Just after the holidays, when we all relax and eat too much, comes the New Year, when we all vow to get back into shape. That reliable phenomenon makes fitness trackers a great gadget gift. Especially this year, now that the market has matured and is full of solid choices.

But because there are so many choices, it can be hard to figure out which one is the best for you or the person you're giving it to. Which is why we designed our 2014 "best of" guide to include three different options, at different price levels and built for different needs.

Here are our picks for the best fitness trackers of 2014.

Best Middle-of-the Road Tracker: Jawbone UP24

Device maker Jawbone has been in the fitness tracking game for about two years now. The original Jawbone UP, released in 2012, was a game-changer when it came out because of its simplicity in design, nice looks and all-around flexibility for everyday use.

The UP is still the fitness tracker that I've spent the most time with, by choice, but its 2014 refresh, the Jawbone UP24, comes with some welcome updated features that will solidify Jawbone in its leading position in the marketplace for the foreseeable future.

The UP24 still looks a lot like its predecessor. This is a good thing, as its thin rubber wristband design -- available in black and red-orange -- still looks stylish but also more understated than larger watch-based designs.

It comes with updated Bluetooth 4.0 for syncing with your iOS or Android device (still no Mac or Windows support though), and it should last about a week, give or take, on a full charge. Buyers beware, iOS support is restricted to iPhone 4S and iPad 3 or above.

Another standout feature for Jawbone is its time-tested companion app, which can connect to many third-party services to expand its data tracking capabilities.

The Jawbone UP24 costs around $150 retail, which is a little pricey given it has no display and is only water resistant. But for measuring daily activity, exercise and sleep patterns -- including a great anti-groggy alarm feature that wakes you up when it detects your no longer in a deep sleep -- the Jawbone UP24 is a solid choice.

Best Premium Do-It-All Tracker: Basis Peak

The Basis Peak is a customizable, everything-tracking behemoth of a fitness tracker. So feature-rich, it almost merits the "smartwatch" label, this fitness tracker is ideal for those who want to know pretty much everything there is to know about their daily activity, health and fitness statistics.

The new smart fitness tracker, being released later this week, is appropriately the most expensive device on our list, at $199 retail.

But it sure does track a lot of information about your activity and fitness: steps taken, constant heart rate monitoring, calories burned, skin temperature, perspiration and sleep, including the "Advanced Sleep Analysis" system that can differentiate between deep, light and even REM sleep.

The coolest feature is called Body IQ, which can automatically recognize and distinguish between fitness activities like walking, running and biking -- and will switch into a specialized fitness mode accordingly. Don't worry about swimming with it either, as it's waterproof. It's also smaller than its predecessors, with customization options for the fashion-conscious.

The only major downside, besides the hefty price, is that the Basis Peak hasn't improved on the company's previous fitness trackers' performance when it comes to battery life. You'll only get about four days out of the Peak. Still, that's better than most smartwatches, which the Peak -- with its touchscreen and autosync features for Android, iOS, Mac and PC -- nearly qualifies as.

Best Basic Fitness Tracker: Garmin Vivofit

The Garmin Vivofit, made by the device maker best known for GPS units, is the best low-priced fitness tracker out there. It goes for just under $100, and you can easily find it for about $20 less than even that.


While not the prettiest fitness tracker, the Vivofit sports some of the most outstanding features in its class. It's waterproof enough that you won't have to worry about wearing it anywhere. It tracks all the major activities the average person would be interested in tracking, and its display is easy to read while consuming very little energy.

How energy efficient is the Vivofit, you ask? The Vivofit's battery is rated to last a year on a charge.

Let's recontextualize that once more, in case you missed it. Most fitness trackers, including some great ones, will keep running for anywhere between the length of a holiday weekend to approximately the duration of your average summer vacation. The Vivofit keeps ticking -- and tracking -- for at least 26 times longer. Major life events could occur in the time it takes this device to run out of battery.

That alone merits your attention -- and a coveted number one pick from Wirecutter -- but the Vivofit also can wirelessly sync with your computer and has an easy-to-use iOS, Android, and desktop app.

The Vivofit is by far the best tracker at its price level, and a great gift for someone who wants to get more active, but doesn't want one of those "gadgets" that requires constant attention.