It can be understandably confusing for a newbie, ill-acquainted with the kingdom of tech gadgets and its numerous phyla (some overlapping and some painfully selective), to hunt down the most suitable gadget for himself for the price he can pay.
Hence, it is quite rewarding for us tech watchdogs to break down each discrete category at the ground level and sort out the best products within it as per their prices. Here we pick up one particular segment of Fitness trackers, the smartwatches that offer value for money — that being under USD 300.
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Best smartwatches for fitness tracking
There really isn’t much difference between GPS watches and other fitness bands and smartwatches, but GPS watches far outperform their counterparts in tracking and analyzing all activities that cover geographic distance activities like running, hiking, swimming, cycling etc.
So fitness smartwatches are the best bet for people that regularly indulge in indoor and outdoor activities in pursuit of their fitness goals. Here are some of the best fitness smartwatches you can buy right now.
1. Garmin Forerunner 35
Garmin Forerunner 35 is the most affordable GPS running watch Garmin has ever made, and the most affordable GPS watch on our list. This watch has a fantastically precise GPS tracking function (especially for its price) and hence has no competitors in its price range.
While Forerunner 35 runs magnificently on land, it does not level up under water. It, unfortunately, cannot track swimming.
Buy at Amazon: Garmin Forerunner 35 ($129)
2. Suunto Spartan Trainer Wrist HR
Suunto Spartan Trainer is arguably the best GPS watch in the 200$ segment. It works accurately for all GPS-related functions, and the pickup of the GPS signal is prompt as well. GPS quality is adjustable enough to work in one of 3 modes (Best, Good, Okay) to cope with the fact that GPS usage is heavy on the battery.
GPS tracking in water is just as precise as on land.
Buy at Amazon: Suunto Spartan Trainer Wrist HR ($230)
3. Coros PACE
GPS is one of the 5 sensors in Coros PACE, and their performance is (almost) at par with one another. As far as its GPS performance is concerned, Coros Pace works really well. Not only can the watch pick up the GPS signal on a cloudy day as quickly as on sunny ones, but also keep its tracking accurate to 99%.
The downside, however, is that at a minuscule level, the Coros PACE begins to falter in terms of accurate mapping and recording of distances.
Buy at Amazon: Coros PACE ($299)
4. Fitbit Ionic
Fitbit Ionic is one of Fitbit’s most stellar products ever. Along with its impressive battery life and features such as the ability to make cashless payments, Fitbit Ionic is one of the strongest competitors of Apple Smartwatch and performs better than it in many areas. Ionic’s GPS accuracy is on point and at par with other watches on this list.
For tracking swimming, Fitbit Ionic is not the best choice, as its accuracy is quite subpar.
Buy at Amazon: Fitbit Ionic ($235)
5. Garmin Forerunner 645
Finally, we have the Garmin Forerunner 645. Of course, there are more expensive GPS watches around, but with this watch, you will get the full range of features and the top-class functionality that is present in any fitness band of repute. Forerunner 645 is beautiful to look at, comfortable to wear for long periods of time and extremely customizable.
Needless to say, the GPS accuracy is virtually flawless.
Buy at Amazon: Garmin Forerunner 645 standard ($349) | With Music ($399)
Whatever your price range, there is an ably built GPS equipped fitness band just right for you.
What are your thoughts on these watches? Which one do you prefer, and for what reasons? Tell us in the comment section below.
