But when I was invited to Garmin’s HQ in Olathe, Kansas for a media tour to coincide with the surprise launch of the new Forerunner series last year, I was excited to see behind the scenes. As a smartwatch enthusiast, it was like a golden ticket straight out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

I’ll admit, I was expecting the usual checklist of activities a trip like this brings: product demos, a few executive chats, and a polite tour of a shiny office. And while there was still plenty of that, what I didn’t expect was just how much of Garmin’s wider operations I'd be privy to, including the unglamorous, behind-the-scenes bits most runners don’t even know exist.

And while not every part of the tour delivered the juicy, headline-grabbing stuff journalists always hope for, it did offer some genuinely surprising insight into a brand that builds expensive things – and they're built to last, unlike most smart technology, not just to the next upgrade cycle. Here are three of my biggest takeaways from the trip.

1. Garmin tests all its watches in-house to breaking point

The highlight of the tour for me wasn’t a shiny new watch reveal, it was the testing labs. Not because they’re glamorous (they’re really not), but because they explain why Garmin owners tend to have the same device for ages.

It was quite amusing to hear how Garmin actually want their devices to break in these labs. But the point is, it really helps them understand why failures happen, so they can fix them before a product goes to market.

The guide explained that the whole point of this kind of testing is to get ahead of potential “field failures” as early as possible in development, then keep rerunning tests as the design matures. They would much rather a prototype to fall apart in a lab than for a retail unit to die halfway through a user's triathlon, which makes complete sense.

The variety of tests happening in those labs was also quite impressive. I was shown specially-made chambers for cold, heat, humidity and UV-style weathering, designed to accelerate the kind of slow damage that normally manifests after months of sun, sweat and winter runs.

There are also salt fog chambers for corrosion, including one that cycles exposure to mimic real-world conditions, and chemical testing for the stuff people actually get on wearables, such as artificial sweat, sunscreen, and even nastier things like fuel and transmission fluid.

Then there’s the physical abuse the wearables undergo. Drop testing is a given, but Garmin uses rigs that can orient a device so it lands exactly on a specific point (like a button) over and over, with high-speed footage so they can watch what fails in slow motion.

Cycle tests make up a big part of the testing, too, where parts get actuated thousands of times – like straps stretching repeatedly, buttons being hammered, or mechanisms being worked until something gives. It’s not just about whether it can survive a fall, but if it can survive being used how a normal person would, repeatedly, over months, years, and maybe even decades.

I wasn't allowed to take photos in this area, annoyingly (but understandably), but what I will say is that experiencing it left a stronger impression than any product slide deck did that entire trip. It’s also the sort of thing that makes Garmin’s, err, premium pricing a bit easier to swallow. You might still wince at the cost, but at least you can see where some of that money is going.

2. Garmin's enormous warehouse is basically a super-advanced robot motorway

If the test lab is where Garmin proves its products’ durability, the company’s warehouse is where it showcases scale. This area was unbelievably huge but it wasn’t just its size that surprised me, it was seeing everything that happens here.

It’s definitely not the sexy side of tech, but I got to see how the company ensures you get your watch quickly, handles returns efficiently, and how much (or little) waste gets created along the way.

The warehouse operation is perhaps the most impressive, since it’s absolutely packed with automation, employing towering machines and robots that shuttle products around so that staff aren’t constantly trekking up and down endless aisles or stairs.

The guide here explained that the warehouse robots follow set routes, drive underneath a mobile storage rack, lock into its base and lift it slightly, then carry the whole rack to wherever it’s needed, all directed by tablet requests from staff and cutting out a ton of pointless walking.

The most oddly satisfying bit, though, was the packaging line. There’s a machine that measures the height of what’s in a box, scores the cardboard, folds it down, glues it, and basically trims the packaging to fit.

That doesn’t sound like a big deal until you remember that shipping is based on size as well as weight. When stacked together, those small savings in space really add up, meaning Garmin is saving emissions by not paying to send a load of air, resulting in fewer trips.

All this automation and efficiency is highly advanced, and might explain where some of those high asking prices are going.

3. Garmin's aviation roots mean reliability is its cornerstone

So here’s the part I really didn’t expect – just how much of Garmin’s DNA is ingrained in other industries like aviation, not just fitness, and how that feeds into our fitness watches.

On the tour, Garmin's ties to aviation were flaunted as one of its foundational areas – something the early team was apparently deeply rooted in. And they spoke about it with the kind of pride you normally hear when brands talk about their “hero” product category, and not just some side business-to-business side hustle.

They walked me through the sort of systems Garmin builds into aircraft, from big cockpit displays, sensors, GPS, comms, even connectivity for keeping databases up to date, so pilots aren’t manually fussing with backgrounds while in the air.

There was also a lot of emphasis on flight control tech such as autopilot systems and safety features, including a one-button emergency function that can take over, communicate, pick a landing location and bring the aircraft down safely if something goes wrong.

They even took us up in the air in some of their planes (yes, they have their own hangar) to show us how it all worked, which wasn’t terrifying in the slightest…

Obviously, this is all worlds away from a Forerunner buzzing your wrist because you’ve drifted out of the Zone 2 heart rate zone, but it does explain that Garmin is obsessed with reliability in situations where failure isn’t just annoying, it’s dangerous. Whether you're in the air or out in the wilderness, tech needs to be reliable. And this – for me – helps reframe the conversation around how expensive Garmin devices can be.

I now see Garmin as not just a brand that just makes good-quality wearables, but one that builds serious navigation and control systems, and then brings some of that mindset and engineering culture into its consumer gadgets.

All of the above made the campus feel less like a running watch HQ and more like a weirdly broad tech empire with fitness, outdoors, aviation, marine, and automotive all under one roof, which, I must admit, gave me some serious Apple HQ vibes.

I flew there thinking I was covering a sports watch launch and came away with a totally different perspective on the brand. That the reason Garmin kit feels so dependable isn’t just the watches themselves, it’s the fact it’s a capable engineering company built around building complicated navigational tech extremely well.

So, if you’re about to buy your next Garmin, it's probably worth remembering these three things: the watches are tested in genuinely brutal ways; the logistics operation is far more advanced than most people realise; and the company’s serious engineering roots run much deeper than fitness.

That doesn’t mean Garmin is perfect, but its devices not only stands the test of time, but they also tend to make day-to-day training feel smoother and more reliable, which is the sort of thing that’s hard to give up once you’re used to it.

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The telco is giving away a free Apple Watch SE 3 to customers who sign up for a 24-month or 36-month phone plan for any of the iPhone 17 series phones (and the iPhone Air, which is also discounted by AU$500).

We’ve called the Apple Watch SE 3 the best Apple Watch for most people in our review thanks to its comparable performance to its more expensive siblings – the Apple Watch 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 – while being the cheapest at AU$399 RRP.

If you’re looking to spend the least amount per month for this deal, the most affordable option is the iPhone Air (256 GB) on the Small Choice Plus Plan over 36 months. That will cost AU$91.06 per month – AU$55p/m for the plan and AU$36.06p/m for device repayments.

If the Apple Watch SE 3 isn’t quite your squeeze, Optus is also offering the Apple Watch 11 for AU$180 outright or for an additional $5 per month.

As Techradar's Senior Fitness & Wearables Editor, I test smartwatches of all kinds. However, in my day-to-day, I'm generally a Garmin-wearer. There's a couple of reasons for this, but a big one is that I'm a regular runner, and Garmin has one of the most comprehensive suites of running features out of all the different wearables categories. Notably, many of the best Garmin watches allow you to generate routes in the Garmin Connect app, sync them to your watch and follow a full-color map on your wrist.

Users of even the best Apple Watches can't do this, at least not natively within Apple's own Workout app. You need to switch apps from Workout to Maps, running Workout in the background, and have a destination or route pre-loaded in the Maps app. It's frustrating and annoying.

Alternatively, the easier option is to download a third-party app, such as WorkOutdoors, Footpath or AllTrails (if you're hiking), all of which allow you to follow maps of a pre-planned route while recording a workout.

Strava has just released its own version of this feature. Spotted via Gadgets & Wearables, users can now pick from their saved Strava routes when recording a workout such as a Walk, Run or Ride in Strava's Apple Watch app, and it'll show a route overlay onto a Dark Mode map.

Unfortunately, there's reportedly no Garmin-style breadcrumb trail or rerouting if you stray from the path, but I hope that gets added in a future update as it's dead useful. During marathon training in busy London, Garmin's instant rerouting when I went off-course helped me focus on staying on pace during my long runs.

As most regular runners and riders are likely Strava users anyway (even though they might not be Premium members) this is a worthwhile integration that allows users to cut a few apps out of their stack. If you're using WorkOutdoors, syncing that to Apple Fitness, then uploading to Strava from there, doesn't it make more sense to record on Strava directly?

I'll be sticking with Garmin for now, due to a combination of Garmin's superior routing features and a desire to keep everything under Garmin's singular ecosystem, including fitness metrics, routes and training plans. However, Strava's acquisition of mapping software company FATMAP and AI-powered coaching platform Runna indicate that Strava's also looking to become a one-stop shop fitness umbrella platform to rival Garmin Connect.

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Research has found that the cold can help physical health with improvements in circulation, immune system performance and muscle recovery. It can also contribute to better mental health and – perhaps as a part of that – improved sleep, measurable with our list of the best sleep trackers.

All that from a few minutes dunked into cold water sounds like a very fair deal. Granted it does mean getting into very cold water, which can take a little getting used to. One of our writers uses the James Bond shower method, starting the water warm and turning it cold, but if you have a cold plunge or wild swim spot available, going straight in can work too.

According to Machado et al. (2016) in Sports Medicine, temperatures need to be 11–15°C and submersion times should be for 11–15 minutes, to get the best results on soreness both short term and long term. A good number set to help recall the goal then: 11-15 for both ranges.

That method in mind, here are the reasons its worth bearing that cold for that long.

1. They can reduce muscle soreness, in a specific way

Fast recoveries are one of the main reasons for cold plunges, and how they came about as a post-workout treatment. That's why footballers were often sent straight to an ice bath after training, so they could keep going the next day and the day after, injury free.

The cold helps blood vessels to constrict, reducing blood flow to muscles and limiting inflammation in the short term.

Then, when you warm back up, circulation increases again, which may help clear metabolic waste products linked to soreness. This is ideal for after endurance events or high-volume training. However, studies have shown that taking a cold plunge immediately after strength training is less helpful if you want to build muscle.

2. Cold exposure can improve mood and mental resilience

Cold plunges are also being used more as a way to build mental resilience. Taking a dip in the sea or a swim in a cold lake can help mood, thanks to the release of chemicals like norepinephrine and dopamine, which are involved in alertness, motivation and mood regulation.

Some small but intriguing studies suggest regular cold exposure may reduce symptoms of low mood and anxiety, possibly by training the nervous system to tolerate stress more effectively.

So, over time, this repeated exposure may improve stress resilience, helping people feel calmer and more capable when faced with everyday challenges.

3. It may boost circulation and cardiovascular efficiency

Cold exposure reportedly trains your blood vessels to constrict and dilate more efficiently, which can help circulation and improve the cardiovascular system.

Using this in conjunction with hot saunas can help to boost this stretching and tightening of the blood vessels for the best cardiovascular outcome.

It's worth noting that this is looked at as a cardio support rather than a replacement for cardiovascular exercise. Also, this does require regular and repeated practise in order to get the effects that could be constituted as cardio and circulation improvements.

4. Cold plunges may support immune function

While the science here is still growing, cold plunges have long been associated with improve immune support. Some studies have shown cold plunges can increase white blood cell activity as well as improve the body's inflammatory response.

So, to be clear, this won't boost the immune system necessarily. Rather, these plunges can potentially reduce chronic low-grade inflammation while improving the body’s ability to respond to stressors.

Those who practice regular cold treatments do report fewer minor illnesses, adding weight to this idea, and some studies report that immune system response improves "to a slight extent". Controlled cold stress appears, therefore, to help train the immune system to work more efficiently. A bit.

5. They can improve sleep, when timed correctly

A cold plunge certainly is stimulating in and right after the experience, yet it can help sleep. While that nervous system activation in the moment is helpful, there is also a rebound as the parasympathetic nervous system kicks in to offer the rest and digest response.

Also, cold plunges can influence core body temperature regulation. Since a natural drop in core temperature is part of the sleep process, cold exposure earlier in the day may help reinforce healthy circadian rhythms. So, getting the timing right is key here. Too late and you may be kept up. Morning or early afternoon sessions are more likely to support better sleep later on.

The verdict

Cold plunges are not a fix-it-all cure but rather a helpful training tool. When used sensibly, they can help to reduce soreness, support mental resilience, improve circulation and potentially even enhance sleep and immune regulation.

But while the mental effects of cold plunges are strong, with advocates citing them as an addictive way to ward off depression, energize and banish low mood with adrenaline, physical effects seem relatively minor in isolation, according to science. Add them to the routine and see how you get on, but they're certainly no replacement to exercise, eating right and sleeping well.

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The big stories took in everything from Spotify to ChatGPT to Netflix, but it was developments in the OLED TV world that really caught our eye, as Sony, TCL, and LG all made major announcements.

Best of all, the trio might not just revolutionize the already best-of-the-best displays, but also their cheaper models.

How? Well, you'll have to scroll down to find out, so may we suggest you do that now and get up to speed. Enjoy.

7. Whoop clones have thrown us for a loop

It's been a while coming, but we've finally published our reviews of two screenless, fabric-covered fitness trackers – subscription-less rivals to the Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG bands, which we rated as technically excellent but far too expensive.

The Polar Loop was solid in heart-rate tracking, but a letdown with its confusing software choices. The Amazfit Helio Strap was a different matter, though: cheaper than Whoop and Polar, and very good, both in terms of the hardware's capabilities and the app's quality. We duly added it to our best fitness trackers list.

The reviews come at an interesting time, as CES 2026 showcased the next wave of Whoop clones from Luna and Speediance. It looks set to be a crowded category.

• Read more: Amazfit Helio Strap review
• Read more: Polar Loop review

6. Spotify dropped a flawed playlist tool

Following a successful trial run in New Zealand, Spotify is bringing Prompted Playlists – a new playlist-creating tool that puts you in control of the algorithm – to the US and Canada.

Building on Spotify's AI playlist tool, which launched in April 2024, Prompted Playlists takes a similar approach but gives you full control over where you steer the algorithm. In its news blog, Spotify puts it quite simply: “You’re not just asking for music, you’re shaping how Spotify goes about discovering it for you.”

The biggest difference with Prompted Playlists is that you can amend them to update daily or weekly, just like Discover Weekly, but you can tailor them to a far greater degree. After spending some time with it, we can see it becoming one of Spotify’s most intelligent features, and it will be even more powerful once its infancy issues are resolved.

• Read more: I’ve been trying out Spotify’s new Prompted Playlist tool

5. OLED TVs fought back

OLEDs have long been revered as the go-to premium TV tech, but the ‘new’ brighter and cheaper kid on the block – mini-LED – is threatening to eat its lunch.

At least, that was until LG clapped back with its OLED SE, which promises a 120Hz refresh rate, as well as 1,000 nits of brightness, which is far more than the 668 nits we measured on the affordable LG B5 – so the LG B6 could be a real affordability winner if it boasts this tech.

LG Display told FlatPanelsHD that it will make OLED SE panels in five sizes to begin with: 48 inches, 55 inches, 65 inches, 77 inches, and 83 inches, and we’re excited to see how it’ll use these panels in the coming year.

• Read more: The OLED TV vs mini-LED battle is about to really heat up

4. Netflix got a universal boost

Despite Netflix initially teasing that it would get Universal’s live-action flicks exclusively on its platform starting in 2027, it seems the deal has started a lot earlier than we expected.

According to Netflix, “We can confirm that the live-action film pay-1b licensing deal is starting earlier than announced, with the first film being Megan 2.0.”

It’s not clear when exactly other films will follow, but this is certainly another trophy for Netflix to add to its cabinet.

• Read more: Netflix is adding live-action Universal movies to its back catalog

3. We tried Sony’s clip-style buds

The audio titan that is Sony debuted new clip-style open earbuds with its new LinkBuds Clip; we’ve tried them, and unfortunately, this might be a rare miss for the headphones experts.

The fit felt at times looser than we’d want; the lack of deep bass meant music lacked its full resonance or a thumping, punchy beat, and even the treble struggled.

Based on our initial tests, we’d expect these earbuds to cost about half their $229 / £180 / AU$329.95 price, which is definitely disappointing given Sony's track record.

• Read more: I tried Sony’s first clip-on open earbuds

2. Sony and TCL teamed up

Sticking with Sony, the brand just announced that its TVs will now be made in a “joint venture” with TCL, suggesting a major shift for how its displays are developed, designed, and manufactured.

Interestingly, TCL will own 51% of this new joint project, giving it a majority share. It’s worth noting that this might simply be due to Chinese rules that limit foreign ownership in joint ventures to 49% – TCL is a Chinese electronics company, while Sony is headquartered in Japan.

Exactly what this means for us is yet to be seen, but it might mean Sony pivots away from OLED as TCL avoids the tech completely, and perhaps instead focuses on improved mid-range and budget options using TCL’s impressively cost-effective manufacturing.

• Read more: Sony’s future TVs could be made by a new ‘joint venture’

1. ChatGPT got ads

Despite its CEO once calling ads a “last resort” for its business, OpenAI has announced that advertisements are coming to ChatGPT for free and ChatGPT Go-tier users.

The news dropped very late last week, so we couldn’t include it in ICYMI then, so we’ve rolled it into this week's, as the announcement represents a massive pivot for OpenAI.

As part of the reveal, OpenAI shared some examples of how ads might work, such as a sponsored grocery list appearing below the answer to a dinner-related question.

This obviously raises big questions about how trustworthy responses are – for example, with the dinner plan, did the AI recommend those meals because it knew it would fit better with a sponsorship? There’s a lot we frankly don’t know, and we expect this won’t be the last advertisements we see in AI chatbots – even if Google promises Gemini ads aren’t in the works.

• Read more: ChatGPT now has ads

Regular readers will know that most smartwatches, and many of the best fitness trackers, now come with an ECG functionality that can help diagnose heart health issues. Apple is leading the way on this, with the best Apple Watches now capable of flagging not just irregular heart rate rhythms, but also signs of hypertension or high blood pressure.

Despite the fact that these features are FDA certified, Apple Watches aren't certified for use in a medical setting. They're designed to alert you to a potential problem, so that you can go to a doctor and get confirmation and an official diagnosis. This is what happened to one TechRadar writer when an Apple Watch may have saved her partner's life.

Now, a recent study has confirmed that Apple Watches can indeed assist in the diagnosis of atrial fibrillation, catching otherwise symptomless conditions before they strike, and might even quadruple the number of diagnoses doctors may otherwise miss before it's too late. The end result saves medical services money and time in treatment, and may even be life-saving for patients.

The research

Researchers from Amsterdam University Medical Center (UMC) studied 219 patients over the age of 65 and at "elevated stroke risk" with an Apple Watch, and 218 patients receiving standard care. In the Apple Watch group, 21 patients were diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and received care, and 57% of those were showing no outward symptoms other than what was on their watch.

Just five patients were diagnosed in the control group, all of whom were symptomatic. The watches picked up four times as many people who ended up being diagnosed with the heart condition.

Cardiologist at Amsterdam UMC, Michael Winter, argued for smartwatches to be used in medical settings, claiming the savings in medical services would "offset the initial cost of the device".

"Using smartwatches with PPG and ECG functions aids doctors in diagnosing individuals unaware of their arrhythmia, thereby expediting the diagnostic process," said Winter. "Our findings suggest a potential reduction in the risk of stroke, benefiting both patients and the healthcare system by reducing costs."

How to turn on irregular heart rate rhythm notifications

Apple has published guidance on heart rate notifications, but here's how to turn them on.

• Open the Health app on your iPhone.
• Search for Heart, then tap Irregular Rhythm Notifications.
• Follow the on-screen set-up instructions.
• Switch on notifications by switching to the Apple Watch app, then My Watch > Heart > Irregular Rhythm

Unfortunately, this has given rise to an unexpected problem. Four times now, I've noticed in the shower that I've been on an unintentional phone call, usually to my Dad, who's first in my contacts list on my watch. This is caused by the cascading water in the shower activating the watch's touchscreen, but it's very odd that it reacts the same way each time.

I love my Garmin Venu 4. I think it's a great watch, and the ability to use the built-in microphone to set timers and issue other simple commands via the onboard voice assistant is great. Likewise, Garmin's touchscreens have improved in recent years to become almost as snappy and responsive as Apple's. But that combination means my family have been unintentionally earwigging on me singing in the shower.

You may have experienced the same thing with your Garmin, as most of the best Garmin watches now offer touchscreens in addition to the usual button controls. Whereas when you start an activity such as swimming, the watch automatically enters a Touch Lock mode, simply showering requires manual tinkering.

How to set up a Touch Lock short cut

Depending on which Garmin watch you own, there are several ways you can set up a shortcut to Touch Lock your Garmin watch.

I own a Garmin Venu 4, and while it does have two buttons, many other Garmin watches have five, which allow you to set up several 'hot key' shortcut options. The two-button Venu series doesn't have those.

Instead, by holding down the UP/MENU button, you can summon a selection of settings-based controls such as Find My Phone, Do Not Disturb, and Power Off.

Scrolling down, you'll see an Edit bar. Tap that, then Add, then scroll down the list until you come to the yellow Touch Lock button. Hit the green + sign next to it.

After that, you'll be able to hold the UP/MENU button to summon your list of shortcuts, and simply tap Touch Lock to activate it before you hop in the shower, safe in the knowledge no-one can hear you sing.

How to set up a hot key

If you've got a watch with five buttons, such as the Garmin Fenix 8 or the Garmin Forerunner 570, you can set up a shortcut via hot keys.

In your settings, select System > Hot Keys, and choose the combination of buttons you want to use in order to instantly turn the Touch Lock setting on and off.

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The Amazfit Helio Strap is a good lower-cost alternative to a Whoop band or even some of the best fitness trackers like Fitbit, as long as you enter with the right expectations. The hardware itself is substantially cheaper, and no subscription is required for day-to-day use of a Helio Strap.

In return, you get all-day health and fitness tracking, with more of a focus on active forms of exercise than some lifestyle wearables. Amazfit doesn’t provide quite as explicit training readiness insights as a Whoop band, but with stats that focus on your training load and overall condition, it doesn’t take a degree in sports science to join the dots for yourself and get most of the benefits.

This is a less upmarket band than some of the competition. Its central part is plastic, with no metal parts, but this is a win for comfort as it further lowers weight.

Amazfit Helio Strap: Specifications

Amazfit Helio Strap: Price and availability

• It costs $99.99 / £99.00 / $179.00AU
• Less than the Polar Loop
• Much less than the ongoing Whoop subscription

Despite having less tech inside than a more traditional fitness tracking wearable, the pricing of these screenless wearables (other than the Whoop MG) is less aggressive than some other categories. It’s because they’re a lifestyle buy as much as anything

The Amazfit Helio Strap is one of the better-priced options, though. It costs $99.99 / £99.00 / $179.00AU, far less than a Whoop band or the Polar Loop.

There’s no need for an ongoing subscription here either, although one is of course offered. It’s called Aura (not to be confused with Oura). This adds an AI-based wellness advisor and lots of audio-based relaxation content, costing $69.99 (around £52 / AU$100) a year, although during testing we were offered a year’s worth for £19.99. There’s a 14-day free trial too.

• Value score: 4/5

Amazfit Helio Strap: Design

• Screen-free
• Does not feel premium, no metal
• Extremely light – set and forget

The Amazfit Helio Strap is a screen-free wearable, and an exceptionally light one. It weighs just 20g, strap included. You can thank the relatively low-frills style of the central unit for this, which is just a puck of plastic. All you see when wearing the Hello Strap is the fabric of the strap itself, which hooks up to the tracker’s block using traditional watch fastenings. Amazfit also offers an arm strap, should you prefer to wear it off the wrist.

I have at times had to check whether the watch was actually still attached, which is just not something that happens with the GPS running watches I tend to wear daily. There is one important caveat to note on the design, though; the Amazfit Helio Strap is not as slimline as you might guess. It sticks out a way from your wrist and its sides don’t fully hug its surface either. In person it’s thicker than the Coros Pace 4 watch I was using at the same time, which is at odds with the vibe most of these screenless wearables try to give out.

That said, Amazfit doesn’t sell the Helio Strap as a casual step and sleep tracker. It apparently has the keener exerciser in mind, as you can see from the Hyrox-themed strap attached here. Hyrox and Amazfit have entered a partnership (Amazfit is now the official timekeeper for the event), but the standard version of the strap is plain two-tone dark grey.

This watch isn’t a friend to those tight-fit long-sleeved base layers that hug the wrist, but actually wearing the Hello Strap has been an entirely discomfort-free experience. Of course, you will still need to make the strap reasonably tight for the most accurate heart rate results so the little sensor mount on the back will leave an imprint in your wrist. It comes with the territory.

Amazfit rates the watch’s water resistance at 5ATM, so you won’t have to take it off too often. The official guidance is the Helio Strap is “suitable for splashes, snow, showering, swimming” but shouldn’t be worn in the sauna or for a “hot shower” as the steam can damage the internal seals.

• Design score: 4/5

Amazfit Helio Strap: Features

• Relatively slight on features
• Transmit HR data to gym machines and fitness watches
• Set up to 10 haptic alarms

Wearables like the Amazfit Hello Strap are not out to wow us with their expansive feature lists (after all, they’re designed not to be interacted with) but it does do more than you might guess.

It has a temperature sensor, for example, used to check for variations from the norm overnight. Such a change could be an indicator of illness. You can set up to 10 alarms too, which use the Helio Strap’s vibration motor to alert you. It’s not a massively powerful buzz, though, so you might not want to rely on it to wake you up for work each day.

A little unusual for a screenless wearable, Amazfit also stresses its active fitness tracking skills. You can manually start a specific tracked exercise in the app on your phone, and the Helio Strap can also be set to automatically detect workouts and log them as such. When you start a tracked session in the app, the Helio Strap can transmit live heart rate data to another device. Some more advanced gym machines support this, as do cycling computers and some fitness watches. It uses Bluetooth for this, not ANT+, which was the classic technology of heart rate chest straps.

What else is there to note? The Hello Strap uses a tiny little charge puck that connects to a pair of metal contacts on the back. Easy to lose, but also easy to transport in a pocket.

• Features score: 4/5

Amazfit Helio Strap: Performance

• Battery life as described
• Solid heart rate accuracy
• Plenty of metrics provided in-app

Low upkeep is one of the best parts of the Amazfit Hello Strap. Despite weighing next-to-nothing, Amazfit still says it delivers “up to 10 days” of battery life. And that is entirely consistent with our experience. After using it for a week, the Helio Strap had 35% charge left. While two-week battery watches with screens are common enough, they weigh a lot more than the Helio Strap.

A lot of this wearable’s metrics rely on heart rate data. The Hello Strap’s is mostly solid with some small issues that may not dull its appeal too much, especially at this price point. Throughout the day, passive tracking is decent and there are no wild spikes as you walk around your home or office. This can happen when a tracker takes any sign of walking as a suggestion your HR is likely rising fast.

You don’t manually start tracked activities on the watch, but when comparing the results of long runs on the Helio Strap with those of a chest strap, though, the Amazfit Hello Strap occasionally overestimates heart rate by around 10bpm. Not a hugely meaningful difference to most, and certainly good enough for an indication of heart rate zones, but still not quite as accurate as the best Apple Watches. Amazfit does talk about the Helio Strap as a wearable to pair with another fitness watch, to fill in stat gaps throughout the day and night, and during other workouts the results were (relatively) bang-on accurate. But there’s definitely scope for tracking accuracy to improve in a firmware update.

As for tracking steps, the Amazon Helio Strap recorded slightly lower counts over a five day period, apart from one day when they were almost identical just 3000 steps apart. Over the five day period the Helio Strap recorded 94% of the steps of the Garmin Forerunner 970. It’s also worth noting the Garmin was worn on my dominant arm (the Helio Strap was not) so that could have a part to play here.

Sleep tracking performance is solid. A couple of nights during testing I wore the Amazfit Helio Strap alongside three other wearables to see how great the disparities would be: the Garmin Forerunner 970, Polar Loop and Coros Pace 4. All four of these watches failed to pick up on any of the moment you briefly wake up and wonder why the alarm clock reads 4:55am. But those times you actually have to get up to go to the toilet? It picks them up. The Amazfit Helio Strap also did consistently note a change in sleep state and heart rate during those missed moments of wakefulness, though – the next best thing.

It’s also important not to underrate the quality of the Amazfit Helio Strap app. It’s Zepp, shared with other Amazfit wearables. And its layout is kinda great for the purposes of a wearable like this. On the front page you get a handy summary of stats you likely want to see daily, with a traffic light system too show which (if any) are a bit dodgy. These include resting heart rate, sleep duration, Skin temperature, exertion load and more.

This layout returns in a separate Sleep tab, where we get stats like heart rate variability, Deep Sleep duration and skin temperature, again with the traffic light system.

Amazfit also goes big on a concept called BioCharge, which is an estimation of your overall energy level. The one missing next step is what you get with Whoop, where such data – and other bits – are used to more explicitly tell you whether you should work out on a specific day or not. And the paid-for Aura subscription is more about wellness and relaxation that that kind of athlete-focused experience.

• Performance score: 4/5

Amazfit Helio Strap: Scorecard

Amazfit Helio Strap: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

First reviewed: January 2026

Sony has unveiled the LinkBuds Clip, which are its first clip-style open earbuds. Sony has enjoyed a run of fashioning some of the best open earbuds we've tested to date (and will happily lay claim to having invented the category with the original Sony LinkBuds, though that depends on whether you count AirPods-style earbuds as being open ear, but I digress) although the company has never tried this 'ear-cuff' style fit so far.

The Sony LinkBuds Clip include a 10mm driver, and like all clip-style open earbuds, this sits just outside your ear canal and fires sound into it without sealing you off from the outside world.

They come with a little flexible attachment that Sony calls an "air fitting cushion", designed to sit in the curve, and to hold them more firmly only the ear (or to hold them at all if your have smaller ears).

Because of the way external sound is allowed in, they include a specific new audio mode called Voice Boost, to make (as you probably guessed) stuff like podcasts and audiobooks come across clearer.

They also include an Adaptive Volume feature, as seen on the Sony LinkBuds Fit, so they can automatically ramp up the volume to avoid the sound being totally drowned out in loud areas.

There's also a 'Sound leakage reduction' mode for places like the office, where you want to make sure the open fit isn't firing your playlist out to your neighbors.

The earbuds include Sony's DSEE audio upscaling tech to make low-quality streaming music sound better, but there's no LDAC higher-res Bluetooth support – just the basic AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs. There's multi-point pairing to switch between two devices instantly, naturally.

They feature a bone-conduction sensor as well as microphones to help pick up your voice for calls, with AI-powered reduction of background noise.

To control them, you can tap the earbuds themselves – they have an accelerometer in, so you don't need to tap anywhere in particular. In fact, while testing them I found that you didn't necessarily need to tap the earbuds themselves – tapping my ear right at the point where they sat also worked.

They promise nine hours of battery life from the buds, and 37 hours including the case. A fast-charging feature promises to provide an hour of play from three minutes of charging. They're IPX4 rated for waterproofing, so should be good to use for light exercise – don't wear them out in heavy rain, maybe, though.

They're available in black, white, lilac and pale green colors, and come in a funky box that both curved and square – and you can buy sleeves for the case to mix up the colors. These are available in five colors: coral, green, blue, lavender, and black.

The Sony LinkBuds Clip cost $229 / £180 / AU$329.95, and will be available to buy in January, though Sony didn't provide an exact date. The LinkBuds Clip Case covers cost $24.99 and are available from the Sony website only.

Based on the specs alone, you might be thinking the price sounds pretty high for the specs – the Shokz OpenFit Pro, for example, cost a similar amount and include an effective active noise cancellation feature and Dolby Atmos. JBL just announced a direct competitor in the form of its Soundgear Clips, and they'll cost $149. The Earfun Clip 2 include Sony's own LDAC higher-res wireless tech, and they're launching at $79…

But that's probably fine – it'll be all about the experience, right? I got to try a demo session with the LinkBuds Clip, and I'm afraid that just reinforced for me that Sony might have the price wrong here.

Clip to be square

First up: the fit. They go onto the ear pretty easily, and at first I tried them without the air fitting cushion. This was comfortable, felt overall natural, and there didn't seem to be much risk of them falling out, though I wasn't in a position to take them for a quick jog. There was a little rotational give to them, and I think this is part of them feeling pretty natural to wear.

I tried them with the air fitting cushion in, and the difference was interesting – on my ears (which aren't small), this meant that any rotational give disappeared, and they held rock steady where I'd put them. In exchange for this, I could 'feel' them on my ear more – not that they applied pressure or became uncomfortable in any way, but I just felt more aware of them.

I think on balance I preferred them with the air cushion. As I said, I didn't think they'd fall out without it – but with it, I was certain they would hold, and I love a little extra peace of mind where I can get it these days.

Firing up some of my music, my concern about the price tag become immediate – while I only spent about 10 minutes listening to the earbuds, the sound quality just didn't seem to be where I'd want it for over $200.

It's been normal for open earbuds to have softer and less deep audio quality than the best earbuds with an in-ear seal, but recent releases have really closed that gap – again, with the Shokz OpenFit Pro, our audio editor Becky Scarrott said she could forget she wasn't using more traditional earbuds. The sound is detailed and rich enough to compete.

With the Sony LinkBuds Clip, the sound balance was really good, as I always expect from Sony – no matter the budget level, it always finds a way to make sure your music feels like it's the correct shape.

But it was immediately obvious that there's a lack of deep bass, and I don't mean because I was listening to some trance bangers. The low end is slight overall, meaning that acoustic instruments don't have their full resonance, let alone a drum machine lacking its intended punch.

Similarly, the treble felt like it struggled to stand clearly out of the mid-range, feeling a bit too attached and unable to really shine. And that's part of a general lack of dynamic capability, which meant that the sound didn't feel particularly energetic, and didn't have the natural detail I expect from Sony.

(I also noticed quite a bit of sound leakage from someone else testing their buds about six feet from me, but I don't know how loud they had them – it may not be as bad in more common scenarios, and there's always the sound mode to reduce leakage if you need it.)

Obviously, sound quality is always relative to price – based on my demo, I expected the buds to cost more like $120 / £100, like the impressive Sony WF-C710N at launch. At nearly twice that, I'm worried these will struggle.

However, we can only make a real judgment after a proper testing period and comparison of the audio, and I didn't test features such as the mic quality, which could end up recommending it over the competition if you take a lot of calls (the mic quality on the Sony WH-1000XM6 with AI noise reduction is best in class, after all).

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An exoskeleton might sound like something you’d find lurking at the back of Tony Stark’s wardrobe, but these devices have far more practical uses than their name implies, helping people navigate difficult terrain, rehabilitate after injury, and more. Now, a new exoskeleton promises to offer all that in a lightweight package powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

That device is the Vigx π6 – yes, that’s the Greek letter pi of 3.1415 fame – and it comes in Base, Pro and Ultra editions (via Wearable). This exoskeleton consists of a minimal frame that is worn around your waist, which drives power to the device and can support up to 40km of movement in the Ultra model. That belt features supports that extend down your legs to just above your knees. That makes it a fairly compact product in the world of exoskeletons, which can be just as extensive and bulky as you’re probably imagining.

What makes this device interesting is the way it harnesses AI into everyday motion. The Vigx π6 Pro and Ultra models come with a built-in camera and a dedicated AI processor as part of the frame. These combine to sense your surroundings in real time, in particular the terrain that lies beneath your feet.

That means that as you take a step and lower your foot towards the ground, the π6 analyzes the surfaces around you and adjusts its power delivery accordingly. In fact, it can do this every 30 milliseconds, with the idea that this frequency anticipates what’s in front of you, improves stability (especially on slopes, steps and uneven terrain) and reduces fatigue.

Powerful but niche

The Vigx isn't the first exoskeleton to arrive on the scene – we recently tested the Hypershell X Ultra above – but already a pattern is emerging. Although many exoskeletons are designed for either industrial or medical use, an increasing number of models such as Vigx’s device and the Hypershell are designed to be used by general consumers. They tend to be lightweight affairs; the Vigx, for example, weighs 2kg and can fold down to the size of an umbrella, which could broaden its appeal.

That said, don’t expect to see these flying off the shelves at your local shopping mall. Exoskeletons are still extremely niche devices, and even the most consumer-friendly product in this category is going to be unnecessary for most people. But if you find yourself in the small segment of customers who see a use for an exoskeleton to provide more power for your legs while walking around, whether you're looking for disability mitigation or powering up your hikes, the Vigx π6 could well be of interest.

The Vigx describes its use cases as a "lightweight and intelligent walking assist device to support walking, standing, and light fitness activities". Seniors or those with hip problems, for example, may benefit from the increased power and motion, while the AI terrain feature helps a user place their foot firmly.

Vigx says the π6 range will launch in June 2026, although pricing isn’t yet available. That – combined with how natural the AI-powered step assistance is – will likely be a key aspect to whether it takes off or remains steadfastly niche. We’ll be keeping an eye out.

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Casio’s G-Shock is one of the most recognizable watches on the planet – and now a fresh leak suggests that a new model, potentially from Casio’s G-Squad range, could land soon with some much-requested features.

The leak first surfaced on the Japanese site Great G-Shock World. There, it is claimed that a new Casio G-Shock device (with the model number GM-H5600) has appeared in several certification databases from Asia. Its inclusion in these databases implies that the product is undergoing final certification and that a launch could be just around the corner.

According to Great G-Shock World, the leaked device could combine the health metrics found in Casio’s DW-H5600 – including the optical heart rate meter – with a metal case like that of the GM-5600 watch. That could help it pair together popular features found in each device, entering new territory in the process and bringing it much closer to the best smartwatches than Casio products traditionally go.

The health features could go beyond an optical heart rate meter. Great G-Shock World lists other expected functions, including “daily health management” tools like pedometers and bloody oxygen level measurements, plus sleep monitoring and workout analysis.

As suggested by Wareable, the device’s features might parallel those found in the DW-H5600, including blood oxygen (SpO2) measurement, Life Log activity tracking, interval and running modes, and more.

When will we see this device?

As Great G-Shock World says, “the GM-H5600 has already been registered with the Asian certification body a few months ago, and there is no doubt that it is close to being released.” While specific dates haven’t been found, the website believes that the product could appear “in the first half of 2026, as early as spring to summer".

As for the price, that’s much less clear. The Casio DW-H5600 currently costs $299 (around £220 / AU$440), but it’s unknown whether the upcoming GM-H5600 will be priced similarly.

Still, by combining health and fitness metrics with a more rugged chassis, the rumored GM-H5600 could appeal to a set of users who haven’t been enticed by either the DW-H5600 or the GM-5600. With a release now apparently just a few months away, we seemingly won't have to wait long to find out.

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The Polar Loop is, on the surface, what a lot of folks want. It’s a lifestyle-friendly wearable like the popular Whoop MG, but one that doesn’t come with a mandatory monthly subscription.

It’s screen-free, with a lightweight body and fabric strap for maxed-out comfort. Polar has kept the Loop simple, offering a limited set of features rather than trying to cram in lots of extras. It tracks your sleep, your steps and has a crack at recognising and logging activity sessions — runs, walks and so on. This part is patchy, but the Polar Loop was never going to be that big a hit as a one of the best fitness tracker with the hardcore exerciser crowd anyway.

The Polar Loop’s issues are largely software-based. You have to get on with the Polar app to make the Loop fun to use, and its interface and presentation of data could really do with a rethink. This is planned for the future, but for now, this isn’t quite the Whoop-killer you may be hoping for. It’s shown up on that front by the cheaper Amazfit Helio Strap.

As is, what you get is a decent screen less tracker, but one that may be better later into its lifespan – after a software update, at least.

Polar Loop: Specifications

Polar Loop: Price and Availability

• $199 in the US
• £149.50 in the UK
• AU$299 in Australia

The Polar Loop launched in early September 2025 as a subscription-free alternative to the Whoop band. This is a little over a year since the launch of the Polar 360, a business-oriented wellness wearable that’s ultimately pretty similar to this consumer version. It costs $199 in the US, £149.50 in the UK and AU$299 in Australia.

While there are no explicit ongoing costs, there is a totally optional subscription called Polar Fitness Program, which works out an adaptive training plan for you. This costs 9.99 Euro a month after a free trial. This is far better value than the Whoop, which doesn’t sell you the device at all – just an expensive subscription. But for a fitness tracker that doesn’t actually do a lot, it’s still quite highly-priced.

• Value score: 3.5/5

Polar Loop: Design

• Screenless
• Steel accents
• Comfortable stretchy bands

The Polar Loop is similar enough to the Whoop band that Whoop has sued Polar claiming the company nicked its design. However, what this really boils down to is a couple of conventions already seen across the screenless wearables landscape.

Polar uses a fabric strap that weaves, buckle-like, over the wearable’s main unit. It covers where the screen would be in a normal watch. The Loop uses a velcro-style fastener and is clearly designed to look like a lifestyle wearable over a hardcore fitness gadget. While much of the core brick is plastic, the top and outer parts are brushed bronze-shade steel. It’s there to provide a touch of class.

These screen-free wearables are intended to be the kind of gadget you set and forget, at least until the battery runs out. The Polar Loop weighs 29g, strap included, light enough not to pick up any real momentum as you swing your arms unlike a watch like the Apple Watch Ultra, which weighs close to 60g. But you are still gong to see those familiar skin indents when you occasionally take the watch off, pressing its contours into your wrist.

Is it comfy? Sure, these slightly stretchy fabric bands are ace for comfort. But I’ve found the Amazfit Helio Band slightly easier to forget I’m wearing, no doubt because it’s even lighter: just 20g.

The Polar Loop has no buttons and no LED status indicator. You can’t interact with it if you try. There’s not even a vibration motor: it’s about as stripped-back as Polar could make it. Water resistance is rated at WR30, which in other wearables is often seen as not enough for safe swimming, while Polar says the Loop is fine for “bathing and swimming” under the ISO22810 standard, just not diving or snorkelling.

• Design score: 4/5

Polar Loop: Features

• No subscription
• Very little interaction
• Precision Prime heart rate sensor from 2018

One of the core appeals of the Polar Loop is, of course, that there is no mandatory subscription. There is a paid part of the app, though.

It’s called Polar Fitness Program, which costs around $11 a month (9.99 Euro). This launched in April 2025, provides tailored workout plans. It would work much better when paired with Polar’s more conventional fitness watches, like the Polar Grit X2, than a Loop.

The Polar Loop’s own feature set is very stripped-back. You can’t, for example, make the watch broadcast its heart rate data to be used by another device. There’s no altimeter, so counting of steps climbed is not recorded. You cannot use the Polar Loop as an alarm as there’s no vibration motor. When the Polar Loop is running low on battery you’ll simply get an incessant reminder to charge on your phone. You know the funny bit? Polar actually released a tracker called the Loop 2 in 2015 that did have vibration, and a half-hidden screen made up of 85 LEDs.

Neither that band nor the Polar Loop records blood oxygenation data either, despite the heart rate array making use of green, red and orange LEDs. Polar calls this its Precision Prime array, and it has been around for absolutely ages. A similar design was found in 2018’s Polar Vantage V. That’s a lifetime ago in tech terms, but the basics still work well.

• Features score: 2.5/5

Polar Loop: Performance

• 8 days of battery life
• Some activity tracking errors
• HR data testing similar to Garmin Elevate V5 sensor

Despite the lack of a screen, Polar says the Loop lasts eight days, which is actually a bit less than some of its watches with displays. This is basically on the money. You can expect it to last around a week. With no GPS or screen, there should be little variation in how long it lasts based on your activity level.

Like any wearable, the Polar Loop is heavily reliant on its heart rate sensor for any data beyond your steps. This wearable has a pretty good one, despite using older hardware. While this is not a replacement for a full-on runner’s watch due to its lack of GPS, its HR data during runs is pretty similar to that of a Garmin Forerunner 970 (one of the best Garmin watches) and its Elevate V5 sensor, wore concurrently during most of my testing.

The Polar Loop doesn’t tend to mess up the start of workouts, or show unexpected major HR spikes during the work day when you do little more than potter about. There was one unexpected spike during a tracked run, but in general the results are solid here.

By default, the Polar Loop will record basic stats 24/7, and then automatically log any slightly extended stretches it believes you’re exercising. Go for a 12-minute walk? You can expect to see that pop up in the Polar app. It’s not entirely flawless, though; during one run, the Loop only clocked half of the hour-and-change workout, seemingly stopping during a brief break, only to fail to register the second half. The durations of some sessions are off too, although you can always take a more active approach to tracking: in the Polar phone app, you can manually start a tracked session, select the Loop, and use it as the source for HR data.

That aside, the Polar Loop has a good stab at recording your daily steps. And it of course tracks sleep, too, estimating your time spent in the light, deep and REM sleep zones, and records interruptions. The Polar Loop is more sensitive to these than another wearable’s full-on wakeful moments detection, so you may well see your sleep records peppered with these tiny interruption blips.

The lead stats Polar wants you to focus on are sleep duration, sleep solidity and regeneration — basically how much that sleep is getting your body back where it needs to be. However, there’s also an ANS Charge (autonomous nervous system charge) section in which you can check out breathing rate and heart rate variability.

All the basic data is here, and it’s sound enough. The Polar Loop’s biggest issue is the phone app isn’t really all that enjoyable to use, may look dated to some and doesn’t really direct the user that well as to what they should focus on.

The app’s home screen is Diary, which acts like a feed of your day, showing recent auto-tracked exercises, your step count and so on, in semi-chronological order. This is not as effective as the software in Amazfit’s rival Helio Strap app, which is more intuitive and has a handy traffic light-style system to alert you to any stats that may be out of the ordinary.

Screen-free wearables are massively reliant on their apps for the overall quality of experience. And Polar’s could do with some work. It’s just not that inviting a space to hang out in. Polar does plan to fully revamp the app in future, but right now we can only work with that we have.

• Performance score: 3.5/5

Polar Loop: Scorecard

Polar Loop: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

First reviewed: December 2025

New Jersey is imposing new e-bike legislation that will seriously impact riders in the state – and could be a sign of tighter restrictions rolling out more widely in the US and beyond, which could have serious ramifications for the adoption of e-bikes and similar technologies like e-scooters.

Under the new law, all classifications of e-bike ridden in New Jersey will require the rider to get a license, get insurance, and register their vehicle – a lot like you would for a car or motorbike. You must also be aged at least 15 and have a motorized bicycle license or be at least 17 years old with a valid driver’s license to own and operate an e-bike.

The state has also banned conversion kits that would allow riders to convert their lower-powered e-bikes to higher-powered ones, and for the next year, it has banned the sale of electric motorized bikes online (the fastest tier of bikes, which can go at speeds over 28mph).

Lawmakers who proposed the bill, and supporters, have heralded this as a major win for e-bike safety, with bill sponsor Senate President Nick Scutari declaring, “We are in a new era of e-bike use” – showcasing the local government’s action to help prevent e-bike-related injury and deaths following some high-profile incidents late last year.

E-bike enthusiasts are a lot less positive about New Jersey’s actions, however. You’ll find various articles and social media posts like this one from Chris Crossed, calling this “the dumbest ebike law ever,” as they point out issues like the lack of insurance options in the current market, as well as the conflict the law has with efforts to cut carbon emissions and reduce traffic congestion.

Though these voices are not entirely opposed to all of the actions being taken. Instead, they’re concerned that the broad, rather than targeted, measures could harm interest in e-bikes, which offer a solid alternative travel method for many. Especially as they fear New Jersey won’t be the last to impose restrictions – case in point, New York State has a similar senate bill in the works.

As e-bike fans would themselves be quick to point out, e-bikes are not a well-defined category. The term can be used to refer to pedal bikes that offer minimal assistance (topping out at speeds below 20mph) as well as effective e-motorbikes that can go at speeds over 28mph and aren’t really intended to be pedalled.

Clearly, there’s a major difference between these kinds of vehicles, but the very generalized category name combined with low understanding of the specific differences between subcategories means it’s easy for folks to buy e-bikes with a lot more oomph than they realize (leading to accidents) and lawmakers being overly broad with their rules.

Unfortunately, there’s also clearly a need for tighter rules to be brought in, because e-bike injuries are on the rise (via Velo and the BBC). Part of this comes from increased ridership, but that alone doesn’t account for the increase – factors including increased power and weight for e-bikes are also seemingly playing a part.

Is there a happy middle ground?

I’ve written about being a major fan of e-scooters, and e-bikes to some extent too, as they offer commuters a great alternative to driving that’s more environmentally friendly, fairly convenient, and not as physically taxing as riding a non-e-bike. So I’m not keen on overly restricting access.

Instead, I’d follow the example set by various countries’ drone rules. E-bike manufacturers would start by getting their bikes approved for use on public roads, and they would be assigned a category based on their top engine speed and weight.

The lightest, slowest speed e-bikes would be accessible to younger riders given they’re comparable to a pedal bike with just a little assistance; medium-weight and speed bikes would be restricted to older riders and require some kind of online test that checks their understanding of road and rider safety; and then those heaviest and fastest ‘e-motorbikes,’ as they’re called, would require some kind of license akin to a driver’s license.

All bike types, however, would need to be registered by an adult and be tagged with their registration number. Registration could be done online, and would be similar to how UK drones need to have your Operator ID on them.

This is just one idea, and I’m keen to hear your alternative suggestions in the comments, but I feel it strikes a better balance between improved safety and keeping e-bikes relatively accessible than do the New Jersey rules.

We’ll have to wait and see how other jurisdictions tackle e-bike rules, but as I sit here hoping for looser e-scooter laws in the UK, I have a suspicion we might, in fact, see tighter restrictions in various places. Hopefully, my hunch is wrong.

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While the Garmin Fenix 8 is well-known as Garmin's super-premium adventure watch (it's on our best Garmin watch guide for a reason), the military-style Tactix 8 is every inch its equal, and then some. Garmin has just released a new version of this watch, now with a Cerakote ceramic coating.

A 51mm monster priced at $1,599.99 / £1,379.99 / AU$2,799, the Garmin Tactix 8 Cerakote Edition is slightly more expensive than the standard 51mm tactix 8, priced at $1,399.99 / £1,279.99 / AU$2,449 due to its toughened ceramic coating.

Garmin describes the coating process as having the coat "sprayed onto each smartwatch, then baked to help cure the coating, providing a unique look and feel that becomes more refined as the watch is worn".

Otherwise, the Tactix 8 is exactly the same watch as the non-Cerakote version, with a 1.4-inch AMOLED display, LED flashlight – although due to the military connotations, the light is green rather than the usual red – and all the usual GPS features you'd expect in a top-flight outdoor watch like TopoActive maps and SatIQ GPS connectivity.

The watch has tactical- or military-flavored features such as a low-light Stealth Mode, a 'kill switch' to remove all your data, and an Applied Ballistics solver feature. This last one is on almost all Garmin's tactical watches and works like Garmin's best golf watch features (but for guns), offering wind information and other contextual environmental information that might affect your shot.

Garmin Pay, a speaker for calls, activity tracking, sleep and recovery tracking, race prediction for runners, and a huge 29-day battery life on top, means even without the tactical features, the Tactix 8 can cut it with the best civilian smartwatches.

New golf gear: Garmin Approach J1

The Garmin tactix 8 Cerakote Edition is not the only new addition to Garmin's lineup. A new range of golf gear has also dropped, including the Garmin Approach J1 – the company's first golf watch aimed at junior golfers.

Said to be "purpose-built to help youth golfers learning the game and play with confidence and track their performance", according to a Garmin press release, the watch is very light at just 29g, with a 1.2-inch screen and battery life lasting up to 10 days. A water-resistant design allows young golfers to play through "light rain and wind" although it doesn't have the usual waterproofing that most of Garmin's adventure watches get.

The watch provides tee-off guidance, club selection guidance, and other golfing features, while also acting as an activity-tracking smartwatch for general use. It's priced at $299.99 / £309.99 / AU$499.

Garmin has also released a new handheld golf unit, the Approach G82, for those who don't want to wear a golf watch.

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While it has been cheaper before, this offer is still one of the best I've seen, and is one I'd recommend, given how much I rate my original 1.0 version. With this latest model, you get the same key features I love, including the 40-day battery life, handy magnetic mounting option, slick aluminium body, plant-based brush heads, and convenient USB charging.

What's new, though, is a useful pressure sensor to prevent you from brushing too hard and the option for even more convenient USB-C wireless charging. That's in addition to the redesigned 2.0 travel case that's included in this bundle offer, which boasts a new look and battery-powered UV cleaning to keep your brush in top shape.

It's an investment over some of the more affordable electric toothbrushes from the likes of Oral-B and Philips, sure, but I've found the design, upgrades, and eco-friendly features to be more than worth the added cost.

Today's best electric toothbrush deal

As our Suri 2.0 Sonic Toothbrush review explains, this upgraded version offers small but welcome upgrades over the original model. The latest release "combines all the eco-friendly design features of its predecessor while adding in more premium upgrades."

Those upgrades include a pressure sensor for a better, more efficient, and safer clean. The included UV travel case also gets an improvement by swapping to a battery-powered one, so you don't have to plug it in to keep your brush clean and in top condition.

All of the performance and portability features are backed up by its sustainability chops, too. Recycled materials are used in construction, and the plant-based heads are recyclable, preventing more plastic toothbrushes from going to landfill. Altogether, it's a high-quality electric toothbrush and represents great value for money after this discount.

I haven’t really felt that way in the five years since I started running with intention. But one benchmark goal has quietly wormed its way into the back of my mind since I noticed my 5K Parkrun event times gradually come down over the years. I'm working on achieving a sub-20-minute 5K.

The closest I got to reaching it was back in October 2025, at a Parkrun event by the sea on England’s south coast, in Worthing, with a time of 20:28.

A sub-20 5K? It’s kinda within reach, if I were to do a training block for it. But, to be frank, that doesn’t seem all that appealing. With short days and frequently awful weather in the UK at the moment, running has become a way to get outside whenever possible, for a mental health boost. And cobble together what meagre amount of natural Vitamin D production actually happens under cloudy, grey skies. Short and sharp sessions aren’t where I’m at.

So I started wondering if I could cheat my way to a notable 5K personal best, using some new technology to power my legs through those last 30 seconds.

Meet the Hypershell X Ultra: a robotic exoskeleton

I’m not talking about one of the best smartwatches, fitness trackers, or even efficiency savings via a pair of the best running shoes. Earlier in 2025, I got to try out a Hypershell exoskeleton, not that long after first bumping into the brand online. I’ve been for a short-ish hike with a Hypershell on, months ago, and while I did race a friend a few hundred metres, for fun, this was just two minutes after putting the rig on, when it’s at its most unnatural-feeling. It felt weird. Wrong, even.

But if you’re anything like me, you have to be curious about whether this Hypershell stuff actually works, even if you hate the idea of it being used in any form of competitive running scenario. So I asked the company if I could borrow one for a few weeks, to see if robotic leg assistance would help me shave 30 seconds off my time. And they said yes.

It’s probably about time we deal with how a Hypershell works. I have the Hypershell X Ultra, the latest and most powerful version of the exoskeleton. It uses a carbon fiber reinforced frame that sits over your legs, using anchor points just above your ass, and just above each of your knees.

Motors reside in the enclosures that sit roughly above your hip joints, used to generate the force that pulls your legs upward as you stride as you walk or run. You’re the puppet — pulled, not pushed.

The Hypershell X Ultra uses algorithms to judge when to apply force and how much of it is needed at any given millisecond. And what it needs to do on that front is going to change with your pace, your stride arc — all sorts of stuff — all the time. And as it can deliver up to 1000W of peak (not sustained) force according to Hypershell, getting this stuff right is important.

Don’t focus on that 1000W figure too much, though. If the Hypershell X Ultra were to output at 1000W, the 72Wh battery would last less than five minutes. But it’s obviously only going to hit anything like its peak power in certain modes, for a fraction of a second, during a certain point of your stride. The more important bit is this is the most powerful of Hypershell’s models, which it says can assist at a pace of up to 25km/h.

We should have plenty of headroom for our goal. At 25km/h, you’re finishing a 5K race in 12 minutes, and beating Joshua Cheptegei’s 12:35 world record for that distance. I’m looking for a modest 20.

Test 1: A local running route

But you know the real first challenge of a Hypershell X Ultra? Getting out of the door with one on. You don’t half feel self-conscious with this kit strapped in, and you’ll actually look worse if you put clothes over the top. Don’t even try to hide it, you’ll look ridiculous either way.

To steel myself for the proper attempt at a 5K PB, I ran to my local park for a taster session. And on the way there I got a kinda shocking lesson in quite how much the Hypershell actually does.

You can switch between Transparent (ie no assistance at all) and your currently selected mode by pressing the single button on the Hypershell X Ultra’s right motor housing. I had the “active” setting set to the exoskeleton’s most punchy Hyper mode — max power — and an accidental shift to Transparent while jogging was so jarring I almost face planted into the pavement. The shot of adrenaline this fired off made it feel like I was tasting gravel for the following 20 minutes.

Perhaps that helped the run, though, because the results I got when upping the pace I found genuinely surprising. Mildly stunning, even. This was just meant to be a practice run for the big effort, but my Garmin Forerunner 970 was telling me I was hitting kilometer paces well under four minutes. I cannot ordinarily run that fast.

And so I decided to carry on at a decent effort level, just to see what would happen. 19 minutes and 31 seconds later, I had a new 5K PB — one almost a full minute better than I’d ever achieved before at that October 2025 Parkrun (20:28).

The odd part was it didn’t even feel like I was truly going all-out. And this course was roughly based on my local Parkrun — which is rated as the 505th fastest course in the UK by Power of 10, while my actual non-assisted PB from October was recorded on the 25th fastest course in the UK, at Worthing.

I was kind of blown away by the difference the Hypershell X Ultra made. Even if running with it isn’t exactly a dream in all respects.

How using an exoskeleton actually feels

You never get away from the sense there’s a contraption attached to you, a 1.8kg one in the Hypershell X Ultra’s case, as it naturally moves about a bit as you run, and not in lock-step with your own body. Because it’s not part of it, we’re a ways off Robocop here, and it weighs heavily around your waist and hips.

But the actual assistance the Hypershell gives you quickly becomes near-invisible, only showing its face when the exoskeleton’s algorithms take a fraction of a second to adjust to a change of pace. A sudden downhill section can make it feel as though the Hypershell is launching you into the ground, and there were a lot of these in my initial trail-adjacent park-based route.

The next day or so also came with DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) the likes of which I haven’t felt in a while. It wasn’t all that intense, but the assistance the Hypershell gives is naturally going to alter which muscle groups are actually working the hardest. Your quads and glutes may feel it. Mine did.

My main takeaway, though, was that if I can score a 19:31 5K on a non-flat, awkward course, what could I do on a running track? Thankfully I live near Crystal Palace Athletics Stadium, which any old nobody can book access to, for as little as £2.45 ($3.26) an hour. So I did just that, with a slot on one Monday afternoon in December 2025.

Test 2: Track run

Was it a triumph? Absolutely not. My second, super-flat attempt ended up with a 5K time of 20:33, not even beating my previous unassisted best result.

But you know what? I don’t blame Hypershell for this one. It’s a reminder these exoskeletons are an assist. You still have to turn up with the base stuff for the job. And I didn’t.

It’s my complete lack of experience on the run track. It’s the weekend I spent partially inebriated (and not sleeping enough) before that Monday. It’s the 16km run I did the day before on Sunday. It’s perhaps that self-consciousness at wondering what the two hurdlers training at the same time thought of the idiot wearing the exoskeleton on the track.

Heck, it might even be the cortisol built-up having spent 30 minutes hunting through a labyrinthine sports centre trying to work my way to the run track. I also knew I was cooked the moment my Garmin Forerunner 970 gave me a “+1 Performance Condition” score part-way through the attempt. As any owner of one of the best Garmin watches knows, Garmin’s Performance Condition score represents a representation of your run compared to your average fitness level. A score of +0 is a baseline, +5 or higher is significantly better than average, and -5 or lower is significantly worse. A score of +1 represents minimal improvement.

Is using a Hypershell still cheating if you still need to be able to run well to make the most of it? Of course it is. My 5K PB remains 20:28. But there’s still a part of me that wants to have the stones to turn up to my local Parkrun wearing a Hypershell X Ultra.

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It's fair to say Polar’s smartwatch line up has become a little confusing over the last few years, with “Pro” and “Titan” versions floating around at premium prices alongside the Grit, Vantage M and Ignite series – it's not exactly easy for buyers to decipher which model is the best for them.

The arrival of the Polar Grit X2 doesn't exactly help things. But it does point to the brand at least trying to make its outdoor models simple again – not by reinventing the wheel, but by taking the best bits of the Grit X2 Pro and repackaging them into something that feels more wearable, less intimidating and – crucially – much cheaper.

That’s the core appeal here. The Grit X2 uses the same underlying hardware and software as the Pro model, including Polar’s Elixir biosensing platform (that tracks heart rate, ECG, SpO2 and skin temperature), dual-frequency GPS for better outdoor accuracy, and a bright AMOLED display that finally makes mapping feel like a proper “modern” feature rather than a gimmick. It also keeps full offline maps capability and a generous 32GB of storage for them, which is still something many outdoor watches either charge extra for or half-deliver.

Where it differs is mostly in the build. The case is smaller and lighter, the materials aren’t as premium as the Pro, and water resistance drops from 100m to 50m. That might sound like a downgrade on paper, but in reality, the Grit X2 is simply more practical for most wrists and most lives, especially if you’re wearing it 24/7 for sleep tracking and recovery insights.

It’s not perfect, though. Polar’s smartwatch features remain fairly basic – notifications, music controls, a few widgets and that’s your lot, as usual with Polar – and Polar Flow is still one of the least intuitive companion apps in the game. The watch interface also looks a bit old-school next to Garmin’s slicker menus and Apple’s “everything is an app” approach.

Still, if what you want is a capable, no-nonsense outdoor watch that leans heavily into training, recovery and mapping, the Grit X2 is arguably Polar’s best value rugged wearable yet.

Polar Grit X2: Price and availability

• Price: £399 / $799 / AU$799
• Release date: June 2025
• Colors: Night Black and Brown Copper

The Polar Grit X2 launched in June 2025 and lands in a noticeably more approachable price bracket than the Grit X2 Pro, which is exactly the point.

In the UK, the watch has a £399 RRP but if you shop around you're likely to find it for less. At the time of writing, it's on sale for £331.17 on Polar's official online store. In the US, the watch is listed for a pretty unproportionate $799, probably due to import reasons from Polar's native EU, and in Australia it’ll cost you AU$799.

That pricing puts it in an interesting middle ground. It’s clearly more “serious” than basic outdoor-ish watches, but it’s also not trying to compete directly with the ultra-premium crowd like the Garmin Fenix 8 or Apple Watch Ultra range on price. Instead, it’s more of a smart alternative if you want flagship-grade tracking and mapping without paying flagship money.

• Value score: 4 / 5

Polar Grit X2: Design

• Slimmer, lighter and easier to live with than the Pro
• AMOLED display looks fantastic and is protected by sapphire glass
• Strap is comfortable but oddly stiff

The Grit X2 feels like Polar’s attempt at a rugged watch that doesn’t look like a dinner plate strapped to your arm. It sports a 44.7mm case (around 45mm in real-world terms) with a fairly slim 12.5mm thickness, which is a genuinely wearable size for an outdoor watch and a noticeable shift from the bulkier Pro model.

Despite being the “cheaper” version, it still keeps a stainless steel bezel and sapphire glass over the display, which is exactly what you want on something that’s likely to scrape against rocks or whatever else life throws at it. The main cost-saving is in the case itself, which is reinforced polymer instead of a more premium metal build. It doesn’t feel cheap, but it does feel less luxurious than the Pro if you’re the kind of person who cares about that.

The watch is also MIL-STD-810H certified, meaning it’s been tested against shock, temperature and humidity extremes. In other words, it’s meant to handle the outdoors properly, not just look like it can.

The display is a 1.28-inch AMOLED panel with a 416 x 416 resolution, and it’s one of the main reasons this watch feels like a modern upgrade over older Grit models. It’s sharp, colourful, and makes maps far more usable than the old MIP screens do. You can set it to always-on too, which looks great, but obviously hits battery life considerably.

Around the bezel you get Polar’s familiar five-button layout, and they’re textured and easy to press even when your hands are cold or sweaty. That matters more than you’d think, especially when you’re mid-run and don’t want to be poking at a touchscreen in the rain.

My only real gripe here is the strap. It’s flexible enough, but it has a slightly stiff feel that makes you very aware of it during workouts. The good news is it uses a simple sliding pin mechanism, so swapping it out is easy if you’d rather stick a softer strap on there.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Polar Grit X2: Features

• Loads of outdoor and training features lifted from the Pro model
• Offline maps are excellent – route guidance is less seamless
• Smartwatch features still feel basic

The Grit X2 is essentially running the same feature set as the Grit X2 Pro, which is a big deal when you consider how much cheaper it is (£399 vs £649 RRP, although obviously US costs are much higher).

Polar’s Elixir biosensing platform is the main draw here, boasting 4th-gen optical heart rate tracking, wrist-based ECG, blood oxygen-sensing (SpO2) and skin temperature tracking. In real life, that translates to a watch that feels properly serious about health data, rather than just ticking the usual smartwatch boxes.

Polar’s recovery tools are still some of its strongest features. You get Nightly Recharge, which breaks down how well your body recovered overnight, and more sleep insights than most people will ever need. There’s also Training Load Pro and Cardio Load, which help you understand how hard you’re pushing across sessions, plus performance tests like leg recovery and walking tests.

It’s a very “Polar” approach, which is to say it’s geared toward people who actually care about training patterns and recovery trends rather than just collecting colourful rings.

The outdoor side is equally strong. You get full offline maps, 32GB of storage for them, and navigation features that finally put Polar in a more competitive place with the likes of industry big guns Garmin and Suunto. The maps themselves look great on the AMOLED display, and moving around them feels responsive rather than laggy. You can switch orientation, view points of interest and pan around without it feeling like you’re fighting the watch.

The less slick part is how you actually get routes and turn-by-turn navigation. You can upload GPX files, or sync routes from services like Komoot and Strava, but those options often require paid subscriptions – and the whole process still feels more fiddly than it should. You can absolutely use the maps without turn-by-turn guidance, but if you want a seamless experience planning a route on the fly, for instance, Polar still isn’t there yet.

As for smartwatch features, it’s the usual Polar story. You get phone notifications (but can’t act on them), weather widgets, and music controls. That’s basically it. There's no app store, nor is there a proper ecosystem. Nothing that feels meaningfully new compared to previous Polar watches. If you want your watch to replace your phone for anything beyond workouts, this isn’t the one.

• Features score: 3 / 5

Polar Grit X2: Performance

• Dual-frequency GPS is accurate and reliable for most outdoor training
• Heart rate tracking is solid, but can drift high in hard efforts
• Sleep and recovery insights are strong

In day-to-day use, the Grit X2 performs like you’d expect from a watch using Polar’s latest hardware.

Dual-frequency GPS is now becoming standard across sports watches, allowing for more accurate positioning in challenging environments. However, that doesn’t automatically mean every watch that features it is perfect. In the Grit X2’s case, though, it’s a strong performer. Compared against watches like the Garmin's latest Forerunner 970, it generally held up well in terms of accuracy and didn’t do anything weird with routes.

Heart rate tracking is also solid, especially in steady-state workouts where optical sensors tend to behave best. When intensity ramps up, it still has that familiar wrist-sensor problem where readings can spike a bit higher than expected, especially during sudden pace changes. It’s not the end of the world, but if you're obsessed with accuracy, you'll be way better off with a chest strap, or perhaps using the Polar H10 alongside this watch.

I also used the Grit X2 for indoor sessions and general gym workouts, and it handled those well enough, with the usual caveat that wrist HR is never going to be flawless when you’re gripping bars or constantly flexing your wrists.

Sleep tracking is one of Polar’s longstanding strengths, and it shows here. The Grit X2 does a decent job of capturing the broad trend, like when you fell asleep, how long you slept, and whether your night was restful or messy, etc. Sleep stages (REM, deep, etc.) are still something I take with a pinch of salt on a wrist-mounted wearable, but the overall sleep score and recovery insights are useful. If you want a watch that encourages you to take recovery seriously, Polar remains one of the best at it.

The area where Polar lets you down in the Grit X2 isn't the tracking, it's the presentation. The Polar Flow app might be packed with data, but it's just so poorly put together. Some of the terminology is also a bit cryptic, which makes quick glances harder than they should be.

When it comes to battery life, the Grit X2 uses a 310mAh battery, which is smaller than the Pro model’s chunkier cell. Polar says you’ll get up to a week in smartwatch mode (assuming you don’t use the always-on display), and in my experience that’s realistic. Turn on always-on, however, and that’ll obviously be cut down.

For GPS tracking, you’re looking at about 30 hours in the best accuracy mode, which is decent for most runners, hikers and cyclists.

One genuinely neat addition is that you can charge the watch while still tracking an activity. That’s not something you’ll do while running, but if you’re hiking with a power bank in your pack, it’s a smart way to avoid ending an activity early just because battery anxiety kicks in.

The most interesting battery detail, though, is that it’s replaceable. That’s rare on rugged sports watches, and it’s a big deal for longevity. Polar says you can’t do this yourself and will cost €39.90 ( around £35 / $45), plus service and shipping fees to send the watch to a Polar Service Center. If you’re someone who keeps watches for years, that’s a pretty good perk.

• Performance score: 4 / 5

Polar Grit X2: Scorecard

Polar Grit X2: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

How I tested

I wore the Polar Grit X2 daily for around two weeks, testing its features during various activities, including running, cycling and yoga. I used its dual-band GPS for outdoor workouts and tracked recovery metrics with Polar’s app tools.

I also evaluated its smartwatch functionality by syncing it to a smartphone, using it for notifications and assessing app integration. To test durability, I wore it during both high-intensity workouts and casual everyday use, paying attention to comfort and battery performance.

First reviewed: January 2026

Fall detection is a key feature of many of the best smartwatches, including the Apple Watch and models from Garmin, Samsung and Google’s Fitbit. Yet its future on your device might be in jeopardy, as one company claims that all these devices have illegally copied its technology relating to trips and falls. If it prevails, the smartwatch industry could look very different.

At issue is the aforementioned fall detection tech, which wearables company UnaliWear says infringes on its patents. UnaliWear makes wearables for older adults, with these products featuring a fall detection system called RealFall that it says can distinguish between actual falls and everyday movement.

It’s that ability to differentiate real falls from false alerts that is at the core of the dispute. UnaliWear says that the wearables it has taken issue with – those from Apple, Google, Garmin and Samsung – have infringed upon its patents in order to solve a specific problem.

Right now, the case is being investigated by the US International Trade Commission, with responses expected from the affected companies by roughly the end of January. The case is expected to take over a year to complete, but it could have massive ramifications once it concludes.

For one thing, if UnaliWear is successful, it might request a limited exclusion order. This would block the import of affected smartwatches into the US, leaving the likes of Apple and Garmin unable to ship some of the most popular smartwatches to US customers. As well as that, UnaliWear has filed cases in several US district courts – if it prevails there, it could lead to massive financial penalties being handed out.

How likely is a ban?

Ultimately, it's unlikely that we'll see the likes of the Apple Watch or the Samsung Galaxy Watch banned from import into the US.

One more likely option is that the big-name players might have to license their fall detection technology from UnaliWear. Or they could create a workaround or alternative solution that does not infringe on UnaliWear’s patents, as Apple did when its blood oxygen sensor was ruled to have overstepped on patents held by medical tech firm Masimo.

Speaking of which, the Masimo case demonstrates that this is not the first time that Apple has been sued by a smaller company over the tech it uses in its Apple Watch. In the Masimo case, certain models of the Apple Watch were restricted from import into the US, which meant Apple had to disable the feature for US customers – a significant headache for the Cupertino company.

No doubt Apple – and Samsung, Google and Garmin – will want to avoid anything as drastic this time around. If you’re interested in any of these smartwatches and want to know whether you’ll still be able to buy one in the future, keep an eye on this case.

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Sometimes, when you’re deep in your settings, you need to push the ‘back’ button about half a dozen times to return back to your watch face through the labyrinth of menus one by one, which can be irritating. Technology should be easy, seamless, with a single gesture allowing you to return to the home screen with minimal fuss.

I’ve tested tons of Garmin watches over the years, from the cheapest Vivoactive to the top-flight Garmin Fenix 8, and in the middle of testing GPS accuracy and finding scuba divers to check the dive computer features, and all the rest of it, you occasionally just forget some features are there at all. I wrote about this a couple of days ago with the Gear Tracking feature in Garmin Connect, and a recent conversation reminded me about yet another less well-known Garmin watch trick.

When chatting to TechRadar’s Homes Editor (and former Fitness Editor) Cat Ellis about her new Garmin, she bemoaned the fact that the Lily 2 Active couldn’t perform the classic Garmin touchscreen gesture, which involves a tapping the screen of the watch with your palm, covering the watch face to return it to the home screen. It’s a neat hidden feature on most Garmin watches, not shouted about at all (again, just like Gear Tracking) but a useful timesaver. Garmin calls it the ‘palm gesture’.

The gesture doesn’t work if you’re tracking an activity, but it does have an alternative use. When I used the gesture on my everyday-wear Garmin Venu 4 while tracking a run, it doesn’t return to the home screen – instead, it acts as a touchscreen lock, which prevents any sweat, water or rubbing clothing shifting the watch away from the view you need at that point in your workout. This works on any watch with a touchscreen lock function: the Lily 2 Active doesn’t have one, which is why the gesture doesn’t work.

For watches that do, the palm gesture is simple, clean, effective and easily forgotten about – although fortunately, I’m here to remind you about it.

How to do the palm gesture in Garmin Connect

• On a touchscreen Garmin watch, navigate around a few of its many menus and settings in the usual way
• To return to the home screen, briefly cover the entirety of the watchface with your palm
• The watch will revert to the home screen

Garmin says: “If you want to return to the watch face from any screen (except for while recording an activity), you can press your palm to the entire watch face. This will also turn down the backlight. You can turn on the back light or wake the display by tapping it.”

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A decent 16% saving on Apple’s most affordable smartwatch, with prices starting at AU$337 for the smaller 40mm variant (down from AU$399), means you’re getting even better value than ever before as the SE 3 offers more than what its predecessor did at the same retail price. The larger 44mm model also gets a decent price drop, dipping from AU$449 to AU$387.

We called the SE 3 the best Apple Watch for most people in our review, and with these discounts on the table, it becomes a no-brainer for iPhone owners who have been itching to slap Apple’s wearable on their wrist.

• For more savings and discounts, be sure to check out the latest Apple promo codes and Amazon AU coupon codes

The Apple Watch SE 3 might not have received any changes to its design when it was unveiled in September 2025, but it did get a host of internal upgrades that make it one worth serious consideration for any wearable wannabes.

Perhaps most importantly, it benefits from the same S10 chip that powers the Series 11 and Ultra 3, which means navigating through and using watchOS 26 is smooth as butter.

It’s also the first Watch SE model to get an always-on display. Previously, this was a big factor in the standard Apple Watch being recommended over the SE, as the always-on display makes glancing at the time and notifications a breeze. Now the SE 3 gets the same treatment, and it starts to become clearer why we reckon it’s the best Watch model for most people.

Another worthwhile upgrade is support for fast charging – so while battery life is still rated at up to 18 hours, recharging is less of a chore. Apple says you can go from 0% to 80% in about 45 minutes. You’ll still likely need to recharge every night, but if you forget, you should be able to get it fully juiced before you leave the house in the morning.

Notable feature omissions include an ECG, blood oxygen monitoring, hypertension notifications and sleep apnoea tracking – you’ll want to move up to the Watch 11 if you want those – but not everyone will need such in-depth health tracking. Perhaps you just want an Apple Watch for fitness tracking and to be an extension of your iPhone, in which case it’s easy to recommend the SE 3. Indeed, my colleague and long time Apple Watch wearer, Sharm, admits that while she loves her Watch 11, she admits the Watch SE 3 is the better choice for most people.

I’m not sure how long these Apple Watch SE 3 discounts will last, but given the fact Apple discounts of this size are rare and stocks run out real quick when it happens, I don’t expect them to last long. So get a wriggle on.

Note that I’ve called out the GPS model specifically. If you’d like the option to add cellular connectivity, you can get it from AU$427 for the 40mm size. Alternatively, the Apple Watch Series 11 is also discounted by up to 27%, depending on size.

It doesn't just work in the background to enable your watch, collecting and displaying data:: it's a powerful health and fitness tool in its own right. Garmin recently debuted Lifestyle Logging, a feature which requires users to add tags like "morning caffeine" or "heavy meal" or "cold shower/bath" in order to provide additional context to your metrics. That got me digging back into Garmin Connect in order to see what other 'active' features I'm missing out on, rather than the 'passive' data collection aspect.

While rooting around in the app like a pig after truffles, I hit a tab I genuinely haven't even looked at in the last 18 months: the Gear tab, and its ability to track the mileage of your running shoes, bikes, and other kinds of equipment.

It's not a feature I see talked about often in Garmin's marketing materials, or even among fellow users online. A few years ago, I asked one of Garmin's experts how to get the most out of the app, and the Gear tab didn't even come up.

The Gear tab shows subcategories for running shoes, bikes and other items. It allows you to input a brand and model, a maximum distance before you get a notification about the gear needing to be retired, and the categories of exercise the gear will be automatically added to.

This is important. The foam in running shoes wears down after around 300-500 miles, and that doesn't mean a loss of speed and comfort: old, worn-out running shoes affect your gait, putting you at risk of Achilles tendonitis after miles and miles of microtraumas.

I've been running with my old Altras for a while now, and I haven't been tracking the total mileage. To be honest, I wouldn't even be able to give you a proper estimation. While I haven't experienced any discomfort, it's a little like a frog-in-boiling-water situation: if I notice, it's probably too late.

However, as luck would have it, I'm just in the process of switching running shoes: I'm about to put some serious miles into the Saucony Ride 19s. What a perfect opportunity to track my shoes from the very start of their lives!

I also own several pairs of trail shoes, so I'll need to make separate profiles for those and remember to switch them over each time I go for a trail run. That's a tad more annoying, and will require input. This is the kind of thing I frequently forget to do, like starting a set in the gym without pressing the button on my Garmin watch, so it still thinks I'm resting.

Nevertheless, away from the injury issue, I think it's a cool addition to the running hobby to be able to see the lifespan of your gear over time. It's a nice way to retire a pair of much-loved shoes with a bit of ceremony after a tough year of marathon training, while also avoiding any niggles that might come with old and used-up gear.

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Whether you’re wearing the Apple Watch Series 10, the newer Apple Watch Series 11, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 or the SE 3, Apple’s software hides plenty of tools that quietly boost convenience, health tracking, and navigation.

In this guide, we highlight three features that rarely get the attention they deserve, yet can genuinely improve how you use your watch from morning to night, making the most of the gadget.

Despite being available across recent versions of watchOS, these tools tend to sit a few taps beneath the surface, so most people never discover them unless they go looking.

1. Nightstand Mode

Nightstand Mode (sometimes also known as Bedside Mode) is one of the Apple Watch’s simplest yet most easily missed features.

When your watch is placed on its side and connected to power, it switches into a low-light clock display that’s ideal for a bedside table.

The time appears in large, softly lit digits, and the screen stays dark until you nudge the watch or tap the surface it’s resting on.

Apple refined this mode in watchOS 10 and watchOS 11, improving the way it dims in darker rooms and adding tighter integration with your iPhone’s alarms, so your morning alerts remain consistent across both devices.

It’s particularly helpful if you prefer a minimal sleep setup but still want the reassurance of a visible clock. If you use an iPhone with StandBy Mode, the two displays complement each other neatly.

To turn it on, open Settings on your Apple Watch, tap General, then enable Nightstand Mode. From there, it works automatically whenever the watch is connected to power and positioned on its side.

2. Chain Together Your Workout

Apple’s workout tracking has steadily grown more flexible, and one of the most underrated additions is the ability to chain activities into a continuous session.

First introduced in watchOS 9 for triathletes and multi-sport users, the feature has expanded to support far more combinations of different workouts, such as strength and running – in case you want to follow your weightlifting session with treadmill work.

Instead of stopping and starting individual workouts, you can link multiple activities – such as a warm-up, a run, a strength session, and a cooldown – into one coherent timeline.

Setting it up is straightforward: open the Workout app, scroll to the activity you want, then choose Create Workout or Custom.

Here, you can add multiple segments in the order you prefer, selecting durations, targets, or automatic transitions.

Once saved, the workout appears in your list for quick access. It takes a little experimenting to get the flow right, but once you’ve built a custom routine, it makes mixed training feel more joined-up.

3. Offline Maps Navigation

Offline Maps arrived on the Apple Watch with watchOS 10, building on the offline mapping tools introduced for the iPhone in iOS 17.

Once enabled, it lets you navigate without mobile data or a nearby iPhone, which is ideal when travelling, exercising without your phone, or moving through patchy-signal areas.

You still get turn-by-turn directions, route previews, and the same gentle haptics that make Apple’s navigation easy to follow.

To set it up, download the relevant map area on your iPhone by opening Apple Maps, tapping your profile icon, and choosing Offline Maps. Saved regions sync automatically to the Apple Watch, provided you have enough storage. With a bit of planning ahead of time, you can save a map of a new city onto your iPhone and navigate via your smartwatch, all without using your data.

Routes planned on either device work normally when offline, with the watch guiding you through haptics and simple on-screen prompts.

With watchOS 26 improving battery management for GPS and compass features, offline maps reduce data reliance and give you a more dependable way to explore unfamiliar places safely.

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So I was excited to see what Dreame would be showcasing at CES 2026. I was expecting a new robot vacuum, perhaps some innovative air purifiers. What I was not expecting was for Dreame to announce its entry into literally every corner of the home. I'm not exaggerating – if you can think of a home appliance, Dreame now has one in its lineup.

It has a TV, soundbars, a projector, a surround sound speaker setup. There's a Dreame action camera, smart rings, smart glasses and a smartwatch. It has smart lights in all shapes and sizes. It has security cameras, smart locks and motion sensors.

There are fridges, a dishwasher, a microwave and a selection of ovens. There are air fryers, coffee machines, and a stand mixer. It has a washing machine, tumble dryer, and steamer. There's a chainsaw and a hedge trimmer, electric toothbrushes, razors, IPL machines and an LED face mask.

It's still at prototype stage, but there was even a car sitting incongruously on the Dreame stand.

The vision, according to the press release, is to evolve from "a standalone smart device brand to a comprehensive provider of connected lifestyles with an ecosystem now covering the home, garden, outdoors, and on the move". The tagline it's going with is "All dreams in one Dreame", which makes no sense at all.

Too far, too soon?

I've tested a number of Dreame gadgets, and have almost always been impressed, but I'm wary of this latest expansion. It all just seems too fast and too wide-reaching for it to have been done with the required care and expertise. The difficulty I've had in getting any information about the individual products I was most interested in hasn't reassured me any further.

Previously, Dreame's category expansions have made sense. There's crossover between the mechanics of a vacuum cleaner and a hair dryer, for instance. I can see how a brand that knows its way around a robot vacuum could also make a great lawnbot.

But I'm struggling to see how those skills might translate into coffee machines or TVs – both categories that are highly specific, and which require specialist knowledge and skills to excel in. The same goes for things like smartwatches and action cameras.

Of course, I haven't tested any of the new gadgets yet – I've only seen them displayed and demoed, which isn't a reliable way to judge any product. The proof will be in the testing, and I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

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I liked the Google Pixel Watch 4 when I reviewed it. It's got a lovely design and some innovative features in addition to the usual smartwatch stuff, like replaceable batteries, a domed display and satellite connectivity.

However, it's lacking in a few features that the best Apple Watches and best Samsung watches already have, with 'forgotten device' notifications being one of them.

These notifications alert your device if it's been separated from another device in its ecosystem. For example, if you leave your phone behind in a restaurant, your smartwatch will alert you when the connection is lost, and vice versa. Currently, the Pixel Watch doesn't do this, but Android Authority has spotted lines of code in its companion app that indicates such a feature could be on the way.

The code found stipulates that your phone will alert you if your Pixel Watch is left behind, although a separate teardown last June, again by Android Authority, indicated that this also worked in the reverse scenario.

It looks like only certain models of Pixel Watch will be compatible with this feature, and both devices require Bluetooth turned on for it to work. The feature would also automatically lock the left-behind device, a useful addition to prevent security breaches.

Right now, it's unclear when the feature will make its way to Pixel Watch owners. However, considering that this appears to have been in the works for a few months now, there's every chance we'll have to wait for a Google Pixel Watch 5 to see it, with the feature advertised as an incentive to upgrade.

Google's quietly catching up to Apple

Useful additions like 'left behind' notifications, and other background features that make smartwatches eminently usable, are exactly what Google needs in order to tempt people over to the Android ecosystem.

While much of Google's noise is around Gemini these days, it seems its smartwatch has been all but forgotten. That's a shame, because Google's flagship smartwatch has slowly getting better every year, and it's now at the point where I'd genuinely recommend most Android users get a Pixel Watch to meet their smartwatch needs.

They offer different sizes, longer battery life, great fitness features via Fitbit, some fun design choices, repairability – and add on an ecosystem that works just as well as Apple's, and the Pixel Watch is a true Apple Watch rival in terms of quality.

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I've also spoken to people responsible for making some of the best running shoes on the planet, who have made it their lives' missions to understand the complex biomechanics of the human foot and body – how the foot splays as it falls, how the position of the knee affects the efficiency of the stride, what kind of adjustments to make to the shoes to mitigate issues, and so on.

What I've learned from all this is that the human body is a sophisticated mechanical object, constantly making micro-adjustments we aren't even aware of even during simple walking movements.

So, when I sat down at my desk to cover the first day of CES 2026, and heard about the latest humanoid robots folding laundry, playing chess and walking around, I was expecting a bunch of awkward-looking, pincer-armed machines with black screens in lieu of faces. I'd seen the early Boston Dynamics videos of those clumsy robots being stress-tested (read: bullied), and expected more of the same.

You can imagine my surprise, then, when I watched a video of the goings-on at CES and for the first time, understood how lifelike humanoid robots were becoming. I saw Boston Dynamics' Atlas robot begin to break into a run, then slow itself down to a halt. It lifted its leg and placed itself in a martial-arts-like stance, spinning its claws (terrifying) while gesturing to an inert robot to its left. It squatted down to pick up an imaginary object in a way that looked very natural, despite twisting its ball-socket legs and torso in ways that would impossible for a human to replicate.

I was fascinated. As someone who looks at the intersection of human performance and technology on a regular basis, that little run felt like a landmark moment. The Atlas' walking demonstration at CES, which you can see below in a video taken by our own Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff at his Atlas experience, still looked a little gawkish; like a shuffling, half-squat walk with small steps in case it fell over, rather than a confident stride.

However, watching the majority of the demonstration both thrilled and unnerved me. Atlas was so lifelike while it was moving, and yet the moment the robot came to a halt I was left cold by how unnaturally still it became. The contrast between this statue-like assemblage of metal and plastic and a living, breathing person was jarring.

How on earth did Boston Dynamics get its Atlas robot to copy a movement in this degree of detail?

Motion capture and VR

The CBS news show 60 Minutes aired a segment – you can see the video below – on Boston Dynamics and Atlas, which featured a visit to the Hyundai factory in which the robot is being tested, and included a look at the way new movements are taught to the robot.

My use of 'taught' rather than 'programmed' is deliberate: the development team uses AI and repetition to encourage the robot to learn a movement, rather than follow a pattern precisely. The reason for this is that the robot's body is very different to a human body, despite its similar size and proportions, and must find the most efficient pathway on its own. Boston Dynamics dubs this method 'kinematics'.

I've embedded the video below, but the long as the short of it is that Boston Dynamics records patterns of human motion by getting a human model to perform the movement. They're wearing either an Xsens motion-tracking bodysuit for full-body movements, or a virtual-reality headset and handsets for more dexterity-based tasks, such as tying a knot.

This turns physical motion into digital data, which can be 'retargeted' or mapped from a human body onto a robot body to account for the different proportions and joints of the robot.

Once that's done, the robot learns how to perform the movement in a simulation environment. In the 60 Minutes video you can see thousands of virtual robots performing a basic jumping jack. Some of them fall, stumble or perform the move incorrectly, but many of them get it right. Each simulated movement creates more data.

Once the robot's collective hive mind (also terrifying) has figured out the best way of doing the movement, this data is rolled out to a whole fleet of robots, so the robotics team can train new movements at scale with massive efficiency. In this way, a whole army of robots can be trained to perform a new movement pattern in an afternoon, such as operating a new production line – but hopefully not more complex patterns, such as moving in sync to rise up against their former masters.

Xsens, in a blog post, describes this pipeline in far simpler terms: "Capture human motion → Retarget to the robot → Train at scale in simulation → Deploy to hardware → Repeat."

Despite the fact that robots can move in unnatural ways, they aren't yet anywhere close to moving as efficiently as humans can, or with as much complexity. However, they're certainly getting there, and it looks like we're only a few short years from seeing genuinely humanoid robots in the home, the workplace and all sorts of other arenas.

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It’s fitness season, and now that the holidays are over a lot of people will be downloading a new fitness app to go with their resolution to get fit, build muscle or lose weight in 2026.

But fitness apps are as data-hungry as any other app, logging and sometimes sharing personal data – including sensitive information you might rather keep private.

A study from online security firm Surfshark looked at 16 of the top fitness apps, including Fitbit, Strava, Apple Health, PUSH, Centr and more, using TechRadar’s own list of the best fitness apps in conjunction with other sources, and ranked them in terms of how much data they collected.

The rankings are based on the different kinds of data collected, such as location, contact information, health or search history. Surfshark also looked at whether the app used data for tracking.

Apple defines tracking as “the act of linking user or device data collected from your app with user or device data collected from other companies’ apps, websites, or offline properties for targeted advertising or advertising measurement purposes.

“Tracking also refers to sharing user or device data with data brokers."

The Surfshark report also recorded which apps were collecting data that they don’t actually need for app functionality. You expect a fitness app to collect health and fitness data, for instance, but you might not expect it to collect information about your search history or advertising data.

Four apps collect ‘sensitive data’, a category of data pertaining to race or ethnic background, sexual orientation, fertility data, genetic information, biometric data, or even information about your employment status or trade union membership.

All the information was gathered from Apple’s App Store. You can see a screenshot below of Fitbit’s listing on the App Store, which illustrates some of the different kinds of data collected.

The results

Fitbit is top of the list, collecting 24 different kinds of data, including advertising and sensitive data. Of these, only five kinds of data are needed for app functionality, with the remaining 19 ranked as 'beyond app functionality'. In other words, according to Surfshark, Fitbit is harvesting 19 kinds of data it doesn’t actually need to run the app.

However, Surfshark states that Fitbit doesn’t use this information for tracking.

Next up is Strava, which is arguably more even more hungry for your data. It collects 21 different kinds of data, and Surfshark says none of the data collected is essential to running the app. It also shares data for tracking with third parties, according to the report. However, no sensitive data is collected.

Next up is Nike Training Club, which collects 20 different kinds of data, including sensitive data, and uses it for tracking purposes.

Centr was found to be at the bottom of the pile with just three kinds of data collected, although even it shares data for tracking purposes. The report said PUSH sets itself apart as “the least invasive app”, collecting data without linking it to users.

What does this mean for users?

While Fitbit being the data-collection leader isn’t necessarily surprising (it’s run by Google and linked to your Google account after all, and Google is a famously data-hungry operation), it doesn’t share your personal or sensitive data to third parties, according to the report – possibly because it’s been prevented from doing so.

When Google first acquired Fitbit in 2021, there were concerns by leading economists that the merger would “monetize health data and harm consumers”. Consequently, the European Commission stipulated that the merger could go ahead, but with a 10-year ban on using health data for marketing purposes.

Strava, an app based on sharing your location, has been in hot water for privacy issues plenty of times. It has accidentally revealed military bases in war zones by releasing heatmaps of user activity. Journalists have also used Strava accounts of government officials to predict the whereabouts of heads of state, including Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin, and it was reported by our sibling publication Cycling Weekly that hackers can find out where you live on Strava, even if you use tools to hide the start and end of an activity.

Perhaps scariest of all is the possibility that some apps collect and share sensitive data, a class of personal information about your identity and health, including fertility data for people using apps to track their periods, along with biometric and even genetic data. While these kinds of data have extra legal protections in some areas like the EU, thanks to GDPR, there’s no special protection for this sort of data in the US when it’s shared outside of a medical context.

5 ways to protect your privacy

It’s hard to uncouple from the complex network of shared personal information that is the modern smartphone. Everything is connected, and the more it’s all shared the easier it is for us to be hacked and tracked. Agreeing to use these apps, which otherwise offer some really great services, means consenting to their use of your information in this way.

However, you can mitigate what and how much data is collected, and retain some semblance of control over who accesses your data.

1. New accounts: Rather than using the same email for everything, you could create a new account, one not tied to your personal life, specifically for logging into data-hungry apps.
   
2. Check your permissions: Update the permission settings in your phone regularly. By doing this, you can deny some apps permission to track your location or personal data when appropriate. You can also change the settings on certain apps from tracking you all the time to ‘While using the app’ to retain a degree of control.
   
3. Minimize location leaks: Walk or run a short distance away from your home before starting a location-sharing activity on Strava or an equivalent app.
   
4. Check the small print: When downloading apps in future, always scroll down in the App Store or Play Store to check what data the app collects before agreeing to its terms of service.
   
5. Multi-factor authentication: To avoid being hacked as a result of a data leak, make sure all email addresses you use to sign up for these apps have multi-factor authentication enabled. It’s a simple trick that prevents your email account being hacked in up to 99% of cases, according to Microsoft.

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That's our pick for the best cheap smart ring for a fantastic price. This offer has only been beaten once before during Black Friday, so today's offer is the lowest price we've seen since then

The RingConn Gen 2 isn’t perfect, but it’s a great entry point to the world of smart rings without needing to spend a fortune. Handily, it works equally well with Android and iOS, and there’s no need to subscribe to an app. You also get a whopping 12 days of battery life and monitoring for all the key metrics, such as stress, sleep apnea, and heart rate. It’d make a great gift or motivator for your new year resolutions.

Today’s best smart ring deal

Our RingConn Gen 2 review breaks down everything you need to know. We appreciated its “stylish design” and ‘generous 12-day battery life”, as well as the aforementioned sleep apnea tracking. Granted, the stats are “not as in-depth as high-end models” – and the ring offers “poor fitness tracking” – but as a cheap alternative to Oura and Samsung, it “does a fine job" overall.

That’s why it’s previously featured as one of the best smart rings if you're on a budget.

It may not be perfect, but it’s substantially cheaper than alternatives. It also means you don’t have to tie yourself to a particular type of phone, as it works well with both Android and iOS. If you want something more subtle than one of the best smartwatches, this is a good option.

However, if your heart is set on a wrist-based device, there are some good smartwatch deals around. These include some excellent Apple Watch deals for iOS using fitness fans.

New year, new you – and the same challenge of sticking with your workout goals once the January (or February) buzz wears off. The good news is that in 2026 you don't have to rely on willpower alone.

A growing body of research suggests that the best fitness apps, in conjunction with the best smartwatches like the Apple Watch, can nudge people into moving more by combining tracking, gentle prompts, and smart reward loops.

Some apps focus on turning your runs or rides into a social game, while others quietly build streaks and routines in the background as you get on with your day. Across all of them, the aim is the same: to make looking after your health feel easier, more rewarding, and just a little bit more fun, keeping you in training once the New Year sparkle has faded away.

What does the science say?

Most fitness apps are built around the same core idea: if you can see what you are doing, get gentle nudges to keep going, and feel rewarded for your effort, you are more likely to stick with it.

Research backs that up; a large 2021 meta-analysis found that people who were given activity trackers or smartphone fitness apps increased their physical activity compared with those who weren't using the technology.

Under the hood, these tools use a handful of well-tested behavior-change tricks, including self-monitoring, goal-setting, timely prompts, streaks, and social support, but they package them in very different ways.

In this guide, we'll look at how five popular apps use those ingredients to help you move more in 2026.

1. Strava – social kudos to help you run more

Strava is equal parts social networking app and training log.starts to feel like a social network rather than a lonely spreadsheet or note in your phone.

Every run, ride, or hike is logged with GPS maps, pace charts, and – crucially – a stream of kudos and comments from your friends and other app users.

The app leans hard into that community angle: you can join local clubs, chase segments on your regular routes, and jump into monthly challenges that compare your effort with people training on the same roads and trails.

That social network-style layer matters.

When social scientists followed 329 runners from five Dutch clubs on Strava over 11 months, they saw a clear pattern: runners who attracted mor The kudos gradually started running more often, and the behaviour of their most interactive “kudos-friends” rubbed off on them over time.

If you thrive on friendly competition, shared routes, and the sense that someone will notice if you skip a session, Strava’s mix of detailed tracking and low-key peer pressure can be a powerful way to stay consistent in 2026.

2. Runna – personalised coaching

Runna is what you get if you crossed a human running coach with a very organised calendar app.

You plug in your goal – from a first 5K to a marathon personal best – plus your current fitness and how many days a week you can realistically train, and it builds a personalised plan that slots into your schedule.

The app adjusts sessions when life gets in the way, adds strength and cross-training where it makes sense, and now, under Strava ownership, even links to a new Races by Runna platform that helps you discover events.

If you like ticking off clear workouts, seeing your progress unfold towards race day, and letting the app worry about the numbers, Runna’s coach-in-your-pocket approach can make it much easier to stay on track in 2026.

3. PUSH – turning strength training into numbers

PUSH is aimed at people who love the numbers behind their training as much as the feeling of a good lift. In the app, you build or choose workouts, track sets and reps, and see how your performance changes over time, rather than just scribbling numbers in a note.

The onboard AI can guide you towards sensible progressions, nudge you to add weight when lifts are consistently moving well, and rein things in when you are clearly flagging. Underneath that friendly UI is a training philosophy built around velocity-based training, where the speed of a lift is used as a stand-in for intensity and fatigue.

Studies on this approach – including research using PUSH-compatible sensors – suggest that tracking bar speed is a reliable way to judge how heavy a set really was, and when you should stop before your form falls apart.

If you are motivated by seeing trends, graphs, and numbers creep in the right direction, PUSH can make it much easier to stay engaged with your gym plan right through 2026.

4. Apple Fitness & Activity rings

Apple’s Activity rings on Apple Watch boil your day down into three simple circles – Move, Exercise, and Stand – that you are nudged to close, one by one, as you go about your life.

Add in Apple Fitness+ classes, sharing your rings with friends, and regular weekly summaries on iPhone, and you get a steady drip of reminders, streaks, and tiny wins that keep your goals in sight rather than buried in a settings menu.

Behind the scenes, Apple has been studying how people actually respond to all this, offering us a perspective from an extremely widely used app.

The Apple Heart and Movement Study – an ongoing collaboration with Brigham and Women’s Hospital – has reported that people who regularly close their rings tend to show better patterns in cardio fitness, sleep, and other health markers than those who rarely do.

5. Peloton – group-class motivation

Peloton has shaken off its “just for spin bikes” image – the Peloton App now stands on its own as a full training platform you can use at home, in the gym, or outdoors, with or without any Peloton hardware.

You get live and on-demand classes across strength, running, walking, yoga, meditation, rowing, and more, all fronted by instructors who are as much coaches as they are entertainers.

Over the last couple of years Peloton has also leaned into smarter guidance, with structured multi-week programmes, revamped badges, and, more recently, its Peloton IQ system. For you, that means less faffing and more doing.

If you know you respond well to upbeat instructors, a visible timetable, and the gentle pressure of seeing other people in class with you, the Peloton App can turn repeated sessions into a routine.

None of the men in my family are good sleepers. When we were children and young teenagers, my Dad would struggle with his sleep – a vicious cycle of working late, commuting, getting up, and doing it all again, day after day, year after year. It meant that he rarely felt rested, and, as we grew, my brother and I found ourselves grappling with the same issues: grogginess during the day, but total inability to sleep during the night.

For years, it felt biological; something in my genes or anatomy that decided I was neither an early bird nor a night owl—rather, it felt like I had inherited a clock that never really kept the right time. No matter how much I tried to tweak it through my twenties, the biological mechanism seemed set to run slightly off, leaving me perpetually out of sync with the rhythm of the day and reliant on various external stimulants, from magnesium and coffee to intense, pre-dawn workouts that would leave me wrecked by the evening.

Today, I’m in my early thirties and, as more responsibilities (and external anxieties) get added to the pile, I’m finding that my state of restfulness and readiness is where my days are won and lost.

On the rare occasion I’ve slept well, I genuinely feel like I can achieve anything, and feel more sociable with a sunny disposition to match; but on the more frequent days I’ve underslept, feelings of dread, anxiety and poor mental health abound. When there’s such polarity between these two states of being, it can feel like a raw deal. With elements of my mental and physical health on the line, something had to change.

The Expert

Up to this point, I hadn’t fully grasped what systematically poor sleep can do to your body – insomnia, for example, has been found to increase stress levels, memory and production of stress hormones – but I had unknowingly been feeling the early signs, with patchy memories and simple tasks often feeling overwhelming on my tired days.

A need to understand these risks, know the factors behind them, and ultimately vanquish them was what led me to Dr Sophie Bostock, a sleep scientist who specialises in helping more people to sleep well. Together, across a four-week experiment, Dr Bostock helped identify what elements of sleep I was struggling with and why, and helped me add various strategies — ranging from simple behavioral changes to cognitive games — to my new arsenal.

Alongside Dr Bostock’s tried-and-tested method, I used the Oura Ring 4, TechRadar's health and fitness device of 2025 and one of the best sleep trackers, to help me keep tabs on my sleep, activity, readiness, stress levels and heart health, each a fundamental element in my journey to improve my rest and recuperation.

The Game Plan

During our first meeting, I described to Dr Bostock how I see sleep as the fourth estate of a well-rounded wellness — alongside effective exercise, nutrition and recovery — and have written about each topic widely, but struggle to grasp what makes effective sleep so elusive, and it starts with how much I actually need. “A minimum of seven hours’ sleep is protective for adults,” she explains. "We're all different but you need to work out your sleep needs; it might be less, or it might be more.”

As a self-defined ‘seasonal sleeper,’ in which I sleep well for a batch of two to three weeks, then struggle for the same amount of time, Dr Bostock quickly dismantles several of my long-held beliefs about sleep, and begins to form a clearer picture of where I’m slipping up.

"If you're getting anxious and dissatisfied overnight, ultimately it's that daytime function—the ability to focus or write—that is probably going to be the most important metric."

Interestingly, our experiment began by identifying my habits at the start of the day—rather than at the end. More specifically: what time I’m getting up, and understanding how to use the stress hormone cortisol to my advantage.

“Waking up at the same time every day helps maintain a regular rhythm,” explains Dr Bostock. “When you have a regular rhythm, you get a surge of cortisol in the morning that helps you get out of bed.” This “vital morning surge of cortisol,” she says, is instrumental in that get-up-and-go feeling that I often lack after a poor night of sleep. On the flipside, “missing out on sleep also puts the body into a state of hyperarousal, which makes subsequent rest less restorative,” she explains.

By forcing myself to get up at the same time every single morning — my time was 7:30AM, crushing any chance of weekend lie-in — I began to re-train my circadian rhythm: the body's natural, roughly 24-hour internal clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles. “The circadian rhythm involves cortisol, as well as melatonin, which helps cue the body for sleep,” Dr Bostock explains.

In practical terms, this meant that whether I went to bed at 10PM or 2AM, I should fundamentally stick to my wake-up time—and that’s where the difference would be made.

My second tactic, as advised by Dr Bostock, was being far stricter about my exposure to daylight, especially as I had decided to take on the experiment during winter, where darkness makes up to 60-70% of the day.

“At this time of year, we get lagging melatonin because we haven't had enough daylight during the day to remind the brain that it’s time to switch off.” Not only would fresh air and light exercise give me a boost in energy if I were feeling flat, it would also provide “the most powerful signal you can give to your internal body clock to stay aligned,” says Dr Bostock. “Morning light is the ultimate anchor for your internal body clock and helps your brain anticipate exactly when to wake up.”

Combining this with research published in Frontiers in Psychology, in which just 20 minutes of sitting or walking in nature is enough to significantly lower cortisol levels, a daily total of 90 minutes spent outside became the absolute minimum and would pay dividends in improving my sleep.

For both of these shifts, Dr Bostock likened their importance to the demands of physical training. Improving my sleep is built on the same core values as any physical training, she explains. “It's all the same things, discipline and consistency—that's it.”

The System Reboot

Despite having interviewed neuroscientists about the toll of doomscrolling and the hazards of digital lifestyles, I’m overly reliant on my smartphone (if you feel the same way, here's 3 ios tricks to curb doomscrolling). Although Dr Bostock didn’t suggest any major overhauls on my tech use, she offered a few practical pointers that were simple in execution but no less significant in their impact.

One of the most effective suggestions was to leave my phone in a different room once I was going to bed — ideally, turn it off even an hour or two before that — thereby eliminating the temptation to scroll in bed. However, this isn’t about blue light exposure (“the light intensity that you get from a phone or a laptop is really relatively low,” says Dr Bostock), but about what we’re seeing on our screens.

“We use phones to deflect uncomfortable feelings in a constant stream of content,” says Bostock. “We can’t necessarily blame the phone for that — it's the uncomfortable feelings and thoughts that actually are keeping us awake at night.” Enough said.

In addition, I toggled my iPhone’s colour to black and white (long tap on the home screen > edit > customise) to make the apps’ colour schemes less appealing, and use f.lux on my laptop, a software that made my computer screen a warmer, amber color, while I worked.

The results

After a week or so of cementing these habits into my daily routine, things began to click into place. As my conversations with Dr Bostock never centred around caffeine or alcohol intake, these areas didn’t require much adjustment; however, I did approach other habits and situations with a fork in the road mentality: whatever I was doing, it would either help aid me in my mission to better sleep, or hinder it. An evening session on the PS5 with friends, for example, would be less beneficial than turning off the TV at 9PM and picking up a book.

Before the experiment, my moods would peak and trough — punctuated with sunny highs and gloomy lows — yet as I continued to work with Dr Bostock’s insights and advice, these moments would begin to soften and everything (everyone, more like) seemed more amicable and approachable as the weeks progressed.

“Daytime function is the gold standard metric for how well you are actually sleeping,” Dr Bostock would confirm, as we discussed my sleep and stress data from the Oura Ring 4. “Your ability to focus and feel good in yourself is what defines a quality night.”

Digging deeper into the data, there’s a clear shift between the days preceding the experiment and the weeks during and after. My REM sleep increased by 40 minutes on average, and greater stints of deep sleep — 90 minutes or over — became far more frequent. The effects of an improved REM sleep pattern left me re-energised in mind and body, a direct result of my work to improve my circadian rhythm.

The same can be said for my periods of deep sleep. As the Oura identified, periods of 90 minutes of deep sleep are when muscles grow and repair and the immune system is refreshed—helping me dodge any signs of winter flu and wake up fighting fit, or as close to it as possible. Elsewhere, my light sleep improved — “it’s crucial for motor focus and memory consolidation,” says Dr Bostock — and my stress levels rarely peaked enough for me to get concerned.

As with physical training, there were plenty of personal bests, including one night with 10.5 hours of total sleep in mid-December — numbers I hadn’t seen (or felt) since I was a teenager recovering from a festival. Below, you can see a few examples of screenshots from the Oura app.

Despite these successes, my familiar pattern of good and bad sleep would eventually return. The difference, after four weeks with Dr Bostock, is that setbacks no longer feel like a permanent biological flaw, but a temporary glitch — one I now know how to course-correct with a few behavioural adjustments rather than an immediate admission of defeat.

“Sleep science really isn’t that complicated, but it does require discipline and consistency,” Dr Bostock told me during our final session. “If you can say, ‘I did this and it made a difference,’ that’s hugely valuable.”

At the start of the experiment, I was fixated on chasing a perfect sleep score of 100 on my Oura. By the end, I’d realised that better sleep isn’t about hitting a single, ideal metric, but about showing up consistently and using data to keep yourself honest. These days, I’d happily take an 85 or 90 — and my wife will just as happily take an earlier bedtime.

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Using a smart rowing machine, or even rowing in general, wasn’t on my 2026 predictions or resolutions, but as brutally tough as rowing can be, I’m rather glad it is.

I’ve been using the Hydrow Wave, the company’s more compact smart rowing machine, since November last year, and while I’ve very much at the beginning of my journey with rowing as a fitness-building and fat-burning activity, I’ve already got a suite of thoughts about the Hydrow Wave and Hydrow’s smart rowing experience.

In short, I think it’s an excellent machine and one of the best pieces of kit I’ve used in a while, even as a tech journalist who gets access to a lot of gadgets. But it’s not perfect. So read on for what I like about the Hydrow Wave training experience – and my reservations.

The Good

1. Rowing at home is great

Putting aside the connectivity and smart features of the Hydrow Wave for a moment, having a rowing machine at home is really rather good.

Rowing is one of those rare activities that offers ‘whole body’ exercise, with pushing with your legs, rotating through your hips and pulling with your arms leading to some 85% of muscle groups being exercised, according to British Rowing. At the same time, it’s low-impact exercise, in that it doesn't strain your joints – though it absolutely works your muscles – which makes it ideal for near-daily use.

Equally, rowing is hard work; a 10-minute session will burn more calories than some 30 minutes of running, an even short burst of vigorous rowing will have your muscles burning and your lungs gulping air.

Having easy access to this level of exercise, without the need to drag oneself to a gym, or even go outside is fantastic. And while I’ve yet to see my soft middle become a ripping six pack, my use of the Hydrow Wave so far has made my biceps pop a bit, and kept me from putting on excess weight over an indulgent holiday period. Generally, it's made me feel fitter and stronger.

While I have dumbbells at home, access to a rowing machine really is a bit of a game changer, and if you have any ambitions of building a home gym, I think the Wave makes a great core machine to build your setup around.

2. On-demand coaching

Of course, one can get a lot of the benefits of rowing with a simpler, cheaper rowing machine, but where Hydrow machines come into their own is the dedicated coaching and workout sessions, like Peloton.

Going from beginner sessions to those for advanced fitness enthusiasts and competitive rowers, there’s coaching delivered by professional rowers and Olympians that help you understand rowing techniques, building power, and take you through workouts. The latter is especially handy, as you get someone telling you when to boost your effort, when to slow down, and giving you reminders to watch your form and focus on certain elements of the row.

This is also useful during the cooldown period, where the athletes will often suggest drills to refocus on your form and stretch out the relevant muscle groups.

Occasionally, some of these pre-recorded sessions will dive a little too deep into wellness and mental health advice for my tastes, but they still proved to hold my interest and removed me from the idea that I was rowing in a room alone. And the range of different athletes have their own approach to coaching and encouragement; I don’t have a favourite per se, but it’s early days.

There’s also a huge amount of workouts to choose from, to the extent they can get a little overwhelming; the interface could do with just a little more refinement in narrowing down some workouts and noting which you have done before, though you can do this by selecting certain filters.

I’ve been working though a lot of them to help boost my strength and endurance, but there’s also the option to 'just row' for a set time at a select location – could be a river, lake or the sea – which I often do to get in a little workout while I listen to an audiobook or podcast.

On top of this, there are live rowing sessions with instructors operating like Peloton workouts, though I don't feel like I’m at the level to try those yet. And then there’s whole workout programs and seasonal challenges – there's plenty more content to get my teeth into.

3. Insightful Hydrometrics

The really smart element of Hydrow rowing machines come in the form of its 'Hydrometrics'. While the Wave didn’t originally have access to this tech, it's brought it in as part of Hydrow's paid-for service.

Hydrometrics provide a score for each of your main workouts, tracking stroke precision, endurance and power, then smartly feeding back your performance. This can range from a simple note such as ‘well done you’re rowing correctly and strongly’ to pointing out where you might be losing power in your stroke, or building power too late. It’s a very handy reminder to work on one’s rowing form, especially as that’s the key to ensuring a proper full-body workout with the tech.

It’s a simple feedback mechanism but it is properly useful, and means you can’t just brute force your way through a workout if you want to achieve a high score. For example, you could generate more power by over-using your arms, but ultimately your precision would drop.

The flipside is it has made me feel a little frustrated at myself, as I started to nail the technique, only to lose it a little as I pushed harder. But this has me really wanting to focus on perfecting my technique and rowing precision, which should benefit me in the long term.

4. Genuinely useful app and connectivity

Building on the Hydrometrics score, the Hydrow app gives users a neat way to track their progress and look back on workout results and scores. I found the app far easier to navigate than the 16-inch touchscreen on the Wave, especially when it came to digging into my completed workouts.

There’s a whole lot of depth to plumb in the app too, from setting goals to scheduling workouts and more. It could almost be overwhelming, but it’s designed neatly enough to let you access the information you want without having to jump through masses of virtual hoops.

Device connectivity is also suitably robust, with the option to connect Bluetooth headphones or speakers to the Hydrow Wave, as well as sync your Apple Watch, Garmin, Strava and other fitness trackers and services. This isn’t something I’ve fully explored yet, but it’s there for me when I feel I’m ready to take my rowing and fitness to a new level.

5. A refined design

I’m a fan of the overall look of the Hydrow Wave. While it lacks the more professional boat-like look of the Origin and Arc machines, but I still think it looks rather slick compared to the bulky, boxy rowing machines that you’d encounter down a local gym.

The Wave uses an aluminum and steel frame, combined with a flat anthracite polymer body, and sports a mounted 16-inch Full HD touchscreen. It has a neat blend of practicality meets refined tech. At the same time it’s a solid feeling machine, with no wobble when my large frame is rowing hard.

It’s also rather quiet, with polyester webbing connecting the rowing handle to an electromagnetic drag mechanism, which can be tweaked to provide more or less resistance. You’ll still hear the rowing action but it’s a lot quieter than some of the chain and flywheel systems of more traditional rowing machines.

The Bad

1. Size does matter

While I like the design, there’s no getting away from the size of a rowing machine. The Wave is the smallest one in the Hydrow range, but it’s still 80 inches long, 19 inches wide and 43 inches tall. This was something that didn't really register with me until the evening before the Wave was to be delivered.

Now I live in a small one-bed apartment, that’s not only in need of renovation (hence you’ll not see many photos of my Wave setup here) but also has things like built-in wardrobes taking up space. As such, I found the only spot I could place my Wave was at the bottom of my bed.

It actually works quite well there, once I moved a few things around. And as I live alone, it’s only me who has to make do with stepping over the machine to open my windows and so on. But there’s no doubt that the Wave is still a big exercise machine to have in a limited space.

At 46kg, it’s also heavy too, especially as the weight is mostly towards the front end, so moving it around isn’t really practical unless you're feeling strong. It can be stored upright with the addition of a wall-mounted “Vertical Anchor” but I don’t have one of those, and don’t see it as a practical solution to my current setup.

I’d love to see a foldable version of the Wave, perhaps with telescopic elements and the use of more composite materials. Other home rowing machines sport compact, foldable designs which can be stored upright out of the box, without extra kit.

2. Premium price

At $1,995 / £1,435 (there no Australian availability yet) the Wave isn’t the cheapest rowing machine by any stretch of the imagination. Plus to really make the most of it, you need to have a Hydrow membership which comes in at $50 / £50 a month; I’ve seen gym memberships for less than that.

So I feel like the Wave, and indeed other Hydrow models are a pricey proposition. And while you could skip the membership, you’re then left with a simple rowing machine that just displays a few metrics on a blue background. To me this feels a little tight fisted, as I think Hydrow could have thrown in a few guided workouts or at least some non-athlete rowing videos as part of the package.

I do appreciate that funding videos and workouts from professional athletes is likely not cheap, so Hydrow needs to make the money back. And that a basic gym membership won’t get you such coaching and other tracking tools. But a bit of give and take would be appreciated.

Still, I do think Hydrow is offering a premium product here, so a premium price is to be expected; it’s what Apple does, after all, and the pricing structure is comparable to Peloton. It's certainly cheaper than the Peloton Row.

The bottom line

Despite my reservations around cost and size, I’m still a big fan of the Hydrow Wave. I think it’s a slick rowing machine that has a lot of smart features and workouts to dive into. While I’ve done a good range of rowing sessions, I’m still very keen to explore it further and can’t see me not having rowing in my future fitness activities.

So there's more to explore and a lot more workouts to be done that have me puffing away as my muscles feel the burn.

Let me know in the comments below if you’re a keen rower, and if you’ve tried a Hydrow or any other smart rowing machine.

On the table before me were an array of eyeglasses, sufficiently indistinguishable from the selection you might see from Warby Parker or Luxottica or on shelves in your local optician’s store. Baked into the frames was a remarkable technology that lets the lenses automatically change their focus based on whatever you're looking at. If it's near your eye, it will magnify for those of us who need readers. If it's far away, it will take the magnification away so you can see clearly.

It's the result of more than four years of technology magic, $45 or so million in R&D, and technology that’s just a step away from rocket science – because it was invented by an actual rocket scientist.

“We’re redefining eyewear on a really high level,” Niko Eiden, co-founder and CEO of the Finnish startup IXI, told me. “I like to use a camera analogy: fixed focus, manual focus, and then autofocus. What we’re trying to do is autofocus, as compared to fixed focus, which is what we have today.” As one of the 78 million or so Americans who wear progressive lenses (only my mom still calls them bifocals, you know), the concept is instantly appealing.

The graveyard of eyeglass stems, lenses, and eyeglasses of all sorts of shapes and colors before me were meant to help explain the manufacturing process. But it took a second for me to grasp the reality: Eiden was wearing a functioning pair, 22 grams worth of amazing. This isn’t a hypothetical product, CES vaporware. It’s real and it’s spectacular.

Inside the world’s first autofocusing eyeglasses

How does it work? I’m glad you asked. There are three parts to the company’s new product, which will ultimately be called IXI and could probably maybe hopefully sell later this year: lenses that can be tuned, thanks to a unique liquid crystal material sandwiched within two panes of plastic; an autofocus capability, thanks to an eyetracking system that can detect where you are looking and adjust accordingly; and a frame that looks and feels like an ordinary pair of glasses.

And let’s just get this out of the way: yes, you’ll have to charge your eyeglasses, with a USB cable that magnetically grabs onto the frame. I promise you it will be worth it.

A pair of 35mAh batteries sit in the temples at the hinge, small enough that they are unnoticeable but powerful enough for about 18 hours of usage. That’s about 10 times less than what’s in the Ray Ban Meta Gen 2, meaning IXI needs to sip water as parsimoniously as a stranded sailor saving that last jug of water on a desert island.

The electronics doing that sipping are part of a printed circuit board manufactured within the frame of the glasses themselves: There’s a compute unit over the bridge of the nose, circuits tucked neatly into the outside corners, and a series of imaging components for eye tracking. There’s no camera. Instead, the system relies on the reflectivity of the eye itself to measure where you’re looking.

“When an eye rotates with respect to the frame, its fingerprint changes,” Eiden explained. A series of LEDs beam IR light at the eye and a complementary assortment of photodiodes image the reflection that comes back, all at about 60 frames a second – standard rate for eye trackers, he said.

This spectrum of light passes easily through the plastic frame but bounces off of your eye, so it can all be buried from sight like the electronics in your AV cabinet. Because our eyes are actually pretty slow (they take 200-300 milliseconds to refocus), 60fps is much faster. You won’t have time to notice the tuning, in other words.

Eyes on with IXI

To demonstrate, Eiden propped up a sample lens on an arm and beamed a signal to it. A shimmering disc appeared in the center of the lens. With a separate command it vanished, leaving no sign it had been there. I held a lens up to the light and studied it carefully: at just the right angle, I could detect the faintest trace of the electrical circuits sending their tiny commands to the twist of the liquid crystal matter, a series of concentric rings that look a bit like a CD – the sort of thing you’d never notice when wearing a pair of IXIs, of course.

“In some specific reflections you can see something. It’s a Fresnel pattern,” Eiden told me, “but a very special one. It’s not anything you’d find in research.”

In September, IXI acquired the lens manufacturing and development facility of Finnsusp in Finland and has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with Optiswiss, one of Europe’s leading independent lens manufacturers. This followed a $36.5 million round of funding. In November, it unveiled the 22-gram prototype. At CES, it was finally ready to show it off.

“In the beginning, we thought let's just license it to tech, but there was no one to license it to. The existing industry is not equipped to do this level of sophistication … so we thought we need to do everything ourselves,” he said. Eiden himself holds a masters degree in aeronautical engineering and started his career at the particle physics center CERN in Switzerland, before making it to Nokia, and now IXI. Oh, and he’s a certified pilot as well (overachiever!).

Data from the eyetracker is fascinating in itself. Blink intervals, for example, provide an intriguing window into behavior and alertness.

“I’ve been wearing these now for five minutes,” Eiden said, checking the screen of a tablet wirelessly connected to his eyewear. “I’ve been 73% anxious, 20% relaxed, and focused, not daydreaming. When you’re working or writing, your blink rate slows down. That’s why you get dry eyes.”

“Baseline blink rate” isn’t necessarily information that you’ll need as a human being, nor is the posture information that can also be extracted. It’s also unlikely to be surfaced in the app you’ll get with the product. But for now, it sure is neat to see.

A pair of IXI eyeglasses won’t be cheap, but they shouldn’t be terribly expensive either. Eiden said they’ll be in the range of high-end eyewear, which can run you €1,000 euros, he said. A small price to pay for magic, no?

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That's a record-low price for a smartwatch with a bright AMOLED screen, built-in GPS, music controls, and up to 11 days of battery life.

You could shoot for the more up-to-date Vivoactive 6, but that'll set you back up to $299.99. That's still a good price for an all-around smartwatch, but if you're looking for a top-class deal, then I'd go for the previous-gen Vivoactive 5 while it's on offer instead.

Today's best cheap Garmin deal

In our four-star Garmin Vivoactive 5 review, we loved the smartwatch's fitness tracking, battery life, and sleek design. Despite being superseded by the Vivoactive 6, it's still one of the best Garmin watches right now, especially at this price point.

Our reviewer gave this verdict: "The Garmin Vivoactive 5 offers more sports and health tracking metrics than most will need while staying compact and easy to see with that stunning AMOLED display."

We also love its compatibility for both Apple and Android users, which makes it a superb fit for all types of people, including runners, cyclists, and triathletes.

If you're into running, then you'll want a watch that has dedicated features for that type of activity. If, on the other hand, you'd like a more general smartwatch, you'll want to check out our best smartwatch guide instead.

The Garmin Venu X1 was one of my favorite smartwatches of last year, because it was a genuine innovation – the antithesis of Garmin's normal design philosophy. Where most of the best Garmin watches are chunky and round, this one was square and very slim with an exceptionally bright screen, while still packing in the titanium backing, LED light, speaker, microphone, GPS and powerful health tracking tools Garmin is known for. It was a real Apple Watch Ultra 3 rival, in both design and performance.

Long story short, I gave it 4.5 stars after testing, and called it "Garmin's most innovative watch in years". Now we're getting a new Garmin Venu X1 and we're less than two weeks into the new year, albeit it's only a new color rather than a fully-fledged sequel.

The Garmin Venu X1's new Soft Gold colorway continues to echo the Venu series' design philosophy of straddling the line between 'powerful fitness tracker' and 'stylish smartwatch'. The Soft Gold color features a lighter gray polymer casing, with gold-colored buttons and clasp and titanium backing. A French Gray velcro band completes the new look.

It's priced at $699.99 / £679.99 / AU$1,499 (like the rest of the Garmin Venu X1 line) and is available to buy from Garmin right now.

A sign of things to come?

Garmin released a whole slew of watches last year, revamping almost its entire range. As CES 2026 has come and gone without a new Garmin watch announcement (only a Nutrition Tracking feature for Connect+ users) I'm wondering if this is a sign of things to come.

I imagine we'll see less watches coming out this year and more minor tweaks to the range like this one. However, I'm sure Garmin will make an exception for the Garmin Fenix 9.

The Garmin Fenix 8 arrived in September 2024, while the upgraded Garmin Fenix 8 Pro with a MicroLED screen and satellite connectivity arrived last year. If I was to take bets, I'd say we'll see a Garmin Fenix 9 towards the end of this year, with a Fenix 9 Pro sometime in 2027.

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My love of the brand's watches didn't last forever though. Worried by a prolonged server outage, and feeling jaded by the launch of Garmin Connect+ (which sneakily put LiveTrack text alerts for runners behind a paywall – but not ones for cyclists), I decided that my next device would be from Polar.

The switch was easy, and I was already familiar with the interface and the Polar Flow app from my time as TechRadar's fitness editor many years ago. Everything went perfectly smoothly – until it didn't.

The problem was a heart rate monitor. I've owned a chest strap heart rate monitor for several years, and find it particularly useful for interval training on a spin bike, where a wrist-based monitor isn't as quick to respond as I'd like, and can be affected by me gripping the handlebars. Having a reading from the chest strap fed straight to the bike's screen via ANT+ is quick, convenient, and makes it easy to see how my efforts are impacting my heart rate in as timely a manner as possible.

The problem is the strap itself. If you wear a bra to exercise, as I do, you have to position the heart rate monitor somewhere below the bra's bottom band, meaning it's sitting awkwardly around your ribs. Even if it doesn't slip down (which it might), it's not a particularly comfortable arrangement.

I was therefore very pleased when, a few years ago, Garmin released the HRM-Fit – a heart rate monitor that snaps directly onto your bra's band. No more worrying about a second strip of elastic sliding down mid-workout. It's a brilliant idea, and one I've not seen copied by any of the other major fitness tech brands to date.

Sure, there are HRMs that get around this problem by strapping around your arm rather than your chest (eg the Polar Verity Sense), but these use the same tech as the monitor in a watch and are therefore subject to the same limitations

My Polar watch supports sensors via ANT+ and Bluetooth, so I put the HRM-Fit on my Christmas wish list. Santa kindly obliged, and I quickly connected the two, excited to take the new duo on their maiden run on Boxing Day.

Running smoothly?

With the HRM-Fit clipped comfortably into place and wrapped up against the British weather, I stepped outside, hit the start button, took a few paces and... nothing. Not only could I see no heart rate on my watch, there was no pace or distance visible either. I cancelled the workout and began again, making sure to wait until the watch had established a firm GPS link before hitting 'start'. Again, nothing.

Starting to get cold, I decided to go ahead and start running anyway, making up a rough 5km route along my home town's empty footpaths.

When I got home, the workout showed no speed or distance in the Polar Flow app, though the route had been tracked somehow, and even appeared plotted on a map when synced with Strava. Most strange.

A quick search online suggested that it might be a temporary GPS hiccup with the watch, but that seemed like a strange coincidence considering the only factor that had changed that day was the new heart rate monitor. Then I found it. Apparently several Garmin heart rate monitors, including but not limited to the HRM-Fit, misidentify themselves as foot-pods when connected to Polar watches.

Comment from r/Polarfitness

The watch is therefore expecting data like cadence and stride length, not heart rate, and to make a long story short, everything gets very messed up. There's no fix for the problem; the devices are simply incompatible. Bother.

It was then a choice – keep either the heart rate monitor or the watch, and stick the other on eBay. I decided I valued the comfort of the Garmin HRM-Fit more than my (possibly somewhat childish) urge to stick it to Garmin for bringing out a paid tier to a previously free-to-use app.

After a lot of research (I used to review sports watches as part of my job, but that was several years ago) I opted for a Garmin Lily 2 Active. It's the company's smallest sports watch with on-board GPS (I've never been a great fan of connected GPS that piggybacks off your phone), and unlike the standard Garmin Lily 2, it supports accessories via ANT+ and Bluetooth.

Its feature set is much leaner than the Polar, or even my previous Garmin, but that's fine for me. I've never actually used maps on a watch unless I'm writing a review, so their absence isn't an issue, and I don't miss a color screen. As long as it allows me to sync a plan from TrainingPeaks and nags me when I'm outside the appropriate heart rate range, it's all good.

The Lily 2 Active's tiny size means it's also comfortable enough to wear at night, so I'm actually tracking my sleep without feeling like I have a brick strapped around my wrist. It has everything I need and absolutely no more, and that's fine.

The moral of the story is clearly that if you're planning on picking up a new sensor or accessory, make sure you search for the names of both products together to find out whether they're truly compatible – even if the specs suggest that they should be.

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Speediance isn't a name many fitness-tracker fans will be familiar with at first, as the company is best known for making AI-powered connected fitness equipment like the Gym Monster 2 cable strength trainer. Well, now it's come to CES with a fitness tracker, and there's no denying that it looks familiar.

Yes, it looks just like a Whoop. Running practically unopposed in the 'best fitness tracker without a screen' space for so long, Whoop was joined by the also similar-looking Polar Loop last year. Now, at CES, it's fighting for space both with the Luna Band and the all-new Speediance Strap.

Speediance hasn't released many details about the Strap just yet, other than it's a product prototype and will be subject to a Kickstarter launch later this year. There's no word on price (I reached out to a Speediance representative, who confirmed as much) but we do know that it'll have a base price, with an optional premium subscription for AI features, rather than an all-subscription model like Whoop.

Speediance said in a press release that "core activity and recovery data is available at no additional cost, with optional Wellness+ access providing advanced AI planning and long-term insights". So far, so depressingly standard for the wellness industry these days (I'd love to own a device without an ongoing subscription paywall, please).

We also know that the device will offer data-driven daily readiness scores like the best Fitbits and best Garmin watches, and it'll "monitor physiological responses related to stress and core body temperature" so will have one eye on recovery as well as training.

It's taken longer than I expected, but minimalist fitness trackers are having a moment again, between these Whoop dupes and the best smart rings. It seems a theme is emerging: while I don't think specialist running watches will ever be replaced, more people are looking for focused, multi-disciplined training and turning away from on-wrist notifications.

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I use a notepad every day. Not a tablet, or Windows Notepad, or Google Keep, or even OneNote, I'm a plain old pen-and-paper stalwart. I'm not a meticulous journal user: my notes are messy to-do lists, scrap notes from meetings, planning stories and articles, shopping lists, and brainstorming. In essence, I use it a bit like a second brain.

I shouldn't be surprised to see AI coming for this part of my life, too. As TechRadar's Senior Fitness and Wearables Editor, I had my eye on all the best fitness trackers and health innovations this year, but in the world of wearables it's 'second brains' that are dominating the show floor and conference halls, threatening to retire my beaten-up analog notepads.

First, it was the Pebble Index O1. Launching before CES but on display at the show, it's a new kind of smart ring. With a tactile button, microphone, and an NFC chip linking it to your phone (on which is an app with an open-source LLM), the Index O1 allows you to add events to your calendar, set reminders, transcribe notes to yourself, and generally remember things. In a conversation with me, Pebble and Core Devices founder Eric Migicovsky referred to it as "external memory for the brain".

It seems other wearables at CES have got the same idea. The Switchbot AI Mindclip is a device worn like a lapel pin that records conversations, sends them to the cloud and transforms them into searchable AI summaries. It reportedly supports over 100 languages, and describes itself as "a second brain".

We were on the ground at Lenovo's keynote (and posted the clip on our TikTok channel — you can watch it below), where Lenovo demonstrated its voice assistant Qira, housed in a camera-equipped pendant a bit like the creepy AI Friend concept that made the rounds last year. Anker's Soundcore Work and the Plaud NotePin are similar record-and-transcribe concepts.

As a journalist who knows all too well the pains of manual transcription, I can see the usefulness of these devices straight away. Long projects and features involving multiple interviews are a pain to work through, and it's a lot easier when I can skip backwards and forwards through the transcript, pull out the quotes I want and compare them with the original audio. Likewise, I'm sure most people who take lots of long meetings would appreciate a Ctrl+F function for their minds.

However, there's a big difference between "useful transcription feature for interviews and meetings" and "second brain". The phrasing these companies are using means they're aiming to replace the paper mind-map, not just the analog dictaphone. Instead of a physical notebook, we get AI that can be spoken to hands-free, back up your notes to the cloud (SwitchBot hasn't yet specified what cloud service it uses), allow you to search through them simply and is eminently more convenient. All for a chunky up-front purchase and a small monthly fee thereafter.

The phrasing of the "second brain" also reminds me of an MIT study about heavy AI and ChatGPT users, which explored the effects of using AI to write essays rather than the human brain across four months, measuring brain activity for each participant group. By the end of the study, the researchers found that "over four months, LLM users consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels," and showed significantly lower brain activity.

My parents have an unerring, almost encyclopaedic knowledge of the road networks in, probably, a 50-mile radius from my childhood home. They learned this the old-fashioned way. When I learned to drive, on the other hand, I used GPS to get me everywhere, and as a result became almost completely reliant on it. I don't have anywhere near the instant road-network recall my parents have, even close to home, and I'm sure many people of my generation are the same.

As someone who already makes use of AI transcription tools, I'm keen to see them get better and continue to automate one of the most mind-numbing tasks of being a journalist — transcribing interviews. However, if the second brain is going to see a lot of use outside of the workplace too, I wonder whether any more essential cognitive functions we take for granted are going to atrophy as a result.

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It's safe to say that the Altra Timp 5 Boa trail running shoes stand out from all the other pairs I've used over the years, including from the likes of Nike, Asics and Inov-8 among others.

The Inov-8 Trailfly G270 V2's are typically a sweet spot for me as someone who lives in the countryside with trails on my doorstep who wants a lightweight but durable, mostly off-road shoe. So how do the Timp 5 Boa trail shoes compare, and could they be one of the best running shoes for my broad feet?

Well, they certainly are an altogether different shoe from those Inov-8's. Altra's hallmarks are a particularly wide toe box and zero drop – two features I appreciate and drew my attention to the brand in the first place.

However, it's the unique lacing system of the 'Boa' version of the Timp 5's that peaked my curiosity. Swapping out traditional laces, there's a dial which tightens and loosens the lace, enabling quick and precise adjustments. Kind of like ski boots.

I was concerned how effective this system would be, expecting the lace to regularly work its way loose, but those worries were unfounded following multiple 5 mile trails runs over several weeks, tackling hills and all manner of terrain.

Quick and micro adjustments are a doddle with this lacing system, which was a godsend given that I broke two fingers during the review period (unrelated, I promise – I stacked it in a skate park when rolling back the years on my daughter's scooter), and had limited use of one hand.

I've consequently lived in the Timp 5 Boa's because traditional laces were particularly tricky, but this lacing dial is manageable with one hand.

I like the look of the Timp 5 Boas too, even if the upper mesh is hard to clean after muddy trail runs to smarten them up for use afterwards as a day shoe.

And at 10oz / 286g, they are heavier than the average running shoe – I found them slow going for running (compared to those light Inov-8 shoes), so my pace was a little slower than I would like.

I'm used to zero drop shoes, but I did get a small strain on my achilles after totting up the miles in those Altra shoes. You might not be affected in the same way.

The stretch 'sock' fabric cut into the outside of my ankle on occasion, too, if I had the tightening set incorrectly to my feet. Again, that might not be an issue for you.

I don't think I've find my new fast trail shoes, sadly, but the Timp 5 Boa's have otherwise been supremely comfortable and are clearly durable. These are my new top pick for long days on my feet, and I will definitely get a lot of use from them.

The Altra Timp 5 Boa's cost $185 / £155 on the Altra website, but you can also find discounted prices at other leading retailers – I've seen as much as 40% off even at the time of writing, which feels more reasonable.

Altra Timp 5 Boa: Specifications

Altra Timp 5 Boa: Scorecard

Altra Timp 5 Boa: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

Altra Timp 5 Boa: how I tested

• Used as my primary everyday shoe and running shoe for 1 month
• My typical running distance was around 25km per week
• I ran on mixed terrain; technical trails, footpaths and roads, flat and hilly, and used these as day to day shoes

I pretty much lived in the Altra Timp 5 Boa's for a month, using them as my every day shoe for walking, hiking and commuting. I also completed numerous trail runs – about three per week for a month, with a typical weekly distance of around 25kms.

I live in the hilly countryside and most of the running I do covers mixed terrain and run in all kinds of weather. I've run on trails, footpaths and roads; wet and dry; flat and hilly. Just about any scenario you can imagine.

First reviewed: December 2025

L'Oréal has developed an LED face mask that it thinks could be a game-changer in the beauty world. The internal components have been completely re-engineered to enable them to fit inside an ultra-thin, flexible silicone that's comfortable to wear.

I had a chance to check it out at CES 2026, alongside the brand's innovative infrared Light Straight + hair straightener, and I was impressed with how bendable and lightweight it was. I also spoke with Guive Balooch, Global Vice President of Tech and Open Innovation at L’Oréal Groupe, about the design process and inspiration.

He told me that the current LED face mask market was split into two types: masks that contain high-powered LEDs that are effective for what they need to do, but are contained in a chunky, solid frame that "looks like a helmet on your face", and thinner options that just don't work that well.

L’Oréal decided a third option was required. "We wanted to create something that was inspired by a sheet mask," Guive told me. "Something that could be thin, pliable, flexible, but could work as well as the masks that are at the highest level, technically. This is the solution.

"We think that this will be a game-changer in the LED mask market," he added.

To create the internal microcircuit, L’Oréal partnered with iSMART, a UK-based startup that Guive describes as a global leader in LED device innovation. "Because it's so flexible you can put it in something that's 1mm thin and it's almost like a sheet mask," explained Guive.

I wasn't able to try the mask on myself for hygiene reasons, but I held it and saw it modeled by Guive and it really is a far cry from the rigid masks I've seem previously.

It can be toggled to emit the same two wavelengths of light you'd find on a helmet-style one – red light (630 nm) and near-infrared light (830 nm), each tackling different skin issues. It's designed to combat visible signs of aging, lessening fine lines, firming and smoothing skin, and helping even out skin tone.

There are further features geared towards convenience and comfort. The mask has automatically timed 10-minute sessions, which is the amount of time it's meant to be used for each day. It's also cordless, with a lightweight battery pack that sits on one side, and charges via USB-C.

Bright eyes

Alongside the full face mask I saw two smaller versions of the mask designed for your under-eye area. They use the same microcircuit and are encased in the same pliable silicone. This version comes with a charge case (it uses induction charging) that looks almost like a mirror compact.

You could lie down with these mini pads resting on your face and they'd stay in place, but for those who don't have time for that, L’Oréal is working on adhesive pads that would enable you to walk around with them on. These are hypoallergenic and can be used around 10 times each, but are still perhaps not an ideal option. Guive says the team is also looking at localized serums that would stick the pads on without needing to use the adhesives.

The mask and its under-eye sibling versions are currently in prototype form, with launch penciled in for 2027.

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Okay, so granted, I’m a little bit behind when this Japanese walking craze first blew up. But I’m the kind of person that likes to wait until the craze has died down on a trend before seeing what all the hype was about.

Not long after it was the talk of the fitness trend town, Clarks – a UK brand I still mostly associate with school shoes – decided to launch the Pace, a ‘performance walking shoe’.

With the Pace’s arrival, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to give this Japanese walking a try. What better way to do it than with a shoe that’s supposedly primed for more than just ambling down to the shops to grab some milk? Could performance walking gear (and the Clarks Pace) be the biggest fitness trend of 2026? Let's find out.

What makes a performance walking shoe?

As a running journalist, when I’m heading out for a walk I tend to grab the nearest, most comfortable, carbon plate-free pair of running shoes (and you can check out some of my reviews in our best running shoes buying guide) to slip on. They generally do seem to do the job. According to Clarks, I should be wearing something better equipped for the job.

Clarks’ Global Head of Product Dawn Porto, says walkers who walk for fitness wear running shoes created for running and are, “not getting the right support for how their body actually moves”.

That’s where the Pace wants to be your perfect fitness walking friend, by offering support that’s geared towards the specific movement of walking. Clarks claims it’s scientifically engineered to help you walk further for longer as well.

So what’s actually delivering that in the shoe? First up, a dual-density layer of EVA-based C360 foam that sits in the middle of the shoe. That cushioning is combined with what Clarks calls its Infinity energy capsules. These provide protection against impact and a stable foundation for when you get moving. Those capsules also compress and rebound to propel you forward.

Other features include a heel clip for increased stability at the rear of the shoe and a rubber outsole to deliver strong grip and traction across a range of terrain. Clarks also claims there’s no break-in period needed to start putting big walking mileage in them, with strong comfort right out of the box.

In terms of that development process, Clarks deduced that walking required less cushioning at the heel than running, with a greater focus on the forefoot. It opted for a lower heel-to-toe drop than most running shoes to better match a walker’s gait rather than a runner’s one. The shoe’s also roomier, which better allows for the foot to expand, to accommodate a slower gait. That’s compared to a typical running shoe, where a more secure fit is required for the more dynamic movement.

The 'Japanese walking' workout

As mentioned, I decided to use the Pace while trying out Japanese Walking for the first time. This involves interval walking, where you alternate the intensity of walking speeds for brief periods, such as three-minute bursts. How long you do that is entirely up to you, but the ‘standard’ recommendation is to do it for at least 30 minutes to reap the full physical and mental benefits. It’s also outlined in more detail here: 7 ways to walk for fitness, which we published as part of our Get Fit for ‘26 series. I measured my progress with a Garmin watch (and you can check out our list of the best Garmin watches here, as they're perfect for this sort of workout thanks to ).

Over the past month I’ve swapped my go-to comfy pair of Brooks Ghost 17 or New Balance Rebel V5 for the Clarks Pace for extended walks and errands. How did the shoes fare? I’d describe my time in the Clarks Pace as ‘interesting’.

Starting with the fit, and what you get is a stretchy, predominantly knit upper that fits snug around the middle of your feet and around the heel. Up front is a pretty roomy toebox, with good volume particularly on the top of the toes. I didn’t find it tight or cramped to wear in the same UK size 8 I usually opt for in regular shoes and most running shoes.

The laces are thankfully pretty standard ones, that sit on top of a tongue that offers good, but not overly generous padding that comfortably stays put on the top of the foot. Unlike a lot of the running shoes I use for walks, the padding around the heel collar is much thinner than I expected. It certainly offers a different feel to most other walking shoes, but having run in a lot of shoes with minimal heel collars, it didn’t cause any problems on the move.

A bit further back in that heel area and you’ll find the shoe stiffens up to add support and help to keep your feet locked in place. This is ideal when you plan to keep them on all day.

The midsole is made up of two different layers of the same foam. The one that sits below the insole is a Pebax-based one that’s noticeably softer than the one further down. It runs from the middle of the shoe all the way to the front of it. The second layer foam is firmer and starts at the back of the heel, joining that softer foam further up front.

That promised sensation of the Pace propelling you forward is something I did notice on those faster walking intervals. The geometry of the shoe, including the segmented outsole, does help to promote a little prod forward at breezier walking paces and replicate some of the rockered feeling you get in many running shoes. It definitely wants to get you quicker through your walking gait without feeling awkward when you put the brakes on and slow things down.

When I took that walking beyond the 30-minute mark, I found them perfectly comfortable for extended periods on my feet. There was no break-in period needed. They offer a different sensation to most walking shoes, which for some will take a bit of adjustment.

The outsole performance in general has been fine in most walking scenarios. While there isn’t rubber placed across the entire sole of the shoe, there’s generous coverage at the front and heel areas. When I’ve walked on dry pavements the grip has performed as expected.

When I’ve been caught up in a couple of downpours however, I’ve had problems. I did find myself slipping and losing footing on occasions. Adding a different outsole design would certainly improve things in more challenging walking conditions.

Should you buy?

The Clarks Pace was absolutely up to the task for my first foray with Japanese Walking, barring some slipping and sliding on rainier walks – especially when it came to upping walking speeds. They look nice, feel good to walk with a bit more purpose and also buck the trend of most walking shoes that look like they’re built for countryside rambles.

Did it do enough to convince me that I’d be better wearing a performance walking shoe over a running shoe? I’m not sure I’m won over.

There are a fair few shoes from the likes of Hoka, Nike and New Balance among others that can provide a similar feeling, while also being usable if you swap walking for running.

Priced at £99 (around $135 / AU$200), the Pace certainly isn't cheap, and you could pay a bit more on in some instances, roughly the same, for a running shoe that can double as a walking one as well.

I am interested to see where Clarks takes the Pace next. There will always be people that prefer to walk than run to keep fit. If Clarks can bring some design elements and features to the table to cater for fitness walkers even more, I wouldn’t hesitate putting them on again for interval-based training that’s very different to the type I head to a running track for.

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CES is always fertile ground for experimental consumer health technology and new wearables, and CES 2026 is no exception. Amongst the tri-folding phones, vibrating kitchen knives and robot bartenders are various gadgets looking to make their way into our lives to make us fitter and healthier in 2026 and beyond.

Many of these devices are still in a proof-of-concept stage, while others are already available to buy. From the best fitness trackers at the expo and additions to existing popular apps to brand-new hardware form factors, these are the health gadgets getting tongues wagging on the show floor this year.

1. NuraLogix Longevity Mirror

Yes, the Longevity Mirror sounds like the name of some magical artifact desired by an evil wizard, but it’s actually a cutting-edge piece of tech that was telling CES attendees and media partners that their blood pressure is probably too high, or they’re aging too fast.

Using cameras and a sophisticated AI algorithm, the Longevity Mirror from NuraLogix looks at the blood-flow patterns in your face to estimate a variety of wellness details, such as heart rate, physiological age and even mental health. Early reports indicate the device is fairly accurate, and I’d expect that as you enter more information into the device its AI algorithms will begin to tailor themselves to your profile.

It won’t come cheap, though: the Longevity Mirror reportedly starts at $899 (around £660 / AU$1,330) with additional subscriptions on top.

2. Garmin Nutrition Tracking

Garmin has a big presence at CES, and in lieu of any new watches its big announcement is the addition of a Nutrition Tracking feature to its Garmin Connect+ offering.

Simply snap a picture of your food with your phone’s camera, and the AI will analyse its database of foods home-cooked, store-bought and restaurant-ordered, enabling users to "track their calories and macros (proteins, fats and carbs) and receive Active Intelligence insights to help them achieve their nutrition goals".

Garmin’s Active Intelligence AI will then provide guidance based on your goals – and in case 'Active Intelligence' wasn’t a tipoff for Garmin users, yes, this means that Nutrition Tracking is only available for Garmin Connect+ users.

Garmin’s new premium tier, Connect+ received a mixed reception on launch, as existing Garmin users feared that new features for the already-expensive best Garmin watches would be locked behind the paywall. Well… looks like they were right.

3. Withings Body Scan 2

Another potentially wellness-enhancing innovation, the Withings Body Scan 2 smart scale is designed to be your one-stop “longevity station”. Smart scales have long been about more than simply measuring weight, but the Body Scan 2 measures over 60 different biomarkers to help you get a handle on your health.

Speaking of handles, the scale uses a handheld sensor connected to the main scale by a retractable cable for more accurate measurement using electrical impulses. It’ll measure your weight, BMI, fat, muscle, bone density, hydration, heart rate, artery health, metabolic efficiency… the list goes on.

While it’s potentially great news for your health, it's less good news for your wallet. Reports indicate that the Withings Body Scan 2 will cost $599.95 (around £445 / AU$895).

4. Luna Band

The latest fitness tracker debuting at CES presents an elegant alternative to swiping through watchOS or wearOS interfaces on tiny screens. The Luna Band is a fitness tracker without a screen, like Whoop (but without a subscription) or the new Polar Loop. The main attraction of those fitness trackers is that they’re passive collectors of information, not really interacted with outside of the app.

The Luna Band, however, is designed to be operated via voice. It specializes in “real-time, voice-led health guidance”, the idea being that you can log your meals (similar to Garmin, above), workouts and even mood and emotions by speaking to the device, and view your info in the app at a later date.

This is apparently done via Apple's Siri smart assistant, meaning you'll need an iPhone to use the Luna Band, but there's no word on Android compatibility. There’s also no word yet on a price or launch date.

5. Sunbooster

There’s a stereotype that people who spend a lot of time on computers don’t necessarily spend a lot of time outdoors. While I can neither confirm nor deny this, I can say that CES 2026 has brought us nerds an excuse to spend even less time outside: say hello to the Sunbooster from SunLED Life Science.

It looks like a webcam, attaching to a computer or laptop, and projecting near-infrared light for two to four hours a day. It's a little like an SAD lamp in a more concentrated format, and regular near-infrared light exposure has been shown in studies to offer consistent wellbeing benefits. It looks like it could be a great way to mitigate the effects of seasonal affective disorder and lift your mood.

A phone case and a monitor with near-infrared lights built in are also on the way. The Sunbooster is priced at €199, which is about $235 / £175 / AU$350.

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Eli's Hormometer is an innovative kit and app system for checking hormone levels at home. While not intended as a clinical or lab test for health, the Hormometer and app (introduced last year, but finally available now) can give you enough information about your testosterone, progesterone, or cortisol levels to make some lifestyle choices.

The device was simple enough that I was able to conduct my own test at CES. There's a stick ($8.99 a piece) and a free app (you do have to register), and that's it. Each stick can read hormone levels (only progesterone and cortisol for now, testosterone is coming, according to company reps, in February).

To run my test, I opened the pack and pulled out the stick, which, with its white and pinkish coloring, looked a bit like a pregnancy test.

Perhaps the hardest part of the process comes next: you have to put one end of the stick in your mouth and keep it there for 60 seconds to ensure the Hormometer gets enough saliva. I suddenly felt dry-mouthed and worried I couldn't generate enough spit for the test.

Nothing happens after you remove the stick. Instead, I had to leave it for 20 minutes while I guess the stick did its best to absorb my saliva and pass it through the stem to complete the necessary chemical reaction. There are no components, chips or power in the stick. It works, in some ways, like a COVID test kit. You just have to wait for the test to finish.

Winning on some hormonal level

At the end of 20 minutes, I picked up the stick and pushed it closed until a dot appeared on the other side of the test housing, and a pair of lines representing my results appeared in the stick's pill-shaped window.

To analyze my test, we used the iPhone app, which helpfully guides you through the setup, test, and results procedure. I positioned my phone over the stick and lined up an on-screen guide with the stick's test result window.

A few moments later, I had my news. My cortisol levels were perfect (or within range for my age, which I interpret as "perfect"). That's good news because cortisol is the hormone that manages things like stress, metabolism, blood sugar, blood pressure, and inflammation.

I asked the company reps what you might do if the results show your cortisol levels are low or high. They were careful not to imply that this might lead to a doctor's visit. Instead, they explained that high or low results might indicate that you want to, for instance, change when you work out or even adjust bedtimes and sleep habits.

I wanted to know my testosterone levels, but that part of the test isn't ready yet.

For women, they'd get progesterone levels, details about which could help them figure out what's going on with their menstrual cycles.

Part of a trend

Even though there's no cost for the app or results, each test stick will run you almost $9. With that in mind, I was curious about how often I might want to run such a test. You might test for cortisol and testertone one a week. Or even daily if you're trying to get a handle on cortisol levels. For women's hormones, they might test right before, during, or after their menstrual cycles.

Test results can be accessed in the app and even downloaded as a shareable PDF.

Eli's Hormometer is part of a larger trend of bringing traditional lab tests and health and medical devices home and putting tests and some treatments (see Apple's over-the-counter AirPods Pro hearing aid mode) in the hands of consumers.

I'm not sure, though, if people will be willing to spend almost $10 every time they want to run an iPhone-based hormone test. At least Eli is offering bundles that give you eight tests for $99.

As for me, I'm gonna take my strong cortisol results and celebrate.

The Whoop band is an interesting concept: a screenless fitness wearable that gives you all the insights you need without the battery drain of a display. But as we found out when we reviewed the Whoop MG, these devices come with an extortionate subscription requirement that you have to keep paying just to use the device.

At CES 2026, a Whoop rival has emerged that might be able to do away with that burdensome cost. It takes the form of the Luna Band, which comes from the same company that makes the Luna Ring. It’s available without any subscription whatsoever, but the catch is that pricing and availability details aren’t yet available.

Like Whoop’s products, the Luna Band lacks a display, instead taking the form of an empty frame (which conceals sensors and a battery) mounted onto a strap. But with no screen to serve up your health metrics and insights, how are you meant to use the device?

According to Luna, the Band specializes in “real-time, voice-led health guidance.” The idea is you can log your meals, mood and emotions by speaking to the device, and request help and guidance relating to your health too. This is apparently done using Siri-based interactions in iOS, although we don’t yet know how (or if) it’ll work with Android.

Luna says the Band also comes with “research-grade” sensors that are able to pick up changes in your circadian rhythm, signals of emotional stress, micro-recovery patterns, and more. Luna believes its sensors are strong enough to notice changes that other wearables might miss.

This all runs on Luna’s own LifeOS operating system, which can detect thousands of physiological data points every minute, Luna claims. Health data is then synced to your phone, where it can be viewed and digested.

What's the catch?

The key selling points of the Luna Band – its voice-activation and its lack of a subscription – could be attractive to people tired of the current state of screenless wearables.

With the price of a Whoop band hitting as much as $359 / £349 / AU$629 per year for the Whoop MG, getting a comparable device with no ongoing subscription – and no risk of ending up with a useless device if you stop paying – could be enough to convince many people to switch.

Of course, that all depends on how much the Luna Band costs when it’s released. We don’t know anything about pricing or launch date just yet, and those details are going to be key to its success. If Luna gets them right, Whoop could have a serious competitor on its hands.

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If you don't have access to exercise bikes, barbells or even the best running shoes, but still want to start your fitness journey in 2026, there's always walking — the original workout. It’s the one form of exercise that’s always been accessible, intuitive, and sustainable, long before the concept of “fitness” even existed. And despite the rise of high-intensity training, smart gyms, and AI-driven coaching or fitness apps, walking remains one of the most effective and versatile ways to improve your health.

You can walk to build strength (rucking), burn fat (incline walking), or simply clear your head after a long day (every single walk). Science continues to back what our ancestors knew instinctively: consistent movement at a steady pace supports everything from cardiovascular fitness to mental clarity. Whether you’re chasing step counts on a smartwatch or taking ten mindful minutes outdoors, walking endures: not because it’s trendy, but because it works.

Here are seven ways to tailor a stroll to your goals, whether you're after weight loss, mental clarity, muscle tone or all of the above.

1. Rucking: turn a stroll into strength

All over the world, military fitness experts have a knack for turning a simple task, like walking, into something surprisingly tough, like rucking. Also known as tabbing or yomping in military vernacular, rucking is the deceptively simple act of walking with a weighted rucksack.

It delivers cardiovascular benefits and builds strength in your legs, glutes and back, and can be a worthy substitute to running or sprints. This Journal of Clinical Medicine study found that walking with a weighted load can improve muscle power and functional ability in the lower limbs by approximately 10%.

2. Power walking: Upping the intensity for cardio benefits

Power walking turns walking into a more purposeful, pace-driven exercise. By walking fast enough to elevate your heart rate into the aerobic zone—typically around 4–5.5 mph—you're not just covering ground, you're engaging your legs, glutes and core in a way that boosts cardio fitness, supports fat loss and improves posture.

Research from Harvard University indicates that faster walking produces greater health benefits when compared to slower paces. You can set a virtual pacer on a fitness watch (check out our best running watch and best fitness tracker lists here), which will alert you if you're walking too fast or too slow.

3. ‘Japanese walking’: a viral interval training technique transforming posture

If you prefer your exercise methodology dictated by what’s gone viral on social media, then take a second to explore ‘Japanese walking’. Otherwise known as ‘Nihon Aruki’, it’s a simple concept: alternate between three minutes of fast and three minutes of slow walking, ideally for 30 minutes at a time.

This moderately high-intensity, low-impact routine aims to boost your aerobic capacity while improving both physical elements, like gait and posture, and mental ones, such as mindfulness and a sense of calm.

4. Incline walking: Up the gradient and your calorie burn

All forms of walking are not made equally, incline walking especially so. However, that doesn’t mean it needs to be complicated. Almost any slope will do to get started with incline walking, and you can adjust your pace, load, intervals, and incline to target different muscles as you see fit.

If you’d rather use a treadmill, you’ll be able to adjust it to around five per cent, 10 per cent, and 15 percent inclines. Once you do so, this ACSM study confirmed that you’ll scorch through approximately double the calories when at 10 per cent, compared to the same speed on a flat surface.

5. Mindful walking: Boost mental health with movement

Give your steady-state exercise a more introspective edge with mindful walking. Rather than zoning out or rushing to hit a step count, this approach encourages you to tune into your breath, the rhythm of your stride, and the sensations around you. It’s a simple way to reduce stress, sharpen focus, and create a pocket of calm in an otherwise busy day.

To get started, slow your pace, put your phone away, and spend a few minutes noticing your surroundings with deliberate attention, gradually increasing from five minutes to longer walks as it begins to feel more natural.

6. Shorter walking intervals: mix speeds to supercharge stamina

By alternating bursts of faster walking with slower recovery periods, interval sessions help elevate your heart rate without tipping you into full-on running territory. It’s an efficient way to build endurance, burn more calories, and keep your sessions engaging. Start with 30–60 seconds of faster walking followed by an easy minute, then extend the intervals as your fitness improves.

7. The 12-3-30 workout: A viral treadmill trend that actually works

Try the 12-3-30 treadmill trend that actually works

This viral routine is as straightforward as it sounds: set the treadmill to a 12% incline, walk at 3 mph, and stick with it for 30 minutes. The steep gradient raises your heart rate quickly, strengthening your legs and glutes while delivering a solid low-impact cardio workout.

If you're new to it, begin with a lower incline or shorter duration and build up gradually.

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When it comes to the best fitness trackers, Garmin is up there due to comprehensive features like Health Status, which compiles five key metrics (heart rate, HRV, respiration, skin temp and pulse ox) for a brief window into your overall health. At present, you can only view one day at a time in the Garmin Connect app – but that could soon change.

According to a teardown of Garmin Connect 5.20 by Gadgets and Wearables, it appears as though the fitness tracking giant is preparing to expand Health Status’ capabilities beyond it’s one-day overview of key metrics. Soon, Garmin watch users could view data spanning days, and maybe even weeks, in a single view rather than cycling through each day's metrics.

Garmin launched its Health Status feature last year, which takes its five different metrics and compares them to your baseline, possibly detecting early signs of illness.

Only being able to view these metrics one day at a time means it’s difficult to see changes in your health history or view rolling summaries. It’s just one of Garmin’s minor fitness tracking setbacks, but an upgrade could be on the way.

In its teardown, Gadgets and Wearables came across backend support for a new ‘getSummaries’ function in Garmin Connect 5.20 with start and end dates. This would allow you to request multiple days’ worth of health metrics, presenting vital data in the style of a timeline – which would be a huge help for calendar views and keeping tabs on personal health trends over longer periods of time.

Additionally, the outlet also spotted evidence of a ‘healthStatusFormatter’, which implies that your data is being prepared to display your data somewhere in the Connect app user interface.

As per the report, Gadgets and Wearables share that this “usually signals that the data will be shown somewhere”, adding that formatters aren’t added “unless the end result is destined for the UI”. With that in mind, it could be that Garmin takes the diagram approach for presenting data.

Right now, Garmin hasn’t declared when or if these Health Status upgrades will roll out – it’s all still speculation – however, the recent evidence strongly suggests that it’s definitely on the way, regardless of how long it will take. As well as Health Status upgrades, Garmin has a new plan to improve your fitness using your food intake – just by using your phone’s camera.

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Choosing earbuds for a specific purpose can mean compromising: the best open earbuds can't do totally effective noise canceling because they don't sit in your ear canals, and the best noise-cancelling earbuds' transparency mode doesn't feel quite as real as the actual ambient sound you experience with open-ears.

Some people also find it a bit uncomfortable having earbuds in your ears for long periods. But a new pair of buds from Soundcore – Anker's audio and visual brand – may offer a no-compromise solution.

The Soundcore AeroFit 2 Pro earbuds are open-ears, but they have a five-level adjustable-angle ear hook that enables you to reposition the nozzle of the earbuds and bring it closer to the entrance of your ear. That delivers passive noise cancellation from the newly snug fit, and it means the earbuds can then use active noise cancellation more effectively to get rid of unwanted ambient audio.

Soundcore AeroFit Pro 2: key features

When you adjust the positioning of the earbuds, twin sensors in each earbud detect the change and recalibrate the EQ to suit the mode you're using – and according to Anker, that means a consistent sonic experience. And they're good for gym and outdoor use thanks to IP55 water and sweat resistance.

Anker describes the in-ear option as "semi-in-ear", a shallow open-ear design that sits close to your ear without shoving the earbud deep into your ear canal. The earbuds have version 3.0 of Soundcore's Adaptive ANC, which samples at up to 380,000 times per second and makes up to 180 dynamic adjustments per minute as the sound around you changes.

There are six microphones in total, designed to capture what's happening from multiple directions, and four voice mics to keep your voice clear in calls.

These earbuds should sound pretty good with decent low-end thump: they have 11.8mm custom drivers, support spatial audio with head tracking, and high-resolution audio via LDAC.

There are multiple color options – matte black, gloss white, matte purple and gloss blue – but only the black model will be available on the US launch on 6 January; the white and purple will be available later in the month and the blue model will be available shortly afterwards.

All four models have a US list price of $179.99 (about £134 / AU$269). International pricing and availability will be announced later.

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from wireless TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

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Think all the best smart scales are just about measuring your weight and giving you a couple of handy pointers? That’s not what Withings wants you to believe, as it’s dubbing its new Body Scan 2 device – unveiled this week at CES 2026 – “the world’s first science-backed longevity station.”

That all sounds pretty grand for a smart scale, so what has prompted the apparent upgrade? According to Withings, it comes down to a few things: the inclusion of over 60 different biomarkers for your health, plus personalized artificial intelligence (AI) integrations that give you tailored and actionable advice. The idea is that these will help improve your long-term health, hence the “longevity station” moniker.

Aside from its software, the Body Scan 2 has a set of eight electrodes in the base and a further four in its retractable handle. There’s an LCD screen that displays scan results, plus two buttons for answering personalized questions relating to your health. On the inside is a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 15 months on a single charge.

The Body Scan 2 starts by offering up a “90-second multimodal longevity assessment” that scans various metrics, including your heart pumping performance and electrical activity, hypertension risk, artery health, cellular health and metabolic efficiency, and your glycemic regulation. Withings says these tests have been chosen for their “predictive value on long-term health,” so taking action on them could help improve your health in the long run.

Once this scan has been completed, the device seeks to find reversible deviations from your health baselines. After that, it gives you actionable steps to tackle the problems and increase your wellbeing. That includes a Health Trajectory score, which Withings says “offers a clear view of long-term health” and aims to motivate you by showing you how changes you make now could improve your outlook for the future.

Withings vs Wyze

The Withings Body Scan 2 follows shortly after the similarly named Wyze BodyScan scale, which also came with a built-in handle for measuring extra health metrics.

However, at $599.95 (around £445 / AU$895), Withings’ offering costs significantly more than the $119.98 Wyze scale. At the same time, it comes with more built-in electrodes, can measure far more metrics, and comes with AI included, which the Wyze device does not.

Both devices give you a high-tech way to measure your wellbeing and make changes to your lifestyle. The Withings Body Scan 2’s focus incorporates more future-gazing features, though, so it might be one to consider if you want to adjust your lifestyle now in order to benefit your prospective self.

Withings says the Body Scan 2 will be released in Q2 2026 and will be available on Withings’ website, Amazon, and at “select retailers.” We’ll have to see how it compares to the competition when it releases and whether it has what it takes to top the smart scale charts.

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Anyone who takes a keen interest in their health and fitness knows that nutrition is a key piece of the puzzle, which is why the Garmin Connect app that runs on all the best Garmin smartwatches has just launched a way of measuring your food intake within the app itself.

According to an official press release (preceded by a leaked snippet of code discovered by Gadgets & Wareables), the latest Garmin Connect update will allow users to "track their calories and macros (proteins, fats and carbs) and receive Active Intelligence insights to help them achieve their nutrition goals". This is designed to create a more "holistic" view of your overall health and fitness, adding nutrition data to your activity and recovery information to create one large wellness dataset.

Garmin will let you enter your meal info directly in the app, including the ability to scan barcodes and snap a quick picture of your food with your phone's camera, MyFitnessPal-style. Garmin is using a new global database to search photos and barcodes, using AI-powered image recognition to log home-cooked, store-bought and restaurant meals.

However, there's a catch: it's only for users of the app's Garmin Connect+ premium tier, which is bound to be a controversial decision given the tier's negative reception after it was launched last year.

Once uploaded, Garmin's Active Intelligence AI model will tprovide guidance and advice based on – or relating to – your food and liquid intake. THe press release was vague on this, but code snippets found by Gadgets & Wearables include “hot conditions can increase hydration needs, so stay on top of fluids and keep carbs steady” and “You’ll need a lot of carbs for this ride, so practice your fueling strategy well before race day.”

Gadgets & Wareables points out that the messages refer to ride durations, weather conditions and hydration targets, and that when these factors are combined with user data like sweat rate and acclimation, you might be able to get dynamic, personalized recommendations rather than simple one-size-fits-all targets.

You'll get quick nutrition insights on your watch, and a full breakdown on Garmin Connect's Performance tab. Some voice-enabled watches like the Garmin Venu 4 will be able to quickly log foods using voice commands, although it's not clear how the feature will work yet.

There’s no indication of when this nutrition feature might make its debut, and Garmin hasn’t publicly stated a release date. We assume it's rolling out now, and will update this article if we hear differently.

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A perpetual embarrassment of mine is that I can't touch my toes with straight legs. By all accounts, I should be able to do this. I've been practicing yoga regularly for over a decade now. Every time I have a new teacher, I can see them trying to figure out what level I'm at – how it could possibly be that I know all the poses yet cannot do a simple forward bend without crumpling myself up completely. Instruction from the best fitness apps, metrics from smartwatches... none of it's done me any good.

So when the callout for Get Fit for '26 challenges went out, I decided it was time to get serious about fixing the situation. I'd stretch, religiously, every day for a full month, and see were that got me. If, after 30 days of stretching I hadn't made progress, I'd wave goodbye to my toe-touching dreams forever.

The stretches

I decided that to make it more likely I'd stick to the challenge, I would keep the stretches relatively simple. There are plenty of stretching routines out there aimed at tackling this particular issue, but here's what I chose to do:

Lie with feet up a wall (10 mins)

Forward bend with legs wide apart (x10)

Forward bend with legs medium-distance apart (x10)

Forward bend with legs hip width-distance apart (x10)

Leg raises (x10 per side)

Bonus: Single leg deadlifts (x10 per side)

The whole thing took about 15 minutes per day in total.

Diary highlights

1 Dec (day 1)

The challenge begins. It's Cyber Monday, which it must be said is not the quietest time of the year for me. I'm working from home on shift hours, starting late and working into the evening, but I dutifully complete my stretch sequence during my 'lunch' break at 7.30pm.

I'd chosen the feet-up-a-wall stretch because a yoga teacher had once suggested I try passive stretches like this. I suspect for most people this isn't really a 'stretch', but for me it hurts a surprising amount, and by the end of the 10 minutes I have pins and needles in my feet.

2 Dec (day 2)

I'm up at 5.30am to catch an early train to London for an interview at the US Embassy to get a Journalist Visa, followed by two video recordings for TechRadar's YouTube channel and a late train home (did I mention this was not a quiet time of year?). All of this to say – I do not remember my stretches today. Not a great start.

5 Dec (day 5)

I've got myself into a good habit of doing my stretches around lunchtime, which is fine when I'm working from home but will be less feasible in the office... at least, unless I can find an extremely private corner.

Warming up makes a big difference. On my first forward fold I feel stiff, even though with wide legs, it should be quite easy. After I've done a few I loosen up considerably.

6 Dec (day 6)

I'm visiting family, but such is my commitment to the challenge that I find a quiet moment and go and lie staring and the cobwebby underside of a dresser while others prepare lunch. Someone suggests I have been doing the forward bends too quickly. I slow these down and they become much more painful.

9 Dec (day 9)

After a HIIT class and short treadmill run, I bite the bullet and self-consciously start my stretching on the gym floor. My legs are very stiff and the passive stretch is very painful. That makes sense after cardio, and it does feel like it's doing me good. I focus on tilting my hips so my bum is pushing into the floor more, and flexing my feet to intensify the stretch.

At this point I realize I'm over a week in (granted, I've missed a couple of days) and don't feel like I've made any noticeable progress. What if I'm not successful?

14 Dec (day 14)

Half-way through the challenge. I record the timelapse featured above and take some progress shots. I can now touch my toes – just about – at the end of the stretching sequence.

16 Dec (day 16)

I'm back at my parents' house, and it's surprisingly difficult to find a wall to stretch on – especially working around decorations and avoiding drafty corners or flagstone floors (there are limits to my commitment). I spend a lot of the passive stretch period fielding questions from my dad, although he quietens down when I suggest he join in.

17 Dec (day 17)

Stretching session after a circuits class. It's humbling to simply lie on the floor of the gym while everyone around me is pumping weights. Also rather embarrassing to leave a sweat angel on the floor (I deploy some cleaner spray like a good gym citizen).

20 Dec (day 20)

One of many late-night stretch sessions crammed in amongst the festive madness. Again I wonder the wisdom of choosing this time of year to do this challenge – long, quiet January might have been a better choice. Although perhaps I will inspire others to start their own challenge in January?

22 Dec (day 22)

I embark on an early morning yoga session, starting 7.30am. I am stunned at just how inflexible I am first thing in the morning. I can barely reach to mid-shin during my sun salutations.

28 Dec (day 28)

Another missed day, and at this point I've given up on forming any kind of routine. Ideally I'd stretch first thing in the morning every day. Unfortunately, a) Lying down directly after waking up feels like a recipe for dropping off again. b) It's cold at that time of day and c) I am wildly inflexible first thing.

31 Dec (day 31)

It's the final day of the challenge. You can scroll down to read the stretching results. I've missed a total of 6 days out of the 31, and to be honest I'm not too disappointed at that. December has been a busy month for me, with plenty of disruptions to my regular routine and lots of visits to people's houses making things tricky. Not to mention the impact that festive decorations has had on available wall space.

The results

On day 31, I can touch my toes with my knees locked out, without any kind of prior stretching. In fact, I can just about touch the floor. With some warming up, it's even better – I can reach the floor comfortably. A passive stretch makes the most notable difference.

I'm not quite as flexible as I was hoping to be – my back is still arched awkwardly and I still can't get close to my toes first thing in the morning, when my muscles haven't had any chance to warm up. Oh, and it all still feels really uncomfortable. But I'm miles ahead of where I was at the start of the month, and there is finger-toe contact where there was none before, so I'm counting it as a success!

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For a long time now, I’ve been interested in the effects of regular cold exposure. I once attended a Wim Hof class, in which we bathed in a tidal lagoon after a 13-kilometer trail run across sand dunes, and during a visit to Helsinki, I leaped into the Baltic Sea after emerging sweating from a sauna, immersing myself in the freezing, wild cold.

As TechRadar’s senior fitness editor, I have the dubious privilege of trying to parse through an endless procession of tech-infused wellness fads into my inbox. Some of them (vagus nerve stimulation, red light therapy gadgets, and so on) are more valid than others (those Ronaldo-sponsored electric muscle belts that are supposed to give you six-pack abs), so I approach a lot of it with a healthy pinch of salt.

But cold water immersion is one piece of wellness-woowoo I’m fully on board with. I record a lot of data on the best smartwatches and best smart rings, and I usually see better sleep scores on days when I’ve stuck to my routines of stretching, cold water exposure, and breathing exercises.

Unfortunately, I’ve lived in some very landlocked cities with some very dirty rivers, so outdoor plunging is out, and I haven’t yet had the space to set up an outdoor cold-water plunge barrel. Therefore, I’ve been turning to cold showers for my fix. Under the blast of frigid water, my adrenaline kicks in, and I start my day with a bang. That post-shower sip of hot coffee tastes all the better, too.

Cold shower benefits

There’s plenty of science that supports – without quite confirming – the idea of cold water being good for your mind and body. Research published in the Journal of Thermal Biology found that after taking cold showers for 90 days, participants’ immune systems showed ‘significant’ response compared to a control group. The researchers wrote that “This accessible, sustainable lifestyle modification could potentially serve as an alternative therapy to boost immunity.”

Another study published in the North American Journal of Medical Science found that cold water showers could be an accessible way to alleviate symptoms of depression. Cold water also reduces inflammation, potentially aiding in muscle soreness relief and decreasing post-workout recovery times. Improved blood circulation is also a purported benefit.

Cold showers have advantages and disadvantages over a total-body cold plunge. The main advantage is just how convenient it is: no filling up the bathtub, no driving to a local wild swimming spot, and no purchase of a full-body-sized plunge tank for the garden. In, 90 seconds, out.

One of the chief disadvantages is that it’s a very different experience in that, rather than sitting in a tub of cold water, you’re constantly being shot with frigid water in certain spots, so you have to move around to get the full experience. It’s a less pleasant experience than a plunge, and on cold December mornings, I find myself chickening out more often than not. It takes willpower to turn that tap.

Where does James Bond come into this?

Pay attention, 007. In the original James Bond novels by Ian Fleming, the character of Bond likes his cold showers. In Casino Royale, it’s mentioned no less than four times. However, on some occasions in the books, Bond starts with a hot shower or bath, then turns the water cold.

Bond is a cold, unfeeling, blunt instrument who wants to be on top of his game, so he takes cold showers. However, Bond also likes his luxuries: Vesper martinis, champagne, Savile Row suits, Rolex watches, and hot showers.

A hot shower is a lot more pleasant to get into than a cold one; the heat is relaxing, and it can also open up your pores, allowing for a deeper clean and better exfoliation. If nothing else, Bond likes to look his best. The transition to cold is a little like a (presumably less-effective) version of the Scandi sauna-sea cycle I described undergoing at the top of the article.

It’s also a lot easier to face getting into a hot shower on a winter morning than it is getting into a cold one; therefore, I’ve been using the “James Bond shower” (a 60-90 second blast of ice-cold water after my regular temp shower) to get my fix. It makes it easier to stick to my cold exposure routine, and after a workout, it has the added benefit of bringing my body temperature down so I don’t sweat through my clothes after I change.

Try it: next time you’re done showering, look at the dial, turn it to the coldest setting, and count to 60. You never know, you might make it a lifetime’s habit.

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After a phoenix-like rise from ashes in 2024, Pebble continues to soar back into the smartwatch space with an all-new Pebble Round 2.

If that name sounds familiar, it's because the new wearable arrives a decade after the original underwhelming Pebble Time Round. Instead of a lackluster rehash, the Pebble Round 2, from Pebble platform savior Core Devices, appears to fix virtually all its predecessor's shortcomings.

The Pebble Round 2, which will be shown at CES 2026 but will not ship until May, features a color e-paper display and an edge-to-edge 1.3-inch screen. Put another way, the screen's face is significantly larger than the original Round's, which had a massive, inert bezel.

The other major update is the battery life. Pebble is rating the new Round at up to seven days of battery life. The Pebble Time Round was rated for just a couple of days. Core Devices achieved this without significantly increasing the watch's thickness. The Pebble Round 2 is 8.1mm thick, which is just slightly thicker than the Pebble Time Round.

It's even cheaper than the Pebble Time Round, priced at $199 compared with the Pebble Time Round's $249.

The Pebble Round 2 is also a very much a wearable of its time, tracking steps and sleep, and including both an accelerometer and a magnetometer. It even has a touch screen, though Pebble says you're free to ignore it. There's even water resistance (though the level of protection, listed as "30m target," is currently unclear).

The new Pebble Round 2 joins the Pebble Time 2 (square and featuring another large e-paper display) and the still-fresh Pebble Index 01, a smart ring that has no interest in your health but can be the bit of on-your-finger short-term memory keeper you were missing (it can record short voice notes).

The growing stable of wearables lends credence to the impression that the open-source Pebble platform is shifting from survival to growth mode. For more than a decade, it's been held aloft by long-held adoration among a small contingent of Pebble fans (I'm one of them). For a period, the focus was on software updates to support the original Pebble watches.

Open source remains at the heart of Core Devices' efforts, but the reported 15,000 apps and "thousands of Watch Faces" now have new homes, including this latest watch, which is now on pre-order and should arrive in May.

Color options on the stainless steel frame will include matte black, brushed silver, and polished rose gold. Unlike many of today's best smartwatches, the Pebble Round 2 will support both iOS and Android.

Will the second Round be a knockout for Pebble? It's too soon to say, but Core Devices promises that all images provided are of real, working Pebble Round 2 models, and we will be seeing them in person at CES 2026.

That will be our first chance to determine whether Core Devices has truly fixed all of the original Round's problems and created a smartwatch alternative at least as compelling as an Apple Watch or a Samsung Galaxy Watch.

TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2026 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

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