SuperWatches

Smartwatches for the Space Age

GPS Watches

Garmin Fenix 5 Plus

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Garmin Fenxix 5

Background

The Garmin Fenix 5 Plus is the recent offering from Garmin. The Garmin Fenix gained itself an incredible following leading on from its predecessor the Fenix 3, which was and continues to be a firm favourite for those into outdoor adventures. 

The Fenix 5 Plus is probably the most complete multisport watch on the market. It was an incredible offering and then Garmin upgraded it by adding music storage, the ability to use contactless payments and improved the navigation tools

Furthermore, the Fenix 5 Plus is one of a family of three with siblings the 5X Plus and 5S Plus).

""Shop Fenix 5 Plus Multisport GPS

Features

The Fenix 5 Plus has been specifically designed with cyclist-friendly features. One showstopper on the Fenix 5 Plus is the enhanced navigation. It has Garmin’s full-colour topographical maps for the entirety of Europe (with the option to purchase regions elsewhere). The maps are great for cyclists who want to use the maps they’ve created on Garmin Connect. It’s smart enough to recommend routes to avoid the busiest roads and instead chooses smaller trails and roads used by other cyclists. 

It boasts a heart rate monitor, thermometer and a barometric altimeter.

One of the coolest new things is that if you use Spotify Premium you can sync your music wirelessly. Great if you want to ride without being attached to your phone. The only problem here is that it does drain your battery if you use it continuously. 

You can get 18 hours of GPS use, but it falls to just 8 with GPS use too, which is a little disappointing compared to the Fenix 5.

As it’s a smartwatch, you’ll get all the notifications you’d expect. If you’re on Android, you get the bonus of being able to reply to messages via your watch.

Cycling Features

As for the features important to cycling, the 5 Plus will track indoor activities but it’s designed for the outdoors. The Galileo tracking function ensures there are no black spots on your route, even staying with you in the forest or other areas known to cause GPS to drop off. It also enables the use of a function called TrackBack that allows riders to go back over a route.

Garmin offers a race pacer across a few of its devices. It lets you set a target for time and distance, and gives you a gentle nudge as you’re going along. 

When you’re finished on your ride, it gives you specific feedback on your aerobic and anaerobic fitness level, being scored from 1-5. It will then recommend a recovery time between training sessions. You can get this information for up to 7 days, and it will also give you a rough VO2 maximum.

Activity tracking is what this watch was made to do. It will tell you the basics such as calories burned, steps, floors climbed and active minutes during the day. 

It also offers advanced sleep tracking and will analyse your night into sections of REM, deep and light sleep, plus any time you spent awake and how much you moved around.

If you’re into outdoor cycling, the Fenix 5 Plys has a waterproof rating of 10ATM so you’re good to go near water (or in, if you’re unlucky). 

There are three preset profiles for cycling which are indoor, bike and mountain biking with significantly advanced data specific for your two-wheeled activities.

Finally, it’s compatible with both the Radar series and Varia Bike Light, which have notoriously had very limited compatibility with other devices. Potentially the best thing about it is the seamless syncing with your Strava account.

Other useful features

  • You can use Garmin pay for contactless payments
  • Live tracking lets your loved ones know where you are in real-time, for your safety
  • Sleep monitoring capabilities
  • Use your phone to find your watch
  • Garmin Move IQ will track your less adventurous activities during the day 

Design

The Fenix 5 Plus is pretty huge. It weighs a stonking 86g (although there’s a titanium version at 76g). It’s noticeably heavier than its sibling, the Forerunner 935. Despite the bulk, it’s pretty good looking and you shouldn’t feel any need to swap it when you go out. If you want to, though, the wristband is changeable so you can pop on a silicon, metal or leather one if you want to change your look.

The benefit of it being such a beast is that you won’t fail to see your map on your wrist as you ride!

You can spend a little extra and opt for a scratch-resistant glass screen ($100 extra, to be exact). The display itself offers 240 x 240 full-colour pixels, making it super easy to read in sunlight.

Advantages

  • Brilliant cycling-specific GPS features 
  • Colour maps and the ability to retrace routes
  • Spotify Premium feature for wireless music

Disadvantages

  • Costly compared to alternatives
  • Music and GPS features significantly drain battery life
  • Heavy on the wrist 

Summary

For the price, you get exactly what you pay for and that’s an advanced piece of kit. It is one of the single best multisport watches on the market. It will actively encourage your progression, including appropriate rest and recovery times, meaning you avoid over-training. 

Garmin put everything they had into the Fenix range and the addition of music and advanced navigation gives cyclists an elevated level of enjoyment and control into their ride. Every feature on the Fenix has been executed with precision and reason. The only real major downside is that because there’s so much on board, using it all at the same time means you only get so long to do so. The battery life is quickly drained so as much as you might want to enjoy it for a longer ride, you’ll be quickly seeking a charger.

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New Smartwatches To Look Out For In 2020

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New smartwatches

Back to the future

With the ball about to drop on the decade everyone is excited to see what the next generation of new smartwatches look like. The wearable tech market is incredibly competitive and consumers are the ones getting the benefits. There are some incredible features packed into some gorgeous devices.

Here’s a look at some of the most eagerly-anticipated smartwatches coming in 2020.

Garmin Fenix 6x Pro Solar

We know and love Garmins for their GPS reliability and accuracy. Garmin is the brand of choice for hardcore athletes, both indoor and outdoor. And the Fenix range hasn’t disappointed with features like topographical maps, music, and oxygen saturation monitors.

The Garmin Fenix 6x Pro Solar was launched in October of this year. So, it’s just about got a head start and fans have received it very well so far. Hardly surprising, as this is Garmin’s first solar-powered offering. 

The design is thinner and better looking than any of the other Fenix models. The sixth-generation is packed with features previously missing. This includes the ability to store 36GB of music, better GPS than ever before, contactless payments and new sensors to pick up on information such as a fall or the weather. It’s a seriously clever piece of kit that has the potential to save your life. It’ll tell you health measurements in painfully accurate detail.

The best thing is the battery life. Thanks to solar power, you’ll get 21 days of performance. If you think that’s impressive, in smartwatch mode you can get 24 days.

The 6x Pro Solar is the most expensive, coming in at $1,150 (£850). The Fenix 6s Pro, however, can be picked up for $700 (£500) and has the same amount of storage onboard for music.

Apple Watch Series 6

Apple fans will have to wait until September for this one. There are predictions on everything from the name to the features though as it’s anticipated that it won’t break the mould with the numbering system, it’s referred to as Series 6.

The advancements expected will be around the fitness features including sleep tracking and more accurate tracking for activities like running. Thanks to a stray tweet, we know there’s been some development on a sleep app. Ideally, there will be some improvements in battery life. The addition of always-on has caused some controversy amongst users as to whether or not this feature saves or drains the battery.

As there was little difference in design between the 4 and 5, there’s hope for some drastic changes for the Series 6. There’s talk of a circular display, which could be a wild rumour, but now Apple’s lead designer has left the building, who knows? There has been a patent approved for a round face, so September might bring a surprise for us all.

Other rumoured features include a camera for FaceID and the ability to use TouchID. Furthermore, blood pressure and blood glucose measurements are also expected.

It’s certainly fun to speculate, and it’s suspected this smartwatch will be the smartest device ever released. 

Google Pixel Watch

Google has been so busy providing WearOS (Android Wear) to other devices that it never stopped to make its own smartwatch – until now, we hope.

Google has teased the market for years with potential release dates for the Pixel watch. Now, it could be any time between March and October 2020.

One highly discussed rumour was a feature named ‘Blackghost’ which saw the watch listen out for and respond to voice commands with little drainage of the battery. It’s not something currently available, but expecting to use Google Assist isn’t outrageous. It’s anticipated you’ll be able to ask questions without having to use anything but your voice.

Seeing as WearOS is mostly Android smartphone compatible, there’s a third-party app expectation that the Pixel watch will work seamlessly with things like WhatsApp, Messenger and Uber. Naturally, it’s expected to have Gmail, maps and Google Pay.

Fitness and health tracking should be a feature as well as the smart functions. A heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, GPS, barometer, altimeter and accelerometers are all anticipated for accurate data about your movements.

There have been no concrete links about the design, so we can only look to the existing Pixel range and see what 2020 brings.

Seeing as this is Google’s first attempt at their own smartwatch, it’s hard to guess the price it’ll be marketed at. Looking at competitors Apple and Samsung, it’s likely to fall between $300- $400. 

Microsoft Surface Watch

We’re set to welcome Microsoft into the smartwatch world in 2020. 

We all know and love their laptops and PCs but they’re not performing as well in the smartphone market.

It’s believed the Surface watch will run on Windows OS with its Surface siblings. Odds are on a square design with a durable screen. It’s aimed at business folk in terms of design and function, with selling points such as long battery life and cloud storage. 

Rumours have been going around since before Apple released the Apple Watch. In 2012 a patent application was released that saw a small device held in a frame, mounted on a strap. The device was navigated using the display and had capabilities that allowed it to swap data with another device.

Given that was eight years ago, and considering how well Microsoft keep new products under wraps until release dates, who knows what the Surface Watch could do.

New Smartwatches Summary

Much of these new smartwatches for 2020 releases are speculation, fuelled by expert opinion and a few information leaks here and there. We know for certain we’ll see sales of the Garmin Fenix range continue to soar, given the initial welcome it’s already had. Apple’s new smartwatches will have people camping outside the stores in late August 2020 for the Series 6 and it appears there’s a race between Microsoft and Google for the latest high-tech smartwatch. 

We can only wait and see!

Garmin Forerunner – An All-Round Sports Watch Family

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Garmin Forerunner

The Garmin Forerunner range is one of the most acclaimed sports watch collections around. It may be intended for runners, but don’t let this detail put you off. Forerunners can track other activities too and also incorporate a wealth of additional smart features.

Here’s a quick overview of the Garmin Forerunner watches.

Forerunner 35

The best choice for beginners

Perhaps the simplest Garmin Forerunner, the 35 is an easy-to-use GPS-enabled running watch designed to focus on your performance. It monitors the key metrics of your training, including distance, calories, pace, and more.

Useful features such as Auto Pause and run/walk mode enhance versatility, while the wrist-based heart rate makes it possible to monitor performance without a chest strap.

Pair it with a compatible smartphone to get call and text alerts on your wrist, or make automatic uploads to Garmin Connect, share your progress, join challenges, or receive insights as you meet your goals.

Simple and unpretentious, the Forerunner 35 is an excellent choice for those who want a no-frills running watch at an affordable price.

Forerunner 45

Ideal for teammates

The upgraded version of Forerunner 35, the Forerunner 45, comes with additional features, and it’s a great choice for team training.

It comes in two variants, the Forerunner 45 and the smaller 45 S that is an excellent choice for slender wrists. No matter which size you choose, you’ll get accurate tracking of your pace and distance thanks to the built-in GPS.

The integration of Garmin Coach adaptive training plans makes it excellent for newbies who want to focus on performance. Like the Forerunner 35, it also integrates wrist heart rate monitoring.

Customisable watch faces and a variety of bands enhance its versatility and make it a great choice for users of either sex.

Forerunner 245 Music

A premier sports watch designed for serious runners

With the Forerunner 245 Music, tracking performance has never been easier. It’s a great choice for those who like to listen to music while running and packs loads of features in as well.

Garmin Forerunner 245

The menus might not be the easiest to navigate, but it’s easy to love once you get used to how it works. Designed with the pros in mind, it tracks and evaluates your performance stats, including aerobic and anaerobic training effects, VO2 max, training status, and more.

Advanced tracking includes running dynamics, such as ground contact time and stride length. On-board music storage and integrated GPS are two other awesome features for those who don’t want to carry a smartphone or other device when training.

Forerunner 645 Music

The more stylish and feature-packed version of the Forerunner 245

If you like the 245 Music and don’t mind spending more money, the Forerunner 645 Music could be a great choice. It has everything the 245 has and more.

The device can store up to 500 songs and syncs your playlists from music streaming services such as Spotify or Pandora. Wrist heart rate monitoring and advanced running performance metrics don’t bring noticeable improvements compared to the 245, but it shines in the smart features department.

You’ll get Garmin Pay, so you don’t have to worry about carrying your wallet, as well as other connected features and a bunch of smart notifications on your wrist, including Live Track function.

Customisable watch faces and compatibility with apps such as AccuWeather, Uber, and SmartThings bring further value for money, making this smartwatch one of the best running watches you can find.

Forerunner 735XT

A top-notch triathlon smartwatch

Designed for running and packed with preloaded sports profiles. The 735XT is one of the pro watches in the Forerunner family.

It includes all the features of other models in the range . It tracks distance, pace, and lap time on all supported activities, and you can choose which metrics to view on the display while training.

Multi-sports profiles include swimming – with underwater heart rate monitoring – cycling, cross-country skiing, hiking, and paddle sports, to name just a few.

An array of smart features are the cherries on top of this sumptuous cake and include Strava live segments, phone syncing, smart notifications, and compatibility with music streaming services. While all these features don’t come cheap, this is undoubtedly a very capable multi-sports watch and one that’s particularly suitable for triathlon training.

Forerunner 945

An all-round sports watch for advanced athletic training

The Forerunner 945 is la crème de la crème of the family. It’s an all-round sports watch designed for professional runners, triathlon athletes and serious fitness lovers.

Its slim and sleek profile retains the lines of the other Forerunner watches and fits both men and women. Two band choices and customisable watch faces add versatility, while a variety of features and compatible apps make it a winner.

Bigger storage capacity compared to the 245 and 645 variants let you keep up to 1,000 songs on your wrist and sync your playlists from Spotify and other music streaming services.

An integrated GPS and VO2 max feature track your training and adjust the results based on heat and altitude. At the same time, the watch also monitors your overall training load and recovery time.

Like the 735XT, it comes with multi-sports profiles, while pre-loaded, full-colour maps keep you on track regardless of how familiar you are with the area. Other highlights include safety and tracking features, smart notifications, as well as Garmin Pay function.

Though the Forerunner 945 is the most expensive of the family, it’s cheaper than the Fenix 5 Plus with which it shares most functions. It’s a great choice for all those who need a capable all-rounder.

Summary

Whether you’re an enthusiastic beginner or a professional athlete, finding the right smartwatch for you in the Garmin Forerunner family is easy.

So, what do you say? Which one would you pick? Tell me in a comment below; I’d love to hear from you.

And if you know other runners or athletes looking for the perfect Garmin wearable, don’t forget to share this article with them too.

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Multisport Watches

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Multisport watches

Multisport watches are specifically designed for use in more than one sport. They offer the user accurate analytical data for sports like running, swimming, cycling (and many others). They usually have a GPS system to tell you about your distance, speed, pace and, of course, map your activity in a location.

Here are four recommendations for certainly some of the best multisport watches as of December 2019.

1. Garmin Fenix® 5 Multisport GPS Watch 

$365 to $445 / £279 to £339

The Garmin Fenix® 5 Multisport GPS watch is great for using every day during intense workouts as well as being reliable for navigating the wilderness. If you’re able to, it can dive with you up to 100m, which is seriously impressive.

The Fenix 5 certainly offers everything – GPS tracking for pace, time-keeping and distance. It has smartwatch capabilities like heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, step count and advanced navigation. Furthermore, the addition of an optical heart rate tracker, a thermometer and a barometric altimeter, there’s really nothing it can’t tell you.

Finally, it offers a remarkable battery life considering all its functions – up to seven days between charges, including daily 1-3 hour training sessions. Of course the more you use some features, like GPS, the quicker you’ll use it up. The Fenix 5 has shown some serious GPS accuracy in comparison to its Garmin siblings like the Forerunner 935 or 945.

Advantages
  • A full-featured GPS multi-fitness watch
  • Good battery life
  • Intuitive experience – easy to set up
Disadvantages 
  • Bulky design, heavy on the wrist

2. Garmin Forerunner 945 

$680 / £520

Garmin is the certainly the undisputed king of multisport watches and the Fenix 5 and Forerunner 945 both have a right to appear on the same list. The Forerunner 925 deserves an honourable mention, but the 945 offers a little more. 

The Forerunner 945 is an incredible piece of kit. It can track every sport you can imagine such as running, HIIT, strength training, swimming (including open water and diving up to 50m) and even skiing. However, if you do a sport that isn’t in the 30-strong indoor and outdoor sports list, you can create a custom one with your chosen metrics.

It has an optical heart rate monitor, pulse oximeter, thermometer, compass, accelerometer and gyroscope packed into a 13.7mm case. The design is certainly functional, not pretty.

Garmin Forerunner Multisport Watch

It will track both health and fitness in minute detail, including intense sleep tracking to analyse your cycles as well as oxygen levels during the night. It will monitor your training sessions and Garmin’s unique ‘body battery’ will tell you about your energy levels. 

There’s an accurate GPS system and, depending on the level of use, the battery can last an astonishing two weeks between charges.

Consequently, it’s aimed at serious triathletes who need painfully accurate data from a rugged watch.

Advantages
  • Incredible number of features
  • Accurate GPS mapping
  • Round the clock heart and stress monitoring
  • Use with Spotify or Deezer
Disadvantages
  • Lacks smartwatch features; notifications are hard to reply to
  • Strap is tricky to take off
  • Expensive

3. Suunto 9 Baro

$515 / £394

The 9 Baro from Sunnto is one of the ultimate multisport watches for adventurers. It has a robust design that can withstand extreme conditions including depths of up to 100m underwater, freezing weather, impact from a height and intense heat and humidity.

As with all multisport watches the battery life is dependent on use, but you can expect around two-to-five days between charges. The handy thing is that it’ll tell you how much use you can expect before it dies (providing you stay in the mode you’re using at the time).

Tracking-wise, the 9 Baro will monitor sleep and activities with no less than 80 sport modes which cover running (including trail running and obstacle racing), cycling (including mountain biking), swimming (including open water) and triathlons. It offers barometric and GPS altitude data as well as optical heart rate monitoring.

Furthermore, it has smartwatch features like notifications for calls, texts, messages, emails and other social media.

Advantages
  • Incredible battery life
  • Hard-wearing design
  • Powerful analytical data
  • Can be used with Android and iOS
Disadvantages
  • The app could use some work
  • The on-screen menu can be tricky to read

4. Polar Vantage M 

$260 / £199

Without a doubt, the best-looking watch on the list. This watch dedicates itself to being a multisport tracker, not a smartwatch. There is a distinct lack of smart functions. However, at this price point, it’s a steal for a triathlete. 

Polar Vantage Multisport Watch

It offers 24 hour heart rate and activity monitoring sleep tracking and boasts bespoke running programs to improve your training from 5k to a full marathon. It can record up to a whopping 130 sports. If you sync it with the Polar Flow app, you can look at in-depth data from the session, be it running, CrossFit, hiking or swimming (up to 30m). It’ll keep going for up to 30 hours of training time, or two weeks between charges.

The Polar Sleep Plus function analyses your sleep patterns and offers advice on how to improve your sleep quality.

On the belly of the watch, you’ll see 9 sensors that allow the Vantage M to sense blood flow, leading to accurate heart rate measurements. The wristband itself comes in two sizes, either small to medium or medium to large. Both come in either black or white, and the latter comes in a red option too.

The entire experience is largely co-dependent on the use of the Polar Flow app, where you log and analyse your information.

Overall, this is a lot of bang for your buck so long as your primary concern is monitoring your performance, and you’re less worried about your WhatsApp messages.

Advantages
  • Cost-effective multisport watch option
  • Accurate heart rate, sleep and GPS
  • Great battery life
Disadvantages
  • Lack of customisation
  • Has zero smart features or functions

Summary

Garmin has long been the leader of the multisport watch market, but if your budget doesn’t stretch to their price tags, there are some worthy contenders. Make sure you prioritise what you want from your multisport watch before you start searching; the more expensive devices don’t necessarily mean they’re the best for what you want.

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Cycling Watches – An Expert Guide

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Professional cycling has long had a link with watches, right from some of the earliest days of the sport. Historically, luxury watch brands have sponsored major cycling events around the world including Tag Heuer whose products have been worn by well-known international cyclists. But why are cyclists so determined to wear a specialist cycling watch? Surely any old watch would do?

Why Are Cycling Watches Important?

Being able to track your fitness progress while cycling is standard these days. Keen cyclists, both amateur and professional, are used to being able to track their ride stats and share them with friends and family. They’re also useful to perfect future training regimes. Smartphone apps like Strava are excellent for this kind of tracking, however, they can drain a smartphone battery very quickly! They also lack the potential to track other things like your heart rate. Not to mention the fact that carrying a phone around while you’re riding can be difficult. It’s no wonder, then, that so many cyclists started to look for a suitable and more convenient alternative. That alternative comes in the form of a cycling watch.

Which Features Does A Cycling Watch Need?

When you start looking for your first cycling watch, you need to know which features you should be looking for. Over the past few years, technology has progressed in leaps and bounds and smartwatches are now commonplace. Devices are now available which offer both smartwatch and fitness tracking functionality. Many companies have taken advantage of this trend and flooded the market. It’s important to know what you need to consider when choosing a cycling watch to avoid making an expensive mistake. Some of the key features that a cycling watch simply must have include:

· Water resistance – cyclists are on the road or trail in all weathers, and that means you need a watch that’s suitable to wear in all weathers. Finding a waterproof or water-resistant watch is important, otherwise, you could find that your watch is damaged the first time you’re caught in a storm.

· GPS functionality – mobile phones usually offer GPS capability, but you probably don’t want to take your phone everywhere with you when you’re cycling. A cycling watch with integrated GPS capability allows you to track your route accurately on longer rides.


Notifications – A cycling watch that shows notifications allows you to look at your messages or receive calls. You won’t need to pause to answer or check texts.

· A comfortable strap – the best cycling watches aren’t just high performance, they’re also suitable to wear every day. If you’re out on the road or trail for hours on end, you need to have a watch strap that fits comfortably. Choose a watch with a strap that is easily adjustable and easy to wear.

· A heart rate monitor – many of the top-selling cycling watches feature an integrated heart rate monitor. This allows you to continually assess your fitness throughout the day whether you’re exercising or not. It’ll also help you to keep on top of your fitness goals when you’re cycling so you can make improvements.

Read more on which features to look for in a cycling smartwatch in our guide.

Which Are The Best Cycling Watches?

There are many excellent cycling watches on the market today which offer high performance as well as style. Some of the best include:

The TomTom Spark 3 Cardio

This cycling watch from well-known brand TomTom has a simple design. It’s easy to wear and comes in a range of watch band colours to suit every outfit or mood. It’s lightweight, comfortable and easy to wear while you’re cycling. With its seven different sports modes, it’s ideal for keeping on top of your fitness stats. It features sleep tracking as well as integrated GPS and boasts an accurate integrated heart rate monitor. One top feature of this watch is its zone-based training functionality. This allows you to track whether you’re in Fat Burn, Endurance, Speed or Sprint zone. Even better, you can stream music through this watch. With 3GB of onboard storage, you’ll have room for all your favorite tunes without the need for an internet connection!

Vivoactive 3

Garmin Vivoactive 3

The Garmin brand is well-known for its high-quality fitness trackers and sports watches, and this model is no exception. Despite its bulkier design, it’s stylish and comfortable to wear. This cycling watch comes with a choice of three styles to suit your taste. It boasts plenty of sports functions and tracking features for a wide range of physical activities including cycling. It also has integrated GPS to track your cycle rides. Two other excellent features of this model are its ability to receive notifications, reply to them through your watch interface, and take your stress reading!

Should I Buy A Cycling Watch?

Are you a keen cyclist? Whether you’re an amateur or a professional, if you enjoy nothing more than working out on two wheels, a cycling watch could be ideal for you. A model with integrated GPS will help you to track your routes effectively. A heart rate monitor and other fitness tracking capabilities will help you to stay on top of your fitness level. With so many stylish models available, it’s certainly worth considering making the purchase.




Best GPS Smartwatches

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People trekking through fields below mountains

GPS smartwatches have become very popular among the running community as they not only keep you in touch but measure your stats and record your run so that you can map where you have been.

As the market has become more crowded it has become increasingly difficult to decide on which one to buy. We looked at some of the best GPS smartwatches around to help you choose one to meet your needs.

Garmin Forerunner 935

With its strong track record you’d expect Garmin to be the leader in GPS smartwatches. The Garmin Forerunner 935 does not disappoint with its long battery life and quality fitness tracker.

It’s pricey at £389.99 ($500) but if you are an avid sportsman or woman then it is worth every penny. You can monitor your fitness stats and it will even tell you how productive your regime is. The watch can track all your exercises and, as it’s waterproof, can track your swimming too.

The battery life is phenomenal and will last for 24 hours when GPS is in use or up to 60 hours when you put it into saver mode. This watch not only lasts longer, it tells you how your exercise is affecting you. A real contender!

Withings Steel HR Sport

Withings’ watches may not have the pull of the big brands but its smartwatches offer some excellent features and the Steel HR Sport is no exception. The watch boasts an incredible battery life of up to 120 hours when in GPS mode and has a design that is easy to read.

This watch is not really for the sports-mad but it does the basics well and looks good on your wrist. Some of its key features include heart rate monitoring, connected GPS and the watch links to your smartphone to give you your notifications. It can track 30 different activities and at £189.95 it is one of the more affordable GPS smartwatches on the market.

Polar Vantage V

Another pricey smartwatch – starting at £439 ($562) – but it is the perfect choice for serious athletes. Not only is it waterproof but it has a huge battery life that can support up to 40 hours of nonstop training. The GPS tracks where you have been and where you are going so that you can get feedback from your training.

The watch can track a wide range of activities and it gives you personalised feedback on how the exercise has affected your body. The watch can track your heart rate based upon the activity you are undertaking.

One minus is that the watch does not have any music capability but the strengths of this watch far outweigh this negative. Polar claims that the watch has been tested to military standards and passed. It really is a watch that can tell you everything you need to know about your own performance so that you can exercise to your full potential.

Fitbit Ionic

person wearing fitbit Ionic watch

The Fitbit brand has been around for some time and the Ionic is a smartwatch that offers built-in GPS tracking and fitness feedback.

The watch offers lots of features that will help you to understand how your body is working and responding to activity. It also allows you to listen to music if you pair it with your headphones.

The battery life is not great and the watch will need to be recharged every 10 hours or so if you are using the GPS continuously. It lasts longer if you only use the GPS to track runs or other outdoor activities.

One of its best features is that it is waterproof so there is no need to remove the watch no matter where you are or what you are doing. The Fitbit Ionic starts at £249.99 ($319) and is a great choice for keen runners and those who enjoy tracking a range of different fitness activities.

Garmin Forerunner 245 Music

This Garmin watch starts at £299.99 ($383) and boasts a music option so that you can enjoy your favourite tunes when you work out. Garmin is a pro when it comes to GPS tracking and this watch utilises all its expert knowledge and has all the features we’ve come to expect in a smartwatch.

If you want to know whether your training is working or if you are doing the right amount of exercise for optimal results then this watch can tell you. It checks your exercise history and compares it with each work out to tell you if you are being as productive as possible.

The screen is easy to read and displays your key stats clearly so you can focus on exercising. Aside from exercising, the GPS can be used to help you track your routes when out and about and the watch also offers sleep monitoring so you know how good each night’s sleep is.

Summary

There are so many options out there to choose from but we are certain that by combining GPS with the latest smartwatch then you can exercise better and track where you have been along with the type of ground you have covered and the gradient.

Garmin and Fitbit watches are designed for GPS tracking whereas the other watches offer GPS as an extra. It is always a good idea to check how long the battery life is when the GPS is in use rather than the overall time as some models’ batteries can drain quickly when GPS is in use.

Any of the ones listed here come highly recommended and we hope this helps you when choosing your new watch!