I don't need a *really* smart watch, just a kinda smart watch...

January 15, 2016 3:07 PM

So, I joined a gym and intend to go there to lift heavy things, become strong and vanquish my enemies, as one does. I'm looking for a relatively cheap (under $100), small/non-cumbersome (e.g. not my smartphone) way to both blast sweet tunes and time myself holding lunges, etc. (OH GOD WALL SITS WHY ARE YOU SO TERRIBLE).

A "semi-smart-watch" would be ideal, but I've been unable to find something so far that meets all of my criteria:
-Under $100
-Bluetooth-equipped so I can connect to bluetooth headphones (I am clumsy, would really like a wireless situation when I'm around weight machines and bands, hilarity will inevitably ensue otherwise)
-Music player and storage - doesn't need to connect to another device or wifi to play music (playlist capabilities would be great, but optional)
-Simple-to-use, big-readout stopwatch
-A watch-like format would be great, something I can strap to my wrist out of the box, but I'll also consider tiny music players that meet the above criteria that I can easily clip to a wristband or get a wristband for; for reference, I have an older iPod Nano and consider that a little clunky to wear on my wrist - also I don't love the stopwatch.

Lastly, I don't care about phone notifications/connectivity, pedometer, other smartwatchy features, but don't object to them as long as the device meets the criteria above.

Thanks for your help, Ask Metafilter!

posted by hilatron to Technology (10 answers total)

I would use the Nano clipped to my shirt and get a cheap readable timer wristwatch. Do you need them to be one thing?
posted by clew at 3:56 PM on January 15, 2016 [1 favorite]

if you can go with a nano, you can just count seconds in your head.
posted by andrewcooke at 4:24 PM on January 15, 2016

Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions so far - I don't want to threadsit, but to constrain any other ideas a bit further:

-I'd ideally like to wear just one device, for simplicity and to reduce the number of things I have to keep track of when packing for the gym
-I need a stopwatch to keep me honest - I will absolutely 100% count the seconds too fast during exercises I hate (WAAAALLLL SIIITTTTS), despite best intentions.

Thanks again!
posted by hilatron at 4:50 PM on January 15, 2016

I just use my phone and a great app (has a stopwatch and superlative logging interface, imo. I wouldn't be able to get through my boring exercises without it, definitely keeps me honest). I am sketch and usually just tuck my phone under the waistband of my workout pants, or leave it in a safe space on the floor, but it seems arm bands exist.
posted by cotton dress sock at 5:23 PM on January 15, 2016

How do you consume music? Like... are you using Spotify / Itunes or are you just loading up the player with MP3s?

I'm wondering if something like a cheap version of an small, cheap android phone with an armband makes sense...
posted by ph00dz at 5:47 PM on January 15, 2016 [1 favorite]

There are virtually no options to do a wristwatch and Bluetooth for music, let alone cheap ones.

Android wear devices are compatible with Google music and can store stuff from there offline. The free Google music lets you upload 10,000 tracks that you'd be able to choose from.

Android wear also works with spotify but needs to be connected to a phone (no offline playing) which is why I've yet to go this route myself.
posted by noloveforned at 6:41 AM on January 16, 2016 [1 favorite]

The Martian Voice Command might be close to what you're looking for although it only controls music play on your smartphone.

I have the Martian Notifier and it's just the right amount of "smart" for me plus it looks like a regular watch.
posted by tommasz at 7:12 AM on January 16, 2016

For completeness, a TomTom Spark can do this but it's $200 and the stopwatch is a total afterthought (it's a GPS watch).
posted by ftm at 9:01 AM on January 16, 2016

It looks like an Andoid Wear watch can be used for playing music offline via google music with bluetooth headphones. You might be able to find one on clearance or refurb for approaching $100. I'm not immediately sure if you can both play offline music and use the stopwatch at the same time.

The LG G watch is your best bet budget wise, but ensure that it's updatable to the point of being able to play offline music. This wasn't a feature that the watches launched with.

If you have a phone with bluetooth, I think your best budget bet is to just look for a arm band that can be used on your forearm and accept that it won't look pretty.
posted by nobeagle at 10:05 AM on January 16, 2016

Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! It was helpful to get confirmation that my exact dream device doesn't really exist. This inspired me to look for other ways to streamline my media needs. For posterity, I'm going to try:

Headphones with built-in MP3 player

Cheap stopwatch

(Seven cents over budget, but I'll roll with it!)
posted by hilatron at 12:25 PM on January 17, 2016