Six ways to track your fitness

Matt Swider, mobile devices editor for Techradar.com, picked these six fitness trackers for consumers with a variety of needs.

1. Fitness light - Garmin VivoFit ($85) is hassle free, just a digital watch that counts steps and goes a year between charges. Strap it on and forget about it.

2. Counting sheep - Jawbone Up24 ($120) is light, all purpose and stylish, like a bright rubber bracelet for a cause. It has a colorful app that motivates you to keep moving and tracks food intake by scanning bar codes. Best of all, it tracks sleep cycles and wakes you up with a vibrating alarm. Downside: No display, so you’ll need a smart phone app to see the data.

3. Stay connected - Samsung Gear Fit ($150) is a small, stylish band with display that makes it easy to count steps, track heart rate, read incoming texts and email. Downside: It downloads only to Samsung devices and has a three-day battery life.

4. Climber’s delight - Fitbit Charge ($120) is among the best step and calorie counters, but it also has a top-notch altimeter that tracks your ascent and mileage covered. Connect it to your computer for a full progress report, or to your phone to receive call notifications. Downside: Strap is hard to buckle; small screen is hard to see.

5. Goal tracker - Nike+ Fuelband SE ($125) counts steps, miles and calories, then awards points for achieving goals and lets you share with other Nike+ friends. It’s showerproof; the clasp is a USB port, making it easy to download data; and sensors will quantify exercises like yoga and bowling. Downside: It’s being phased out; stiff wristband can feel like a handcuff.

6. Geeks R Us - If you like scientific bells and whistles, you’ll love Basis Carbon Steel ($199) and the new Basis Peak. Both look like a watch but behave like a personal trainer. Biometric sensors know when you start and stop exercising, recording the data even if you don’t remember. They measure heart rate, skin temperature, perspiration, calories burned, steps taken and sleep patterns, also sending text, email and call notifications.