8 new and hottest fitness gadgets of 2020

Ashwin Rajagopalan

1. Fitbit Versa 2

The second-gen Versa makes some critical improvements with Spotify and Amazon Alexa built-in. But you’re more likely to spot the all-new AMOLED display first. The aesthetics are refreshed too. An anodised aluminium finish in a natural colour palette and a new one-button design adds to its appeal. The five-day battery life (two days with the always-on display active) is one of the key enhancements but many Fitbit loyalists also swear by their Versa 2 for sleep tracking that is among the best out there.

(`20,999 onwards)

2. Garmin Fēnix 6 Solar

This multisport solar watch is not just loaded with fitness features but is designed with Power Glass, a transparent solar charging lens that uses the sun’s energy to extend battery life by an additional three days (a whopping 24 days in total). The Fēnix 6 series focuses on enhancing users’ outdoor experience with special emphasis on mountain biking, golfing, trail running, hiking, hunting, diving or using satellite communication. Two standout features of the Fēnix 6 series include a Power Manager for longer battery life and a first-of-its-kind PacePro technology, which provides pace-strategy to the runner.

(`94,990 onwards)

3. Ozmo Active Smart Cup Hydration Tracker

Active bodies must be constantly hydrated, and this clever bottle can manage this often-overlooked element of everyday fitness. Think of it as a fitness tracker for your bottle, a complete system that can record, both, your water and coffee consumption and help you reach your hydration goals. The smart bottle and companion app (compatible with Apple, Fitbit and Garmin devices) work in tandem. You’ll know whether that 4 pm shot of espresso is a good idea or how much water you should drink after a thirty-minute run.

(` 7,500)

4. Apple Watch 5

It’s probably the most sorted smartwatch with a massive App Ecosystem. The fifth-gen Apple Watch comes with some significant upgrades. Our favourite is the always-on display; you don’t need to shake your wrist each time you need to see the time. It’s made possible by a low-temperature polysilicon and oxide display (LTPO). The screen dims when your wrist is down and returns to full brightness with a raise or a tap. While the ECG feature debuted in the US with the Apple Watch 4, it went live in India only with the arrival of the Apple Watch 5. You can take an electrocardiogram (on both the Apple Watch 4 and 5) in 30 seconds, right from your wrist. The new Watch OS 6 brings a host of new features and now allows you to download apps directly into your watch.

(`40,990 onwards)

5. Huawei GT-2

Huawei’s new flagship smartwatch is big on wellness features and is powered by the all-new Kirin A1 chip. This chip has been created specifically for wearables and enhances battery life – Huawei claims a two-week run on a single charge. It’s also an elegantly designed smartwatch. Our favourite wellness feature is heart monitoring alerts. It tells you if your heart rate stays above 100bpm or below 50bpm for longer than 10 minutes. There’s a choice of 42mm and 46mm (with a gorgeous 1.39-inch AMOLED display) dials and three variants including a chic leather option.

(`15,990 onwards)

6. NutriBullet Balance Smart Blender

A ‘smart’ addition to your kitchen, this 12000 MW blender syncs via Bluetooth to your smartphone and allows you to track calories, set goals and customise blends on your smoothies all from the comfort of your smartphone (via a companion app). You can calculate the exact nutritional value of every smoothie you create – this includes calories, fat, protein and sugar of the smoothie. You can pick from heaps of healthy recipes created by dieticians on the companion app.

(` 9,999)

7. Tangram Smart Rope

Your trainer will tell you that no cardio routine quite beats jumping rope. The Tangram Smart Rope is just the motivation you need to follow your trainer’s advice. This rope displays stats in mid-air via LED lights even as you jump. It can store up to 100 sessions of data including jump count, calorie burn and workout time. You have to pair it with your iOS or Android device via the Smart Gym Mobile App on Bluetooth.

(`11,250)

8. Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2

It’s a great fitness accessory for Android and Samsung smartphone users as it is stylish and lightweight. There are two variants including the lighter aluminium case and a premium, solid stainless steel case with a leather band. We dig the rotating bezel that turns clockwise and counter-clockwise to control apps with ease. Galaxy Watch Active 2 also serves as your guide to improved fitness goals, giving actionable insights that allow you to make positive lifestyle choices in diet, exercise, mental health, sleep and more. The Watch Active 2 can manually track more than 39 workouts with seven of them getting activated automatically— including running, walking, cycling, swimming, rowing machine, elliptical machine and dynamic workouts.

(`26,990 onwards)