FITNESS GEAR BUYER’S CHECKLIST

BATTERY LIFE

THE KEY THINGS TO BE AWARE OF WHEN BUYING TECHY SPORTING GOODS. Check the battery life, which will vary from five hours for headphones through to a year for chest strap heart-rate monitors.

APP SUPPORT

Ensure the companion app is available for your smartphone — some fitness gadgets are still iOS only, which makes them useless for Android users.

THIRD-PARTY APP SUPPORT

If you’re heavily invested in a particular fitness ecosystem, such as RunKeeper or Strava, check that the device’s metrics can be imported to third-party apps.

WATERPROOFING

If swimming is your physical activity of choice, check that the gadget is waterproof (and not just water-resistant). Bluetooth doesn’t work well under water.

GO SOLO

Prefer to leave your smartphone at home? Some gadgets have built-in memory to store workouts, but others require a nearby phone to record stats.

HEART-RATE MONITORING

Chest straps provide the most accurate measurement of heart-rate. HRM headphones come a close second, but aren’t as reliable due to earbud movement.

PERFECT FIT

Comfort is very important for any wearable, whether it’s going in your ears, on your feet, around your chest or worn as a garment.

AUDIO EXPERIENCE

Most smart fitness gadgets will require you to have headphones plugged in to hear real-time audio feedback on your performance.