GPS watches

How to choose a smartwatch

The intensity of your activity is the first thing to consider when choosing your GPS watch. An ultra runner doesn’t have the same needs as a weekend warrior. The first will look for a robust and durable watch, capable of collecting the most comprehensive list of data, the second will be satisfied by less advanced features.

Battery life

While today manufacturers manage to improve the battery life of their watches thanks to greater capacity batteries, some such as Coros with the Vertix 2 and Garmin with its Fenix 7 deserve the top step of the podium. They are ideal for endurance athletes and adventurers, as they can last for over 40 hours in GPS mode and up to multiple dozens of days in smartwatch mode alone.

Functions and performance

This is the point of focus. When choosing a smartwatch, you need to pay close attention to the modes it features. Precision of the heart rate sensor, GPS precision, featured sport profiles, or connection ability with other Bluetooth sport devices such as heart rate chest sensors.

Usage and design

Well, yes, nowadays brands understand that style and design play an important role for users. While some design bezels with aggressive lines, built for the outdoors, some like Polar put the accent on how easy it is to match their watches to any outfit. Their low-profile and elegant GPS watches will follow you anywhere, running on the steepest trails or at the wedding of your adventure buddy!

Price

It is often one of the first elements to consider. Smartwatches can be found at different price points. While these days, Amazfit shakes up the competition by offering a high-end bezel at a reasonable price, the giants of the field are still appealing for their full proof reliability. Broadly speaking, keep in mind that the price of a watch depends on its power and number of features!

Skiing, hiking, trail running, how to choose a GPS watch for outdoor activities?

Outdoor sports require a durable and reliable watch. To gain the trust of sport enthusiasts, numerous manufacturers have their products certified by drastic military standards. Among them, the MIL-STD-810 standard is getting increasing exposure lately. It guarantees better ruggedness and scratch, dirt, temperature changes and extreme temperature resistance, as well as waterproofness in any circumstance.

Additionally, in high-altitude mountain environments, navigation features are very helpful to locate yourself in your surroundings. Barometric altimeter, route navigation, compas, maps are, when combined, the signs of a high-quality GPS watch.

The best men’s and women’s smartwatches at Glisshop

Coros, Garmin or Polar: discover the leading brands in the field

Coros, Garmin or Polar are the big three on the market of GPS and smartwatches. They develop high-end products, designed to meet the needs of demanding athletes and hiking enthusiasts looking to collect precise data of their trainings and adventures. More recently, manufacturers such as Amazfit have entered the game and shook things up by launching ‘low cost’ GPS watches, making this type of item widely available.

We offer the best watches available on our online shop. All the products are selected by our experts, guaranteeing you won’t be disappointed. If the subject remains unclear to you after reading this article, don’t hesitate to contact us. Via phone or by visiting our store, we are here to guide you and give you all the information you need.