Recent technological advances have enabled us to track all aspects of our health, from our heart rate, sleep control (the best so far is Oura Ring) to the number of daily steps, directly on our smartphones and watches.
There are so many health travel gadgets and apps and special monitor apps that we asked Locals Insider writers to make their recommendations. We wanted to cover as broad a range as possible, so we settled on six apps that serve distinctly different purposes.
Health Monitor Apps Compared: Prices and Benefits
Before we dive into the details, here’s an overview of the top six health monitor apps that can improve your life, with a recommendation for each of them:
| App | Recommendation | Cost |
| Fitbit | The best app for exercise tracking | From $9.99 per month |
| MyFitnessPal | The best app for monitoring calories and tracking your diet | From $19.99 per year |
| Sleep Cycle | The best app for monitoring your sleep health | From $39.99 per year |
| Cardiio | The best heart rate monitor app | Free, with advanced features available from $1.99 |
| Smart Blood Pressure App | The best blood pressure monitor app | Free to download |
| HealthifyMe | The best app for nutritional and fitness advice | Free with in-app purchases |
Read on for the lowdown on these apps and how they can help you monitor your health while traveling.
1. Fitbit – The best app for exercise tracking
- From $9.99 per month for premium
Being new to health monitoring apps can be a little overwhelming with so many options. So, if you’re looking for an easy-to-use, relatively affordable solution that tracks everything from the number of steps you take in a day to the speed at which you run a half marathon, Fitbit is hard to beat.
However, to make the most out of the Fitbit subscription, you should buy a Fitbit device to track your steps and other activities accurately. The cheapest Fitbit watches start at around $130, but they can make a massive difference to your activity and are brilliant for monitoring your health.
A Fitbit tracks your steps, checks your heart rate, and monitors other key health metrics. If you don’t want to invest in a super expensive smartwatch, a Fitbit is a great alternative that ticks many of the same boxes.
2. MyFitnessPal – The best app for monitoring calories and tracking your diet
- From $19.99 per year
One of the smartest ways to use a health monitor app is to track your calories. This is crucial if you’re following a diet like the 5:2 or are keen to lose weight by reducing your calories.
MyFitnessPal is one of the best calorie trackers and can help you lose weight. It’s really easy to use, and you can enter everything you eat and drink throughout the day to track your habits.
In addition to calorie tracking, MyFitnessPal allows users to access recipes, participate in workouts, and read health blogs and tips for inspiration.
Though the free version isn’t as good as it used to be, a paid subscription to MyFitnessPal now costs only $19.99 annually and is worth investing in if you’re dieting while traveling.
3. Sleep Cycle – The best app for monitoring your sleep health
- From $39.99 per year
If you’re concerned about the quality of your sleep on the road, Sleep Cycle is a top-rated app that monitors your health throughout the night. Specifically, it can detect snoring, sleep-talking, coughing, and other interruptions.
It does this with AI and can identify times when your sleep is disrupted at night. There are also handy relaxation exercises that you can follow during the day and before going to bed to try to improve your sleep quality. Breathing exercises and general sleeping tips can also significantly improve how you drift off at night.
Before signing up for a paid subscription, take advantage of the seven-day free trial period to see what you think.
4. Cardiio – The best heart rate monitor app
- Free to use
Using advanced technology from MIT, Cardiio is the best heart rate monitor on the market. It’s free to use at sign-up and gives you a heart rate reading in less than 20 seconds. There are also some handy workout aids that you can use for free, which can encourage you to start training regularly.
Though the app is free to download and use, you can pay $1.99 for the premium version, which has advanced features and the option to save your data. This might be useful to track your heart rate over time.
5. Smart Blood Pressure App – The best blood pressure monitor app
- Free to download
If you need to track your blood pressure regularly, the Smart Blood Pressure App is just what you need. It’s completely free to use and recommended by doctors. It’s also compatible with Apple Health, and you can download the app for iOS and Android devices.
It collects data from any blood pressure monitor, which you can connect via Apple Health or Google Fit. Within seconds, you will see if you have normal, high, or low blood pressure, enabling you to analyze the results and take the best action.
A handy feature enables you to generate a PDF report or CSV files, which you can share with your doctor. Given its incredible design and free use, it’s little surprise that this blood pressure app has received many awards over the years.
6. HealthifyMe – The best app for nutritional and fitness advice
- Free with in-app purchases
HealthifyMe is an AI-powered health and nutrition app used by more than 40 million people worldwide. One of its most impressive features is that you can take a photo of your food rather than typing in details of your meal. The AI tool will instantly recognize and log your food with calorie details and other nutritional stats.
There are recipes, workouts, fitness advice, and meal suggestions for optimal training. HealthifyMe also has its own AI bot called Ria. You can ask Ria any health, fitness, and nutrition questions for personalized feedback based on your schedule.
The app is free to download and try, but several advanced features require a subscription.
The best way to look at the app is that it’s a more advanced version of MyFitnessPal. It’s a good alternative if you don’t want to manually input everything you eat and all the training you do.
Our Thoughts and Choice: Which is the best health monitor app?
For metrics alone, Cardiio is the best free health monitor app. It enables you to monitor your heart rate and track your exercise.
But each app we’ve introduced in this article serves a unique purpose. Fitbit is perfect for tracking your steps and increasing the amount you exercise, while Sleep Cycle is awesome if you want to trace and improve your sleep.
So, feel free to download any of the above health monitor apps to improve your health while traveling. The main thing is not to become too dependent on these health-tracking apps. Otherwise, you will become stressed over the figures and numbers it shows. Be conscious about using them.
Try also vacation rental apps, alternatives to Google maps, casino gaming mobile sites for travel.
