Review: withings Steel HR, The hybrid smartwatch you’ll want to wear

The problem with just about all smartwatches is that if you’re seeking a genuine analogue look, there’s very little choice. There are plenty that mimic the look in a digital form, but what about some real clock hands and an actual watch face?

The brand ‘withings’ (with a lowercase w) has been working on just exactly that for a while now, I’ve just spent a few weeks wearing its Steel HR model.

This is a health tracker watch I was actually happy to wear, simply because it looks great. Sometimes you come across something that is a nice departure from current trends, this is a prime example and stands out from the FitBit and Apple Watch crowd.

As you’d expect there’s an app called Health Mate for iOS and Android devices required to use the watch. It tracks a surprising amount of data including the usual info such as heart rate, steps and sleep time. It can even receive smartphone notifications. The Steel HR model is made with stainless steel and sports a variety of bands and attractive black or white faces.

The battery life of this hybrid watch is outstanding, lasting up to 25 days. Obviously, this is because the watch is not graphically rich, but that’s the point, right?

With multisport tracking you can go for a dunk with water resistance up to 50 metres, plus GPS tracking will accurately keep track of just how far you’ve pushed yourself. So be it walking, running, swimming or sleeping it’s all recorded. You will need to carry your phone with you for the GPS to work via Bluetooth.

There’s just one button on the watch with a short push of the crown allowing you to cycle through the small OLED screen and various menus. Bringing up a digital readout of the time, date, heart rate, steps and more is as simple as that. A long press will activate multisport mode. 

When it does come to charging a dock or cradle with a USB plug is supplied.

Sometimes it’s nice to just get back to a classical look, while still having buzzing notifications and health readings discreetly hidden away. I’m actually a huge fan. There are various deals online but scoring one for around $279.00 is the sweet spot.

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