What a pity that there are very few such comparative articles on the Internet. Then people would probably not have wasted so much time, effort, and, possibly, money on gadgets that do not meet their needs, desires and needs.
And now you have the opportunity to avoid these mistakes and use our experience in the question: “Which is better: a fitness bracelet or a smart watch.” With the help of our comparison and analysis, you will be able to understand this topic in detail and understand what you need in a particular case.
Let's tell it like it is.
Well, let's get started!)
Useful to read: Quartz watches - what they are and how they differ from mechanical watches. Research from A to Z
Fitness bracelet and smart watch: what are the purposes of use
So, the first thing we will start our comparison with is to look at their functionality and features.
Why do you need a fitness bracelet?
The fitness bracelet is designed for people leading an active and sporty lifestyle. It is capable of monitoring and recording a number of physiological indicators, thanks to built-in sensors.
Appearance of the Xiaomi mi band 4 fitness bracelet
What can a fitness bracelet do?
- Calculating the speed of a person's movement;
- Heart rate (number of heart beats per minute);
- Duration of physical activity;
- Training intensity;
- Number of calories burned;
- Quality and duration of sleep;
- Number of steps taken;
- “Smart” alarm clock - this function is responsible for waking up a person during the REM sleep phase, that is, at the moment of his easy awakening;
- Timer, stopwatch and alarm functions;
- Notification of calls and messages to your phone.
The fitness bracelet is connected to a suitable smartphone via Bluetooth, and it, in turn, transmits data on physical activity to a suitable application, for example, for Samsung models it is SHeath. And they, in turn, are displayed on the phone.
Also, almost all modern models of fitness bracelets have an increased level of protection against moisture, which will allow them to remain on you, even if your workouts take place in water or a pool.
Why do you need a smart watch?
Smartwatches or smartwatches are gadgets that have more functionality than fitness bracelets, as they are designed not only to track physical activity, but also to fully interact with a smartphone.
Appearance of smart watches
What can smart watches do?
- Quick access to information - notifications about calls, SMS messages, notifications in instant messengers and more are displayed on the screen. And all this is shown on the display;
- Full smartphone control: music, stopwatch, alarm clock, timer, time and calendar, weather forecast and more;
- Shows the complete physical activity of a person (functions of a fitness bracelet);
- Call another phone without a smartphone and send messages;
- Determine location using GPS;
- The “hands free” or “hands free” function, that is, with the help of a voice assistant, such as Siri in Apple smartphones, you can easily carry out commands without removing the phone from your pocket or bag.
Thus, you can see that smart watches have many more features and functions than fitness bands. Therefore, if you want to track your physical activity, then pay attention to fitness bracelets.
Next we will look at the design and appearance.
The main purposes of using a gadget: which is best?
A fitness bracelet is the optimal device for active people. Such a gadget has a number of built-in sensors that record certain physiological indicators of the owner. The bracelet is capable of:
- calculate movement speed;
- heartbeat;
- duration and nature of physical activity;
- calories burned;
- quality of sleep.
The tracker connects to a personal smartphone via a Bluetooth module. Thanks to active sleep analysis and recording of pulse measurements and involuntary movements, the bracelet can implement the function of a “smart” alarm clock. The main idea: the device will wake you up during REM sleep for easy awakening and well-being.
Thanks to moisture protection, 90% of modern bracelet models can withstand contact with water, and some can accompany the owner during swimming training.
Note! To fully swim with a bracelet, you need to choose a protection level of 20 ATM, and for regular running in the rain, gadgets with a moisture protection of 3 ATM are suitable.
Smart watches have much greater capabilities compared to a sports tracker. In addition to monitoring activity (as in the previous version), among the main purposes of using such a watch are the following:
- For quick access to information. To watch something on your smartphone, you need to take it out, unlock it, and launch the appropriate application. “Smart” watches greatly simplify the situation - thanks to widgets, on their screen you can quickly get the necessary information at one glance at the display.
- For equipment management and more. Such a gadget will help configure the operation of any device/program: from an audio player on a personal smartphone to a TV or an entire “smart” home. The creators of various cars also participated in the future synchronization of clocks and cars. At the moment, this feature is implemented in a number of Apple devices. Using the functionality of such a watch, you can lock doors, control the remaining fuel or battery, in the case of an electric car, adjust the temperature inside the cabin, etc., just by installing the desired application.
- To perform tasks “without hands” (hands free). Smart watches are literally created to make life easier for motorists or in other cases when you can’t pick up a smartphone and do what you need. Using the Siri system on Apple Watch, you can easily make calls, send SMS (voice and text), set reminders, and perform a large number of other tasks. Similar functionality is available on watches with the Android operating system: in addition to the above, the owner will be able to receive a translation from one language to another with a voice command, find out the exchange rate, or write to a friend even in a third-party messenger.
Be sure to check out:
The fitness bracelet does not count steps. The main reasons for breakdowns of the pedometer, heart rate monitor and calorie counter IWOWN I6 Pro - a budget, multifunctional and high-quality fitness bracelet for tracking sports activity Xiaomi Mi Band 2 fitness bracelet: water test How to remove the strap from a fitness bracelet: rules and nuances
How does a fitness bracelet differ from a smartwatch in appearance?
So, let's compare these gadgets by appearance.
As for the screen, fitness bracelets have a small screen or no screen at all, unlike smart watches.
Appearance of the fitness bracelet
Appearance of smart watches
The next point is the type of control. Smart watches have all types of controls, such as touch, mechanical and electronic. Fitness bracelets have only touch controls, and this is only in some models.
Also, fitness bracelets usually only have black and white colors on the display, sometimes a couple of bright colors. Smart watches have high picture quality and are fully colored.
In addition to these differences, the appearance of these two gadgets differs in the material from which the strap is made: for a fitness bracelet, manufacturers usually use silicone, which can be changed at the request of the owner or due to wear and tear. Smartwatches have a huge selection: silicone, leather, metal or fabric.
The last difference is the size of the device. Like the screen, smart watches have more impressive dimensions in contrast to a fitness bracelet. Of course, this fact also affects the weight of the gadget.
Actually, we've sorted out the appearance, now let's move on to the software.
Is there software in fitness bracelets?
As for software, fitness bracelets do not have it, so they will not be able to work autonomously, that is, without being tied to a smartphone. Inside this gadget there are special sensors that can collect information about various physical indicators, and then transfer this data to a smartphone application.
An example of displaying data on a fitness bracelet
Smart watches, on the contrary, have their own operating system adapted to the smart watch screen. Such watches can work independently without a smartphone, that is, autonomously.
Example of software on a smart watch
Next, we will look at the prices of these two devices.
Cost of fitness bracelets and smart watches
So, now let's look at the cost of a fitness bracelet and smart watch on Yandex.Market.
The average price for fitness bracelets varies from 1,500 rubles to 4,000 rubles.
Example prices for some models of fitness bracelets on Yandex.Market
As for smart watches, their price is higher, and on average their cost is 5,000 rubles - 10,000 rubles.
Example prices for some smartwatch models on Yandex.Market
So, next we will look at the advantages and disadvantages of these two gadgets.
What is better to choose: a smart watch or a fitness bracelet?
- First, it's worth focusing on your budget. If it is limited, you should choose a fitness bracelet - it is still much cheaper. Otherwise, you might want to consider building a more feature-rich device.
- Secondly, you must figure out for yourself what you want to get from the device. If you are sports-oriented, want to record your physical activity, remember to fully train and monitor your progress, and you don't need anything else, then you should choose a fitness bracelet. If, in addition to the above functions, you want to receive messages and calls on your device, immediately see notifications - right on your wrist, conveniently switch music, for example, while traveling, and in general, get the most out of it, then a smart watch will be for you ideal option.
Fitness bracelet and smart watch: advantages and disadvantages
| Fitness bracelets | Smart watch | |
| Advantages |
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| Flaws |
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Next, we will compile a table where we will combine all the parameters by which a comparative comparison between smart watches and fitness bracelets was carried out today.
General table comparing the functions of a fitness bracelet and a smart watch
| Function | Fitness bracelet | Smart watch |
| Notifications | Only receive notifications about calls, SMS messages and instant messengers You will not be able to receive a call, nor will you be able to respond to a message. All you can do is reject the call | Shows all calls, SMS messages and notifications in instant messengers The text of the message is available for reading, and you have the opportunity to answer the call Plus, you can see several notifications at the same time on the smartwatch screen |
| Physical activity | A pedometer, motion sensor, heart rate and other indicators can fully analyze a person’s physical condition. However, all data is sent only to the application. Only some functions are displayed on the screen | They have all the functions of a fitness bracelet, with one feature - the data can be seen directly on the watch display |
| "Smart alarm clock" | Available on fitness bracelets, however, you must install a special application | They have this function by default, however, the large dimensions of smart watches often disturb the owner when sleeping, so often a “smart” alarm clock is a useless function |
| Weather, time and other widgets | Available only on models with screen | Available in all models and displayed on the screen in full You can also customize what will be displayed on the screen |
| Location (GPS module) | Not equipped | Available |
| Battery life | On average 4 - 7 days without recharging | On average 1 - 3 days without recharging |
| Control type | Touch, mechanical and electronic | Touch |
| Software | Not available | Available |
| average price | 1,500 - 4,000 rubles | 5,000 - 10,000 rubles |
Functions of fitness bracelets
Both professionals and amateur athletes speak positively about fitness bracelets, contributing to the popularization of these devices. The functionality of a fitness tracker is quite wide and is most often used for the following purposes:
- Counting steps taken . The built-in accelerometer is considered the main function of the bracelet. With its help, you can not only find out how many steps the user has taken on the treadmill, but also how many steps it will take to get to the next store.
- Displacement measurements . Fitness trackers, equipped with the appropriate elements, can track not only the user’s physical position (sitting, lying or standing), but also “understand” at what height above ground level he is, how many flights of stairs have been overcome and how many kilometers have been covered.
- Determining the degree of training effectiveness . The majority of devices are capable of counting heart rate beats per minute, but some manufacturers have gone further by equipping the trackers with devices for measuring blood pressure, sweating intensity and body temperature.
- Counting calories burned . The number of calories burned is calculated based on heart rate monitor data, as well as the user’s weight and height.
- Sleep phase tracking . Although this technology is still relatively new, and not without errors, many fitness trackers can track the user's sleep state depending on the intensity of the movements that he makes while in the arms of Morpheus.
- Synchronization with the application . A pair of tracker + application on a smartphone will allow you to somewhat expand the functionality of the device, record training data on your smartphone and compare it with previous indicators, which provides extensive opportunities for tracking your own progress in training.
- Sending messages. Like many smart watches, trackers support the functions of displaying notifications from a smartphone and sending messages on social networks.
