Sleep trackers can measure all facets of your health, thanks to increasingly sophisticated technology and frequent updates from retailers. The best sleep trackers aren’t a direct remedy for better rest, but they can reveal health patterns that otherwise go unrecognized, helping to identify possible disruptions or underlying issues that hinder your slumber. If nothing else, they keep you informed on important health and fitness metrics, giving you a better understanding of your daily habits. Our editors named the Oura Ring the best device for sleep tracking overall, a barely detectable smart ring that transitions from night into day and matches with your everyday style.
The best sleep trackers range from wearables to bedding accessories, measuring important health data you can use to understand or improve your habits.
ILLUSTRATION: FORBES / PHOTOS: RETAILERS
Sleep trackers aren’t just limited to wearables. Some can sit atop your mattress as an extra layer or on your nightstand as a smart home device, and the right choice comes down to personal needs and preferences. “Sleep trackers are beneficial because they can alert you to issues you may not be aware of,” says Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, neuroscientist and the head of sleep at Wesper. Still, she cautions that “sleep trackers are never going to be as accurate as medical grade technology used for medical sleep studies” and advises consulting a doctor if your data flags a concern or you experience symptoms of a sleep disorder.
Below, we highlight the six best sleep trackers, according to editors, testers and vetted customer reviews.
Type: Wearable | Accompanying app: Yes | Battery life: 5 to 8 days | Monthly subscription: Yes
Best for:
Sleep and fitness tracking
Women’s health and fertility tracking
A long-lasting battery life
Providing all-day, real-time stats
Skip if:
You’d prefer a non-wearable device
Small enough to go undetectable during rest, but powerful enough to track various facets of your health, the Oura Ring 4 is the brand’s most advanced to date. Its multi-sensor design measures valuable sleep metrics like heart rate, slow-wave and REM sleep stages, and body temperature, which contribute to an overall sleep score delivered via the Oura Ring app. It can also be useful tech for women’s health, offering insight on menstrual cycles and reproductive health.
According to one tester, the sheer volume of data it offers is impressive, and it remains comfortable and discreet while wearing. Another adds that you get “a tremendous amount of insight without annoying beeps, vibrations, notifications or visible LED lights that are common in smartwatches and fitness trackers.” With a five- to eight-day battery life, users can nearly go a full week without recharging. And it’s as stylish as it is functional; the Oura Ring is a sleep piece of jewelry available in six different finishes, including classic silver and gold.
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Giving stats in real time, through the day and nighttime
Skip if:
You’re a sensitive sleeper
Fitbit pioneered the entire genre of wearable fitness trackers and was among the first companies to perform sleep tracking in consumer devices as well. Thinner and more lightweight than the first generation model, the Sense 2 is bristling with sensors that measure heart rate, stress, blood oxygen level, sleep cycles and more. Like the Oura Ring, it assesses your health data and delivers a daily sleep score that offers regular insight into your bedtime habits.
It’s designed to give you a picture of not just your sleep, but also your overall wellness. Access over 40 different workout modes, tracking specific fitness activities like golf, skiing and stand-up paddle boarding, and a built-in GPS that monitors your running route. Note that wearable wristbands are ideal for fitness, but they may feel bulky for some during sleep.
The Apple Watch Series 11, despite its shorter battery life, has impressive health tracking capabilities that go beyond the other devices in our roundup. A long way from its earlier predecessors, the newest generation Series 11 monitors wrist temperature, respiratory rate, sleep disturbances, sleep stages and more, which it uses to determine a daily sleep score. It can even alert you if it detects signs of sleep apnea, based on metrics like sleep interruptions and breathing rate.
Though, its data is slightly limited compared to the insights provided by comparable sleep-tracking wearables. Outside of sleep, the Apple Series 11 has been credited for recognizing hyperextension and notifying users, functioning similarly to an early detection device. Women can also turn to the Series 11 for in-depth feminine and reproductive health tracking.
You’d prefer a device that tracks sleep and health data
The Eight Sleep Pod Core 5 elevates your current mattress with advanced comfort features, while providing detailed statistics solely focused on sleep health. Half of the component is a cover that slips over your bed like a fitted sheet, teeming with undetectable sensors that monitor key wellness metrics, from your heart and breathing rate to full-body temperature reading. The cover connects to the Pod Core’s other half and primary engine “the Hub,” and uses AI power to automatically respond to your activity.
It repositions your head as needed when it detects snoring and alters temperature based on your sleep stages. You can also manually adjust the heat and cool settings yourself using dual-sided controls, giving couples a personalized feel on each side of the bed. As an added benefit, use its built-in speaker to lull yourself to sleep before bed with relaxing sounds. Come morning, you can also try its silent alarm system, which initiates gentle vibrations (on your side of the bed), according to your scheduled wake-up time.
Gain useful insight into your sleep habits and control your home’s everyday functions with ease from your bedside table. The Google Nest Hub is a smart home device with sensors in its display to track both movement and sound, like coughing or snoring (which can be turned on and off in settings), in addition to respiratory rate and ambient room temperature. Sleep tracking is initiated once you tuck yourself in, but the Nest Hub should be an arm’s length away with no obstructions to effectively monitor rest. Once it’s become familiar with your sleeping patterns, the Hub provides recommendations for better sleep using the data it gathers.
To prevent blue light from disrupting your rest, the display automatically dims when it gets dark at night or according to a timer you set. Download popular apps like Spotify from the Google Play Store to unwind with relaxing sounds before bed, and use voice commands or your on-screen smart home menu to effortlessly control your home’s lights. Just keep in mind that, unlike the Eight Sleep Pod Core 5, this device can only track one person’s sleep at a time.
The Whoop 5.0 is an excellent sleep-tracking device for those who want to keep away the distractions of push notifications, beeps and buzzes during the day while still monitoring sleep throughout the night. Its lightweight, easy-to-wear band moves with you and remains comfortable while you rest, no matter your dominant sleep posture. The Whoop measures key vitals, like heart and respiratory rate, in addition to sleep cycles, blood oxygen levels, reproductive health and pace of aging.
Senior mattress and sleep editor Bridget Chapman tested the fourth-generation model and says, “I was so impressed by how much it tracks and how digestible it makes the information. It provides helpful guidance to boost both your energy and sleep quality while being super comfortable to wear.” You can access your data through the band’s accompanying app, which provides a comprehensive view of your overall wellness.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
The Forbes Vetted sleep team is constantly immersed in all things sleep and has curated a robust library of product guides and sleep health recommendations. As a collective, we’ve covered a range of sleep gadgets and tech, in addition to everyday bedding and sleep accessories. For this story, we considered sleep trackers from brands we trust, recommend and have personally tried, in addition to customer reviews.
McKenzie Dillon, author of this story, is the mattress and sleep editor at Forbes Vetted and a certified sleep science coach. She has been testing products in the sleep realm for over six years, including several sleep trackers that she’s mentioned in our roundup.
Bridget Chapman is the senior mattress and sleep editor, with over a decade of reporting experience and a sleep science coach certification. She has also tested a myriad of sleep trackers, including the Oura Ring and Whoop, and provided her insight to help inform this list.
We spoke with Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, neuroscientist and the head of sleep at Wesper to gain insight on the accuracy of sleep trackers and how you can use the data to benefit your quality of rest.
How We Chose The Best Sleep Trackers
In addition to leveraging the Forbes Vetted staff’s testing knowledge, we thoroughly researched all of the products we recommend and pored over consumer reviews. We also consulted with a medical expert to gain their perspective on the best sleep trackers.
We gathered tested insights and customer feedback on a gamut of sleep trackers, from wearables to mattress and nightstand accessories. We are intentional about our selections, ensuring a range of functionality depending on varying use cases.
We incorporated firsthand testing experience from Forbes Vetted contributors and editors for three out of six recommendations, which included Chapman and Dillon.
In order to be highlighted, sleep trackers must be highly rated by customers. We considered both positive and negative reviews as we made our selections, and only included products with at least a 4-star rating (out of 5).
What To Consider When Shopping For The Best Sleep Trackers
Type
Sleep tracking has made tremendous progress since the technology was introduced (most popularly by Fitbit) in accuracy, the data it collects and design. Consider how you’d like to use a sleep tracker and whether or not you’d make use of fitness or reproductive health tracking. “The minimum data a sleep tracker should capture includes sleep time, sleep fragmentation or number of awakenings, sleep efficiency, sleep latency, sleep staging and heart rate,” says Rohrscheib.
Wearables are best suited for around-the-clock activity and real-time statistics, while bedroom accessories generally have more sleep-focused features that are most advantageous at nighttime. While they’re not as reliable as a doctor’s recommendation, “some sleep trackers can screen for common sleep disorders like sleep apnea or insomnia,” adds Rohrscheib.
Battery Life
Depending on how you intend to use your sleep tracker, it may require regular charging. Some wearables need a daily charge, while others can last up to a week or longer. The more advanced the wearable is, the quicker its battery dies. The Whoop 5.0 band has no screen display, internet or cellular function, so it has the longest battery life of all wireless devices named here. The Apple Watch Series 11 is on the other side of the spectrum, with a battery that lasts around 24 hours.
Subscriptions
Several sleep trackers named on our list come with monthly subscriptions on top of the cost of the device itself. That could be a worthwhile investment to you in exchange for more detailed sleep stats, actionable recommendations or greater versatility, such as activity and stress monitoring. It ultimately comes down to balancing cost with what you’re hoping to achieve, so check for any required subscriptions before you purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are Sleep Trackers Worth It?
Most people use sleep trackers to monitor nocturnal patterns and identify possible disruptions, finding they’re a great addition to maintaining healthy sleep habits. That said, don’t mistake them for the missing link to a perfect night’s sleep. If you have consistent issues with your sleep or wake up feeling tired frequently, it’s best to consult your healthcare provider.
How Accurate Are Sleep Trackers?
As Rohrscheib notes, sleep trackers are never as accurate as medical technology, and some data is more reliable than others. “Sleep stages from sleep trackers is not 100% accurate and should be taken with a grain of salt,” she says. “But you can track whether you’re getting enough total sleep time, assess high-quality sleep and look for problematic patterns, such as waking up for prolonged periods during a certain time of night.”
Is Oura Ring Or Apple Watch Better For Sleep?
We found the Oura Ring to be a more comfortable wearable for sleep, offering a lightweight feel and undetectable sensors that don’t take away from your quality of rest. In addition to its sleep-friendly design, the Oura Ring paints a detailed picture of your wellness, providing data on your heart rate, REM patterns, blood oxygen levels, skin temperature and more.
