My search for the best workout smartwatch!

My Search for the perfect Smartwatch for workout

It all started with the very limited work out which I used to do just to show of the highly inaccurate early smartwatches. Mind you, I am mentioning here only of watches less than 10k since the high end watches are for serious sportsmen and not for people like me who have recently got the fitness bug and just want to note their slow progress!

So after lots of basic smartwatches like the Platronics Yoga and some generic ones called the Capcha! (which incidently was mp3 and sim enabled!) I settled for a while with a company called Noise Loop. We will come to this later; lets see what was bugging me!

So most of these watches had pedometers and that was the only way workouts used to be recorded and monitored. Most of them also had an app which was a basic fitnesss app and this used to get synced to the data from the mobile and then you have the amount of work out you do. Now if the workout is time senstive then most of these watches were more or less accurate on the distance and calories burned. But when it comes to measurement of running, cycling or skating distances then these were grossly inccurate! I used to run or skate for more than 2-3 km and it would register only around 500-600 m!(you would say that maybe I did run only 600m! But then I did check with the mobile phone strapped on my arms with the GPS enalbled!

This and the fact that most of these watches look like robotic toy watches which we used to wear when we were young lead me to go for the Noise Loop which was a good round watch! So it looked like a normal watch and was smart! It had bluetooth sync and also remote camera options and was my companion for some time. But it had the same problems which palgued the earlier watch and the fact that it was off all the time made it a blank coin on my wrist which I had to activate everytime I need to see the time which I might as well do to my mobile!

Then I got watches like the Noise Ignite and the Arkwist round. Both these had the best advantage that they were always on like any other watch and that they had senstive pedometers! Throw in a long battery life in spite of the always on status and you had gold! Well almost; the same distance problem was plaguing both these watches and that was a big bummer!

So I of course started the old method of strapping my mobile to my arm and running with an accurate fitness app monitoring my every view! This was good in that I knew my progress accurately but the very act of taking you big mobile every time you work out which in fact should be your lone time was not something I looked forward to!

So I started for the best thing in a watch! A GPS chip enabled watch! And of course none of them were cheap! I did not mind shelling out few more bucks but then held back since I was not a professional athelete and this does not make a good sense to invest in a watch costlier than the mobile with more risks!

So finally these are the optimum features you would require in a smartwatch if you need a good recording companion for your workout:

1. It should have an accurate pedometer

2. It should be always on for the primary function of showing the time!

3. It should have an inbuilt GPS chip for accurately measuring the distance

4. It should be light weight and hassle free

5. A long battery life is an added bonus since you cannot be charging your watch every other day!

6. It should have a proper bluetooth function for data storage and sync

7. It should be supported by an app exclusively for it so that the whole process is more detailed and catered to the individual

Of course there are more features which you require but for now this was what I wanted from my smartwatch. And now what everyone has been waiting for! Whether I have found out the perfect watch of not! Well the answer is for now yes!

My search ended with the Amazefit watch by Huami amazfit bip! This marvellous piece of engineering I got in a sale in flipkart (the watch sale had around 200 numbers for sale and it got sold out in 5 minutes!). The watch is always on with an added bonus of more light when you touch! And unlike the non touch watches like the ignite and arkwrists, this one is touch screen which is activated when you tap on a button (what a remarkable way of keeping it water proof and save battery!). Also it has a very sensitive pedometer and heart rate sensor and it has an exclusive app for data analysis and sync!

There are sections for activity like outdoor cycling, running and treadmill and also accurate weather, alarm and a digital compass!

The most important is of course that it has a dedicated GPS chip which is highly accurate (I have tested this with my phone many times!).

And the feather in the already glorious cap is the fact that the battery lasts for long long time|! All my smartwatches I need to charge atleast once in a day or two (except the Noise Ignite but that was not touchscreen and Not GPS!); but this one I charge once a fortnight with adequate use and once a month with minimal use!

Also it is so light that you dont even feel and many times I take it to sleep (when it automatically senses your sleep and monitors it!)

So in conclusion I would recommend this device to anyone who is a workout enthusiast!

Everyone want to know the price I guess! Well I got for around 6k! Now beat that or go run or it!