A team of researchers from Iowa State University's Department of Kinesiology put some of the more popular activity trackers to the test.
They tested four consumer fitness trackers - Fitbit Flex, Nike+ FuelBand SE, Jawbone UP 24 and Misfit Shine - as well as two monitors normally used in research - the BodyMedia Core and Actigraph GT3X+ - to see how well they measured sedentary, aerobic and resistance activity.
Overall, the BodyMedia Core was the top performer with a rate of error of 15.3 per cent. The Misfit Shine was the least accurate with a 30.4 per cent error rate.
That was followed by 25 minutes of their choice of aerobic activity and 25 minutes of resistance exercise, with 5 minutes of rest between each activity.
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Researchers said accuracy is important, but it is only part of the equation in terms of improving physical activity levels.
"I think the key to a consumer is not so much if the activity monitor is accurate in terms of calories, but whether it's motivational for them and keeps them accountable for activity in a day," said Greg Welk, professor of kinesiology at Iowa State University.