When it comes to wearable tech for your wrist, there are two main categories. Smartwatches and fitness trackers. The line between the two can sometimes be a bit blurry though. Let’s check out what each one does…
What is a fitness tracker?
Confused about fitness trackers? They come in all shapes and sizes. Most are lightweight and slim, in either a bracelet or wristband design. Their main function is to monitor your health. Using different sensors, they can track everything from movement to your heart rate.
Some of their most common features are:
Track your daily step count (that’ll get you off the sofa)
Sleep pattern monitoring to help you get better quality zzzzzzs
Distance tracking – from running, to walking and cycling
Notifications from your phone. Think messages, calls and emails
Fitness trackers generally have a smaller display than a standard watch face. But most have touch-screen controls – making them super easy to navigate. Their stripped back design makes them comfortable to wear all day, every day.
They’ll usually come with a dedicated app for your phone as well. This displays all your fitness stats in handy graphs and charts. So you can easily check your progress when you’re out and about.
Why not try… the Fitbit Charge 6
The Fitbit Charge 6 is a great choice if you’re starting to get serious about fitness and well-being. It’s packed with smart features, like the Daily Readiness score available to Fitbit Premium subscribers.
This is based on your heart rate, sleep and physical activity. Every morning, this score lets you know whether you need to rest or get up and go. You’ll also get a personalised goal to complete. This gives you something to aim for every single day. As you get fitter, your scores and daily goals will change to reflect that.
What is a smartwatch?
Smartwatches share a lot of the same functions as a fitness tracker. But you can do even more amazing things with them.
A smartwatch is an extension of your smartphone. So communication is an important part of them. Just like fitness trackers, there’s a huge range available.
You can do things like:
Send texts straight from your watch
Browse the internet
Make contactless payments
Store music and connect to your headphones with Bluetooth
What about sports watches?
Sports watches (or running watches) offer more specialised features. These are usually based around swimming, cycling, and running. The best sports watches come with advanced GPS mapping to keep you on the right track. And they’ll have a large display so you can see all your key stats at a glance.
Why not try… the Garmin Venu 3S
The Garmin Venu 3S is an easy-to-use sports watch that’s like having a personal trainer on your wrist. Each day, it tracks the number of calories you’ve burnt and your daily step count. ‘Body Battery’ then suggests the best time to work out and the best time to put your feet up. It’s done by measuring your blood oxygen, hydration, sleep, respiration and more.
And however you like to work out, the Venu 3S has an app for you. In fact, it comes pre-loaded with more than 30 indoor or GPS sports app. So you can track useful stats across any kind of fitness – whether you’re hiking, running, doing yoga, or scaling a climbing wall.
Differences between smartwatches and fitness trackers
Features and functions compared
Fitness trackers and smartwatches both offer a wide range of features. Fitness trackers focus on health monitoring, with precise tracking of steps, heart rate, and sleep patterns, ideal for fitness enthusiasts.
On the other hand, smartwatches usually offer fitness tracking alongside other smart features designed to make your life easier, including notifications, music playback, app support, and even mobile payments.
Your choice of styles
Fitness trackers usually prioritise functionality over style, with simpler designs that focus on tracking health metrics like steps, heart rate, and sleep.
Smartwatches, on the other hand, often come with more stylish and eye-catching designs that can easily be customised to match your style. From classic designs resembling traditional watches to fun and funky faces and straps, the choice is yours.
Price comparison
Prices for fitness trackers typically starts at around £20 to £50. For that money, you’ll get a basic model offering essential features such as step counting and calorie tracking. Mid-range options, priced between £50 to £150, offer additional features like heart rate monitoring, GPS tracking, and basic smartphone notifications. At an even higher price point, premium fitness trackers will give you even more advanced health tracking, along with design features such as dust and water resistance.
Good smartwatches start at around £100 to £200 and include features like notifications, music control, and fitness tracking. Mid-range to premium smartwatches (priced £200 and upwards) will be made from premium materials and offer you more advanced features like customisable watch faces, onboard music storage and built-in NFC for contactless payments.
Why you should buy a fitness tracker…
If you’re thinking of getting into fitness and want something to keep you on track without breaking the bank, a fitness tracker could be exactly what you need. They're usually cheaper than smartwatches and have killer battery life, which means less time fussing over charging and more time working out! If you’re a beginner, fitness trackers have all the basic features you need to get started, without overwhelming you with a bunch of complicated features you might not even use.
Why you should buy a smartwatch…
A smartwatch offers you more than mere fitness tracking - it keeps you connected without needing your phone nearby. So you can make calls, receive notifications, and even respond to messages on the fly. Plus, smart features like voice assistants and music playback make smartwatches the perfect companion when you’re on the go or at the gym.
Need more help?
There are lots of amazing fitness trackers and smartwatches out there, including Samsung smartwatches, Apple Watches, Fitbit fitness trackers and Garmin fitness trackers. If you’re still not sure which wearable to buy, check out our smartwatch and fitness buying guide or pop in-store and chat to a colleague. They’ll help you compare smartwatches and fitness trackers and answer all your questions.
