I have to confess: it took me longer than expected to get a proper grasp of what the market has to offer and what I myself really need (Do you really need an Activity Tracker for swimming?) but, with your help, I have managed to clarify my thoughts and set myself a series of questions to let me make the right choice.
1. DESIGN OR FUNCTIONALITY?
Some devices are really sexy-looking, like the waterproof Bluetooth earphones or The Dash products by Bragi, which even let you listen to music. The Withings Activité watch has a wonderful vintage design (starting with its fingers), so unusual for a “smart” object. Then there is the minimal design of Misfit Shine (that I have had for about a month now), which is now working in partnership with Speedo, so that it can record activity in the water. Nevertheless, as is often the case, design means accepting certain compromises and if you want the highest accuracy possible, at least in the case of swimming, you have to make some minor concessions in terms of aesthetics.
2. OPEN WATER OR THE POOL?
What is the difference? A GPS is extremely important for open-water swimming, because it obviously allows you to set your own course in the water. Of course you cannot do that in indoor pools (there is no signal inside…
