Fitness watches

Fitness watches can give you an enormous amount of insight into your track and workout performance. But which ones go that extra mile for active people?

Photography: Neil Godwin

WHAT’S ON TEST… 1 Fitbit Versa 2

While Fitbit’s entrance into the fitness smartwatch market lagged a little behind its rivals Garmin and Apple, with the Versa series it has carved out its niche at the more affordable end of the market. Offering improved battery life, Alexaintegration and even Oxygen-level tracking, the Versa 2 has become the one to watch for the cash-conscious. But does it offer good value compared to more full-featured competitors?

$279, fitbit.com/au SPECS 2 Garmin Forerunner 945

When it comes to fitness tech, Garmin usually races ahead of the pack. And so it’s reasonable to expect its flagship running watch, the Forerunner 945, to leave rivals eating its dust. Certainly, with its great battery life, full-colour maps and absurd variety of fitness features, it’s a premium product – but it comes at undeniably premium price.

$859, garmin.com SPECS 3 Apple Watch Series 5

We can’t not mention the device that helped spawn the category. While Apple’s device is a generalist compared to brands like Garmin and Fitbit, it has consistently offered great health and fitness features. Not only that but it offers enough smart functionality to justify its place on your wrist 24/7.

From $649, apple.com/au SPECS