It’s almost januari 1st, and for most of us that means we are already reviewing the past year and setting goals for the next. For many people, losing weight or getting more active is a returning favourite on the goal-list. And what better way to focus on reaching your goals than getting a new fitness tracker or smartwatch ^^.
Being a gamer and a gadget freak, I’m always trying to keep myself up to date on the latest geeky gadgets. I first got into the smartwatches when the original Pebble got released. When the follow up, Pebble 2 got released, I immediately backed it on Kickstarter. Unfortunately, Pebble got bought by Fitbit. I was angry for a while, because one of my reasons to back Pebble was that all of their software was open-source, so that anyone could make apps for the watch. This resulted in quite a few really cool apps and games. Also, when Fitbit bought Pebble, they announced that they wouldn’t continue the line so that meant no replacements or repairs in the future. So after my Pebble 2 broke down, it was time for me to again dive into the world of smartwatches.
I ended up buying a fitbit Ionic in the end (despite me still being kinda angry with them for buying Pebble). While the Pebble 2 was a big upgrade from the original Pebble because it finally had a color screen, Fitbit Ionic was a HUGE upgrade. The Ionic had (and still has) beautiful graphics and while you of course don’t really need that on a watch, it’s still pretty cool and of course that’s what counts.
After the GPS on my Ionic broke down and I couldn’t use it to track my running anymore (true, this was only an excuse to buy something different) I ended up buying a Garmin Vivoactive 4s. I didn’t put in much research and mainly wanted a watch that was great at tracking runs and various kinds of sports. I wish I had researched it a little further, because after I had already bought it, I found out that Garmin has really geeky watches that I would rather have bought (and now I feel sad!). So, to prevent you from making the same mistakes, I present a list of watches for you to buy to express you geekiness. There are even a few games you can play on those watches. Because why not!
Legacy Hero series
The Legacy Hero series has two versions: The First Avenger and the Captain Marvel. They both have the exact same specs and only differ in looks. Specs wise, they are similar to the Vivoactive 4 (see why I’m sad… 🙁 ). Personally, I like the First Avenger watch a little more than the Captain Marvel one, because the back of the watch is inscribed with the words: “I can do this all day”. Both watches have themes to customize the look of the watchface with, and based on your fitness efforts you can achieve theme-based goal stickers.
Legacy Saga series
The Legacy Saga series also has two versions: A ‘Rey’ version and a Darth Vader one. Similar to the Legacy Hero series, they are modeled after the Vivoactive 4, but with customizable watch faces. There are custom StarWars avatars for you to use in the Connect App and new watch faces are still being released. This line also has theme-based goal stickers you can achieve by reaching your fitness goals. Even if you didn’t like the new Star Wars movie, the watches are still cool ^^
Vivofit Jr. 2
The VivoFit Jr. 2, while targeted towards kids, is the most geeky gadget Garmin has. While technically not a smartwatch, but a mere fitness tracker, Garmin has three geek-inspired lines: StarWars, Marvel Spiderman and Marvel Avengers. It tracks your step count, sleep and movement during the day. But the coolest feature this ‘smartwatch’ has, is the software that goes with it. By completing goals you can unlock activities you can play on your smartphone. The more physical activity you get, the more games you get to play. You can also collect colorful gems based on the amount of steps you get. That’s all we want in life, right? Parents (or your friends) can also set goals in the app, which you can unlock by getting enough exercise.
If you want to look at the other watches Garmin has, check their site.
So, what smartwatch will help you work towards your health-goals in 2020? Let us know in the comments!
