The Ultimate Guide to Buying Fitness Smartwatches with GPS

Your Guide to buying the best Fitness smartwatches with GPS

Overview

Fitness smartwatches with GPS are the perfect companion for anyone looking to take their fitness journey to the next level. With an array of features, including step tracking, heart rate monitoring and GPS, these watches provide users with detailed data about their exercise and activity levels. This buying guide provides an in-depth look at the features and capabilities of fitness smartwatches with GPS, helping users to choose the right watch for their needs.

Key features

  1. GPS Tracking: Fitness smartwatches with GPS can track your location and help you map out routes and monitor your progress.
  2. Heart Rate Monitor: Many fitness smartwatches now come with the ability to monitor your heart rate and track your activity levels.
  3. Battery Life: Battery life is an important consideration when buying a fitness smartwatch with GPS, as you want to make sure it will last through your workouts and daily activities.
  4. Design and Comfort: You want to find a fitness smartwatch with GPS that is comfortable to wear and has a design that you like.
  5. Water Resistance: Most fitness smartwatches with GPS are now water resistant, meaning they can withstand sweat, rain, and even swimming.
  6. Compatibility: Make sure to check that the fitness smartwatch with GPS you are considering is compatible with your phone or other devices.

See the most popular Fitness smartwatches with GPS on Amazon

Important considerations

Pros

  • Increased Accuracy: Fitness smartwatches with GPS offer more accurate tracking of your exercise data such as speed, distance and calories burned, allowing you to more accurately track your progress and fitness goals.
  • Real-Time Tracking: With GPS enabled watches, you can monitor your progress in real-time, allowing you to adjust your workout on the go and stay on track.
  • Location-Based Tracking: GPS enabled watches can also track your location, allowing you to explore new routes and discover new trails without getting lost.
  • Connectivity: Many GPS enabled smartwatches are connected to your smartphone, allowing you to access notifications, music, and other fitness features.
  • Customization: Many GPS enabled smartwatches come with customizable apps, watch faces and alarms, allowing you to tailor your watch according to your style and preferences.

Cons

  • Cost - Fitness smartwatches with GPS can be expensive, ranging from $100 up to $500 or more depending on the features included.
  • Battery Life - GPS-enabled Fitness smartwatches tend to have shorter battery life than regular smartwatches due to the additional power required by the GPS module.
  • Data Security - Since Fitness smartwatches with GPS often transfer data to the cloud, customers should be aware of potential data security issues with cloud services.
  • Size & Weight - Fitness smartwatches with GPS tend to be larger and heavier than regular smartwatches due to the additional components and materials required for the GPS module.

Best alternatives

  1. Activity Tracker - Tracks steps, calories, and sleep patterns; usually don't include GPS.
  2. Sports Watch - Can track distance and heart rate; may include GPS.
  3. GPS Running Watch - Specifically designed for runners, can track pace, distance, heart rate, and splits; often include audio prompts.
  4. Multisport GPS Watch - Can track multiple activities; often offer features such as lap counters, swim tracking, and navigation.
  5. Smartphone - Generally offers basic health and fitness tracking, including steps, distance, and sleep; some can connect to external GPS devices.

Related tools, supplies, and accessories

  • Smartwatch with GPS - A smartwatch with GPS is a device that combines the functionality of a fitness watch with the added benefit of global positioning system (GPS) tracking.
  • Heart-rate monitor - A heart rate monitor is a device that measures the rate at which your heart is beating and can help track your fitness goals.
  • Activity tracker - An activity tracker is a device that monitors and records your physical activity, such as steps taken, calories burned, and distance traveled.
  • Water-resistant materials - Water-resistant materials are used to help protect the smartwatch from water, sweat, and dust.
  • Rechargeable battery - A rechargeable battery is a battery that can be recharged multiple times and is most commonly used in fitness watches.
  • notification alerts - Notifications alerts on a fitness smartwatch can alert you to incoming calls, text messages, and other notifications.
  • Compatibility with fitness apps - Many fitness smartwatches are designed to be compatible with popular fitness and health apps, such as Strava, Fitbit, and Apple Health.
  • Interchangeable bands - Interchangeable bands are bands that can be changed and swapped out for different colors, materials, and styles.
  • Design and display - The design and display of a fitness smartwatch can range from traditional analog watches to modern digital displays.

Common questions

  1. What benefits do Fitness smartwatches with GPS provide?
    Fitness smartwatches with GPS provide the benefit of being able to accurately track your workout route, distance, and speed. Additionally, the GPS features can also be used to monitor other important health and fitness metrics, such as heart rate, calories burned, and sleep quality.
  2. How accurate is the GPS on a Fitness smartwatch?
    GPS accuracy on a Fitness smartwatch is typically within 10 to 20 meters, depending on the quality of the device’s antenna and signal strength.
  3. Are Fitness smartwatches with GPS waterproof?
    The majority of Fitness smartwatches with GPS are designed to be water resistant and can handle being submerged in water up to a certain depth. It is important to check the manufacturer’s specifications of the device to determine the exact level of waterproofing.
  4. Do Fitness smartwatches with GPS track heart rate?
    Yes, many Fitness smartwatches with GPS have a built-in heart rate monitor that can track your heart rate during a workout or throughout the day. Some devices may also have additional features such as heart rate zones and resting heart rate tracking.
  5. What other features do Fitness smartwatches with GPS offer?
    In addition to tracking your health and fitness metrics, many Fitness smartwatches with GPS also offer additional features such as music and audio playback, notifications, call and text message alerts, and even apps for keeping track of your daily activities.
  6. How long does the battery typically last on a Fitness smartwatch with GPS?
    Battery life will vary depending on the type of device and usage, but most Fitness smartwatches with GPS should last at least a couple of days before needing to be recharged.
  7. How much do Fitness smartwatches with GPS typically cost?
    The cost of Fitness smartwatches with GPS can range from a few hundred dollars to over a thousand dollars, depending on the features and quality of the device.

Trivia

Some fitness smartwatches with GPS are able to track the user's route while running, and even predict their finish time. For example, the Garmin Forerunner 935 is able to measure speed, distance, and time to an accuracy of within one second per mile. This can help runners set goals for their runs and track their progress. With this kind of technology, runners can see just how much faster they are getting over time, and have that extra motivation to push themselves further. Source

Disclaimer: This buying guide was not created by humans, and it is possible that some of it's content is inaccurate or incomplete. We do not guarantee or take any liability for the accuracy of this buying guide. Additionally, the images on this page were generated by AI and may not accurately represent the product that is being discussed. We have tried to convey useful information, but it is our subjective opinion and should not be taken as complete or factual.