memory for entertainment. Plus, you can also store a lot of third-party apps on your watch. 

Compared to Galaxy watch active 2 and 3, this watch has smoother performance and a better refresh rate. But we have not seen any big improvement in the battery life department. It gives 40 hours of battery backup, but it supports fast charging this time. That only takes 2 hours to charge the watch fully. 

8- Fitbit Versa 3

 

I have been using Versa 3 for the last 3 months, and it didn’t disappoint me. Like the previous model, the Fitbit versa 3 comes in a square frame and has a very comfortable flexible silicon band. 

When it comes to display, the Fitbit Versa 3 has a 1.3″ AMOLED display, which is a little bigger than Versa 2. The 336 * 336 resolution display looks vibrant, making it easy to read the display under direct sunlight.

You don’t need to bring your smartphone for a jog or run with its built-in GPS. Also, this fitness tracker has more than 20 types of workouts, and watches automatically track a few of them. 

Fitbit Versa 3 is famous because of its accurate sleep tracking capabilities. It tracks your bedtime, wake-up time, light sleep, REM, and sleep. However, this watch tracks sleep without connecting it with a smartphone. But to see better insights into your sleep records, you have to connect your Versa3 with a smartphone app. 

Further, Versa 3 includes a SpO2 sensor that measures your blood oxygen saturation level during fitness activities and at night.

Versa 3 is an ideal option for women as it has menstrual health tracking that monitors log periods, records symptoms, and discovers patterns in your cycle using the app. 

Overall, the Fitbit Versa 3 is the best fitness tracker that works without a smartphone. A sleeker design makes watches very comfortable and lightweight. For the elderly, it also includes indent detection. 

 

9- Fitbit Luxe 

 

If you are looking for the best budget fitness tracker, this is the best option. It has a chic design that fits any outfit. The sleek bezel and small dial screen look attractive and make this tracker comfortable to wear. 

Fitbit Luxe is better than Fitbit Charge 4 because it has a vibrant AMOLED color display that automatically adjusts the brightness to your environment. 

This bracelet can track your workouts and exercises without a smartphone. But you can only display notifications if it’s connected to your phone. 

Luxe is water-resistant to 50 meters, so you can use it while swimming or taking a shower. It can also track how long you have been swimming.

This small fitness tracker has done a great job in the health department. It offers a daily readiness score that tells when you should do a workout or rest. Similarly, for athletes and fitness lovers, it brings more accurate SpO2 that monitors the level of oxygen in your blood. 

Calories burning is the goal of everyone. Fitbit Luxe includes Active Zone Minutes, which counts your time spent in any heart-pumping activity. 

Further, you will get stress tracking, mindful minutes, guided breathing, sleep tracking, etc., which are also part of Fitbit Versa 2. 

Overall, the Fitbit Luxe is the best fitness tracker with essential health features. But you can also get Versa 2 in a similar price range with a much bigger frame. And If you want a slim and sexy design, go for Fitbit luxe.  

10- Garmin Vivoactive 4

Compared to previous models, Vivoactive 4 brings more improvements and has some premium features for outdoor enthusiasts. The more refined software on Vivoactive makes it an easy-to-use watch, and you can view detailed metrics of your activities on the watch. And you don’t need any smartphone to view stats or track your activities. 

Using an android phone, you can also respond to texts and calls. But if you have an iPhone, you can only view SMS on Vivoactive 4. 

Moreover, Vivoactive 4 comes with a 1.4″ transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display with a high resolution to quickly read the dial under direct sunlight. 

This fitness tracker includes tons of features that make your game more interesting for golfing. Similarly, it also includes in-depth cycling, swimming, and running tracks. 

Vivoactive 4 is also a good health tracker that offers a Pulse Ox sensor, stress tracking, body battery energy, respiration tracking, etc. You can also use Vivoactive 4 for indoor sports tracking as it includes animated on-screen workouts, HIIT workouts, yoga, etc. 

The improved Garmin coach is your best virtual assistant that helps you to keep on the right track. 

11- Amazfit Band 5

If you are on a tight budget, Amazfit Band is the best option available for only 39 bucks. The tracker includes the built-in Alexa helping you to set alarms, and timers, check the weather, and control smart home devices. 

The 1.1″ screen looks similar to Mi band 6’s screen, and you can easily see stats on the dial. There are more than 45 custom watch faces, so you can choose the one that suits your outfit. 

Amazfit band 5 can also show smartphone notifications if it’s connected. Otherwise, you can also track your activities without connecting them with your phone. 

Thanks to its long-lasting battery that gives 15 days of battery backup on a simple charge. 

This comfortable fitness tracker offers essential health tracking features like SpO2, 24/7 heart rate, sleep tracking, calories tracking, etc. We have seen that heart rate results fluctuate, but accuracy could be questionable with such a price tag. 

Amazfit band 5 offers 11 built-in sports; during these activities, it records your heart rate, distance, speed, calories burned, and other data.

Considerations Before Choosing A Fitness Tracker

Before picking any fitness tracker, you should consider a few factors;

1- Style

Fitness trackers come in different systole, shapes, colors, and material. Most users are conscious of style, so you should choose a fitness tracker you’ll feel comfortable wearing every day.

2- Display

Fitness trackers came with monochrome displays in the past, but now most of them offer full-color AMOLED or OLED displays. While purchasing any fitness tracker, make sure that its screen is easily readable and the colors should be vibrant. 

3- Sensors:

Fitness trackers are packed with different types of sensors that perform other functionalities. More sensors mean you will get a lot of data. So in a fitness tracker, you should look for a GPS, Optical heart rate sensor, Gyroscope, Barometer, Pedometer, and Magnetometer. 

4- Battery Life:

Battery life is one of the core factors you should consider before choosing any fitness tracker. A fitness tracker’s battery life may vary from one day to a month. A track with more features, GPS, and AMOLED display gives less battery backup. But attest your fitness tracker should last for 3-7 days. 

FAQs

Final Words:

A fitness tracker is a must-have gadget for athletes and fitness lovers. It not only helps you to monitor your progress but also guides you to take the right steps. You can also use these fitness trackers without a smartphone, so you don’t need to carry a smartphone with you when you are performing any activity. There are a lot of such fitness trackers available, ranging from $100 – $500, so It’s up to you which tracker you want to choose.