Best 5 Fitness Trackers For The Ankle That Actually Work In 2024

In this article, I will help you to find the best fitness tracker for the Ankle. Wearing a fitness tracker on your ankle might be more convenient to some but the main reason for wearing it on your ankle is for more accurate step counting.

It is not easy to find a fitness tracker or smartwatch for your ankle since the sensors on almost all the devices are designed to read data from your wrist.

The sensors in smartwatches and fitness trackers are responsible for a variety of functions, from tracking fitness data to monitoring heart rate. Here’s a look at how these tiny components work to keep us healthy and connected.

Fitness trackers are equipped with a variety of sensors that collect data about our activity and health. These sensors include an accelerometer, gyroscope, and heart rate monitor.

If you want to place your smartwatch on your ankle, I have made you a list of 12 Best Ankle Bands for Smartwatches and Smart Bands.

The accelerometer tracks our movement and can be used to calculate steps taken, distance traveled, and calories burned. The gyroscope detects changes in orientation and can be used to track sleep quality or monitor for falls.

The heart rate monitor uses optical sensors to measure the amount of blood flow through the wrist. This data can be used to track fitness progress, monitor for heart health issues, or even provide a warning if the user is at risk for a heart attack.

#Overview

Fitness Tracker For Ankle With Heart Rate Sensor And Without

When referring to a fitness tracker on the ankle there are 2 types of devices. Some people are more interested in HR reading from the ankle and others don’t care about HR but about other measurements such as accurate cadence, distance, speed, and stride.

Below you will find the suitable ankle fitness tracker whether you belong to the first group or the second one.

Best Fitness Tracker For The Ankle – Our Top 5 Picks In 2024

The Moov Now has been around for quite a while now but despite that, it is a device that has very proudly stood the test of time. The Moov Now was a great choice to pick up as a fitness tracker back then as it is now.

The most attractive bit about this activity tracker was the price. It was modestly priced at $40 and offered features that you could find in devices costing quite a bit more.

With added detail to the activities that involve step tracking and distance, the Moov Now has rep-based training which means you can switch to modes like running, swimming, and cycling just to fine-tune your activities and access a wider threshold of data.

Along with compatibility with your phone’s GPS, the Moov Now also packs your standard activity tracker features as well as some complex ones such as an audio coach to assist you during your workouts as well as stroke counts for swimming.

The Moov now by itself does not read your heart rate, however, you can combine it with the Moov HR Burn Heart Rate Monitor chest strap in order to get an accurate HR measurement.

Fitbit Flex 2 is another very popular fitness tracker which is intended to use on wrists, however, I know few people who are using it on the ankle and are happy with the results. Like other trackers on the list, Fitbit Flex 2 also doesn’t come with any display. 

The Flex 2 comes with some LEDs on the top which indicate the battery and other important information to the users. 

So, you will be using Flex 2 just to track your exercise and collect data. The band will display all the data from the band on the Fitbit App.

The majority of the people who wants to wear the fitness tracker on the ankle, want to track their running or jogging sessions accurately. Wearing the fitness tracker on your ankle is one way of doing it but the other way of doing it is to use a Foot Pod.

The Stride Sensor by Polar is one of the best Foot Pods available on the market it easily fits on top of joggers and you can use them to track your jogging or running sessions. The Stride Sensor by Polar is designed to track your running sessions accurately and it accurately tracks your stride, distance, and speed.

When it comes to compatibility, you can use Stride Sensor with any Bluetooth-enabled device and you can see all the data from the sensor on the Polar Beat Application. 

Garmin is known for its reliable and durable smartwatches but the company also makes other fitness gear. Garmin Food Pod is an awesome device by the company that you can use to track your running sessions.

The Foot Pod will not give you data such as heart rate, however, it will give you very accurate data regarding your running and Jogging sessions such as speed, distance, and cadence.

The only downside of Garmin’s Foot Pod is that it only works with some compatible Garmin watches. So, if you have a Garmin watch, you should consider it because it can provide useful data about your workouts.

The Garmin foot pod is not exactly an ankle device. Instead, it attaches to your shoelaces or can be placed inside your shoe. 

Xiaomi Mi Band 8 is one of the latest fitness trackers in 2024 and it’s a solid fitness tracker in the budget category.

The Mi Band 8 is designed to be worn on the wrists but it can be worn on the Ankle using this third-party accessory. When it’s worn on the Ankle, it won’t be able to monitor your heart rate but when it’s worn on the wrists, it can monitor your heart-rate 24×7.

It’s also packed with other great fitness tracking features such as over 150 workout modes, blood oxygen monitoring (SPO2), stress monitoring, sleep tracking, and workout tracking. The Mi Band 8 doesn’t come with built-in GPS but if required, it can use the GPS of your smartphone via Connected GPS feature.

Another highlight of the Mi Band 8 is its display. It offers a 1.62-inch AMOLED display which offers crisp colors and deeper blacks. Also, it comes with an Always-on-display feature which you rarely find on-budget fitness trackers.

The battery life of Xiaomi Mi Band 8 is also very promising and it offers 16 days of battery life on a single charge. However, if you use the Always-on-Display feature, the battery life will go down to just 6 days which is still pretty reasonable.

Overall, If you are looking for a high-quality fitness tracker with great fitness tracking features and a reasonable price, I’d recommend that you should consider Xiaomi Mi Band 8.

Can I Use My Existing Fitness Band On My Ankles? Will It Be Accurate?

If you are a Fitbit lover and want to wear a Fitbit or a Garmin fitness tracker on your ankle then you can use any third-party Ankle Band such as the B-Great Ankle Band.

First, you have to understand that there isn’t a Fitbit device that was originally intended to be worn on the ankle. There are ankle bands that you can attach your Fitbit to, however, these are not Fitbit’s official bands.

Other than comfortability, the main reason that you would want to wear a Fitbit device on your ankle is for a more accurate pedometer.

You see, The steps count feature on all of the modern fitness trackers is not so accurate.

The reason for that is that they are using wrist-based sensors (some uses accelerometer), which means that they count your steps by counting your hand movements.

In contrast to the simple pedometers that track your steps by recognizing your body’s tilt movement and are most accurate while wearing on the waist.

If you want a simple pedometer or a clip-on device that is cheap and can track steps accurately then you should also check out my article on the best clip-on fitness trackers.

The problem with them being worn on your wrist is that some hand movements can confuse the tracker and make it count steps wrongly.

Some people will use a very slight hand movement or place the hand on the grab bar while walking on the treadmill, this can result in a miss counting of steps.

For that reason, lots of Fitbit owners have tried their Fitbit on their ankles using its original band(if it fits) or a band extender that is intended for the ankle.

These people are reporting that using their Fitbit on the ankle has made the steps count much more accurately.

The downside is that while placing your Fitbit on the ankle you lose the wrist-based HR tracking(some people reported a good HR reading even on the ankle).

The best Fitbit devices that I have found working well (as pedometers) on the ankle are Charge2/3, Flex2, Inspire, Inspire HR, Alta, and Alta HR but I’m sure that there are more.

Again, I have to make clear that Fitbit’s devices were made to read data from your wrist, not from your ankle, and what I offer here is just an adaptation that might work(and might not) on your ankle. There aren’t any official Fitbit ankle bands. The Baaletc Extender Band is a band extender that can turn some Fitbit devices into ankle fitness trackers.

As I have mentioned, If you are interested in step counting then wearing a tracker on your ankle will make it more accurate for this purpose.

The Baaletc Extender Band is in working best with Fitbit Flex and Flex2 but it is also compatible with Fitbit Alta and Alta HR, so if you have one of these devices you can definitely consider buying this extender which is quite cheap.

Are There Any Specific Health Benefits To Wearing a Fitness Tracker On The Ankle?

There are a few potential health benefits to wearing a fitness tracker on the ankle:

1. Better step count accuracy: Some sources suggest that wearing a fitness tracker on the ankle can provide a more accurate step count compared to wearing it on the wrist. This is because the ankle moves with every step, whereas the wrist may not move as consistently during activities like walking or running.
2. Improved tracking for lower body movements: Ankle-worn trackers can potentially better capture movements and activities that involve the lower body, such as walking, running, or exercises that don’t involve significant arm movement. This could lead to more accurate tracking of overall physical activity.
3. Useful for monitoring gait or mobility issues: Wearing a fitness tracker on the ankle can be beneficial for individuals recovering from leg injuries, those with gait disorders, or older adults experiencing mobility challenges. The data from an ankle-worn tracker could help monitor progress and provide insights into improving mobility.

However, there are some potential downsides or limitations of ankle-worn fitness trackers:

1. Accuracy concerns for other metrics: While step count may be more accurate, wearing a tracker on the ankle could lead to less accurate readings for metrics like heart rate, sleep tracking, and other health data that wrist-worn devices are optimized for.
2. Ergonomic and comfort issues: Most fitness trackers are designed for the wrist, so wearing them on the ankle may require specialized bands and could be less comfortable, especially for extended periods.
3. Limited functionality: Ankle-worn trackers may not provide the same level of functionality as wrist-worn devices, such as displaying notifications, controlling music, or accessing apps.

Why Fitness Tracker Brands Do Not Make Dedicated Fitness Trackers For The Ankle?

There are a few reasons why most fitness tracker companies do not make dedicated ankle-worn fitness trackers:

1. Accuracy concerns: Wrist-worn trackers are designed to measure metrics like heart rate and step count based on the movements and blood flow patterns of the wrist. Wearing them on the ankle could lead to less accurate readings since the movements and blood flow patterns are different in that area.
2. Ergonomics: Most fitness trackers are designed with a wrist-sized band and form factor in mind. Wearing them on the ankle may be uncomfortable or require specialized ankle bands that add extra cost and complexity.
3. Primary use case: The primary use case for fitness trackers is to track activities like walking, running, and workouts where arm movement is more representative of overall body movement. Ankle movement may not correlate as well with these activities.
4. Notification and time display: Many fitness trackers also function as smartwatches, displaying notifications and the time. Wearing them on the ankle makes it impractical to view this information.

While some users have experimented with wearing wrist-based trackers on their ankles, often with mixed results, major companies have likely avoided dedicated ankle trackers due to the above concerns and prioritized the primary wrist-worn use case. Developing specialized ankle trackers may require significant research and development efforts that most companies have chosen to forgo.

Frequently Asked Questions [ FAQs ]

For your further inquiry, you may check out this section of the article. Here, we will answer the most common questions regarding Fitness Trackers For the Ankle.

Can You Wear Smartwatches Right On Your Ankle?

Answer: You can freely wear the wristwatch to your ankle and there are many dedicated straps that you can buy on Amazon. But it increases the chance of getting damaged and will not give you an accurate reading.

Should I Wear A Heart Rate Monitor On The Ankle?

Answer: The ankle isn’t exactly a place with sufficient blood flow. So, you can’t get a precise HR reading there.

Do The Readings Vary If I Wear Watches On My Ankle?

Answer: Measurements from the ankle aren’t standard. Thus, your figurative and literal mileage will vary.

What About Apple Watch? Can It Be Worn On The Ankle?

Answer: Apple watches like Fitbit’s were not intended to read data or be worn on the ankle. There are many ankle bands (not Apple’s or Fitbit’s official) that you can buy on Amazon. However, accuracy is not guaranteed. The best way to wear an Apple watch is on your wrist like it was designed to be worn.

Can I wear the Apple Watch Ultra on the Ankle?

Answer: Apple Watch Ultra is a premium rugged smartwatch that is designed for rough use. The watch is originally designed to be worn on your wrists but you can also wear it on your Ankle if you want to track your running sessions. If you are interested in knowing the accuracy of Apple Watches, do check this guide where I’ve discussed the accuracy of Apple Watches in detail.

Can You Wear Your Fitbit On The Ankle?

Answer: The official answer to that common question is no, you cannot wear a Fitbit tracker on your ankle as Fitbit devices were meant to work on your wrist except the Fitbit Zip which is an advanced clip-on pedometer.

However, there are special ankle bands that we’ll discuss later, these bands are not Fitbit’s official bands and the results of the accuracy are varied.

Conclusion:

If accurate step counting is your main reason for using a fitness tracker then you should really consider using a fitness tracker that can be used on your ankle.

For the price range, it comes with. The MOOV Now has quite a lot to offer. Especially on the design front, this is one of the best fitness wearables for the ankle because of its being lightweight, water, and dirt-proof as well as having an Omni motion sensor to analyze your motion in 3D giving you amazing insight into your workouts.

Some of you might be confused between a fitness tracker that is being worn on the ankle and a running power meter – Here’s a post that explains this topic the best-running power meters and why you need them.