I’ve been writing about fitness for almost a decade: here are three gadgets I can’t live without
When 2025 rolls around, I’ll have been a professional fitness writer for ten years and a professional technology writer for five years. In my long career as a fitness and fitness technology writer, I’ve tried almost every category of workout equipment and health-based technology you can think of.
I really mean it.
I’ve tried all kinds of gadgets in the name of a review, from smart glucose meters that require needles in your arms to smart sleep masks that play soothing sounds. I’ve tried intelligent insoles that slide into your shoes to tell you about your gait, and AI-powered cameras that help you train with dumbbells.
Smart training mirrors? Smart rings? Peloton lessons? Electrostimulation to improve muscle tone? Bone conduction headphone technology? All boxes checked.
It’s a far cry from rating the best fitness trackers and best running shoes on the market. At that time, of all the gadgets I tested, there are only a handful of pieces of hardware that I actually use regularly in my personal life.
It almost says a lot about the state of the industry that every piece of wellness technology is marketed as a game-changer, a problem-solver, yet I keep coming back to the same old pieces of gear. As someone with unfettered access to all the stuff in TechRadar towers, that says a lot. So, without further ado, I’ve listed below the one pieces of technology that I come back to again and again.
Bone conduction headphones: Shokz OpenRun
Whether you’re running, cycling or doing any form of exercise outdoors, it pays to be aware of your surroundings.
I’ve been using Shokz OpenRun for years as a way to listen to music or podcasts broadcast from my phone while running, without sacrificing situational awareness. Technically you could do the same thing with AirPods or other workout headphones using the HearThrough or Conversation modes, but the best bone conduction headphones are built to leave your ears clear.
Even though the OpenRun Pro is more expensive, charges faster, and offers longer life, I still use the original OpenRun and haven’t experienced any battery issues even after all this time.
They are comfortable to wear for long periods of time and during very long runs I also call my wife or family to break the monotony and they can hear me just fine.
These are the headphones that got me through two marathons in two consecutive years.
In-ear headphones: Jabra Elite 8 Active
In my marathon off-season, I like to hit the gym to regain the muscle mass I lose when running takes over my life.
This is where a lot of the stuff I can use falls down: for example, even the best smart rings are at risk of being scratched and damaged when I lift weights, so I use a watch instead.
The same goes for bone conduction headphones: while I like being able to hear my surroundings outside, in a commercial gym you need headphones to block out the gym music and noise from other gym-goers so you can focus on your own workouts.
I used a cheap pair of Anker Soundcare P20s for this, but when they finally died I switched to a pair of Jabra Elite 8 Active, the best workout headphones on the market today, and haven’t looked back.
They’re comfortable, sturdy, completely waterproof (at least they survived a glass of water), and have active noise cancellation that I can turn on and off if I need to ask a co-worker a question, or another lifter if I can work in. Easy to set up, easy to use, tough as nails and long lasting.
Smartwatch: Garmin Epix Pro
I really want to recommend the Apple Watch Ultra 2 here because it’s functionally fantastic, but the short battery life on smartwatches continues to be a frustration for me.
The Garmin Epix Pro has lasted ages and has the running tool I use most: route creation. For walkers, runners and cyclists who don’t yet plan routes with Garmin Connect and follow the directions on their watch, this is a game changer. It’s the one smartwatch feature that has made the most difference in my training.
I also like big, chunky watches and don’t like having to charge watches often, so the Fenix range (including the Epix Pro) fits the bill well. While I know some people find smartwatches uncomfortable to wear to bed, I don’t mind at all.
And while I don’t use my smartwatch to formally track sets and reps at the gym, it doesn’t get in the way of my weight-based workouts in the same way a smart ring does, so it’s passively tracking activity and calorie consumption in the background and include it in my recovery statistics.
