SmartWatch: With summer fast approaching, it’s time to get working on our waistlines. Through rapidly advancing technology in health and wellbeing, it’s safe to say the days of using the scales and manually counting calories are long gone. 

The pandemic has resulted in swifter technological adoption due to so many of us having to exercise from home. YouTube, Facebook, Instagram live and fitness classes on TV have boomed in popularity over the past two years and are now considered the norm. Now the world has reopened, smart wearables that track your steps and daily routine are here to stay. Fitness watches are no longer just for the tech savvy. The average person who likes to count their steps, check their blood pressure and even track their sleep patterns.

Recent figures from Statistica reveal that smartwatches have now become one of the most popular wearables categories globally. So much so, they are expected to hit shipments of over a quarter of a billion units by the end of 2025. In addition to this, in the US alone it’s estimated that around one in five adults regularly sports a smartwatch or fitness band. 

We took a look at three smart wearables that track your health and (in some cases) even your wealth.

Huawei GT3

Designed for those on the move, the Huawei GT3 smartwatch, is one of the most prominent fitness trackers and communication wearables on the market. Boasting 14 day battery life, a personal AI running coach, over 100 workout modes, accurate heart rate monitoring and the use of bluetooth to accept and make calls. It’s not surprising to see the GT3 is in demand. Users can also receive whatsapp, instagram, slack and text message notifications. The watch comes in a number of different styles with interchangeable straps and its elegant style makes it one of the best-looking smart wearables available. The GT3 is compatible with most Android and iOS phones and even monitors sleep. The only issue, if you consider it one, is that it doesn’t offer contactless payments. Prices start at €229, which isn’t bad considering how many features it has.

Apple Watch SE

Similar to the Huawei GT3 in price, the Apple watch SE smartwatch, features workout and fitness tracking, heart rate monitoring and also allows you to make and receive calls. Perhaps more interestingly, you can also use it to display tickets and boarding passes and pay for goods through Apple Wallet. As with most wearables, straps are also interchangeable. Although describing itself as a device that watches over you day and night. According to Apple, it requires charging every 18 hours, so you would need to leave it plugged in every night. Similar to the fitbit in style you can wear it from day to night (you’ll just have to change the straps). As with anything Apple, you get what you pay for and it does have that cheaper fitness watch appearance. Another glitch is that you can only use Apple watches with iPhones. The Apple Watch SE starts at €299.

Garmin Vivoactive 3

Garmin is possibly one of the best known wearable producers in the fitness market. Designed for active lifestyles, their smartwatch is compatible with most iOS and Android phones. The Garmin Vivoactive 3 features built-in sports apps, including GPS-enabled running, biking and golfing plus swimming and activity tracking. It also issues alerts for incoming calls, texts and notifications from mobile apps.

A good contender when it comes to battery life, one charge can last up to three weeks if just using the watch or up to 10 hours if using GPS on a constant basis. Unfortunately you can’t answer calls through the watch and so, manually answering a call through your phone is required. Later versions, however, such as the Vivoactive 4 allow this. When it comes to appearance, although slim, it wouldn’t be as elegant as other watches. You can however, use it to pay for goods and services through the Garmin pay feature. Prices for the Garmin Vivoactive 3 start at approx €200, retailer dependent.