Cronometer staff are pretty techy individuals; many of us use wearables to keep us on track, keep us in the know about our activity levels and biometrics and to motivate us to move more. If you’re wondering which one to get that will seamlessly sync your data into your Cronometer account, read on!
WHOOP
Nowadays, numerous fitness trackers are available to assist you in monitoring your daily activities. However, if you’re seeking a detailed analysis of your exercise performance, sleep quality, and heart rate information, the WHOOP 4.0 offers an extensive array of data.
Why we love it:
- Extensive data with weekly/monthly feedback and assessments
- Waterproof with an IP68 rating
- So many fun band colours to choose from
- You never have to take it off, it can charge while you wear it
- Now incorporates strength training by tracking your muscular load
I love the detailed sleep stats breakdown, with RHR, and HRV; all of which feed into your recovery score. This helps me optimize my exercise routine to stay balanced and not over exert myself to the point that exercise negatively impacts my health. The trend analysis is great as well, I really appreciate seeing how exercise improves HRV, and RHR metrics. The AI coach is pretty neat, it's like having a personal trainer in my pocket!
Cons:
- No at a glance data or insights on your wrist
- No GPS capabilities
- Requires a monthly membership
Oura Ring
If you’re a minimalist or don’t like to wear watches, then the Oura Ring was made for you! Tons of data paired with amazing tech built into the tiniest ring puts tracking and health insights at your literal fingertips.
We recently added several new metrics available to import, including adding a new Cycle Tracking feature which is powered by Oura’s Cycle Insights.
Why we love it:
- This ring holds a charge forever; it goes a week without needing to be charged and when you do need to charge the ring it only takes max 80 minutes
- It’s not bulky at all and most of the time you don’t realize it’s even there
- Tracks everything – sleep, respiratory rate, heart rate, temperature, calories burned and for females it has Cycle Insights which will predict when you’re likely to get your period.
- Makes recommendations on how much to exercise
Oura gives you a "Readiness Score" - they take your previous nights biometrics (hours of sleep, resting heart rate, temperature) and give you recommendations on how much you should exercise. Initially I thought this was a little hoakey but after wearing Oura for more than a year I have found tremendous value in loosely following it's recommendations.
Cons:
- If you use your hands a lot – to lift weights or hold handlebars the ring can occasionally pinch your palms
- There’s no stats available on the ring itself, so you need an app or the web to get any data
- Oura is focused predominantly on sleep so you don’t get stats, like heart rate on your exercise
- No GPS function
Suunto
Next up, we introduced a Suunto integration in 2022 so we’d be silly not to include them towards the top of our list.
Suunto, based in Finland, sits at the forefront of design and innovation of sports watches and offers a wide range of durable and long-lasting wearable devices. Widely known and respected across the action sports community, we couldn’t be happier to integrate their data into our app!
Why we love Suunto:
- Durable and made for action sports.
- Lots of options with a price point to suit most budgets.
- Lots of exercises to choose from.
- Suunto 9 Peak has an amazing battery life.
The battery life on my Suunto 9 Peak is incredible. I feel like I never have to charge the thing. It's small, light and comfortable and I love the look of it. It performs great in the outdoors whether I'm skiing, backcountry touring or mountain biking. The GPS is super handy! The only thing that I would like to see improved is the sleep tracking. It doesn't seem super accurate.
Cons:
- Sleep tracking could be improved upon, depending on the model.
Apple Watch
Why we love it:
- It tracks activity and workouts
- It replaces GPS running watches
- Waterproof
- You can change the bracelets
- You can set alarms that vibrate, which is helpful if your partner is on different schedule
- You can make calls without having your phone
- It gives you inactivity alerts to get you up and moving
"I love it because I can see messages and notifications quickly, I don't have to take my phone everywhere. This is handy when I am skiing because my phone doesn't freeze. It's also cool to see more detailed stats on my exercise."
Cons:
- It is expensive
- One more gadget to worry about (don’t want to break it!)
- It’s uncomfortable to sleep and work with the metal wristband
- This one might seem obvious, but you need an Apple iPhone to use it
- Those inactivity alerts we said we loved? Well, they can sometimes start vibrating if you get up in the middle of the night to use the loo… who wants to be reminded to stand every hour at 4:00am?
People who swim or spend a lot of time in the water should get a metal or plastic band. Cloth bands tend to stay wet for a long time.
Samsung Galaxy Watch
With our Samsung partnership released in 2021 and our widget made specifically for the Samsung Galaxy Watch you know we have to include this wearable on our list. They’ve recently released the Galaxy Watch6 which has an updated design, comes with a better battery life and sleep tracking.
Why we love it:
- Cutting edge: the first watch to track BIA
- Sleek + modern design
- Your phone on your wrist: all the functionality of your phone in one convenient location
- Good price point for the functionality
This watch is particularly sleek and modern looking. The UI is intuitive, the watch's performance is snappy, and the sensors are fairly accurate.
Cons:
- You have to charge it everyday
- Occasionally staffers had some difficulty getting the wearable to check BIA consistently
- Works well with Samsung and Android platforms, but not compatible with an iPhone or other Apple products.
FitBit
Can we even do up a wearable guide without mentioning the iconic FitBit? The majority of our Cronometer users choose Fitbit as their tracker of choice and for good reason.
Why we love it:
- Affordable; Fitbit has so many different models for any price point
- Tracks a lot; steps, sleep, exercise and heart rate (based on model)
- It’s easy to set goals and challenge yourself
- FitBit has a strong community to help you troubleshoot and encourage
The FitBit is lightweight, I didn't even realize I was wearing it.
Cons:
- You have to charge it every 3-4 days
- Reported to be less accurate than other trackers when counting steps and calories burned
- FitBit sends a lot of emails to upgrade your wearable (although we are sure there’s an unsubscribe button!)
Garmin
Garmin has long been a favourite of fitness enthusiasts who routinely exercise outdoors because of it’s amazing GPS tracking.
Why we love it:
- Built in GPS tracks your location so you’re never lost outdoors
- Makes tracking runs super easy – throw it in run mode and get your lap time, distance and HR at a glance
- Download apps to play music like Spotify or check your local weather
The watch is fantastic for all things athletic. I love being able to quickly access stats from a workout and track my progress over longer periods of time. Notifications and the user interface can be a bit clunky so this is definitely a fitness tracker first and smartwatch second, but if you're looking for a dedicated tracking device at a reasonable price this is a great choice!
Cons:
- Interface is clunky
- Have to be mindful about downloading maps if you’re heading out of service
