Winters are amazing for lots of reasons. Primarily for those chilly nights you can spend all cozied up in bed or next to a bonfire eating hot and yummy scones. But that’s a completely different niche. We’re here to talk about those of you who power through the cold to keep up with your workout regime. Whether it’s in-house workouts. Yoga. Pilates. Weight training.
Or get your cardio going by going for runs around the block, hiking, trekking, cycling, and all sorts of outdoor activities. Whether it’s inside or outside, you need a piece of tech that keeps you on your toes with helpful logs and information being supplied to you in real time. And what’s better than a watch that does all that and more?
For that very reason, we’ve compiled a scrumptious list of fitness watches that’ll help you nail your fitness plans. It’s worth noting though that in order to use all of the functions and features available on these devices, you’d need a good internet connection equipped alongside. Quantum Fiber provides the optimum speeds and coverage for your smartwatch to keep up with all the updates it has to supply to your phone, with zero lag of course. Now, without further ado, let’s get into our picks.
Garmin Forerunner 745
Garmin maintains its supremacy in the active lifestyle tech with its Forerunner 745. Whether you’re looking for indoor, outdoor, on-land, or water sports, Garmin has it all ready for you in a neat little package. And this isn’t just us talking, Garmin is used in sports worldwide because of their appreciation for athletes and their strict schedule.
This particular watch comes in a sleek and light design with a 1.2-inch crisp display that has almost everything you’d want right on the main screen. Additionally, the 745’s screen is transflective and offers brilliant visibility even under direct sunlight. Dedicated buttons on the side are available for swift functions for navigation and/or accessing different features within the watch.
Amazfit Band 7
For those of you that are keeping budget as a priority, the Amazfit Band 7 is the perfect watch to rock. Sliding in at just $50, and with a shape and features that have been tried and tested, you can’t really go wrong with this pick. Though, be careful if you consider this watch nothing more than normal.
It has sleep tracking, heart rate, and blood oxygen sensors embedded into its tiny body and syncs perfectly with your routine provided you can keep it charged. The interface is straightforward and you won’t be troubled with swipes and taps too much. The band is designed for keeping you fit and posted with updates, most of whom you’ll find nested on the home screen anyway.
Apple Watch Series 8
Apple always bags the best overall smartwatch. And this year is no different. Their series 8 is a monster chock full of features. It’s basically a smartphone in its own right and once you have this bad boy on your wrist, you’ll seldom resort to taking out your phone. The series 8 keeps health tracking a priority by having exclusive features like a dedicated heart rate monitor and ECG monitoring which notify you or your emergency contact list if levels fall dangerously low.
The watch is extremely cautious of your lifestyle; going as far as alerting you of an irregular heartbeat, which is often a sign of overtraining. A new feature called temperature tracking has also been added which provides an edge for pregnant women and keeps a check on their vitals. Moreover, you get over 18 hours of battery, which is enough to last you the day.
Suunto 9 Peak Pro
A lesser-known name, the Suunto 9 Peak Pro is an impressive addition to our fitness watch lineup. Released in late 2022, the Suunto Peak Pro outperforms its basic model by beefing up its internals. The watch enjoys a minuscule carbon footprint; having been made out of 100% renewable energy. There’s a new processor and microcontroller embedded into this addition with a completely reworked user interface, which makes operating this watch nothing less than a pleasure.
Battery-wise, the watch got a good pump of extra life added into it with it now clocking in at around 40 hours with regular usage and a whopping 70 hours if you put it into battery-saving mode. Small additions like quick charge, GPS, and GNSS additions make it super viable for workout enthusiasts everywhere.
Polar Vantage V2
For all your cardio-intensive activities, the Polar Vantage V2 should be considered a top priority. Even though Garmin has this area generally covered, Vantage’s heart rate monitoring is second to none. There are also dedicated features like Hill Splitter which keep your ascends and descends in check when you’re out trekking or climbing.
FuelWise is another feature that acts as a decent reminder for keeping yourself refuelled with your preferred choice of fluid. Battery life can go up to 40 hours and it’s able to touch 100 hours on a single charge if you keep it on battery saving.
Conclusion
And that’s a wrap. Our selection of fitness smartwatches all has something interesting and different to offer you. In case you’re wondering, there are budget-friendly options in here as well as the more premium stuff. Take your pick and get back to working out in style.