Top-notch smartwatches and fitness trackers for your needs
Stiftung Warentest tested 17 new smartwatches and fitness trackers, with two affordable options costing around 130 euros standing out. One model, priced at 40 euros, is also rated highly for its value.
These devices go beyond simply displaying the time; they serve as heart rate and altimeter, measure blood pressure or create an ECG, count steps, calculate distances, and track calories burned. Some also allow you to analyze your sleep patterns, play music, make calls, or send and receive messages.
With Apple, Garmin, and Google dominating the smartwatch market, an inexpensive newcomer nearly matches their quality. Unfortunately, a 25-euro fitness tracker failed to impress.
Apple Watch Series Maintains Lead
Apple's smartwatches are known for their exceptional fitness functions, including heart rate measurement, pedometer, and distance measurement. Their communication capabilities, music features, and sleep monitoring are also highly-rated. While running performance is just satisfactory, the Apple Watch 8 (GPS) remains the leader with a quality rating of 1.6. It averages at around 470 euros.
The successor, Apple Watch 9 (GPS), received a slightly lower overall score of 1.7, due to issues with communication and endurance. Priced at about 475 euros, it remains a strong contender.
The cheaper Apple Watch SE (2022), costing around 305 euros, achieved the same quality rating. Although it's less accurate with heart rate measurement, it excels in distance measurement and running performance.
The high-end Apple Watch Ultra 2, priced at 890 euros, received an overall rating of 1.7 despite similar handling and workmanship as Apple's standard watches. Battery life is the only drawback, rated as satisfactory.
130-Euro Smartwatches Offer Solid Performance
Garmin's Venu 2 Plus is the top non-Apple smartwatch with a 1.7 overall score. Its heart rate and distance measurement capabilities, as well as its pedometer, earned very good ratings. Handling, stability, and workmanship also impressed the testers. Communication and endurance were rated as good, with no major complaints.
The newer Garmin Venu 3 received a 1.8 overall score, falling slightly behind due to less accurate heart rate measurement. It costs 450 euros.
Google's Pixel Watch 2 earned an overall score of 1.8 as well, with a less accurate pedometer resulting in a good fitness score. Its durability, however, is remarkable. The Google Pixel Watch 2 is available for an average of 355 euros.
The Xiaomi Watch 2 Pro entered the top 10 at eighth place with a 2.0 overall score. It offers good fitness functions, attributed to its highly accurate pedometer. Communication is as strong as Apple Watch 9 with a score of 1.4. Handling and stability are both rated as very good. While its battery performance was merely satisfactory, it still manages to impress with its affordability.
Budget-Friendly Smartwatch Alternative
If affordability is more important than high-end features, consider the Xiaomi Redmi Watch 3 Active. This budget-friendly device, priced at just under 40 euros, achieved a surprisingly respectable overall rating of 2.7. Testers praised its fitness functions and communication, rating handling good and endurance very good. However, its battery performance was only satisfactory.
The Xiaomi Smart Band 8 Active, a fresh face in this price range, failed to impress the judges with a good-but-not-great score of 3.3. This was primarily due to the device's unimpressive communication capabilities and underwhelming fitness features, making it less attractive than usual for a fitness tracker.
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Source: www.ntv.de
