Smart watches

Ihave a love/hate relationship with outdoor smartwatches. Yes, they’re tough, weatherproof, impact-proof and their battery life should far outlast that of a conventional smartwatch.

But getting the hang of them can be tricky. It depends on how well you pick up the combination of functions, which are usually split between touchscreen and up to five surrounding buttons. (Some allow you to configure the buttons and menus to your preference – but even that can be exhausting.)

The second hassle is sportiness. I wish I knew why most of them use the language of training and competition. I don’t want a report telling me that my lunchtime walk had ‘zero training effect’ or that climbing Causey Pike was ‘insufficient’ because I didn’t burn enough fat.

But if you can put up with that, then a decent smartwatch is by far the cleverest and most accurate way of archiving your routes, miles, steps and even memories.