Why choose a smart watch?
Bottom line: Go for a smartwatch if you like the idea of a miniature smartphone on your wrist or if you are looking for special sports tracking features. The greatest strength of smartwatches is their ability to link notifications from your smartphone, such as text messages, calls, emails, driving instructions, calendar appointments, and social media messages, with comfort and style.
The best ones allow you to easily view and respond to
notifications, dictate text messages or email responses, or send
"smart" responses, and most should handle the basics of at least
physical and activity tracking. A smartwatch will also allow you to see more
details about your exercise or smart notifications at a glance without taking
out your phone, thanks to a screen that's larger than a fitness tracker. Some,
as we mentioned, have sensors and technologies for specific activities like
running, swimming, or exploring the great outdoors.
These may include: altimeter - uses barometric
pressure or GPS data to tell you how high you are above sea level, so you can
locate yourself on a barometer map - detects atmospheric pressure changes, so
you can predict whether the weather it will get worse or better. Some can even
alert you if they detect a storm. Navigation features: location services (such
as GPS, Glonass, and Galileo), a compass, visual maps, and the ability to save
"memories" of the routes you've taken and add descriptions.
thermometer - can help you plan what to wear when going for a long walk. SWOLF
(a measure of your swimming efficiency) compatibility with a chest heart rate
monitor - they are more accurate than heart rate readings taken from your
wrist. Some are designed to be particularly durable, with a sturdy strap and
scratch-resistant screen.
Smartwatch Pros
and Cons Pros: Those with advanced smart features are great for keeping up
with and responding to notifications. The best sports watches offer accurate
fitness tracking, such as tracking steps, distance, and heart rate, and go the
extra mile to provide detailed sports measurements. Cons: Smartwatches tend to
be expensive. And many of them, especially the trendy ones like Wear OS watches
or Apple watches, have a short battery life, so they will need to be recharged
regularly, if not every day. Like fitness trackers, smartwatches can vary in
how accurately they measure your activity and ease of use. Browse our best
smartwatches to see which models stood out.