What to wear, what to wear… this question has haunted women for years, as they are getting ready for the day. However, this time we aren’t talking about clothes! The world of wearable technology has really exploded, and with so many choices available it can be really hard to decide what to wear… and really easy to get lost in the shuffle. Thankfully, yours truly has ADD when it comes to wearable technology (not to mention a Best Buy close by with an amazing return policy and a husband with even more amazing patience) and I’ve pretty much tried everything on the market. Not only have I tested several different devices, I also researched them all thoroughly prior to purchasing, and while I wouldn’t call myself an expert in the field, I would definitely consider myself relatively knowledgeable. When it comes to deciding what to wear, the choice has to encompass more than “What colour is my favourite”? Every device, although fundamentally the same in their basic offerings, offer many different features, and based on your lifestyle and what you’re hoping to accomplish by wearing a device, this will drive more than anything being successful in finding a device that works the best for you. Below are some basic breakdowns of devices as well as my findings and recommendations. For devices I’ve already written a blog about, I’ve included the links below. For those I haven’t, I’ve included descriptions! You’re looking for something you can swim with
- Garmin Family of watches (Vivosmart, Vivosmart HR, Vivoactive HR, Vivoactive, Fenix, and Tactix). Garmin is a great selection not only for swimming but for other activity tracking as well. Some devices in this family are equipped with GPS which is a pretty much must-have for any outdoor runners. Depending on which model you go with, prices can range from $199.99 all the way up to $1079.99. (And you thought the Apple Watch was pricey!)
- Pebble Family of watches (Classic, Classic Steel, Time and Time Steel). Prices range from $119.99- $299.99.
- Withings Family of watches – I feel like Withings is the “Little Engine That Could” that nobody has heard of. Withings offers several watch selections and they are completely waterproof as well. (Don’t let the pretty watch face fool you). The best thing about Withings is that there’s no charging. Watch battery simply gets replaced every 6-8 months. Prices for Withings range from $169.99 - $599.99.
- Misfit Family of fitness trackers –Prices for Misfit range from $34.99 - $99.99.
OK, so you don’t need to swim… but being able to shower with it on would be nice! In addition to the above:
- Jawbone Family of Fitness Trackers – Prices for Jawbone range anywhere from $59.99 - $199.99
- Tom Tom Family of Fitness trackers – Admittedly, TomTom is not a device that I have tried before… however, they can be worn in the shower! Prices range from $199.99 - $299.99 (incidentally… that’s why I haven’t tried it!)
You’re looking for a Community For some, having your circle of friends and family helping and cheering you along the way is a must have to reach your fitness goals. For this section, truly there is a king and most do not come close; the king is FitBit.
- FitBit Family of fitness trackers –Prices for FitBit range from $69.99 - $329.99.
- Striiv Family of fitness trackers –Prices for this range from $39.97 - $119.99 so it definitely falls into the more affordable range for a wearable with smart watch capabilities.
You want to track your food intake
- FitBit Family of fitness trackers
- Misfit Family of fitness trackers
- Jawbone family of fitness trackers
*Note – Most wearable devices have integration with MyFitnessPal, so if you don’t mind having a second app for food tracking, this is a good alternative. You want a heart-rate monitor
- Fitbit Charge HR, Surge, and Blaze
- Garmin Family of watches (Vivosmart HR, Vivoactive HR, Fenix, and Tactix).
- Striiv Fusion Bio
- Tom Tom Family of Fitness trackers
- Jawbone UP3
You want to get smartphone notifications
- Pebble Family of watches
- Striiv Family of fitness trackers
- Garmin Family of watches (Vivosmart, Vivosmart HR, Vivoactive HR, Vivoactive, Fenix, and Tactix)
- Misfit Shine 2 or Misfit Ray – You won’t see the notifications on your wrist, but it will alert you when a call or a text has come in
- FitBit Charge HR, Blaze, Surge or Alta – Notifications limited to either just calling, or calling and text
You don’t want to mess with having to charge a device
- Misfit Family of fitness trackers
- Jawbone UP (the first release)
- FitBit One
- Withings Family of watches
You want to do some serious training and fitness tracking… like, big league training
- FitBit Blaze or FitBit Surge
- TomTom family of fitness trackers
- Garmin Vivoactive, Approach, Fenix, Forerunner or Tactix
Now that you know what to wear, get out there and get steppin’!
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
Source Url: http://gobelmont.ca/what-to-wear/