The best sleep trackers of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

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If you've made a New Year's resolution to improve your sleep, you might consider trying out a sleep tracker. A sleep tracker might not help you fall asleep faster, make your slumber longer, or keep you asleep all night, but it can help you understand your sleep better. Once you can see how well (or poorly) you slept, you can set goals to improve it, adjust aspects of your routine or diet, and perhaps get enough exercise during the day to feel tired enough to fall asleep before midnight -- talk about a dream.

Experts recommend that adults get at least seven hours of sleep each night (though everyone is different). Even with seven hours of sleep, there's no guarantee of waking up well-rested. To determine how you've actually slept throughout the night, sleep trackers and wearables can be helpful. While not perfect, sleep trackers can measure heart rate, skin temperature, and time spent in each sleep phase.

There are smartwatches, smart rings, and earbuds that track your sleep to provide a detailed picture of your sleep health. Your sleep data will vary depending on the product you use, and some products perform their sleep-tracking tasks better than others. The ZDNET team has thoroughly tested sleep trackers to find the best options based on features, affordability, and availability.

What's the best sleep tracker right now?

We found that the Oura Ring 4 is the best sleep tracker on the market for its comfortable, lightweight fit, impressive battery life, and discreet build, which makes it ideal for sleeping. Plus, it provides a wealth of sleep data through the app. However, the Oura Ring isn't the only sleep tracker worth considering. Here, we explore the most popular options, as well as some lesser-known choices, to help you find the best sleep tracker for a better night's sleep.

The best sleep trackers of 2025

The Oura Ring 4 is a competitive sleep tracker, with insights into sleep efficiency, restfulness, readiness, latency, and more. I've been using the Oura Ring for a while now, and it has not only given me deeper insight into my sleep but also supplements those data points with explanations behind the numbers. Oura claims to accurately track sleep cycles, total sleep time, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and movement.

These features have been enhanced with the rollout of the fourth-generation Oura Ring, which hit the market in October. The Oura Ring 4 has smart sensors that allow more accurate and continuous data capture. It's also more comfortable than the Oura Ring 3 and has flattened sensors that make it easier to wear over time.

Also: I tested the Oura Ring 4 for weeks. Here's why it's the best health tracker right now

Every morning, I get a sleep score for last night's sleep and view my heart rate, sleep efficiency, and suggested bedtime range for the day. The sleep score helps me understand my energy levels for the day and my activity bandwidth, like whether I should exercise or rest. The Oura Ring can also detect the shortest of naps and factor those into the sleep score for the day. Plus, the sleep tab on the app offers information on sleep efficiency, restfulness, REM, deep sleep, latency, and timing, so you can dig deep and go beyond viewing just a sleep score and your time spent in bed.

As if there aren't enough sleep-friendly features in the Oura Ring, Oura also unveiled a body clock feature that teaches users more about circadian rhythms and the body clock. The feature measures sleep chronotype, calculated by body temperature, sleep-wake cycle, and physical activity. Through this data, I learned that I'm most productive during the late morning.

Also: The best smart rings

The battery life is excellent. It charges quickly and stays charged for around five to six days. Oura says the new generation's battery life lasts eight days, but I haven't found that to be the case in my testing. The one downside to the ring is the extra $72 you spend on the Oura subscription each year, on top of the $350 you spend on the ring itself.

Redditors also agree that the Oura Ring, as a sleep tracker, is worth it. "If you struggle with sleep quality, overtraining, or anything else that affects recovery, I'd say it's worth it," one user wrote in a thread. However, one Best Buy reviewer noted that the ring doesn't offer half sizes, which could be an issue if your fingers swell.

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The Ultrahuman Ring Air is similar to the Oura Ring in several ways: it regularly rolls out new features that improve the user experience; it is comfortable with flatter sensors; its battery life is nearly on par with Oura's in my testing; and its scoring algorithm is fairly similar.

Unlike Oura, which requires a $6-a-month subscription to unlock full access to your wellness data, Ultrahuman is subscription-free. So all you need to pay for is the one-time $350 cost of the ring itself.

While Oura is geared toward general wellness enthusiasts, Ultrahuman is designed more for hardcore fitness junkies who enjoy optimizing their bodies. That's not to say that I, a recreational exerciser and sleep-tracking devotee, didn't enjoy the features of this ring. Sure, it's a little more intense than Oura -- but it's helpful nonetheless.

"From the moment you wake up until the minute you fall asleep, Ultrahuman offers insights into how to get the most out of your day through reminders on when to consume caffeine, expose yourself to sunlight, get up and walk, and wind down," I write.

Ultrahuman's app presents health data in a digestible and easy-to-understand manner. It offers insights on the main page into the most important details of your sleep and readiness, so you don't have to scroll to find them. It gives me at-a-glance health data on the homepage, such as body temperature, heart rate, which phase of my menstrual cycle I am in, and how I can maximize these phases for energy or rest.

Also: This subscription-free smart ring rivals Oura

Ultrahuman Ring Air specs: Sizing: 5-14 | Material: Titanium coated with Tungsten Carbide Carbon | Colors: Matte grey, Aster black, space silver, bionic gold | Water resistance: Up to 330 feet | Sensors: Infrared Photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, Non-contact medical-grade skin temperature sensor, 6-axis motion sensors, Red LEDs (heart rate monitoring and oxygen saturation) Green LEDs (heart rate monitoring) Infrared LEDs (heart rate monitoring) | Connectivity: Bluetooth Low-Energy | Battery: Up to six days

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I've tried sleeping with an Apple Watch around my wrist, and while the tech does a fairly good job tracking my sleep, even the lightest smartwatch pales in comparison to a smart ring for sleep-tracking functionality. That being said, I know there are many people who swear by their Apple Watch, and if that's you, the Apple Watch Series 10 is the best option for sleep tracking.

The Apple Watch Series 10 offers several improvements over its Series 9 predecessor. Not only does the watch have a larger display, but it's also brighter and thinner. One key new feature of the Series 10 is Apple's FDA-cleared sleep apnea detection. People can wear the Series 10 to bed and receive information about breathing disturbances throughout the night, then take that data to a doctor for evaluation. This data can be viewed on a one-month, six-month, or one-year timeline in the Health app.

Review: Apple Watch Series 10

With the Sleep app on Apple Watch, you can create goals for how long you'd like to sleep each night and adjust them for weekdays and weekends. The app also features Sleep Focus mode, which limits distractions before bed, and tracks your sleep using the watch's motion detectors. It estimates how long you spend in each sleep phase -- REM, core, and deep -- per night. Note that Sleep Focus must be enabled to begin tracking your bedtime activity.

My least favorite thing about the Apple Watch is that it doesn't provide a sleep score or summary to evaluate your night's sleep. A number rating is much easier to understand than a heart rate graph, so hopefully, one day, Apple will catch up to the competition by offering a reliable sleep and readiness score system.

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Android owners looking for a sleep tracker on a smartwatch should look no further than the Google Pixel Watch 2. Google improved its heart rate sensors in its newest iteration of the Pixel Watch, which ZDNET contributing writer and resident smartwatch expert Matt Miller confirmed when he tested the watch himself.

On top of that, the Google Pixel Watch 2 further integrates Fitbit into the wearable with improved stress tracking, a daily readiness score, ECG, sleep scores, and six months of Fitbit Premium for free. Some of Fitbit's sleep-tracking features include nightly trends and trends over time, a silent alarm that vibrates to wake you during your most optimal sleep stage, bedtime reminders, sleep goals, and more. One Best Buy reviewer said that the watch's silent alarm makes it easy to wake up without waking her husband, and a handful of reviewers pointed out the watch's accurate sleep tracking.

If you're wearing a piece of tech to bed, it needs to be lightweight and compact. The Pixel Watch 2 is much lighter than its predecessor, ideal for comfortable sleep. "Google's continued focus on sleep and stress tracking means having a lighter, smaller watch makes more sense," Miller writes in his review.

Review: Google Pixel Watch 2

While the 24-hour battery life isn't nearly as competitive as other smartwatches, the faster charging rate takes your battery from 0% to 50% in less than 30 minutes. Miller says it's still one of the most accurate Fitbit-powered wearables for heart rate and GPS tracking, so what you lack in battery life, you gain in sublime accuracy.

Google Pixel Watch 2 specs: 24 hours battery life | Sleep stages | 41mm | Up to 164 feet of water resistance | Accelerometer, Altimeter, Compass, Multi-path Optical Heart Rate, Blood Oxygen Sensor, Skin Temperature, Barometer, cEDA, Gyroscope, Light Sensor | Android compatible

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If you want a lightweight, screen-less band that effortlessly tracks all your activity and sleep data, your best bet could be the Whoop 4.0. Countless professional athletes use the smart band due to its focus on measuring strain and recovery. But where it truly shines is in its sleep tracking.

Whoop measures your four sleep stages (slow wave, awake, REM, and light) and suggests optimal sleep times based on the sleep data it collects. You can also set alarms that go off at a specific time, once you hit your sleep goal, or once you've completed a recovery period. One of the best sleep features, as Matt Miller noted in his review of the Whoop 4.0, is the sleep coach. It not only informs you when to go to bed but also tells you how much sleep you will get if you go to bed after the recommended time. Additionally, the Whoop calculates how much sleep you'll need based on the energy you exert on physical or mental tasks.

Also: Could Whoop's fertility data detect menstrual irregularities?

You get all your health data through the Whoop smartphone app since this band is screen-less. Launching the app displays data on strain, recovery, and sleep. To dive deeper into your sleep data, you can access a by-the-minute plot of your heart rate and other sleep metrics during the night. The app includes written explanations to clarify the data presented.

You can analyze your daily, weekly, and monthly sleep patterns through the detailed sleep trends Whoop offers and calculate your true sleep need -- the amount of time you should be sleeping each night. "At first, I thought the Whoop was just an advanced sleep-tracking device that offered more than my GPS sports watches, but it's more than that. It does track the details of your sleep but is also measuring other key metrics of your body throughout the day," Matt Miller writes in his review of the Whoop 4.0.

Customers agree that the Whoop is worth the money. Many Amazon reviewers said they initially bought the Whoop 4.0 to track their sleep but found themselves improving other areas of their lives thanks to the detailed data and health metrics that Whoop provides.

Review: Whoop 4.0

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The best sleep tracker overall is the Oura Ring 4, thanks to its comprehensive features that provide a deeper understanding of the health data behind your sleep score. It is more comfortable to wear than a smartwatch and offers the most detailed summaries and recommendations for your night's sleep.

Best sleep tracker	Cost	Battery life	iOS/Android	Sleep cycles	Subscription needed?
Oura Ring 4	$350	8 days	iOS and Android	✔	Yes
Ultrahuman Ring Air	$350	6 days	iOS and Android	✔	No
Apple Watch Series 10	$399	18 hours	iOS only	✔	No
Google Pixel Watch 2	$350	24 hours	Android only	✔	No
Whoop 4.0	$240	5 days	iOS and Android	✔	Yes

That depends on your needs. Do you prefer a device with a screen or one without? Are you an athlete looking to combine sleep data with training metrics, or are you casually interested in tracking your nightly sleep score? We've compiled a list of options to suit a variety of preferences and use cases.

Choose this best sleep tracker...	If you want...
Oura Ring	The best sleep tracker overall, with a battery life that lasts nearly a week, comprehensive sleep data, and a form factor you won't ever notice.
Ultrahuman Ring Air	The best subscription-free smart ring for sleep tracking that nearly rivals Oura.
Apple Watch Series 10	The best sleep tracker for Apple users with easy Apple integration, sleep cycle information and sleep apnea detection, and a larger, thinner, and brighter display.
Google Pixel Watch 2	The best sleep tracker for Android users, with Fitbit integrated sleep tech, a daily readiness score, and a lightweight build that makes the Pixel Watch 2 easy to sleep with.
Whoop 4.0	The best sleep tracker for athletes who don't want a screen on their wrist. Get insights and recommendations through Whoop's personalized sleep coach, and learn how you can recover from your workouts with the right amount of sleep that Whoop calculates for you.

Poor sleep quality can lead to an increased risk of dementia, obesity, cardiovascular disease, depression, and even certain types of cancer. Sleep has never been more important.

To find the best sleep trackers, ZDNET relied on hands-on testing and thorough research into product quality as well as sleep studies on these devices. Additionally, we considered the following factors:

Sleep Tracking: Sensors in your sleep tracker can collect a variety of data, such as heart rate, heart rate variability, time asleep, sleep stages, and even how much you snore. All of this data is collected and analyzed, and the best sleep trackers present this information clearly.Comfort: If you're wearing a device to bed, it should be easy to sleep with. We've considered smartwatches, bands, and rings that are lightweight, compact, and unobtrusive.Additional features: Not all sleep trackers stop at just sleep tracking. Others may also provide additional features, like a smart alarm or health and fitness tracking. These insights can help you live a better life during the day so you sleep better at night. Subscription: To access some features, you may need to subscribe to a plan. Some subscriptions require a one-time fee, while others may charge an ongoing monthly fee. Be sure to review the terms of the subscription before purchasing. While generally affordable, this is an additional cost that you should factor into the total price.Price: Sleep trackers can be reasonably priced but get expensive as you add extra features. I found that the cost of the best sleep trackers ranges from $80 to $400, depending on the model.User sentiment: We read customer reviews for each product to see what people liked and disliked about each sleep tracker. You should too.

We understand how much of an investment any type of personal tech can be. That's why, when we select products for a list like this, we give them careful consideration. We rigorously test these products for days and weeks, read customer reviews, and evaluate whether they deliver on their value and cost.

The ZDNET team is constantly testing and ranking products, swapping out older models for newer ones, and removing products that are no longer competitive. We take this testing seriously because, whether a product costs $30 or $300, we want you to get your money's worth.

A sleep cycle consists of three stages: light sleep, deep sleep, and rapid eye movement (REM). On a typical night, when you first fall asleep, you'll enter either light or deep sleep, likely one after the other, before entering a REM phase.

This cycle lasts about 1.5 hours, then repeats in intervals closer to two hours, possibly with a few awake minutes in between, but it always ends with REM sleep. As the night progresses, you'll likely spend less time in deep sleep, while the REM stages become longer.

A regular night of sleep should include about 50% light sleep, 20% REM sleep, 20% deep sleep, and 10% awake.

Also: A hidden feature on your iPhone may help you sleep better

The National Sleep Foundation recommends improving your sleep by practicing certain habits throughout the day and before bed. Following a consistent bedtime routine -- waking up and going to bed at the same time each day -- is one way to signal to your body to ease into sleep. Dimming the lights a few hours before bed, limiting screen time, and creating a cozy, dark, and cool bedroom environment are all ways to improve your sleep schedule. Regular exercise and limiting alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine consumption can also help you stay asleep.

Nearly a quarter of your sleep should be REM sleep, according to health experts. If you're sleeping eight hours a night -- the recommended average -- two hours of REM sleep each night is ideal.

If you need your sleep analyzed, doctors will usually order a polysomnography, which examines a person's oxygen level, heart rate, breathing, eye movement, and leg movement while simultaneously running an electroencephalogram (EEG).

An EEG shows your brainwaves during different stages and cycles of sleep. A wearable smartwatch or fitness tracker on your wrist, however, is far from your brain.

The most popular wearables from Fitbit, Apple, Garmin, and Samsung collect a combination of the following measurements: heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV), movement, breaths per minute, and skin temperature. Devices that track sleep cycles use an algorithm to estimate your sleep cycles based on the data.

A 2017 study compared a polysomnography with the performance of a Fitbit Charge 2 in 35 adults. Researchers found the Fitbit device detected sleep onset with 96% accuracy but overestimated time spent asleep by 9 minutes on average. In the study, the Fitbit detected light sleep with 81% accuracy, deep sleep with only 49% accuracy, and REM sleep with 74% accuracy.

A newer study published in April of 2022 compared the performance of the Fitbit Alta HR to results from an EEG conducted simultaneously on 40 college athletes while sleeping. This study found Fitbit data to satisfactorily track sleep onset, time spent asleep, and sleep cycles. Fitbit can be a useful tool for athletes' sleep management.

While not 100% accurate, the Fitbit data showed a strong correlation with polysomnography results.

There are several types of sleep trackers to choose from. Smartwatches, rings, and under-mattress nearables are the three most popular options.

Smartwatches: These can be either smartwatches or wristbands, depending on the level of technology you need. Smartwatches often include smart assistants like Alexa or Google Assistant and offer a range of features, such as GPS tracking and fitness tracking, in addition to sleep tracking.Rings: This is another wearable sleep tracker but far more basic. It uses sensors along the inside of the ring to collect data and track your sleep. Under mattress or nearables: There are some models, like the Withings Sleep Tracker Pad, that simply slide under your mattress for an unobtrusive solution to sleep trackers.

The Apple Watch Series 9, Google's Pixel Watch 2, and the Garmin Venu 3S are all impressive smartwatches that offer great sleep-tracking capabilities -- without requiring a subscription. If you're a casual sleep tracker, I'd recommend the Apple Watch for those in the Apple ecosystem and the Pixel Watch 2 for Android users. If you're an athlete or training for a marathon, I'd suggest the Garmin Venu 3S.

With so many sleep trackers available, there are many alternatives worth considering. Here are our top picks for alternative sleep trackers that we have tested and can recommend if the picks above don't suit your fancy.