The 10 Best Sleep Trackers
Special Honors
BodiMetrics Circul Sleep & Fitness Ring The BodiMetrics Circul Sleep & Fitness Ring monitors oxygen saturation levels and heart rate, as well as four sleep stages of awake, light, deep, and REM. In addition to gathering data about your slumber, it also counts your steps through its built-in pedometer, and uploads all of your information to the cloud. bodimetrics.com
Oura Heritage Ring The Oura Heritage Ring puts sensors directly on your finger - where your pulse is strong - to collect data like heart rate and body temperature. Weighing approximately four to six grams, it feels very lightweight, and because it's made of titanium, it's quite durable. Its battery lasts for one week, and in addition to daily updates on your sleep cycles, it also gives an overview of long-term progress. ouraring.com
Editor's Notes
October 06, 2020:
Accuracy, comfort, and ease of use were our top priorities when creating this list of the best sleep trackers. We also aimed to add some items that provide a bit more than the expected information, so users can get a detailed look at the quality of their sleep, and learn about ways to improve it.
A handful of selections caught our attention thanks to the detailed information they provide. For example, the Emfit QS reports the body's total recovery during the night, which is helpful for athletes determining how hard they can push themselves the following day. Meanwhile, the SleepScore Max detects sounds, lights, and the temperature, helping users gain an understanding of how their environment is affecting the quality of their rest. The Lookee O2-Ring monitors blood oxygen levels at night, and when those drop too low, it vibrates to encourage the user to turn over, making it a good choice for snorers and sleep apnea sufferers.
As for models that are particularly unobtrusive, we like that the Withings Under the Mattress and the Beautyrest BRST-20 can just be slipped into your bed, and will gather important information from there. We also appreciate the minimalistic design of the Fitbit Flex 2. Though the Motiv Ring is supposed to pass as a fashion accessory and has a slender profile, its color doesn't last. It also struggles to hold a charge, and for those two reasons, we eliminated it. The Baize Smart Watch is too chunky to be worn at night, and its band is flimsy and breaks easily, so we removed it during this update as well. For those who do want something that looks and acts like a high-end watch while providing data about your sleep, there is the Withings Steel HR and the Garmin Vivoactive 4S.
The UrbanHello Remi has a night light, but because it must sit so near the user to detect data, it can can actually keep children awake, defeating its purpose, so we removed it. Unfortunately, the SleepOn Go2Sleep often has connectivity issues, so we decided to get rid of it, too.
January 25, 2019:
These monitors are only useful insofar as they don't interfere with your sleep, so comfort should be of paramount importance. That said, some of the under-the-mattress options are limited in the type of information they can provide, so you may sacrifice a few data points (like blood pressure and breathing rate) in the name of comfort.