Exercising has become incredibly data-driven. There are gadgets and sensors that measure every possible metric, from stride length and cadence to power and water intake. It’s a verdant time to be a serious athlete or a fitness geeks just trying to get in the best possible shape. The following gadgets are ideal gift ideas for both kinds of people.
1. Tangram Smart Rope
Price: $40
From: tangramfactory.com
Yes, this is a smart jump rope and it’s way more sophisticated than the regular jump rope you’ve been using all these years. It’s able to keep track of the expected things, like number of jumps, calories burned and workout times. Also, for iPhone users and Apple Watch wearers, its data syncs with Apple HealthKit.
2. Garmin Running Dynamics Pod
Price: $58
From: amazon.com
The Running Dynamics Pod clips onto a runner’s waistband, captures extra important metrics — such as cadence, stride length, ground contact time and balance, vertical oscillation and vertical ratio — and relays the data to a compatible smartphone (works with the Garmin Connect Mobile app). If they have a Garmin smartwatch, it will work with that, too.
3. Quad Lock Run Kit
Price: $60
From: quadlockcase.com
Today’s smartphones are too big to fit in the pockets of most running shorts — that’s a fact. Nobody wants to hold their smartphone on a run, and this armband and smartphone case combo conveniently alliviates that problem.
4. Ozmo Active Smart Bottle
Price: $60
From: amazon.com
For anyone who takes hyrdration extra seriously, this smart water bottle keeps track of how much water (or coffee) you’re drinking throughout the day. And it reminds you when you’re not drinking enough. It’s compatible with Fitbit and Garmin devices, as well as Apple Health.
5. Mighty Vibe
Price: $83
From: amazon.com
This is a great running accessory for any Spotify Premium subscriber. You can download Spotify playlists, albums and podcasts and then listen to them offline. For runners, this means you don’t have to have your phone on your person to listen to music.
Gear Patrol Magazine Subscription
Price: $39
From: store.gearpatrol.com
Gear Patrol Magazine is a deep dive into product culture. Inside each issue, you’ll find seasonal buying guides, rich maker profiles and long-form dispatches from the front lines of product design. Get four print magazines — delivered quarterly — with an annual subscription.
6. Polar H10 Heart Rate Strap
Price: $90
From: polar.com
The Polar H10 remains one the best heart rate monitors you can buy. It’s compatible with most popular fitness apps and, since it has built-in memory, it means that the H10 can continue to collect heart rate date even if your phone isn’t nearby.
7. Jaybird Vista
Price: $179
From: amazon.com
The Vista are one of our favorite new pairs of running headphones. They’re super lightweight and durable, and have an excellent battery life, which is something that endurance runners need.
8. Apple Watch Series 3
Price: $199+
From: apple.com
Apple just recently released the Apple Watch Series 5, which the best smartwatch it has ever made, but it also dropped the price of its now two-year-old Apple Watch Series 3. For just $200, this is no-doubt the best entry-level smartwatch for anybody with an iPhone.
9. Form Swim Goggles
Price: $199
From: formswim.com
While swimming, these special goggles have an augmented reality display that will show you workout stats: things like laps, lap times, strokes, stroke rate and split times. It’s a great workout gadget for swimmers. It’s also competivitely priced at $200, which is less than most fitness-focused smartwatch.
10. PowerDot 2.0 Muscle Stimulator
Price: $199+
From: powerdot.com
The PowerDot is a smart electric muscle stimulator. The little pods stick to your muscles, which you then control via an app on your smartphone. There are over 12 different programs that you can choose from, depending on whether you want to recover faster or just massage out some tightness. One pod costs at $199. Two pods cost $349.
11. HyperIce Vyper 2 Foam Roller
Price: $199
From: amazon.com
Sure, this vibrating foam roller has its drawbacks. It’s a little loud and might be too powerful at times. On the flipside, for people who love foam rollers yet still have a difficult time relieving stubborn muscle stiffness, the HyperIce Vyper 2 will succeed when traditional foam rollers fail.
12. Fitbit Versa 2
Price: $200
From: bestbuy.com
The Fitbit Versa 2 is the main rival to the Apple Watch Series – both are excellent entry-level smartwatches with great workout tracking. The Versa 2 is the better option for anybody with an Android smartphone, or wants a smartwatch with significantly better battery life than any Apple Watch.
13. JaxJox Kettlebell Connect
Price: $229
From: jaxjox.com
The Kettlebell Connect can switch between 12-pounds to 42-pounds in a matter of seconds. (There are six weights to choose from: 12, 18, 24, 30, 36 and 42-pounds.) But more than that, it works with a companion app that tracks home much weight you’re lifting, your movements and your reps. No need to worry about forgetting where your workout is at.
14. Apple AirPods Pro
Price: $249
From: apple.com
Apple’s new “pro” AirPods add more than just new features, like noise canceling and transparency modes, and better sound quality to its best-selling wireless earbuds. They also have a snugger fit and they’re finally sweat and water-resistant. These are going to be widely popular running headphones.
15. Favero Assioma Bike Power Meter Pedals
Price: $407+
From: favero.com
The Italian company Favero sells two different power meter pedals, the Assioma Uno and Assioma Duo, and if you couldn’t tell by the names, the Uno only has a sensor in the left pedal, while the Duo has sensors in both pedals. The latter is pricier and more accurate, but both are wildly useful for tracking a cyclist’s various metrics. If they’re training for cycling races or an Ironman, this is a great tech gift.
16. Garmin Forerunner 645 Music
Price: $450
From: garmin.com
If you’re looking for a serious smartwatch for running, you want to start and end at Garmin’s Forerunner series. The neat thing about the Forerunner 645 Music is able to store music on the smartwatch so you can run without your smartwatch nearby. You can easily upload MP3 files directly to the smartwatch, or access music apps like Spotify, iHeartRadio and Deezer.
17. The Mirror
Price: $1,495
From: mirror.com
The Mirror isn’t going to be for everybody. However, for people who can afford it and don’t want time (or want) to go to a crowded gym, it’s going to be ideal. The full-length mirror turns into a screen that shows you live or recorded workout sessions. It’s like a private gym, but it’s also just a mirror.
Twelve South AirFly
Price: $45
From: store.gearpatrol.com
A lot of people wear their AirPods in the gym, piping tunes in to keep heart rates up and the reps flowing. But for long cardio stints on static machines like treadmills, rowing machines or the like, it’s nice to be able to pull up the news, watch the markets or keep tabs on the game. That’s where the AirFly comes in. Though they were originally designed for use on board airplanes, the AirFly can also bridge the gap between the standard 3.5mm headphone jack on the treadmill and your wireless earbuds.
