The Best Fitness Trackers, Outdoor Gear, and More

The best beach umbrellas, chairs, and accessories for enjoying the sun and surf, and more, in this week’s Sweethome newsletter. [View this email in your browser]( Every tech company under the sun seems to be making a fitness tracker these days, and it’s impossible to tell what’s good just by looking at them. Luckily, one of our intrepid writers has covered her wrists in them and put them through their paces, from running and walking to trying to trick them with shopping carts and jumping jacks. We compared them with real heart-rate monitors and step counters to see how far off they were, and picked only the most accurate, stylish, and easy-to-use models to recommend to you. In this [new version of the guide]( we’ve added picks without heart-rate monitoring or GPS for those who just want a simple way to get a sense of how much activity they get every day, but there are still great options for sports enthusiasts, too. —Casey Johnston [The Best Fitness Trackers]( [After more than 120 hours testing]( 19 different fitness trackers, including trying to trick their step counters with shopping carts and jumping jacks, we’ve found the [Garmin Vívosmart HR+]( is the best tracker. [The Best Portable Bluetooth Speaker]( We tested 17 new models this year, and we found the rugged, packable, waterproof [UE Roll 2]( is still the [best all-around Bluetooth speaker]( for most people. [The Best Patio Umbrella and Stand]( After considering dozens of umbrellas and bases, we recommend the [9-foot-wide Treasure Garden Market Aluminum Push Button Tilt Umbrella]( and [50-pound US Weight Umbrella Base]( for adding optimal shade and a stylish pop of color to your yard, deck, or patio. [The Best Beach Umbrellas, Chairs, and Accessories for Enjoying the Sun and Surf]( Our team of ocean-loving gear testers have spent dozens of hours over the past three summers finding the [best umbrellas, chairs, and accessories]( for a comfortable, relaxing day at the beach. Whether it’s sunscreen, sun shades, or flip-flops, we’ve got you covered. [The Best Outdoor Gear]( Looking for outdoor gear to get lost with? We’ve researched and tested the [best outdoor accessories]( to help make any excursion more enjoyable. Explore new paths with our pick for the best handheld [GPS device]( create memories with a great [action camera]( and queue up the campfire tunes with a [travel guitar](. [The Best Portable Jump Starter]( Click to watch If your car won’t start because of a dead battery, having a [portable jump starter]( handy can [put you back on the road]( a lot more quickly than getting a jump from another car—and you’re not dependent on finding an available friend or Good Samaritan to help you out. [The Best Deals We Can Find]( Because we think we can make a small difference by being picky, here are [some great deals]( on solid pieces of gear. One of our favorite deals from this week: [Fitbit Flex 2 Fitness Tracker](. This is the first sale we’ve seen on the Fitbit Flex 2 since making it one of our picks and this marks a $40 drop from the usual street price. Most of the sales we see on this Fitibit only drop the price $20 (down to $80), so this is a great price to pick it up. For those who love a great deal, we’ve started sending out a daily newsletter of [the best deals we find]( each weekday. If we don’t find a deal worth sharing, we won’t send an email that day. Let’s be friends... [Like us on Facebook ]( [Follow us on Twitter]( [Follow us on Pinterest]( [Follow us on Instagram]( [Subscribe to our YouTube channel]( Getting this email for the first time? Subscribe to receive it weekly [here](. Copyright © 2017 The Sweethome (part of The New York Times Company), All rights reserved. You're receiving this email because you signed up for Sweethome's weekly newsletter. Wait, you don't remember? Our mailing address is: The Sweethome (part of The New York Times Company) 142 Henry Street, 1WNew York, NY 10002 [Add us to your address book]( [unsubscribe from this list]( | [update subscription preferences](