Smartwatches are possibly essential to any healthy woman’s life. They track your steps (gotta hit that 10K a day), measure your sleep and feed you detailed info about your workouts.
The science backs up smartwatches, too. They’re viable tools that can give healthcare providers robust data about a person’s health. And with tracking abilities that sync your data to your menstrual cycle, you can tailor your workouts to whichever phase you’re in.
The benefits of smartwatches, according to science
According to John Hopkins Medicine, trackers encourage more movement and are also clutch at helping you take more steps. And more movement is vital for various health markers, from keeping weight at a healthy range to warding off cardiovascular disease. Studies show that smartwatches can even help in the self-management of epilepsy, diabetes, speech therapy monitoring and even CPR training. Yep!
Then there’s the extensive review published in The Lancet. It found that “activity trackers improved physical activity, body composition, and fitness, equating to approximately 1800 extra steps per day, 40 min per day more walking, and reductions of approximately 1 kg in body weight.” That’s huge.
Your smartwatch doesn’t even have to be the most expensive on the market for you to get the benefits. At its most basic form, reminders to move more are effective and can help move the needle towards healthier habits. And heart rate monitors offer tons of insights, like when you’re in a heart rate zone that’s too high or low. We’ve rounded up some of the best fitness trackers, each with their own set of unique skills. Here, the fitness watches that elevate your health and fitness.
The best smartwatches for health and fitness
For the serious adventurers
Suunto 9 Peak Pro
Specifications
- Size: 43 x 43 x 10,8 mm, 64g
- GPS: Yes
- Heart rate monitor: Yes
- Water resistance: 100m waterproof
- Swim tracking: Yes
- Mobile payments: No
- Phone call: No
Don’t be intimidated by the size of the watch face. This tracker is lightweight and packs a punch. Choose from over 95 sports modes, including trail running, mountain biking and even snorkelling. There’s a built-in GPS with navigation capabilities when you’re off on a run or trekking the wilderness. Plus, they’re made using renewable energy, with a low carbon footprint and a long lifespan that compensates for their very existence.
Garmin Enduro 2
Specifications:
- Size: 51 x 51 x 15.6mm, 70g
- GPS: Yes
- Heart rate monitor: Yes
- Water resistance: Yes, 10 ATM rating
- Swim tracking: Yes
- Mobile payments: Yes
- Phone calls: Yes
Rough and ready for anything, this watch does it all. Run to the ends of the earth and still have enough power, since this watch also has solar charging capabilities. Built-in navigation helps you figure out which way you need to be. It even works out your metrics to help you with training – and suggests a pace that’ll get you over the finish line in style. That’s not all. Trend data shows how your training is having an impact over time.
For the wellness queen
Fitbit Sense 2
Specifications:
- Size: 38 x 38 x 11.43mm
- GPS: Yes
- Heart rate monitor: Yes
- Water resistance: 50m
- Swim tracking: Yes
- Mobile payments: Yes
- Phone calls: Yes
Wellness girlies love this watch. Get all-day stress management (and reminders to do some meditation and breathing exercises) and a stress score. Menstrual tracking is part of the package, as is a personalised sleep profile, with daily sleep feedback. A health metrics dashboard gives detailed data about your heart rate, skin temp and SpO2. It’ll even give you a Daily Readiness Score, something that takes all metrics available and lets you know what kind of workout you should hit that day, depending on what your body is ready for.
Garmin Lily
Specifications:
- Size: 34.50 x 34.50 x 10.15 mm, 24g
- GPS: Yes
- Heart rate monitor: Yes
- Water resistance: Yes, 5 ATM rating
- Swim tracking: Yes
- Mobile payments: No
- Phone calls: Yes
See your bod’s energy levels throughout the day so you know the best times for workouts, and when’s best to rest. Stress monitoring also lets you know how you’re doing and of course, a period tracker measures your flow, symptoms and more. Respiration tracking lets you know how your breathing is doing, with reminders for breathwork and yoga. Truly, a wellness watch.
For iPhone users
Apple Series 8
Specifications:
- Size: 41 x 35 x10.7mm, 31.9g
- GPS: Yes
- Heart rate monitor: Yes
- Water resistance: Yes, WR50 rating
- Swim tracking: Yes
- Mobile payments: Apple Pay
- Phone calls: Yes
Temperature sensing makes this watch a cut above the rest, which offers detailed insights into women’s health tracking, so you know for sure when you’re ovulating. It’ll also stay on for longer. The Blood Oxygen app lets you in on your blood oxygen levels, clueing you in if you’re at risk for something like pneumonia. Heart rate notifications ping when you’re in a zone too high or too low. In low battery mode, get a whopping 36 hours extra battery life, so you’re always connected.
For Android users
Samsung Galaxy Watch5
Specifications:
- Size: 43.3 x 44.4 x 9.8 mm, 33.5g
- GPS: Yes
- Heart rate monitor: Yes
- Water resistance: Yes, 5ATM+IP68 rating
- Swim tracking: Yes
- Mobile payments: Yes, Samsung Pay
- Phone calls: Yes
For Samsung users, this watch is a worthy companion. From advanced sleep tracking that lets you plan a better snooze for your sleep type, to the over 90 trackable exercises it hosts, this watch can do pretty much whatever. A heart rate monitor and ECG is incorporated into the device, along with something called the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Sensor (BIA). That tracks your body fat percentage and skeletal muscle weight, so you’re in the know about your health – especially if you’re on a fat loss journey. It even guides your selfies. Real talk.
For the budget
Huawei Band 7
Specifications:
- Size: 44.35 × 26 × 9.99 mm, 16g (without the strap)
- GPS: No
- Heart rate monitor: Yes
- Water resistance: Yes, 5 ATM rating
- Swim tracking: Yes
- Mobile payments: Only with Android
- Phone calls: No, only call notifications and the option to decline
This watch does a lot with a low price point. Pick from over 90 workout modes and an app connects you to menstrual health data, steps, SpO2 tracking and more. A five-minute charge powers the device for two whole weeks (huge score!). A vibration lets you know if your blood oxygen level or heart rate strays from the healthy range, too. And it’s water resistant, a big feature at this price point.
Amazfit Bip 3
Specifications:
- Size: 44.12×36.49×9.65mm, 33.2g
- GPS: Yes
- Heart rate monitor: Yes
- Water resistance: Yes, 5 ATM
- Swim tracking: Yes
- Mobile payments: No
- Phone calls: Notifications only
Get two weeks’ use out of this watch with one charge. While the watch face is wide enough for different displays (even a customisable face of your choosing, like your own photo), it’s slim and lightweight. It’ll track your swims, workouts and runs – along with everything else in between, including sleep quality. Plus, the watch’s Target Pace function lets you set and crush your pace goals. There’s also a built-in GPS and even a blood oxygen saturation feature.
Michelle is a freelance writer at WH, passionate about all things health, fitness and mental wellness. She’s also an avid surfer and recently discovered skateboarding as a viable means of transport. Skate dates, anyone?