Living a more active life is a great goal but whether you want to prioritize your health or improve your fitness, you might need a little extra help along the way. That’s where the right tools and devices can really come in handy.
From smartwatches and fitness trackers to log your workouts to the right apparel like running shoes and outwear and even an electric bike or scooter to make starting your next adventure a breeze, there are plenty of great products to help make living an active lifestyle even easier.
For the Tom’s Guide Awards 2026, our team of experts has tested and reviewed all of the latest workout and outdoor gear. Below, we highlight the fitness and health products that impressed us most over the last 12 months and hold in high esteem.
Best smartwatch
Apple Watch Series 12
As a health and fitness editor, I spend my days writing about how heart health is the single best predictor of longevity, which is why the Apple Watch Series 12 blew me away. Powered by the faster S11 chip, the Series 12 features a completely redesigned sensor that measures your heart rate every five seconds — 60 times more frequently than the Series 11. This continuous tracking unlock deeper HRV insights, seamless daytime vitals monitoring, and a game-changing daily Readiness score that gives actionable guidance on when to push hard and when to rest.
Beyond the major health upgrades, Apple addressed some of our biggest pet peeves. You get a native step-count complication on the watch face without third-party apps, faster charging that reaches 80% in 30 minutes, and 10 hours of GPS tracking for long runs. While flashy features like Siri Recap will grab headlines, it's the continuous sensing, better recovery metrics, and unmatched iPhone integration that make the Series 12 the best smartwatch on the market.
— Jane McGuire, Managing Editor Fitness
Best fitness tracker
Fitbit Air
Sometimes, the best fitness tracker is the one you forget you’re even wearing. With no screens, beeps, or annoying notifications to distract you, the lightweight, long-lasting Fitbit Air has just one purpose: monitoring your health and fitness, which it does quite reliably. This is why it’s my pick for the best fitness tracker of 2026.
The Fitbit Air is also just $99, with all of its core features subscription-free. But with no screen, where do you view your health data? In the new Google Health app. There, you’ll find useful insights like daily sleep reports, a dynamic readiness score, logged workouts, training/recovery advice, and more. And unlike some other screen-free trackers, the Fitbit Air is seriously lightweight and comfortable. In fact, it hardly resembles a piece of wearable tech at all.
— Dan Bracaglia, Senior Writer
Best running watch
Garmin Forerunner 170
Last year Garmin updated almost its entire line-up of running watches, but left its entry-level option untouched, so we were certainly due a new Forerunner in 2026, and we actually got two in the form of the Forerunner 170 and Forerunner 70. The Garmin Forerunner 170 gets our vote as the best new running watch of the year thanks to its combination of impeccable accuracy, improved training analysis and useful smart features like NFC payments and music storage.
It’s a great all-round sports watch that has all the features runners of any level really need, all packed into a lightweight, attractive design that offers good value as well as performance.
— Nick Harris-Fry, Senior Writer
Best workout headphones
Shokz OpenDots 2
I’ve long been a fan of Shokz’s bone conduction and earhook open headphones for my workouts, but this year the clip-on design of the Shokz OpenDots 2 completely won me over. The buds fit securely and comfortably, no matter what kind of workout you’re doing, and deliver impressively good sound quality while still leaving your ears open enough to hear what’s going on around you.
It’s no exaggeration to say I’ve used the OpenDots 2 for some kind of workout almost every day since reviewing them in June, and they’re also my go-to buds outside of training sessions as well. The Shokz OpenDots Air also came out this year and offer better value, but for overall performance the OpenDots 2 are worthy winners of the best workout headphones.
— Nick Harris-Fry, Senior Writer
Best recovery tool
Hyperice Normatec Leg Sleeves
There’s a reason elite sportspeople use the Hyperice Normatec leg sleeves in their routines, and that’s because they’re arguably the best alternative recovery tool to massage guns for boosting recovery and reducing inflammation. In fact, when we interviewed Premier League physiotherapist Geoff Scott, he told us players routinely wear the Normatec leg sleeves during travel and in the dressing room.
These recovery compression leg massager boots can help reduce inflammation, stiffness and puffiness after exercise so legs feel well-rested and free. The dynamic air compression mimics natural muscle pumps, speeding up lymphatic drainage and reducing DOMS. Think: restorative leg massage, without the therapist.
— Sam Hopes, Channel Editor, Fitness
Best running shoes
Asics Novablast 6
We’re living in a golden age of running shoes which means it takes a lot to stand out from the crowd, but the Asics Novablast 6 was a pretty easy pick for me as the best shoe of 2026 from the 60+ pairs I’ve tested so far this year. It’s always the first shoe that comes to mind when people ask me for a recommendation, and it’s the first that came to mind for our awards.
That’s because it offers a winning blend of comfort and speed, with enough cushioning for your easiest runs and enough pop for faster efforts, and it does it all at a pretty reasonable price as well. It’s also just a flat-out fun shoe to run in, and one that will appeal to all levels of runner, whether you need a cushioned shoe to rack up the miles in marathon training, or your first running shoe to power through a couch to 5K.
— Nick Harris-Fry, Senior Writer
Best hiking boots
Keen Jasper Zionic
While not technically “boots”, the Keen Jasper Zionic are universally remarkable hiking shoes. Constructed of suede and rubber, the shoes are lightweight, comfortable, and surprisingly waterproof, even without Gore-Tex.
Thanks to the 4mm rubber lugs, the Jasper Zionic provide unbeatable balance, even on precarious terrain. We tested these shoes on waterfall hikes — amongst others — and we didn’t slip or stumble once. The tongue-to-toe laces make feet feel extremely secure and the wide toe box gives a yoga-class-worthy balance.
Not only are the Keen Jasper Zionic stylish and functional, they’re also hardy. The suede is easy to clean and surprisingly hardy. Getting doused in muddy water makes the sneakers look even better. These are shoes desperate to be used in the rugged outdoors, and used they shall be.
— Erin Bashford, Senior Writer
Best outerwear
Nike
Nike has upped the stakes this year with an activewear lineup that matches street-savvy looks with high-performance engineering. There are plenty of newer brands clawing for attention in this space, but Nike is the old favorite I go back to again and again. This year marked a high-profile collaboration with Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS brand as well as providing the jerseys for both Team USA and my national team, England, during this year’s World Cup.
The company offers everything from lightweight cropped windbreakers and softshells to heavy 700-fill down jackets and versatile unisex fits. Nike’s flagship advancements like the Therma-FIT Air Milano incorporate tunable, inflatable air chamber insulation that lets you adjust warmth in real time. Despite a record-setting summer heatwave, these will come in useful once winter bites.
— Jeff Parsons, UK Editor-in-Chief
Best adjustable dumbbells
Bowflex 552
BowFlex dumbbells have consistently been some of the best since the brand established its popular SelectTech 552 weights almost 20 years ago. There's a clear focus on simplicity: you won't find smart features, integrations with smartphone apps or complex adjustment mechanisms. In the best sense, these are more like traditional weights.
The weight plates come with a black coating, which should help prevent wear and rusting in the long term. Our buying guide editor, James Frew, keeps his outdoors, and they’ve still fared well. Like any good set of dumbbells, the handle is wide enough for double-handed use, and the material should fare well in the heat, too. Changing weights is easy — just adjust the dial, which is quick. It's a welcome return to form for BowFlex under their new ownership.
— Sam Hopes, Channel Editor Fitness
Best electric scooter
Segway Max G3 Plus
I thought the Segway Max G3 was one of the best scooters, but then the company went and pretty much addressed every quibble I had with the Max G3 Plus. This model has everything I loved about the Max G3 — great style, excellent range, full suspension, and security features — and then adds one of the key things that had been missing: rear turn signals. Now, cars both in front and behind you will be able to see when you want to turn.
But Segway didn’t stop there. It added a slightly larger 717-Wh battery, so now the top theoretical range is 56 miles, and boosted the motor to up to 2,200 watts, so it’s a touch easier to make it up those steep hills. Yes, it’s not light — 56 pounds — but it’ll get you wherever you need to go.
— Mike Prospero, US Editor-in-Chief
Best electric bike
Segway Muxi/ Muxi Pro
The Segway Muxi was definitely one of the most interesting electric bikes I’ve ridden over the years; its unique styling makes this mini cargo bike both fun and functional. I definitely received more comments about it than any other bike I’ve tested over the years. It has a laid-back design that’s all its own, and, when you outfit it with accessories like the center console, is as practical as it is enjoyable. (One of my favorite features: the cupholder that keeps your mug vertical, great for toting a thermos of coffee.
As much as I enjoyed the Muxi, the Muxi Pro takes things up a notch, adding all the things I wished the starting model had: turn signals, a front suspension, and a nine-speed electronic shifter, which can change gears automatically for you. And, with an impressive 70-mile range, it has the legs to keep you going.
— Mike Prospero, US Editor-in-Chief
Best active accessory
GoRuck Rucking Weighted Vest
No joke, adding a weighted vest has changed the way I train. Now I can turn any hike or just a walk around the block into a physical challenge while keeping both my hands free — just in case I want to hit the dirt and rattle out a string of push-ups to get the sweat dripping.
Florida-based GORUCK’s premiere weighted vest uses two curved cut-out weight plates that sit in slots on the front and back. Because there’s a hole in the middle, your diaphragm isn't restricted while you're wearing the vest and, unlike a backpack, the weight is evenly distributed across your torso. The vest I tested comes with adjustable straps to fit different torso sizes and a wide, stretchable waistband that cinches thanks to some tough Velcro. You can purchase different weight plates going all the way up to 60lbs (27kg) of added heft to really dial up the intensity. This is the real definition of heavy metal.
— Jeff Parsons, UK Editor-in-Chief
Best golf shoe
Skechers Slip-ins Golf: Blade Tour
Skechers has shifted its reputation greatly in the walking shoe space, and the company is suddenly making waves in golf with the most comfortable golf shoes I’ve ever worn. The Slip-ins Golf: Blade Tour offer the same easy-to-put-on heel as the company’s non-golf offerings, but they have high-end performance that rivals golf-specific brands like FootJoy. When you roll up for your tee time, being able to slip into your performance golf shoe without dealing with laces is a huge convenience. Add in the way they lock in the heel, and you have a stable golf shoe that gave me maximum confidence on the course.
Just as importantly, they look fantastic in both colors, though I’m partial to the bright, attention-grabbing teal colorway. If you’re one of those people with an inherent bias against Skechers based on the company’s previous reputation, I implore you to give these a shot, as they truly are 2026’s best golf shoe.
-— Dave LeClair, Managing Editor
Best golf gadget
Arccos Smart Laser
I love Arccos golf products for tracking my game on the course and looking into my stats after the round. The on-course portion of the service was made infinitely better in 2026 with the introduction of the Smart Laser rangefinder. It does everything a normal rangefinder would, with accurate distances and slope measurement, but it also integrates with Arccos game-tracking features to provide more accurate club recommendations and mark the exact location of the flag in the Arccos app.
It comes with an extra subscription on top of the game-tracking, which isn’t ideal, but as a longtime Arccos user, I find it to be an invaluable tool for helping me make better decisions on the course. Arccos had an incredible 2026 with the massive updates to its app, but the Smart Laser really takes the prize as the biggest thing the company dropped this year, and it’s easily my favorite golf gadget of the year.
-— Dave LeClair, Managing Editor
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