Recording comprehensive metrics about your workouts or runs used to be the domain of only the most dedicated athletes.

[guest post by Logan Strain from WearableZone]

But today, wearable fitness trackers have turned everyone into a health coach. You can track how many steps you take, your heart rate, and even how much sleep you get at night.

But is that information accurate?

Though modern technology is miraculous, it can’t shrink a roomful of medical equipment into something that fits on your wrist.

Even if fitness trackers aren’t perfect, how close do they get?

Exercise scientists have wondered the same thing for years. So, they’ve tested the most popular fitness wearables on the market to see how they stack up.

The results are mixed. If you rely on your fitness tracker to count your steps, it’s probably giving you a very accurate number. On the other hand, fitness trackers tend to be way off-base when estimating calories burned.

To help you get a better sense of the numbers that your fitness tracker gives you, WearableZone summarized recent, interesting studies on fitness tracker accuracy. Keep this information in mind whenever you check your fitness stats on your smartphone.

Writer Bio:

Logan Strain is a tech journalist from San Diego who covers smartwatches, virtual reality devices, and neurological wearables for WearableZone. His work has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Salesforce, and other fine publications.