Tom's Guide Awards 2025: Our favorite fitness watches, smart rings, workout headphones and more

Tom's Guide

28-07-2025

Whether you want to prioritize your health or improve your fitness, there are plenty of excellent devices, products, and services to help make living an active lifestyle easier, and we've tried the best ones out there.
From top-rated workout machines, fitness-tracking smartwatches, and useful apparel like running shoes and outerwear, to electric bikes for your adventures, there's never been more ways to enhance your health and fitness journey.
Our team of experts has tested and reviewed the latest workout and outdoor gear for the Tom's Guide Awards 2025. Below, we highlight the fitness and health products—from headphones to running shoes, hiking boots, or workout apps—that we hold in high esteem and think are really worth the money.
As the primary smartwatch tester here at Tom's Guide, I have a giant plastic bin filled with loaner wearable review units. However, of the 25 or so devices in there — from the Apple Watch Ultra to the Fitbit Inspire 3 — there's only one I know for sure will be charged up and ready to roll at any given moment, and that's the Garmin Instinct 3.
The Instinct series has always been Garmin's longest-lasting, built with outdoor adventurers in mind, and this sporty, colorful model tracks all your favorite adrenaline-pumping activities, from rock climbing to downhill mountain biking to backcountry skiing. It also sports an ever-handy LED 'Torch' flashlight built in, rock-solid location and elevation tracking, and more water resistance than even Jacques Cousteau could need.
Did I mention that the non-solar model lasts for up to 26 days per charge, and the Solar model can technically last forever with enough sunlight? Now you know.
It's not your typical fitness tracker — it doesn't have a screen for one thing, but smart rings are becoming one of the most popular ways to discreetly track everything from your daily steps to how well you've slept, and the Oura Ring 4 is the best of the best. It's thinner and lighter than its predecessor, the Oura Ring 3, as the sensors are recessed into the ring, which we found made the ring more comfortable to wear. The Oura Ring 4 has 18 total data collection paths through your finger and is the most reliable in real-time, resulting in greater accuracy with fewer gaps.
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Compared to other smart rings on the market, the Oura app breaks all your data down in an easy-to-understand way, helping you make smarter decisions when it comes to your health. It's compatible with Natural Cycles for menstrual cycle tracking and has a pregnancy mode for expectant mothers.
It's an impressive wearable, and in our eyes, it's worthy of a Tom's Guide award.
Garmin's Forerunner range has always been spectacular, but it's hit new heights with the launch of the Forerunner 970 earlier this year. It is the best sports watch available for runners and triathletes, offering an upgraded design that's more attractive and durable than its predecessor, the Forerunner 965, earning it the award for the best running watch in 2025.
During testing, we were impressed by the reliably accurate tracking and detailed training insights that go beyond what we've seen before from a watch. The Garmin Forerunner 970 is an outstanding sports watch, and the only one that can really best it is the Garmin Fenix 8, which offers a more durable metal design and longer battery life. However, the Forerunner 970 is cheaper, and many will prefer the lighter, slimmer design, especially now that it includes a sapphire screen and built-in flashlight, features that were reserved for the Fenix line in the past.
Worthy of a Tom's Guide award, this is the best Garmin on the market for runners right now.
Beats' redesigned Powerbeats Pro 2 workout headphones have comfortable over-ear hooks and pack the same tech as Apple's AirPods Pro 2. Plus, they have physical buttons, which is a winner for runners with sweaty fingers. They're versatile, work with Android and iPhone, and sound great, making them worthy of this award.
The company leaned heavily into the buds' heart rate monitor at launch. It's neat, but you'll probably never use it. There's a small optical sensor built into the buds that is used to track your heart rate during workouts. The Powerbeats Pro 2 look super slick as well, thanks to their svelte design, and their ten-hour battery life will get you through a trip to the gym or a run without any problems at all.
The Bob and Brad M7 Plus Mini massage gun received 4 stars during testing because it's the perfect budget-friendly option for most people. It has a max speed of 3,000 RPM and an amplitude of 9mm, so it can reach pretty deep into sore muscles. Yes, the speed range could be better (the lowest setting is 2,000 RPM), but for your money, you really can't go wrong.
We tested all 5 head attachments and the heated head setting, all of which worked wonderfully. And, for its mini stature, this machine sure packs one heck of a punch.
The Asics Novablast 5 is a fantastic running shoe that'll appeal to a wide variety of runners thanks to its comfortable ride and relatively low price tag. It's got a great amount of versatility, with enough cushioning to keep you comfortable on long runs and easy miles, but enough of a snap to cope with faster speed sessions. If you only want to invest in one running shoe, this is a good place to start.
If you're a faster runner, the Novablast 5 is a very good daily trainer that will work well as part of a rotation with a faster shoe for workouts and racing. Compared to the Novablast 4, with the newer shoe Asics has made tweaks to the upper, midsole, and outsole — the reduced heel bevel makes the shoe smoother underfoot for heel strikers, and the new midsole foam is a tad softer without being unstable or mushy underfoot.
The Asics Novablast 5 is comfortable and affordable, making it the perfect pick for a Tom's Guide award. It could easily get you around your first marathon, and as a team, we've clocked hundreds of miles in this shoe and we're still impressed.
Timberland doesn't technically advertise this rugged pair of footwear as a 'hiking boot,' rather, a 'hiking sneaker.' However, the Timberland Motion Access Mids, look and handle just like a pair of modern hiking boots… and I've tested many of the best pairs. There's one caveat, though. While even the best hiking boots require some break-in period, these puppies don't.
Case and point, I hit the trail my first time rocking them, which goes against everything I've learned as an avid granola eater, but made it through an epic trek in Oregon's Columbia River Gorge with zero foot pain. Reliably waterproof — I've also hiked in torrential downpours with not a drop penetrating — and super grippy, the Timberland Motion Access Mids are my favorite trail-ready footwear option in 2025.
Patagonia is synonymous with hefty price tags, and the new Nano-Air Ultralight Jacket, with a cost of $249, is no exception. That said, in my months of testing, this mind-blowingly featherlight insulating layer/piece of outerwear is well worth the cost. Sure, it was originally designed for rock climbers, with an abrasion-resistant exterior, easy roll-up sleeves, and a notably unrestrictive design featuring plenty of stretch, but you don't need to be an extreme athlete to appreciate it.
I wear mine while walking the pup, hitting the airport, and running errands. It's also super breathable, thanks to a double-knit polyester material under the arms. Yet, despite weighing just eight ounces, I've found that the Nano-Air Ultralight is capable of keeping me warm and cozy in temps down to forty-five degrees Fahrenheit. Best of all? Patagonia stands behind its jackets with lifetime repairs and replacements.
Runna has taken the running world by storm since launching in 2021, and after clocking up some big milestones and personal records using the app ourselves, it's earned our vote for best workout app in this year's Tom's Guide Awards. But it's not just about the PR's. Runna offers flexible, personalized training plans for every kind of runner, whether you're training for a faster 5K, your first marathon, or even an ultramarathon.
You simply choose your goal, timeframe and current fitness level, and the app builds a tailored plan to get you there. Alongside the running, it also includes mobility sessions, strength training and recovery advice to help keep you injury-free and your progress on the up. Runna keeps improving, too, with new features, updates, and expert input added regularly. It's everything you need from a running coach, all in one easy-to-use app on your phone.
It's rare that you'd find a set of adjustable dumbbells that you'd happily pay more for, but there's where we're at with the LifePro PowerFlow Plus. Plastic storage tray aside, these feel like premium dumbbells you'd get from a brand like BowFlex or NordicTrack but for around half the price.
The adjustment mechanism is easy and quick (it's a slider), they run up to 25 lbs per weight (they come as a pair) and the knurled handle is easy to grip with a sweaty hand or for two-handed moves like triceps skull crushers.
They're easily the best budget adjustable dumbbells you can buy right now, and the biggest compliment we can give is that the weights just get out of your way, so you can focus on your workout.
Segway took what was one of the best scooters for long distance and made it even better. The Max G3 improves upon its predecessor in every way: It has a better design, it's faster (up to 28 MPH, and it can travel further (up to 50 miles). The suspension has been improved — front and rear shock absorbers — as well as the handling. The motor? Superb. I was able to roar up hills with ease. And, when I finally got to my destination, a handy U-shaped bar made it easy to lock this scooter up. As if that wasn't enough, it's also outfitted with Apple FindMy and has an electronic lock and siren to help keep thieves at bay.
It's not the smallest nor the lightest, but if you need an electric scooter that can go the distance, this is it.
For the vast majority of riders, the Rad Power RadCity 5 Plus will be the best electric bike. It has a comfortable design, plenty of power, and a multitude of mounting points for things such as baskets and child seats. The RadCity 5 Plus offers plenty of power, and comes with lights, fenders, a rear rack for your gear and plenty of optional accessories. We found it responsive and powerful enough to easily tackle hills. It's pretty heavy at 64 pounds, but that should only be an issue if you try to go farther than its 55-mile range.
Rad Power says that the RadCity5 should get upwards of 50+ miles on a charge; in our testing, it came fairly close — about 40 miles. It's a seriously good electric bike, whether you're commuting or heading out on a weekend adventure.
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