Warentest tests 13 new devices
These smartwatches and fitness trackers are great
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Stiftung Warentest is testing 13 new smartwatches and fitness trackers. Apple remains at the top, but Garmin and Google are almost as strong. Users have a large selection of good devices and don't have to spend a lot of money, especially when it comes to their health.
In the previous test of smartwatches and fitness trackers by Stiftung Warentest in November, some important current devices were missing, including the Google Pixel Watch 2. The testers have now made up for this and have tied a total of 13 new products to their wrists. Somewhat surprisingly, the frontrunner doesn't change; apparently it's difficult to make something that's already good even better.
Apple Watch 8 remains ahead
That's how it stays Apple Watch 8 (GPS) is number 1 with a quality rating of 1.6. It offers very good fitness functions, including pulse measurement, pedometer and distance measurement. It also performed very well in communication and other functions such as music features or sleep monitoring. The same applies to handling as well as stability and workmanship. However, the testers rated the mileage only as satisfactory. The Apple Watch 8 currently costs an average of around 430 euros online.
With an overall grade of 1.7, she is the successor Apple Watch 9 (GPS) only to the runners-up. The watch, which cost around 585 euros, performed a touch weaker in some categories such as communication. The biggest slip-up was in endurance, which Stiftung Warentest found only sufficient.
It's significantly cheaper Apple Watch SE (2022), which you can get from around 290 euros. Nevertheless, it achieved the same quality rating. It doesn't measure the pulse quite as accurately as the 9, but it is better at measuring distance and also offers satisfactory mileage.
The enormous surcharge on top of the 890 euro price Apple Watch Ultra 2 You can also save yourself, as it only received an overall grade of 1.7. Surprisingly, the testers did not find them to be any more stable than Apple's standard ones. At least the Ultra 2's battery is satisfactory.
Garmin and Google close pursuers
The best non-Apple smartwatch is this Garmin Venu 2 Plus, which is offered online for an average of 390 euros. She also achieved an overall grade of 1.7. When it comes to fitness functions, it scored three times very good for heart rate and distance measurement as well as a pedometer. The testers also found the handling, stability and workmanship to be very good. Communication and other functions were rated well, as was endurance.
The new one, which costs 450 euros Garmin Venu 3 can't quite keep up with that. It is one of a total of nine smartwatches that achieved a quality rating of 1.8. The weaker result is due, among other things, to a good pulse measurement.
They share a similar fate Google Pixel Watch 2, which, like its predecessor, also received an overall grade of 1.8. The new variant is a less accurate pedometer, which is why it only received good ratings for fitness functions. But it is more enduring than the first generation. The average online price of the Pixel Watch 2 is 350 euros.
Cheapest good smartwatch beats best fitness trackers
The cheapest good smartwatch in the product test list is this Huawei Watch Fit 2 Active Edition. It only costs around 110 euros on average, but with a quality rating of 2.1 it is hardly weaker than the top devices. This is specifically due to their very good fitness functions and their good endurance. In the communication and other functions category, however, it was only rated as satisfactory. Stability and workmanship are very good, handling is good.
When it comes to fitness trackers, there is this Fitbit Charge 6 (138 euros) a new front runner. He achieved an overall grade of 2.3. Fitness functions, handling and battery received good marks, the product testers found the stability and workmanship to be very good. Communication and other functions were rated as satisfactory.
There is only one other fitness tracker that also achieved a good overall rating: the Garmin Vivosmart 5 (2.4/140 euros). It is not as robust as the test winner, but is very good as a heart rate monitor and pedometer. However, because he only records the distance traveled sufficiently, he only achieved a good result in the fitness category overall.
