5 Fitness Trackers That Don’t Lock Core Features Behind A Monthly Subscription

Oura isn’t even the most egregious subscription-based offender in this space. Whoop, the popular screenless fitness tracking band, requires a membership starting at $199 per year. Granted, that includes the device itself, unlike others. But you don’t need to be a math whiz to realize how quickly its cost can add up over the long term, too.

That’s why Google’s recently released Fitbit Air is so interesting. It’s basically a Whoop, with a one-time cost of $100. You can use most of its features without an additional subscription. What a concept! Let’s take a closer look at the landscape following the Fitbit Air’s entry, to see where you can cut through the paywall noise.

The device’s battery life is about seven days, half the Whoop’s 14-day uptime. But the Fitbit Air does charge quickly, so it shouldn’t be a huge deal. For example, our review unit went from 36 percent to 58 percent in just five minutes.

The Fitbit Air works with both Android and iOS phones. However, it requires the Google Health app and won’t sync natively with Apple Health.

The device logs your heart rhythm, sleep, steps and workouts. And Garmin’s Body Battery score estimates how long to wait before your next intense workout. Like the Fitbit Air and Whoop, the vívosmart 5 lacks built-in GPS and instead uses connected GPS via your paired phone.

Best of all, there’s no monthly fee whatsoever, so your $150 upfront investment unlocks everything the device can do.

The Garmin vívosmart 5 is compatible with Android and iOS. Its companion Garmin Connect app can sync with Apple Health and Google Health.

Unfortunately, the Galaxy Ring doesn’t work with iPhones. And while it works just fine with Android phones from other manufacturers, a Samsung device is required for Galaxy AI features and its double-pinch gesture controls.

This latest model has longer battery life than the previous generation: up to 24 hours with regular use. On the health front, this model adds hypertension alerts. The watch can monitor your heart rate and blood oxygen levels, track your sleep (including a sleep score), and log a long list of workouts.

On the downside, the Apple Watch Series 11 starts at a hefty $400. It’s also iOS-only, so folks with Android phones are left out.

The device has a bigger, brighter and sharper display than its predecessor, with an improved screen-to-body ratio. It covers the basics, including heart rate monitoring and sleep tracking. It can last up to 21 days on a single charge. As a quirky bonus, you can even wear it as a necklace or attach it to your shoe.

What’s compromised at this ridiculously low price? First, the Xiaomi Smart Band 10 lacks built-in GPS. Its suite of sensors is also limited: It can’t sense ECG, blood pressure, skin temperature, barometer, altimeter, or HRV. Its sleep tracking also gets mixed feedback. This isn’t the device to get if you want premium health monitoring; it’s more about keeping the cost down.

The Xiaomi Smart Band 10 pairs with the Mi Fitness app, which is available on iOS and Android.