If you are wanting to take your fitness journey seriously, you might have considered investing in some kind of tracker that you can wear on your wrist to keep track of your activity and motivate you through the day.
However, with so many different options on the market today it can be almost impossible to know which one to pick. Broadly speaking, you can divide most of them into two categories: smartwatches and fitness trackers. Even then it can be hard to tell the difference between them, let alone know which one is worth spending money on. Today we will be breaking down the difference between smart watched and fitness trackers so that you can figure out which one might be right for you!
What Do They Do?
Both of these products do essentially the same thing, in that they can help you to track your daily activity, monitor your fitness progress, and also – in most cases – stay connected with notifications from your phone.
They are both worn on the wrist and therefore are a constant reminder of your activity levels, so they make for great motivation if you are struggling to reach your fitness goals.
What Can You Get From a Smartwatch?
Examples of popular smartwatches include the Apple Watch, the Samsung Galaxy Watch, and the Huawei Watch. Here are some of the features of a smartwatch:
- They can often be a little bit more expensive than fitness trackers, but it does depend on the brand and what features you are looking to have.
- A smartwatch is pretty much just a tiny smartphone that you can wear on your wrist, allowing for notifications from your phone to reach you instantly. Most will also allow you to reply to messages and notifications straight from the watch, so you do not even need to take your phone out of your pocket. You will also find that many smartwatches have useful features like the ability to control music apps, cardless payments, and more.
- Smartwatches often allow for more flexibility when it comes to recording your workout data, as many come with sensors that are designed to pick up your body’s reactions to a variety of workouts, from running and jogging, to dancing, and swimming. These sensors are not just for your body’s reaction, but also often include GPS location tracking services, maps, thermometers, barometers, and more, all of which can assist you if you are serious about improving your fitness.
- The sensors do not stop there. Most smartwatches also have built-in sensors and monitors for heart rate and sleep quality, allowing you to have a much more detailed overview of your health and fitness.
What Can You Get From a Fitness Tracker?
Examples of popular fitness trackers include the Huawei Band, the Bellabeat Leaf Urban, and the Fitbit Inspire line of trackers. Here are some of the features of a fitness tracker:
- Fitness trackers tend to be cheaper than smartwatches, but it depends on the brand and its functionality. Some, like the above-mentioned Bellabeat tracker, are more expensive but are designed to be discreet and not obviously a fitness accessory.
- Most fitness trackers are not as full of functions as a smartwatch. They are often designed simply to give you a basic overview of your daily step count and activity levels. Some include functions for tracking sleep, calories, and other specialised activities as well.
- Devices vary when it comes to connecting to other devices, like smartphones. However, if you do not need phone notifications or want your fitness tracker to be connected to other apps, then it may be perfect for you. The lack of connection is also often seen as a positive as it allows you to disconnect from your phone and use it for its main function, tracking fitness.
So, which one should I pick?
This really comes down to what you want out of the device. If you are after detailed feedback with extremely accurate results, particularly if you are focused on improving in a specific sport that the device can track then a smartwatch is probably the way to go. However, if you are looking for a way to simply keep track of your goals without the distraction of multiple features, then a fitness tracker is a much better and cheaper option. It is all up to you!
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