Fitness trackers like Fitbit, Apple Watch, and many others have become dramatically more popular over the last 5 or so years, and for good reason. These devices do a fairly accurate job of tracking things like your heart rate, movement, calories burned, and much more.
However, as people become increasingly aware of the dangers of EMF radiation from the devices they use every day, they are beginning to question these technologies.
From cell phones to laptops, tablets to fitness trackers, the cumulative radiation from all these devices can actually be pretty dramatic.
I’ve written articles on all of these devices, including my popular articles on the potential dangers of Fitbit radiation and Apple Watch Radiation. In those articles, I go into detail about how much radiation Fitbits, Apple Watches, and similar wearable devices emit, what kind, and why you should probably be aware of it.
The focus of this article will be to go over the Fitness trackers that are available on the market that either don’t have Bluetooth (meaning they emit less radiation) or have a simple way to disable it.
I’ll also cover what kind of radiation fitness trackers emit, and why you should take it seriously.
Let’s start by just talking about a few of the best fitness trackers without Bluetooth on the market in early 2023.
Best Fitness Trackers Without Bluetooth
All of these below (and I’ll get specific with each one) either don’t have Bluetooth or WiFi or have a simple way to disable it that I’ll do my best to describe.
These allow you to still get accurate fitness tracking features like monitoring your steps, calories burned, heart rate, etc. but don’t constantly emit radiation to stay synced with your smartphone like a Fitbit device.
Here is a helpful table showing the devices we’ll be talking about:
Best Fitness Trackers Without Bluetooth
| Rank | Product | Best Feature |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Garmin Vívosmart HR Activity Tracker | Best Overall |
| 2. | SafeSleeve Anti-Radiation Cell Phone Case | Most Features and Options |
| 3. | OZO Fitness SC2 Digital Pedometer | Lowest Radiation |
| 4. | Willful Non-Bluetooth Fitness Tracker | Stylish Design |
| 5. | iGANK Fitness Tracker | Good Value |
| 6. | OZO Fitness CS1 Simple Step Tracker | Removable Clip |
| 7. | OZO Fitness CS1 Simple Step Tracker | Lightweight |
1. Garmin Vívosmart HR Activity Tracker
Check it out on Amazon.
The Garmin Vivosmart HR is one of the most popular fitness trackers on the market. The best part about
- Heart Rate
- Calories Burned
- Sleep
- Movement
- Steps
- BMI
- ..and more.
It’s important to remember though that although it will track all of this information in real-time even with the Bluetooth disabled, that you’ll need to re-enable it about once a day so that all the information can be downloaded to your phone and become easily visible.
You can however still view this activity on your Vivosmart itself while the Bluetooth is disabled, and it can track it for up to 24 hours before you’ll want to dump it to the app.
The ability to disable the Bluetooth on the device dramatically reduces the amount of EMF radiation the fitness tracker emits, keeping you safer without sacrificing fantastic health tracking features.
How to disable Bluetooth on the Garmin Vivosmart HR
Make sure that you remember that this device comes by default with the Bluetooth enabled and that you’ll have to manually disable it.
Doing this is extremely simple, you simply:
- Hold your finger on the Vivosmart touchscreen until the menu pops up.
- Select the Bluetooth icon, and then select Turn Off
This will disable the Bluetooth technology, and you can reenable it by reversing this process.
2. Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro
Check it out on Amazon.
The Samsung Gear Fit is a fitness tracker that you may not have heard of, and that is because it hasn’t always been available in the US. However, this largely undiscovered fitness tracker actually has pretty much everything you would look for, and at an affordable price.
The best part about the Samsung Gear Fit2? It, along with the Garmin Vivosmart, is one of only a few quality fitness trackers on the market that let you disable Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, and still track things in real-time.
Let’s talk about a few of the features I think you’ll care about:
- Water resistant up to 50 feet
- Continuous heart rate monitoring
- Calorie Tracking
- Step tracking
- Large display to easily view metrics
Although you may not have heard of it, the Samsung Gear Fit2 pro is certainly one of the lower radiation fitness trackers on the market.
Now, we’ll talk about this more down below, but it’s important to mention that these devices will still emit some small amount of radiation in close proximity to your body, even with the Bluetooth connectivity disabled.
So, if you’re especially sensitive to EMF radiation, it may be better to not use a fitness tracker at all.
How To Turn Off Bluetooth on Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro
Just like with Vivosmart, the Gear Fit2 comes with Bluetooth enabled by default. To turn this feature off, simply:
- From the home screen, use your finger to swipe to the left until you get to Settings
- Tap on the screen with your finger to access the Settings
- Tap on “Bluetooth”
- Uncheck the box next to Bluetooth to disable it.
To reenable it to download the data from the day to your phone, simply check the box again to turn it back on.
3. OZO Fitness SC2 Digital Pedometer -Best Fitness Tracker With No Phone Required
Check it out on Amazon.
Alright, now we’re getting a little bit away from the fitness trackers that you usually think of. However, if you’re looking for something that will track health metrics, but emits essentially zero EMF radiation, then a pedometer like this one could be a great option.
It doesn’t connect with anything via Bluetooth or
It is still able of tracking:
- Steps
- Distance Traveled
- Calories Burned
- MPH/KPH as well as Exercise time
The OZO fitness and activity tracker is extremely easy to program and use, and has a nice large display making it easy to see. It is a clip-on, so it’s easy to stick anywhere while you go about your normal day. It’s even small enough that you can easily conceal it in a pocket, purse, or backpack.
4. Willful Non Bluetooth Fitness Tracker
Check the current price on Amazon.
I think that this is a fantastic option if you’re looking for a simple and stylish fitness watch that is specifically designed to not use Bluetooth connection. In fact with this device you don’t need a watch, an app, or anything else, it simply works and tracks right out of the box (which means zero radiofrequency radiation or emf exposure)
On top of that, it still does an accurate job tracking your movement because you can enter information like your age, height, weight, and gender directly into the watch.
The watch will track things such as:
- Steps taken
- Distance Traveled
- Calories Burned
- Exercise Time
- Sleep Quality
I like that last one especially, because many of the other inexpensive fitness trackers don’t offer sleep tracking on top of everything else.
The Willful non bluetooth fitness tracker is also waterproof and has a really long battery life, which I super appreciate.
Overall, if radiation exposure is something that you’re worried about, I think this is a fantastic device, especially considering the low price.
5. iGANK Fitness Tracker
Check availability on Amazon.
This is another great, full-featured, inexpensive smartwatch device that does not require Bluetooth or a phone.
The iGANK tracks your steps, monitors your walking distance and does an accurate job determining your calories burned and body fat using its “advanced 3D motion sensor.” I’m honestly not entirely sure what that means, but it apparently helps to make tracking more accurate.
You get a pretty good battery life, a scratchproof screen, etc. However, more importantly, there is no app or mobile phone required, and the radiation emissions from this device are very well, which is what you’re wanting.
6. OZO Fitness SC 3D – Digital Pedometer with Removable Clip (no Phone required)
Check it out on Amazon
The SC 3D is a multi-function clock pedometer with a well thought out design. For example, the clip is removable so you can place it in a pocket, bag or backpack or clip it on your clothing. There is an inverted display for easy viewing and the memory log is based on the date, so there is little confusion on what day you are viewing the history for.
This pedometer does not connect to Bluetooth or WiFi so it essentially emits zero EMF radiation. All data is stored on the device only, keeping your exercise data private.
It tracks:
- Steps
- Distance
- Calories
- Activity time
- 30 day memory log by date
- Total accumulated steps, distance, calories and activity time since activation
The two-button design makes it easy to program and use. While the side placement of the buttons virtually eliminates accidental resets. It is powered by a CR2032 long-lasting replaceable battery making it unnecessary to re-charge.
7. OZO Fitness CS1 Simple Step Tracker – Best Step Tracker with No Phone Required
Check it out on Amazon.
This single-function pedometer accurately records your steps. It can be comfortably carried in a pocket all day, thanks to its slim profile. An ideal choice for seniors and kids looking for a non-complicated step counter with no programming required. You can zero out your steps, with a single button press whenever you like.
The CS1 is a stand-alone step tracker with no connectivity to Bluetooth or WiFi. Effectively keeping your data private and eliminating the need to sync with an external device.
It tracks:
- Steps
The OZO fitness CS1 has an extra-large display screen making it easy to see from any angle. It is powered by a CR2032 long-lasting replaceable battery. It’s equipped with a lanyard loop so you can wear it around your neck with the included lanyard or easily conceal it in a pocket, purse, or backpack.
Alright, now that we’ve talked about what I think are the best fitness trackers that either have no Bluetooth, or have the ability to simply disable it, let’s talk briefly about why this should even be a concern.
Dangers of Bluetooth – Why You May Want a Phoneless and WiFi Free Fitness Tracker
I’m not going to go into too much detail on this subject in this article, because I’ve already written a huge guide to the dangers of Bluetooth radiation that you can check out.
However, I think it’s important to briefly talk about why you might want a fitness tracker or Fitbit that doesn’t have Bluetooth connectivity.
First of all, Bluetooth is just another form of RF radiation, which is a type of EMF radiation. Bluetooth is a technology and a frequency that allows devices to maintain data connection and transfer data in real-time. It does this by sending packets of data back and forth between the device, and a Bluetooth receiver usually in a phone or computer.
Some may argue that most Bluetooth devices emit less radiation than the government regulatory agencies safe standards for SAR (specific absorption rate) ratings, however, there are a few problems with this.
First of all, many experts feel these standards are FAR from what is actually set. They were decided on in 1996 (and haven’t been changed since!) long before most of the technologies we use today were even around.
If you read this post I wrote about EMF radiation and fertility, I have a section that goes into details about just how off these SAR standards probably are.
One of the main problems is that the researchers that provided information to the FCC when these standards were being set, only focused on the fact that Bluetooth is non-thermal and non-ionizing.
However we now know that even non-ionizing radiation can have negative impacts, especially in close proximity over long periods of time (like in the case of a fitness tracker or smartwatch).
I know I’m going off a bit more than I planned to in this article, but it’s important to know the potential dangers.
If you’ve read many of the articles on my websites, then you probably have a better understanding of the health risks of constant exposure to electromagnetic radiation. These health effects go far beyond skin irritation and rashes but can actually cause significant damage to the human body given enough time.
The bottom line is that even fairly low amounts of EMF radiation like we are exposed to from Bluetooth devices can have negative effects, especially from prolonged exposure.
Related Questions
Now that we’ve talked about the effects of EMF radiation and why you might want to use a fitness tracker without Bluetooth, let’s cover a few related questions.
If you didn’t find an answer to the question you had in this article, feel free to reach out to me and I’ll do my best to help.
Can I Use A Fitness Tracker Without A Phone?
Yes, this is completely possible. First of all, you can use a simple fitness tracker like the OZO I mentioned above that doesn’t require any connectivity whatsoever.
If you’re going to use a more sophisticated fitness tracker like the Vivosmart or the Gear Fit2 Pro, then accomplishing any kind of tracking without a phone will be a bit more difficult. It’s best to keep Bluetooth off during the day (follow the steps I listed above) and then sync with your phone at night.
You can just turn the Bluetooth back on for your fitness tracker, and simply set your phone and fitness tracker together, away from your body, while they sync.
If you don’t have a smartphone and want to accomplish this, many fitness trackers like the Fitbit have software that you can install on your computer and accomplish the same syncing of data without an Android or iPhone app.
Do All Fitness Trackers Need Bluetooth?
No, not all fitness trackers require Bluetooth to operate and track health-related data. However, many fitness trackers do utilize Bluetooth in order to sync with your smartphone so that the data is more accessible.
Most fitness trackers don’t actually use the Bluetooth connection to track data, but instead just to transmit the tracked data to your phone or computer. Some fitness trackers also use Bluetooth so that you can listen to music with wireless headphones while exercising.
Can You Turn Bluetooth Off On A Fitbit?
This is a pretty common question if you’re at all concerned about FitBit EMF radiation, which is why I wrote an entire guide on Fitbit trackers. Unfortunately, as you’ll read on the official FitBit community forum, there isn’t currently a way to turn Bluetooth off on a FitBit, as this is the primary way the device syncs with your phone.
The side effects of exposure to low levels of electromagnetic fields can actually be fairly severe, which is why I don’t personally recommend using devices like these. However, if you read the article I linked above, there are some EMF protection steps you can take to reduce your exposure.
If you’re curious just how much radiation devices like the Fitbit Force and Aria can produce, take a look at this short video:
Final Thoughts
Fitness and activity trackers like the Fitbit, Vivosmart, Gearfit, and pedometers are fantastic technologies for helping us track, meet, and exceed our health and fitness goals.
However, if you take EMF radiation seriously like I do, it may be worth looking into how you can accomplish these goals while also limiting your exposure to radiation. I hope I’ve helped you with that today.
If you enjoyed this article, I’d love it if you were willing to share it!
Yours in health,
1 comment
Thank you . This is so helpful. Much appreciated.