Fitness apps tested: Garmin top, Apple sufficient
Stiftung Warentest took a close look at 21 fitness apps and tested them for different quality features. The differences are huge. Garmin Connect scored "very good", while Apple Fitness only received an "adequate" rating.
Do fitness apps really do everything they promise? Stiftung Warentest put 21 fitness apps for Android and iOS through their paces. These include 17 apps whose associated smartwatches have achieved at least a "satisfactory" test quality rating from Stiftung Warentest in recent years. Many of these smartwatches and fitness wristbands are real all-rounders: they serve as heart rate monitors and altimeters, count steps, calculate the distance travelled as well as calories burned and analyse sleep patterns. Some can also be used to play music, make phone calls or send and receive messages from messenger services such as Whatsapp. If you want, you can even find models that generate ECGs, measure blood pressure or enable contactless payment.
In addition, Stiftung Warentest tested four other manufacturer-independent fitness apps from leading suppliers.
Fitness app operating systems compared
Except for Apple Fitness, which is only available for Apple's own iOS operating system, all apps are available for both iOS and Android. Both versions were tested - with some noticeable differences: for example, one app scored a whole grade better in the Android version than in the iOS version in the test point training support.
From Apple to Zepp
The Stiftung Warentest (paid article, can only be read with login) sent a team of athletes out on the training trails. They collected training data while running, cycling and swimming. They checked whether values such as heart rate, activity minutes and step count were recorded correctly and how the data could be analysed and displayed in the app. They also checked the inner values of the fitness apps, such as data transmission behaviour and data protection.
The results show considerable differences: Garmin Connect performs very well in both versions, while Strava and the Fossil app are at the bottom of the ranking with a "poor" rating. Remarkably, Apple Fitness only made it to eighth place out of eleven apps tested in the category of iOS fitness apps at Stiftung Warentest with a rating of "sufficient".
Cover photo: Shutterstock
From radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.