Should you buy the Fossil Hybrid HR or the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR?

Fossil Hybrid HR vs. Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR From the same family

There’s no shortage of options when it comes to choosing the best Android smartwatch. Two solid options worth considering are the Fossil Hybrid HR and the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR. While a hybrid may not be the first thing that comes to mind when buying a smartwatch, you may want to think twice about that. If you want to enjoy some of the perks of owning a smartwatch while still having a stunning accessory on your wrist, you might be the perfect candidate for a hybrid smartwatch.

As you may know, many brands operate under Fossil, which includes Skagen. Therefore, you shouldn’t be too surprised by the strikingly similar designs and features on these two models. They’re even the same price, so your main decision will come down to which design you prefer. With all of this in mind, neither of these models will provide a full-blown smartwatch experience, so it’s important to be sure that a hybrid will fulfill your needs.

The Fossil Hybrid HR offers an improved design

The new Fossil Hybrid HR models offer more variety in their designs. You’ll get a luxurious stainless steel case that’s available in 38mm or 42mm, depending on the model you buy. In classic Fossil fashion, there’s a multitude of colors and finishes to pick from, including rose gold, gold, and silver. Each model is compatible with interchangeable bands, so you always have the option of switching up your look.

An important note about these hybrids: there’s no touchscreen. Instead, you have a basic E-Ink display, which contributes to the impressive 2-week battery life. The display has a backlight that can be activated by tapping the screen twice. When you flick your wrist, the watch hands will move out of the way so you can read what’s on the display.

You’ll need to rely on the three physical side buttons for navigating the menus on the Fossil Hybrid HR. While they are primarily known as shortcut buttons, you can also use them to find your way around the watch, so to speak. It’s helpful, but don’t get too excited. It’s not nearly as fluid or smooth as it should be, which is disappointing for being the only on-watch navigation option.

At first glance, a hybrid smartwatch looks like any ordinary analog watch. Look closer, and you’ll see there are different sets of information on the screen. These are totally customizable to your preference, but you can see data such as steps, weather, heart rate, today’s date, and so on.

As far as activity tracking goes, the Fossil Hybrid HR does a decent job of handling the basics. You’ll find a handful of activity modes for running, treadmill running, weights, elliptical, and a general exercise option. After you’ve selected your preferred activity, you’ll see the watch hands move around the screen and start tracking your progress. You can view your real-time stats at the top and the bottom of the display.

If you’re searching for a robust fitness smartwatch, you’ll be left wanting more. It’s not exactly easy to see those real-time metrics on a rather small E-Ink display. Additionally, if you want to track your route during an activity, you’ll need to connect to your phone’s GPS.

The Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR hits a home run

The Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR is one of the newest hybrid smartwatches on the market and a first for the Skagen brand. Given how similar the two models are, it’ll be difficult not to get repetitive here. The Skagen models are also available in 38mm and 42mm stainless steel cases. You have various color choices, including rose gold, silver, and black. You also get interchangeable bands with each of these models.

Another similarity is the E-Ink display with the convenient backlight that can be activated by tapping the watch face twice. Again, your battery can last for 2 weeks thanks to this innovative display. You also have the ability to flick your wrist so that the hands move out of the way. Whether you’re reading an incoming notification or glancing at your heart rate, this is a helpful feature. The three side buttons are also your main source of navigation.

There are different watch face options, or you can always create your own. The new Skagen Hybrid Smartwatch app lets you add more complications. Not to mention that you can really get creative and add your own photos to the watch face. The default watch face options are pretty bare, so it’s nice that you can create your own.

We can’t forget to address the activity tracking. In addition to tracking your daily steps, calories, heart rate, and sleep, you also have dedicated activity modes. On the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR, the activity modes include running, cycling, hiking, walking, treadmill, elliptical, weights, row machine, spinning, and a general workout option. This watch also offers automatic workout detection for running, cycling, walking, and row machine.

Fossil Hybrid HR vs. Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR Which should you buy?

To reiterate, a hybrid smartwatch is not a full-on smartwatch by any means. This is a wearable for those who want the bare minimum when it comes to smartwatch features. If you’re looking for premium perks such as LTE connectivity, onboard GPS, mobile payments, and music storage, you’ll want to keep searching.

Hybrid lovers are about the design aspect more than anything else. Fortunately, both the Fossil Hybrid HR and the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR deliver in this key area above all else. Both of them offer two size options, heart-rate monitoring, activity/health tracking, 3 ATM water resistance, music controls, and smartphone notifications.

If you prefer one brand over the other, that may be enough to make your choice. Remember that the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR offers a few more activity modes than the Fossil Hybrid HR, as well as automatic workout detection. Fitness enthusiasts may very well prefer the Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR for this reason. They’re also available at the same starting price, so all you have to do is decide which design and overall experience are best suited to your needs.

Skagen’s first hybrid

Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR

Off to a good start

$195 at Skagen

The Skagen Jorn Hybrid HR is practically identical to the Fossil Hybrid HR in many ways. You’ll have similar designs and features, but the Skagen offers automatic workout detection, which we have yet to see on the Fossil.

Fossil’s refined hybrid

Fossil Hybrid HR

A lovely follow-up

$195 at Amazon
$195 at Walmart

The Fossil Hybrid HR is back with new designs that cater to a wide range of users. Don’t expect any groundbreaking changes to the software or the wearable experience because they’re pretty much the same.