WEARABLES
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S Hykso
A punch tracker for boxing training
with serious intent, Hykso’s twin
wrap-worn sensors track your
punch type, count and velocity
for each hand, in real time. On the
fitness front, an intensity score
reveals what happens to your
workrate as tiredness takes hold,
and all your data is made easily
digestible in a partner smartphone
app that helps you fine-tune your
performance. It goes the distance
too, with 10 hours of ring time on
a single charge.
£175 / hykso.com
MyZone MZ-3
The ultimate social heart-rate
tracking tool, MyZone’s chest
strap turbocharges your fitness
motivation by turning workouts
into one big virtual competition.
It converts your real-time BPM
into an effort score, focusing
on intensity rather than classic
performance stats like pace and
speed, to reward the effort you put
in. So whether you’re a super-fit
champ or a total newcomer, you
can compete with friends and
family on a level playing field.
£129 / myzone.org
Polar A370
Polar’s simple fitness band has
all you need to whip yourself into
shape. There’s heart-rate tracking
for effort-zone training, more
precise calorie burn, and it also
piggybacks your phone’s GPS
to track runs and rides, though you
can also run phone-free or indoors
on the treadmill with motion
sensors providing pace and
distance. Beyond workouts, move
reminders and advanced sleep
tracking give you a window into
your all-around wellness.
£150 / polar.com
Polar OH1+
Chest straps remain the gold
standard of BPM tracking, but there
are plenty of sports where they’re
a pain to use. The versatile OH1+
optical heart-rate sensor offers
maximum flexibility to solve that
problem. You can wear the tiny
pound-coin-sized sensor on your
biceps or forearm, or even move
it to your goggle straps to track
your heart rate in the pool. It’ll also
pair with things like Form Swim
goggles to display stats, so you’ll
feel like an underwater fighter pilot.
£70 / polar.com
Fiit
More than just a tracker, Fiit’s chest
strap is your wearable link to a world
of expert-coached at-home
workouts. You can beam hundreds
of classes covering strength, cardio
and mobility, on demand to your
TV, phone or tablet. During each
session, the heart monitor logs
your real-time workrate and
intensity so you can work in
the right zone. There are also
personalised training plans that
stitch together sessions to help
you chase down goals.
from £10/m / fiit.tv
Trackers use sensors – and the most
basic is an accelerometer. It’s used to
sense movement and translate that
into activity data, most commonly
counting steps. Wrist-based trackers
have optical heart-rate monitors that
use light to measure bloodflow,
while chest straps measure electrical
activity for greater accuracy.
We will clock you
Withings ScanWatch
The stylish ScanWatch tracks
health as much as fitness, with
medical-grade heart monitoring
and insights for sleep, activity and
fitness. Its ECG-capable optical
heart-rate sensor triggers alerts
for high, low or irregular heart
rhythms, while a blood oxygen
sensor identifies sleep apnoea.
Automatic activity tracking,
VO2 Max-powered fitness
assessments and swim-friendly
water-resistance complete this
tidy fitness tool.
£229 / withings.com
Garmin Vivosport HR
If you’re upping your game from
generally being a bit more active to
attempting more serious running or
cycling sessions, you need a fitness
band with more bite. The Vivosport
HR comes with built-in GPS for
deeper insights when things get
more vigorous than wandering
about town. You can also monitor
your progress with VO2 Max and
‘fitness age’ estimates. There’s
also all-day stress tracking so you
know when to go hard and when
to go home.
£140 / garmin.com
From the perfect front crawl to twatting someone in the ring,
the next generation of cardiac tracking isn’t messing around
Garmin Swim 2
If you prefer to crawl, stroke and
kick your way to fitness, this
second-generation swim watch
has everything you need. Its pool
mode tracks a full suite of stats
including distance, pace, stroke
count, stroke type and efficiency
(SWOLF), while wild swimmers can
use the built-in GPS to track lake
and ocean efforts. The real kicker:
the optical heart-rate sensor
works underwater and powers
post-swim insights including the
training effect of your last dip.
£220 / garmin.com