Decide your goals. If you just want the basics like steps, sleep and resting heart rate – something to encourage you to move more – a budget-friendly tracker may be enough. Runners, cyclists, swimmers and gym goers optimising their training will need GPS, a reliable optical heart rate sensor and a wider suite of training, coaching and recovery insights.
Battery life varies a lot. Some smartwatches, like the Apple Watch, only last a few days, while other sport watches can go for a month on a single charge.
To unlock the best health insights, you need something light and well-fitting that you’ll want to wear twenty-four seven. If you don’t need a screen, you can always opt for a more subtle smart ring. If you need a display, and you want the brightest, go for AMOLED (a type of screen where each pixel lights up by itself).
Also consider extras like offline music, contactless payments, safety tools and whether you like the partner apps. My top tip: you can download most partner apps for free to take a look before you buy.
