Today we bring you a buying guide for running smartwatches and fitness bands. If you like to run or, for example, want to start, then you are certainly interested in wearable electronics connected to running and everything around it. What's more, even a watch for a few thousand can count your steps, but if you're serious about running, you really need some sophisticated software that will measure your every step in detail and record all the important information about your performance. I've divided today's guide into several segments that you could or should stick to if you're really thinking about buying a smartwatch for runners. Maybe I'm too fixated on smart watches for runners, there aren't that many on the market, so you can easily consider buying a classic smart watch, as they often have very high-quality software aimed at measuring your steps and running performance.
Why?
First you need to make sure that you are really interested in a smartwatch and why you want to buy one. If you are an avid athlete and running is your hobby, then I assume that you already have a watch. If you go running every day, then a watch can definitely help you and can become your personal trainer. But a watch can also help you start running. I must also mention that on App Store, Google Play Store or Windows Store You can find a lot of running apps, for example Runtastic, Endomondo or Nike+. Here the important decision is whether you will be satisfied with the app and your phone in a holster on your bicep or whether you will buy a smartwatch. The price also matters a lot, because most of these apps are free with microtransactions, but the prices of smartwatches range around three hundred dollars.
Smart watch x Smart bracelet
A lot of you probably thought, why don't I talk more about smart bracelets. Smart bracelets are apparently better for running. I decided to pit bracelets and watches against each other because they have some features that bracelets don't. This is primarily a function of showing time, which, for example, bracelets Moov they don't, although I personally consider them to be the best smart bracelets on the market. But if there's one thing that watches have that the vast majority of bracelets don't, it's a display. Some wristbands have a dedicated place for the diode array, but this is not comparable to the classic display from a watch by any chance. The display on the watch primarily means the ability to view performance statistics directly on the watch display and not have to rummage in your pocket for your phone. In this fight, the watch wins for me.
How much are you willing to spend?
If you are willing to pay the price tag up to four thousand crowns, so unfortunately you probably won't be able to find the watch. But you can get very high-quality smart bracelets of the type Garmin vívosmart. But for this price tag, you will have to say goodbye to functions such as GPS or autonomy, because the bracelet won't really want to work without your phone. I mentioned that you won't get much for a watch at this price tag, but it's definitely worth pointing out the watch CooKoo2 Sports Chic, which is a sporty alternative to a watch CooKoo2, which we tested in the editorial office. For the price tag up to eight thousand crowns you will already get a decent watch that has taken some of that beauty or a very nice and high-quality bracelet. As an example, I can mention, for example, great looking bracelets Jawbone UP3 and UP2 or a watch Garmin vívoactive.
If you are willing to pay the amount for a smart watch over eight thousand crowns so you have a very wide choice. For example, watches are worth mentioning Garmin Forerunner 620 or a watch Apple Watchwhich, if you have iPhone, they will also offer you decent fitness features. But I recommend paying this price tag only if you are really serious about running.
New in 2020: Quality cheap smart watch with GPS Smartomat Squarz X GPS for 2
As you can see, it only depends on the price, if, for example, you want your watch to be able to monitor your heart rate, then most smart watches can do that, but smart bracelets are not so 100% in this function. If you want to have a watch on your hand that is focused on design, then I would definitely go for the Apple Watch, even though their price is the least favorable in our selection. I hope this guide helped you if you were really thinking about buying a smart fitness watch or fitness bracelet and couldn't decide.
When choosing a sports watch, I would focus on the history of the manufacturer. On TV, people often come across the Polar brand, which is a long-standing manufacturer of sports watches that has years of experience with both HW and SW support, and their products are tuned (it's like buying a computer Apple with OSX and or PC with Windows). If you want to exercise according to your heart rate, choose a product that has an audio response that does not require the athlete to look at their watch/bracelet.one is currently not working, and most bracelets are not suitable in this regard. Another factor in choosing is water resistance and how well the product holds on the hand, here again the winner is a watch that does not move back and forth like bracelets that I don't like. The last thing that currently comes to mind is measuring the VO2 value maxWhen the chest strap is put on, the person is at rest and the measurement takes place for several minutes. After the measurement, the data is adjusted in the given product. If a person is losing weight (increasing his fitness), this measurement should be performed once in a while. Of course, the most accurate measurement is performed by a sports doctor, but that also costs something.
The bracelet is a hobby item and will surely find its fans. Based on the weekly/monthly calorie measurement, it can be evaluated whether to increase activity or adjust the diet. A person nestara about the chest belt including constant charging. It is not an exact measurement, but in my opinion it is enough. The exception is strength training, where a wristband without heart rate measurement is completely out of the question.
http://www.polar.com/sites/default/files/support_files/images/Flow_diary(1).jpg
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I ride a bike and used a Suunto watch to measure my heart rate. I bought now Apple Watch and I tried using the AW parker on the bike. My experience (I assume it will be quite similar for running):
– AW measures the heart rate a bit doubtfully and sometimes I see a message that the heart rate is being detected (after all, the chest belt is probably about something else).
– AW needs to be raised enough for the display to light up, on a sports watch I can see data even if the hand is slightly tilted.
– The main disadvantage of AW is that it is impossible to control them at all on the bike. With a sports watch, I can simply switch the button to look at another data, whereas with the AW I would have to fumble around on the display, which is basically not possible.
– Maybe some app can do it, but with Workout only the current values, hours and time are visible. With the watch, I can see the current heart rate + average heart rate at the same time, which suits me, but it will probably be possible to solve it somehow in the future.
So for now I have to say that I have returned to Suunto and I do not use AW on my bike. On iPhone I turn on Runtastic to record the route and I am overall happier.