Nokia Steel HR
A HYBRID WATCH WITH HEART.
THE STEEL HR is the most watch-like fitness tracker we’ve seen. It looks attractive and has a premium design, and compared to smartwatches available on the market, the smaller size and slimmer design makes this much more comfortable to wear. On the right-hand side of the watch display, you’ll find the only button. It looks like a crown, but won’t spin and just works as a button to cycle through the stats menus, namely heart rate, steps, distance, alarms and battery life. Just above the six o’clock on the watch face sits the percentage calculator, which will go up the more steps you take in a day. The time is still easy to read, too, which is one of the most important things for most people buying a hybrid smartwatch.
The Nokia Steel HR won’t be able to do as much fitness tracking as a lot of other trackers on the market, though. It’s mainly useful for tracking steps, which we found to be accurate. The big highlight is the heart rate tracker. This sits against your wrist and will take a reading every half an hour. It’ll also continuously monitor your heart rate when you’re working out to identify how well you’re doing — all of that info is then available in the Nokia Health Mate app, which is one of the most useful on the market. The Steel HR can also be taken in the pool and keep track of your sleep. There’s also an alarm function that allows you to wake up slowly with gentle vibrations on your wrist. It offers great battery life, too, lasting up to 25 days depending on how much you’re using the features, and recharges easily with its including charging pad.
This is a device built for those who don’t like the standard fitness tracker design and want something with a little more style. Its features are limited and it’s a shame Nokia hasn’t packed in other workout types, but if your exercise routine is limited to walking, running and swimming, you will get along well with this tracker.