So, you can't wear your Apple Watch. Maybe your job doesn't allow it, maybe you're planning to be in adverse conditions and don't want to break it, or perhaps your Apple Watch is already broken, and you need an alternative.
Whatever the situation, we've got you covered. Keep reading to discover the best sports trackers for when wearing your Apple Watch isn't possible.
If you want to steer clear of the Apple ecosystem entirely but still want a high-end, multi-purpose smartwatch, the Samsung Galaxy Watch3 is probably the best alternative.
The device has a lot of things going for it. It has all the things you'd expect at this price point, including GPS, a heart rate monitor, call syncing with Samsung phones, and all the fitness trackers you could possibly need. You also get water resistance, "military-grade" durability, and access to Samsung Pay.
Perhaps the most off-putting part of the Watch3 is the Tizen operating system. It works perfectly well, but there are notably fewer apps available than on Apple's watchOS or Google's Wear OS.
- GPS tracking
- Sharable ECG recordings
- Automatic sleep tracker
- Brand: Samsung
- Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
- Color Screen: Yes
- Notification Support: Yes
- Battery Life: Two days
- Operating System: Tizen
- Onboard GPS: Yes
- Offline Media Storage: Yes
- Customizable Strap: Yes
- SIM Support: eSim
- Bluetooth connectivity
- LTE option available
- More than 50,000 watch faces to choose from
- More expensive than other Apple Watch alternatives
- Bixby continues to underwhelm
- Battery life could be better
Let's be honest—the Apple Watch is as much of a fashion accessory as it is a useful tech gadget. However, despite its popularity, we don't think the Apple Watch is the sleekest smartwatch on the market. Instead, it's worth checking out the classy Danish-designed Skagen Falster 3.
In case you were worried about poor reviews for its predecessor, the Falster 2, let us put your mind at ease. The Falster 3 has a much better battery life, more RAM, and a better processor, all of which lead to greatly improved performance.
The presence of Wear OS means you get more apps than you do on fitness bands and Tizen-powered Samsung models. For instance, you can run Robinhood, Runtastic, My Swim Pro, and many more directly from your wrist. The Falster 3 also supports Google Pay and notification syncing.
- Swimproof
- Support for calls on Android and iOS
- Built-in speaker
- Brand: Skagen
- Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
- Color Screen: Yes
- Notification Support: Yes
- Battery Life: Two days
- Operating System: Wear OS
- Onboard GPS: Yes
- Offline Media Storage: Yes
- Customizable Strap: Yes
- SIM Support: No
- Quick charging (80 percent in one hour)
- Support for Google Pay
- Interchangeable wrist bands
- Wear OS is not as reliable as watchOS
- Expensive
The Fitbit Versa 3 is one of the newest Fitbit devices on the market. The fitness tracker has been designed to be slimline, meaning it will not look out of place in professional environments, just like the Apple Watch.
With a focus on fitness (rather than communications or well-being), the Versa 3 has a GPS tracker, a workout intensity map, and Fitbit's new enhanced heart rate technology—PurePulse 2.0.
The inclusion of Amazon Alexa means you can use your voice to check the weather, set reminders, control smart home appliances, and more. And there's also an impressive sleep timer that will monitor how much time you spend in each phase of the sleep cycle then provide feedback accordingly. You can even use the Versa 3 to control apps like Deezer, Pandora, and Spotify.
- Built-in speaker for receiving calls
- Notification mirroring
- Fitbit Pay included
- Brand: Fitbit
- Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
- Color Screen: Yes
- Notification Support: Yes
- Battery Life: Six days
- Integrations: Amazon Alexa, MyFitnessPal, Strava
- Built-in GPS
- Long battery life
- Track time spent in light, deep and REM sleep
- No integration with Apple Health or Google Fit
- Not as many apps as Apple Watch
The Garmin Vivosport has built-in running apps, a cardio app, and a strength training app with rep counting, meaning it is an adequate Apple Watch replacement if you just want to track your fitness and workouts.
It also has a GPS tracker, heart rate sensor, and wellness monitoring tools. The most notable wellness tool is the stress tracker—by monitoring your heart rate variability, the Vivosport can calculate and display your stress level. It aims to help you identify what is causing your stress so you can eliminate it from your lifestyle.
Like the Apple Watch, you can pair the Vivosport with a smartphone for text messages, social media updates, emails, and more.
- Built-in GPS
- Stress tracking
- Always-on color display
- Brand: Garmin
- Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
- Color Screen: Yes
- Notification Support: Yes
- Battery Life: Seven days
- Integrations: Garmin Connect
- Several fitness monitoring tools
- Smart notifications
- Available in three vibrant colors
- Sporty looks might not appeal to everyone
- Not great for tracking swimming
One of the best alternatives you can use when your Apple Watch is out of action is the Fitbit Charge 4. It costs considerably less than its rival and yet offers many of the same features, at least from a fitness standpoint.
For example, there's built-in GPS for tracking pace, distance, and intensity. You also get goal-based exercise modes to make sure you stand on track with your fitness goals and an impressively long seven days of battery life.
The Fitbit Charge 4 does offer notification support, but there are far fewer communication features than the Apple Watch, as well as fewer apps you can install. You cannot use the tracker to take calls.
- Built-in GPS
- Heart rate monitor
- Sleep tracking
- Brand: Fitbit
- Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
- Color Screen: No
- Notification Support: Yes
- Battery Life: Seven days
- Integrations: MyFitnessPal, Strava
- Goal-based exercise modes
- Fitbit Pay support
- Massive battery life
- Three colors available
- Need to subscribe to Fitbit Premium for maximum benefit
- No color display
- Screen wake is sometimes unreliable
The Honor Band 5 is the best Apple Watch alternative for anyone who is operating on a strict budget. Considering the number of features you get, the price is remarkable.
Those features include a SpO2 blood oxygen monitor that can be used to create custom training plans, a wrist-based heart-rate monitor, and even a sleep monitor.
You also get water-resistance of up to 50 meters, a 20-day battery life, and a way to remotely control your phone's camera for quicker and easier photography.
The Honor Band 5 has 10 sports modes (including both indoor and outdoor activities) and a swimming monitor. You can buy the Honor Band 5 in either blue, pink, or black.
- SpO2 blood oxygen monitor
- Heart rate monitor
- Sleep tracking
- Brand: Honor
- Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
- Color Screen: Yes
- Notification Support: Yes
- Battery Life: 20 days
- Notification syncing
- Waterproof to 50 meters
- Long battery life
- Cheap build quality
- No smart assistant integration
If you want a cheap alternative to your Apple Watch, the Xiaomi Mi Band 4 is a solid option.
The device is incredibly cheap, so you need to be prepared to make some sacrifices in terms of features. On the Mi Band 4, the most glaring omission is the lack of GPS. It comes as standard on all mid- and high-end fitness trackers, as well as some budget ones.
Given the price, however, the band still has a lot of positives. You get a heart rate sensor, a battery that lasts for an impressive 20 days, and tracking functionality for treadmills, outdoor running, cycling, and swimming. Calories, distance, and steps are all counted.
- Water resistant to 50 meters
- Six workout modes
- Brand: Xiaomi
- Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
- Color Screen: Yes
- Notification Support: Yes
- Battery Life: 20 days
- Integrations: Apple Health, Google Fit
- Very cheap
- Solid battery life
- Lightweight
- Lacks voice assistant integration
- Looks generic
- No GPS
FAQ
Q: Do You Need an Apple Watch Alternative?
Apple Watches are both expensive and closely tied to the Apple ecosystem of apps and operating systems. If you don't like using Apple's products or are looking for a cheaper fitness band that you can throw in a bag without worrying at the gym, it might be worth looking for an alternative.
Q: Is a Smartwatch or Fitness Tracker the Best Choice?
It depends on how you want to use the device. If you are mostly concerned with monitoring exercise, workouts, and health stats, a fitness tracker will be fine. If you want a wider ecosystem of apps and more communication tools, a smartwatch will better suit your needs.
Q: Is watchOS Better Than Wear OS?
Wear OS is one part of the Google suite of operating systems that continues to struggle—it just hasn't received the same level of investment as Apple's watchOS. Today, watchOS is the more full-featured and reliable option, but you have to pay more for the benefit.
