HOW WE TESTED
WIRED took to the pool at the London Aquatics Centre wearing all four devices - two watches and two button-style fitness trackers. After 20 lengths of the 50-metre pool, the accuracy of data, including number of lengths, pace and stroke count, was compared.
To try to confuse the kit, WIRED changed stroke (nothing to do with tired arms, honest) and swam ten lengths front crawl, five breaststroke and five backstroke. Each device was also rated according to ease of use during exercise, comfort and app features where applicable.
The multi-sport MOOV NOW monitors your movements and offers live coaching to improve performance - whether you're boxing, running, cycling or swimming.
Admittedly, without a screen there's no instant feedback during your swim, but the accompanying app is worth logging in to after.
It offers a detailed breakdown of every length, type of stoke, average and specific pace, turn time, even suggestions on how WIRED could save time on our freestyle turns. Impossibly good value given the amount of data collected, the genuinely helpful feedback and its versatility across types of activity. 8/10*£45*
Lengths recorded 20 Distance 1,000 metres Stroke per length 32
It's attractive and super-light - although we'd stop short of calling it fashionable - and if your main sport is swimming, this is unbeatable. Comfortable, easy to use with a bright screen, even underwater, it tracks everything effortlessly.
Just push the blue button and it monitors lengths, strokes per minute, stroke type, calories, strokes per length, time, distance and SWOLF (see below). Unlike the PoolMate 2 it can't track open swims, but the menu is easier to navigate. 8/10 £104.99
Lengths recorded 20 Distance 1,000 metres Stroke per length 40
Here, the standard Misfit Shine - a popular and stylish sleep and activity tracker - has been updated by Speedo to track lengths and distance in the water. Set the pool length before diving in and it will track your distance as accurately as the rest of the devices on this page.
But given the swim-specific branding, WIRED expected more beyond simple stats. With no immediate feedback and the MOOV offering more detailed data, we can't recommend the Shine to a serious swimmer. 5/10 £60
Lengths recorded 20 Distance 1,000m Stroke per length n/a
Without an app or wireless uploading of any sort, the PoolMate 2 is more like a ruggedised sports watch than a hi-tech wearable - but it does a solid job, despite it being resolutely old-school. It tracks virtually everything a swimmer might need - laps, strokes, distance, speed, efficiency, duration, sets, rest time and calories - and it can be calibrated to your stroke length to work with open-water swimming.
The menu system is a touch rudimentary and it suffers for not having an app for deeper analysis, but it can store 50 swims for data comparisons and is water resistant to 50 metres. 7/10 £70
Lengths recorded 20 Distance 1,000 metres Stroke per length 32
The most vital data for serious swimmers is a mash-up of swim and golf terminology. SWOLF - available on the Garmin Swim - combines the time for one length, plus the number of strokes it took to complete it. So, if you take 30 seconds and ten strokes to swim the length of a pool, your SWOLF score will be 40. And just as with golf, the aim is to improve your game by lowering your score.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
