Whether you're looking to track your steps, monitor your heartbeat, or simply glance at your new messages from a quick check of your watchface, there's a new generation of wearable tech devices that can help. From sophisticated smartwatches to simple, low cost activity trackers, all sorts of wearable tech products are on sale.
We have reviews and advice guides to help you choose between the various options, from top of the line Apple smartwatches to cheap Fitbits and Garmin fitness trackers. Read on for our overview of the best wearable tech around.
Fitness trackers are what come to mind when most of us think “wearable tech.” A basic fitness tracker will typically monitor the number of steps that you take – great if you're setting a 10k-a-day target. They can usually detect if you're running or walking, and report everything back to you in a companion app on your smartphone.
However, for tracking more complex kinds of sports, you'll need a more advanced fitness tracker. Not all models can monitor your heartbeat, for example, to detect when you're really stepping up the pace down the gym.
Some fitness trackers have large screens to show you alerts and messages, where others have no screen at all. Not sure which to go for? Start by checking our expert guides.
Ready to step up from a fitness tracker? A smartwatch will give you all the same activity monitoring functions, but add extra features for checking messages, controlling your phone functions, and even answering calls.
Of course, you can't talk smartphones without mentioning the Apple Watch, the best-selling smartwatch in the world. Apple has pretty much defined a product genre with this one, but it's important to remember that the Apple Watch isn't the only game in town.
You can get the same functions cheaper by choosing a rival smartwatch from Garmin, Fitbit or Samsung. These devices will work with an iPhone thanks to their apps, though you will miss out on some of the Apple ecosystem smoothness.
Want a gaming VR headset but don't want to pay out for a separate PC or console? Oculus thinks it has the solution with its self-contained VR headset, pitched at a more palatable price than its high-end Rift and with a strong library of VR's greatest hits.
After years on the market, Fitbit has truly improved their overall lineup. With fitness trackers and smartwatches abound, the decision is going to be far from easy if you're looking to purchase one of these devices. Fortunately, this handy guide has everything you need.
We went hands-on with the some of the most popular fitness trackers and sports watches on the market, including the Apple Watch Series 4 and Fitbit Charge 3, to find out which was the best overall, and which was the best value for money.