It’s almost the end of the year which means that it will soon be the New Year, which means that it’s time for New Year Resolutions again. If one of your New Year Resolutions is to be healthy, to lose weight, to build muscles, or to train for some sporting event, these are a list of gadgets that would make the perfect gift for yourself, or someone you know. Alternatively you can also check out our Best Fitness Apps (2016) if you’d like some app suggestions as well.
Fitbit Charge 2
When it comes to fitness trackers, Fitbit is practically synonymous with that, and the Fitbit Charge 2 represents how far along the company has come. Featuring a built-in heart rate sensor, it also sports a display that shows you your biodata that it tracks, such as calories, heart rate, pace, distance, and more.
There is GPS via connected GPS meaning it will need to pair with your smartphone. It is also not waterproof meaning that you can’t go swimming with it. It does, however, sport an amazing battery life of up to 5 days and can be yours for $129.
Samsung Gear Fit 2
Samsung’s Gear Fit series of trackers tend to be a bit overlooked, but maybe the Gear Fit 2 shouldn’t. It features built-in GPS (meaning there’s no need to rely on your phone for GPS) and is IP68 certified meaning that getting it wet should not be an issue. It can detect what kind of activity you’re doing and track it accordingly, and it features a beautiful 1.5-inch Super AMOLED display. It also has a battery life of about 3-4 days and is priced at close to $150.
Garmin VivoSmart HR+
Back in the day Garmin’s trackers would require an external heart rate monitor for it to work. However with the VivoSmart HR+, it is built into the device itself. This is the successor to last year’s VivoSmart HR and is designed for runners in mind, thanks to its standby GPS that offers more accurate time, distance, and pace tracking. It isn’t the most elegant tracker we’ve seen, but it is waterproof up to 50m and boasts a battery life of up to 5 days. If this is the tracker for you, it can be yours for $120.
Withings Activite Pop
Most of the trackers we’ve seen are pretty obvious that they are fitness trackers, but if you want something that can track your activities while blending in, the Withings Pop Activite could be it. It is a pretty basic tracker that can track your steps, distance, running, and calories. There are also sleep monitoring features, and because it features an analog watch face, it runs on a regular battery that is said to last up to 8 months, and with a price point of about $116, it won’t exactly be breaking the bank.
Under Armour Healthbox
If you’re looking for an all-in-one fitness tracking set for yourself or for someone else, then you really need not look further than the Under Armour UA HealthBox. This basically contains everything you need to start tracking your fitness/activity. It comes with a band that tracks your activity, a heart rate monitor that is worn separately across your chest, and a scale that can measure body weight, fat percentage, and more. It will set you back $300.
Halo Headphones
If you’re looking to give yourself that extra edge when playing sports or doing an activity, then the Halo Sport headphones could be it. Its creators claim that the headphones are able to boost the neurons of the wearer, allowing them to react faster and improve coordination via 2.0mA pulses to the motor cortex. They even tested it out with the US ski team and saw some improvements, although at $700 they are a pretty expensive investment and will require a leap of faith.
Jabra Elite Sport Wireless Earbuds
Samsung Gear IconX
If you like the idea of the Jabra Elite Sport earbuds but you’re not a fan of the price, you could always consider the Samsung Gear IconX. These too are a wireless pair of earbuds with fitness tracking capabilities, but one of the main differences is that it also doubles up as a media player with 4GB of storage, so you can leave your phone at home and still be able to enjoy music while working out. Like we said it is more affordable and is priced at $167.
Lumo Run
There is a right way and wrong way to run. Running the wrong way could be damaging to your body which in turn could lead to injury, which is why Lumo Run was created to help with that. This is a sensor that is clipped to your pants and can measure things like your cadence, your braking, bounce, pelvic rotation, and pelvic. There will also be an accompanying app that will help correct your running form and posture. The sensor itself is priced at $100 and while it can be clipped to any pair of pants, Lumo is also selling their own pants for men and women at $100 each that have been designed with the sensor in mind.
FX Sport VR1
The thing about working out is that sometimes it can be a bit intimidating because you don’t know what to do, or what are the right exercises to achieve your goals. This is where the FX-Sport VR1 headphones come in. These are a wireless pair of headphones that also comes with training programs built into it, meaning that it can coach you while you workout. It is available for $160.
Apple Watch Nike+
With the launch of the Apple Watch Series 2, Apple also unveiled the Apple Watch Nike+. For all intents and purposes, the Nike+ version is basically the same as the Series 2, with the main difference being its strap design which is more sporty. It comes with features like GPS, water resistance, and will come with exclusive Nike watch faces, as well as access to the Nike+ Run Club. It is priced at $369 and can be purchased from Apple directly.
Garmin Vivoactive HR
If you’re not so much after a fitness tracker but a smartwatch that can also track your fitness, then the Garmin Vivoactive HR is an option. It can track your heart rate along with a multitude of activities, running, golf, cycling, hiking, and even swimming! So if you are an avid swimmer and want to know your stats, this could be it. There is also support for Garmin’s cycling lights and radar. It is priced at $170.
Garmin Forerunner 735XT
If you or someone you know who participates in triathlons then the Garmin Forerunner 735XT could make the perfect gift. It comes with heart rate tracking and can also track all kinds of activities that one might expect from a triathlon, like running, swimming, cycling, and more. It also can automatically upload your data to Garmin Connect and offer audio prompts, live tracking, social media sharing, and so on. It is pretty pricey at $450 but if these are features that you think are important, then why not?
Polar M600
Polar is a company that has been in the wearables/health game for a while, at least way before many of the companies that we know about today, so safe to say that they know their stuff. Just a few months ago, the company launched the M600 Android Wear smartwatch which comes with a heart rate tracker that is equipped with 6 LEDs, meaning that it should be more accurate. It also comes with GPS, GLONASS, and a 500mAh battery that is good for about 2 days, and it will also come with your usual array of fitness tracking capabilities and is priced at $330.
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