Watch This: for advice on the best and hottest Smartwatches and activity bands 

By Richard M. Sherwin, Jennifer Auspitz, Bob Plunkett, Marc Burstein, Arlene Rosenberg, Ted Mayo, and Susan Davis 

We realize that Apple and Samsung have pretty much owned the SmartWatch category with their inescapable ads and ubiquitous attachments to their category leading mobile phones and tablets. 

But a quick look at the other entrants into this still not mature consumer product category reveals that there are better, cheaper, and easier to use Smartphones by several reliable manufacturers. 

Some of these Android and Apple OS compatible smartwatches have more features, lighter weights and even cooler designs than their industry leading competitors. For example, a little known Smartwatch maker called Coros PACE GPS Sports Watch (around $299) features Wrist-Based Heart Rate Monitoring and Running, Cycling, Swimming, and Triathlon Features. The Pace also includes a Barometric Altimeter that easy to read and adjust. The key to the Pace is that its lightweight material (yet rugged) is very comfortable and even cooler looking than the high rated Apple and Samsung Watches.   

In addition, we’ve been using the Pace for a month and it barely needed a charge. 

In our tests the Pace’s GPS, GLONASS, and BDS satellite searchers work together to precisely locate your position, even when indoor or outdoor interference occurs. While the Pace doesn’t have any entertainment or messaging features yet, a Pace spokesman says it will be adding many exclusive training apps and features soon.  

GPS star Garmin’s award winning Smart Watch  

Garmin, internationally known for its terrific GPS systems, also has an Apple and Samsung beating SmartWatch. The Garmin FENIX 5 PLUS (at $750) is still less than Apple’s Smart Watches and it’s a high-performance multi-function SmartWatch that we loved because, in addition to great training and athletic features, it also lets you take your maps and music along.  

This rugged, yet  Avant- Gard styled watch features routable color mapping, wrist-based heart rate, storage for up to 500 songs and the Garmin Pay contactless payment solution which rivals both Samsung and Apple pay in security. Built-in navigation sensors include three-axis compass, gyroscope and barometric altimeter as well as multi-satellite (GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo) network capability to track in more challenging environments than GPS alone. And the Fenix music feature lets you easily store and play up to 500 songs on your watch, and connect with Bluetooth headphones (sold separately) for phone-free listening.  

Motorola Moto 360:  Worth the Risk?  

Motorola Moto 360 Modern Timepiece SmartWatch, which is no longer made by Lenovo is still a very affordable SmartWatch that rivals the top devices in its category. The computer company discontinued this really terrific Smart Watch about three years ago, but its features still surpass many Smart Watches.  (Lenovo purchased Motorola phones and watches a few years ago). The Moto 360 is available in men’s and women’s styles and is still available at many good retailers, but not at its original $800 price. You can find it at a steeply discounted $300 or less at Amazon and other retailers.  

We’ve had both men’s and women’s Motos here at DFA and continue to use them for our training.  The Moto 360 sends texts, sets reminders, or checks the weather, all with just your voice. 

The Moto 360 has a built-in activity tracker that matches most of the Smart Watches on the market now. It displays timely notifications based on where you are and what you’re doing, and its Ambient mode keeps always-on apps like maps, fitness, or to-do lists running in full screen, helping extend battery life while keeping your details at the ready. The Moto 360 features Android apps, that despite the hardware being discontinued by Lenovo, continues to be updated with new features. 

We especially like the easy to charge cradle even though it might need a little more charging per month than some of the new watches.  

According to Amazon, the Moto 360 is still guaranteed for a year. 

Our New Favorite Training Band 

Huawei, a leading International Smartphone maker is also shaking up its competition with a nicely priced (below $70) training band that rivals industry leader Fitbit. The Huawei Band 2 Pro All-in-One Activity Tracker Smart Fitness Wristband has a Built-in GPS and continuous heart rate monitor that keeps track of your heart rate and also tracks your workout routes and unlike some activity bands, can do these disciplines without your smartphone. 

The Huawei Band 2 also includes scientific sleep tracking that keeps track of light, deep and REM sleep stages to make your sleep truly restful. The sharp PMOLED display is water-resistance and its comfortable wristband supports all day wear, whether you are running or walking in the rain or swimming.  

One of our favorite features is the Professional running Coach App in which you can customize your run or walk. It only takes one press to start the workout app instantly and get workout data such as recovery time and Vo2 Max. The Band 2 uses Android 4.4+/iOS 8.0+ (Android and Apple). It features long battery life: a single charge gives you 21 days of normal use. usage. Workout mode can last 4-5 hours (per-second hr. monitoring + GPS on).