Choosing the Right Wearable

Vol. 19

Calling all Office Athletes!!! We’re gathering our community for the Sky:30 fitness challenge. This fitness challenge includes:

• Personalized 1:1 goal setting & workout programming

• Online coaching & accountability sessions

• Wearable Data Analysis to help make your fitness goals efficient, attainable, & fun!

Interested in having your wearable data analyzed, receiving specific insights and training recommendations, and getting better together? Fill out this form!

In This Article, We…

1. Compare and contrast 5 popular wearables

2. Provide relevant information on each one

3. Guide you to choose the right wearable for your needs and goals

So Many Options

The holiday season is here! If you are in the market for a new wearable, this is the perfect time to treat yourself or put it on your wish list.

But with so many options on the market, how do you choose the right one for you?

Well, we’re here to help…

Below, we compare five popular wearables: Apple Watch, Garmin, Whoop, Oura Ring, and Samsung. We look at their features, functionalities, pros, and cons and help you decide which one suits your needs and goals best.

Types of Training

• Apple Watch: Versatile, offering a wide range of workout options from running and cycling to yoga and swimming. Ideal for people who want to track their overall fitness and wellness.

• Garmin: A fitness powerhouse with specialized modes for running, cycling, golf, and more. Tracks advanced metrics, such as VO2 max, lactate threshold, and training load. This one is perfect for long-distance runners, cyclists, and triathletes.

• Whoop Band: Focuses on strain tracking, providing insights into your body's readiness for intense workouts like HIIT and CrossFit. Great for people who want to optimize their training and performance.

• Oura Ring: Tracks sleep quality and recovery, influencing your training decisions. This is best for people who want to improve their sleep and health.

• Samsung Watch: Offers a variety of workout modes with an emphasis on personalization. Suits people who want a smartwatch that can track their fitness.

Price

• Apple Watch: One of the most expensive devices, ranging from $399 to $799. It also requires an iPhone to Pair with it. 

• Garmin: Mid to high range at $199 to $749. Some models also require a subscription fee for additional services.

• Whoop Band: Subscription-based, with a membership fee of $30/month or $199/year covering both hardware and services. It requires a 6-month minimum commitment. 

• Oura Ring: Priced competitively at $299 to $449, plus a $5.99/month membership fee for personalized data and insights. 

• Samsung Watch: Moderately priced, costing $199 to $399. It works with both Android and iOS phones.

Ease of Use

• Apple Watch: Intuitive interface with a user-friendly design including a touch screen, digital crown, and side button. Can be bulky and uncomfortable to sleep with. 

• Garmin: Feature-rich but might have a steeper learning curve for some users. Features a combination of buttons and a touch screen.

• Whoop Band: Simple and streamlined, with an emphasis on real-time data. Can be hard to adjust and remove the strap.

• Oura Ring: Comfortable and easy to wear, syncing seamlessly with the app. Connects with numerous 3rd party apps like Apple Health, Health Connect by Android, Google Fit, and Strava. 

• Samsung Watch: Intuitive touch interface with customizable widgets. It also has a rotating bezel and two buttons. Incompatible with some apps and services.

Accuracy

• Apple Watch: High accuracy in fitness tracking, heart rate monitoring, and GPS. It can be inaccurate in tracking your sleep and stress.

• Garmin: Known for precise GPS tracking and advanced metrics like VO2 max, speed, and cadence. It can be inaccurate in tracking your body temperature and recovery.

• Whoop Band: Emphasizes accuracy in strain tracking for optimized performance, has a consistent algorithm, and can measure your recovery and sleep performance. Can be inaccurate in tracking your calories and steps.

• Oura Ring: Accurate sleep tracking, body temperature, and readiness. Can be inaccurate in tracking your activity and calories.

• Samsung Watch: Reliable heart rate monitoring and GPS accuracy. Not as accurate in tracking your sleep stages and recovery.

Battery Life

• Apple Watch: Typically lasts 18-20 hours on a single charge, with variations depending on usage.

• Garmin: Impressive battery life, lasting up to 14 days on smartwatch mode and up to 36 hours on GPS mode.

• Whoop Band: Short battery life, lasting about 5 days on a single charge.

• Oura Ring: Lasts up to 7 days on a single charge.

• Samsung Watch: Moderate battery life, lasting up to 3 days on smartwatch mode and up to 23 hours on GPS mode. 

GPS

• Apple Watch: Built-in GPS tracks location, distance, speed, and elevation. It also has a compass and an altimeter. However, it can drain your battery.

• Garmin: Excellent GPS accuracy tracking location, distance, speed, and cadence. It can be slow to connect and require a clear view of the sky.

• Whoop Band: Relies on connected phone GPS, offering accurate tracking.

• Oura Ring: Does not have built-in GPS and relies on a connected phone for location data.

• Samsung Watch: Strong GPS capabilities for accurate tracking of location, distance, speed, and elevation.

Accountability

• Apple Watch: High accountability, providing daily and weekly goals, reminders, and achievements. It also allows you to share your progress, compete with friends, and join fitness challenges.

• Garmin: Moderate level of accountability, providing personalized goals, insights, and tips. Its community aspect allows you to connect with other users, join groups, and participate in events.

• Whoop: High accountability, providing daily and monthly goals, insights, and recommendations. It has a team aspect, allowing you to join or create teams, compare your data, and support each other.

• Oura Ring: Low accountability, providing a daily readiness score, insights, and suggestions. It allows you to share your data but not interact with other users.

• Samsung Watch: Moderate accountability, providing daily and weekly goals. It syncs with Samsung Health for goal tracking and community challenges.

If you’re interested in having your wearable data analyzed by us, receiving specific insights and training recommendations, and getting better together, fill out this form and train with us!

- JT & Phil

Want to learn more?

Something we missed or misspoke?

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Reply to us here and we’re happy to chat and help you learn more about your wearable.