The other day: “Try getting on your feet. (Not now)”
I just started into a slightly sportier phase from my general default as a couch potatoe. For that, I got a reasonably priced Samsung Active 2. And I have to say: it’s impressive how these little machines advanced over the past couple of years! Especially wearing a more feature focused watch works better for me than having a general all purpose smart watch which seems to usually center around notifications which I turn off usually, anyways. Now, I can even get behind getting nagged to get up and move around every so often. What are your experiences? Do you wear smart watches, fitness watches or fitness bands? How do you feel about them?
I use a Garmin Instinct Solar now. Had a few Android Wear watches and Fitbits, but they weren’t tough enough for biking, and the touchscreens are useless when wearing gloves - I need big buttons.
Does everything I need, GPS, basic mapping, good battery life (weeks rather than days), all the health stuff including Pulse Ox plus loads of useful outdoorsy stuff like sunrise/sunset, storm warnings, compass.
Interested to see what Google/Fitbit/Samsung come up with though.
My first watch was a Polar cycling watch and heart monitoring strap that I used for a few years for training purposes; it was invaluable for tracking my HR zones while on the road. I didn’t use it for much else.
I tried a Fitbit for a year or so and used it for basic step tracking, and it was generally fine for keeping an eye on trends (i.e. was I generally walking more or less than usual) but I wasn’t using it for training (e.g. tracking specific distance and time for training runs). I got bored with it and it is collecting dust somewhere.
From there I moved to a Microsoft Band, then a Band 2 (I was a Lumia user for a few years (920, 1020, 830, 930)) and at that point I was using it more as a smartwatch than a fitness watch. Primarily it meant I could limit the number of times I had to pull out my phone because I could see who was calling and I could see and reply to text messages. I did also use it to keep an eye on activity but less often.
I went watch-free for two years while I was using a Nexus 5X, then after switching back to iPhone I got an Apple Watch 4, which I use still use daily for keeping an eye on basic activity; for tracking hiking, biking and running when I’ve been in a more active mood; daily for sleep tracking. The biggest use is daily for “smartwatch” stuff (messaging, phone calls, reminders, weather, time, using Siri, etc.). I charge every day between dinner and bedtime while we get the kids ready for bed.
If AT&T didn’t want $10 per month I’d be interested in a cellular model so I could leave my phone at home when I go to the park or go biking. I could play music or podcasts from the watch to my AirPods, and I’d be reachable in case of emergency or as needed. In some ways it would almost be like a return to a feature phone because there’s no web, no games, no social media, etc.
That is the problem I have with the Apple Watch and WearOS. If I can charge it for an hour once a week, fine. But charging it for an hour a day? Forget it.
The Huawei could even go for a month between charges, if you just used it for fitness tracking.
I put on my Apple Watch every day at 6:30 AM, 7 days a week and head for the gym for my 1 hour workout and swim. I wear it all day and take it off when I go to bed at 10-11PM and drop it on the charger! Its an LTE model so when I’m running around the house or town during the day I can take calls on it…when I’m out I keep one AirPod in to take and make calls
I jogged almost everyday for 15 years in what I would argue was the most beautiful running country anywhere, and used a Polar heart monitor with chest strap for a very short while (usually a week of so every few years late in the game). I ran because I loved the feeling when I finished the run, and for the total stress relief. So, what I found is after using the watch for a couple of days at a time, I really didn’t care what the data showed. It was always the same.
Funny thing was where I worked and ran, I was not allowed to take the watch or chest band into the building. Nothing wireless or with accessible memory was permitted.
And, another guy who ran at the same time as me would put on a black plastic rubbish bag under his running shirt. Then, every evening, he partook in a bunch of beers.
Yeah, the daily recharge is something you have to live with. A decade of daily smartphone recharging has habituated me to the ritual. I actually have more difficulty now with irregular charging intervals, where the period varies significantly depending on usage— either give me a daily or a weekly charge.
My first and only smartwatch so far is the Fitbit Ionic. I would, however, really like to see what comes of the new smartwatch partnerships Google announced. If there will be something with fitness coaching, payments, apps, Google Assistant integration, and good battery life, that would be my ideal.
I’m a Whoop subscriber, I dig their product and platform. I’m not a watch wearer. Tried a few smartwatches but always ended up leaving them behind. I have a certain admiration for Whoop’s resistance to add features to the hardware (NFC payment, display, etc). Plenty of products out there that will do these things better.
It’s 100% helped me maintain and improve my fitness. It’s also really neat to watch the way external factors affect my recovery levels. Air travel is not friendly to me!
I have a Apple watch and it motivates me to keep moving, which I think is important as I approach my mid 60’s. Definitely have to have a recharge plan, mind is while I shower and just before bedtime.
Yeah, I take mine off and drop it on the charger on my bed table when I go to bed, then put it on at 6:30 when I get up. Lasts all day and I usually have between 30-35% charge left when I go to bed at 10-11
