Choosing a fitness tracker in Australia: a buyer's guide (2026)
Short answer: The best fitness tracker is the one you'll actually wear and understand. Before you buy, check five things: whether you want a screen, how it tracks walks and runs (including GPS), battery life, what the plan costs over two or three years, and whether the information is easy to share with your GP.
Why so many Australians are tracking
The latest Bupa Pulse Check, released on 19 October 2026, found fitness and activity tracking is the most popular type of digital health tool, used by 33% of people. Younger Australians are leading the way, with 45% of people aged 40 and under monitoring their health and fitness with apps or wearables, compared with 23% of those aged 50 and above.
Two in three people (66%) said tracking physical activity, sleep or nutrition was the most valuable feature in a health and wellbeing app (Bupa).
1. Screen or no screen?
Some trackers put the numbers on your wrist. Others, like the Thrive Health Band, have no screen and show everything in the app on your phone.
A screen suits you if you like checking your pace or heart rate at a glance. A screen-free band suits you if you'd rather not have notifications on your wrist, want something comfortable to sleep in, or prefer to look at your data when you choose. Our guide to screen-free trackers in Australia goes deeper.
2. GPS and workouts
If you walk, run or ride, check how your routes are tracked. Some devices have GPS built in. Others use your phone's GPS through the app, which means carrying your phone for a mapped route.
With Thrive, GPS tracking for walks, runs and rides happens in the app on your phone. Start a walk in the app and it maps your route and records your distance, while the Band records your heart rate. See our 60km walking plan for how that works in practice.
3. Battery and comfort
Sleep and longer-term trends need regular wear, so every charge is a small gap. Check the maker's battery figure and how it changes with the features you turn on. The Thrive Health Band lists up to 14 days of battery. Comfort matters too: if it's annoying to wear overnight, you won't wear it. See which wrist to wear a health band on.
4. Prepaid or membership: what it costs over time
Many trackers pair the device with a membership. Before you buy, check:
- which features need a paid plan, and which don't
- whether it renews automatically, and when
- what you can still see if you stop paying
- the total over two or three years, not just the first
Thrive is prepaid: you pay once for the Band and 12 months, and nothing renews automatically. Our article on prepaid health bands versus subscriptions explains the difference, and our compare page has dated Australian prices.
5. Data you can take to your GP
Bupa GP Dr Janice Tan said she is seeing more patients come in with health data from their trackers, and that wearables "can support more informed conversations with healthcare professionals but should never be used to self-diagnose or replace professional medical advice" (Bupa).
So check whether the app shows trends over weeks and months, compares you with your own usual rather than a general average, and makes it easy to share with a health professional and switch that off again.
Where Thrive fits
The Thrive Health Band is a screen-free band with five sensors, paired with the Thrive by Optihealth app. Thrive learns what is usual for you across sleep, heart, activity, mood, meals, medications and more, and shows when something has moved from your own normal.
- Today's Vitality brings your day into one view.
- Recovery insights include an estimate of how long until you're back to baseline.
- Ask Thrive lets you ask questions about your own data in everyday language.
- Thrive Loops lets you share selected information with your GP, physio, trainer or family, and you can change or revoke access at any time.
Thrive is Australian-owned and supported. It isn't a medical device and doesn't diagnose anything, but it can help you bring a clearer picture to your next appointment.
Before you buy
You'll need a compatible iPhone or Android phone, because the Thrive app is on the Apple App Store and Google Play. The app stores are only for downloading the app; they aren't where you buy the Band or a Plan. You can buy at thrivehealthband.com, or at a participating World Gym Australia location or health and wellness clinic.
The Thrive Health Band is A$660 for the first year under the launch offer. That includes the Band, which is yours to keep, and 12 months of the Thrive by Optihealth app, My Health on the web, Health Fingerprint, Ask Thrive, Thrive Loops and your data, paid once upfront. Prices are in AUD and include GST. Free Australia-wide shipping during the launch offer (usually A$14.99).
Nothing renews automatically. After your first year, you can get a new band plus 12 more months for A$660, or keep your band and renew the Thrive Connected Plan for A$240 a year, or A$29 a month with no lock-in.
You're also covered by a 12-month Thrive Care Warranty, and consumer guarantees under Australian Consumer Law always apply. See Returns if something is wrong with your purchase.
Common questions
Do I need a fitness tracker with GPS built in?
Not necessarily. If you're happy to carry your phone, app-based GPS can map your walks, runs and rides. If you want to leave your phone at home, look for built-in GPS.
Are fitness trackers accurate?
They're good at showing trends over time, especially compared with your own usual. They aren't a diagnosis, so talk to your GP about anything that worries you.
What's the difference between a fitness tracker and a health band?
The terms overlap. Fitness trackers often focus on steps and workouts; health bands like Thrive also look at sleep, recovery, heart trends and everyday habits together.
For more answers, see Questions.