The Mobvoi Treadmill SE is a dual-purpose device, both a conventional treadmill and under-desk walking pad, this makes it a versatile product for both exercise and work, especially if you have a standing desk at home. It has a good deck of running space, measuring 100 x 40 x 21 cm, which is similar to (or slightly larger than) other under-desk treads on the market. We found it wide and long enough for running at the treadmill’s top speeds.
The speed range is from 0.5 to 12km per hour, which can be adjusted very easily with the remote control (ideal for walking mode) or the handle buttons if you’ve got the hande up in “running mode”. The treadmill also has a safety clip that attaches to your clothes and stops the machine if you fall.
It’s easy and quick to set up, requiring only four screws to attach the handle. The cable length is a reasonable 1.8m, which (given that it is likely to be under a desk and near a plug) should be more than sufficient for most users. The treadmill has a LED display that shows the speed, time, distance, and calories burned. It also connects to the Mobvoi app via Bluetooth, where you can track your progress, although there’s not really enough analysis or features here to consider it one of the best fitness apps. The benefits here are really about the hardware rather than software.
The treadmill noise levels were very reasonable at a walking speed and seemed to be easily cancelled out by the noise cancelling functions on MS Teams: there were no complaints from my co-workers that they could hear it and I certainly never felt that the noise from the machine distracted me from my work.
However, the treadmill is quite heavy, weighing 26kg. Although it does have wheels, the weight makes it difficult to move around and certainly tricky to take up and downstairs alone. This is something to consider if you intend to use it in different rooms. Compared to some of the other treadmills on Amazon and so on, it’s also on the slightly more expensive side.
However, the higher price is justified by the quality and stability of the treadmill. There’s no incline function in running mode, which some users may prefer to add increased challenge, but that is standard on most walking pads.
Mobvoi Home Treadmill SE: Specifications
(Image credit: Future)
Mobvoi Home Treadmill SE: Scorecard
Mobvoi Home Treadmill SE: Should I buy?
(Image credit: Future)
Buy it if....
You are looking for both a treadmill and a walking pad
Interested in doing some running too? This is the best walking pad to get.
You are looking for a sturdy product you can run up to 12km per hour on
Beginner joggers not looking for incline runs will feel glad to have an extra use for the walking pad.
You are looking for a quiet walking pad your colleagues won’t hear
Take meetings without disturbing your colleagues, even off mute.
Don't buy it if...
You are looking for a cheap walking pad
There are less expensive models out there to be had, albeit not dual-purpose ones.
You want to move it between rooms regularly
The Mobvoi Home Treadmill SE is on the heavier side, and stairs could present an issue.
Also consider
How I tested
I tested the treadmill for two weeks, mostly walking on it for an hour and a half every day, and ran at the maximum speed of 12 km/h. I tried using it with and without shoes, but preferred wearing trainers because the surface got hot. I experimented with both positions of the handle and preferred the handle down whilst in a walking mode.
In 2023, Nike released the Nike Metcon 9 – the latest iteration of its immensely popular training shoe line and one of the best gym shoes period. I expected to love it, but after wearing the shoe for a few weeks I found I couldn’t get along with its clunky upper and wide fit. Luckily, Nike had a ready-made alternative waiting in the wings: the Nike Free Metcon 5.
While the mainline Metcon is designed with CrossFitters in mind, this spin-off caters to the more general gym-goer, with decent stability for lifting weights complimented by more cushioning for cardio bouts. This makes it an incredibly versatile shoe that will see you through most workouts without a hitch.
Unlike the Metcon 9’s unaccommodating upper (partly down to thick rubber rope guards engulfing the midfoot) the Free Metcon 5 felt buttery soft from day dot, molding to my foot as soon as I slipped it on.
(Image credit: Future / Harry Bullmore)
The fit was fairly snug, so it might be worth ordering half a size up if you’re unsure, and I felt the toe box could have been slightly wider to allow more toe splay for balance. But aside from these minor qualms, I had no complaints.
The midsole knocked spots off the Metcon 9, and most gym shoes, too. For the Metcon 9, Nike introduced a larger Hyperlift plate in the heel – a rigid plastic section designed to add stability – and it felt great for lifting weights. But as soon as I went to do anything more lively like burpees and box jumps, this (and the shoe’s not inconsiderable size) made my movements feel heavy and cumbersome.
The Free Metcon 5, on the other hand, has a concertina-esque design for flexibility and ample cushioning underfoot, which helped me feel nimble during circuit workouts and even the occasional treadmill session.
(Image credit: Future / Harry Bullmore)
However, you can still lift weights in the shoe. Squats and deadlifts felt pretty good thanks to the wide, stable heel, and I didn’t notice any compression underfoot until I had worked up to fairly heavy loads (225lb and up).
If you’re a powerlifter constantly under heavy barbells, this is a reason to avoid this shoe. The same applies to CrossFitters wanting something that can handle Olympic lifting as part of their constantly varied exercise plans – you’ll want more stability, so look instead to the likes of the Reebok Nano X4.
(Image credit: Future / Harry Bullmore)
The final point to make about this shoe is that, to my eyes anyway, it looks good. Social media seems to agree, with gym-loving Tiktok-users the world over choosing it as their go-to workout footwear. This is a superficial factor, but one we all take into account when buying new gym sneakers.
Overall, I think this is an excellent gym shoe. It’s stylish, comfortable and performs well across a range of gym-based activities, from squatting to circuits to treadmill sprints. If your training is more specialized (such as powerlifting, CrossFit or distance running) then you’re going to want a purpose-built shoe to suit your activity of choice, but gym-goers seeking a do-all sneaker will struggle to beat it.
Nike Free Metcon 5: Specifications
(Image credit: Future / Harry Bullmore)
Nike Free Metcon 5: Scorecard
Nike Free Metcon 5: Should I buy?
Buy if it...
Don't buy it if...
Durability is a key concern
These shoes are well-made, but they don't have the bonus durability features of most CrossFit shoes like midfoot rope guards and raised rubber around the toes. So, they may come off worse for wear if worn for rope climbs or wall walks.
Also consider
Inov-8 F Lite G300
Another outstanding all-rounder shoe that excels in weightlifting.
I wore the Nike Free Metcon 5 for two weeks while training five times per week, using the shoe for bodybuilding workouts and CrossFit sessions. The latter contained a variety of gymnastics movements, strength training, high-intensity training and Olympic weightlifting.
The Shokz OpenSwim Pro is a more capable, upgraded version of the regular Shokz OpenSwim headphones. It adds Bluetooth connectivity for live music streaming to the existing built-in MP3 support, making the headset more attractive to anybody wanting to listen to music in non-swimming settings as well as underwater.
Targeted at both aquatic and regular activities, the OpenSwim Pro is best suited to open-water and pool swimmers. Its IP68 rating means it's protected to depths of up to two meters, for up to two hours. Enough for a pretty intense triathlon swim, and certainly enough for an hour in the pool.
Like the rest of the Shokz range, the OpenSwim Pro sits over the ear, rather than in it, which means it fits more ear shapes. The bone-conducting technology may not match the sound quality of conventional earphones, but the PremiumPitch 2.0+ technology makes sure that the audio is clear and bass is reasonably strong.
It’s a shame that, even though it launched two years after the OpenRun Pro, the OpenSwim Pro uses eighth-gen bone conduction technology, whereas the Run model uses ninth-gen tech (which Shokz calls TurboPitch).
Where the Shokz OpenSwim Pro excels against other earphones is the fact that (just like the rest of the best bone conduction headphones) you can hear ambient sounds, such as traffic and people talking, very clearly. In fact, even as an avid AirPods Pro and AirPods Max user (with Transparency Mode), I found myself choosing to pick up the OpenSwim Pro headphones for a quick run or walking the dog because I felt less disconnected from the outside world.
The device only weighs 27.3 grams, which means there’s little to no ear fatigue. Plus, you can pick one of two designs that match your style – a vibrant, active-inspired orange headset or a safer grey color.
(Image credit: Craig Hale)
Although the device is waterproof, Bluetooth signals aren’t, so you’ll need to use MP3 mode to listen to your tunes when you’re in the water. This is fine, because you’re unlikely to have your phone nearby anyway, and you can switch between MP3 and Bluetooth modes by holding down the two volume buttons.
The 32GB of onboard storage is enough for around 8,000 songs, and transferring files onto the OpenSwim Pro is as easy as dragging and dropping files onto it as if it were a regular flash drive (although this is no good if, like me, you rely on streaming services for most of your auditory needs). It’s a shame that the included cable uses a regular USB connection rather than the newer, increasingly popular, and more versatile USB-C connection.
There are two noise-cancelling mics for taking calls or interacting with voice assistants in Bluetooth mode only. I took a few calls in the office, as well as while walking and cycling, and received no complaints about the quality of the audio.
The battery life is a particular strong point of the OpenSwim Pro, which is capable of up to nine hours of audio playback on Bluetooth mode, or six hours when playing from the built-in MP3 library. It might fall short of the OpenRun Pro’s 10 hours, but it does support the same quick charging speed, with a short 10-minute charge powering up to three hours of extra audio. Put it this way – I used the headphones for an entire working day and they were still ready to keep going for a little longer.
Compared with the regular OpenSwim, the OpenSwim Pro has upgraded bone conducting technology, support for quick charging, 28GB more onboard storage and Bluetooth support for streaming and calls, so it’s easily worth the small premium, priced at $179.95 / £169 / AU$299.
On the whole, the OpenSwim Pro is easy to recommend for anybody who spends a lot of time doing a variety of exercises – the fact that it’s genuinely one of the best waterproof headphones and not just water-resistant is advantageous, but even if swimming has become a failed New Year’s resolution, it’s a versatile, long-lasting and great-performing headset.
Shokz OpenSwim Pro: Specifications
Shokz OpenSwim Pro: Scorecard
AllTrails: Should I buy?
(Image credit: Craig Hale)
Buy if it...
Don't buy it if...
Also consider
How I tested
I replaced my AirPods with the Shokz OpenSwim Pro for listening to music and taking calls when in the office, walking the dog, running, cycling and swimming – both in the pool and in a lake. I compared speaker and mic quality in various settings, used Bluetooth and MP3 modes, and configured some settings in the Shokz app.
If you haven’t heard of Emeet before, you’re not alone. Previously, the company only made other work-based tech products, like cameras and speakers. It also has two pairs of over-ear headphones, but the Emeet Airflow are the brand’s first pair of earbuds.
The Emeet Airflow have an open-ear design, which uses air conduction tech by positioning a small speaker on the outside of your ear, not in your ear canal like most of the best wireless earbuds. This style has become popular over the last few years. Our best open-ear headphones guide is filled with options to suit a range of budgets. Smaller audio tech brands are introducing open-ear designs, and big tech companies like Bose are getting in on the action.
Open-ear headphones are appealing because they free your ear canals, enabling you to listen to music while still hearing sounds around you. The complete opposite proposition to the best noise-cancelling earbuds and best noise-cancelling headphones. Ideal for runners, cyclists or people who generally would like to be more aware of their surroundings in any situation. Like those who need to be on hand at an office or listen out for their kids as they work at home.
They also appeal to people who don’t like the feel and fit of other kinds of headphones. Some people don’t like the stuffed-ear feeling they get from wearing a pair of the best true wireless earbuds in their ear canals. Or the pressure of the cups and headband when they’re wearing over-ears.
But although there’s a lot of appeal to this design, it’s not always easy to get right. I tested many of the buds in our best open-ear headphones guide, and several were a little fiddly to put on when I was also wearing glasses or were unstable when I wore my hair down. So, how did the Emeet Airflow compare?
Surprisingly well. I initially had some minor fit issues when I had to position them behind my ears alongside glasses. But otherwise, they’re a secure and comfortable fit that I prefer over bigger name brands. The audio on offer here isn’t perfect. But for a pair of open ears, the sound is clear, can get loud, and is ideal for a work-based setting.
A couple of added features make the Emeet Airflow unique, including a detachable mic – a bonus for upgrading work calls – and a charging case that claims to clean the buds with UV light.
As long as you’re not expecting sonic excellence – which isn’t really possible where air conduction is concerned – the Emeet Airflow are a surprisingly solid choice of open-ear buds. They’re especially good if you’re looking for a pair of buds predominantly for the office or for making work-based calls, as they straddle the line between buds and a headset.
Emeet Airflow: Price and availability
(Image credit: Becca Caddy)
Cost $179.99 in the US
£129.99 in the UK
About AU$272 in Australia (actual pricing tbc)
The Emeet Airflow cost $179.99 / £129.99 / about AU$272, and they’re available now.
How do they compare to rivals? This price makes the Emeet Airflow a little cheaper than the similar 1More Fit Open Earbuds S50, which cost $149.99 / £149.99 / around AU$290, and a similar price to the JBL Soundgear Sense at $149.99 / £129.99 / AU$231.
The Shokz OpenFit are significantly more expensive at $179.95/£179.99/AU$289. Although the Shokz OpenFit are one of my favorite pairs of open-ear buds, so the elevated price does make some sense.
With this in mind, they’re priced in the mid-range, and I’d say performance-wise that adds up. I think it is possible to find better and cheaper true wireless buds, but if it’s the air-conduction style you want, this price represents good value.
Value score: 4 / 5
Emeet Airflow: Design
(Image credit: Becca Caddy)
Stable fit compared to rivals
Comfortable
Simple design
Looks-wise, the Emeet Airflow have a basic design that I’d describe as quite corporate. That’s probably because they strike me as a buds-meet-headset offering. That’s not to say they look bad or you can’t wear them outside of the office and, again, this is down to personal preference – in fact a few people I spoke to liked the more “serious” look and feel of these buds compared to sportier ones.
There are two large, shiny circles on the buds with the Emeet logo. This is the area you can tap to use touch controls. These worked well, especially because I managed to achieve a secure fit. This means activating a touch control doesn’t throw off the stability.
The buds have large hooks to sit behind your ear and position the speaker next to your ear canal. These hooks have a 1mm titanium memory steel wire inside, which makes them flexible and skin-friendly silicone on the outside. These buds also have stabilizing fins, which you can add for an even more secure fit.
Weighing in at a mere 8.5g per bud, they’re incredibly light and on par with their competitors. The combination of their design, materials, and lightweight form made the Emeet Airflow a joy to wear, especially after I had adjusted them to my liking at the start – a process that took only a minute or two.
Once I had them on, I found myself forgetting about them several times. The Emeet Airflow's design and fit make them perfect for work, but their comfort and stability also make them a great choice for sports and walking. There’s a little movement, but not enough to be a concern.
The only time they moved a little was when I took them to the gym and used the cross trainer – then again, these aren’t explicitly for workouts, and they still fared exceptionally well on a rowing machine, while lifting weights and doing some functional fitness. They also have an IPX5 rating, meaning they're sweat-proof. But although sweat won’t damage them, it might have caused the fit to become a bit loose when I tested them.
This comfortable fit experience elevates them above some key rivals, particularly the 1More Fit S50, a decent pair of open-ear buds that were just not crafted for smaller ears like mine.
Design score: 4 / 5
Emeet Airflow: Features
(Image credit: Becca Caddy)
Multi-point connectivity
Detachable mic
40-hour battery life
The Emeet Airflow has some handy features onboard, cementing them as a solid choice for offices, work and calls.
The most interesting is the detachable mic, which easily slots into a port at the base of the buds – you can pick either side – making them more of a headset-meets-earbuds hybrid. This mic is small and thin, but there’s a little spot for it in the charging case, so you can keep it safe when you’re not using it.
Battery life is good at 8 hours from the buds and 40 hours from the case. This is more-or-less exactly the amount of time I got from them during testing; this varied a little depending on how many calls I made. The more calls, the quicker the battery seemed to drain.
For comparison, the Shokz OpenFit have 7 hours of battery in the buds and 28 hours in the case, so the Emeet outperform them. Then again, the OneOdio OpenRock Pro have an exceptional 19 hours of battery in the buds and 46 hours from the case, so it is possible to get better if long-lasting power from this form factor is a priority.
The charging case isn’t small by true wireless earbuds standards, but it is slim and pocketable. It has a premium look and feel despite feeling like plastic. The case has an added trick up its sleeve as it cleans the earbuds as they charge. Emeet promises the case can sterilize 99.99% of common bacteria. This isn’t common, but I’ve seen similar tech in other true wireless bud cases – given they go into your ear canal it’s probably more necessary there. I doubt anyone would favor the Emeet buds over a rival for this feature, and it is hard to quantify whether it works, but this is down to personal preference.
The Emeet Airflow come with a small USB dongle. This allows you to connect them to a laptop. The process felt a little fiddly and annoying compared to the easy experience I had connecting them to my phone.
Emeet Tune is the accompanying app. It has many simple features, such as showing the status of the buds, allowing you to tweak the EQ, and customizing some on-ear controls.
Features score: 4 / 5
Emeet Airflow: Performance
(Image credit: Becca Caddy)
Sound quality here isn’t excellent, but it’s surprisingly good considering the design of the buds. Music sounded clear and detailed with some richness and even bass – especially at higher volumes, likely due to the large 16.2mm drivers.
Tracks like ‘Back on 74’ by Jungle and ‘Got It Bad’ by Leisure sounded clear and melodic across the range, with bright vocals and pleasing drum beats, even at the highest volumes. Overall, I felt the Emeet Airflow were really well-suited to tracks like this, which are soulful and a little poppy with smooth basslines.
But don’t expect strong bass here or the feeling of immersion you’d get from a different, closed design. I noticed this lack of immersion most distinctly when it came to heavier rock or punk tracks, like ‘Beat Your Heart Out’ from The Distillers and ‘Sick, Sick, Sick’ from Queens of the Stone Age, which sounded fine, but flatter and less lively than other kinds of buds, especially at high volumes.
Emeet says the buds are designed to be anti-sound leakage. I tested this and had to ask a friend to get close to hear the sound. Playing ‘Burn The Witch’ by Queens of the Stone Age at full volume stood around 1 meter away; they could make out sound in that sort of tinny, distant way. To some extent, it’s impossible for no sound leakage with a pair of open ears but I felt like this performance was impressive. This makes me confident to recommend them for wear in most offices – just be wary about cranking the volume up to the limits.
As you’d expect, calls here sound great. This is thanks to the detachable mic, which improved clarity and made calls way more pleasing overall. But it isn’t necessary for decent call quality if you don’t like it because there are two built-in omnidirectional microphones in the buds, too.
Emeet also offers what it calls a “VoiceCore algorithm,” which can filter out noises on both sides of the call up to 50dB. I definitely felt like taking calls with these buds was better than with other air-conduction earbuds I’ve tested.
Performance score: 3.5 / 5
Emeet Airflow: Scorecard
Emeet Airflow: Should I buy?
Buy it if...
You want earbuds for the office These buds are great for work, sitting between buds and a headset. The design is simple, the mic makes calls better and the open-ear design is handy if you need to be readily available.
You’ve been meaning to try an open-ear design They’re not budget, but they’re an affordable option if, for whatever reason, you want to see whether open-ear buds are for you.
Calls are important The detachable mic elevates calls, making them clearer. You don’t need to use it for calls either. There are mics in the buds.
Don't buy it if...
You need them for working out These buds fared surprisingly well on walks and at the gym, but there are more secure options available from the likes of Shokz, as well as bone conduction options, which might suit high impact sports better.
You want audio excellence For a pair of open-ear buds, they perform well. But if you’re wanting top-tier sound or ANC or anything else you’d expect from a higher-end pair of buds, you’ll need to adjust your budget and look elsewhere.
You want a stylish option It’s not that these buds look bad, but there’s a corporate vibe to them that makes them a little less cool and sleek-looking than other options I’ve tested.
Also consider
Shokz OpenFit
These buds deliver good sound, awareness of your surroundings and a solid fit that should suit most people. Go for these if you’ll solely be wearing them for working out.
You'll get a huge 19 hours of battery from these buds, and 46 hours if you have the charging case with you, making these the best choice for all-day wear.
I wore the Emeet Airflow buds every day for three weeks. This gave me the chance to use them in different situations.
I used them to listen to music and podcasts while I was walking around a few different cities and the countryside. As well as on jogs along the beach and when I worked out at the gym.
I paired them with an iPhone 14 Pro and mostly used Spotify and Apple Music to test them. I paired them with a laptop and used them to listen to movies on Mubi and Disney Plus.
I’ve tested lots of different headphones and earbuds over the past 12 years, especially devices that are designed for fitness. I’m particularly interested in audio tech that prioritizes comfort and ease of use.
The Ordo Sonic Lite toothbrush is simple, affordable, and does the job very well. It compares favorably to others in its price category, like the Mode electric toothbrush (which only has one setting) and Colgate Hum (which has less pulses per minute). The Ordo Sonic Lite has a long quoted battery life at five weeks, so the lack of a charging dock isn’t an issue. During my tests, I found that it lasted even longer – I’d estimate that I made it to around six weeks before needing to charge it.
It’s got an automatic two-minute timer, a setting for sensitive teeth, a 35,000 pulse-per-minute motor, and a light indicator that flashes red when the brush movement is being interfered with because you’re pressing too hard.
However, let’s get this out the way now: this is not a terribly exciting toothbrush. It doesn’t oscillate, a function that’s scientifically proven to reduce plaque more effectively than simple sonic motors; it’s not “smart” in that it doesn’t interface with a companion app, and nor does it offer any brushing guidance beyond a two-minute timer.
That said, at this very cheap price point ($39.99 / £29.99 / AU$59.99) you don’t often get a toothbrush that;s stuffed with the features listed above, so those omissions aren’t major negatives from a design standpoint. Even though it’s a bare-bones product, everything is well-designed here. It uses USB-C charging and, while it doesn’t have a dock, it does have a hefty five-week battery life, so you won’t have to worry about charging it every week.
For comparison, some of the other toothbrushes you can find in this price range, even from bigger brands like Colgate, offer less in some areas. For example, the Colgate Hum, which we’ve also tested, has a companion app, but it uses AA batteries, and its motor only reaches 30,000 pulses per minute. There’s unfortunately no travel case and no replacement heads included with the Ordo, but that’s not a dealbreaker when it’s this cheap; the head can be popped into a polythene bag inside a wash bag for easy traveling, and new heads are easy to find on Amazon or the Ordo website.
(Image credit: Future)
Ordo Sonic Lite: Scorecard
Ordo Sonic Lite: Should I buy?
Buy it if...
You want simplicity
Hate the idea of needing an app to clean your teeth? This is the toothbrush to get.
You don’t have a plug in your bathroom
No plug for a charging dock? The Ordo Sonic Lite only needs to be recharged every five weeks or so.
You’re on a budget
It’s cheap, it’s good – no frills, no fuss.
(Image credit: Future)
Don't buy it if...
You want an oscillating brush Prefer a brush that uses a circular motion for a better clean? This isn’t it, and you’ll likely need to go up a price level.
You want more modes The Ordo Sonic Lite only has standard and soft modes, while other, pricier brushes generally have around four to six different settings.
You want a travel case
Other cheap brushes in this price range, like the Colgate Hum, come with a hinged plastic case.
Also consider
Colgate Hum:
One of the best cheap electric toothbrushes, the Hum comes with a companion app and travel case, but it runs on disposable batteries, which dents its eco credentials and ups the long-term cost.
One of the most stylish electric toothbrushes at any price point, the Mode comes with a nifty wall-mount, but it’s slightly pricier and only offers one setting.
I used the Ordo Sonic Lite for six weeks, draining the battery down to test its lifespan and testing the two-minute timer and pressure-sensitive light features. I compared the speed of the motor and other specifications against its competitors, combining it with my personal experience to determine its place in our list of the best electric toothbrushes.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is shaping up to be Samsung’s best smartwatch ever from a technical standpoint, based on our early hands-on and analysis. It takes Samsung’s usual design and flips it on its head, adding an endurance-watch twist – even more so than the adventure-focused Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro did when it debuted a couple of years ago.
Everything about the design has been changed to give this watch a more rugged feel. The strap is thicker, more durable and harder-wearing. The watch’s outer casing is now scratch-proof titanium, and the round watch face has been mounted on a squircle-style shape which Samsung is calling a “cushion”. The usual two buttons are here, but squeezed between the new protective casing surrounding the buttons is another orange button, which Samsung is calling a ‘Quick button’ – presumably because ‘Action button’ was already taken by the Apple Watch Ultra.
All right, there’s no getting around it: Samsung has been copying Apple’s homework, and the comparisons between the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch Ultra are unavoidable. Even the naming conventions are the same, for crying out loud, and they do look very similar. They both have similar features, with more accurate GPS, emergency sirens, new Night modes with red illumination, and battery life that’s slightly too short to last you a weekend in the wilderness.
However, during our tests we found that the Watch Ultra was easy and ergonomic to use, it was comfortable on the wrist, and it has an impressive list of features, even discounting the smorgasbord of options you get as a Wear OS user. Looked at side-by-side with Apple’s now two-year-old Ultra concept, it looks very derivative. However, considered in isolation, it looks like the best smartwatch Samsung has produced yet.
Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra specs
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
Ultra-valuable: price and availability
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra will be available to buy on 24 July, and is available to pre-order now starting at $649 / £599 / AU$1,299.
That makes it the most expensive Galaxy Watch yet – however, it’s cheaper than the Apple Watch Ultra, while filling a similar niche for Samsung users, and it’s cheaper than some of the best Garmin watches that fill the same niche. The Garmin Epix Pro, for example, falls firmly into Samsung and Apple’s “outdoor-orientated watch with a lovely screen” territory, and is more expensive than Samsung’s offering.
Samsung’s butter-smooth AMOLED screen and refresh rate are better than the Epix Pro’s, and for less money. If you can put up with recharging the watch a few times a week, and want access to Wear OS’s library of third-party apps, the Galaxy Watch Ultra is a very reasonable purchase at this price.
Breaking the mold: design
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
The Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra shares its round-screen design with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7. In fact, it’s the exact same screen as the 44mm version: a 480 x 480 full-color AMOLED with a Sapphire Crystal always-on display, with the option to switch it to a new infrared style Night mode. Whereas with the Apple Watch Ultra Apple attempted to transform the screen and make it bigger than ever, Samsung leaves a lot of real estate on the watch by declining to make that screen any larger than the biggest Watch 7 size, although I suppose sharing parts helps keep the costs down.
The casing is made from scratch-proof titanium, while its thick silicone bands, redesigned especially for the Watch Ultra, are partially made from recycled plastics. That casing is fully dive-proof at IP68 10ATM ratings, and designed for extreme low and high temperatures to a “military grade” standard.
While we certainly couldn’t take it up Everest or throw it in a fireplace during our testing process, I can confirm that it does feel satisfyingly weighty, and more “premium” than a regular aluminum Galaxy Watch, without being cumbersome, weighing in at 60g. Its battery caps out at 100 hours in low-power mode, according to my chat with Samsung’s VP of MX James Kitto, and lasts for “a couple of days” with moderate usage.
Samsung’s usual two buttons let you cycle through options in the same way as they always have, and are used in conjunction with the powerful AMOLED touchscreen. However, we also have the Quick button now, which can be programmed to automatically start workouts, move onto other segments, or skip to the next workout profile with the new Multisports tile, for disciplines like triathlon. During my initial tests it all flowed very well and felt intuitive, and regular Samsung users will feel right at home despite the very different design.
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
Samsung’s usual two buttons let you cycle through options in the same way as they always have, and are used in conjunction with the powerful AMOLED touchscreen.
However, we also have the Quick button now, which can be programmed to automatically start workouts, move onto other segments, or skip to the next workout profile with the new Multisports tile, for disciplines like triathlon. During my initial tests it all flowed very well and felt intuitive, and regular Samsung users will feel right at home despite the very different design.
Well equipped for the wilderness: features
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
There’s lots of new stuff to talk about here. The emergency siren (which I elected not to test in Samsung’s private testing room, in case I was tackled by a security guard) is apparently ear-splitting, designed to let you signal for help if you get into difficulties in the great outdoors. The aforementioned programmable Quick button can be programmed to kick off a workout straight away, and hikes, runs, swims and rides make use of that new precision dual-frequency GPS for added accuracy.
Those GPS workouts make use of older features, such as the TrackBack functionality first introduced on the 5 Pro. This allows you to retrace your steps on a GPS-driven route, following directions until you return to the point at which you deviated from your intended course. Very useful. Dive mode, just like on the Apple Watch Ultra, comes with a water lock and a functionality to eject any water in the system, accompanied by a series of very conspicuous beeps (I did test this feature, clearly).
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
Other features that are holdovers from previous years include health monitoring (with a new, upgraded Samsung BioActive sensor array) for heart rate, blood oxygen, heart rate variability, skin temperature, electrocardiogram heart health scans and body composition analysis using BIA, which estimates your ratio of fat to muscle to bone. I tried this and found the measurements within spitting distance of my last smart-scale measurement: a test I’ve tried before with Samsung watches.
All this is powered by One UI Watch 6, Samsung’s Wear OS 5 skin, and the Samsung Health app. The latter is where much of the real magic happens in terms of health, with the app aggregating the information your smartwatch collects and processing it to offer you increased personalization and actionable insights into your health and fitness. Third-party apps on Wear OS also means that you can add lots of features and functionality to your watch that Samsung doesn’t offer as standard. Of course, I didn’t have time to test any of this during my brief hardware hands-on, so expect a more thorough breakdown as and when I update this review.
Early verdict: enough bang for your buck?
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
While it’s cheaper than the Apple Watch Ultra, the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra is still the most expensive Galaxy Watch by a long way, so the build quality and additional features need to reflect that. And the good news is that this does seem to be, in terms of specs, the best Galaxy Watch we’ve seen yet – although for this price I expected an upgraded screen rather than a recycled one from this year’s mainline Galaxy Watch.
Still, building a titanium tank of a watch doesn’t come cheap, and there’s plenty to dig into here when I get the chance to head out for some runs and hikes to properly put the watch through its paces. The bump in features, rugged aesthetics, boost in GPS and enhanced safety tools all sound great.
My only concern, as it always is with smartwatches, is that damned battery life. I need a powerful watch that’s able to record multiple GPS workouts over several days on a single charge, and if the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra struggles with that, then it may suffer the same pitfalls as its Apple namesake.
Over the last year or so, our long journey towards getting hands-on with the final version of the Samsung Galaxy Ring has been filled with rumors, surprise reveals, a few secret meetings, and plenty of pithy Lord of the Rings jokes.
The smart ring is a brand-new format for Samsung, having previously been the province of startups like Oura Health – which makes our current best smart ring, the Oura Ring. Samsung has a lot riding on the Galaxy Ring being a success; based on known patent filings, Google and Apple are watching very closely, and presumably preparing (if they haven’t done so already) to develop prototypes of their own if the smart ring is deemed workable, helpful and – most of all – profitable. A new age of health-focused wearables has begun.
Having finally handled the gold and black versions of the Galaxy Ring for a few minutes, there’s a lot I can now say about the Ring – although not much about how it works for me. Samsung says its wearable is designed to be a “set and forget” experience, with its unobtrusive form factor and long battery life contributing to the idea that you’ll barely need to think about the Ring while you’re wearing it.
It’s water-resistant to 100 meters, lasts for almost a week (pushing up to 10 days when you combine it with one of Samsung’s best smartwatches, as they share the fitness-tracking load to extend the Ring’s battery life) and has several characteristics built into its construction that help to make it impressively scratch-resistant.
It’s designed to be a passive wearable; while it does have some limited fitness application, its main focus is wellness, which is important to distinguish from fitness. Fitness is workouts. Wellness is a more holistic concept, incorporating an overall approach towards mental and physical wellbeing, recovery, and health. Sleep is a huge part of this, and sleep is the area that the Samsung Galaxy Ring is really designed to excel in.
Samsung Galaxy Ring: specifications
We wants it, Precious: price and availability
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
The Samsung Galaxy Ring costs both more and less than its chief competitor, the Oura Ring Generation 3 – allow me to explain.
Samsung’s model clocks in at $399 / £399 / around AU$750 (AU prices TBC) and will be on shelves from July 24. For that price, you get the Ring, the charging case, and access to a sizing kit before your ring arrives to ensure that you get the perfect fit.
This isn’t too dissimilar to its competitors: while Ringconn, Ultrahuman and Oura devices are cheaper (Ultrahuman Ring Air and Oura Ring Generation 3 both cost around $299 / £329 / AU$599, and Ringconn undercuts them both at $279 / around £220 or AU$420, market leader Oura also recommends that you pay a $5.99 premium subscription fee after the first six months to get the most out of your ring.
So Samsung’s up-front costs are higher, but without a subscription, it works out cheaper than Oura long-term, although not quite as cheap as the Ultrahuman and Ringconn offerings. One distinct barrier to owning a Samsung Galaxy Ring that it’s important to mention is that it’s designed to work seamlessly with the Samsung Health app, so you’ll need one of the best Samsung phones to make the most of it.
Reinventing the wheel: design
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
Up until now, I’d only seen and worn a prototype Samsung Galaxy Ring, but the final design is more or less identical to the early models I tried. It was comfortable to wear then, and during my brief tests with the actual ring, that hasn’t changed. It comes in sizes ranging from US sizes 5 to size 13, ranging in weight from 2.3g to 3g, and the exact battery size depends on your ring size: the bigger the ring, the longer it’ll last.
However, the size you wear shouldn’t dramatically affect the performance of the Galaxy Ring; it’ll still keep going for most of the week, passively tracking your health. There’s no display on the ring, which is hardly surprising given its size (although that might not be the case with future versions), so you’ll need to check the Samsung Health app for updates on your ring’s battery life.
You have the option of three colors; Black, Titanium Gold, and Titanium Silver. However, despite their appearance, all are constructed of scratch-resistant titanium. The materials aren’t the only durability feature Samsung has implemented here: the shape of the ring also stops it getting damaged.
If you imagine looking at a section through the ring, most smart rings are either uniformly curved, or concave, so they bulge out slightly relative to the curvature of your finger.
The Samsung Galaxy Ring on the other hand, has a concave shape, a design choice that Samsung has made in order to made to prevent scratches or wear and tear to the surface of the Galaxy Ring, as the protective raised edges function like the bezel of a sports watch. Samsung adopted a similar design with the adventure-focused Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, which had a raised bezel to reduce the possibility of impact on its screen. Below, you can see an image of the concave Galaxy Ring alongside the convex Oura Ring Generation 3.
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
You can see another, top-down image below of the silver Oura Ring and the gold Galaxy Ring, and as you can see it’s tough to tell them apart. Although the outside of the Samsung Galaxy Ring is very different to its rivals, the underside looks almost identical, with three raised nodules to improve skin contact.
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
The Galaxy Ring’s charging case is a big improvement on Oura’s. Oura offers a node on which you can place the ring, which plugs into a standard USB-C charger. Samsung has gone one step further and placed the nodule inside an engagement ring-style box, which has its own internal battery, similar to cases for earbuds. The box is transparent, so works with all ring colors, and it can be wirelessly or USB-C charged, and is good for five or six full charges.
When I saw the box I had nightmares of the Ring having to be placed back in the box every 24 hours or so for an additional top-up, but the case is an added convenience, rather than a way to make up for a shortfall in the ring’s battery life.
The inner circle: features
(Image credit: Future / Matt Evans)
The Ring isn’t stuffed with features in the same way as a Samsung Galaxy Watch might be: with no display, ways of interacting with the device or apps to speak of, it’s designed to be a “set and forget” tracker that passively monitors your health over the course of the week, looking at heart rate, sleep quality, skin temperature, blood oxygen sensing and much more. Galaxy AI allows it to intelligently monitor for unusual heart-rate data and flag inconsistencies.
The Galaxy Ring is designed to be excellent at sleep tracking, just like the Oura, and Samsung has gone all-in here. All the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7’s sleep-guidance features, such as the use of sleep profiles (also known as chronotypes) represented by a cute animal to give you personalized guidance, and using algorithms driven by Galaxy AI to better analyze your sleep health, are all here. Likewise, your ring will generate an Energy Score for you each morning, based on the quality of your sleep and your general activity levels, which is similar to the best Fitbits’ Daily Readiness Score or Garmin’s Body Battery functionality. Collecting metrics via your Ring or Watch and scoring your wellbeing out of 100, Samsung Health can offer personalized advice, telling you to rest as much as you can, or telling you to get out there and give it your all.
The Galaxy Ring records many of the same metrics as the Watch, and feeds them into the same app – Samsung Health – so the similarities are by design. It might put existing Samsung Galaxy Watch users off buying the Ring initially, but they do work together. Samsung says using the Ring in conjunction with your watch extends the Ring’s battery life by up to 30% and increases the accuracy of the metrics recorded; however, I suspect only Samsung power users will opt to buy both devices, unless they’re bundled together as part of a cellphone data package.
(Image credit: Samsung)
Despite the fact that it’s a passive tracker, the Galaxy Ring does have some fitness applications too. It will automatically track walking and running workouts, logging them in the Samsung Health app so you don’t have to go through the process of retroactively ‘tagging’ workouts in a timeline of your heart rate data to explain any anomalies. However, this only works with walking and running, so any other form of activity using the ring, such as swimming or cycling, will need to be qualified in the Samsung Health app.
Individual insights on steps, exercise, and blood oxygen levels are collected automatically, while food, water and medications can all be inputted manually into Samsung Health to create a more complete picture of your health. Menstrual cycle tracking is a big part of most health-tracking tools these days, especially trackers focused on wellness over fitness, and the Galaxy Ring doesn’t disappoint here either, predicting cycles based on overnight skin temperature.
Outside of health tracking, Samsung’s even squeezed in some more general user applications too – and impressively the Galaxy Ring supports gesture controls. Simply pinch the air to dismiss an alarm on a Samsung Galaxy phone, or control a phone camera’s shutter, using the same pinch gesture to take the picture. Neat stuff, although it does of course require a Galaxy phone to work. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to try this feature with a Galaxy phone during our brief tests.
Early Verdict: preaching to the converted
(Image credit: Samsung)
Is the Samsung Galaxy Ring good? Yes, is the answer. Will it dominate the emerging smart ring scene? Not quite, simply because its best features only work with Samsung phones. It might be cool enough to get a few people to switch from their preferred brands, but buying a new phone just so that you can then buy a $399 / £399 / AU$750 device on top of that is a big ask for most people.
Samsung users are going to get a real kick out of the Galaxy Ring if the promise of this tiny gadget can live up to a week of hard testing. Everyone else, however – including those who are committed users of the best iPhones – will be better off picking another ring, like an Oura or Ultrahuman. The Samsung Galaxy Ring is shaping up to be a very good wearable, but it’s not the One Ring to rule them all.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7 is officially official, and while you might do a double take thinking its sleek, circular design is actually 2023’s Galaxy Watch 6, make no mistake – this is the tech brand’s latest and greatest for the masses.
Launching alongside the Galaxy Watch Ultra, which offers a more durable design and endurance features, and the Galaxy Ring, which almost aims to be an agnostic device, the Galaxy Watch 7 is more of an iterative revision, at least going on first impressions.
I’ve spent a bit of time with the Galaxy Watch 7 – both the small 40mm and large 44mm models – and while it’s packaged in a familiar build, Samsung’s squarely focusing on improving the experience here. For performance, it has a new processor under the hood that speeds up the navigation and makes the Galaxy Watch feel more responsive – and, you guessed it, also helps power Galaxy AI features. It has an entirely new sensor stack – dubbed the BioActive Sensor – on the back to boost health and wellness capabilities.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 pricing and availability
Maybe, most importantly, Samsung isn't raising the starting price this year. Like the Galaxy Watch 6, the Galaxy Watch 7 starts at $299.99 / £289 / AU$549 for the 40mm and $329.99/ £319 / AU$599 for the 44mm with Bluetooth; those jump to $349.99/ £329 /AU$649 and $379.99 / £369 / AU$699 for LTE connectivity.
Distinguishing the Galaxy Watch 7 from its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch 6, isn’t easy. That’s not to say it isn’t a fine-looking smartwatch – the Galaxy Watch 7 still takes the albeit expected form of a circular smartwatch with basically an all-screen front and smooth stainless steel sides. You still get two buttons on the right-hand side, but you might notice that there’s only one Galaxy Watch 7 model – there’s no Classic model this year, so while you can pick between a 40mm or 44mm display, it’s just the Galaxy Watch 7.
Sure, you could opt for the more durable and a bit boxier Galaxy Watch Ultra, but something is missing on this year’s ‘standard’ model. The iconic moveable bezel that lets you easily navigate the interface is no longer an option with the Galaxy Watch 7. You’ll need to opt for last year’s Galaxy Watch 6 to get this great control, and it’s disappointing that Samsung didn’t bring this aspect into the present.
One saving grace is the attaching and detaching band mechanism that Samsung ushered in with the Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic. It’s as easy as pushing in on a tab and pulling the band out to swap them. There are a few new band designs, some of which look very similar to Apple’s lineup, but Samsung has added a bit of personalization with two pops of color sewn in near the top of the watch bands for the Galaxy Watch 7 – it’s a simple touch that adds a bit of personality.
(Image credit: Future)
Under the hood, Samsung has made some more changes. A new Exynos processor is the first 3-nanometer chip in a smartwatch from the technology giant. It's promised to be three times faster for CPU tasks than the processor in the Galaxy Watch 6. While I haven’t properly tested the Galaxy Watch 7 yet or even run it through a workout, it felt ultra-responsive when swiping through tiles, opening apps, typing, doing general navigation, and demoing some new gestures.
The new chip also makes the latter possible – Double Pinch Gestures premiere with the Galaxy Watch 7, and like Double Tap on the Apple Watch Series 9 or Ultra 2, they’re genuinely useful. You can pinch your finger and thumb together to trigger an action, pause playback, or even pick up a call. It’ll likely be especially handy when you don’t have a free hand.
That enhanced processor is also bringing some Galaxy AI features over, like smarter suggested replies, as the AI will analyze the messages above it for something that makes a bit more sense. Rather than just sending a generic yes or no, it might actually say what you’re accepting or declining.
A whole new sensor for more intelligent wellness features
(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
On the health and wellness side, Samsung is again casting a wide net with the Galaxy Watch 7, and to a degree, alongside the Galaxy Watch Ultra, it really cements its place as the Samsung smartwatch for most folks. It’ll do some productivity here, and can still flex with a laundry list of fitness capabilities.
For starters, one thing I’m eager to spend more time with is a completely redesigned BioActive Sensor on the back. Samsung says it’s more accurate than the Galaxy Watch 6’s sensor, and more powerful for providing deeper metrics; that latter is likely paired in tandem with how the brand analyzes data and presents it within Samsung Health.
On day one, it will let you track AGEs, or advanced glycation end products, which indicate overall metabolic health. Additionally, the Galaxy Watch 7 offers a sleep apnea feature, which is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and which can detect signs of it after a testing period, alongside an AI-powered sleep-tracking experience that should be more accurate.
(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
Of course, like the Galaxy Watch 6, the Watch 7 can track heart rate, take an electrocardiogram, and detect irregular heart rate moments. You can also track a bevy of workouts right from your wrist; some will even be automatically tracked. Runners, hikers, and walkers will benefit from dual-band GPS on the Watch 7 as it can provide a more accurate map or history of your activity.
You’re also getting two new health features: Energy Score and Wellness tips, which are about contextualizing and making all the data your Galaxy Watch collects more digestible. Energy Score is similar to Fitbit and Oura, maybe even rings on the Apple Watch, in that it takes your sleep and activity data to give you a number from 0 to 100 that sizes up how you’re doing. It takes sleep duration, heart rate, sleep heart rate variability, and activity into account, and adds some recommendations on improving or keeping that score up. If you opt into Wellness Tips, it will take the recommendation a step further and provide more actionable ones.
Energy Score and Wellness Tips are two features that I’m really eager to unpack further, and are great additions to Samsung’s wellness portfolio. They also make the Galaxy Watch 7 a smarter wearable, because they can provide context around all the data it’s collecting.
Early verdict
(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)
So no, we didn’t get a full redesign or radical changes with the Galaxy Watch 7 – it’s an upgrade mostly in terms of functionality year over year. Still, the new processor will keep WearOS with a Samsung skin running very smoothly, and powers some neat features in the productivity and wellness space. I hope that also extends to better battery life, but we’ll need to test the watch properly to see how that and the new activity features stack up.
This Garmin Vivoactive 5 review has found this latest sports and health tracking wearable a contender among the best running watches, placing it against the Garmin Venu 3 and even punching up at some of the Forerunner options. The Vivoactive 5 is cheaper than many a Forerunner, but still offers a stunning AMOLED display and over 30 sports tracking options, plus sleep and stress tracking, to name a few health options.
All that places the Vivoactive 5 as an excellent watch for those with an active lifestyle, who might not be power users or marathon runners. It's certainly vying for a spot as one of the best fitness trackers, and thanks to notification functionalities, its pebble-style design and of course that rich display, it even starts to make a play as an Apple Watch competitor.
While this model doesn't feature solar charging and sits at a very slim 11mm thin, making it smaller than the Vivoactive 4, it actually offers a more efficient 11-day top-end battery life. Slimmer and longer-lasting? A great sign for a sequel, especially when you consider the Vivoactive 5 retains a lot of the top-end fitness tracking, GPS-powered workout stuff that makes the best Garmin watches great.
You might also find the older models in the range suit your needs just fine (and will save you money too, compared to picking up a brand new model), so a look at our guide to Garmin Vivoactive 3 vs Garmin Vivoactive 4 might help you choose.
Garmin Vivoactive 5: Specifications
Garmin Vivoactive 5: Price and availability
(Image credit: Future)
£259.99 in the UK
$300 in the US
AU$499 in Australia
The Garmin Vivoactive 5 was launched on September 20, 2023 with availability to buy beginning in December, worldwide.
It was priced at $300 (£259.99 in the UK, and AU$499 in Australia) at launch, but can now be snapped up for around $249, at time of publishing. That’s a little less than the Garmin Forerunner 645 Music, and loads less than a Fenix 7 or Garmin Forerunner 965.
The Vivoactive 5 is a decent way to get Garmin watch tracking without costing you too much. If you want a more affordable alternative, you could opt for the Vivoactive 4.
Value score: 4/5
Garmin Vivoactive 5: Design and screen
(Image credit: Future)
Dimensions of 42.2 x 42.2 x 11.1 mm
5ATM water resistance
1.2-inch AMOLED display
Gorilla Glass 3 screen protection
The Garmin Vivoactive 5 hasn't changed much in form since a few models back but that is largely thanks to it being a very efficient and effective design that just works. You have a slimmer body than ever now at just over 11mm and it comes in a single 42mm size.
The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3, meaning you won't need to worry too much about scratches, despite that slightly raised glass finish – which looks great but leaves it more exposed to damage.
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 4
(Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 4
(Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 4
(Image credit: Future)
The Vivoactive 5 is a little smaller, as well as slimmer, than its 45mm predecessor. But with that stunning high-res screen and longer battery life, it's a welcome change. The small watch itself combined with a silicone band makes for a barely noticeable wrist partner, which is great for sleep tracking and wearing overnight as well as all-day wear. While a Forerunner might feel a little more premium compared to the lighter finish here, with more plastic buttons, the trade-off for lighter watch which is less noticeable on your wrist is perhaps worth it.
Thanks to that 5ATM water resistance, you don't even need to take the watch off in the shower and can use it for swim tracking, in pool or sea as needed.
The Garmin Vivoactive 5 has a 1.2-inch AMOLED screen, upgrading the previous MIP display. This is a really bright and colorful display, which means clarity in direct sunlight as well as in use underwater. Crucially, this display is also more efficient, meaning it actually saves battery compared to the MIP display while looking better than ever.
The resolution is high, so you can read a lot of text on that small screen with ease. The colorful finish makes details clear and brighter, while also giving Garmin the chance to enhance its layout. The new layout makes it easier to read notifications without having to reach for your phone than a lot of other Garmin watches, even the ultra-premium ones.
You will likely be able to use this fuctionality for more features in future, like Ring doorbell alerts. To be clear, you'll need the Venu 3 for that right now, but a Garmin software update is all it could take to get the Venu 3's Ring doorbell interaction on the Vivoactive 5 in future, thanks to that do-it-all display.
Design score: 4/5
(Image credit: Future)
Garmin Vivoactive 5: Features
(Image credit: Garmin)
Attractive and clear layout
Useful shortcuts
Two hardware buttons
The Vivoactive range only has two buttons, unlike the Forerunners or Fenix, which have five. This means touchscreen is the main interaction point and that works very well, with minimal smudges and marks on that resistant glass.
Touch a button to start or stop a workout, while the other can be used to track laps or workout segments. It's simple but works well, with the touchscreen during exercise reserved largely for flicking between data screens.
You have access to over 30 sports tracking options from the get-go, plus this uses the Garmin Connect IQ store for even more health and smart app options available from third-party developers. Although it's worth noting these can be a bit flakey at times, you can't judge the Vivoactive 5 as a unit on the merits of third-party app developers. Besides, I think it's quite charming, like using the internet in the nineties.
Long-press the buttons for shortcut access to useful features like watch controls or clocks and settings. These can be edited too so you do feel in quick control without much menu diving needed.
Features score: 4/5
Garmin Vivoactive 5: Performance
(Image credit: Garmin)
As previously mentioned, the Garmin Vivoactive 5 offers over 30 exercises to track, all with clear data screens that you can edit as you need. From the basics like running, cycling and swimming, to slightly more esoteric activities like golf, yoga and SUP – this has more than enough for most needs.
What makes the metrics really useful, aside from accurate GPS and HR monitoring, is the data on health. Pulse OX looks at your oxygen levels and Respiration monitors breathing rate which is helpful in periods of rest, sleep or during yoga. Body Battery is a tried-and-true Garmin Watch metric used to offer a window into how hard you're pushing yourself. That said, there is no Performance Condition or Training Readiness Score here, which is a shame, but you can still use Body Battery to get a good idea of when to rest and push.
(Image credit: Future)
It's worth noting that this is a very impressive sleeper entry into the best golf watch ring. You can even connect to club sensors for super-rich data metrics in addition to the wealth of health tracking options on offer here.
The lack of Training Load is a shame, as this metric places your exercise into context and really helps when training hard, so you can see when to push yourself and what type of exercise will benefit your training – aerobic versus anaerobic, for example. Also having a number of hours to rest is a helpful figure to work with – and lets you feel you've earned a rest. This is all sadly lacking in the cheaper Vivoactive range, and available on more premium Garmin watches.
The GPS acquisition is definitely slower than on the Forerunners. That said, after an initial connection in a location taking over a minute, it was faster during subsequent tests at under 30 seconds. Accuracy was high once out and training, with HR and GPS both performing comparably to the Forerunner 965 when tested side-by-side. The Vivoactive 5 features the same Elevate V4 heart rate sensor, also on the 965, it would have been nice to see the more advanced V5 found on the Venu 3. Still, these omissions help keep the cost down, eliminating barriers to entry.
The screen offers lots of data options while training and thanks to the clarity of the AMOLED screens, these are genuinely useful, flitting between them all by using the touchscreen. However, the swimming workout profile locks the touchscreen down to avoid water-based touchscreen inaccuracies. On that subject, swimming lengths were measured very accurately, even when I changed between stroke types every few lengths.
For the price point, the fact this features an SpO2 oxygen saturation monitor is impressive. This is able to track two sets of data at once, using green and red lights, making it a lot more data-rich and accurate in other extrapolated metrics than lower-end watches.
(Image credit: Future)
There is a lack of altimeter and metrics to count the number of floors climbed which isn't a deal breaker, although that floors climbed alert is missed when you lose it as a daily measure of active movements.
Sleep data is helpful with REM, deep sleep and light sleep stages, along with pulse oximeter and breathing data for that night. All of that adds up to a competitive offering that gives lots of insight into sleep each morning. I enjoyed the Morning Report which showed changes if I had a poor night's sleep, had drank alcohol or was feeling under the weather.
Having music onboard the watch is a real appeal, as it means going out for exercise without your phone as you connect Bluetooth headphones directly to the watch.
While you can store music onboard, realistically most people will prefer to use Spotify or Deezer and simply save playlists offline on the device. You need a paid subscription to the streaming service in question for these features and the controls aren't great, but it does work and is welcome at this price point.
The Vivoactive 5 initially lacked Garmin Pay in the UK, but that has now rolled out so you can tap to pay and truly explore phone-free.
Notifications from your phone apps work well, with WhatsApp allowing you to read messages as you go without the phone being opened. The options are minimal so it's not an Apple Watch competitor in that way, but is useful enough to stop you reaching for your phone as much.
Apps offer some useful information on your wrist like the weather or sunset times or useful surf data. It's all basic but can be genuinely useful.
(Image credit: Future)
The Garmin Vivoactive 5's layout is modular, like other Garmins, so you can arrange to sort your most-used training profiles to the top of the menu, making getting started easy. But it can get cluttered with automatic recommendations, so it's best to put some time into tidying every now and then to make sure it's running at maximum efficiency.
Garmin says the Vivoactive 5 gets you 11 days on a charge, or six hours of GPS tracking with music or 18 hours without. In real world use that worked out to about a working week's worth of use with several GPS-tracked sessions, without music. That means going away for a weekend, with plenty of training, should mean you won't need to charge the watch until the middle of the following week. That's exactly what you want at this price point.
This is not the best Garmin for battery, by a long shot, but it does the job more than well enough while remaining extremely compact.
The charger uses a proprietary charger, which fits most Garmin devices and plugs into a USB-C port for a full charge in about an hour.
Performance score: 4/5
Image 1 of 6
(Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 6
(Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 6
(Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 6
(Image credit: Future)
Image 5 of 6
(Image credit: Future)
Image 6 of 6
(Image credit: Future)
Garmin Vivoactive 5: Scorecard
Garmin Vivoactive 5: Should I buy?
Buy it if...
You want a bit of everything
The Garmin Vivoactive 5 is great for an all round measure of health, fitness and lifestyle. This gives more than enough data to keep you healthy without overcomplicating things.
You're on a budget
The Garmin Vivoactive 5 is really affordable when you take into consideration how much you get for your money here, including that stunning AMOLED display.
Don't buy it if...
You have sports specific goals
If you want to drill into data to make sports progress using metrics then the Forerunner or Fenix series might serve you better, especially with Training Readiness features.
You want longer battery life
This does offer a powerful battery performance but there are far longer life options, some using solar, if that's your need.
Garmin Vivoactive 5: How we tested
Our reviewer wore the Garmin Vivoactive 5 as his primary smartwatch for over two weeks, and it accompanied him on some trips as well as during regular workouts. It was paired to a iPhone 15 Pro Max for the majority of the testing.
The tracking results were compared to historical results from the Garmin Forerunner 965 and Wahoo Tickr, as well as the built-in step counter on the smartphone to assess accuracy.
Garmin Vivoactive 5: Also consider
Garmin Vivoactive 5 just one of many considerations for you? Here's a trio of suggestions to look into:
Polar Vantage V2
A great multi-sport option perfect for runners. It doesn't hold music, but it can offer very sophisticated metrics and boasts an advanced suite of running features.
The more entry-level, cheaper Forerunner in Garmin's stable offers a great package of its key running features, plus one of it holds music. A great alternative for serious runners.
The Polar Grit X2 Pro is the brand’s attempt to introduce an outdoor sports watch that can compete with both long-term rivals and those brands that are new to the space.
The Grit X Pro was launched two and half years ago, and while it offered improvements on Polar’s first Grit watch, it was still lacking some big features to compete with the best running watches out there.
That changes with the Grit X2 Pro. By adding features such as free topographic maps, dual-frequency GPS, new biometric sensor technology and an AMOLED color screen, Polar is hoping to level the playing field somewhat and better compete with top-end rivals.
What we get with the Grit X2 Pro is an outdoor watch that definitely feels more in line with models such as the Garmin Epix Pro, the Suunto Vertical and the Apple Watch Ultra 2; but in many respects, it isn't a better watch than any of these.
Polar has definitely made moves in the right direction in terms of mapping and navigation to make the device a great outdoor companion, while adding a color screen and innovations such as dual-frequency GPS also heighten its appeal. Crucially, the software that wraps this all up has also improved.
The Grit X2 Pro is absolutely better than the Grit X, and also steps up on the Grit X Pro; but its price, along with the rival watches and features available around the same price, means it doesn’t quite stand head and shoulders above other outdoor watches right now.
Polar Grit X2 Pro: Specifications
(Image credit: Future)
Polar Grit X2 Pro: Price and release date
The Polar Grit X2 Pro launched in March 2024 and is available to buy directly from Polar. It’s also available from watch-specific outlets such as First Class Watches. Priced at $749.95 / £649.99 / AU$1,099.99, it’s significantly more expensive than the Grit X Pro at launch.
Compare that to rival outdoor watches – the obvious comparison here is the Garmin Epix Pro (47mm edition), which comes in at $899.99 / £829.99 / AU$$1,529. There’s the Suunto Vertical (from £545), too, although unlike the Grit X2 Pro and the Epix Pro, it doesn’t include an AMOLED display. Also in this company is the Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Value score:4 / 5
Polar Grit X2 Pro: Design and screen
Attractive, rugged design with nicely textured buttons
Bright and vibrant AMOLED screen
Built with military-grade durability
(Image credit: Future)
You certainly can’t accuse Polar of trying to model the Grit X2 Pro on other outdoor watches; you won’t mistake it for an Apple Watch Ultra 2, Garmin Epix Pro or a Suunto Vertical, that’s for sure.
While the look is in keeping with its predecessor, the case size has grown from the 47mm of the Grit X Pro to the 48.6mm-sized case here. It’s slightly thicker (13.4mm compared to 13mm) and heavier (57g up from 47g), too. The Grist X2 Pro definitely has the stature and feel of a watch such as the Garmin Epix Pro. It isn’t the smallest watch that you wouldn’t think twice about wearing to bed, but neither is as hulking as the Coros Vertix 2S, for example.
The rear of the case is made from bio-based plastic, while you have a choice of either a stainless steel or titanium front case, with the latter pushing up the price. Both include the 5-button array of nicely textured buttons that are easily located and responsive when your hands are sweaty or you’re wearing gloves.
(Image credit: Future)
These are joined by a new 1.39-inch, 454 x 45 resolution AMOLED touchscreen, which delivers a step up on the Grit X Pro display for both screen estate and screen colour. The display is protected by Sapphire glass and is one you can keep on at all times, which you may well wish to do since the raise to wake support isn’t always reliable. There’s a new flashlight mode, but it’s of the kind that illuminates the screen as opposed to a unit that’s built into the watch case. A high-quality AMOLED, it displays a decent top brightness, accurate colours and offers excellent visibility both outdoors and indoors.
Holding that screen to your wrist is a very comfortable silicone strap with a stainless steel buckle; the strap is designed to help improve the reliability of optical heart rate tracking. You do have the option of a leather band, too, although you’ll have to pay extra for that luxury.
In terms of durability, the Grit X2 Pro retains the same MIL-STD-810H military standard of durability as the Grit X Pro, and arrives with the same waterproofing rating. This means it will happily handle being submerged in up to 100 meters of water, and the watch does offer both pool and open water swimming modes.
Design score: 4.5 / 5
Polar Grit X2 Pro: Features
Dual-frequency GPS
Free offline maps
Elixir sensor brings ECG measurements
(Image credit: Future)
The addition of a few significant features see the Grit X2 Pro take a sizeable leap ahead of the Grit X Pro. The first is the addition of the free, topographic maps, with Europe and US maps already preloaded onto the watch. The Grit X Pro only offered the ability to view simpler breadcrumb trails via third-party app Komoot, so this is a massive change on the mapping support front.
This brings improvements on the navigation front, too, with support added for importing routes from Strava (if you have a premium subscription) – although this has also been rolled out to the Grit X Pro.
On the tracking front, much of what we’ve already seen introduced on Polar’s Vantage V3 watch has been added on the Grit X2 Pro. There’s new swimming metrics, the ability to view your vertical and 3D speed, and Polar’s new Work-rest-guide for indoor training, to prompt you when to rest and resume sets during workouts.
(Image credit: Future)
However, the big one here for outdoor lovers is the dual-frequency GPS mode, which seeks to improve outdoor tracking accuracy when in deeply wooded areas, during adverse weather conditions, and when in the vicinity of tall buildings. While not new to outdoor and sports watches in general, it means the Grit X2 Pro joins the Vantage V3 and the Ignite 3 in benefiting from the latest positioning technology innovation.
Another promised advancement concerns the change in the sensor technology Polar includes in the Grit X2 Pro. Polar’s new Elixir sensor setup is designed to sit closer and more comfortably on your wrist. It packs in Polar’s latest generation optical heart rate sensor technology, along with the ability to track SpO2 levels and skin temperature at night. It also adds ECG measurements – although, unlike Apple or Samsung’s inclusion of an ECG sensor on their smartwatches, it isn’t designed for medical use. Instead, it’s there to help make the most of Polar’s fitness tests, which previously required an external heart rate monitor.
Polar also wants the Grit X2 Pro to be a better smartwatch, so the notification and music control features included on the Grit X Pro remain, with the added colour touchscreen now making what was pretty basic smartwatch support more engaging to use.
Features score: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Future)
Polar Grit X2 Pro: Performance
(Image credit: Future)
Getting the watch setup with Polar’s Flow companion smartphone app can typically be a little hit and miss in terms of pairing watch to app, though thankfully it was straightforward here. Like the Vantage V3, the Grit X2 Pro does have a tendency to disconnect itself from the paired smartphone, which can at times be irritating if you’re relying on the notifications feature, for example.
When it’s time to get tracking, there are more than 150 sports profiles from which to choose, and you can control which ones show up on the watch from the Flow app. Polar has essentially taken what it offered on the Vantage V3 and presented them here in a more rugged frame.
Most notable over the Grit X Pro is the dual-frequency mode offered here, which in testing proved a strong example of how such a feature can boost outdoor tracking accuracy in problematic areas. It was certainly a cut above the Grit X Pro, holding up well in testing against watches offering similar support such as the Garmin Epix Pro and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The Grit X2 Pro isn’t the very best in class for this type of support, and does still have a habit of smoothing out corners like the Vantage V3, but overall it performed very well in our tests.
The Grit X2 Pro makes improvements to mapping and navigation support, too, which brings Polar’s outdoor watch much closer to Garmin, and now Suunto, in this regard. Having a splash of colour on-screen also makes using those features more pleasing.
(Image credit: Future)
Maps are easy to read, nicely detailed, and you can use both the touchscreen and physical buttons to interact with them. There’s support for turn-by-turn guidance – although, like the Vantage V3, it’s accessible only through third-party app Komoot; this isn’t the case for using Garmin and Suunto’s outdoor watches. Is it the best mapping and navigation support available on an outdoor watch? No. Is it a huge step in the right direction for Polar? Absolutely.
In terms of the other components that make up Polar’s sports tracking, such as its FitSpark suggested workouts, and its Training Load and Recovery Pro insights, features are certainly easier to engage with and metrics to absorb than elsewhere. The presentation of some training insights could perhaps benefit from being more simplified, because there are absolutely some useful insights here.
Sleep tracking is a standout feature for Polar’s watches, and that doesn’t change with the Grit X2 Pro. Nightly recharge measurements and being able to view your general energy boost from sleep are useful added sleep insights, that’s crucially underpinned by sleep tracking that beats what you’ll get from Garmin and Polar for accuracy.
(Image credit: Future)
Polar’s heritage is built on heart rate, yet the heart rate tracking performance on the Grit X2 Pro appears to fall in line with our experience of the Vantage V3. That new Elixir sensor array didn’t show any notable signs of improvement from Polar’s previous Precision Prime sensor sensor technology. It’s generally fine for steady-paced workouts, but even on easier runs, the maximum and average heart rate readings seemed a little off at times against both Polar and Garmin heart rate monitor chest straps at times.
Thankfully, Polar has addressed some issues regarding how smooth its software runs on its watches. It has boosted CPU speeds (from 120MHz to 275MHz) and ramped up the memory, all while keeping storage at the 32GB of the Grit X Pro. As a result, swiping through screens is a smoother experience, and performance doesn’t labor in the same way it did on previous Grit watches.
In terms of battery life, the Grit X2 Pro will get you through a week with features such as dual-frequency GPS mode and sleep tracking engaged. Polar quotes up to 10 days in smartwatch mode and 43 hours of GPS battery life. Those are the same numbers attached to the Vantage V3. If you decide to use those features regularly and turn the screen to always-on, battery life will drop to a maximum of five days. As such, if you can live without a 24/7 screen, the Grit X2 Pro will last noticeably longer between charges.
There’s a slight change with the charging setup here, too: the proprietary cable remaining the same as Polar switches from a USB-A to a USB-C connection when you want to power up that watch again.
