Sports watches, also known as “pulse watches” and “fitness trackers” have come into widespread use in the Us and around the world over the past ten years.
This is part of the broad trend of gadgets that collect and display data about our bodies and environment(wearables), a trend that is expected to expand and grow over the next few years.
In general, a smart sports watch can be characterized as a watch that collects the data of some of the main metrics in our body when exercising, such as the pulse, the number of steps we take, the speed, the number of calories we burn, etc.
For those who sport watches are new for them and would like to explore the various options available on the market, here are some of the most important and basic parameters to consider when choosing your first sport watch.
Main Things To Look For In A Sport Watch
Functions – Of course, different models of sports watches differ in the type and amount of functions they can perform.
While each smartwatch will show you the time and offer basic functions like a stopwatch, etc., when it comes to monitoring body actions there is a greater difference between the different models.
The basic models measure the pulse and not much beyond that. More elaborate models also measure calorie-burn rate, number of steps, speed, etc., with the most elaborate models even including a built-in GPS, memory storage and the ability to compare your performance in various workouts. <br>Some also include a SIM card, Vo2 Max sensor, a Barometer, an Oximeter, an ECG sensor, and new amazing features that are constantly being added to these marvelous gadgets.
If you are only amateur athletes and do not need a smartwatch for a defined and professional training program, the more basic models will suffice.
Price – The price range of these watches ranges from a few dozen dollars to about 700 dollars and even more, depending of course on the type and number of functions offered by the model. Here, too, the decision has to take into account your real needs – for most people the first sports watch can be the simpler, basic and cheaper models.
Battery time – Within the watch’s technical characteristics, battery life is one of the key ones. Here it is important to find out if it is a rechargeable battery (most sports watches and smartwatches, in general, come with a rechargeable battery) and it is important to understand that battery life depends on the type of operation we want to take.
Certain watches monitor certain metrics in our body 24 hours a day, and not just while exercising. However, this does not necessarily mean that their battery time will be shorter – monitoring some metrics requires very little energy, while other functions such as a GPS are Much less economical.
Water Resistance – Not every sports watch is necessary water-resistant</strong>, and some are resistant to different levels (splash and moisture resistance, full resistance, water entry, etc.). If you are planning to wear the watch while swimming, it is important to make sure that you purchase a watch that is completely water-resistant, and it is also important to know how deep you can dive with it.
Memory – Different watches differ in their memory. Wider memory is especially important for those who plan to exercise according to a defined training program, which also requires monitoring of individual progress from training to training.<br>Memory storage is great when you want to want to save your music inside the watch. That way you can go for a run while hearing your favorite music without the need to carry your phone with you.
The app – The watch you wear on your hand is only half the point. Your final experience of the watch you purchased will also be greatly influenced by the app that accompanies it. Your watch may be the most wonderful and elaborate watch in the world, but if the app that accompanies it is bad and frustrating in terms of its experience – you won’t be happy. In the end, a good fitness watch app should give you the information the watch gathers well, and also give you insights and suggestions for improving your fitness and lifestyle – such as ensuring adequate sleep hours.
And one last thing that is important to note is connectivity. Good apps know how to interact with other fitness apps like Runtastic or Map My Fitness and share information collected from the watch with them. Equally important, the app needs to know how to “talk” and connect to your smartphone’s fitness platform, be it Google Fit or Apple Health and pass on information to it. So notice that it is capable of that too.
Unlike the watch, in some cases you can get impressed with the app simply by downloading it and using it even before you buy the watch (some apps will require a pairing of a watch before you can get to try it out), or at least try to be impressed with its screenshots at the app store in the worst case, and see if it looks good, convenient and accessible.
In Conclusion
Sports watches are now capable of performing a wide range of impressive monitoring activities, which can significantly improve the effectiveness of our sports training. It is important to make sure exactly what are the specific features of the watch we are considering buying and whether they fit our needs and the type of training we are doing.<br>The difference between the watches is like the difference between an average car and a Mercedes – both of which will bring you to your destination, the differences are in the features. If you are just looking for a watch that will give you a general idea of ??the number of steps you take during the day and how many hours you sleep at night, a simple fitness bracelet will do the job, even though there are no surprises – the sensors are necessarily cheaper and simpler and sometimes they fake the steps, between a few steps and a few hundred a day. This article was written by Eddie from Weartotrack.com.
