What fitness wearable is right for me?
The pros and cons of each wearable for tracking activities and using them for our clients as nutrition coaches. →
Why use a wearable?
In coaching, as we track data and trends, wearables can be a very helpful aid to ensure we’re as consistent as we think we are.
Additionally, they give us quantitative feedback on metrics that we can sometimes mentally skew.
These are the 5 most popular wearables among our clients. We are going to review them from the viewpoint of using them to further your nutrition journey and build healthy foundations.
Why use a wearable?
Here are the reasons why we like our clients to have a wearable:
The ability to track steps (a good proxy for NEAT)
Sleep tracking - as long as it doesn’t make you hyperfocus on your sleep, understanding what contributes to better sleep can help optimize it
HRV & resting heart rate - being able to track the changes in trends here based on changes in lifestyle factors is helpful
Wearable features that we personally don’t use or like our clients to use:
Calorie burn - this has been shown to have up to an 80% error rate
wearable shopping factors:
There are PLENTY of factors to consider when shopping for a wearable - here are the considerations we’re going to review:
Cost—What is the cost of the device? Is there a subscription required to unlock features? Specifically, we’ll look at the cost per year.
Battery life - how often does it need to be charged
Device interface and wearability
So with that lens, we’re going to dive in!
Fitbit:
Purchase Factors:
Cost - $160 device + $10/mo to unlock features. The average Fitbit lasts 2 years; annualized cost is $200/year
Battery life - 6-10 days
Interface - on the watch face, you can see steps, heart rate, and smart notifications
Overall:
While the Fitbit is the least expensive standalone device, the fact you have to pay for a premium subscription to unlock your sleep analysis, readiness score, and stress tracking is frustrating.
Whoop:
Purchase Factors:
Cost - $240/year; you must purchase the subscription, and it comes with the device
Battery life - 4-5 days
Interface - none - all metrics need to be viewed in the app
Steps - does NOT track steps
Overall:
The whoop heavily focuses on RHR and HRV and uses that to dictate a readiness score. However, that doesn’t translate to movement. For example, 20-min of HIIT + 3k steps “scores” the same as a heavy lift + 10k steps.
The lack of an on-wrist interface and the requirement to fill out a daily in-app survey to view metrics will be frustrating in the long run.
Oura Ring:
Purchase Factors:
Cost - $300 device + $6/mo subscription. The average ring lasts 3 years; annualized cost is $172/year
Battery life - 5-7 days
Interface - none - all metrics viewed in app + must be removed when doing certain activities
Steps - tracks steps
Overall:
The Oura ring is one of the best on the market for HRV + sleep tracking. Can overestimate steps (fingers move a lot). It integrates with Natural Cycles for fertility tracking.
Some may find it frustrating if you have to regularly remove (working with your hands) or when lifting.
Apple watch:
Purchase Factors:
Cost -The device costs $399 (you must have an iPhone) + average watch lasts 3-5 years, so annualized cost is $80 - 133/year
Battery life - <1 day (must charge daily)
Interface - the best of all, bright touch screen, all metrics on screen, and ability to make phone calls and texts
Overall:
The Apple Watch is one of the best all-in-one devices on the market. The biggest detractor is the battery life. If you want to use it all day and get effective sleep tracking, you must charge it during the day.
Additionally, battery life will likely not make it through tracking long full-day activities.
Garmin:
Purchase Factors:
Cost - starting at $249 (Forerunner 165), average watch lasts 3-5 years, annualized cost is $50 - 83/year
Battery life - 10+ days
Interface - nearly all metrics can be viewed on the device, plus you can turn on/off smart notifications.
Overall:
The Garmin comes out of the box with all the metrics you want to use. They have a variety of models you may want to upgrade to for features outside of nutrition/health foundations (music integrated/more battery life/additional satellite systems), but even the entry-level model allows for biofeedback and activity tracking.
Comparison chart
So which one is right for me?
Each of these wearables has its strengths, but for the overall value and lack of a subscription requirement, we strongly recommend our clients go with a Garmin if they don’t have specific needs regarding cellular capability.
If your buyer values prioritize the smart watch features (the ability to text and call from the device + app integration) more than battery life, then the Apple Watch is for you.
Check out our top wearable recommendations here!
