13 Tech Leaders Talk About Their Favorite Lifestyle And Productivity Apps

There's a staggering variety of apps on the market today designed to help us manage our schedules, monitor our health, boost our productivity, calm our nerves, keep our to-do lists in order—and anything and everything in between. There are so many that "shopping around" for the best options on offer can be overwhelming.

Tech leaders not only spend their days building and using apps but also staying up to date on the latest offerings, so they're a great source for discovering the best business- and personal-use apps available. Below, 13 members of Forbes Technology Council share their favorite lifestyle and productivity apps and explain how these technologies help them succeed.

1. 1Password

I can't recommend a password manager strongly enough. Everyone should be using one and should have unique, randomly generated, strong passwords for every online service (and two-factor authentication when available). I've been a 1Password user for years and love the service; it's a good option if you don't mind subscriptions. Bitwarden is a good open-source alternative, especially if you want to store your own vaults. – Jay Goldman , Sensei Labs

2. Apple's Fitness

I rely on Apple's Fitness app. Health is wealth, and tracking your health as you tackle the daily hurdles of life is imperative. Those of us in the IT world tend to sit a lot as we work. This app constantly reminds you to take a moment to breathe or get up and walk. It's like your personal health advisor. – Bhavna Juneja , Infinity, a Stamford Technology Company

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3. Audible

I would have likely lost my mind multiple times if it wasn't for Audible . It gives me everything my inner self needs, from knowledge and soul-searching to relaxation and focus. We often do not realize how much trash we take into our minds through social media. In contrast, our careful selection of quality information through an app such as Audible can be truly life-enhancing. – Carlo Tortora Brayda , Tortora Brayda Institute

4. Email Sanitizer

As an email deliverability manager, the app that's most important for me is Email Sanitizer , because it can help improve email deliverability by checking the accuracy and validity of an email address before an email is sent. This can help ensure that an email will not bounce or be marked as spam. It also helps your organization maintain a high sender reputation, as emails to invalid or nonexistent addresses can result in bounces. – Reynier Matos Padilla , Aument.io

5. Fantastical

For people who live on a schedule and always need to know what's coming up next, Fantastical is the best-formatted quick-view calendar app out there. The calendar apps built into phones and the Google and Microsoft calendars aren't nearly as good. And Fantastical takes normal language inputs and sets up meetings and appointments in Outlook automatically, which is a bonus. – Seth Wasserman , Menin Hospitality

6. Freeletics

As a CEO, it's important for me to maintain a high level of energy and focus in order to effectively lead my team and make important business decisions. Freeletics provides personalized workouts and nutrition plans that help me stay healthy and perform at my best. By investing in my physical well-being, I am able to bring my best self to work and make a positive impact on my business. – Andres Zunino , ZirconTech

7. Google Keep

One of the most useful apps I use daily is Google Keep , one of the best note-taking and reminder apps. Google Keep allows you to add and follow up on a creative idea that comes to mind throughout the day or quickly make a note about a task or item you might need to remember later. – Cristian Randieri , Intellisystem Technologies

8. Polymail

Polymail is an absolutely top-tier app. It consolidates all of your emails into one application and allows you to easily filter through different inboxes and switch which address you're writing from. I wouldn't be able to manage my businesses if it weren't for Polymail. – David Pawlan , Aloa

9. Structured

I am a big fan of an app called Structured , a planning tool and calendar that makes it easy to plan tasks and visualize your day. The app is completely customizable and features many colors, images and themes so you can make a calendar and to-do list that matches your needs and personality. – Thomas Griffin , OptinMonster

10. TripIt

The TripIt app organizes your travel plans, no matter where you book. It creates a comprehensive itinerary for every trip, with reminders and alerts throughout the journey. There is no need to remember details or save emails with hotel or flight bookings. For road warriors and frequent travelers, this app is a blessing. – Ritesh Mukherjee , Inseego

11. Waze

I use Waze every day. Even if I'm driving around the city I call home, the traffic calculations save me so much time. – Katherine Manuel , House of Blueberry

12. WHOOP

One of my most valuable and often-used apps is WHOOP , which helps me manage my daily activities and make well-informed decisions about exercise, sleep, stress and more. As we work to balance our professional and personal lives, we all feel limited in terms of time, which impacts performance, sleep and stress. WHOOP keeps you attuned to small daily changes to help you operate at your best and be ready to perform each day. – Jason Cross , Newfold Digital

13. Zapier

Zapier is a powerful integration app that can connect different systems together. With thousands of available integrations, you can streamline your lead generation, contact form submissions, email tracking and social media responses or simply bridge two popular services together. With an endless ocean of systems, Zapier is the missing link among them all. – Mario Peshev , DevriX