What is your preferred fitness tracker/smartwatch?

Garmin for sure.

Apple Watch just makes sense if you are already on iPhone. I resisted it for a long time but now after getting one it is so useful for things like having access to DUO codes on your wrist without a phone and maintaining healthy habits

For the most detailed exercise/health tracking, I'd highly recommend Garmin watches. First, no subscription fees, you buy the hardware and you own it and can customize it a lot. Second, the battery life can't be beat. Third, stats, graphs, analytics! Plus it works just as well whether you're an apple or android user.

I have the Forerunner 265 and it is so much fun for a stats and graph loving nerd like myself. My gf chose the Venu 2 Sq because she wanted a square screen and she is really happy with it.

There's only one smart watch that matters! This was the boyo!

All my phone numbers, my entire school lesson schedule, a calculator - everything 10 year old me ever needed!

I tried random Android watches. They all sucked.

I bought a Garmin Instinct 2 Solar. I love it. Charge it when I shower and that gets me by, have never had to charge it overnight. Battery is at 15 days currently.

Still miss my pebble...

Rocked a Garmin a few years, now I'm trying galaxy watch 5 pro. Miss the week long battery but 2+ days is "ok", a lot less annoying then I first thought it would be.

Exelent integration with my phone is a big plus. (For instance the Garmin never let me respond to alarms from the Samsung clock app :/ )

The Pebble watches. They may not be made anymore, but they are the only smart watches I have used that felt like an actual smart watch instead of a phone for your wrist. Once mine dies, I may switch to a BangleJS.

I'm happily on the garmin ecosystem. Felix 5x is still going strong for about 2 weeks battery on normal use. takes a beating and still looks new. only had to replace the band. I use garmin on my bike too

While there are a lot of comments saying Garmin, I haven't seen people mention the privacy aspect

https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/categories/wearables/

Garmin apps are much better for privacy. If I'm going to be wearing a biometric tracker 24/7, I don't want that data being sold to advertisers. That's more important to me than most other features

Garmin Instinct 2 Solar. It's light and durable, solar charging with several weeks between charges when using GPS tracking pretty regularly.

I am an avid Garmin user. I have tried the Vivoactive and am currently using the Fenix series. Highly recommend!!!

Is there one that exists that isn't ugly, can last for weeks and isn't the size of a dinner plate? (i t s not even the diameter thats the problem, its the thickness. I absolutely hate thick watches)

When they invent one that meets that criteria, let me know and I'll consider it.

I wear an analog which has nothing to track and connect to a phone. Just like the good ol' days.

Casio need to market their watches better, they have the Smartest dumbwatch**** of them all -

Casio have several lines that support Bluetooth - essentially will beep and vibrate on Notifications, calls and messages. Does basic fitness tracking. It also does all of this whilst basically being indestructible and a battery life of atleast 3 years.

No one seems to know this and I blame Casios poor marketing - I didn't know any of this until I bought a new G-Shock and realised it had a BT label in the manual.

Got my first fitness watch couple months ago. It was a Garmin and tbh I freaking love it!!! As a lot of comments already mentioned, Garmin gave very detail information, and the battery life just can't beat I would definitly do it again!

I have been using a PineTime for quite a while now which is an absolute no-brainer for 27$.
Even if it’s marketed for tech/foss enthusiasts it’s really easy to use, would recommend if you just want simple step tracking and heart rate monitoring.

I have a garmin epix 2, best Damn watch ever. It lasts roughly 2 weeks on a charge. All the same features as the Fenix but OLED display.

I still like fitbit. The metrics are solid, and the battery life is decent.

Only had the pixel watch but I really like it

Pebble Time. It was the best ever until the battery swelled. My Fitbit Versa 2 was good until the battery gave out. My latest Fitbit has worse software with less features than the last and I hate it. There are no apps available anymore.

Anything that works with Gadgetbridge is a good choice.Or maybe pinetime or bangle.js those look pretty cool too.

Amazfit with Gadgetbridge, FLOSS smartwatch app, a recent really good discovery!

Permanently Deleted

I really like Samsung's Watch 5, both in terms of appearance but also software and tracking performance. It's the only sleep tracker that actually matches my subjective experience with sleep (how tired I feel, how many times I remember waking up, etc).

I've only tried my Pixel Watch, and it's not perfect, but I do really enjoy it. Fitness tracking is pretty on point with sleep tracking being really solid and important for me since sleeping has always been a more difficult part of my life.

Withings. All the features without looking like your wearing a computer on your arm

Battery life last over 3 weeks, before need charge. Amazfit GTR 3

Meets my needs: shower proof, great battery life (21+days), connects to phone (limit app/notify), sleep/heart/steps track, and can change the watchface for free w/ many choices.

I never remove it for wash hand/dishes, shower. Super battery life. Might not be super accurate, but I only need a # count. Very affordable. No issues with it. Would recommend.

Amazfit GTR 3

I only really need something to keep track of my notifications, and maybe as a flashlight occasionally. So I just wear a PineTime, and it links up with my phone with Gadget Bridge. It's really nice, completely free and open source, and it's pretty cheap too. Week long battery life is nice, but I don't know what it's like with other smartwatches.

I have both an iPhone and Pixel. Because of that, I also have a Pixel Watch and an Apple Watch. I prefer using my Pixel Watch since Fitbit is so much better IMO than Apple Fitness.

Withings Scanwatch is cross-platform. No need for a branded device to use it, does all the usual tracking stuff plus afib detection. One of the reasons I chose it was that it looks like a watch and not a toy. Also, depending on how you use it, it can go for days between charges. Most of the similar "brand locked" devices seem to only go 1 or 2 days max.

I've used fossil watches, they look really nice, but the software can be flaky

Is there something like a fitness bracelet without a display that one could wear? I already have an old school Casio digital watch, and I like to too much to replace it with a smartwatch.

I'm an avid paddler/wind sports/surfer, so having good water resistance, cellular connection for emergencies, at least 4+ hours of GPS tracking battery life, and good GPS are requirements. AFAIK only the Apple Watch Ultra ticks all those boxes. I used to use Garmin's but the lack of cellular made me switch. If anyone has other options, I'm open to them.

Casio for sure! Best quality. Made in Japan

Garmin Instinct

I've had a fossil watch for the past 5 years or so and love it. Its a hybrid model so it runs off of a watch batter that needs to be replaced ever 9-12 months so I dont ever need to worry about charging it.

It also looks like a standard watch so nobody ever suspects it has some smart functionality. Its very barebones in that aspect but I can see whos calling/texting me, set vibration alarms, and control my music.

PineTime my beloved

I've been a loyal Fitbit user for a decade, but Google's killed all the features that made it good (challenging friends, playing silly games). I'm thinking of picking up a Garmin next

Been using the Apple Watch for the past 3 years (currently on the Ultra) and have been loving it. I’m not a serious athlete but use it to track my daily walks/runs. It keeps me honest and active.

Plus I have a data line for my watch so I can ditch my phone and still talk, text, and check emails as needed. I hate to admit it but I have completed many meetings with just my Apple Watch + AirPods while on a run/walk.

Also, it acts as a wallet replacement for the most part. ~8 out of 10 times I can tap and pay with my watch. I only keep 1 physical card and my state ID on me.

a Mi Band storing everything offline with Gadgetbridge, because I don't need Xiaomi to know how many steps I've made and what's my heart rate at a given moment.

I'm still using a huawei gt2 Pro never seen any reason to replace it does most things and the battery is still a week and a half to two weeks I'd guess. If I'm honest though I use it as more of an mp3 player than a tracker.

I have a polar vantage m and i like it, it was relatively cheap and has everything one needs when it comes to running

I have a galaxy watch 5 but even 3 days of batteryife is irritating enough I'm looking longingly at the Garmin's. Really don't need a lot of the fluff they come with

I also have a Watchy. The thing is in no way a consumer device but it lasts over a week and the eink display is great. Reminds me of what we lost when pebble went away..

Whoop. It’s something I can easily sleep with. I don’t want extra displays and it works with everything like bike computers as a heart monitor. Steps are worthless strain/HRV is more meaningful.

Apple because I have an iPhone. Garmin makes good stuff, though.

I'm a cyclist, so I use a dedicated cycling computer (currently a Karoo Hammerhead)

If y'all want good takes on fitness trackers, check out DC Rainmaker

The one I wish still existed: The Pebble Steel. This beast had a battery that lasted an entire week on a single charge, kept basic step tracking, etc., and notifications from my phone to my wrist. It was the perfect device. I was devastated when mine stopped working.

What I used for a long time: Fitbit Versa / Versa 2. Same deal, shittier battery life. But worked really well. Build quality declined dramatically, and I had to warranty my original Versa something like 4 times and ended up with a Versa 2 as a "We're all out of the 1st gen, take this and shut up" upgrade.

What I use now: The Pixel Watch. The battery life is trash, but the features are solid. I've used an Apple Watch while carrying an iPhone for a few months, and the integration with my Pixel phone is just as seamless. The weird transition from Fitbit to Pixel Watch and how the apps interact make it blindingly obvious Fitbit as a brand is done and Google intends the "Pixel Watch" brand to replace it. I actually appreciate the round watchface.

My selections are always driven though, by my desire to see data from my continuous glucose monitor (type 1 diabetes) on my wrist. Android Wear / WearOS handles that far better than an Apple Watch, and I didn't need the insane features (or price point) from a lot of the other WearOS devices out there.

I still wear my Apple Watch Series 0 since 2015 now. Love it. I replaced the battery this spring. All good again.

I currently have a Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 to replace my Garmin Vivoactive 3, but I prefer the Garmin. It's got a bit less by way of bells and whistles, but I also think that the watch might have been overkill for the most part. I don't end up using the onboard replies as much as I thought I would, and things like ECG and Blood Pressure monitoring are just troublesome enough that it's not worthwhile (Blood Pressure requires recalibration with a proper machine every once in a while).

The only issue that I had with the Garmin was mostly that the body is a bit too fragile. It's just plastic, so the corner will break off due to age, which is what happened with mine. If it wasn't made of plastic, but more durable metal, like the Samsung, I'd still happily wear it. The battery life tended to be better too.

If it was still around, and not incredibly uncomfortable, a Pebble might also not go amiss. I personally don't need a lot of features in my smartwatch (just timers, alarms, activity/HR tracking, and notifications), so a cheaper, hardier one would serve just fine.

I don't wear one anymore I just have the Casio f-91w but if I could I would get a Pixel watch and remove all the spy ware from it

They all annoy the shit out of me.

I like fitbit but that’s because I basically strictly use it for calorie counting. The battery life is good enough that I just charge it when I’m in the shower and it’ll never die on me.

I've had a Garmin vivofit 3 unsmart watch since 2017. I've replaced the band and battery a few times but it's been a pretty good tracker. the watch battery has been a great feature as I don't have to charge it, just replace it once a year or so.

I recently upgraded from a Fenix 3 to a 6x and i love it, which actually makes me use it way more ❤️ Suddenly dropped the idea of trying out mainstream alternatives.

Has anyone tried the current Ticwatch Pro? I heard decent things about the previous model but I'm a bit leery of the their app on my phone, plus that they are still pending a WearOS update and various features (Google assistant etc)

I like the way the Apple Watch (non-ultra) looks and functions but the battery life is garbage. It’s almost tolerable brand new but the battery degrades over time and you have to charge more often. No thanks.

I currently use a Garmin forerunner 955. Since I use it for running I charge once a week or so. If you don’t work out and just want metrics, it lasts 2 weeks. I highly recommend Garmin watches

I loved Wear OS from Fossil before I switched to Linux phone.

I'll wear my Pebble Time Round until it disintegrates

I am very happy with my Skagen Jorn gen 6 hybrid. Hybrid means both e-ink screen and physical watch hands. It has a few health sensors, can display notifications, track workouts, send commands to Alexa if you want that, and much more. It's simply an awesome smartwatch in a classic inconspicuous design, and it has a hopping 5 weeks battery life, and it's supported by Gadgetbridge. Nothing can beat it in my opinion.

Coros Pace 2. Cheaper than the entry level Garmin and just as capable.

I use Suunto 9 Baro.

none of them, i’d rather not have any extra data on me out there that’s digitally storing it anywhere, even locally.

i keep my odometer and a pulse monitor with me, but they’re both local dumb.

Really wish there was an Android watch that was as reliable and responsive as Apple Watches

Currently wearing a mechanical watch. No data collection, no batteries, and it has radioactive tubes that glow for decades so I can see what time it is at night with zero effort.

If I wanna track fitness I'll open vim and record it there.

None. I'm one of these oldtimers who has that backward opinion that a thing has to do one thing, but that very good, so I wear a brick of steel that's actually ticking away that I have to check once a month, if it's on time. Plus every 4 years it's gotta have an oiling. On the other side: no batteries to charge. And my fitness tracker is my fat belly ;) kinda fit, kinda fat.