Explore choose products independently. If you buy something from our posts, we may earn a small commission.
If you’re exercising without one of the best smartwatches for Android users, you’re missing out on the opportunity to measure your progress and make your workouts more enjoyable. Having technology on your wrist has become a norm in the world of fitness, according to Connor Derrickson, a fitness performance coach at Future, the app that connects you with a world-class fitness coach who manages your ongoing fitness remotely.
“In recent years, we seem to have evolved more and more to prioritize our health and fitness using technology and information,” he says. That’s because tracking fitness adds another component to your workout. “Fitness watches make training, exercise or even walking fun because it becomes a competition – a game in which you try to beat yourself every day.”
If you’re not a member of the Apple Universe (or you want something compatible with both Android and Apple devices), don’t worry, there are plenty of excellent Android smartwatches on the market. And if you’re new to this whole sports watch trend, Derrickson offers some tips on what to look for when choosing one of the best Android-compatible smartwatches to crush your New Year’s fitness goals.
Heart rate monitoring. “You obviously want something that will monitor your heart rate while you’re wearing it, but you also want it to show your exercise heart rate as well as your resting heart rate—and you want it to be accurate,” says Derrickson.
Track calories burned. “Many people like to know how many calories they burn throughout the day, as well as during one episode of training.” And if your watch has this feature, Derrickson says it can create a fun challenge for you to burn more calories each day and also see how calorie burn is affected by various exercise intensities.
Check compatibility. You need to understand how your watch works with your phone, etc. “There are also some watches that struggle more with third-party apps and will run at slower speeds when downloading them, so keep that in mind,” advises Derrickson.
Battery life. If your watch is going to die every day, Derrickson warns that you’re going to be frustrated. “It’s annoying when you have to wear the watch to collect data, but it dies so quickly and spends a lot of time on the charger.”
Tom Holland, exercise physiologist, elite endurance athlete and author of, The micro workout planagrees, adding that the watch must be able to withstand the type of exercise you will be participating in. “For example, choose a rugged watch for tough, outdoor workouts like mountain biking and rock climbing, and a waterproof watch for paddleboarding and windsurfing.”
And he offers something else to consider. “Decide if you want a watch that you’ll take off when you’re done exercising or one that’s fashionable,” says Holland. “Do you want something that not only tracks the metrics of your workouts, but is something you’ll wear to work, going out at night, etc.?” Scroll through below to check out some of the best smartwatches for Android users to crush your New Year’s resolutions.
Google Pixel Watch with Fitbit activity tracking
With fitness and health features powered by Fitbit, the Google Pixel LTE smartwatch can also track sleep and heart rate and assess heart rhythm. The active zone feature tracks minutes, steps and calories and lets you choose from 40 different exercise modes. In addition, the smartwatch does everything a smartphone can, such as answering calls, receiving text messages, responding to emails and listening to music. Plus, it can also sync with your smartphone to control your thermostat and lights and the battery lasts up to 24 hours.
itbit Sense 2 Advanced Health and Fitness Smartwatch
Fitbit makes some of the most popular smartwatches on the market, and the advanced Fitbit Sense 2 is perhaps its best model yet. You can track everything from steps, distance and calories, while monitoring your breathing rate, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, skin temperature and blood oxygen saturation. The watch also includes a sleep tracker that determines how long you’ve slept — and provides a sleep count — along with a daily readiness score to help you decide how intense your workout should be that day. Built-in GPS and voice assistants add to the watch’s functionality, and you can also get call and text notifications and pay from your wrist. The battery lasts for at least six days.
Amazfit T-Rex 2 Smart Watch
If you engage in intense workouts – including surfing, rock climbing and skiing – the Amazfit T-Rex 2 is a rugged, military-grade smartwatch that can withstand all your adventures. It is equipped with a -40 degree F temperature resistance, 240 hour humidity resistance, 158 degree heat resistance, and 96 hour salt spray resistance. With just one tap you can measure your breathing and heart rate, stress level and blood oxygen level. Plus, the force recognition feature detects which muscles are activated during specific exercises – how cool is that? The watch has a battery life of 24 days, supports more than 150 sports modes and has GPS 5 satellite positioning.
The SUUNTO 9 Peak is so thin and sleek that at first glance you might think it’s too stylish to be a practical workout smartwatch. But you’d be wrong, because it’s as strong and durable as it is attractive. The touchscreen watch is made of sapphire glass and grade 5 titanium and provides various health measurements, including heart rate, stress, blood oxygen and sleep measurement. It has built-in GPS and 3D heat maps, in addition to guided navigation. You can control music and bypass your phone to connect the watch to your headphones or earphones. The watch can also provide weather reports and warnings when a storm is approaching. Battery life is 25 hours with GPS and up to seven days when in tour mode.
Withings ScanWatch Hybrid Smartwatch & Activity Tracker
Sometimes fitness smartwatches can be too complicated to be really useful. However, the Withings ScanWatch is a hybrid smartwatch with a classic design and clean face. There is a section at the top that provides health information such as heart rate tracking, respiratory monitoring, and sleep tracking and analysis. The watch also has a pedometer and exercise mode that can automatically track running, cycling, swimming and other activities and record this information in the Health Mate companion app. The ScanWatch, which also provides smartphone notifications, is waterproof to 50 meters, and the watch’s battery lasts up to 30 days.
Mobvoi Ticwatch GTH Pro Smartwatch Arty
Another budget-friendly exercise watch, the Mobvoi TicWatch GTH Pro has all the essentials you want, including personalized watches. From continuous heart rate monitoring and arterial health scores to blood oxygen measurement and also sleep tracking—the watch even provides guidance on how to improve sleep scores. When you exercise, there are 14 workouts, ranging from indoor cycling to outdoor walking to playing basketball. The watch is water resistant to 50 meters, and it has up to 10 days of battery life.
Wahoo ELEMNT Competitor Running Multisport GPS Smart Watch
The Wahoo ELEMNT Rival offers structured training tools, making it a great choice for those who run, cycle or swim. In fact, it even has race day features for touchless transition between different activities. The watch has a track running profile and running dynamics to provide real-time data. The watch has 12 preloaded workouts and the ability to connect to a TrainingPeaks account. It can also control your music, alarm, and provide smart notifications. Battery life is 24 hours in GPS training mode and two weeks in smartwatch mode.
SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 4 40mm Smartwatch With EKG Monitor
Samsung makes some of the best watches for Android users. They can be quite expensive; however, the Samsung Galaxy 4 is a more economical option that still delivers the goods. It has many applications and can track everything from blood oxygen saturation to sleep disorders. There are also nearly 100 workouts, including running, swimming and rowing. You can use the watch for contactless payment and for smart home control, in addition to step-by-step directions using GPS. Battery life is around 40 hours.
MORE FROM SCOUTED:
Don’t forget to check out our coupon site to find more health and fitness deals including Vitacost coupons, Dick’s Sporting Goods Coupons, Walmart Couponsand Macy’s coupons.
