Fitness Watch – All You Need to Know
Fitness Watch Review
The fitness wilderness is a dynamic one; today you do this tomorrow there is a new thing. Such is the ever changing fitness environment and you should be embraced for it.
Well, let’s think of fitness watches. They have stormed the market and everyone wants to have one. But how much do you know about them? What features should you look for? And is it really worth to invest in one?
These and other questions will be answered in this post. And not only that, you will also get 5 reviews of the best fitness watches (if you will be convinced to buy one).
Features in a fitness watch
The first breed of fitness trackers was simple in every possible way. They only featured a step counter and sleeping monitor. Thanks to technology, the modern crop of these watches is more superior and versatile than its forerunners.
Here are some of the must-have features in your fitness watch:
Data synchronization
This one is a very important feature in your watch. You want to be able to view or share your data both in your phone and a website. These watches come with a sync capability. It makes things easy on your end as you can have your fitness information where you want and at your convenience.
Accompanying app
These fitness gadgets do not come in isolation. They need to be supported and accessed over your Smartphones and if necessary on computers. The accompanying application, therefore, is an important property. It makes it easy to share, view and compute data across different platforms.
Sensors
For distance, sleep, heart monitoring, calories burned and what a few; you need a way to harvest them. Sensors do the job for you. They gather all the necessary data leaving it at your disposal to do as you deem fit.
Waterproofing
Not always will it be as friendly as you wish it to be. There will be rainy and snowy days. When they do come you want to be armed with the right paraphernalia. Fitness watches comes with a waterproofing property to face all weather when you have to.
Smartphone notification and GPS
Your Smartphone is a third arm: it has to be with all the time. Fitness watches come with a GPS locator and Smartphone notification feature. It is something you would want to have in your new fitness acquisition.
Who needs fitness watch?
It does not matter whether you are a fitness enthusiast or just a guy who goes for a run every once a week. Everyone could have these versatile watches. It helps keep your path to health on the check. Moreover, it helps sync your fitness data to every day gadgets you use. Who wouldn’t want that? Not you, not me either.
Is a fitness watch a worth buy?
Do you need this fitness device? Yes you do. The reason is simple: you would want to know how successful you are with your exercises and the best and easy way is all you got in this watch.
Beware of these fitness watch misconceptions
These watches are great but not holistically perfect. Misconception mills make them sound invincible but you would rather get it right from here.
True yes, these gadgets can record a burst of activities. However, they will not be adept to some metric data from particular sports. For instance, a swimmer will only get data on calories burn and heart rate but nothing to do with a detailed breakdown of their performance.
Another misconception worth bursting pertains to cycling and running. Without the GPS you would not get any report on your pace and distance. The only thing you can get, in such circumstances, is a guide to your working out.
Seven of the best fitness watches
It is a wild world when it comes to fitness gadgets. There is so much to choose from and chances of making a bad buy, unfortunately, are high. We want you to buy the right fitness tracker for your fitness and that is why these 5 reviews will be an eye-opening window.
Garmin Vivosmart HR+ Review
When this one came out, it broke review records. Everyone sang praises and could not wait to lay hands on it. All that praise was deserved. This is a top-of-the-charts fitness watch. It is built in high-end technology and does its job to expected standards.
Its performance and features, as some buyers argue, place it above any other competitor. Some customers think it deserves the top award for the best fitness gadget 2016. Whether that is the case or not, we all have varying opinions.
Features to look forward to
GPS tacking and heart rate monitor: for distance, pace and location; the GPS has that covered for you. It keeps track on your calorific burn through the heart rate monitor. It may be a non-pro piece but truly one deserving the asking price.
One-week life battery: the battery will take you through a week of intensive exercise. For those who do less in a week, it may even take longer.
Water resistance: this allows you 50-meter depth into water. However, this is not good enough for someone who wants to go deeper than that.
Superior notification feature: excellent is an understatement when it comes to the notification prowess in this piece. It will keep you on the know at all time about your success; and of course failures.
Pros
· It does not need a pro to use it. Simple to use and one that will get the job done.
· Though not good enough for the swimming users, it gives some room for water resistance.
· Beautifully designed piece
· It comes second to none with the notification feature.
· Pocket-friendly price with guarantee for value for your money
Cons
· Does not come with a swimming mode and hence cuts out a section of users
· It is a basic piece hence only tracking basic information
What we like
The notification property is something you cannot close your eyes on. You will have your data in real time. Another thing is its simple design; it does not need a pro to use it.
What we don’t like
Without a swimming mode, it leaves out a section of users. While there are scores of other choices to buy from, we feel that a swimming mode would have made this an irresistible fitness gadget.
Our verdict
Anyone looking to get basic fitness data, this watch will get you there. It is simple to use and would be perfect for beginners. However, we do not recommend it to professionals who would want more data on their performance.
Garmin vivoactive Review
Are you ready to shed some fat and tone your muscles? Garmin has that covered for you with a frontrunner watch. Its GPS capability is nothing you have seen yet. Packaged for the prolific runner, you are adding so much value to your fitness collection. Its market price is way below its peers but do not mistake this for low quality. It is a topnotch piece brushing shoulders with the latest smartwatches out there.
Battery life for 3 weeks with 10 hours of GPS tracking LCD display with 204 by 148 pixels IQ (Connect) apps support ANT+ sensors
Pros
• The frame is small hence cutting out the bulkiness with other features
• Full GPS tracking is a big plus with this piece
• Great value for what you are paying for
• The battery will give you a relatively long life
• Is also a smartwatch
Cons
• The app library is very limited since you cannot use third party apps
• The notifications are occasionally patchy What we like In-built GPS is something you would miss in your fitness device.
What we like
We like that Garmin understands that better than anyone else. There are no more guesses with data; you will be getting accurate information to the decimals. Additionally, the small frame is something we couldn’t miss to notice. This makes it comfortable to have the watch on your wrist.
What we don’t like
We don’t like Patchy notifications are the only reason to complain about this watch. You will get them more often than you would like. And for that, we drop half star in its rating.
Our verdict
Battery life, check; GPS, check, smartwatch. If you are fitness freak, it never gets better than with this watch. It is the perfect addition to your fitness toys. Get it and you will soar to the next level.
Garmin Vívofit Review
For the list of smart trackers vying for a place on your wrist, this Garmin wearable band is a top candidate. Stripping down GPS and instead adding a step counter, the Swiss company has made a futuristic device. The functioning is simple but good enough to help you keep a tab on your fitness performance. Though it is not the best fitness tracker you can lay your hands on, it is a worth piece to have on you. Can be purchased with or without heart-rate band
Features to look forward to
• LCD screen but with no backlight
• Accelerometer for performance tracking
• One-year long life battery
• A possibility to choose with or without a heart rate monitor
• Completely sychronised with Apple or Android devices that have Bluetooth
Pros
• With a one-year long life battery, nothing comes close to it
• Water resistance
• Customizable fitness goals are great for your motivation
• It is a very durable piece with low maintenance
• The step counting capability is one of its kind and you will love it
Cons
• You will have trouble uploading and syncing data
• No backlight for the display
• This one has no altimeter
• No GPS
What we like
One-year long life battery, water resistance and Garmin Connect app make this watch a gem you should never miss. We also like the always on-screen (a feature not in many fitness watches).
What we don’t like
There is no access to third party apps. That is a big limitation as you may not like to use the Garmin app imposed on you. But apart from that, there is a lot this piece is giving you that you will not get anywhere else.
Our verdict
This one is the best alternative if you do not want to go for Fitbit or Fuelband. Its low maintenance is something you cannot ignore. It is for you if you are looking for durability and simple functionalities. The only thing you will miss is the vibration reminder, which after all is not a big deal if you are dedicated to your routine.
Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate Review
If there is something great about Fitbit is the fact that they do what they do in a great way. It is no surprise that they have won more loyal customers than their competition. Just coming after the no-longer-available Charge HR, Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate is earning a favorite tag. Its performance, cool’ design and new features are propelling it to the top buy spot and seem not to be stopping any time soon.
Desirable features
It comes with a steel body, which gives you the assurance of durability.
It has Leather/rubber bands that can be swapped.
Fitted with a big OLED display screen. This makes it more superior than its front runners
Relax app. This one is more like Apple’s Breath app. Relax keeps a tab on your breathing exercises. The overall effect is remarkable relaxation.
Easy-glance design. No struggle reading your data since the design is made to make that easy for you.
· Connected GPS
Pros
· There is no complain about it price. It is relatively affordable and worth more than your bargain.
· With swappable bands you can replace them from time to time
· The battery will give you five days of running power; way longer than you get from some other choices.
· The OLED display is a big plus for this simple piece
Cons
· It is not water resistance
What we like
The OLED display caught our attention. You will have your data in real time and that is a great feature in any fitness gadget.
What we don’t like
There are quite a number of things that we don’t like in this piece. Firstly, there is no GPS. That is the lowest a contemporary gadget would sink. You will have no idea of your location, pace and distance (at least not in the way you would want it). Secondly, the phone notifications are limited. Not only that, they are also hard to read.
Our verdict
For the average person (in terms of fitness), this is the way to go. It is a do-everything fitness band for you if you do not cross the pro-fitness limit. However, for the long distance runner or someone who wants to swim we recommend that you look for other options.
Fitbit Flex 2 Review
For those who swimming is their favorite cup then you have no reason to look further. This is the first of Fitbit swim-proof pieces. You will have to sacrifice a few other features for this but it will be worth it.
Outstanding Features
· It is swim-proof
· Two rubber straps (large and small sizes)
· Comes with custom-branded accessories
· Water resistance
· LED lights
Pros
· Allows room to attach accessories such as pedants
· Swim-proof and water resistance makes it the perfect fitness band
· The design is fresh and gives your wrist a new stylish look
Cons
· It is quite an expensive piece
· The LED lights are confusing
· The battery life should have been longer
What we like
The swim-proof feature is a hard property to come by. And for that we give this Fitbit baby thumps up. Swimmers would not have it any better than taking this one home.
What we don’t like
It lacks display and other crucial features found in most of other Fitbit watches. We feel that a lot has been sacrificed to make this one suitable for swimmers.
Our verdict
For those who love swimming, you can never buy a better machine. It is perfect for you. For the other lot, who swimming is not in their list of exercises, you may have to sit this one out.
Fitbit Blaze Review
Fitbit Blaze Smart Fitness Watch is dubbed smartest fitness watch’. It would not be nearer the truth as this is an all-one wearable watch that offers robust tracking. It also offers basic watch functions. This is a new technology and approach making it one of the finest pieces you can lay your hands on.
Features you will love
· Colored screen 1.2 inches a 240 by 180 pixels
· A five-day battery life
· Multiple options with the straps
· Comes with Android and iOS support
· Heart rate monitor
Pros
· Gives you an array of strapping options
· The colored screen is a thrilling experience
· It gives relatively long battery life
· Very reliable with exercise tracking
Cons
· It is not water resistant
· Comes with no third party notifications
· With no in-built GPS it is not the best choice for runners
What we like
The colored screen and the customization options make this watch extraordinary. Though a pricey watch, it is worth every dime you will be paying.
What we don’t like
It is not waterproof and does not come with an in-built GPS. That makes it not the type for exercise fanatics and we find that unlikable.
Our verdict
If you are just beginning with your exercise or a casual runner, you have your needs catered here. It is also ideal for anyone in search of basic watch functionalities though you may already have something for that.
Fitbit Alta Review
This is Fitbit’s head turner for it good looks. You may pin it down for its lack of screen but the strap-like band will get the job done. With the capability to track an array of fitness information, you may be justified to make it your purchase pick.
Outstanding features
· Three-axis accelerometer for tracking time, distance, calorie burn and distance
· Fitted with SmartTrek track
· OLED screen 1.4 inches with 128 by 36 pixels
· Bands come in teal, plum, black and blue options
Pros
· Tracks an array of information hence the perfect asset
· It is beautifully designed
· A range of colors to choose from
· Simple design making it easy to use
Cons
· A good number of features have been left out in this piece.
· With no screen some buyers would look for a different watch.
What we like
The range of information you can track with this watch is something we like. We also like the simplicity of this piece with no bulk on your wrist.
What we don’t like
With no GPS and heart rate monitor, we feel that Fitbit let down many customers. Despite Alta being one of the best fitness bands to take home, we feel that it lacks crucial features.
Our verdict
For professional and amateurs, this watch will be a good addition to your fitness collection. It is affordable and easy to use making it a favorite for anyone.
Conclusion
Do we think you should have a fitness watch? Absolutely we do. And not only that; we have also reviewed the best pieces you can go for. You are left with no doubt about the new piece to add to your fitness regimen.