What to wear post-Prime Day — smartwatch or fitness tracker?

Now that Prime Day is coming to a close, it’s time to make some tough calls when narrowing down your smart wearable purchase options. For the past two days, we’ve been tracking the best Android smartwatch Prime Day deals, and we’ve also been following the best fitness tracker deals as well. But what if you can’t decide which type of wearable you want on your wrist? Well, here are a few pros and cons of each type of device to help you make your decision.

You might want a smartwatch if:

You want to be able to triage and respond to notifications and messages easily.
You need built-in GPS or LTE for exercises and emergencies.
You want a more traditional looking device that can be customized to suit your outfit or mood.
You need a larger display to read from.

You might want a fitness tracker if:

You want some basic smart capabilities but aren’t comfortable with complexity.
You have smaller wrists or prefer a smaller device on your wrist.
You have a tighter budget.
You want longer battery life.

These are just a few of the quick-hit reasons why you might prefer one type of device over the other. We have more extensive explanations of each point in the links below. Whichever category of wearable you prefer, however, there are still great deals to be had in the last hours of Prime Day 2021.

Best Prime Day smartwatch deals

Even after you’ve made the decision to buy a smartwatch instead of a fitness tracker, you still have several decisions to make. Indeed, when it comes to choosing the best Android smartwatch, there are a lot of things to consider. What operating system do you want your watch to run? Do you plan to exercise with it or not? How much are you looking to spend?

The three smartwatches we’ve picked below are some of the best available from top brands like Samsung, Garmin, and Fitbit. They all work on Android and iOS, and they’re all under $200 during Prime Day.

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 | $103 off at Amazon

The Galaxy Watch Active 2 has been one of our favorite smartwatches ever since it was released in 2019. It has an attractive build that doesn’t overwhelm your wrist, and Samsung’s software is easy to use and powerful. Plus, it’s also a great fitness watch.

$167 at Amazon

Garmin Forerunner 45 | $60 off at Amazon

The Forerunner 45 is the perfect entry-level smartwatch for runners, cyclists, or general fitness enthusiasts. It has a bright, easy-to-read screen, fantastic battery life, and buttons that are easy to push when your hands are all sweaty from a workout. It’s everything you need and nothing you don’t.

$140 at Amazon

Fitbit Sense | $101 off at Amazon

The top-of-the-line Fitbit Sense packs a ton of health and fitness features into the most premium-looking smartwatch this side of an Apple Watch. Unlink an Apple Watch though, this works fantastically well on Android, and it’s at its lowest price ever.

$199 at Amazon

Best Prime Day fitness tracker deals

As great as smartwatches are, they’re not for everyone. There are plenty of good reasons to buy a fitness tracker over a smartwatch, including price, style, and comfort. The three bands below rank high on our list of the best fitness trackers available, and they’re all on sale for Prime Day.

Fitbit Charge 4 | $50 off at Amazon

The Charge 4 is Fitbit’s most advanced tracker, and right now, you can get one for just shy of $100. It features built-in GPS and NFC for contactless payments. This means that you don’t have to bring your phone along the next time you want to go for a long walk or run. It also has solid battery life, lasting up to a full week on a charge (pun intended).

$100 at Amazon

Fitbit Inspire 2 | $43 off at Amazon

If you like the idea of a Fitbit tracker but want something a bit sleeker, then the Inspire 2 is the band for you. It doesn’t have built-in GPS or NFC, but it can do just about everything else the Charge 4 can, plus it has a few special tricks up its sleeve. It has the longest-lasting battery in any Fitbit wearable, and you can use the Tile tracker app to locate your lost device. You can even take off the bands and put the Inspire in a belt clip to wear like a traditional pedometer.

$57 at Amazon

Xiaomi Mi Band 6 | $7 off at Amazon

For the same price as the Fitbit Inspire 2, you can get the latest tracker from Xiaomi, featuring a color AMOLED display and whopping 15-day battery life! This tracker also works on both Android and iOS, so it’s a perfect gift for just about anyone in your life.