Best Pedometers

Best accelerometer-based pedometers

Experts generally agree that accelerometer pedometers are the most accurate you can buy, especially for overweight individuals and those with a slow gait. Among accelerometer-based pedometers, the Omron Pocket Pedometer HJ-112 (*Est. $23) stands out in reviews and excels in independent testing. This pedometer has dual accelerometer sensors, so it doesn't need to be clipped to the waist to function accurately. In fact, the manufacturer claims it can be put in a purse or pocket. The Omron Pocket Pedometer HJ-112 also differentiates between everyday steps and aerobic movement (more than 60 steps a minute for at least 10 continuous minutes). It also tracks time and calories with a seven-day history. The manufacturer claims the battery should last about six months, based on 10,000 steps a day.

A research study published in the April 2009 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise tests the accuracy of the Omron HJ-112 pedometer on nearly 100 walkers of different body sizes. Even at slow walking speeds, the Omron HJ-112 proves to be highly accurate in this test. Researchers say the pedometer gets the most accurate step counts when clipped on the waist, hung around the neck or placed in a shirt pocket. It is less accurate when placed in a pants pocket. A major consumer organization confirms these results; the Omron HJ-112 pedometer scores an excellent rating for accuracy at fast and slow walking speeds.

Other reviewers also have good things to say about the Omron Pocket Pedometer HJ-112. The National Education Association picks the Omron HJ-112 as one of the best pedometers available, with their tester finding it easy to set up. Wendy Bumgardner, About.com's guide to walking, also picks the Omron HJ-112, even though she says it's a little large and bulky. She likes the seven-day memory and says the pedometer operates silently with no clicking -- a common complaint for spring-levered pedometers.

Owner-written reviews confirm that the Omron Pocket Pedometer HJ-112 is accurate and easy to use. There's no shortage of owner feedback on this pedometer. It receives above-average marks in more than 2,000 reviews on Amazon.com, and it is the top-rated pedometer on Buzzillions.com. It also earns more than 280 five-star reviews on Walmart.com. A few owners do report having problems with the pedometer, especially those who have a very slow or unsteady gait. These walkers say the Omron HJ-112 doesn't accurately count their steps, and a few other owners have problems with the pedometer resetting during the day and erasing their step count. Still, the Omron Pocket Pedometer HJ-112 receives overwhelming praise from most owners.

Omron also scores with the Omron Pocket Pedometer with PC Software HJ-720ITC (*Est. $33). This pedometer is quite similar to the top-rated Omron Pocket Pedometer HJ-112; they both have dual accelerometer sensors, separate tracking of everyday steps and aerobic movement and an automatic midnight reset. However, the Omron HJ-720ITC pedometer comes with a USB connection so you can upload your data and track your progress on your computer using the Omron Health Management Software (available for PCs only). The pedometer stores 41 days of data, including steps, aerobic steps, distance and calories/fat grams burned. Only the first seven days, however, are available on the display. To view exercise data that is more than a week old, you will have to download the data to your computer.

A research study published in the March 2009 issue of Science & Medicine in Sports & Exercise finds that the Omron HJ-720ITC is very accurate, concluding that the pedometer demonstrates "validity and reliability at various mounting positions" -- even for overweight adults. The Good Housekeeping Research Institute also picks the Omron Pocket Pedometer HJ-720ITC as one of the best pedometers. They recommend it for tech-savvy walkers who want to track their exercise data and progress on their computer. The Omron HJ-720ITC also wins a CNNMoney.com pedometer field test, scoring a 99.3 percent accuracy result and an overall A- rating. Wendy Bumgardner, the walking guide at About.com, confirms that the Omron HJ-720ITC highly accurate, even when tilted.

Owner-written reviews are generally in line with these expert opinions, and the Omron HJ-720ITC scores above-average ratings in more than 750 reviews on Amazon.com. Reviewers say the pedometer counts steps accurately (especially when clipped to the waist or hung from a lanyard) and they love having the ability to track their progress on their computer. However, a few owners complain that the data upload stopped functioning properly after a few weeks, and researchers also warn that the Omron HJ-720ITC is not as accurate when placed into a backpack. In addition, multiple owners say the belt clip is poorly designed.

For those who want a more secure belt clip, the New-Lifestyles NL-2000 (*Est. $65) pedometer comes with a metal waist clip that reviewers say is relatively secure. This small pedometer weighs less than an ounce and uses an accelerometer to track steps and calories. Like many other pedometers, it has a seven-day memory, and it comes with a protective cover and security strap. The NL-2000 also has a clock, and the step count is automatically reset at midnight. If you program your weight, height, age and gender, the NL-2000 can also determine your basal metabolic rate (BMR).

Based on research studies, the New-Lifestyles NL-2000 pedometer is recommended for larger individuals and slow walkers. In a study conducted at the University of Tennessee and published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, traditional spring-levered pedometers were found to be less accurate for those with a waist size of over 40 inches. In this study, the New-Lifestyles NL-2000 was found to be very accurate for those with larger waists. In recent independent testing, the New-Lifestyles NL-2000 scores an excellent rating for accuracy, but it does not perform as well as the Omron Pocket Pedometer HJ-112 in ease-of-use tests. In addition, another test by CNNMoney.com finds the NL-2000 to be too sensitive, which results in overcounting steps. In fact, they find that even the smallest movement (like opening the case to view your totals) can count as a step. Overall, CNNMoney.com gives the New-Lifestyles NL-2000 a C- rating. Even though they generally like this pedometer, testers for the National Education Association also find that it overcounts their steps.

Studies in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise also pick the Kenz Lifecorder as one of the most accurate pedometers tested. The Kenz Lifecorder has been replaced by the Kenz Lifecorder EX (*Est. $245), which is distributed in the U.S. by New-Lifestyles, Inc. This accelerometer-based pedometer counts steps and tracks calories, with a seven-day display memory and a 200-day internal memory that can be viewed on a PC with the optional physical activity analysis software (*Est. $295 for pedometer and software). The software seems geared towards researchers and is probably overkill for someone who just wants to keep track of his or her daily steps. Unfortunately, owner-written reviews of the Lifecorder EX pedometer are practically nonexistent, so it's hard to tell if this very expensive pedometer is worth the cost. New-Lifestyles pedometers (and the Kenz Lifecorder) are harder to find (and more expensive) than comparable pedometers, but they are available through the manufacturer at New-Lifestyles.com.

Best traditional (spring-levered) pedometers

Most basic pedometers use a spring and lever arm to manually count each step you take based on your body's movement. Unlike accelerometer pedometers, which have more placement options, spring-levered pedometers must be positioned precisely in order to function properly. Most pedometers in this category must be clipped to the waist and positioned vertically to the ground -- the pedometer may not count steps accurately if it is not perfectly vertical. As a result, this type of pedometer is usually not the best choice for very large or overweight individuals, who will have difficulty getting the pedometer to clip vertically on their belt without tilting.

The Yamax Digi-Walker SW-200 (*Est. $22) is considered by experts to be the most accurate pedometer in this category. It is a simple, easy-to-use device that has only one function -- it counts steps. In comparison testing, the Yamax SW-200 is used as the pedometer to which others are compared, and many university researchers consider it to be the gold standard of pedometers. Editors at Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter write that the SW-200 is "respected for its excellent reliability and accuracy."

Yamax pedometers aren't widely available in the United States, but the company also licenses its technology to others, so the Yamax SW-200 is more widely available as the Accusplit Eagle AE120XL (*Est. $17). It counts up to 100,000 steps and comes with a protective cover and security leash. In more than 50 owner-written reviews at Amazon.com, the Accusplit Eagle gets high marks for being easy to use, and reviewers like the protective cover that helps prevent accidental resets. In general, reviewers say the Accusplit Eagle AE120XL is fairly accurate, but they recognize that placement is important. Many reviewers are also impressed with the generous five-year warranty (no proof-of-purchase required). On a negative note, multiple owners say they wish the Accusplit Eagle pedometer could be calibrated for individual stride length, and a few note that the pedometer died after several weeks of use.

Reviewers also like the Yamax Digi-Walker SW-701 (*Est. $25), which is identified as one of the most accurate pedometers in a large controlled study at the University of Tennessee. However, recent test results published in the same journal find that the Omron HJ-112 pedometer is more accurate.

The Sportline 360 Total Fitness pedometer (*Est. $40) also uses a spring-levered counting engine, but it tracks more data than the Accusplit Eagle AE120XL or the Yamax Digi-Walker SW-701. It tracks steps, calories, time, speed and distance, with a large digital display and seven-day memory. The Sportline 360 also has a smart timer that automatically turns the pedometer off when no movement is detected. This pedometer gets good feedback from the National Education Association, with testers finding it quiet and inconspicuous, although they say it is less accurate for very large or overweight individuals. Wendy Bumgardner at About.com gives the Sportline 360 five stars, praising the seven-day memory and plastic cover that prevents users from accidentally hitting the reset button and erasing their step count.

Consumers are less enthused about the Sportline 360 pedometer. About 10 owners review this pedometer on Amazon.com, giving it an average rating of 2.5 stars. It's a similar story at REI.com, where owners give it an average of two stars. Comments about accuracy are mixed, with some reviewers finding it counts their steps pretty accurately and others saying it exaggerates or undercounts their totals. Multiple owners also mention that the clip is loose and easily broken, which puts the pedometer out of commission until the clip is replaced.