Besides serving as an attractive fashion accessory, smartwatches have been building up their reputation with a plethora of features suited for fitness enthusiasts.
Even though they’ve been relatively smartphone-dependent in their early stages, the standalone functionalities are slowly taking over.
This makes them great for tracking your progress in the gym without additional distractions.
While it’s challenging to select a single best smartwatch for weightlifting, the following five choices are all top-of-the-line with their own respective perks.
As a weight-lifter, you probably need different features than those in Smartwatches for Mountain biking. So let’s dive in.
Best Smartwatches For Weightlifting
1. Garmin Vivoactive 4
- Keeps track of your energy levels, Pulse Ox (this is not a medical device and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or monitoring of any medical condition),...
- Easily download songs to your watch, including playlists from Spotify, Amazon music or Deezer (may require a premium subscription with a third party music...
- Record all the ways to move with more than 20 preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps, including yoga, running, swimming and more
Last update on 2024-03-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
A successor to the highly popular Vivoactive 3, the Vivoactive 4 is a budget-friendly device featuring an always-on display, a sleek design, animated workouts and much more.
It comes in 40mm and 45mm sizes, both of them weighing around 1.28 ounces (36 grams) which makes them one of the most lightweight entries on the list.
The two side buttons provide an alternative way of usage when you have trouble interacting with the touchscreen (sweaty hands, gloves etc.).
The watch has over 20 pre-loaded workouts related to yoga, strength, cardio (running, swimming), pilates and others.
All exercises in the workouts have their own animated explanations, with more of them downloadable from the online community.
Vivoactive 4 has built-in integrations with music streaming services such as Spotify, Deezer and Amazon Music. Its Pulse Ox functionality helps you track energy levels and health stats – blood oxygen, sleep patterns, hydration and more.
Features
- 260×260 MiP LCD display
- Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS support
- Contactless payment mechanism – Garmin Pay
- Over six different sensors (gyroscope, thermometer..)
- Animated exercises with over 20 built-in workouts
- Easy integration with music apps
Battery Life
Vivoactive 4 uses the Memory-in-Pixel technology for its display, similar to the one found in e-readers which helps it maximize battery efficiency.
On smartwatch mode, it can last up to 7-8 days on a single charge. Frequent use with GPS and music playback reduces that number to anywhere between 6 hours and 3 days depending on how often it’s used, which is still very good.
Pros
+ Sensors are quite accurate
+ OS is beginner-friendly and easy to use
+ Affordable price
+ Extremely lightweight
+ Compatible with Android notifications
Cons
– Limited iOS support
– Pulse Ox features eat through battery life
2. Fitbit Versa 2
- Use amazon Alexa built in to get quick news and information, check the weather, set timers and alarms, control your smart home devices through the sound of your...
- Based on your heart rate, time asleep and restlessness, sleep score helps you better understand your sleep quality each night. Also track your time in light,...
- Get a 30-day free trial of the Fitbit Premium to help you stay active, sleep well and manage stress. Unlock it all in the Fitbit app. (Cancel before free trial...
Last update on 2024-03-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This reasonable price gem comes with an AMOLED display, an aluminum casing, multiple fitness trackers and a water-resistant build.
Even though it’s square-shaped, the screen size of only 35mm makes it unobtrusive and lightweight.
Read 4 Popular Round Face Smartwatch.
While it lacks a built-in GPS tracker, the Versa 2 brings in 15 goal-oriented workout plans as well as a heart rate tracker, a sleep monitoring feature, Amazon Alexa integration and even custom-made programs.
Features
- 300×300 always-on AMOLED display
- Water-resistant
- Built-in Amazon Alexa support
- Tracks and analyzes sleep activity
- A lot of customizable accessories
- One button to control Alexa with
Battery Life
If it’s used conservatively, the Versa 2 can last from 4 to 7 days. However, this implies that the always-on display is turned off and that the brightness is kept at lower levels. With normal usage, the battery life is still pretty solid – around 2.5 days.
Pros
+ OLED display is very bright and has great viewing angles
+ 165 mAH Li-Po battery is more than enough
+ Robust, sturdy build
Cons
– Lack of built-in GPS
3. Apple Watch Series 5
- This is a RENEWED product and comes in a generic box
- Electrical and optical heart sensors
- GPS + Cellular
Last update on 2024-04-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
A more luxurious approach, the Apple Watch 5 has been dubbed the best smartwatch for weightlifting due to its very durable design that still manages to keep all the important functionality while remaining light.
The aluminum case is combined with an easily washable silicone band, and the watch is available in two different sizes – 40mm and 44mm.
Its storage capacity of 32GB is uncomparably larger than any other similar smartwatch on the market, The watch has advanced workout metrics, a built-in GPS, as well as the “Activity” rings which serve as a workout motivation – if that’s not enough, there’s plenty of additional apps to download from the App Store.
Features
- Always-on OLED Retina display
- Ion-X strengthened glass
- Apple Music library integration
- Water-resistant up to 50 meters
- Built-in GPS
- 64-bit dual-core processor
Battery Life
Unfortunately, battery life is one of the largest disadvantages of this watch. At best, it’s not going to last more than a day, and up to 18 hours on average. Even disabling the always-on display doesn’t help with this issue, which is quite surprising.
Pros
+ A lot of storage space
+ Strengthened glass makes it extremely durable
+ Thousands of apps on the App Store
+ Very powerful processor
Cons
– Somewhat poor battery life
– High price point
4. Garmin Forerunner 935
- Premium GPS running/triathlon watch with wrist based heart rate; Strap material: Silicone; Smartphone compatibility: iPhone, Android, Windows.Control...
- Offers advanced running and multisport Features in a comfortable watch you can wear all day, and it only weighs 49 grams
- Provides elevation changes with a built in barometer; altimeter and electronic compass help you keep your bearings
Last update on 2024-04-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Another more expensive gadget, the Forerunner 935 has a lot of advanced features to make up for its high price.
It monitors each training session – after enough data is collected, it forms a report that tells the user whether they’re undertraining or overtraining, as well as how to fix those issues.
Alongside the usual heart rate monitor, Forerunner 935 can connect with an external heart rate strap to offer more insightful information.
It lets the user create custom profiles for different activities, and it’s compatible with most modern smartphones.
Features
- 240×240 LCD display
- Weighs only 49 grams
- Water-resistant
- Garmin Connect app
- Compatibility with external devices
- Built-in barometer, altimeter, compass
Battery Life
When used in the regular “smartwatch mode”, the Forerunner 935 can last for a whopping 12 days. However, turning on the GPS will really bring that longevity down to around 24 hours. Still, with average use, one charge can hold out for around 5-6 days.
Pros
+ Incredible battery life
+ Detailed analysis of training sessions
+ Extremely lightweight
+ Multiple different sports modes
+ 50 meter water resistance
Cons
– Quite expensive
5. Fitbit Blaze
- See simplified heart rate zones for quickly checking exercise intensity during workouts with PurePulse(TM) continuous, wrist-based heart rate monitoring (no...
- Use multi-sport tracking to track runs, cardio, cross-training, biking and more. Effortlessly and automatically record other workouts to your dashboard with...
- Enable connected GPS to map your routes and see run stats like pace and duration on display (when your phone is nearby)
Last update on 2024-03-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
One of the most aesthetically pleasing devices on the list, the Fitbit Blaze is octagon-shaped with an attractive metal border that houses three buttons.
Its PurePulse functionality measures the heart rate during training and displays it in a simplified way. The Blaze has the ability to guide the user throughout the whole training process, with both the warmup and workout tutorials available.
Although it lacks an always-on screen, the Blaze has a raise-to-wake functionality.
Features
- 240×180 LCD display with Gorilla Glass
- PurePulse heart rate monitoring
- Compatible with Windows, MacOS and iOS devices
- Ability to record active exercise
- Video-guided workouts
Battery Life
Moderate use will make the Blaze last almost a whole week on a single charge. This is mainly due to its lack of built-in GPS, as it wholly relies on the connected device having one.
Another slight disadvantage is that the watch can only be charged through its dedicated dock.
Pros
+ Accurate monitoring
+ Display is vibrant and durable
+ Solid battery life
Cons
– Lack of GPS
Final Thoughts
Smartwatches have become an essential part of every weight-lifter. Whether you want to track your progress or enjoy the ease of knowing your strengths, these genius pieces of technology have everything you need, and everything you never knew you needed.
These five best smartwatches for weightlifting are stylish, high-quality, and efficient products. You can choose a smartwatch based on your budget, preferences, and needs.
Every sport has its unique nature and needs. If you are into crossfit, make sure to check out our list of best smartwatches for Crossfit.
