2y ago

What is your preferred fitness tracker/smartwatch?

www.tomsguide.com I walked 4,000 steps with these 4 fitness trackers — here’s the most accurate

Apple Watch vs Garmin vs Fitbit vs Suunto

Technology @beehaw.org

twotone @beehaw.org

2y ago

Which is your preferred smartwatch/fitness tracker?

www.tomsguide.com /features/i-walked-4000-steps-with-these-4-fitness-trackers-heres-the-most-accurate

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177 comments

Garmin for sure.
- I've had a Fitbit, Samsung Smart, and Garmin. Fitbit and Samsung were almost a daily charge where my Garmin Solar lasts about a week. Both Fitbit and Samsung died on me roughly after a year and a half, Garmin has shown no issues.
  
  I'll be switching to Garmin next time for other reasons, but my current Fitbit (Versa 3) actually has great battery life. 6-7 days between charges, unless I'm using the screen a lot.

Apple Watch just makes sense if you are already on iPhone. I resisted it for a long time but now after getting one it is so useful for things like having access to DUO codes on your wrist without a phone and maintaining healthy habits
- Love my Apple Watch! Its main downside compared to the rest is weak battery life, you basically need to charge it every day. It’s an easy habit to form though (I just throw mine on the charger when I shower).
  
  Mine chargers super fast and so yeah I can charge it while I do my bed time routine and have it 100% to track sleep and be ready for the next day
  
  Mine lasts about 3 days before I have to charge it, but I’m also largely ignoring it and use it as a watch / timer / notification reader. I had one with the cell modem but when I broke it was during the pandemic and just wasn’t on-site where I’d often leave my phone at the desk.
  
  My battery health has gotten awful recently too. I’ve got a series 5, so yes it’s 4 years old, but I genuinely only get about 12 hours of battery life these days. I went through and uninstalled every single app I don’t use, but it’s still awful.
  Love everything else about it though, so I set a slickdeals alert to hopefully pick up a cheaper series 8 sometime between now and when the series 9 launches
- I’ve been an Apple Watch user for several years now. When I first purchased one I wondered if it might turn out to be a bit of a gimmick. But now I don’t think I would want to be without one.
  The Apple Watch integrates seemlessly with the iPhone. The fitness features may not be quite as in depth as Garmin offers, but they are good enough for casual exercise and have been effective and keeping me more active. If you are numbers person the value of seeing your activity metrics can’t be overstated.
  Apple Pay and hands free messaging come in handy often.
  I also like the general design. The Apple Watch is square, and I think a square display works much better for a smartwatch. There is also a thriving marketplace for alternate watch bands and they are super easy to swap - no more mangling my finger nails trying to fiddle with those spring pins most watches use.
- When I had an Note 10 Lite, I had a xiaimi smart band. I still think that it's impressive for the price, but the little guy had issues left and right with any app that wasn't xiaomi's own apps. (although sometimes, even those had issues)
  Then I got an iphone, and later a apple watch. It just works, even with third party apps. Expensive as hell though
- personally i am fine with the garmin on ios, only annoyance is double notifications
  
  Garmin’s are great step trackers, I have read in reviews they are a lot more accurate in that regard compared to Apple Watch. The other integrations into the apple ecosystem is what I appreciate about my series 8
- Yeah I just picked up an Ultra after not having one since the first gen. Very useful for sleep tracking, short cuts (if you have a smart home) and all kinds of other crap. Works nice with AirPod max too.

For the most detailed exercise/health tracking, I'd highly recommend Garmin watches. First, no subscription fees, you buy the hardware and you own it and can customize it a lot. Second, the battery life can't be beat. Third, stats, graphs, analytics! Plus it works just as well whether you're an apple or android user.
I have the Forerunner 265 and it is so much fun for a stats and graph loving nerd like myself. My gf chose the Venu 2 Sq because she wanted a square screen and she is really happy with it.
- I've been a happy Fitbit user for years, but am finding their Premium push increasingly annoying. I shouldn't have to pay a subscription fee to see data that my tracker is already getting. I almost switched to Garmin last time but didn't, and I regret that now. My current Fitbit is still in great shape so it'll be a while until I can justify a new tracker.
- I've always associated Garmin with big over the top styling, but I like that Venu Sq 2. Garmin also seems best quality
  
  I have a vivoactive 4s and it’s got all the features I want in a smartwatch while also being discreet and small. It doesn’t feel any different on my wrist than an analog watch and that’s what I love most
  
  Waiting for the new garmin smartwatch to finally move away from fitbit.
  
  I have this watch and can confirm it is excellent
  
  yeah that's the issue for me with choosing a watch. I like the Charge 4 because it's sorta small and doesn't have a huge face.
- Can you use apps with Garmin? I’m getting into weightlifting a bit and want to use the Strong app to record my lifting routine without needing to take out my phone. The only other features I really want are decent heart rate monitoring and good pairing with AirPods.
  I’ve never had a smartwatch. I’ve been looking to get a used one. I was leaning towards a slightly older series Apple Watch but open to something different
  
  It probably would not communicate directly with a smaller fitness app other than some major ones like Strava and my fitness pal. You CAN track weightlifting in the Garmin app, and I do, the watch can even auto track your sets and it attempts to auto detect the lift type but isn't always right so I correct them after I'm done. For lifting workout structuring, it probably won't be as good as your lifting specific phone app. Garmin is very good at running and other cardio activities, most smart watches struggle to measure weight lifting.
  The watches can connect to a second Garmin app on your phone called Connect IQ which is their app store where they support third party developers to make apps, widget, ultra customizable watchfaces, integration of new connected sensors.
  It does not support common phone apps or have incredible advanced phone integration like an apple or Google watch would have but we like that because we already get enough screen time. I'm able to see and reply to text messages though, see and interact with all notifications, control audio/media that is playing and more though so it's not devoid of features at all.

There's only one smart watch that matters! This was the boyo!
All my phone numbers, my entire school lesson schedule, a calculator - everything 10 year old me ever needed!
- If you had one of these when the TV came out in class, you were a god:
  
  holy smokes i nedd that one

I tried random Android watches. They all sucked.
I bought a Garmin Instinct 2 Solar. I love it. Charge it when I shower and that gets me by, have never had to charge it overnight. Battery is at 15 days currently.
- I bought the same watch 10 days ago. It had 82% when I opened the box, I didn't even charge it, and it has 39% now. During that time I had one 3/4 hour GPS activity, and 24/7 heart rate monitor + mobile notifications. I was also playing with it quite a bit to set everything up. Sunlight exposure was pretty low, so ... I'm impressed.
  It does everything I want from watch. Great readability in every condition, good GPS, reliable heart rate, long battery life (I keep forgetting to charge even my phone).
  
  I've had it for about 3 months now. I've never had it drop below 45% battery. Haven't turned off any settings to extend life like I had to on WearOS. I only charge when I take a shower....and that's not a daily thing lol.
  
  I'm on the first gen non-solar for 3 years now. Love it, have a spare still in the box in case this one dies 20 years from now lol
- I like my Pixel watch. It's battery life doesn't last more than 1.5 days, but I have no issues charging it for 15 or so mins in the morning.
- I missed the prime day offer on those... Was so close to buying one.

Still miss my pebble...
Rocked a Garmin a few years, now I'm trying galaxy watch 5 pro. Miss the week long battery but 2+ days is "ok", a lot less annoying then I first thought it would be.
Exelent integration with my phone is a big plus. (For instance the Garmin never let me respond to alarms from the Samsung clock app :/ )
- Upvote for Pebble. It was the best of all time. I could operate the buttons without even looking.
- I was really interested in the Watchy project, but it seems you can't buy them anymore. They just say stock of 0 and maybe will get stock this fall. Oh well.

I'm happily on the garmin ecosystem. Felix 5x is still going strong for about 2 weeks battery on normal use. takes a beating and still looks new. only had to replace the band. I use garmin on my bike too
- 5x is great. Still working perfectly and looks great. That sapphire glass is fantastic. I have friends with scratches in their pixel watches already yet with all my yard work, stone work, building things and sports - not a scratch.
  
  You can definitely scratch the sapphire. I took a mtb spill and got a tiny scratch on my 5x.

The Pebble watches. They may not be made anymore, but they are the only smart watches I have used that felt like an actual smart watch instead of a phone for your wrist. Once mine dies, I may switch to a BangleJS.
- Isn't the point of making a watch smart is that you can get your phone onto your wrist?
  
  In some ways yes, but I think a smart watch is optimal for performing tasks quickly and and giving me information at a glance. A smart watch should feel like a dashboard on my wrist that stops me from using my phone unnecessarily. Most smart watches feel like a small second display for my phone with a worse user experience that make me want to always perform those tasks on my phone.
- It is still the best "dumb" smartwatch out there. Long battery life, physical buttons, no touch screen nonsense and it just works.
  I am still rocking my Pebble2 but unfortunately the silicon buttons are starting to deteriorate. It will be difficult to make repairs/upgrades to the watch, but I don't see a 1to1 replacement for it.

While there are a lot of comments saying Garmin, I haven't seen people mention the privacy aspect
https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/categories/wearables/
Garmin apps are much better for privacy. If I'm going to be wearing a biometric tracker 24/7, I don't want that data being sold to advertisers. That's more important to me than most other features
- Not many people care about privacy anymore. I mention it to my family, friends, etc and how they should do certain things online to stay more 'private' (not anonymous) and they laugh it off saying they have nothing to hide / don't care about their stuff being online... Sucks.
  
  I get that as well, or when people care about the issues but not enough to change up how they are used to doing things.
  It is getting better though, I'm finding more friends are moving to the better options. It's even easier when the privacy respecting option is as good as the alternatives. I guess Garmin is a decent example since people were recommending the watches even without the privacy aspect.
- That said, didn't they get breached and lose all their customer data a few years back?

Garmin Instinct 2 Solar. It's light and durable, solar charging with several weeks between charges when using GPS tracking pretty regularly.

I am an avid Garmin user. I have tried the Vivoactive and am currently using the Fenix series. Highly recommend!!!

Is there one that exists that isn't ugly, can last for weeks and isn't the size of a dinner plate? (i t s not even the diameter thats the problem, its the thickness. I absolutely hate thick watches)
When they invent one that meets that criteria, let me know and I'll consider it.
- Have you looked into withings? They're analog watches with a small lcd for notifications, fitness tracking, etc. They last a month between charges and are not too big.
  
  Had to look them up. They are by far the best looking smart watches that I've seen. I'll have to see what their capabilities are but if I get one, th3se will be near the top of my list.

I wear an analog which has nothing to track and connect to a phone. Just like the good ol' days.

Casio need to market their watches better, they have the Smartest dumbwatch**** of them all -

Casio have several lines that support Bluetooth - essentially will beep and vibrate on Notifications, calls and messages. Does basic fitness tracking. It also does all of this whilst basically being indestructible and a battery life of atleast 3 years.
No one seems to know this and I blame Casios poor marketing - I didn't know any of this until I bought a new G-Shock and realised it had a BT label in the manual.
- How are you liking it so far?
  
  Ive got two BT enabled G Shocks, one of them my daily driver for the past year and I can't fault it. It's just a normal watch, with normal watch battery life and normal G Shock robustness - except that it savese having to pull my phone out of my pocket everytime I get a notification.

Got my first fitness watch couple months ago. It was a Garmin and tbh I freaking love it!!! As a lot of comments already mentioned, Garmin gave very detail information, and the battery life just can't beat I would definitly do it again!

I have been using a PineTime for quite a while now which is an absolute no-brainer for 27$.
Even if it’s marketed for tech/foss enthusiasts it’s really easy to use, would recommend if you just want simple step tracking and heart rate monitoring.

I still like fitbit. The metrics are solid, and the battery life is decent.
- Same. A solid watch. And lightweight and comfortable. And a style I enjoy. A decent app. Just too bad it ate another smart watch company, before itself got eaten by google, who so far has done nothing with it except slowly killing features. We are truly living in the age of #enshittification.
- I bought it years ago because it was the most accurate on tracking sleep. The fact that the battery lasts a week is also great. I wonder if there's been any new tests on the other metrics (heart rate, temperature etc)
- Yep. I love my Charge 5 and don’t foresee changing to anything else in the near future. My only annoyance is google taking it over and enshitifying the app experience.

Pebble Time. It was the best ever until the battery swelled. My Fitbit Versa 2 was good until the battery gave out. My latest Fitbit has worse software with less features than the last and I hate it. There are no apps available anymore.

I have a garmin epix 2, best Damn watch ever. It lasts roughly 2 weeks on a charge. All the same features as the Fenix but OLED display.
- I have an instinct and really like it. Garmin also does not seem as bad at collecting user data as say fitbit
- Love my Fenix 5x. Sapphire glass, rugged and the battery lasts forever. It wasn't cheap but worth every penny. No touch screen and I turn off most notifications. It just works as a nice watch with fitness tracking. Garmin really makes a good product.

Only had the pixel watch but I really like it
- Second this. Battery life is only good for like 1.5 days but it charges in like 15 mins so it's not a big deal for me. Sleep tracking and fitness tracking have been good. Only thing I don't like is the default strap it comes with; it was irritating my skin. The stretchy fabric one is so much better.
  
  I do agree on the strap, I'll make sure to try a stretchy fabric one. Thanks 😊

Anything that works with Gadgetbridge is a good choice.Or maybe pinetime or bangle.js those look pretty cool too.

Amazfit with Gadgetbridge, FLOSS smartwatch app, a recent really good discovery!

I really like Samsung's Watch 5, both in terms of appearance but also software and tracking performance. It's the only sleep tracker that actually matches my subjective experience with sleep (how tired I feel, how many times I remember waking up, etc).
- If they didn’t lock features to Samsung phones I might be interested in the 6.
  
  The rotating bezel is awesome, glad they're bringing it back!
  
  There are APKs for samsung health that unlock all features on non-samsung phones

Withings. All the features without looking like your wearing a computer on your arm

I've only tried my Pixel Watch, and it's not perfect, but I do really enjoy it. Fitness tracking is pretty on point with sleep tracking being really solid and important for me since sleeping has always been a more difficult part of my life.

Battery life last over 3 weeks, before need charge. Amazfit GTR 3
Meets my needs: shower proof, great battery life (21+days), connects to phone (limit app/notify), sleep/heart/steps track, and can change the watchface for free w/ many choices.
I never remove it for wash hand/dishes, shower. Super battery life. Might not be super accurate, but I only need a # count. Very affordable. No issues with it. Would recommend.
Amazfit GTR 3
- For the price, that looks amazing, and its supported by gadgetbridge

Is there something like a fitness bracelet without a display that one could wear? I already have an old school Casio digital watch, and I like to too much to replace it with a smartwatch.
- My cousin has a tracker ring and it's pretty cool
  
  Check. I’ve been looking at something like that as well, but it comes with a $6/mo subscription model on up of the $370 price for the ring itself. The subscription model made me not want it anymore.
- Perhaps a Fitbit Flex? I haven't really looked into it but there are a few fitness bands that exist without a screen.
- I rocked a Casio F-91W for years, then a Huawei smartwatch a couple years before getting a Garmin Instinct 2.
  Design is reminiscent of a casio digital, the display is always on and gets brighter if external light is shone on it, no touchscreen, contactless payment, a charge lasts me about 3 weeks.
  320€ is expensive but is exactly what I need from a smartwatch :)
- Mi band has a display, but it's pretty slim and you could just leave it turned off. But a ring might be the better option for you.
- I have wanted a decent product in this category for YEARS now and sadly, there's really not many options at all. The ring one that requires a damn subscription is laughably a non starter. What on earth.

I've used fossil watches, they look really nice, but the software can be flaky

I have both an iPhone and Pixel. Because of that, I also have a Pixel Watch and an Apple Watch. I prefer using my Pixel Watch since Fitbit is so much better IMO than Apple Fitness.

Withings Scanwatch is cross-platform. No need for a branded device to use it, does all the usual tracking stuff plus afib detection. One of the reasons I chose it was that it looks like a watch and not a toy. Also, depending on how you use it, it can go for days between charges. Most of the similar "brand locked" devices seem to only go 1 or 2 days max.
- This. I get about 30 days out of mine. I only use it for running purposes and I’m not too serious about my split times so it’s perfect for what I need a smart watch to do. Had an Apple Watch and got tired of charging it every day. They also look like fisher price toys.
- I have an older Withings watch and will buy another once I need to. Even bought a set for my parents. I really dont need a tiny phone strapped to my wrist, I have an actually usable one right in my pocket. The battery lasts weeks, the heartrate and sleep tracking stuff works, I can keep the phone on silent and still get notifications… it really is the perfect smart watch as far as I’m concerned.

I only really need something to keep track of my notifications, and maybe as a flashlight occasionally. So I just wear a PineTime, and it links up with my phone with Gadget Bridge. It's really nice, completely free and open source, and it's pretty cheap too. Week long battery life is nice, but I don't know what it's like with other smartwatches.

I've had a fossil watch for the past 5 years or so and love it. Its a hybrid model so it runs off of a watch batter that needs to be replaced ever 9-12 months so I dont ever need to worry about charging it.
It also looks like a standard watch so nobody ever suspects it has some smart functionality. Its very barebones in that aspect but I can see whos calling/texting me, set vibration alarms, and control my music.

Casio for sure! Best quality. Made in Japan

PineTime my beloved
- I don’t find my pinetime very good for using with an iphone. It somewhere on a shelve waiting for good sofware for iphone or for when I switch to android
  
  Maybe someone will pick up InfiniLink in the future, looks like a cool app just unmaintained

I'm an avid paddler/wind sports/surfer, so having good water resistance, cellular connection for emergencies, at least 4+ hours of GPS tracking battery life, and good GPS are requirements. AFAIK only the Apple Watch Ultra ticks all those boxes. I used to use Garmin's but the lack of cellular made me switch. If anyone has other options, I'm open to them.

Been using the Apple Watch for the past 3 years (currently on the Ultra) and have been loving it. I’m not a serious athlete but use it to track my daily walks/runs. It keeps me honest and active.
Plus I have a data line for my watch so I can ditch my phone and still talk, text, and check emails as needed. I hate to admit it but I have completed many meetings with just my Apple Watch + AirPods while on a run/walk.
Also, it acts as a wallet replacement for the most part. ~8 out of 10 times I can tap and pay with my watch. I only keep 1 physical card and my state ID on me.

I've been a loyal Fitbit user for a decade, but Google's killed all the features that made it good (challenging friends, playing silly games). I'm thinking of picking up a Garmin next

Garmin Instinct
- Ohhh I knew I picked right. I got my dad one too. The esports edition was only 100 bucks and I love It. I stopped using my fitbit versa 2 over it.

I don't wear one anymore I just have the Casio f-91w but if I could I would get a Pixel watch and remove all the spy ware from it

I currently have a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 to replace my Garmin Vivoactive 3, but I prefer the Garmin. It's got a bit less by way of bells and whistles, but I also think that the watch might have been overkill for the most part. I don't end up using the onboard replies as much as I thought I would, and things like ECG and Blood Pressure monitoring are just troublesome enough that it's not worthwhile (Blood Pressure requires recalibration with a proper machine every once in a while).
The only issue that I had with the Garmin was mostly that the body is a bit too fragile. It's just plastic, so the corner will break off due to age, which is what happened with mine. If it wasn't made of plastic, but more durable metal, like the Samsung, I'd still happily wear it. The battery life tended to be better too.
If it was still around, and not incredibly uncomfortable, a Pebble might also not go amiss. I personally don't need a lot of features in my smartwatch (just timers, alarms, activity/HR tracking, and notifications), so a cheaper, hardier one would serve just fine.
- I loved my Pebble. Was eagerly awaiting the last model when the Kickstarter went silent and Fitbit bought them. I did Garmin as well, but one of the features I've really come to want/like was NFC payments and they have terrible support across card providers.
  Samsung was pretty bad for that too, but at least their newer watches support Google Pay which works with damn near anything.

I'm a cyclist, so I use a dedicated cycling computer (currently a Karoo Hammerhead)
If y'all want good takes on fitness trackers, check out DC Rainmaker

Apple because I have an iPhone. Garmin makes good stuff, though.

The one I wish still existed: The Pebble Steel. This beast had a battery that lasted an entire week on a single charge, kept basic step tracking, etc., and notifications from my phone to my wrist. It was the perfect device. I was devastated when mine stopped working.
What I used for a long time: Fitbit Versa / Versa 2. Same deal, shittier battery life. But worked really well. Build quality declined dramatically, and I had to warranty my original Versa something like 4 times and ended up with a Versa 2 as a "We're all out of the 1st gen, take this and shut up" upgrade.
What I use now: The Pixel Watch. The battery life is trash, but the features are solid. I've used an Apple Watch while carrying an iPhone for a few months, and the integration with my Pixel phone is just as seamless. The weird transition from Fitbit to Pixel Watch and how the apps interact make it blindingly obvious Fitbit as a brand is done and Google intends the "Pixel Watch" brand to replace it. I actually appreciate the round watchface.
My selections are always driven though, by my desire to see data from my continuous glucose monitor (type 1 diabetes) on my wrist. Android Wear / WearOS handles that far better than an Apple Watch, and I didn't need the insane features (or price point) from a lot of the other WearOS devices out there.
- I'd wish Pebble was still around! There's been nothing like it since.

I'm still using a huawei gt2 Pro never seen any reason to replace it does most things and the battery is still a week and a half to two weeks I'd guess. If I'm honest though I use it as more of an mp3 player than a tracker.

Whoop. It’s something I can easily sleep with. I don’t want extra displays and it works with everything like bike computers as a heart monitor. Steps are worthless strain/HRV is more meaningful.

I still wear my Apple Watch Series 0 since 2015 now. Love it. I replaced the battery this spring. All good again.

They all annoy the shit out of me.

I have a galaxy watch 5 but even 3 days of batteryife is irritating enough I'm looking longingly at the Garmin's. Really don't need a lot of the fluff they come with
I also have a Watchy. The thing is in no way a consumer device but it lasts over a week and the eink display is great. Reminds me of what we lost when pebble went away..
- I have the Fenix 7 sapphire solar and it's a perfect trooper. 3 weeks or so in normal mode. And you can use it everywhere. Beach and sea, physical labor, swimming pool, gardening.
- Is it possible to buy the Watchy anywhere anymore? The officially linked site says stock of 0.
  
  I got mine from pi hut.. https://thepihut.com/collections/sqfmi
  Depends which country you're in I guess.. the resellers seem to get them more often

I have a polar vantage m and i like it, it was relatively cheap and has everything one needs when it comes to running

Coros Pace 2. Cheaper than the entry level Garmin and just as capable.

Has anyone tried the current Ticwatch Pro? I heard decent things about the previous model but I'm a bit leery of the their app on my phone, plus that they are still pending a WearOS update and various features (Google assistant etc)

I like the way the Apple Watch (non-ultra) looks and functions but the battery life is garbage. It’s almost tolerable brand new but the battery degrades over time and you have to charge more often. No thanks.
I currently use a Garmin forerunner 955. Since I use it for running I charge once a week or so. If you don’t work out and just want metrics, it lasts 2 weeks. I highly recommend Garmin watches

I loved Wear OS from Fossil before I switched to Linux phone.

I am very happy with my Skagen Jorn gen 6 hybrid. Hybrid means both e-ink screen and physical watch hands. It has a few health sensors, can display notifications, track workouts, send commands to Alexa if you want that, and much more. It's simply an awesome smartwatch in a classic inconspicuous design, and it has a hopping 5 weeks battery life, and it's supported by Gadgetbridge. Nothing can beat it in my opinion.

I recently upgraded from a Fenix 3 to a 6x and i love it, which actually makes me use it way more ❤️ Suddenly dropped the idea of trying out mainstream alternatives.

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