Get Fit and Look Stylish With the Best Fitness Watches 2023
Using a fitness watch to track your progress can have numerous benefits. It can help you set and achieve fitness goals, monitor your heart rate and daily activity levels, and even remind you to move and stay active throughout the day. Additionally, many fitness watches come with built-in GPS, allowing you to track your distance, speed, and route during outdoor activities like running or cycling. A fitness watch can help you achieve your fitness goals and improve your overall health and well-being by keeping track of your progress and staying motivated.
Fitbit Charge 5
Fitbit has given its most basic tracker a significant facelift for the Charge 5, elevating it to a spot closer to a full-blown smartwatch. The resulting product is comfortable to wear, attractive and full of wellness features accessible via the brand's user-friendly app.
A large colour AMOLED display replaces the previous model's monochrome screen and looks impressive even in bright sunlight. Fitbit has also added an ECG feature to this model that is only available on its more advanced Sense smartwatches and a daily "Readiness" score that assesses your health.
The Charge 5 does an excellent job of tracking exercise, offering 20 different workout modes and automatically syncing activity to third-party fitness apps such as TrainingPeaks. However, it doesn't provide the detailed metrics you'd get from a multisport watch like the Garmin Fenix and does not support offline music playback or mobile payments. However, it has a battery that lasts about a week or a month on a single charge, which is much better than most other trackers manage. If you're considering purchasing the Charge 5 or any other fitness-related products, explore our exclusive Gem and Harmony Coupon Codes for special discounts and deals to make your purchase even more budget-friendly.
Garmin Vivoactive 3
Garmin may have a reputation for fitness tech first, but it is also a strong smartwatch brand. This Vivoactive 3 exemplifies this, with smart notifications, an on-board payment system called Garmin Pay, and sleep and real-time stress tracking. It can even connect to ANT+ and Bluetooth HR straps and speed and cadence sensors, although its power meter support is less advanced than some competitors.
The main selling point here is its excellent GPS tracking, which uses GPS and GLONASS to get a very accurate reading on the map. The data you see on-screen during a workout includes distance, pace and heart rate, but you'll get more detailed information in the Garmin Connect app after the fact, including your average speed for each mile and a map of your route. The Vivoactive 3 also has an excellent, clear display that's easy to read on any screen. The round-faced design departs from some of Garmin's other models, but it looks great and feels comfortable on the wrist.
Apple Watch Series 8
As the most popular smartwatch on the market, it's no surprise to find Apple's latest model in this list. Its rounded design and slim profile make it one of the most comfortable fitness trackers for extended periods.
There aren't a lot of new hardware changes for the Series 8, but there's been an overhaul on the software side. For instance, you can now see more page stats on the screen while tracking your workout compared to pre-Series 7 models.
Another addition is using a temperature sensor that improves ovulation monitoring for women and offers retroactive ovulation estimation. There's also an enhanced gyroscope that detects high-g movements and triggers incident detection mode that can alert emergency contacts or call 911 if you fall off your bike or get in a car accident. This feature is only available for iPhone users and can't be used independently of the app.
Garmin Vivosport
Garmin's Vivosport is a full-featured GPS running watch tucked into a slim fitness band. It packs GPS, a barometric altimeter, an elevated optical heart rate monitor, Bluetooth, and ANT+ support into a surprisingly comfortable and lightweight package. It's perfect for runners, with detailed tracking of pace, distance and route mapping. It also has more extensive workout modes than other trackers, including a yoga mode that automatically logs reps and sets. It also estimates VO2 max, a valuable indicator of aerobic performance generally reserved for higher-end Garmin watches such as the Fenix and Polar X.
The Vivosport's display is "always on" and colour, making it more aesthetically pleasing than the monochrome displays on Fitbit trackers like the Inspire and Charge 4. But the light-loving screen can take a while to kick in dim rooms, and it doesn't have the high-contrast pop of OLED. Nevertheless, it's much better at 24/7 resting heart rate monitoring than the latest slim fitness bands and features Pulse Ox to gauge oxygen saturation during sleep (although it stops short of diagnosing sleep conditions such as apnea). Push notifications from your phone are displayed on the Vivosport, and it can be used as a music player for workouts with an external speaker. If you're in the market for fitness trackers or looking to upgrade your wearable tech, remember to check out our exclusive Jewelry & Watches Promo Codes for fantastic discounts on stylish and functional accessories to enhance your fitness journey.
Polar V800
If you're serious about your sport and training, then the V800 is a must-have device. It has every training mode you could want and a handy feature for triathletes - a recovery monitor that deduces your readiness to train by running a test on the watch first thing in the morning (known as an orthostatic test).
The GPS is quick to find/lock onto satellites, so you can start your workout within minutes of leaving home. It's also one of the lightest GPS devices on the market.
Polar took a step forward with this model by making it the first high-end multisport GPS device to double as an activity monitor - tracking not just exercise but all of your daily activity 24/7. It'll track everything from your walk to Kentucky Fried Chicken and mid-afternoon siesta. You can even set daily activity goals for the watch to remind you to get moving. It also monitors your 'life load' by measuring your effort level and monitoring your recovery through an orthostatic test.
Fitbit Sense 2
The Fitbit Sense 2 is a fitness tracker that looks good, offers plenty of health metrics and has an impressive battery life. It's an excellent option if you want to stay active but need more time to be ready to pay for the whole experience of an Apple Watch or Garmin Vivoactive 3. Based on workout presets, it does basic tracking like step counting, heart rate monitoring, and activity tracking. It also encourages healthy habits with its Active Zone Minutes feature, which reminds you to spend time in the fat-burn, cardio or peak heart-rate zones and helps you reach AHA and WHO recommendations for 150 active zone minutes per week. The Sense 2 adds new stress tracking that uses a cEDA sensor to watch for changes in heart rate, skin temperature and sweat to identify "body responses" that can indicate stress. It then prompts you to do something to release tension, such as breathing exercises or meditation.
The Sense 2's software has been revamped, which makes it look more like the Pixel Watch from Google, its parent company. This includes a swipe to see notifications, which display nicely on the Sense's good-size screen and a tap to access a more expanded version of the app menu.
Coros Apex 2
The Apex 2 is a multisport athlete's dream. It has in-depth tracking support for various activities and is light enough to be worn all day. It also consistently adds new workout modes like snowboarding and gym cardio.
The design is also a standout. It comes with a swappable nylon strap (not a plastic one that you must stretch to get a good fit like Garmin's cheaper watches) and has fixed buttons on one side rather than two on the side, making it much easier to press with gloves.
The watch has a lot of internal hardware, including complete GPS, an always-on heart rate sensor and a barometric altimeter. It's also got the kind of training load metrics you might expect from a higher-end running watch, like a "training readiness" index that tells you how ready your body is for hard work. It even has the hardware to do ECG readings, but this feature typically needs a health certificate for medical purposes.
Sony Smartwatch 3
While the SmartWatch 3 is hardly the most attractive wearable you'll ever see, it does have its strengths. It's the first Android Wear device with built-in GPS, an ideal feature for runners who want to track their route and distance without carrying their phone.
The SmartWatch 3 also has many other impressive features like continuous heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking and workout modes for running, cycling and swimming. It's also the only wearable on this list with an ECG monitor, which can be a life-saving tool for those with cardiac problems.
It may be pricey, but the Oura Ring is worth it if you spend a little extra on a wearable that checks all the boxes for a stylish fitness tracker. It looks more like a ring than most other trackers but has a hidden display showing key stats when you tilt your wrist upwards. It also has a fantastic battery life of two weeks to a month.
Conclusion
The best fitness watches 2023 offer a wide range of features that can help you achieve your fitness goals and look stylish. From heart rate monitoring to sleep tracking, these watches can provide valuable insights into your health and fitness. With so many great options available, there's never been a better time to invest in a fitness watch and take your workouts to the next level.
