Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 2 years, you’re bound to have heard of Peloton. The company was only founded in 2012 and is currently valued at well over $1.5 billion.
If you’re looking to begin using Peloton, the initial start-up costs can be quite expensive, with either a bike or a treadmill costing thousands of dollars. With that being said, once you’re made the initial purchase, the subscription fee is not bad at all for what you’re receiving.
One of the main gripes with Peloton is that although it tracks many fitness metrics. It cannot do everything, specifically, it cannot measure your heart rate. In addition to this, you may take part in other forms of fitness and want to be able to see a cumulative total of overall exercise. This is where a smartwatch comes in. If you use a fitness watch in conjunction with Peloton, you will be able to map all of your fitness progress, goals and monitor key metrics such as heart rate with ease.
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What To Look For When Buying A SmartWatch For Peloton
Other than looking for the features you want from a smartwatch, there are some factors you must keep in mind when buying a fitness tracking watch.
Firstly you must know whether you’re going to sync your watch to the Peloton or not. If you don’t want to pair your watch with Peloton, then this isn’t an issue. You can choose any watch that you want.
However, if you’re looking for a watch that automatically pairs with Peloton, there are 3 main brands you can choose from. It should also be noted that the “Apple Health” app on Apple smartwatches is useful, but does not natively sync to Peloton. The app will auto-update your data once the exercise is finished and is easy to manage in general however.
The 3 brands which sync natively to Peloton are:
All 3 of these brands (as well as Apple) have heart rate monitors so are ideal for use alongside Peloton.
You can of course buy a cheaper smartwatch or just a standalone heart rate monitor. However, depending on the brand, some of these will not sync well with Peloton and will end up wasting your time trying to solve tech problems.
Suunto, Apple, Fitbit & Garmin are all very solid fitness watch brands and can be used for a variety of exercises. You may find that you bought a watch specifically for Peloton. You may find yourself using it a lot more for other activities such as swimming or hiking too.
Do You Need A SmartWatch For Peloton?
Not particularly. You can certainly get by without using a fitness watch for Peloton. There are plenty of other ways to track your heart rate and fitness such as HR chest straps and smartphone apps.
However, if you’re looking for an all-in-one solution and can’t be bothered wearing chest straps and then syncing them to your phone. A smartwatch is certainly not a bad idea.
Overall the main reason to get a fitness watch for Peloton is pure convenience. It will save you time in the long run and will also help you keep track of fitness data in a single location.
6 Best Watches For Peloton
Fitbit Versa 3
The Fitbit Versa 3 is an ideal choice for a Peloton watch. It comes in 3 different colors which are black, blue and pink. Aside from its obvious fitness tracking metrics and HR monitor. The Versa also has a number of other useful features such as the ability to take hands-free calls directly from the watch. In addition to this, you’re able to use the Alexa assistant if you want to bring something up whilst cycling or running. Lastly, you’re able to monitor your oxygen levels during night time, which isn’t ideal for everyone, but a nice optional extra.
Check The Price Of Fitbit Versa 3 On Amazon
Garmin Forerunner 35
Since Garmin has developed newer products, the Forerunner 35 has become a real bargain. Depending on stock levels, you can usually pick one up brand new for around $100, which for a branded smartwatch is a really good deal.
Aptly named, the Forerunner 35 is best suited for those who use the Peloton treadmill rather than the bike, although it doesn’t really matter too much. In general though, you will certainly get more out of the features if you’re an avid runner – since this is what this watch is designed to track. You are able to make the watch upload all of your daily fitness data to the Garmin app, which can really help when analyzing your fitness goals.
Check The Price Of Garmin Forerunner 35 On Amazon
Suunto 3 Fitness Tracker
Suunto are a Finnish brand which created the worlds first wireless heart rate monitor. So it goes without saying that in modern day – they can easily add this function to their smartwatches.
The Suunto 3 fitness tracker is useful for Peloton as well as a number of other activities. Specifically, this watch is ideal for swimming since it has a very large and visible dial. Whilst it’s not a dive watch, it is 30 meters water resistance, which is easily enough for a swim. If you were unsure about the color of this watch then don’t worry as it has 7 options, so there is something available for everyone.
Check The Price Of Suunto Watches On Amazon
Apple SmartWatch Series 6
Apple are well known for their innovative design, technology and overall ease of use when it comes to watches. With that being said, you are always going to pay more if you’re buying an Apple product as they are not cheap.
However, you do not have to buy the Apple Series 6. Although this is the newest variation, if you’re able to get your hands on a Series 3 or 4, this will do a good enough job. It won’t have all the bells and whistles of a series 6 but will be good enough for Peloton.
The good thing about Apple is that it’s always innovating and updating. It has a specific app for all your fitness needs, so you’ll be ready to go straight out of the box. Not to mention, it has a ton of other useful apps for everyday life too.
Check The Price Of Apple Watches On Amazon
Fitbit Charge 3
The Fitbit Charge 3 is the ultimate fitness watch. So with that being said, it’s 100% ideal for Peloton. The Charge 3 has been designed purely for fitness and nothing else. You wouldn’t wear this watch as a fashion accessory or to use it for organizing a work calendar. It is fundamentally a fitness watch and nothing else.
As you would expect, it has a variety of functions such as a HR monitor, water resistance for swimming, tracking time spent in light/darkness, various exercise modes and bluetooth connectivity.
The biggest selling point of this watch is that it’s very easy to set up and use straight out of the box. It syncs easily with Peloton and is of real functional use.
Check The Price Of Fitbit Charge Watches On Amazon
Garmin Vivoactive 3
The Garmin Vivoactive 3 is another watch that has benefitted from having a successor. As the Vivoactive 4 has been released, this has roughly halved the price of the 3rd model in the series.
Although you can opt for an upgrade to Vivoactive 4, unless you’re going to use all of the new apps. There isn’t much need to use a 4 purely for Peloton, as you can easily get by with the Vivoactive 3.
Once again, this is a watch that is designed for everyday activity and not just fitness. You’re able to track your steps, make contactless card payments and use it as a GPS. If that wasn’t enough, the watch has up to 7 days of battery life, which is awesome for a smartwatch.
Check The Price Of Garmin Vivoactive Watches On Amazon
