Tech Guide’s 2016 12 Days of Christmas gift ideas – Day 3: Fitness wearables/ smartwatches

It’s Day 3 of Tech Guide’s 2016 12 Days of Christmas gadget gift ideas which is a great way for you to find inspiration and ideas so you can buy the perfect presents for your loved ones.

Today we’re looking at wearables, activity trackers and smartwatches – which will be one of the most popular gift categories this Christmas.
There are plenty of choices here to suit all kinds of users and many different budgets.

Here are the Tech Guide 12 Days of Christmas. Make sure you come back to Tech Guide every day to see all of our categories and great gift suggestions.

Day 1: Smartphones

Day 2: Cameras

Day 3: Fitness wearables/smartwatches

Day 4: Speakers

Day 5: Tablets/eReaders

Day 6: Gaming

Day 7: Headphones

Day 8: Drones

Day 9: TVs/Blu-ray Discs

Day 10: Gadgets

Day 11: In-car gadgets

Day 12: Computers

DAY 3 – FITNESS WEARABLES/SMARTWATCHES

FITBIT – FLEX 2 ($150); ALTA ($200); CHARGE 2 ($250)

Fitbit will be having a great Christmas this year thanks to its range which will appeal to a wide range of customers.

What they all have in common is an excellent companion app and automatic activity tracking so there’s no need to constantly tell it what to do.

The Flex 2 is the only swim proof Fitbit and it can be worn as a bracelet or a pendant.

If you’d prefer a screen and want to tell the time and be able to monitor your progress then Alta comes in to play here.

And if you want an even bigger screen and want to monitor your heart rate as well then the Charge 2 is one for you.

And all of them have detachable bands so you can change colours to suit your style.

READ TECH GUIDE’S REVIEWS OF THE FLEX 2, THE ALTA AND THE CHARGE 2

GARMIN VIVOSMART HR+ – $349

Garmin’s Vivosmart HR+ is part activity tracker and part smartwatch and is comfortable enough to wear 24/7.

It has an always-on touchscreen display that is bright enough to see in strong sunlight.

On the display, you can see the time, your progress and the notifications from your smartphone like emails, text messages and social media alerts.

And you can review all your data on the Garmin Connect app.

But what you also get with the Garmin Vivosmart HR+ is water resistant design so you can take it for a swim.

You also get a heart rate monitor along with built-in GPS – a feature you don’t even see in some smartwatches.

READ TECH GUIDE’S REPORT ON THE GARMIN VIVOSMART HR+

SAMSUNG GEAR FIT 2 – $289

Samsung has packed in a lot of features and value with a 1.5-inch Super AMOLED display that curves around your wrist.

You can personalize the screen with your favourite layout and change up the bands to a different colour.

Onboard is a great interface to easily navigate the features and options along with a heart rate monitor and built in GPS so you can track your run without your phone.

READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE SAMSUNG GEAR FIT 2

APPLE WATCH SERIES 2 – from $529

Apple’s latest smartwatch has improved in several areas. Apple Watch Series 2 is now water resistant so you can now take it for a swim.

It also has built-in GPS so you can map your run even if you leave your iPhone at home.

READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE APPLE WATCH SERIES 2

SAMSUNG GEAR S3 – $599

The Samsung Gear S3 looks more like a real watch than a smartwatch – and that’s one of the biggest compliments it can get.

The device has the designer looks but also the tech smarts as well with an excellent user interface plus it’s water resistant and a great companion for your workouts.

READ TECH GUIDE’S COMPLETE REVIEW OF THE SAMSUNG GEAR S3

MOTO 360 – $479

The company that gave the world its first circular smartwatch screen is back with the updated Moto 360.

Running Android Wear, Moto 360 can display your smartwatch notifications, respond to your voice and even call an Uber or a cab without the need to touch your phone.

READ TECH GUIDE’S REPORT ON THE MOTO 360