Fitbit and Garmin are two of the most important names in the business of physical activity trackers and smart watches.Especially if you are interested in monitor your health and physical state more closely.

Garmin has existed for longer, making sports watches that over time have evolved to behave more as smart watches in recent years.So that I can start paying in your own way or listening to music without having your phone nearby.

Fitbit arrived at the scene after Garmin and began with the activity trackers before adding smart watches to his portable devices collection.The follow -up of the physical condition remains the basis of what it does, but now it is exploring how you can better monitor your health and activities such as running and swimming.

Both offer a variety of different models and options, which makes it difficult to determine which one is really the best for you.Es por eso que hemos reunido esta guía para ayudar a que esa decisión sea más fácil, seleccionando las mayores diferencias en el hardware, software y características que estos dos pesos pesados ​​portátiles tienen para ofrecer.

Garmin

Garmin launched its first Forerunner clock in the early 2000s and since then has added a range of lines that include its Vivoactive and Fenix watches.Everyone has sports monitoring in the nucleus, offering a range of different designs and a combination of features.

Some of the most popular models are:

Battery duration

One of the basic elements of physical activity trackers and Garmin's watches is the promise of offering a great battery life.Whether you choose something cheap such as the Vivofit exercise tracker or something high -end such as Forerunner 945, Garmin will generally offer about a week of battery and, in many cases, more.

It is also taken into account that the use of functions such as GPS or heart rate monitoring while tracking an activity can significantly reduce battery.Por lo tanto, relojes como su serie Fenix ​​centrada en el exterior incluyen un modo de batería UltraTrac para brindarle más tiempo de seguimiento y reducir la velocidad con la que registra datos como el GPS.You will also find new energy and battery savings modes that turn off the functions that consume a lot of energy that does not use regularly to retain the battery for the functions you use.

In the VENU, the device most similar to a smart watch in Garmin, is the only device in its collection that has a color AMOLED screen that can be used in an ever ignition.It still manages several days of battery, despite using a screen technology that consumes more energy than the transflective screen technology that Garmin uses in most of its other watches.

Fitness functions

We believe that it is fair to say that when it comes to what Garmin's watches and physical activity trackers can monitor, there is much.These sets of functions vary between devices and ranges, but many of the main functions are executed in all ranges to offer a more consistent and familiar experience.

Therefore, from Vivosmart to FENIX, you will achieve activity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, continuous heart rate monitoring and sleep monitoring.You will also get some of the most motivational physical state monitoring functions of Garmin, such as Move IQ and adaptive steps counts, which are designed to keep moving during the day of subtle but very significant forms.You can also find functions such as stress monitoring, guided breathing exercises, women's health and Garmin Body Body monitor.This analyzes metrics such as sleep and heart rate to determine the energy levels for the day.

When it comes to sports monitoring, this is where Garmin devices really stand out.It covers basic sports such as running, riding and swim.

Cuando esté dispuesto a gastar más en relojes como el Fenix ​​o el Forerunner 945, también comenzará a ver perfiles deportivos para más actividades al aire libre como senderismo, esquí, escalada o incluso paddleboard.These more specific searches still offer a wide set of specific activity metrics.You will also find functions such as maps and navigation to be more useful when you are exploring.

The heart rate promotes many of Garmin's functions that seek to make you think more about your training and recovery, as well as measure effort levels during exercise.In most cases, Garmin will allow you to match an external chest strap, if you questions the reliability and precision of the sensor incorporated into your wrist devices.

Smart clock functions

While Garmin's watches and trackers are mainly designed for sport and fitness, they now behave better as smart watches.

The majority, if not all, work both with Android devices and with iPhones, and will offer basic functions and be able to see notifications, verify the time and weather and synchronize data with the Garmin Connect application.

When you decide to pay more for something like Forerunner 245 or Fenix, you will get more in terms of smart watch functions.That includes payments and a built -in music player.The latter allows you to accumulate your own music or reproduction lists of Spotify and Deezer.That includes storing them without connection so you don't need to be connected to your phone to listen to them.

If applications are concerned, most Garmin watches with the right amount of storage also have access to the Connect IQ store.This is where you can find applications, clock spheres, data fields and widgets.That compatibility with Connect IQ can vary.Therefore, Forerunner 45 is compatible, but it will only allow you to download clock spheres.However, the most expensive fogs will give you full access.

Today's best offers:

Fitbit

Fitbit's first portable device was a rotometer style device that focused on counting steps and tracking your dream.

Since then, he added new sensors, designs and has moved to the space of smart watches to compete with the Legion of Wear OS watches of Apple, Samsung and Google.

He still worries about the follow -up of his physical condition, but now he can give a better impression as a clock and offers a wide range of connected functions that make him worthy of a place in his wrist.

The key members of the Fitbit family are:

Battery duration

Even since its first days of monitoring, Fitbit has tried to promise about a week duration of the battery.Years later, that has not changed and has even advanced much when dealing with the fact that complete smart watches still have a battery problem.

His latest Versa 3 watches and Sense promise up to more than 6 days, which is impressive if he considers the type of screen and the characteristics that the clocks have.Their activity trackers Inspire 2 and Charge 4 also promise to last a week between loads.The Inspire 2 actually promises to last 10 days, which is the longest battery duration than a Fitbit device has been capable.

Add visualization modes always active to your latest smart watches will have an impact on battery life as well as Apple and Samsung watches.It could be a great reason why Fitbit is presenting a new fast charging function that gives him a one -day battery with a 12 -minute charge.

Fitness functions

The follow -up of the physical condition is really the way in which Fitbit made a name and is the basis of each device that is launched or in the process of launching.

Each Fitbit will track your steps, control your heart rate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, control the sleep and notify you with inactivity alerts during the day.These sleep functions are some of the richest available on a portable platform that deepens knowledge and offers additional metrics driven by heart rate monitoring during the night.

More recently, he added a menstrual health monitoring with some visible data in his smart watches.You will get guided breathing exercises and your new Sense clock can even indicate your body's response to stress.

When you want to see beyond steps and sleep, most fitbits are equipped to track a variety of sports.It offers automatic activity recognition when you do not want to tell your device manually that you are about to run and swim.

Charge 4, Versa and Sense now offer integrated GPS to facilitate the realization of outdoor activities maps and you have the Fitbit Purepulse heart rate sensor to unlock training in heart rate and functions areas such as Active Zone Minute and Intensity Maps.Fitbit's watches and the Charge 4 flagship tracker also track their swimming, although it currently only works for swimming in pool.

Fitbit users also have access to their Premium platform, where you can find programs and training that you can follow and obtain more detailed information on the sensors on board your clock and tracker.

Smart clock functions

In Fitbit's physical activity trackers, he did everything possible to offer smart watch -style functions.Given screen and design limitations, it will always be difficult to go beyond things such as the basic notifications support.

That has changed significantly since he entered the space of smart watches and the tastes of Versa and Sense can do more when you are not sweating in the gym.

Fitbit portable devices work with Android and iPhone and provide you with functions such as notifications, payments, applications, integrated music screens and integrated music players.Their last smart watches also add intelligent assistant support for Alexa de Amazon with Google assistant support to follow.

The experience of using a fitbit with an Android or iPhone phone is largely consistent, although functions such as responding to notifications, for example, is an exclusive function of Android.

Like Garmin, here you also have access to an application store.The Fitbit Application Gallery continues to grow as a platform, but includes some high profile names such as MySwimpro and Spotify.However, the latter will only allow you to control the transmission service, not accumulate reproduction lists without connection as you can do in Garmin.If you like the faces of the watches, Fitbit also offers a lot.

Today's best Fitbit offers:

Garmin or Fitbit?

So, are you going with Fitbit or Garmin? As we have said, there are many different devices to choose on both sides and all offer different characteristics and appearance.

We believe that the decision between the two platforms is reduced to some areas that could influence one on the other.

If you care a lot about the physical condition instead of recording races or walks, Fitbit still feels that it offers a better experience here.Its devices and the complementary application are easy to use and still offers the richest and most useful dream that can be found in a portable device.For beginners, it adapts much better.Fitbit also offers more avant -garde sensors oriented to serious health monitoring with its skin temperature sensor and ECG that now appears on its new Sense watch.

If you spend more time tracking sports and yearning for a lot of data and battery life when you are moving, Garmin's watches and trackers in general will serve you better.They offer reliable monitoring and the ability to add external sensors means that it can improve the precision and number of metrics that you can record.

Out of tracking, both offer a lot.Garmin has some desirable characteristics that you will not find in a fitbit.Such as the proper Spotify support and useful security and assistance functions.However, Fitbit has that intelligent assistant support if that is something he values in a clock.

The decision between these two big names in the world of portable devices is really reduced to what you value most most.Both now offer very successful devices that impress both the hardware and software fronts.However, it is clear that they stand out in different departments and we hope to have helped him to establish what they are to help guide his decision.

This article is part of the Get Fit In 2022 series of Techradar, a collection of ideas and guides to help you your health goals for the New Year begin correctly, whatever your current level of physical condition.