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I tested this budget, subscription-free fitness tracker and it actually offers Whoop some serious competition – especially in terms of value

3:06 pm | January 22, 2026

Amazfit Helio Strap: One minute review

The Amazfit Helio Strap is a good lower-cost alternative to a Whoop band or even some of the best fitness trackers like Fitbit, as long as you enter with the right expectations. The hardware itself is substantially cheaper, and no subscription is required for day-to-day use of a Helio Strap.

In return, you get all-day health and fitness tracking, with more of a focus on active forms of exercise than some lifestyle wearables. Amazfit doesn’t provide quite as explicit training readiness insights as a Whoop band, but with stats that focus on your training load and overall condition, it doesn’t take a degree in sports science to join the dots for yourself and get most of the benefits.

This is a less upmarket band than some of the competition. Its central part is plastic, with no metal parts, but this is a win for comfort as it further lowers weight.

Amazfit Helio Strap: Specifications

Component	Amazfit Helio Strap
Price	$99.99 / £99.00 / $179.00AU
Dimensions	33.97 x 24.3 x 10.59mm
Weight	20g with band
Case/bezel	Fiber-reinforced polymer
Display	N/A
GPS	N/A
Battery life	Up to 10 days
Connection	Bluetooth
Water resistant	Yes, 5ATM

Amazfit Helio Strap: Price and availability

It costs $99.99 / £99.00 / $179.00AU
Less than the Polar Loop
Much less than the ongoing Whoop subscription

Despite having less tech inside than a more traditional fitness tracking wearable, the pricing of these screenless wearables (other than the Whoop MG) is less aggressive than some other categories. It’s because they’re a lifestyle buy as much as anything

The Amazfit Helio Strap is one of the better-priced options, though. It costs $99.99 / £99.00 / $179.00AU, far less than a Whoop band or the Polar Loop.

There’s no need for an ongoing subscription here either, although one is of course offered. It’s called Aura (not to be confused with Oura). This adds an AI-based wellness advisor and lots of audio-based relaxation content, costing $69.99 (around £52 / AU$100) a year, although during testing we were offered a year’s worth for £19.99. There’s a 14-day free trial too.

Value score: 4/5

Amazfit Helio Strap: Design

Screen-free
Does not feel premium, no metal
Extremely light – set and forget

The Amazfit Helio Strap is a screen-free wearable, and an exceptionally light one. It weighs just 20g, strap included. You can thank the relatively low-frills style of the central unit for this, which is just a puck of plastic. All you see when wearing the Hello Strap is the fabric of the strap itself, which hooks up to the tracker’s block using traditional watch fastenings. Amazfit also offers an arm strap, should you prefer to wear it off the wrist.

I have at times had to check whether the watch was actually still attached, which is just not something that happens with the GPS running watches I tend to wear daily. There is one important caveat to note on the design, though; the Amazfit Helio Strap is not as slimline as you might guess. It sticks out a way from your wrist and its sides don’t fully hug its surface either. In person it’s thicker than the Coros Pace 4 watch I was using at the same time, which is at odds with the vibe most of these screenless wearables try to give out.

That said, Amazfit doesn’t sell the Helio Strap as a casual step and sleep tracker. It apparently has the keener exerciser in mind, as you can see from the Hyrox-themed strap attached here. Hyrox and Amazfit have entered a partnership (Amazfit is now the official timekeeper for the event), but the standard version of the strap is plain two-tone dark grey.

This watch isn’t a friend to those tight-fit long-sleeved base layers that hug the wrist, but actually wearing the Hello Strap has been an entirely discomfort-free experience. Of course, you will still need to make the strap reasonably tight for the most accurate heart rate results so the little sensor mount on the back will leave an imprint in your wrist. It comes with the territory.

Amazfit rates the watch’s water resistance at 5ATM, so you won’t have to take it off too often. The official guidance is the Helio Strap is “suitable for splashes, snow, showering, swimming” but shouldn’t be worn in the sauna or for a “hot shower” as the steam can damage the internal seals.

Design score: 4/5

Amazfit Helio Strap: Features

Relatively slight on features
Transmit HR data to gym machines and fitness watches
Set up to 10 haptic alarms

Wearables like the Amazfit Hello Strap are not out to wow us with their expansive feature lists (after all, they’re designed not to be interacted with) but it does do more than you might guess.

It has a temperature sensor, for example, used to check for variations from the norm overnight. Such a change could be an indicator of illness. You can set up to 10 alarms too, which use the Helio Strap’s vibration motor to alert you. It’s not a massively powerful buzz, though, so you might not want to rely on it to wake you up for work each day.

A little unusual for a screenless wearable, Amazfit also stresses its active fitness tracking skills. You can manually start a specific tracked exercise in the app on your phone, and the Helio Strap can also be set to automatically detect workouts and log them as such. When you start a tracked session in the app, the Helio Strap can transmit live heart rate data to another device. Some more advanced gym machines support this, as do cycling computers and some fitness watches. It uses Bluetooth for this, not ANT+, which was the classic technology of heart rate chest straps.

What else is there to note? The Hello Strap uses a tiny little charge puck that connects to a pair of metal contacts on the back. Easy to lose, but also easy to transport in a pocket.

Features score: 4/5

Amazfit Helio Strap: Performance

Battery life as described
Solid heart rate accuracy
Plenty of metrics provided in-app

Low upkeep is one of the best parts of the Amazfit Hello Strap. Despite weighing next-to-nothing, Amazfit still says it delivers “up to 10 days” of battery life. And that is entirely consistent with our experience. After using it for a week, the Helio Strap had 35% charge left. While two-week battery watches with screens are common enough, they weigh a lot more than the Helio Strap.

A lot of this wearable’s metrics rely on heart rate data. The Hello Strap’s is mostly solid with some small issues that may not dull its appeal too much, especially at this price point. Throughout the day, passive tracking is decent and there are no wild spikes as you walk around your home or office. This can happen when a tracker takes any sign of walking as a suggestion your HR is likely rising fast.

You don’t manually start tracked activities on the watch, but when comparing the results of long runs on the Helio Strap with those of a chest strap, though, the Amazfit Hello Strap occasionally overestimates heart rate by around 10bpm. Not a hugely meaningful difference to most, and certainly good enough for an indication of heart rate zones, but still not quite as accurate as the best Apple Watches. Amazfit does talk about the Helio Strap as a wearable to pair with another fitness watch, to fill in stat gaps throughout the day and night, and during other workouts the results were (relatively) bang-on accurate. But there’s definitely scope for tracking accuracy to improve in a firmware update.

As for tracking steps, the Amazon Helio Strap recorded slightly lower counts over a five day period, apart from one day when they were almost identical just 3000 steps apart. Over the five day period the Helio Strap recorded 94% of the steps of the Garmin Forerunner 970. It’s also worth noting the Garmin was worn on my dominant arm (the Helio Strap was not) so that could have a part to play here.

Sleep tracking performance is solid. A couple of nights during testing I wore the Amazfit Helio Strap alongside three other wearables to see how great the disparities would be: the Garmin Forerunner 970, Polar Loop and Coros Pace 4. All four of these watches failed to pick up on any of the moment you briefly wake up and wonder why the alarm clock reads 4:55am. But those times you actually have to get up to go to the toilet? It picks them up. The Amazfit Helio Strap also did consistently note a change in sleep state and heart rate during those missed moments of wakefulness, though – the next best thing.

It’s also important not to underrate the quality of the Amazfit Helio Strap app. It’s Zepp, shared with other Amazfit wearables. And its layout is kinda great for the purposes of a wearable like this. On the front page you get a handy summary of stats you likely want to see daily, with a traffic light system too show which (if any) are a bit dodgy. These include resting heart rate, sleep duration, Skin temperature, exertion load and more.

This layout returns in a separate Sleep tab, where we get stats like heart rate variability, Deep Sleep duration and skin temperature, again with the traffic light system.

Amazfit also goes big on a concept called BioCharge, which is an estimation of your overall energy level. The one missing next step is what you get with Whoop, where such data – and other bits – are used to more explicitly tell you whether you should work out on a specific day or not. And the paid-for Aura subscription is more about wellness and relaxation that that kind of athlete-focused experience.

Performance score: 4/5

Amazfit Helio Strap: Scorecard

Category	Comment	Score
Value	Cheaper than most and with a no forced subscription? Typical of Amazfit, the Hello Strap is decent value.	4/5
Design	It may not be a luxury wearable but the super-low weight is fantastic for comfort.	4/5
Features	While screen-free wearables are never feature-packed, this one has a few neat extras including heart rate broadcasting.	4/5
Performance	You get good overall stat accuracy with just some missed wakeful moments during sleep tracking.	4/5

Amazfit Helio Strap: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You want a good-value screen-free wearable

While not Amazfit’s most aggressively-priced tracker, it beats the big-name competition and then some.

You value comfort highly

At just 20g, you can often forget the Amazfit Helio Strap is even on your wrist.

You want quick daily dose health stats

The Amazfit app does a good job of highlighting unusual health stats, with a colour highlight system.

Don't buy it if...

You want a wearable for run tracking

This band doesn’t have GPS (or a screen, obviously) so is not ideal for more hardcore run training.

If luxury style is a priority

A fabric strap and plastic housing are great for low weight, but there are no luxe touches here.

You want a direct Whoop replacer

The stats the Amazfit Helio Band are much more classic lifestyle fitness tracker fodder instead of Whoop’s hyper-detailed recovery focus.

Also consider

Whoop MG

The most premium version of the original screenless wellness wearable.

Read our full Whoop MG review

Polar Loop

A little more money, but a more premium stainless steel design.

Read our full Polar Loop reviewView Deal

First reviewed: January 2026

Polar Loop review: The screen-free fitness tracker is good on heart rate, but a software let-down

5:16 pm | January 21, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Fitness Trackers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: Australia, US | Comments: Off

Polar Loop: One minute review

The Polar Loop is, on the surface, what a lot of folks want. It’s a lifestyle-friendly wearable like the popular Whoop MG, but one that doesn’t come with a mandatory monthly subscription.

It’s screen-free, with a lightweight body and fabric strap for maxed-out comfort. Polar has kept the Loop simple, offering a limited set of features rather than trying to cram in lots of extras. It tracks your sleep, your steps and has a crack at recognising and logging activity sessions — runs, walks and so on. This part is patchy, but the Polar Loop was never going to be that big a hit as a one of the best fitness tracker with the hardcore exerciser crowd anyway.

The Polar Loop’s issues are largely software-based. You have to get on with the Polar app to make the Loop fun to use, and its interface and presentation of data could really do with a rethink. This is planned for the future, but for now, this isn’t quite the Whoop-killer you may be hoping for. It’s shown up on that front by the cheaper Amazfit Helio Strap.

As is, what you get is a decent screen less tracker, but one that may be better later into its lifespan – after a software update, at least.

Polar Loop: Specifications

Component	Polar Loop
Price	$199 / £149.50 / AU$299
Dimensions	42 x 27 x 9mm
Weight	29g with band
Case/bezel	Stainless steel/Plastic
Display	N/A
GPS	N/A
Battery life	Up to 8 days
Connection	Bluetooth
Water resistant	Yes, 3ATM

Polar Loop: Price and Availability

$199 in the US
£149.50 in the UK
AU$299 in Australia

The Polar Loop launched in early September 2025 as a subscription-free alternative to the Whoop band. This is a little over a year since the launch of the Polar 360, a business-oriented wellness wearable that’s ultimately pretty similar to this consumer version. It costs $199 in the US, £149.50 in the UK and AU$299 in Australia.

While there are no explicit ongoing costs, there is a totally optional subscription called Polar Fitness Program, which works out an adaptive training plan for you. This costs 9.99 Euro a month after a free trial. This is far better value than the Whoop, which doesn’t sell you the device at all – just an expensive subscription. But for a fitness tracker that doesn’t actually do a lot, it’s still quite highly-priced.

Value score: 3.5/5

Polar Loop: Design

Screenless
Steel accents
Comfortable stretchy bands

The Polar Loop is similar enough to the Whoop band that Whoop has sued Polar claiming the company nicked its design. However, what this really boils down to is a couple of conventions already seen across the screenless wearables landscape.

Polar uses a fabric strap that weaves, buckle-like, over the wearable’s main unit. It covers where the screen would be in a normal watch. The Loop uses a velcro-style fastener and is clearly designed to look like a lifestyle wearable over a hardcore fitness gadget. While much of the core brick is plastic, the top and outer parts are brushed bronze-shade steel. It’s there to provide a touch of class.

These screen-free wearables are intended to be the kind of gadget you set and forget, at least until the battery runs out. The Polar Loop weighs 29g, strap included, light enough not to pick up any real momentum as you swing your arms unlike a watch like the Apple Watch Ultra, which weighs close to 60g. But you are still gong to see those familiar skin indents when you occasionally take the watch off, pressing its contours into your wrist.

Is it comfy? Sure, these slightly stretchy fabric bands are ace for comfort. But I’ve found the Amazfit Helio Band slightly easier to forget I’m wearing, no doubt because it’s even lighter: just 20g.

The Polar Loop has no buttons and no LED status indicator. You can’t interact with it if you try. There’s not even a vibration motor: it’s about as stripped-back as Polar could make it. Water resistance is rated at WR30, which in other wearables is often seen as not enough for safe swimming, while Polar says the Loop is fine for “bathing and swimming” under the ISO22810 standard, just not diving or snorkelling.

Design score: 4/5

Polar Loop: Features

No subscription
Very little interaction
Precision Prime heart rate sensor from 2018

One of the core appeals of the Polar Loop is, of course, that there is no mandatory subscription. There is a paid part of the app, though.

It’s called Polar Fitness Program, which costs around $11 a month (9.99 Euro). This launched in April 2025, provides tailored workout plans. It would work much better when paired with Polar’s more conventional fitness watches, like the Polar Grit X2, than a Loop.

The Polar Loop’s own feature set is very stripped-back. You can’t, for example, make the watch broadcast its heart rate data to be used by another device. There’s no altimeter, so counting of steps climbed is not recorded. You cannot use the Polar Loop as an alarm as there’s no vibration motor. When the Polar Loop is running low on battery you’ll simply get an incessant reminder to charge on your phone. You know the funny bit? Polar actually released a tracker called the Loop 2 in 2015 that did have vibration, and a half-hidden screen made up of 85 LEDs.

Neither that band nor the Polar Loop records blood oxygenation data either, despite the heart rate array making use of green, red and orange LEDs. Polar calls this its Precision Prime array, and it has been around for absolutely ages. A similar design was found in 2018’s Polar Vantage V. That’s a lifetime ago in tech terms, but the basics still work well.

Features score: 2.5/5

Polar Loop: Performance

8 days of battery life
Some activity tracking errors
HR data testing similar to Garmin Elevate V5 sensor

Despite the lack of a screen, Polar says the Loop lasts eight days, which is actually a bit less than some of its watches with displays. This is basically on the money. You can expect it to last around a week. With no GPS or screen, there should be little variation in how long it lasts based on your activity level.

Like any wearable, the Polar Loop is heavily reliant on its heart rate sensor for any data beyond your steps. This wearable has a pretty good one, despite using older hardware. While this is not a replacement for a full-on runner’s watch due to its lack of GPS, its HR data during runs is pretty similar to that of a Garmin Forerunner 970 (one of the best Garmin watches) and its Elevate V5 sensor, wore concurrently during most of my testing.

The Polar Loop doesn’t tend to mess up the start of workouts, or show unexpected major HR spikes during the work day when you do little more than potter about. There was one unexpected spike during a tracked run, but in general the results are solid here.

By default, the Polar Loop will record basic stats 24/7, and then automatically log any slightly extended stretches it believes you’re exercising. Go for a 12-minute walk? You can expect to see that pop up in the Polar app. It’s not entirely flawless, though; during one run, the Loop only clocked half of the hour-and-change workout, seemingly stopping during a brief break, only to fail to register the second half. The durations of some sessions are off too, although you can always take a more active approach to tracking: in the Polar phone app, you can manually start a tracked session, select the Loop, and use it as the source for HR data.

That aside, the Polar Loop has a good stab at recording your daily steps. And it of course tracks sleep, too, estimating your time spent in the light, deep and REM sleep zones, and records interruptions. The Polar Loop is more sensitive to these than another wearable’s full-on wakeful moments detection, so you may well see your sleep records peppered with these tiny interruption blips.

The lead stats Polar wants you to focus on are sleep duration, sleep solidity and regeneration — basically how much that sleep is getting your body back where it needs to be. However, there’s also an ANS Charge (autonomous nervous system charge) section in which you can check out breathing rate and heart rate variability.

All the basic data is here, and it’s sound enough. The Polar Loop’s biggest issue is the phone app isn’t really all that enjoyable to use, may look dated to some and doesn’t really direct the user that well as to what they should focus on.

The app’s home screen is Diary, which acts like a feed of your day, showing recent auto-tracked exercises, your step count and so on, in semi-chronological order. This is not as effective as the software in Amazfit’s rival Helio Strap app, which is more intuitive and has a handy traffic light-style system to alert you to any stats that may be out of the ordinary.

Screen-free wearables are massively reliant on their apps for the overall quality of experience. And Polar’s could do with some work. It’s just not that inviting a space to hang out in. Polar does plan to fully revamp the app in future, but right now we can only work with that we have.

Performance score: 3.5/5

Polar Loop: Scorecard

Category	Comment	Score
Value	The lack of a forced subscription is good but this is not the most aggressively priced tracker around.	3.5/5
Design	It’s comfortable, it looks decent and has some higher-grade steel elements, plus you get a choice of colours.	4/5
Features	A watch like this doesn’t need scads of features, but it does miss out on a few elements that could be handy.	2.5/5
Performance	Heart rate accuracy is decent but you may not want to rely on auto exercise recognition for accurate session logging.	3/5

Polar Loop: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You like its style

An important factor here is how the Loop doesn’t look like a fitness watch, with a two-tone fabric outer strap with steel accents.

You want a subscription-free experience

While you can pay for a training plan subscription, there’s no mandatory subscription with a Polar Loop.

You want pure passive tracking

With no screen, and even no vibrate or buttons, this is a zero-interaction wearable for those who want no wrist distractions.

Don’t buy it if…

You are expecting big health insights

At the time of review the Loop doesn’t present its data in the most cogent way, and also has fairly basic hardware.

You want better software before buying

While Polar has plans to overhaul its software and interface, we don’t know when that will happen at the time of review.

Also consider

Whoop MG

The screen-free band that made this category sing, but requires a pricey subscription.

Read our full Whoop MG review

First reviewed: December 2025

Polar Grit X2 review: the Grit X2 Pro in a smaller, cheaper package

1:00 am | January 20, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: AMOLED, Garmin Fenix | Comments: Off

Polar Grit X2: One minute review

It's fair to say Polar’s smartwatch line up has become a little confusing over the last few years, with “Pro” and “Titan” versions floating around at premium prices alongside the Grit, Vantage M and Ignite series – it's not exactly easy for buyers to decipher which model is the best for them.

The arrival of the Polar Grit X2 doesn't exactly help things. But it does point to the brand at least trying to make its outdoor models simple again – not by reinventing the wheel, but by taking the best bits of the Grit X2 Pro and repackaging them into something that feels more wearable, less intimidating and – crucially – much cheaper.

That’s the core appeal here. The Grit X2 uses the same underlying hardware and software as the Pro model, including Polar’s Elixir biosensing platform (that tracks heart rate, ECG, SpO2 and skin temperature), dual-frequency GPS for better outdoor accuracy, and a bright AMOLED display that finally makes mapping feel like a proper “modern” feature rather than a gimmick. It also keeps full offline maps capability and a generous 32GB of storage for them, which is still something many outdoor watches either charge extra for or half-deliver.

Where it differs is mostly in the build. The case is smaller and lighter, the materials aren’t as premium as the Pro, and water resistance drops from 100m to 50m. That might sound like a downgrade on paper, but in reality, the Grit X2 is simply more practical for most wrists and most lives, especially if you’re wearing it 24/7 for sleep tracking and recovery insights.

It’s not perfect, though. Polar’s smartwatch features remain fairly basic – notifications, music controls, a few widgets and that’s your lot, as usual with Polar – and Polar Flow is still one of the least intuitive companion apps in the game. The watch interface also looks a bit old-school next to Garmin’s slicker menus and Apple’s “everything is an app” approach.

Still, if what you want is a capable, no-nonsense outdoor watch that leans heavily into training, recovery and mapping, the Grit X2 is arguably Polar’s best value rugged wearable yet.

Polar Grit X2: Price and availability

Polar Grit X2 smartwatch review — (Image credit: Polar)

Price: £399 / $799 / AU$799
Release date: June 2025
Colors: Night Black and Brown Copper

The Polar Grit X2 launched in June 2025 and lands in a noticeably more approachable price bracket than the Grit X2 Pro, which is exactly the point.

In the UK, the watch has a £399 RRP but if you shop around you're likely to find it for less. At the time of writing, it's on sale for £331.17 on Polar's official online store. In the US, the watch is listed for a pretty unproportionate $799, probably due to import reasons from Polar's native EU, and in Australia it’ll cost you AU$799.

That pricing puts it in an interesting middle ground. It’s clearly more “serious” than basic outdoor-ish watches, but it’s also not trying to compete directly with the ultra-premium crowd like the Garmin Fenix 8 or Apple Watch Ultra range on price. Instead, it’s more of a smart alternative if you want flagship-grade tracking and mapping without paying flagship money.

Value score: 4 / 5

Polar Grit X2: Design

Slimmer, lighter and easier to live with than the Pro
AMOLED display looks fantastic and is protected by sapphire glass
Strap is comfortable but oddly stiff

The Grit X2 feels like Polar’s attempt at a rugged watch that doesn’t look like a dinner plate strapped to your arm. It sports a 44.7mm case (around 45mm in real-world terms) with a fairly slim 12.5mm thickness, which is a genuinely wearable size for an outdoor watch and a noticeable shift from the bulkier Pro model.

Despite being the “cheaper” version, it still keeps a stainless steel bezel and sapphire glass over the display, which is exactly what you want on something that’s likely to scrape against rocks or whatever else life throws at it. The main cost-saving is in the case itself, which is reinforced polymer instead of a more premium metal build. It doesn’t feel cheap, but it does feel less luxurious than the Pro if you’re the kind of person who cares about that.

The watch is also MIL-STD-810H certified, meaning it’s been tested against shock, temperature and humidity extremes. In other words, it’s meant to handle the outdoors properly, not just look like it can.

The display is a 1.28-inch AMOLED panel with a 416 x 416 resolution, and it’s one of the main reasons this watch feels like a modern upgrade over older Grit models. It’s sharp, colourful, and makes maps far more usable than the old MIP screens do. You can set it to always-on too, which looks great, but obviously hits battery life considerably.

Around the bezel you get Polar’s familiar five-button layout, and they’re textured and easy to press even when your hands are cold or sweaty. That matters more than you’d think, especially when you’re mid-run and don’t want to be poking at a touchscreen in the rain.

My only real gripe here is the strap. It’s flexible enough, but it has a slightly stiff feel that makes you very aware of it during workouts. The good news is it uses a simple sliding pin mechanism, so swapping it out is easy if you’d rather stick a softer strap on there.

Design score: 4 / 5

Polar Grit X2: Features

Loads of outdoor and training features lifted from the Pro model
Offline maps are excellent – route guidance is less seamless
Smartwatch features still feel basic

The Grit X2 is essentially running the same feature set as the Grit X2 Pro, which is a big deal when you consider how much cheaper it is (£399 vs £649 RRP, although obviously US costs are much higher).

Polar’s Elixir biosensing platform is the main draw here, boasting 4th-gen optical heart rate tracking, wrist-based ECG, blood oxygen-sensing (SpO2) and skin temperature tracking. In real life, that translates to a watch that feels properly serious about health data, rather than just ticking the usual smartwatch boxes.

Polar’s recovery tools are still some of its strongest features. You get Nightly Recharge, which breaks down how well your body recovered overnight, and more sleep insights than most people will ever need. There’s also Training Load Pro and Cardio Load, which help you understand how hard you’re pushing across sessions, plus performance tests like leg recovery and walking tests.

It’s a very “Polar” approach, which is to say it’s geared toward people who actually care about training patterns and recovery trends rather than just collecting colourful rings.

The outdoor side is equally strong. You get full offline maps, 32GB of storage for them, and navigation features that finally put Polar in a more competitive place with the likes of industry big guns Garmin and Suunto. The maps themselves look great on the AMOLED display, and moving around them feels responsive rather than laggy. You can switch orientation, view points of interest and pan around without it feeling like you’re fighting the watch.

The less slick part is how you actually get routes and turn-by-turn navigation. You can upload GPX files, or sync routes from services like Komoot and Strava, but those options often require paid subscriptions – and the whole process still feels more fiddly than it should. You can absolutely use the maps without turn-by-turn guidance, but if you want a seamless experience planning a route on the fly, for instance, Polar still isn’t there yet.

As for smartwatch features, it’s the usual Polar story. You get phone notifications (but can’t act on them), weather widgets, and music controls. That’s basically it. There's no app store, nor is there a proper ecosystem. Nothing that feels meaningfully new compared to previous Polar watches. If you want your watch to replace your phone for anything beyond workouts, this isn’t the one.

Features score: 3 / 5

Polar Grit X2: Performance

Dual-frequency GPS is accurate and reliable for most outdoor training
Heart rate tracking is solid, but can drift high in hard efforts
Sleep and recovery insights are strong

In day-to-day use, the Grit X2 performs like you’d expect from a watch using Polar’s latest hardware.

Dual-frequency GPS is now becoming standard across sports watches, allowing for more accurate positioning in challenging environments. However, that doesn’t automatically mean every watch that features it is perfect. In the Grit X2’s case, though, it’s a strong performer. Compared against watches like the Garmin's latest Forerunner 970, it generally held up well in terms of accuracy and didn’t do anything weird with routes.

Heart rate tracking is also solid, especially in steady-state workouts where optical sensors tend to behave best. When intensity ramps up, it still has that familiar wrist-sensor problem where readings can spike a bit higher than expected, especially during sudden pace changes. It’s not the end of the world, but if you're obsessed with accuracy, you'll be way better off with a chest strap, or perhaps using the Polar H10 alongside this watch.

I also used the Grit X2 for indoor sessions and general gym workouts, and it handled those well enough, with the usual caveat that wrist HR is never going to be flawless when you’re gripping bars or constantly flexing your wrists.

Sleep tracking is one of Polar’s longstanding strengths, and it shows here. The Grit X2 does a decent job of capturing the broad trend, like when you fell asleep, how long you slept, and whether your night was restful or messy, etc. Sleep stages (REM, deep, etc.) are still something I take with a pinch of salt on a wrist-mounted wearable, but the overall sleep score and recovery insights are useful. If you want a watch that encourages you to take recovery seriously, Polar remains one of the best at it.

The area where Polar lets you down in the Grit X2 isn't the tracking, it's the presentation. The Polar Flow app might be packed with data, but it's just so poorly put together. Some of the terminology is also a bit cryptic, which makes quick glances harder than they should be.

When it comes to battery life, the Grit X2 uses a 310mAh battery, which is smaller than the Pro model’s chunkier cell. Polar says you’ll get up to a week in smartwatch mode (assuming you don’t use the always-on display), and in my experience that’s realistic. Turn on always-on, however, and that’ll obviously be cut down.

For GPS tracking, you’re looking at about 30 hours in the best accuracy mode, which is decent for most runners, hikers and cyclists.

One genuinely neat addition is that you can charge the watch while still tracking an activity. That’s not something you’ll do while running, but if you’re hiking with a power bank in your pack, it’s a smart way to avoid ending an activity early just because battery anxiety kicks in.

The most interesting battery detail, though, is that it’s replaceable. That’s rare on rugged sports watches, and it’s a big deal for longevity. Polar says you can’t do this yourself and will cost €39.90 ( around £35 / $45), plus service and shipping fees to send the watch to a Polar Service Center. If you’re someone who keeps watches for years, that’s a pretty good perk.

Performance score: 4 / 5

Polar Grit X2: Scorecard

Category	Comment	Score
Value	Good feature set for the money	4/5
Design	Lightweight and comfortable.	4/5
Features	Fine, but more comprehensive options available.	3/5
Performance	Excels as a training tool, limited as a watch.	4/5

Polar Grit X2: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You want Pro-level outdoor features for less

It’s basically the Grit X2 Pro experience in a cheaper, lighter package.View Deal

You care about maps and navigation

Full offline maps plus 32GB storage makes it a proper adventure companion.View Deal

You like deep recovery insights

Polar’s sleep and training load tools are still among the best.View Deal

Don't buy it if...

You need robust smartwatch features

There’s no app store, voice assistant or payment support, for example.View Deal

You hate fiddly apps

Polar Flow is simply not the most intuitive app experience.View Deal

You need huge battery life

It’s good, but some rivals will outlast it on multi-day GPS-heavy trips.View Deal

Also consider

Garmin Fenix 8

If you want the most complete rugged “do everything” ecosystem, Garmin still leads. Better smartwatch support, deeper customisation, and often stronger battery - but you’ll pay significantly more.

Check out our full Garmin Fenix 8 review View Deal

COROS Vertix 2S

If battery life is your top priority and you want a performance-first adventure watch for ultra-distance days, Coros is hard to ignore. Less smartwatch fluff, huge endurance focus.

Check out our full COROS Vertix 2S review View Deal

Suunto Race

A great pick for outdoor navigation fans who want a cleaner, simpler interface and strong mapping tools, with certain models also offering solar charging for longer trips off-grid.

Check out our full Suunto Race View Deal

How I tested

I wore the Polar Grit X2 daily for around two weeks, testing its features during various activities, including running, cycling and yoga. I used its dual-band GPS for outdoor workouts and tracked recovery metrics with Polar’s app tools.

I also evaluated its smartwatch functionality by syncing it to a smartphone, using it for notifications and assessing app integration. To test durability, I wore it during both high-intensity workouts and casual everyday use, paying attention to comfort and battery performance.

First reviewed: January 2026

I’ve got wide feet and struggle to find good running shoes — but these Altra shoes with unique lacing system are a supremely comfortable all rounder

4:58 pm | January 8, 2026

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Comments: Off

Altra Timp 5 Boa: Two-minute review

Get Fit for '26

This article is part of our Get Fit for '26 series, in which our writers talk about the wellness and fitness challenges and experiences they've taken on, and the ones set to shape the year ahead. You can read all the articles in the series here.

It's safe to say that the Altra Timp 5 Boa trail running shoes stand out from all the other pairs I've used over the years, including from the likes of Nike, Asics and Inov-8 among others.

The Inov-8 Trailfly G270 V2's are typically a sweet spot for me as someone who lives in the countryside with trails on my doorstep who wants a lightweight but durable, mostly off-road shoe. So how do the Timp 5 Boa trail shoes compare, and could they be one of the best running shoes for my broad feet?

Well, they certainly are an altogether different shoe from those Inov-8's. Altra's hallmarks are a particularly wide toe box and zero drop – two features I appreciate and drew my attention to the brand in the first place.

However, it's the unique lacing system of the 'Boa' version of the Timp 5's that peaked my curiosity. Swapping out traditional laces, there's a dial which tightens and loosens the lace, enabling quick and precise adjustments. Kind of like ski boots.

I was concerned how effective this system would be, expecting the lace to regularly work its way loose, but those worries were unfounded following multiple 5 mile trails runs over several weeks, tackling hills and all manner of terrain.

Altra Timp 5 Boa running shoe product photos — Push in the dial, rotate, and the lace tightens. Pull out the dial and the whole lace loosens. The unique lacing system is super easy. (Image credit: Tim Coleman)

Quick and micro adjustments are a doddle with this lacing system, which was a godsend given that I broke two fingers during the review period (unrelated, I promise – I stacked it in a skate park when rolling back the years on my daughter's scooter), and had limited use of one hand.

I've consequently lived in the Timp 5 Boa's because traditional laces were particularly tricky, but this lacing dial is manageable with one hand.

I like the look of the Timp 5 Boas too, even if the upper mesh is hard to clean after muddy trail runs to smarten them up for use afterwards as a day shoe.

And at 10oz / 286g, they are heavier than the average running shoe – I found them slow going for running (compared to those light Inov-8 shoes), so my pace was a little slower than I would like.

I'm used to zero drop shoes, but I did get a small strain on my achilles after totting up the miles in those Altra shoes. You might not be affected in the same way.

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The stretch 'sock' fabric cut into the outside of my ankle on occasion, too, if I had the tightening set incorrectly to my feet. Again, that might not be an issue for you.

I don't think I've find my new fast trail shoes, sadly, but the Timp 5 Boa's have otherwise been supremely comfortable and are clearly durable. These are my new top pick for long days on my feet, and I will definitely get a lot of use from them.

The Altra Timp 5 Boa's cost $185 / £155 on the Altra website, but you can also find discounted prices at other leading retailers – I've seen as much as 40% off even at the time of writing, which feels more reasonable.

Altra Timp 5 Boa: Specifications

Component	Altra Timp 5 Boa
Weight:	10oz / 286g
Upper:	Quick-dry air mesh
Midsole	Altra EGO™ MAX
Outsole	Vibram® Megagrip
Heel-to-toe drop	0mm

Altra Timp 5 Boa: Scorecard

Category	Comment	Score
Value	No discount at the time of writing at Altra, and relatively pricey	4/5
Design	Wide toebox gives room for feet to breathe, zero heel drop might not suit all	4.5/5
Features	Unique lacing system works a charm for micro adjustments and snug support, Vibram midsole adds durability	4.5/5
Performance	Supremely comfortable, but not the quickest running shoe	4/5

Altra Timp 5 Boa: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You have wide feet

The wide toe box is designed for people with wide feet and is certainly spacious.

You want a comfortable every day shoe

Slighly heavy for running, the cushioned Timp 5 Boa's are arguably a better pick for long days on your feet.

Don't buy it if...

You want a high speed running shoe

At 10oz / 286g, these are heavier than average shoes, not PB-assisting ones.

You want a smart-looking running shoe

I love the lacing system and overall like the look, but the hard-to-clean mesh isn't ideal for a trail shoe.

Also consider

Inov-8 Trailfly G270 V2

If you want a faster trail running shoe, I recommend the Inov-8 Trailfly G270 V2 instead – it's lighter, extremely durable and likewise has a zero drop.

Read my full Inov-8 Trailfly G270 V2 review

Altra Timp 5 Boa: how I tested

Used as my primary everyday shoe and running shoe for 1 month
My typical running distance was around 25km per week
I ran on mixed terrain; technical trails, footpaths and roads, flat and hilly, and used these as day to day shoes

I pretty much lived in the Altra Timp 5 Boa's for a month, using them as my every day shoe for walking, hiking and commuting. I also completed numerous trail runs – about three per week for a month, with a typical weekly distance of around 25kms.

I live in the hilly countryside and most of the running I do covers mixed terrain and run in all kinds of weather. I've run on trails, footpaths and roads; wet and dry; flat and hilly. Just about any scenario you can imagine.

First reviewed: December 2025

This vibrating light-therapy wand is the best part of my skincare routine — and it’s already helping my acne

1:29 pm | December 30, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Comments: Off

Nanoleaf 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand: Two-minute review

It was a surprise to many fans of Nanoleaf's popular smart-lighting products when the brand expanded into wellness, releasing a selection of devices including the Nanoleaf LED face mask and 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand.

Given its experience in making some of the best smart lights, it makes sense that the brand should know what it's doing when it comes to light therapy, and based on my experience so far, it’s best demonstrated by the new light wand.

Offering six treatments (anti-aging, acne, repair, soothing, heating and cooling), the Nanoleaf 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand is a veritable facial in your pocket, clad in a stylish sage green and weighing just 201g. I’ve been using it two or three times a week for five weeks at the time of writing this review, and I can already tell that it’s working well for me, and that’s not just because the treatment itself is better.

Specs
Weight	201g
Dimensions	187 x 40 x 55mm (L x W x H)
Temperature	Heating Temperature: 38±3℃ Cooling Temperature: 15±3℃
Wavelengths	Red + NIR: 630nm + 850nm Blue: 460nm

There are three key reasons why I prize my Nanoleaf light wand over and above the brand’s LED face mask, which I enjoyed, albeit with some reservations.

Firstly, the device is lightweight and very portable, making it an excellent travel companion. This is something I also appreciated about Nanoleaf’s silicone face mask, especially in comparison to the bulky and rigid Shark Cryoglow , and the handheld wand amps up the convenience by being portable enough to stash in a toiletries bag and lasting up to three hours on a single charge.

Each treatment lasts just four minutes, with Nanoleaf recommending two to three sessions per week, meaning the wand can comfortably go weeks without charging, too. It takes three hours to recharge via USB-C, so it’s plenty convenient even if you're traveling.

The second reason I’m drawn back to the Nanoleaf 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand over its competition in the face-mask market is its versatility. To use the wand, you glide its light panel and metallic face across your skin in a circular motion, choosing one of its six presets depending on your needs.

Each preset is paired with a different combination of temperature, LEDs, and vibration, which I’ve detailed below. Each setting can be adjusted to one of three intensity settings, though I’d always recommend sticking with the factory settings.

Treatment	Light therapy	Temperature	Vibration	Intensity (default)
Anti-aging	Red Light + NIR	Heating	Y	3
Acne	Blue Light	None	Y	3
Repair	Red Light + NIR	Cooling	N	3
Soothe	N	Heating	Y	3
Cooling	N	Cooling	N	1
Heating	N	Heating	N	1

Much like the Shark Cryoglow, there’s a cooling element around the light panel, except here this effect can be used on your whole face rather than just your under-eye area.

Cryotherapy treatments can help to constrict blood vessels under your skin, reducing redness, puffiness and inflammation and helping to tighten pores and improve circulation; all things my acne-prone skin can benefit from.

However, it’s not just cooling that can maximize the benefits of light therapy; some modes instead utilize a heating effect, which can help to loosen debris and cleanse the skin, reduce tension and even stimulate skin regeneration according to some research.

Neither heating nor cooling is too intense, with the former reaching up to 42C and the latter at a lowest temperature of 12C, meaning both treatments can be enjoyed as a relaxing step of your skincare routine.

That’s an excellent segue into the final feather in the Nanoleaf 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand’s cap, which is the fact that you can use it to apply products to your skin as part of your daily routine.

I loved starting my nightly skincare routine with a round of heating to help open my pores and clear my skin of the day’s grime, and relax myself for bedtime, applying my various lotions and potions and massaging them into the skin while treating it with heat, light and massaging vibrations.

Personally, I think this is what has made all the difference for me (and my skin!) compared to Nanoleaf’s LED-only face mask; my skin is a lot clearer, and after a slightly painful few days where it seemed my acne worsened and came to the fore, weeks down the line it’s settling and looking clearer than it has since I was using Shark’s Cryoglow every day.

Nanoleaf 6-in-1 light therapy wand — (Image credit: Future)

While I love these three benefits, none of this is to say Nanoleaf’s 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand is perfect. One major design flaw is that you should never look directly at these LEDs, yet it’s really easy during use to slip or misplace the wand and blast bright lights straight into your eyes. Of course this can be remedied with eye masks or keeping them closed, but I personally don’t find jabbing blindly at my face with a hard surface particularly relaxing.

Also noteworthy is that, much like the brand’s face mask, the light wavelengths on offer still aren’t quite within peak performance based on currently available scientific studies; its blue light emits at 460nm versus the recommended 415nm and near-infrared (NIR) at 850nm versus 830nm. Thankfully, though, red light bucks the trend with its 630nm output vs 633nm peak performance.

That doesn’t necessarily mean Nanoleaf’s product isn’t effective; it just means that more premium products that align more closely with scientifically backed peak-performance levels might be better, and the results more noticeable.

As I always caveat when reviewing these products, the science behind light therapy is still in its infancy, and my review experience can be described as anecdotal at best. Still, I have noticed some moderate improvements which, while non-permanent, are helping me manage my adult acne.

Nanoleaf 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand review: Price and availability

Price: $99 / £99 / AU$159.99
Affordable alternative to masks, best price option for wands

At its list price, Nanoleaf’s 6-in-1 LED Light Therapy Wand is an excellent budget-friendly alternative to a full face mask, and even offers some benefits that make it a better choice overall.

Even when compared to other skin-therapy wands, Nanoleaf stands out as a uniquely affordable offering. There are cheaper LED-only wands, yes, and there are similarly priced cooling/heating products at similar price points, but not many (if any) that can do both, and certainly not so affordably.

Nanoleaf 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand review: scorecard

Category	Comment	Score
Value	At this price, it's better value than most (if not all) budget-friendly LED masks and most wands.	5/5
Design	Handheld, easily portable and stylish enough to leave out on your vanity.	4.5/5
Performance	Light wavelengths aren’t optimal but slightly improved upon Nanoleaf’s facemask, plus added heating/cooling features improve efficacy.	4/5

Nanoleaf 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand: Should I buy it?

Buy it if...

You’re looking for a travel-friendly light-therapy device

Easily slipped in a travel bag and lightweight, this is an excellent travel companion and alternative to a bulkier or unwieldy mask.

You’re on a budget

The Nanoleaf 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand is a great budget option, especially if you can find it on sale.

Don't buy it if...

You want peak power and performance

With some of the light therapies falling outside of recommended wavelengths, you’re not getting peak performance from this mask, though it’s by no means bad.

You're nervous of eye strain

If you're really careful, you can avoid accidental blasts of LEDs to your eyes, but I found it hard to relax and ensure that I benefitted from the treatments without the occasional slip.

How I tested the Nanoleaf 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand

I used Nanoleaf’s 6-in-1 Light Therapy Wand for five weeks, primarily trialling its acne treatment, which is my primary skin concern. However I also used its anti-aging setting for a fortnight for good measure, having tried other products against which I could benchmark its effectiveness.

I’ve been testing beauty devices for four years, considering everything from product design and functionality to performance, affordability and any available medical research to assess their efficacy and value for customers. With this particular product, I considered everyday use-cases like travel, charging and beauty routines, researched optimal light wavelength compared to the product’s stated output, and the price and availability of the device to come to a decision on its overall score.

First reviewed December 2025

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Noise Luna Ring (Gen 2) review: a subscription-free Oura rival that’s solid but not standout

3:30 pm | December 26, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Fitness Trackers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: AI | Comments: Off

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 2): One-minute review

The Noise Luna Ring 2 is the second generation of the Luna Ring. I reviewed the original in early 2025 and liked that it felt comfortable, offered solid insights, and was impressively accurate for sleep tracking from a first-gen product.

On paper, the Luna Ring 2 doesn’t sound like a huge leap forward and, visually, you’d be forgiven for not immediately spotting what’s changed. The design tweaks are subtle, and if you already own the first Luna Ring I don’t think this is a must-have upgrade.

But taken on its own, this is a good smart ring. A few pain points have been ironed out. The ring is around 10% slimmer, there’s a new charging case which looks great and stores multiple top-ups, battery performance has improved slightly and the app feels quicker to update. I also felt like sleep tracking was more precise this time round, which is probably due to the improved sensor accuracy.

The main advantage here remains the same as last time round, there’s no subscription here. That immediately makes it more appealing than the Oura Ring 4 (the most popular smart ring) if you’re not keen on adding another subscription to your life, especially if you consider that the Oura Ring 4 is more expensive to begin with.

Personally, the best new feature here is Luna’s circadian alignment tools, presenting guidance about when to get sunlight, drink coffee and exercise throughout the day. It includes a “caffeine window” that tries to stop you sabotaging your sleep with badly timed coffee. These are genuinely useful, presented nicely and feel actionable and meaningful than an arbitrary score.

There are still some things I didn’t like here. The app is pretty information dense and yet again the typography choices feel too small and fussy, which makes daily use less enjoyable than rivals. There’s an AI coach here, but it delivers generic chatbot advice rather than anything helpful. And while battery life here is good, it doesn’t quite make it as long as some rivals.

But the biggest issue here is the market. When I first reviewed the Luna Ring Gen 1, I said one of the main problems wasn’t the ring itself but the competition. That’s even more true now. The Oura Ring 4 still offers the most refined overall experience, the Samsung Galaxy Ring is great as long as you’re not on iOS and the Ultrahuman Ring Air and RingConn 2 Air are strong subscription-free alternatives to both. More and more cheaper alternatives are now entering the market too, like the Amazfit Helio Ring, which isn’t as good but is cheaper.

If you want a capable, subscription-free smart ring with strong sleep tracking and don’t mind that it doesn’t look quite as premium as the big names, the Luna Ring 2 is a good choice. It’s just not the obvious pick and even though I like it I’m not sure there’s anything standout here to recommend it over the competition.

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 2) review: Price and availability

The Luna Ring 2 in sunlit gold against a concrete surface being held between thumb and forefinger — (Image credit: Future)

Price is around $329/£299/AU$510
No subscription fee
Several color options at the same price

The Luna Ring 2 is available for around $329/£299/AU$510. I say around as pricing seems to vary across regions and I’m writing this during sale season when prices are fluctuating.

It comes in a range of finishes, including Sunlit Gold, Stardust Silver, Rose Gold, Midnight Black and Lunar Black – that last one is a matte shade. All of these finishes are the same price, which is good as some rivals charge more for specific colors or materials. Then again, that could explain why the Luna Ring 2 has a less premium look and feel than rivals, but I’ll get to that later.

That puts it below the Oura Ring 4, which typically retails for $349/£349 at full price, though more premium materials and colors can push that up to $499/£499. What’s more, you’ll need an ongoing membership to unlock full insights, which is a further $5.99/£5.99. The Samsung Galaxy Ring was also more expensive at launch at $399/£399/around AU$750, though it’s hard to compare given it’s not for iOS users.

Meanwhile, subscription-free rivals include the Ultrahuman Ring Air at £329 (it isn’t available in the US at the time of writing) and RingConn Gen 2 Air at $299/£280/AU$570 (approx). You can also find the Amazfit Helio Ring for £119.90 as a budget option.

All of this means the Luna Ring 2 is more affordable than the Oura Ring 4 but not a budget pick. The lack of subscription does help it seem better value, but it’s not so cheap that it’s a no-brainer over the rest.

Value score: 3.5 / 5

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 2) review: Specifications

Colors	Silver, Black, Matte Black, Rose Gold, Gold
Weight	3-5g (depending on size)
Material	Titanium
Battery life	Up to 7 days
Connectivity	Bluetooth
Waterproofing	Up to 50m/164 ft

Someone holding the luna ring gen 2 between their thumb and forefinger — (Image credit: Future)

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 2) review: Design

Light and comfortable
Slightly slimmer than first Luna Ring
Can look cheaper than rivals, especially in gold

The Luna Ring (Gen 2) is a light and compact ring, weighing between 3g and 5g depending on the size you need. On paper, that’s a small shift from the Gen 1 ring, and Luna says its Gen 2 ring is 10% slimmer and lighter overall. In reality, the difference is subtle. But the Gen 2 is genuinely very comfortable to wear 24/7.

Sizing runs from 6 to 14 and you get a sizing kit in advance, which works the same way as most smart ring brands. It’s based on standard ring sizes, but I still find that different brands fit slightly differently, so the kit is worth using.

The ring itself is made from titanium with a PVD coating and there’s a non-allergenic and seamless inner surface that sits against your skin. It’s rated 5ATM, which means you don’t need to take it off for showers, swimming or getting caught in the rain. Ideal if you’re trying to build a habit of wearing it constantly.

The Luna ring 2 in gold in its charging case — (Image credit: Future)

As for colors, there’s a nice choice here. Stardust Silver, Rose Gold, Sunlit Gold, Midnight Black and Lunar Black, a matte shade. The marketing images make most of them look shiny, and in real life the Sunlit Gold I tested is particularly shiny. Other brands have glossy finishes too, but here it tips over into looking a bit more like a plastic gold ring rather than blending in to look like jewellery, at least to my eye.

The real star of the design in this newer version isn’t the ring itself, but the new charging case that comes with it. Instead of the little charging plinth that came with the Gen 1 version, you now get a compact case that looks more like the cases you get with earbuds, or the Samsung Galaxy Ring. Not only does it pack in lots of extra charges, it’s one of the nicest smart ring charging solutions I’ve used so far.

Design score: 4 / 5

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 2) review: Features

The Luna Ring 2 in gold on a concrete surface — (Image credit: Future)

Strong core health and sleep data
Circadian alignment tools genuinely helpful
AI integration feels gimmicky

The Luna Ring (Gen 2) follows the familiar smart ring formula, lots of sensors in a tiny band. You get green and red LEDs for heart rate, blood oxygen and skin temperature tracking, photodiodes and a 3-axis accelerometer for movement.

From those, Luna tracks your sleep time, sleep stages and sleep score, resting heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV), respiratory rate and SpO2, temperature fluctuations, stress, activity and menstrual and ovulation tracking, based on temperature and HRV.

There’s automatic detection for walking and running, plus basic workout logging for other exercises. Though, as with most smart rings right now, this isn’t designed to replace a full-on running or fitness watch, but it works well for general movement.

It’s worth noting there’s no VO2 max estimate here, which you’ll find on some rival rings and many of the best smartwatches. If you like that training metric, you might miss it here.

The more interesting additions on the software side are Luna’s “Life OS” platform, which has been updated in this version. It brings new tools like the aforementioned circadian alignment guide and a “caffeine window”. These suggest the best times to get sunlight, eat, exercise and drink coffee based on your patterns, with the aim of nudging you into a more consistent rhythm and protecting sleep.

I found those features genuinely useful and really nicely presented. Even if they don’t transform your sleep overnight, they did gently encourage me to think about my day in a way that’s more aligned with my sleep and rhythms.

There’s also an AI coach here, but I found it quite gimmicky (like most AI integrations these days). It’s essentially a chatbot bolted onto your health data. Now, some people might enjoy asking it questions, but in my testing the nutrition and lifestyle advice felt generic. Responses could be slow and if you already know the basics of health and fitness you might find it a little condescending.

On the integration front, the Luna Ring currently works with Apple Health and Google Fit, which at least lets you pull workouts from other platforms. But there are no deeper third-party integrations yet, so you can’t plug it directly into more specialized training apps or health dashboards, for example.

Features score: 3.5 / 5

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 2) review: Performance

luna ring gen 2 in sunlit gold worn on a hand above a concrete surface — (Image credit: Future)

Sleep tracking feels upgraded
Battery life is good, not class-leading
Good app but a bit cramped

Let’s start with the battery, as that’s been updated over the previous version. Noise says you’ll get between 4 to 7 days, which is quite a broad amount of time. During my testing I consistently got just under 6 days out of it, which I think is good. It’s an improvement over the first ring, which only ever reached 4 days.

The charging case can store around 30 days of power before you need to plug it in, which was really handy. Especially considering the charging case is light, small and looks nice.

For content, the Oura Ring 4 and Ultrahuman Ring Air can deliver six to eight days, while the RingConn Gen 2 Air can stretch to 10 to 12 days. So Luna sits in the good but not outstanding bracket where battery is concerned. Good thing it’s got the charging case this time around, which helps – did I mention I love the charging case?

The Luna Ring (Gen 2) will automatically detect walking and running and in my experience it did this reliably. You’re prompted to confirm detected sessions, which is handy.

For other exercise types, you’ll need to log activities manually and there are lots to choose from, including yoga, treadmill, cycling, bouldering, pilates, even surfing. As with most smart rings, it’s not a hardcore training tool, there’s no GPS or dedicated workout models. Think of it more as an everyday health tracker that handles simple workouts reasonably well rather than something you’d use for serious training.

I have mixed feelings about the Luna app. On the plus side, it’s packed with information and you can dig deeper into information about sleep, readiness, activity, temperature and more. In some places, scores are accompanied by short explanations, which I always appreciate more than a bare number.

The luna ring app — (Image credit: Future)

However, the presentation of the data still doesn’t quite land for me. Fonts are tiny and a lot of elements are tightly packed together. It’s a subjective complaint, sure, but one that does impact on my day to day enjoyment of using it.

Some of the language and flagging around health data also feels more alarming than it needs to be. For example, waking up to a red exclamation mark on my SpO2 with a blunt “Pay Attention” message isn’t in line with how I think wearables should be talking to us about health. The same goes for some of the coaching prompts, they’re technically accurate, but not particularly warm or human.

Sleep tracking is where the Gen 2 shines, it does a great job at picking up on sleep and wake times, even on nights when my sleep was broken. I often wake up around 3am, read for a few hours, then go back to sleep. The Luna Ring 2 picked up this pattern consistently, where in the past other wearables have not detected the break or not detected me falling back to sleep again. It also detected short naps accurately.

You get a full breakdown of your sleep stages, a nightly sleep score and insights into what’s pushing that score up or down. Over time, trends are handy to see.

Screenshots of the circadian alignment feature in the luna ring app — (Image credit: Future)

As for whether those circadian tools I mentioned earlier improve my sleep, that’s hard to say definitively, but having prompts about when to get outside, drink coffee or exercise did make me more intentional about my routine.

Finally, there’s the AI coach. I know other reviewers enjoy this kind of feature, but here it still feels like a very basic chatbot sat on top of your data rather than anything geared to personalized guidance. Generic nutrition tips, slow responses and a lack of nuance mean it’s not something I enjoyed using.

Though I will say one of the suggested prompts was “Which health metric needs my attention today?” which does highlight anything noticeable without digging around. Without that I’d say it was a bit useless.

Performance: 4 / 5

Someone holding the luna ring 2 — (Image credit: Future)

Scorecard

Attributes	Notes	Rating
Design	Light, comfortable and slightly slimmer than Gen 1. The gold color looks less premium than rivals. But the charging case is excellent.	4 / 5
Features	Strong core health and sleep tracking with useful circadian alignment feature. The AI coach and lack of VO2 max are my only bugbears.	3.5 / 5
Performance	Accurate sleep tracking, decent activity detection and good but not class-leading battery. App is overall great but needs a design refresh in my opinion.	4 / 5
Value	Cheaper than some rivals and subscription-free but not cheap enough or polished enough to be a really obvious choice over rivals.	3.5 / 5

Should I buy the Noise Luna Ring (Gen 2)?

Buy it if…

You want a smart ring without an added subscription
Oura is still the most popular choice, but its monthly membership and initial price make it an expensive choice. The Luna Ring 2 is one of several capable subscription-free alternatives.

You want accurate tracking and plenty of data
I’ve focused a lot on rivals in this review, but taken by itself this is a good device with accurate sleep and recovery tracking, and a generous amount of data and trends to explore.

You want strong sleep tracking without bulk
If you mainly care about sleep and general recovery, smart rings are hugely appealing because you can ditch the bulk of a smartwatch at night.

Don’t buy it if…

You want the absolute best tracking and polish
I was impressed by the Luna Ring 2 overall but the Oura Ring 4 will still deliver the most polished experience in terms of design, app refinement and depth of insights.

You care a lot about premium materials and finishes
If you want your smart ring to double as jewellery, Oura’s rings do look and feel more high-end.

You already own the first Luna Ring
This is a nice step up with a better charging experience and extra features. But if you’re happy with the Gen 1 and not itching for a new ring, there isn’t a killer upgrade here.

Noise Luna Ring (Gen 1): Also consider

Oura Ring 4
Still the best all-rounder for design, app experience and depth of data across iOS and Android. More expensive than the Luna Ring 2 and does require a subscription to unlock its full potential. But for some the extra polish and insights will be worth it.
Read our full Oura Ring 4 review

Ultrahuman Ring Air
A strong subscription-free alternative. With a slick design, polished app and good sleep and recovery tracking. It’s widely considered the second best option after Oura.
Ultrahuman Ring Air review

How I tested the Noise Luna Ring (Gen 2)

The Luna Ring 2 worn on a woman's hand against a concrete surface. — (Image credit: Future)

Paired with an iPhone 16 Pro
Wore the ring 24/7
I’ve been testing wearables for 12+ years

I tested the Noise Luna Ring 2 for several weeks, paired with an iPhone 16 Pro. I wore it all day and night, including running outdoors, to gym sessions, during long workdays in coffee shops, evenings at home and, of course, while sleeping. I only took it off to charge it or when showering – yes, it’s waterproof but I never like to risk soap or shampoo messing it up.

Over the past 12 years I’ve reviewed dozens of wearables, including smart watches, fitness trackers and smart rings from Oura, Ultrahuman, RingConn, Motiv, and more. Having got hands-on with so many, I’ve got a strong sense now of what makes a smart ring comfortable, truly useful – from design and comfort to performance, app quality, and long-term wearability – and standout in a busy and competitive space.

First reviewed in November 2025

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Coros Nomad review: No, it’s not a Garmin, but it might even be better

12:00 pm | December 21, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Comments: Off

One-minute review

No, it’s not a Garmin. The Coros Nomad may look ever so slightly like the Instinct 3, but in many ways it’s more exciting, since it boils that excellent smartwatch down to a less feature-packed but still compelling alternative that’s considerably cheaper.

It’s strictly in fitness tracker territory, with features like NFC payments not making the cut, but it does have the advantage of offering locally stored maps. Add to that more than three weeks of battery life on a single charge, a handy action button, and a really nice, lightweight design, and there’s an awful lot to like about this upstart.

Memory in Pixel displays aren’t for everyone as they’re duller than most smartwatches’ AMOLED screens, but they do conserve battery as a result. If you’re happy with one here, you’re getting excellent value for money and fantastic battery life.

Coros Nomad: Price and availability

Starts at $349 / £319 / around AU$640
Considerably cheaper than rivals
Available in three color options

The big pull for the Coros Nomad is how favorable it compares to the Garmin Instinct 3 price-wise. It starts at $349 / £319 / around AU$640, compared to the Garmin model’s $449 / £389 / AU$829, and it comes in Dark Grey, Green, and Brown finishes – I tested the green version.

Value score: 5/5

Garmin Venu 4: Specifications

Component	Coros Nomad
Price	$349 / £319
Dimensions	47.8 x 47.8 x 16.4mm
Weight	49g with band
Case/bezel	Polymer Case
Display	1.3 inch Memory-in-Pixel display (260x260 resolution)
GPS	Dual frequency GPS
Battery life	22 days of standard use, 34 hours in GPS mode
Connection	Bluetooth
Water resistant	50M

Coros Nomad: Design

Durable, but fairly lightweight
Action button

Given that this is billed as a rugged smartwatch, there’s a good chance the first thing you notice when picking up the Coros Nomad is that it’s not all that heavy at all.

The Polymer case feels strong (although you won’t catch me hurling my review unit at a concrete floor), but it’s also nice and light. That’s particularly helpful given that this is a device you can wear for up to three weeks without taking it off for a charge, and the strap is comfortable, too (albeit I’m not a big fan of the pin-based method of attaching them).

The case envelops the display, and provides plenty of clearance to keep it from being dinged if you were to drop the watch or swing your arm into something, although Coros says it’s a mineral glass display that should be tough to crack anyway.

Controls-wise, there are two buttons for interacting with the UI, as well as an action button that can be programmed to perform different functions such as the backlight, adding a voice pin along a route, or switch between activity data and map view. Charging is handled via a small proprietary port on the back.

Design score: 4.5/5

Coros Nomad: Features

Offline maps
No smartwatch features

Where Garmin’s Instinct 3 doesn’t offer map functionality, the Coros Nomad does, making it an attractive choice for trail runners who may not know a route very well. This works with Coros’ companion app, allowing you to store routes and save them to quickly check conditions before you head out the door.

There’s dual-band GPS for tracking, too, and it proved exceptionally accurate in my testing, whether I was out for a wander in the countryside or standing amidst London’s largest buildings.

It’s really built for the great outdoors, as the name suggests. As well as all the usual maps and GPX routing functionality, you can drop voice pins using the onboard mic during walks and runs, which will replay thoughts that occur to you at specific points during routes, such as descriptions of landmarks. You can add photos in the app too, creating an adventure journal.

Fishing modes, which don’t normally get a lot of love, get a digital anchor, putting a pin in a spot so you can see if you’re drifting during the activity. Niche, but eminently useful to the right person. Health-wise, you get an ECG sensor, SpO2 monitor, and Safety Alerts allowing you to send your location to emergency contacts. However, this is more like Garmin’s LiveTrack than SOS messaging, as it’s done on your phone rather than satellite, and thus requires phone signal. Still, a nice-to-have.

The only real downside is that some smartwatch features are lacking. To be clear, Coros is marketing the Nomad as a fitness watch, but I’d have liked NFC payments and maybe some music options here for the days when I want to leave my phone at home.

Features score: 4.5/5

Coros Nomad: Performance

MiP display
Up to 22 days of battery
Heart rate accuracy is up there with the best

The Coros Nomad’s performance is pretty fantastic across the board. A single charge can last you a whopping 22 days, while you’ll get around 50 hours if you’re using GPS mode for more intensive location tracking, or 34 hours for dual band. I found this was accurate during testing.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get to go fishing with the watch during my testing period, but I did use its headline feature: maps.

This is something many similarly-priced rivals don’t offer, and it’s great to have offline maps downloaded if you’re unsure of where you are and you’ve left your phone at home. It’s nice and easy to get them downloaded via the companion app, and the maps themselves are easy to read with color-coding for route types.

You can zoom in and out with the crown, too, making it easier to get context for your current route.

Another nifty feature, I’ve not seen anything like Voice Pin on a watch before. The idea is relatively simple, letting you leave an audio note on a run or hike tailored to a location. In theory, this could mean you could create curated audio cues for a route you’re sharing with a friend, or provide additional notes on how to get home.

Heart rate tracking matches up to the current gold standard in my experience – the Apple Watch Ultra series. Despite the Coros Nomad costing less than half the price, it pretty much matched Apple’s most rugged watch beat-for-beat. We’ve independently tested the Ultra against a Polar H10 heart rate monitor, finding it very accurate, so to have Coros match this is very encouraging.

Performance score: 5/5

Coros Nomad: Scorecard

Attribute	Comments	Score
Value	Undercuts a Garmin while offering additional features.	5
Design	Easy to use, comfortable, and rugged.	5
Features	Plenty of health monitor features, but lacking in terms of NFC payments.	4.5
Performance	Offline maps and voice pins are great.	5

Coros Nomad: Should I buy?

Garmin Instinct 3 vs Coros Nomad — (Image credit: Future)

Buy it if...

You want a Garmin, but don’t want to pay Garmin money

The Coros Nomad certainly pushes Garmin’s Instinct lineup into a corner, offering many of the same features for much less than the Garmin Instinct 3.

You want to wear it for weeks without charging

More than three weeks of battery is great, even without any Garmin-esque Solar charging.

Don't buy it if...

You’re a gym person

The Coros Nomad is wasted during indoor workouts, operating best outdoors.

You’re looking for a watch to take off-grid

There’s no satellite SOS messaging unlike the Google Pixel Watch 4, Garmin Fenix 8 Pro and Apple Watch Ultra 3.

You want a communication-based smartwatch

Don’t expect much in the way of smartwatch features – there’s no NFC for payments, notifications are basic, and no option to run third-party apps.

Also consider

Component	Coros Nomad	Garmin Instinct 3 (45mm) AMOLED	Apple Watch Ultra 3
Price	$349 / £319	$449 / £389 / AU$829	$799 / £749 / AU$1,399
Dimensions	47.8 x 47.8 x 16.4mm	45 x 45 x 14.9mm	49 x 44 x 12 (mm)
Weight	49g with band	53g	62g
Case/bezel	Polymer Case	Fiber-reinforced polymer / aluminum	Titanium
Display	1.3 inch Memory-in-Pixel display (260x260 resolution)	AMOLED, 390 x 390px	Liquid retina LTPO3 OLED
GPS	Dual frequency GPS	GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, SatIQ	L3 dual-band GPS
Battery life	22 days of standard use, 34 hours in GPS mode	Up to 18 days (smartwatch), up to 32 hours (GPS)	42 hours smartwatch mode
Connection	Bluetooth	Bluetooth, ANT+	Bluetooth, LTE
Water resistant	50M	10ATM	WR100

Garmin Instinct 3

The closest thing to a Coros Nomad, except within Garmin's excellent ecosystem.

Read our full Garmin Instinct 3 review

Apple Watch Ultra 3

An ultra-premium adventure watch with all the Nomad's missing communication tech.

Read our full Apple Watch Ultra 3 reviewView Deal

How I tested

I wore the Coros Nomad in daily life, during sleep and workouts. I went rucking with the Coros Nomad a handful of times, comparing its GPS and biometric information to both the recently-reviewed Suunto Race 2, the Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch Series 11. I also visited some cities to test its GPS system amid larger crowds and buildings during workouts.

The Honor Band 10 is such good value that I bought one myself, and I’ve been using it every day for months

12:00 pm | December 17, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Fitness Trackers Gadgets Health & Fitness | Tags: Fitbit Charge, GPS, US | Comments: Off

Honor Band 10: One-minute review

When I made the jump over to using an Honor phone as my daily driver, it only made sense to leave my old Huawei Band 9 behind and pick up a matching fitness tracker. Enter the Honor Band 10, the Chinese tech brand’s latest affordable fitness tool promising a wealth of smartwatch-lite features at an incredibly low price.

But does the Honor Band 10 actually deliver? Absolutely, although there are one or two rough edges to bear in mind before you rush to add it to your cart. Starting with the good, the sleek design is a winner; there’s only one color available, a basic black, but a charming golden accent around the edges of the sleek 1.57-inch AMOLED touchscreen make it look far more premium than the price would suggest.

Sure, the body of the Honor Band 10 is made from plastic, or ‘durable polymer materials’ according to the manufacturer, but it doesn’t feel cheap and my model hasn’t managed to pick up any noticeable scratches even after months of daily use. Unlike other options on the market, the Honor Band 10 doesn’t have any buttons either, giving it a very streamlined appearance.

When you first take it out of the box you have to turn it on by plugging it into its magnetic changing cable and during use, waking the screen is as simple as raising your wrist or a quick tap on the glass – a very seamless, almost Apple-like experience.

The Honor Band 10 being used outside. — (Image credit: Dashiell Wood / Future)

The battery life is solid, lasting about three days with the always-on-display enabled, but there are plenty of smart features to extend that to over a week. I particularly like the ability to schedule the always-on-display, so you don’t waste any charge keeping a clock on screen outside the times you really need it.

It's compatible with the Honor Health app (which you can sync with the likes of Apple Health easily), which is simple to use and offers access to a good amount of data including the usual overall activity level, daily step count, total calories burned, sleep tracking and your heart rate, in addition to a daily health report. The watch comes with a decent number of faces out of the box in both analog and digital styles, but you can always download more if you’re not happy with them thanks to a wide range of both official and community-made options to choose from.

My one complaint comes from the step tracking on the band itself. It’s a little optimistic, especially compared to my other fitness trackers. I make an effort to hit 10,000 steps per day and when I wore it at the same time as an old Fitbit Charge HR, I found that the Honor Band 10 was off by about ten percent or so in the upwards direction, which isn’t the end of the world given the low price – but could be a good reason to consider a more premium option instead.

There are also some small issues with the smartwatch features. Notifications come through almost instantly, but the media playback controls are very hit-and-miss. I often have to tap multiple times to skip a song, or notice that the song title hasn’t actually updated to reflect what’s playing. This feature is also entirely disabled if you’re using iOS, which is a shame. However, you’re not really missing out on too much in my experience.

Honor Band 10: Specifications

Price	£44.99 (around $60 / AU$90)
Dimensions	43.2 x 28.2 x 8.99mm
Display	1.57-inch AMOLED
GPS?	No
Battery life	14 days

Honor Band 10: Price and availability

Costs £44.99 (around $60 / AU$90)
Not available in the US
Expect frequent discounts

I purchased the Honor Band 10 when it first arrived on the Honor store back in May.

It was priced at £49.99 and cost me a total of £44.99 plus shipping thanks to a £5 launch day discount. I can confidently say that the band is great value at the price I paid, though its going rate has since been lowered to £44.99, with frequent discounts down to £39.99, making it an even more tempting proposition.

Unfortunately, as with other Honor products it’s hard to find in the US as it’s not officially sold. Your best option would be to import the band from third-party sellers on sites like Aliexpress, but you should be aware that you may lose any warranty or support and that compatibility isn't guaranteed.

Honor products are also not officially available in Australia, so expect similar hurdles there.

Scorecard

Category	Comment	Score
Value	The Honor Band 10 is fantastic value, especially if you grab it one of the many sales throughout the year.	4.5/5
Design	The classy buttonless look of the Honor Band 10 helps it stand out from the crowd, though it is still a plastic body.	4/5
Features	There are plenty of features here given the low price, including some that you would usually expect from a more expensive smartwatch.	4.5/5
Performance	The performance is good, but has some compromises. The step counter is a tad optimistic, and media playback controls are a bit iffy.	4/5

Should I buy the Honor Band 10?

Buy it if…

You want a fantastic value fitness tracker
It’s hard to complain about the Honor Band 10 given its rock bottom price tag. You’re getting an awful lot of smart band here for not very much cash.

You love the look
The Honor Band 10 stands out from its biggest competitors with its sleek, buttonless design. It only comes in black, but the gold accent looks lush on your wrist.

Don’t buy it if…

You want perfect accuracy
If you’re after the most accurate possible step counter, then you should probably swerve the Honor Band 10 as it is a little off. You’ll need to spend more to get something significantly better, though.

Also consider

Xiaomi Smart Band 9
This is the budget fitness tracker to beat, and the Honor Band 10 puts up a pretty good fight. The Smart Band 9 is a little cheaper and is more widely available, but I prefer the design of the Honor.
Read our full Xiaomi Smart Band 9 review

Fitbit Charge 6
The Fitbit Charge 6 is double the price of the Honor Band 10, but delivers much more accurate step tracking. It’s the one to choose if that’s your biggest concern, though it comes with its own drawbacks.
Read our full Fitbit Charge 6 review

How I tested the Honor Band 10

I bought the Honor Band 10 back in May 2025 and have been using it daily since. I’ve taken it on plenty of walks in my quest to hit 10,000 daily steps and measured its accuracy against other fitness trackers that I own. I’ve also been using it as a watch – even occasionally glancing at the time throughout the writing of this review.

Jabees 7Seven headphones: One minute review

The Jabees 7Seven swimming headphones pack some features you don’t even find on their contemporaries at Shokz for around half the price. For many, that’s plenty of reason to buy. The 7Sevens are light as a feather at 28g and packs an ample 32GB of MP3 storage, essential for underwater listening where Bluetooth connectivity is weaker. This storage space outdoes quite a few older bone conduction headphones sets that have retained their price over the years, and puts the 7sevens in the same league as the Nank Runner Diver2 Pro and H20 Audio Tri 2 Pro.

Multipoint connectivity and Bluetooth 6.0 are great quality-of-life upgrades we wouldn’t expect on cheap headphones, allowing you to link to multiple devices and switch between them seamlessly. This is nice to swap between the phone for running and commuting and laptop for work, and works well in practice. Phone calls with the built-in microphone are, unfortunately, a bit tinny: the recipient of my test calls could hear me fine outside on a rainy run, but even at max volume the other person’s voice wasn’t great.

Music fared much better. Regardless of whether it was streamed via Bluetooth or loaded onto the headphones via the MP3 storage feature, quality was good, especially considering these are cheap bone conduction headphones. The transistors do vibrate at higher volumes during bassy tracks, which is especially noticeable above-ground on runs and in the office. However, in the water during swims, the vibrations are greatly reduced.

Jabees 7Seven Swimming headphones — (Image credit: Future)

Controls are simple and intuitive, with volume up and down also allowing you to skip tracks as usual. Everything else is handled by the multifunction power button with a variety of long and short presses, and it’s generally easily remembered, although I kept the manual to refer back to.

Generally speaking, the Jabees 7Seven headphones offer good quality that bely their price, but there are still some niggles here and there that have been ironed out in more expensive offerings. The fit around the ears isn’t adjustable: instead, the 7Sevens are packaged with a “secure fit loop”, a little piece of elastic common in bone conduction headsets that are supposed to tighten the band around the head. The battery only covers five hours of playback time, so they’ll need to be quite frequently charged. And then there are the high vibrations from the transistors at full volume and slight call quality issues.

However, none of these annoyances are enough to reduce the 7Seven’s status as a value-for-money alternative to the likes of Shokz and H20. It’s got some great features, stores a ton of music, and that five-hour playback will be enough for several pool sessions and a run. They won’t last all the way through an ironman event, but if you’re into that, you’re probably opting for the more expensive headphones anyway.

Jabees 7Seven headphones: Price and availability

$59.99 / £47.99 / AU$99
Cheaper than most high-quality swimming headphones
Same 32GB storage as more expensive brands

The Jabees 7Seven bone conduction headphones are available for $59.99 / £47.99 / AU$99, and bundle deals on multiple headphones can be found on the Jabees’ website. Considering some of their competitors are double, sometimes triple the price, you’re getting a lot for your buck with 32GB storage

Jabees 7Seven headphones: Scorecard

Category	Comment	Score
Value	For the price, they are terrific.	4.5/5
Design	Some more attention to the fit and transistor vibration would have been nice-to-haves.	3.5/5
Features	Multipoint connectivity, Bluetooth 6.0, 32GB storage. No notes.	5/5
Performance	Good in the water and on runs, although a couple of niggles.	3.5/5

Jabees 7Seven headphones: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You’re on a budget

At under $60 / £50 / AU$100, these headphones are great value.

You’ve got a big music library

32GB is a lot of space for MP3 storage.

You’re a regular swimmer

As opposed to dedicated runners, these headphones are great for mixed disciplines.

Don't buy it if...

You do long multi-sport events

Five hours of battery isn’t enough for long days on the trail.

You don’t own your own music

Without a library of MP3s to listen to in the pool, these headphones become less attractive.

Also consider

Shokz OpenRun

The best cheap bone conduction headphones for running.

Read our full Shokz OpenRun review

Shokz Openswim Pro

More expensive than the 7Sevens, but the best swimming headphones you can buy.

Read our full Shokz Openswim Pro review

How I tested

I tested the Jabees 7Seven underwater and on various runs. I drained the battery down, tested onboard MP3s and Bluetooth streaming alike, and adjusted the fit using the included secure fit loop.

Garmin Vivoactive 6 review: A feature-stuffed pocket rocket

9:04 pm | November 20, 2025

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Health & Fitness Smartwatches | Tags: Garmin Forerunner, Garmin Vivoactive | Comments: Off

Garmin Vivoactive 6: One minute review

The Garmin Vivoactive 6 is a great fitness watch, which isn’t something I was necessarily expecting from Garmin’s slimmer, more budget-friendly offering. It’s stuffed with features such as PacePro, Garmin’s virtual pacing system for runners, which generally belong on more expensive, more specialist watches like Garmin’s Forerunner series.

Still, the Vivoactive series is a lifestyle watch for active people. It shares a lot of DNA with Garmin’s other lifestyle watch, the Venu 4, but it’s cheaper and made from less premium materials. If the Venu 4 is like an Apple Watch, the Vivoactive 6 is more like an Apple Watch SE: there have been some compromises made to lower the price, but it’s still a really effective, comfortable activity watch I enjoyed wearing.

Like the Apple Watch SE 3, the Garmin Vivoactive 6 is very light, weighing in at just 36g with a band, and slim at just 10.9mm thick. This means it’s comfortable for all-day wear, and you can go from the gym to the office and even to bed and basically forget about wearing it. It slipped easily under my shirt cuff during daywear when other Garmin watches would bulge. Any sleep tracker has to be comfortable to wear throughout the night, and this was the case with the Vivoactive more so than the Venu, which is a milimeter or so thicker and much heavier due to its metal construction.

Smart wake alarm, a new feature for Garmin, was long missing from its lineup, and I was pleased yet surprised to see it in the Vivoactive line. It wakes you up with haptic vibrations at the lightest point in your sleep cycle, within a 30-minute window. Having tried it for a few days, I found it a much more pleasant way to wake up than my usual alarm, and I feel anecdotally less groggy in the mornings.

I enjoyed the Auto Activity Start feature too, which I set to start recording after one minute of road running. It really contributes to a seamless, super-light smartwatch experience when you don’t have to toggle around to get to the running settings – just run. It’s a nice-to-have, but it adds to the overall ‘virtual assistant’ experience many smartwatches are now striving for, to anticipate your needs without you having to wade through menus. I do wish the Vivoactive 6 had a microphone and voice assistant, but I can accept shortcomings at this price point.

It’s not necessarily the watch I’d recommend to adventurers or serious runners due to missing features from other Garmin watches, and it’s packing the older Elevate V4 heart rate sensor, which is functional but not as accurate as the upgraded Elevate V5, and my tests against the Polar H10 heart rate monitor corroborate that. But it’s a great fitness tool and the best cheap Garmin watch of 2025.

Garmin Vivoactive 6: Price and availability

Garmin Vivoactive 6 white — (Image credit: Future)

$299.99 / £279.99 / AU$549
Affordably priced compared to other Garmins
Comparable to most smartwatches from Apple and Samsung

The Garmin Vivoactive 6 retails at $299.99 / £279.99 / AU$549, although can be found on sale for slightly less.

That's very comparable with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 and Google Pixel Watch 4, and slightly more expensive than the Apple Watch SE 3. Although it's perhaps leaning more towards fitness enthusiasts than those all-rounder watches, I'd say this is a great price for the amount of features on offer.

Garmin Vivoactive 6: Scorecard

Category	Comment	Score
Value	Cheap and most certainly cheerful, stuffed with premium features for the price.	5/5
Design	Two buttons and a touchscreen, nice and light, with a redesigned UI.	4/5
Features	Tons if you like your fitness, but lacking some modern smartwatch amenities like a microphone.	4/5
Performance	Accurate enough, comfortable to wear and lasts ages. I do wish it was packing Garmin’s more accurate HR monitor though.	4/5

Garmin Vivoactive 6: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

You want an Apple Watch SE alternative

The Garmin Vivoactive 6 is an excellent value package, with an AMOLED screen and loads of training tools.

You’re a runner

PacePro, automatic run tracking, and Garmin’s advanced suite of fitness and recovery tools make it a comprehensive run tracker ideal for most people.

You struggle with comfort

Bulky, heavy watches are difficult to wear at night. The Vivoactive 6 is practically invisible on-wrist, and ideal for slimmer wrists.

Don't buy it if...

You want an adventure watch

The Garmin Instinct 3 is a little bit more expensive and packs lots of outdoor-focused navigation features.

Accuracy is everything

If you need the latest Elevate V5 heart rate sensor for pinpoint precision rather than an estimate, go for the Venu 4.

Also consider

Garmin Forerunner 570

The best Garmin watch for runners: it’s more expensive, but ideal if you love pounding the pavement.

Read our full Garmin Forerunner 570 review

Apple Watch SE 3

The best Apple Watch for most people, with some smartwatch features the Vivoactive 6 is missing.

Read our full Apple Watch SE 3 reviewView Deal

How I tested

I wore the Garmin Vivoactive 6 for 10 days, performing different kinds of workouts, sleeping with it on, and draining the battery down. I tested its various functions, including the new Smart Wake alarm, and tested its Elevate V4 heart rate sensor against a Polar H10 chest-mounted heart rate monitor.

First reviewed: November 2025