Whether you’re traditional, sport, mountaineering, alpine or indoor climbing, you’re getting an intense and stimulating vertical workout that is unique from any other activity.
In hilly locations, climbing is an everyday activity enjoyed by athletes and hobbyists alike. In other areas, climbing occurs inside an indoor facility where a wall is constructed specifically for enthusiasts. No matter where you’re climbing, tracking your climbs is a great way to train and improve your overall fitness.
One of the best trackers on the market is the Fitbit, an activity tracker to help you stay motivated, but with so many variations and versions, what’s the best Fitbit for climbers?
Regardless of your experience level or where you climb, tracking your progress will help you better understand how climbing impacts your physicality and will allow you to set and strive toward specific goals more accurately.
Many Fitbits come with pre-set exercise settings, where the device recognizes the activity and tracks your data accordingly. While climbing isn’t typically a pre-set activity, it can be manually programmed. Here are the top features you need to consider as a climber.
Zone minutes track your resting heart rate, as well as your heart rate when working out and calories burned. This is key if you want to see how active your climb was.
Some Fitbits come with all the bells and whistles and include GPS tracking, calling, text, Fitbit pay and more. A Fitbit with a smartwatch feature is an excellent idea if you don’t want to bring wallets and phones along on climbing excursions.
In some cases, your Fitbit can track your skin temperature, blood oxygen levels and alert you of any fluctuations. While this isn’t directly related to climbing, it is a great way to recognize stress and understand your body more.
There’s a big difference between a battery life of three or 10 days, and Fitbits come in various options. Consider your lifestyle, plans for usage and your climbing and fitness goals.
Fitbit Inspire 2 Health & Fitness Tracker
The Fitbit Inspire 2 Health and Fitness Tracker offer up to 10 days of battery life, 24/7 heart monitoring and over 20 exercise modes that you can utilize to track various types of activity. It’s ideal for any kind of climb or excursion. It doubles as a smartphone so that you can receive texts, calls and other notifications all on your wrist. Track your progress for your own knowledge, or connect and compete in challenges with other users and friends.
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Fitbit Sense Advanced Smartwatch
This Fitbit offers more than just heart rate and fitness tracking; the Fitbit Sense Advanced Smart Watch boasts stress management capabilities by tracking fluctuations in your skin temperature and your heart rate. If there’s any change, you’ll get a notification. Along with the essential fitness components suitable and customizable to those who climb, it can store music, receive calls and texts, is water-resistant and has a battery life of approximately six days.
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Fitbit Versa 3 Health & Fitness Smartwatch
The Fitbit Versa 3 is available in various colors and includes small and large bands to customize the look. This product uses advanced heart rate tracking technology and can operate in cold-to-very hot climates, making it ideal for climbers at elevated heights. With Versa 3, you can track and understand your resting heart rate and receive alerts when an increase in intensity is noted. This can help gauge your effort. The battery can last up to six days. It receives calls and texts and has a GPS built-in, all of which can come in handy whether you’re climbing at the gym or outdoors.
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Fitbit Charge 4 Activity Tracker GPS + Heart Rate
With Fitbit Charge 4, you can utilize the various features to get familiarized with your unique body patterns and athletic ability. Features include a GPS, Active Zone Minutes, SpO2, a 24/7 heart rate tracker, sleep tracker and several exercise modes, including step counters, floors climbed, pacing, calories and distance, just to name a few. It has a sleek design and can load credit and debit information onto the device for Fitbit Pay. The battery can last up to seven days, providing optimal flexibility for those who are on the go and looking for a hands-free, hassle-free device.
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Courtney Love writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
