As the saying goes, “The best gear is the gear that you’ll actually use.” Nowhere does this saying apply more than with your fitness tracker, which you need to wear constantly in order to monitor your step count, heart rate, and sleep quality. Studies might be mixed on their benefits, but longer battery life, better software, and more stylish designs mean that fitness trackers are easier to wear now than ever before. With a few tips, we can help lessen the likelihood that your new device will end up collecting dust in your junk drawer.
When you buy something using the retail links in our product reviews, we earn a small affiliate commission. Read more about how this works. Updated 5/30/2018: We added several new sports watches that we've recently tested!
01
Nokia
Steel Smartwatch
PRICE$119
This stark, minimalist device is a hybrid between an analog watch and a smart one. It looks like an elegant fashion accessory, but connects to the Nokia Health app on your phone to show your daily step count. It’s simple and slim, with a velvety silicone band, and can transition from surfing to a wedding brunch without skipping a beat. And at $130, the Steel is also one of the most affordable trackers out there. For an additional $60, you can upgrade to the Steel HR which also tracks your heart rate and distance traveled.
Nokia
02
Suunto
Spartan Sport Wrist HR Baro
PRICE$523
Suunto has started to become a viable challenger to Garmin’s dominance in the rugged sportwatch category. When it comes to the all-important trackback navigational features, the HR Baro's accuracy is comparable—as it should be, since it also uses both GPS and GLONASS satellite positioning systems. The Suunto Movescount platform displays an incredible amount of data, and the sharp crystal touchscreen is a joy to use. If you don’t mind a clunky phone app and have a bigger wrist (and wallet), this might be the best watch for you.
Suunto
03
Garmin
Fenix 5X
PRICE$700
The bulky Garmin Fenix 5X is large and horrifyingly expensive. But it’s worth it for what you get—Garmin’s top-of-the-line, meticulous topographic maps of the entire United States. You can create routes for running and cycling; examine the most remote trails; locate points of interest, like restaurants; and save your own bacon when you realize you’ve made a wrong turn on a hike. It lasts for weeks on one charge, tracks tons of different stats like your heart rate and the number of strokes you make while swimming, and is compatible with a ton of accessories. If you love outdoor sports and can handle the price and the large size, this is a great fitness watch.
Garmin
04
Samsung
Gear Sport
PRICE$300
Many sporty smartwatches are beautiful, but they can be difficult to navigate for the uninitiated. Do you push buttons? Do you swipe or tap? We found that a rotating bezel made the Samsung Gear Sport one of the easiest to interact with. It also helps that the watch is moderately-sized and unobtrusive, and its app can track virtually any sport that exists.
SAMSUNG
05
Fitbit
Ionic
PRICE$300
Fitbit’s strength is in their tremendous user, partner, and developer community, and their first fitness smartwatchlets you take full advantage of it. In addition to the usual heart rate tracking and step counting, you can customize the Ionic’s face, add independent developer apps, or pay for your post-workout Starbucks run. With future software updates, you might also be able to track medical conditions such as diabetes and sleep apnea as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment