Comparison: 10 recommended smartwatches for sports and physical activities

Main brands and models evaluated

Tecnoblog compiled a list of the ten best watches for training, detailing the pros and cons of models from Garmin, Amazfit, Huawei, Samsung, Apple, and Xiaomi.

Analysis of specific models

The Garmin Forerunner 165 is suggested for marathon runners because it displays real-time data such as cadence, stride length, and ground contact time, aiding in optimizing workouts. This watch supports over 25 activity profiles, both indoor and outdoor, and has 5 ATM water resistance, allowing swimming in pools or open water. It features integrated GPS, a 1.2-inch AMOLED screen, and a battery that lasts up to 11 days; the Music version allows listening to music without the phone via wireless headphones.

The Amazfit Bip 6 offers over 140 workout modes, covering everything from running and cycling to swimming and dancing. During exercise, it measures heart rate and calories, and after the workout, the Zepp app (available for Android or iOS) allows tracking nutrition and physical progress. Its battery can last up to 14 days in regular use or 26 days in power-saving mode, although continuous use of integrated GPS reduces autonomy to about 32 hours, supporting offline maps.

For sports performance, the Huawei Watch Fit 5 Pro offers over 100 workout modes and has 5 ATM protection, which includes support for dives up to 40 meters. Its health monitoring is advanced, encompassing body temperature and electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements. Additionally, the 'Mini Workout' mode tracks 10 body parts to encourage stretching. The battery lasts up to 10 days in light use, but drops to four days with the Always On Display (AOD) on the 1.92-inch AMOLED screen, while dual-band GPS (L1 + L5) ensures greater accuracy in routes.

The Galaxy Fit 3 monitors over 100 exercises and automatically recognizes activities such as running, elliptical, and swimming. Its strap has IP68 and 5 ATM protection, resisting depths of up to 50 meters for 10 minutes. The focus of this smartband is basic health tracking, including heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, and step count. It features a 1.6-inch AMOLED screen with AOD and a battery of up to 13 days, but lacks integrated GPS and is only compatible with Android phones.

Designed for triathletes, the Garmin Forerunner 965 allows automatic switching between disciplines using triathlon and duathlon profiles, making it ideal for those who combine running, swimming, and cycling. It covers over 70 sports, such as golf, mountaineering, and motorcycling, and offers complete health monitoring. A highlight is its battery, which lasts up to 23 days in smartwatch mode, in addition to having a 1.4-inch AMOLED screen, multiband GPS for precise location, and NFC (with limited support in Brazil).

The Galaxy Watch 8 is a good option for runners, featuring a personalized coach that adapts to the user's profile. Its military certification provides protection for extreme sports and dozens of other modalities. Health tracking is robust, including blood pressure monitoring, ECG, and antioxidant level monitoring. Integration with Galaxy AI aids in sleep analysis and predicts energy levels for exercise planning. The LTE version allows emergency calls without the phone, but its battery reaches only 30 hours with AOD active on the AMOLED screen.

The Apple Watch Series 11 caters to various athletes, monitoring over 80 modalities and offering advanced modes for running, trail, cycling, and swimming. For health care, it measures respiratory rate, blood oxygen, ECG, and menstrual cycles, detecting signs of hypertension through the reaction of blood vessels to heartbeats. The watch supports 5G, a scratch-resistant Retina OLED screen, and integrated GPS, but its battery has a drawback, with an average autonomy of only 24 hours.

The Apple Watch SE 3 introduces a new Exercise app version, with side buttons to facilitate metric viewing. Although it does not have as advanced sensors as the Series 11, it measures heart rate, sleep apnea, and features wrist temperature measurement as a novelty. Its battery lasts only 18 hours in normal use, which may limit long activities, but compensates with integrated GPS and water resistance up to 50 meters.

The Amazfit Bip 5 is a basic smartwatch with support for 120 sports modes and intelligent recognition of seven modalities. A notable feature is the ability to read metrics via the speaker without lifting the wrist. The monitoring system tracks heart rate, menstrual cycle, blood oxygen, and sleep quality, and connects to the Zepp app for deeper health analyses. The battery promises up to 10 days in typical use, and it has IP68 protection against water and dust, but is not recommended for swimming or diving.

The Redmi Watch 5 Lite supports internal and external sports modes, totaling over 160 modalities, and has 5 ATM water resistance, allowing swimming. As a simpler model, it focuses on monitoring heart rate, blood oxygen, and sleep quality, making it a viable option if complex metrics are not required. Highlights include a battery lasting up to 18 days and an integrated GNSS system for positioning without depending on the smartphone, compatible with Android or iOS.

Criteria for choosing the ideal watch

The decision on which training watch to purchase depends on the sport practiced. Crucial factors to consider include: the modalities covered by the watch; the collection of sports metrics, favoring advanced sensors; the presence of integrated GPS, with dual-band systems being preferable for greater accuracy in outdoor activities; build quality and water resistance, essential for extreme sports; battery life; compatibility with the phone's operating system; and extra features, such as native music support or emergency calls.

Frequently asked questions about use

Not all watches can be used for swimming; only those with 5 ATM or higher water resistance are recommended to withstand the pressure of aquatic movements. It is not necessary to bring the phone to record the route, as smartwatches with integrated GPS use their own satellites to map the route autonomously, synchronizing the data with the phone later. If the watch does not have its own positioning, the phone must be brought to use its GPS for collecting route data.

For marathon runners, the Garmin Forerunner 965 offers the longest battery life, reaching 23 days in smartwatch mode, and includes specific running measurements, in addition to multiband GPS for better positioning.

The main distinction lies in the fact that smartbands provide basic monitoring (steps, calories, heart rate) and often rely on the phone because they lack integrated GPS, in addition to having a more delicate build. Smartwatches, on the other hand, have a more robust design, more complete health monitoring, more sports features, and generally come with integrated GPS for independence from the smartphone.