You need a fitness tracking smartwatch

[AshleyC]

I resisted any sort of "smartwatch" for years. Then I decided to start exercising, lifting weights, cycling, etc. This was last September. A short time after this, a friend gave me a very basic fitness watch, an Amazfit Band 5.

Frankly, it was everything I hated about your typical smartwatch. It is...androgynous. Like something they'd make you wear in "A Brave New World" or "Logan's Run".

I was supposed to stop wearing that, and wear this ambiguous thing instead?

But I gave it a try. And once I saw the impact it had on my exercise habits, my old watches stayed in the drawer. But if you aren't familiar with a fitness watch (I wasn't), you may not know that it pairs with an app on your phone. And when you enter in your age, height, weight, body and limb measurements, it generates useful health information.

That is a current screenshot from my watch's fitness app, "Zepp". That is my step count, miles traveled, and estimated calories burned through exercise today. I went to the gym and walked a few laps around the park, so it is a lot of calories burned. And the cardio machines I use translate into steps in most cases.

The phone uses the swing of your arm to count steps taken and the speed you walk, and GPS for distance. It senses your beats per minute heart rate using the arteries in your forearm. From all of this, and your height and weight, it calculates calories burned.

Below that is my sleep monitor. If you wear the watch at night it will measure the length and quality of your sleep, based on heart rate. That wasn't too bad a score for me, considering I have sleep apnea.

Below that is current heart rate. Clicking on that will show you what yours was the entire time throughout the day.

A bit further down on the screen are my exercise sessions. My total time lifting weights is a "session". Then I end and save that and start a new "session" for elliptical running, stationary bicycle, treadmill, etc.

And you can click on each field for more detailed data and workout history for day, month, and year.

Improving your numbers becomes much like having a "good" gambling addiction. A positive form of operant conditioning. It makes you WANT to exercise.

Eventually, I wanted a watch that, well...looks like a proper watch. So I got this Amazfit T-Rex Pro from Amazon. More features, better, more accurate heart rate sensors.

You can select different displays. I won't belabor the watch's features, like the azimuth compass in case you need to do a "polar" call for artillery fire. Plenty of videos on YouTube to tell you all the functions.

I just thought perhaps some guys were sitting on the fence about these. These are definitely "tool" watches.

 

[phdezra]

I resisted any sort of "smartwatch" for years. Then I decided to start exercising, lifting weights, cycling, etc. This was last September. A short time after this, a friend gave me a very basic fitness watch, an Amazfit Band 5.
You can select different displays. I won't belabor the watch's features, like the azimuth compass in case you need to do a "polar" call for artillery fire. Plenty of videos on YouTube to tell you all the functions.

I just thought perhaps some guys were sitting on the fence about these. These are definitely "tool" watches.

I agree. My left arm has a "real" watch, my right arm has a FitBit (basic, slim model).

Apple Watch has a lot of functionality but WAY more than fitness and too complex.

 

[EclipseRedRing]

Agree, I am on my third Fitbit, a Charge 5, and am getting used to the new Google interface and app. I find it excellent and wear it night and day on my right wrist, only removing it for charging and when in the shower, despite the fact it is waterproof. My trusty Omega is on my left wrist but I remove that at night for sleeping. If I did not already have a wristwatch then I would consider a smartwatch, my only dislike is that despite being expensive investments, some of the high end smart watches do not seem to have a long lifespan in terms of software support etc.

 

[TinyTim]

I agree. My left arm has a "real" watch, my right arm has a FitBit (basic, slim model).

Apple Watch has a lot of functionality but WAY more than fitness and too complex.

Ditto. I love my collection of regular watches, which I wear alternately on my left wrist. I have a Garmin Vivosmart slim model fitness watch on my right wrist. Tracking fitness helps me stay fit. "Stay fit so you don't have to get fit.

 

[Filudo]

I have an apple on the left.....and today a Fitbit on the right......, sometimes..........I check to verify if the cheap ones work well.....

But many times I do as above: a "normal" watch on the left and a "smart one" on the right.....

 

[AshleyC]

I have an apple on the left.....and today a Fitbit on the right......, sometimes..........I check to verify if the cheap ones work well.....

But many times I do as above: a "normal" watch on the left and a "smart one" on the right.....

I could've went that route, but I just wanted a smartwatch that looked...well...manly enough to stand on its own. My regular watches still look better, but as "tool watches", they aren't in the same league.

 

[Filudo]

Here is a link where you can compare some of the watches available....: https://www.youtube.com/@TheQuantifiedScientist

I got one because the cardiologist said: you should get an Apple Watch and if you have symptoms (while exercising) you can do an EKG and measure your O2..... ; so it's a health monitor. Monitoring your sleep and O2 is very important (sleep apnea?), do you need a CPAP, or is it working well if you have one...........

to measure steps: they all do OK, they give time and sync w your phone (all have done that for 10yrs).

Now: accurate data.....that is another thing.....I tried 2 Samsung watches and can say they both are NOT worth a dime.

Apple and Aura are OK and interestingly Fitbit is still good. Garmin are good for extreme sports fans.....

Now those that claim to measure glucose and other date....they are ALL GARBAGE, a total $cam.

So user, be aware of what you need , do some research and get what might help your lifestyle.

 

[Climb14er]

I was given a Fitbit Versa 2 as a gift from my cardio RN girlfriend. That and an occasional BP check by her and continuing to workout ever since was young… for now, that’s all I need. Sometimes I wish I had at home, my own personal MRI machine though.

 

[Markdad2]

I bought a gshock move and I really dig it.

 

[brucered]

Here's my limited take on it, based on having one for a few days.

I hate it as a watch. It's useless for keeping time or using as a real watch. If you put "always on", the battery drains fast. If it goes to "sleep mode", you have to press a button. If you use the "tilt to open" function, it comes on and flashes every time you more your wrist. If you use the functions, you have to charge it every few days.

I don't want to pair my phone with it for music, calls, texts around my house. The bluetooth will drain both the phone and watch at the same time. When I use it "trail running" and just use the watch, steps, monitors, it's great. After that, it goes back in the drawer until the next workout.

If I don't have my phone with me, there is a reason. I want to disconnect and just exercise, walk, hike, canoe, run, whatever. If it's paired with my phone, why would I want to answer a call/text on it or use my watch caluclator function when my phone is within arms reach?

Mine was not expensive. But I can't see myself spending hundreds on one with a limited lifespan, firmware.

Plus, they look ridiculous outside of working out or exercising.

 

[WetShaveVet]

Agreed and for me at least they're ugly.

 

[Natsoi]

Checking your emails on your wrist should see you committed.

 

[DEnoob1963]

I bought an Amazfit T Rex Pro as well. I was liking it for tracking workouts and such and then my daughter bought me a T Rex 2 for my birthday.

The T Rex Pro is sitting in its box, still looks brand new. I need to sell it I guess, since the newer one is better.

 

[AshleyC]

I bought an Amazfit T Rex Pro as well. I was liking it for tracking workouts and such and then my daughter bought me a T Rex 2 for my birthday.

The T Rex Pro is sitting in its box, still looks brand new. I need to sell it I guess, since the newer one is better.

My T Rex Pro was on sale and I wanted it for two reasons. I did not care for the "fitbit" look of the Amazfit Band 5 and wanted something that looked like a regular digital watch.

Also, the heart rate sensor on the Band 5 would give bad readings at times. I'd get off an elliptical runner after a half hour and get a reading of 77 beats per minute. I'd be walking in the park, with that designated as an exercise session, look at the watch and I'd be at 155 bpm!

The T Rex Pro gives measurements that match the sensors on the gym equipment. What I wanted was the T Rex Ultima.

But spending nearly $400 on a rechargeable watch that I cannot replace the battery on when it starts to wear out just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[abj]

Not in this life, and not in the next lives

 

[The Blackadder]

I had been on the fence since I have a decent collection of real watches (Glycine, Seiko, Tissot, Victorinox, Hamilton, etc), but I started training seriously and got a Garmin Instinct mainly for training sessions. Then I got the itch of everyday tracking, but my instinct would look out of place in several occasions, so I got me a Garmin Venu 2s, which is more modern and dressier. Now I use my Instinct paired with a chest strap exclusively for training, and wear the Venu as and everyday watch along with one of my real watches

PS: Never got interested in Apple or Samsung, I can’t see myself charging the thing everyday. Both my watches run over a week on a single charge

 

[Alex Jr]

I have an Apple Watch that sits in my drawer. Not for me. It feels like a toy, not a watch. I’ve had a Fitbit in the past. Same.

I’d rather wear my Casio 158 than those.

 

[AshleyC]

I have an Apple Watch that sits in my drawer. Not for me. It feels like a toy, not a watch. I’ve had a Fitbit in the past. Same.

I’d rather wear my Casio 158 than those.

I totally get that. My friend nagged me for years about smart watches and my reply was, "Find me one with a 316L stainless steel case, a proper bezel, and serious strap and maybe we'll talk."

 

[brucered]

I totally get that. My friend nagged me for years about smart watches and my reply was, "Find me one with a 316L stainless steel case, a proper bezel, and serious strap and maybe we'll talk."

Maybe you can help, I've tried looking myself and came up empty handed.

I would like a running watch that is equivalent to a Dive Computer watch or how I think they work.

A digital Suunti type watch. Replaceable battery. No firmware. No wifi. No Bluetooth. No music. No phone or text. Compass, GPS, distance, maybe steps, purely for trail running that I can use as an everyday watch as well. I do NOT want a smart watch with a digital display that I can make look analog.

I generally wear Divers, Field watches but do own G-Shock and a Suunto that get regular use.

Does something like this exist?

 

[AshleyC]

Maybe you can help, I've tried looking myself and came up empty handed.

I would like a running watch that is equivalent to a Dive Computer watch or how I think they work.

A digital Suunti type watch. Replaceable battery. No firmware. No wifi. No Bluetooth. No music. No phone or text. Compass, GPS, distance, maybe steps, purely for trail running that I can use as an everyday watch as well. I do NOT want a smart watch with a digital display that I can make look analog.

I generally wear Divers, Field watches but do own G-Shock and a Suunto that get regular use.

Does something like this exist?

I wouldn't call myself an expert. Far from it. The Casio fitness watches might fit the bill. But my basic response is, " Walk around Best Buy and see if anything 'speaks' to you."