Final weekend, I strapped on 5 health smartwatches, drove to Mount Diablo State Park in California, and hiked about 2,100 ft to the summit. Why? To make a decision which smartwatch emblem — Apple, COROS, Garmin, Polar, or Samsung — used to be maximum correct for monitoring elevation.
Maximum high-end smartwatches recreation a barometric altimeter to pass judgement on your elevation acquire all over out of doors exercises. Altimeters use air force adjustments to calculate elevation adjustments in coordination with GPS information. However some are extra correct than others, and maximum manufacturers do not help you calibrate your beginning place manually.Â
I have sought after to check this for a while, ever since my experiment remaining yr once I wore six smartwatches for six,000 steps to look which got here closest to the actual quantity. Since then, I have additionally accomplished a number of multi-watch GPS accuracy assessments for evaluations, however those have all been two-dimensional assessments: I have by no means recognized how correct my watch is when it tells me I have climbed X ft or Y flights of stairs.Â
For my take a look at, I selected 3 watches I have already reviewed — the COROS PACE 3, Garmin Forerunner 965, and Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Vintage — along side two I am recently reviewing, the Apple Watch Extremely 2 and Polar Vantage V3.Â
Apologies to the hikers with favourite manufacturers I did not convey alongside; my palms, thin as they’re, solely have such a lot room. Charging and becoming on 5 watches used to be greater than sufficient to regulate, and so they were given me quite a few aspect glances at the path because it used to be.Â
Plus, a few of my favourite wearables (just like the Fitbit Fee 6) do not have altimeters in any respect, that means they are able to’t be depended on for elevation information, apart from GPS estimates.Â
Fortunately, you’ll be able to simply take a look at your individual smartwatch’s accuracy if you need!
Merely make a selection a hike on a web page like Alltrails, such because the Mount Diablo by means of Summit Path hike, and be aware the minimal and most elevation, along side general elevation acquire. Then, hike it your self and evaluate your watch’s effects to the truth.Â
The desk underneath displays the result of my smartwatch elevation accuracy take a look at:
| Tool title | Beginning elevation | Max elevation | Overall elevation acquire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Precise GPS information (AllTrails) | 1,770 ft | 3,849 ft | 2,139 ft |
| Apple Watch Extremely 2 | 1,779 ft | 3,873 ft | 2,147 ft |
| COROS PACE 3 | 1,736 ft | 3,825 ft | 2,231 ft |
| Garmin Forerunner 965 | 1,761 ft | 3,841 ft | 2,231 ft |
| Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Vintage | 1,509 ft | 3,606 ft | 2,026 ft |
Word: You most likely spotted a lacking information row. That is as a result of someday at the approach down Mt. Diablo, my Polar Vantage V3 crashed, appearing an unending loop of the Polar brand, then manufacturing unit reset itself when I were given house. The Polar subreddit displays people have had an identical problems up to now.Â
Thankfully, I snapped a photograph close to the height appearing my elevation (3,729 ft) and general acquire (2,018 ft) on the time. Upload any other 100 ft or so of mountain climbing, and the Vantage V3 used to be almost definitely slightly as regards to what my different watches confirmed; I simply can’t give actual information, particularly with out the beginning elevation. I am truly dissatisfied that this glitch tousled my take a look at!
Figuring out the ‘perfect’ smartwatch altimeter
We’ve got 3 metrics to assist pass judgement on which smartwatch is perfect for elevation accuracy. Let’s get started with minimal elevation, which is the preliminary auto-calibrated consequence the smartwatch makes whilst you get started a exercise.Â
Garmin and Apple miraculously tied right here, each 9 ft off. COROS used to be 34 ft quick, or 25 worse than Garmin, however that is not anything in comparison to Samsung’s consequence, which fell 261 ft quick.Â
Taking a look subsequent at max elevation, Garmin fell 8 ft in need of the reliable summit quantity. Mainly, although Garmin used to be off through a couple of yards each and every time, the space between the minimal and most (2,080 ft) used to be simply one foot other from the reliable information (2,079 ft).
COROS’ max consequence, 3,825 ft, used to be 24 ft quick; once more, although, for those who take a look at the overall distinction (2,089 ft), that is simply 10 ft off the satellite tv for pc information, which maximum hikers will fortuitously settle for.Â
Apple’s max-elevation information had me floating about 24 ft above Mt. Diablo, and its general distinction (2,094) is 15 ft above. Bearing in mind the entire smarts you get with an Apple Watch Extremely 2 in comparison to maximum health smartwatches, that is a minor discrepancy that watchOS lovers almost definitely may not thoughts.Â
It’s essential to additionally name the Galaxy Watch 6 Vintage’s general elevation distinction (2,097 ft) completely decent, however the max elevation used to be simply as absurdly in need of the mark because the minimal elevation. Samsung had an Alti-Barometer app at the Galaxy Retailer that will have mounted this, nevertheless it used to be designed for Tizen OS and does not paintings correctly with Put on OS.Â
Finally, we will be able to take a look at general elevation acquire, which (to elucidate) isn’t like the subtracted sums above since you acquire further elevation on every occasion the path is going up and down.Â
In the beginning look, the Apple Watch Extremely 2 overwhelmed this metric, solely overreporting through 8 ft. The issue is that I did move up and down the steps on the summit a few instances, in addition to took some aspect paths with mini-hills that added pointless ups and downs.Â
So although the Garmin Forerunner 965 and COROS PACE 3 each measured an additional 92 ft of mountain climbing, I ponder whether my precise consequence used to be someplace in between those two and the Extremely 2. The truth that they each had the very same consequence used to be any other marvel.Â
The advantage of the newest Garmin Forerunner watches, the PACE 3, and the Apple Watch Extremely 2 is that all of them have dual-band GPS monitoring. If the mountain you are mountain climbing is obstructing the road of sight to the closest GPS satellite tv for pc, they are able to use any other satellite tv for pc to calibrate your place. And because watches use GPS to enhance altimeter effects, that implies you are very prone to get one thing shut to a correct consequence.Â
In case you are the usage of a GPS-only watch just like the Galaxy Watch 6 Vintage, your elevation effects may just finally end up extra of a crapshoot regardless of the integrated altimeter. The improper beginning elevation won’t topic from a realistic perspective, however the truth that it underreported my elevation acquire through a minimum of 100 ft is much less forgivable.Â
I hope that Samsung will repair its health problems in 2024 and that the Galaxy Watch 7 Professional is extra devoted. Within the interim, although, I am truly proud of how Garmin, COROS, and Apple carried out in my take a look at. Garmin gained for explicit elevation numbers, Apple gained (possibly) for elevation acquire, and COROS got here shut on each counts.Â
Slightly than rooting for one transparent winner, I would like as many manufacturers as imaginable to come up with correct effects so hikers and cyclists have a wealth of alternatives.Â
If you are recently at the hunt for a brand new smartwatch, motorbike pc, or hand-held GPS, my advice is that you do not take it as a right that an altimeter within the specifications sheet is a positive signal of reliability. Stay your receipt, take your new be careful at the path ASAP, and just remember to get effects which might be rather correct.Â
