Smartwatches provide plenty of benefits, whether you're an iPhone or Android user. Along with showing notifications, they can even track daily activity and exercise. But most smartwatches aren't exactly fashion-friendly, and many people still enjoy the look and styling of a classic analog watch.
Many different watchmakers have realized this and created an exciting category of devices: the hybrid smartwatch. These offer many advantages of a smartwatch while sporting a decidedly old-school look.
Here are some of the best hybrid smartwatches available.
Alpina's Horological Smartwatch bridges the gap with high-end, Swiss-made styling and great fitness features. The watch can track activity and sleep. Along with the time and date on the watch face, you can see your daily fitness goal progress. The watch automatically syncs to a companion smartphone app where you can view information like sleep quality data.
The Swiss-made timepiece features a Sapphire crystal screen that is much more resistant to scratching compared to glass. It also water-resistant to 100m, so it's safe to take on a swim or other water activities. As a nice touch when traveling, the watch will pick up the current time from a smartphone and automatically adjust itself.
- On-screen display shows progress toward daily step goal
- Two-year battery life
- When traveling to different time zones, the watch will pickup time from your smartphone and adjust
- Brand: Alpina
- Heart Rate Monitor: No
- Notification Support: No
- Battery Life: 2 years
- Sapphire crystal screen is very resistant to scratching
- Water-resistant to 100m
- High-end styling
- Expensive compared to other hybrid smartwatch options
- No smartphone notifications
The Fossil Men's Hybrid Smartwatch HR is one of the best choices available on the market. The watch will track your heart rate every 20 minutes throughout the day and continuously during a workout. You can also check the metric any time by just flicking your wrist. It also tracks other metrics like activity and sleep.
Thanks to the built-in display on the watch, you can see smartphone notifications and alerts to keep you informed without using a handset. The display is also customizable so that you can see the most critical information to you. If you ever lose your smartphone, you can ring it from the watch.
You can go for up to two weeks of use before needing to recharge the battery.
- Heart rate tracking gives added insight to your fitness workout info
- View smartphone notifications and alerts on the watch screen
- Ring your smartphone from the watch
- Brand: Fossil
- Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
- Notification Support: Yes
- Battery Life: 2 weeks
- Offers a number of fitness features and smartphone integration
- Personalized dial allows you to see your most important information
- Available in a number of strap and case options
- Has to be charged every two weeks
- Data-heavy watch screen might be too much for some people
The Timex Metropolitan+ is a hybrid smartwatch from a classic name that tracks steps taken, distance traveled, and calories burned. You can see your progress toward daily goals right on the watch face along with the time. You can also sync the watch to the companion smartphone app that stores the information to view.
There's no need to worry about charging as the replaceable battery lasts for more than a year with normal use. The watch is also water-resistant to 50m, making it sufficient to take for a swim. The watch is available in several cases and band options. And a quick-release mechanism makes it easy to switch out any traditional 20mm band.
- Tracks steps taken, distance walked, and calories burned
- On-screen dials show progress toward goals
- Replaceable battery lasts for more than a year with normal use
- Brand: Timex
- Heart Rate Monitor: No
- Notification Support: No
- Battery Life: 1-year
- Water-resistant so it can be used in the pool
- Quick release option makes it easy to change to other 20mm bands
- Inexpensive compared to other hybrid smartwatches
- Watch must be synced to phone every seven days
- Can't track workouts
Heart rate monitoring isn't just for full smartwatches. Along with a regular analog watch face, the Nokia Steel HR offers a small screen. This can show several different items, including current heart rate data, notifications, calls, steps, and calories.
The watch will automatically track more than 10 different activities like running, walking, swimming, and others when working out. Water-resistant to over 160 feet, the Steel HR will continuously monitor heart rate during exercise to optimize training.
And at night the watch will monitor your sleep and even provide a silent, vibrating alarm to wake you up at an optimal point in the sleep cycle. The battery can last for up to 25 days before needing to be recharged.
Buyers can select from two different case sizes for the most comfortable fit on their wrist. The watch also offers two other cases and face colors, along with a handful of bands that you can easily switch out.
- Automatically tracks more than 30 different activities
- Continuously track heart rate all day and during workouts
- At night, tracks sleep and will show light/deep sleep, and interruptions
- Brand: Withings
- Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
- Notification Support: Yes
- Battery Life: 25 days
- Easily swappable bands to better fit your style
- Swimmer friendly with water resistance of up to 160 feet
- Smartphone notifications are a big plus for staying connected
- Still requires charging
- Doesn't track information like Vo2 Max, a common smartwatch feature
Even traditional fashion companies are jumping on the hybrid smartwatch bandwagon. The Kate Spade Metro is a decidedly feminine option that features a petite 39.5mm case and 19mm strap.
There's no screen or separate dial on the watch, so you'll need to view your steps and most other information like sleep in the companion smartphone app.
It comes with a promising a battery life of up to six months provided by a replaceable cell. This watch receives notifications in a unique way; you assign contacts or apps to a number on the dial, and when something arrives, a hand will quickly turn to that specific number. With the three side buttons, wearers can control music, snap a photo on their phone, or automatically ring their phone if it's lost.
Another novel feature of the Metro is its ability to display a countdown to a customizable special event like a wedding, vacation, or other celebration.
- Tracks steps taken and sleep, viewable in the companion smartphone app
- Small 39.5mm case and 19mm strap
- Three sides buttons allow you to control smartphone functions like music
- Brand: Kate Spade
- Heart Rate Monitor: No
- Notification Support: Yes
- Battery Life: 6 months
- Battery life of up to six months
- Fun feature that can display countdown to special event
- Unlike most smartwatches, designed for smaller wrists
- No screen to show information
- Notification system and button layout might take time to learn
Garmin's vÃvomove 3S is a featured-packed hybrid smartwatch. While the watch looks like it just has a standard analog display, you can tap or swipe to see the hidden screen with smartphone notifications and other information. When interacting with the screen, the watch's hands will move away.
The vÃvomove 3S also offers some great fitness-related features. It continually tracks heart rate, even when not working out. Other metrics tracked include sleep, pulse oxygen, sleep, and even stress.
While the watch is available in several cases and band combinations, you can easily switch to any 20mm band. The watch's battery can go for up to five days on a single charge.
- Tap or swipe the screen to show hidden display
- Constantly tracks heart rate and will alert you if its is too high or low
- Connects with your smartphone's GPS to track outdoor activities
- Brand: Garmin
- Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
- Notification Support: Yes
- Battery Life: 5 days
- Available in a number of different case and band choices
- Can easily switch bands with a standard 20mm option
- Offers a number of advanced health features like blood oxygen tracking
- Battery only last five days with smart features enabled
You might not be able to tell by looking at the Bellabeat Time, but the hybrid smartwatch offers some great features for women. The watch can track the usual metrics like steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, and active minutes and is available in a hypoallergenic silver or rose gold.
At night, it will also track how long and well you sleep. When it’s time to wake up, the with can silently vibrate at your chosen time. The companion smartphone app helps you manage stress with more than 30 meditation exercises. Working together, the watch and app can help determine how prepared you are to handle stress.
- Tracks steps, distance taken, calories burned, and active minutes
- Monitors quality of sleep and can wake you up with vibrating alarm
- In combination with the smartphone app, can track progress of over 30 meditation exercises
- Brand: Bellabeat
- Heart Rate Monitor: No
- Notification Support: No
- Battery Life: 6 months
- Designed specifically for women
- Replaceable battery lasts for up to six months of regular use
- Helps understand how prepared you are for stressful situations
- No screen to show information
- No additional band options
FAQ
Q: What Are Hybrid Smartwatches?
An analog watch has always been a great way to show off your fashion sense. But with a hybrid smartwatch, you can still have a classic design while using some decidedly modern technology.
A hybrid smartwatch is a traditional timepiece sporting features like Bluetooth connectivity and fitness tracking features. You can genuinely have the best of both watch options.
Q: What’s the Difference Between a Smartwatch and Hybrid Smartwatch?
There are a few significant differences between a smartwatch and a hybrid smartwatch. Most importantly, smartwatches have a screen to interact with information while a hybrid smartwatch still features a traditional analog clock.
Another big difference is battery life. Traditional smartwatches have a battery that can last up to a few days on a single charge. But many hybrid smartwatches can go for weeks, and even up to a year on a replaceable cell. Others need to be charged infrequently.
Q: How Do You Use a Hybrid Smartwatch?
One of the best things about a hybrid smartwatch is that the learning curve is much simpler than a traditional smartwatch. You'll wear a hybrid smartwatch just like an analog timepiece.
Some models have small screens to show a quick bite of information like the number of steps taken per day. But you'll interact with most of the smart features through a companion smartphone app
