Top 10 Pedometers Reviewed and Rated in 2024
Brian pWhat we call a fitness/activity tracker today began life a number of decades ago as the humble step counter. And, for all the advances in tech gadgetry, sometimes you just need the basics. If you’re not interested in tracking your REM sleep or your exercise heart rate, then this article is for you. That’s because we are about to forget all the high tech bells and whistles and go in search of the best pedometer in 2019.
In a Hurry? The test winner after 195 hrs of research
Comes in four colors
Easy to use
Extra big display
Perfect for the whole family
10 Best Pedometers
1. D FitBud Simple Step
Comes in four colors
Easy to use
Extra big display
Perfect for the whole family
Not always accurate
The 3-D FitBud Simple Step Counter provides a simple design and interface that counts your steps only. The large display makes it ideal for all ages. There is no complicated set up required to use this counter – just press a single button and you’re away. Advanced 3-D Tri-Axis Sensor technology provides a very accurate step count. This simple pedometer is worn around the neck using the lanyard which comes as part of your purchase. Batteries are also provided.
Read moreThe 3-D is the easiest way to remind yourself to keep active. Be conscious of your steps and keep moving. This easy pedometer is a great motivator for people of any age so keep active and stay healthy.
This pedometer is ready to go right out of the box. You just pull out the little plastic piece which protects the battery and drop it in your pocket or put it around your neck. It is designed to be simple and easy to use by anyone who wants to count their steps. It has a simple function that counts your steps so you can keep track while you are on the go.
Once it has counted for the day you press reset on the back to set it to 0 and you are ready for the new day.
2. Realalt 3-D Tri-Sport Walking Pedometer
Accurate 3D motion sensor
30-day memory
Large display
Timer and clock
Complicated to set up for accuracy
The Realalt 3-D pedometer uses the latest 3-D Tri-Axis technology to more accurately track your fitness activity. It will also provide you with your calories, distance traveled and exercise time. It will also store up to 30 days of your fitness history, allowing you to stay motivated in order to achieve your goals. This is an easy pedometer to use, which is made even easier thanks to a comprehensive set up video.
This device can be clipped to your waist, placed around your neck or put in your pocket or bag. It features a large, clear easy to read display. Your purchase comes with an 18-month warranty.
Read moreThe 3DTriSport step counter will accurately let you know how far you go using the latest technology. It will track your steps whether you are running or walking. This pedometer will keep track of how far you go in kilometers or miles. It will also let you know how long you have been exercising and how many calories you burned.
The memory will store up to 30 days of your daily workouts, helps you keep track of your progress and helps keep you motivated to reach your goals.
This device is super simple to set up so you can begin using it right away. It comes with an easy to understand user manual. This device is good for anyone in the family. No downloads, smartphones or Bluetooth required.
3. OZO Fitness SC2
The extended battery lasts up to one year
Quick start guide with videos
Strong belt clip
Large display screen
Only comes in blue
The OZO Fitness SC2 uses 3-D Tri-Axis sensor technology to allow you to accurately measure your steps, distance, calories, mph, kph and exercise time. This is a non-Bluetooth device that has a built-in watch. The 7-day memory log will track a full week’s work of activity to allow you to measure your progress over time. It features a large LCD screen for easy viewing and the big buttons on the front make it easy for elderly people to program their preferences.
Read moreThis smart tracker will make it fun to complete your fitness goals. It measures accurately how far you walk, how many steps you walk, and so much more to help you stay motivated and reach your goals.
You can easily set this up in minutes and if you have any problems customer service is easy to contact. It includes a clock and triggers midnight resets. The memory log holds a week's worth of stats.
Enjoy an easily readable display you can even read without your glasses. It also has nice big buttons on the front you can use for programming easily.
This pedometer is small and easy to stash in your pocket or clip onto your clothing. It is comfortable to wear and would make a great gift.
4. PINGKO Pedometer
Comes in 4 colors
Very accurate
The battery lasts up to a year
Turns off when you are not moving
Have to take time to set it up
The PINGKO comes in four fun colors. It is a cute design you will love to wear and will inspire you to keep at your fitness goal. It has a big display which is easy to read and is also silent so it will not interrupt your daily routine.
This step counter is easy to program and use. To make sure you get the most accurate reading, have the unit close to your waist which is the movement that it measures.
Read moreMany pedometers are complicated with features you will probably never use, but the PINGKO keeps it basic and useful. They have designed a simple compact unit with plenty of functions. You can use the pedometer with ease by just clipping it onto your clothes and it is fairly inexpensive. It will record your steps with great accuracy.
It will also tell you how many calories you burn and how far you have traveled. It has a replaceable battery which lasts around 12 months which switches off when you are stationary.
5. One Tweak Pedometer
Has 30-day record memory
Turns off and on according to your activity level
Comes with clip-on holder and lanyard
Excellent customer service
Instructions are tiny and hard to read
The One Tweak Pedometer again uses 3-D Tri-Axis technology for the most accurate monitoring of your physical activity. It will count the steps you walk, how far you do, how many calories you burn, and how long you workout and can track 30 days in memory. You can also keep up to 7 digits worth of cumulative steps in memory. The daily step count will automatically reset at midnight. Once set up, this device is extremely easy to use. Your purchase includes a lanyard, battery, user manual, and clip-on holder.
Read moreThis pedometer is easy to use with accelerometer technology. It is made with great craftsmanship and accuracy. It allows you to use the pause function when you are traveling by vehicle.
It will track your steps and more, keeping the most recent 30 days in memory. Then the unit automatically resets at midnight to start a new day.
This pedometer hibernates when you are not moving and then reactivates when you are. You will not need to turn it on or off. Once you set it up, it is easy to use.
Your purchase comes with a holder if you want to clip it onto your clothes, a lanyard to wear it around your neck, a battery, and the user manual.
6. D Active Pedometer
Easy to read screen
30-day memory
Long lasting battery
Highly accurate
Set up only last 10 seconds
The 3-D Active Pedometer PDA-100 provides you with an accurate measurement of your daily steps, distance traveled, calories burned and activity duration. The silent 3-D motion sensor provides you with very accurate step measurement. The large dual easy to read screen can be seen by people of all ages. You get 30 days of daily activity with automatic resetting at midnight.
Read moreThis is an accurate step counter which records how far you travel and how many sets you take, as well as the calories you burned. It has a 3D motion sensor that is silent so it will not interfere with your day.
The 3-D Active Pedometer has a nice big screen you can read easily so it works well for older adults who might not have the best eyesight. The pedometer works if you clip it on your waist, put it in your pocket or drop it into your purse.
The memory records up to 30 days of the steps you do daily which will help keep you motivated and moving.
7. Omron HJ-325
Comes with holder and clip
Comes with an instruction manual
Easy to change the battery
Accurately counts steps from any position
Complicated waist clip design
The Omron is capable of recording a seven-day history of your stepper activity. This allows you to review an entire week’s worth of exercise at any one time. This device will also display aerobic pace walking as a separate measurement. It has a large, easy to read display and a one-year limited warranty. You should be aware that when you replace the battery all the settings are wiped.
Read moreThis step counter is great for tracking your steps and your progress towards your fitness goals. It has clear, easy to read buttons so you can maneuver to get the information you want. It keeps an accurate count no matter what position it is in.
It has an automatic stride function which measures your stride based on your height and weight. It will keep seven days in the display for you to compare.
8. Willful Pedometer
Does not need app or smartphone
Automatically detects sleep time
Satisfaction guarantee
One year warranty
Does not come with a charger
The Willful Pedometer is a non-Bluetooth fitness activity tracker that you wear as a watch. The best pedometer allows you to accurately track your daylong exercise, providing you with data on your steps taken, calories burned and distance traveled. It will also automatically detect your sleep during the night and record your sleep time. All of your exercise data can be checked on this bracelet.
This best pedometer unit is ideal for people who don’t want to use their pedometer in conjunction with a smartphone or who don’t have a smartphone.
Read moreThis pedometer bracelet does not need a smartphone or an app. It keeps track of your steps throughout the day. It automatically keeps track of your sleep time as well. It is easy to use and perfect for people who just want something simple to keep track of your activity.
This pedometer comes with satisfaction guaranteed. If you do not like it after 30 days of using it, you can get a full refund. It also has a one year warranty. If you have any problems, they have excellent customer service available.
9. LetsFit Activity Tracker
Is USB rechargeable
Monitors your heart rate
Monitors your sleep patterns
Vibrates with incoming messages
Be wary of monthly app fees
The LetsFit Activity Tracker provides you with all the diagnostic monitoring that you get with all the other pedometers covered so far, but adds in a 24/7 heart rate function. It also provides you with a heart rate curve so you can monitor your heart health. It also has a sedentary reminder function to get you moving after a period of inactivity. In addition, you get full sleep monitoring along with tracking of 14 kinds of sports activities. You can read detailed workout data and connect to your phone’s GPS to see a map of your workout routine.
Read moreThis pedometer as the added benefit of monitoring your heart rate. There is a graph in the app which helps you to better understand your heart rate.
It also keeps track of how many minutes you are active during the day and how many calories burned.
This pedometer unit will also keep track of your sleep in the different stages so you can get a better understanding of your sleep quality. It also vibrates to let you know when you have calls or messages coming in and vibrates when you have been sitting for too long.
This pedometer also has a USB charging system built in so you can charge it for a couple of hours and then it's good for another 5 days or so.
10. FitBit Charge 2
Call and message notification
Tracks all of your fitness stats
Connects to a very useful app
Guided breathing sessions
Hard to reach customer service
The FitBit Charge 2 is capable of monitoring your steps, distance traveled, calories burned and stairs climbed. It will also provide you with accurate heart rate monitoring with having to use a chest strap. Its convenient silent alarm will wake you up without disturbing anyone else around you. This pedometer is water resistant and auto syncs to computers and Smartphones. It comes with a rechargeable built-in battery. The FitBit Charge 2 is our best-rated pedometer of 2019.
If you are interested in checking the best of the more high tech ports and fitness gadgets that are currently on the market, be sure to check out our investigation of the top coolest fitness gadgets and technology for getting in shape.
Read moreThe Fitbit Charge 2 is designed to be used for all-day workouts and more. Tracking your heart rate helps you maximize your workouts. You can get a good picture of the calories you are burning, your cardio activity level as well as your sleep patterns.
You can record the workouts and see the stats on the screen or use SmartTrack to pick exercises. This pedometer has a nice sized screen you can use to stay connected with your world even while you are workout out.
It reminds you to stay active and provides guided breathing for when you need some calm time. This pedometer also has customizable faces and bands so you can find one to fit your look.
Criteria Used for Evaluation
Ease of Use
Ease of use is an important consideration because you want the pedometer you can set and go, so it is not interfering with your workout or your daily activities. You want to be able to set it, put it in your pocket and then go about your day.
Portability
Portability means you can take the pedometer with you and make it a part of the background in your daily life. It is helpful if you can wear the step counter around your wrist. It is nice to find the best pedometer which comes with a good clip you can attach to your clothes or a lanyard so you can wear it around your neck. It is also nice if the pedometer is compact enough to drop into your pocket or purse so it can work while going unnoticed.
Features
Some pedometers are uncomplicated and basically, just count your steps. Some also track or heart rate or even monitor your sleep. It is important to know how accurate the technology is and how easy it is to set up for use and be able to read the pedometer easily. Know if memory is important to you in developing your fitness workout. All of these are important.
Battery Life
The battery life is important on the pedometer because you do not want to have to mess with it all the time. Most of the battery should last up to a year. Some of the pedometers actually plug-in. In that case, it is nice if you can find the pedometer which only has to charge for an hour or two and then is good for five days or more.
Comfort
When thinking about comfort, you have to consider how your pedometer will be worn. If it is on your wrist, you want something with a nice soft material that will not irritate your skin. If you wear the pedometer around your neck, you will want something which is not too bulky so you can just tuck it under your compression shirt and be about your day. If you clip it to your belt, you want to look for also something not too bulky but also a step counter which comes with a secure belt clip and attaches easily. This will help you have the pedometer on you and not have to give it another thought.
Physical fitness is critical to combat health issues like obesity and heart disease, which means getting plenty of regular exercises. Wearing a pedometer can take your workouts to a whole new level. At the very least, just having the device on you is a constant reminder to get up and move around on a regular basis. Many of them even have a sedentary reminder which will vibrate at regular times, letting you know it is time to get up and exercise.
Pay special attention to the face of your pedometer. You want something you can read effortlessly with buttons you understand and can use easily. Like any tool, it is only helpful if you learn how to use it well.
Frequently Asked Questions
q: What is a Pedometer?
A pedometer is a portable best step counter that is capable of measuring the number of steps a person takes. It does this by monitoring the motion of either the hands or the hips. Modern pedometers are able to account for variation in stride distance to allow for a more accurate measure of steps taken.
Pedometers may be worn on the belt or on the wrist. They are kept on all day in order to accumulate the daily steps taken. Pedometers are useful tools that act as motivators to encourage people to meet a daily stepping goal.
The often-used benchmark goal to achieve per day is 10,000 steps. This equates to 8 kilometers ( 5 miles). Walking at an average pace for 30 minutes will achieve an average of 3,500 steps. This means that a person will have to walk for about an hour and a half at a moderate pace in order to achieve the 10,000 step goal.
q: Why are Pedometer Goals Based on 10,000 Steps?
Each pedometer watch will give you a default step goal of 10,000 steps. It’s a reasonable question to ask where this number came from. Is there some magic fat loss set point that you reach when you hit the 10000 step marker?
The 10,000 step goal originated with Japanese makers of pedometers who used it in their marketing campaigns to get people to buy their product. There was no scientific rationale behind the number; it just seemed like a realistic daily goal.
Since then, however, researchers have taken up the challenge and looked into what constitutes a healthy daily movement goal. And what number did they come up with?
10,000 steps.
Now the American Heart Association uses the 10,000 step bench-mark as a recommendation to improve a person’s health and lower the risk of heart disease. The Surgeon General of the United States recommends that every person engages in a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise per day. 10,000 steps will achieve that and more. Unless a person has an extremely active lifestyle, it will require some considerable effort to achieve the 10,000 steps (5 miles) during the course of the day. It may entail starting to walk to work or going for an after-dinner walk in the evening.
In 2010 a study was conducted to evaluate the beneficial effects of the 10,000 steps per day goal. Results showed that achieving this goal will lower your body mass index, reduce waist size, provide more energy, and lower the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
q: Are pedometers accurate?
They are pretty accurate, usually within about 5 percent when you wear the most accurate pedometer while walking at a moderate pace. However, there have been reports of people who walk slowly not getting as accurate of reading so you might need to take that into consideration. It can still be used for daily comparison purposes.
q: Is a piezoelectric or spring-levered pedometer better?
If you walk slowly, you may be better off with a piezoelectric pedometer because they tend to be more accurate at slower speeds. The spring-levered devices are also affected by tilt which can make them not as accurate, as mentioned in this pedometer review.
q: How many steps per day should I walk?
That can be a complicated question because it is dependent on your individual case. Taking 10,000 steps per day is often recommended but that may not be the best idea for everyone. Older adults and individuals with chronic diseases, for example, may not want to go that far. The best idea is always to consult your doctor before starting a regiment and using a pedometer for counting the steps.
