How to find the best smart watch or fitness tracker

Choosing a new smart watch or fitness tracker can be both exciting and overwhelming. After all, there are smart watches for kids, women and men made by Samsung, Apple, Garmin, Kogan and so many other brands. Whether you're new to the world of smart wearables, or you want to find a waterproof smart watch or cheap fitness tracker, the information below can help point you in the right direction.

Should I get a smart watch or a fitness tracker?

Smart watches and fitness trackers are both wearable devices that strap onto your wrist. Fitness trackers mainly keep track of a user’s activity while the device is worn. While smart watches can also track activity, they perform a more diverse range of functions than a fitness tracker.

In a nutshell, a smart watch should be your preferred pick if accessing smartphone-type apps and features on your watch appeals to you.

Put a fitness tracker on your horizons if your main priority is tracking health and fitness stats. If you’re attending a personal training program or a fitness bootcamp, an activity tracker is a good way to track your results as you progress.

Thanks to the popularity of both types of wearables, you might not have to choose between them at all, as there are several crossover models of smart watch and fitness tracker available.

Hybrid models are more expensive, but if you have the money and will genuinely use the features they offer regularly, they can conveniently condense what you need into a single, wrist-sized smart device.

If you know you'd use one type more than the other, there are more affordable smart watches, as well as good cheap fitness trackers.

Smart Watches at a quick glance

Smartwatches are similar to a mini smartphone on your wrist. They're often linked with a well-known brand, e.g. Samsung and Apple (Apple's Series 5 Smart Watch is pictured, left).

The main hook of smartwatches is that they’re convenient. Displaying detailed data, they let you navigate apps without having to fish your smartphone out of your pocket.

A smartwatch can be a handy substitute to your phone when the larger device is tricky to handle. For example, if you don't have pockets to house your phone, or your hands are full taking care of kids, a smart watch can let you make digital payments or calls.

Smart watches usually connect to the internet by syncing to your smartphone via Bluetooth. More expensive models can function independently using mobile data plans and SIM cards, or Wi-Fi.

Smart Watch Pros and Cons

Are fitness trackers worth it?

While regular exercise is ideally the best way to keep fit, the hectic pace of modern life means that sometimes workout plans fall through. A fitness tracker can be a good way to measure daily activity, even if this involves climbing a few flights of stairs or walking to and from the train station. It can provide the boost of motivation you need to slowly increase your exercise regimen.

On the flipside, while seeing your stats improve as you progress through your fitness plan should theoretically be positive and helpful, sometimes it can be distracting or even stressful.

Remember to invest in a device offering a majority of features you’ll actually use, and keep in mind that raw data is objective. It doesn’t measure the psychological effort it takes to exercise after a long period of time. Sometimes the proof of success can be found in making the effort to show up and take care of your body and mind by exercising.

Fitness trackers at a quick glance

While this guide focuses on wearable fitness trackers that look like wristwatches, fitness tracking devices also include titanium motiv rings and basic trackers that clip onto clothes.

A wearable fitness tracker monitors your health using various functions. It will store and report data related to your activity and workouts on its screen. Some models let you connect your tracker either to your smartphone via Bluetooth, or directly to your computer via syncing. These let you view stats on other devices.

Even a cheap tracker will count your daily steps, as well as monitor your sleep patterns and sometimes, calorie intake and heart rate.

Keep an eye out for fitness tracker reviews that praise data accuracy, comfort level on the wrist, and user-friendliness, since you'll be using your fitness tracker on-the-go.

Fitness Tracker Pros and Cons

Smart watch and fitness tracker features

Multiple models of both smart watches and fitness trackers are equipped with the features below. Choose the ones that best suit your lifestyle and purposes.

Appearance and design: Digital or analogue - Smart watches and fitness trackers are fitted with a large, interactive screen and a digital display, or an analogue operation, for a more traditional watch design.

You can either access smart displays on a changing ‘second screen,’ for example using a rotating bezel such as the one on the Samsung Galaxy Watch 42mm Bluetooth. Other analogue models integrate their smart features onto the one screen, for example the Garmin vivomove® HR (pictured, right). Other models yet will show their data via a smartphone app.

Smart jewellery - These fashion-forward wearables are faceless, making them look more like bracelets than watches. The data is transferred to smartphone apps, somewhat mitigating the functionality of a smartwatch and making them less convenient.

Removable wrist bands - If you like matching your watch with your outfit or occasion, more premium models can come with the option of purchasing bands with different colours like black or pink. The same versatility applies to watch materials, such as stainless steel or plastic.

• Activity reminder: Alerts you when you haven’t moved for a while.
• Alarms: Can make audible sounds, or silently vibrate against your wrist. This can be particularly useful if you need to wake, but don't want to disturb anyone still sleeping.
• Altimeter: Takes into account any height changes that increase the degree of difficulty while exercising. For example, if you’re running or walking up a flight of stairs, the altimetre will adjust the results according to the increased effort you expend.
• Battery life: There are two options; rechargeable USB batteries that last for a couple of days, or five days on more premium models, or replaceable batteries that can last from six months to a year.
• Bluetooth: Make sure your phone is equipped with at least Bluetooth 4, for it to be Bluetooth-compatible with your new smartwatch.
• Calorie counter: Records your calorie intake, and can show the number of calories lost depending on the steps you’ve taken in a given day.
• Display and screen size: Some models, with their larger screens and easy-to-navigate, interactive visual displays, make it easier to view instant stats. LCD, OLED and AMOLED screens are available.
• Distance counter: Measures the distance you’ve travelled, based on how many steps you’ve taken. This feature is made more accurate by a GPS function.
• Food tracker: Lets you record foods eaten throughout your day.
• GPS-enabled tracking: More accurately tracks the distance you’ve covered and your speed, based on your locations. An exercise recognition function detects your form of exercise, as well as suggested routes you can follow.
• Heart rate monitor: Helps you monitor the level of effort exerted during exercise. Some models will remind you to take mindful breaths from time to time.
• Milestones: Remind you to reward yourself when you’ve reached a milestone, e.g. 10, 000 steps.
• OS (Operating System): Check that your smart watch or fitness tracker is compatible with your smartphone, for example, Apple smart watches will only pair with iPhones, and Galaxy smart watches can also be selective.
• Price: Smart watches cost between $50-$5000, but you can get an affordable model for up to $500. As a point of reference, the Apple Watch Series 5 costs $649 (Fun fact: the most expensive smart watch is the TAG Heuer Connected Modular at $US180,000!)
• Session tracker: Calculates the number of calories burned in an exercise session.
• Sleep tracking: Measures your level of activity (i.e. lack of restfulness) as you sleep. Most fitness trackers are equipped with this feature, though some need you to wear the band and switch on sleep mode before you sleep.
• Step counter: This is similar to an included pedometer, and also allows you to enter your height and weight for higher accuracy.
• Speaker: this is particularly useful if your smart watch is equipped with a voice assistant, or if you prefer to take calls on speaker.
• Voice assistant: such as Google Assistant can provide you with hands-free information while on the go.
• Voice coach: is a smart watch or fitness tracker’s answer to a personal trainer, offering motivation as well as workout info such as distance travelled and heart rate.
• Water-resistance: The level of water-resistance depends on the model, and ‘sweat-proof’ is the basic minimum required. There are water-resistant models range from being only splash-proof to being safe to wear in the shower. Waterproof smart watches can be worn while swimming to 50m.

We hope this guide has helped you decide whether a smart watch or fitness band can help make your life and exercise goals easier. For related accessories that could also help, you can also browse our reviews of wireless headphones and smart phones.