Samsung's Galaxy Active is the smart watch you've been waiting for

Confession: I’ve had five different smart watches in as many years. Yes, I’m hooked. And no, none of them have ever been able to do all the things I needed them to.

Some smart watches look like space-age calculators on your wrist – that’s not my aesthetic.

Some smart watches refuse to play nice with Spotify or iMusic – how am I meant to listen to my playlists??

Some of them have awkward, fiddly user interfaces, others are chunkier than a can of beef stew, others have a crappy battery life and nearly all of them are missing at least one key feature that I’d really like to see bundled into the one product.

Oh, and the good ones are hella expensive for something you’re probably going to want to replace in a couple of years.

Enter Samsung’s new Galaxy Active, a pared-back, updated version of their Galaxy watch, released last year.

Finally! It looks chic, it tracks your sleep and your heart rate and all that jazz – and it’s small and light enough to wear all day long without getting a tired wrist. Not joking, that’s a risk you run these days.

its health monitoring options are wide and varied, so there’s something for everyone. And the user interface is blessedly simple to engage with.

With a RRP of $349, it’s delivering massive bang for the buck.

Fave features

Heart-rate monitor and stress notifications

In instances of heightened stress, the Galaxy Watch Active will guide you through a breathing exercise that will help you to stay in control. You can literally watch your stress levels dialling right back down as you complete the exercises. Or, if you’re a sicko, actively dial your stress levels up to test whether it really works (cough... it does).

Sleep tracking

I’m obsessed with monitoring my sleep patterns and because the Active has a slim profile and is nice and light, I don’t wake up with my face wedged into a clunky, hard watchface.

The Galaxy Watch Active will track your four stages of sleep (awake, REM, light, deep), so you can be on your way to good night’s rest. You’ll wake up the next morning with a clear rundown of just how deeply you slept.

Water intake

It’s crucial to stay hydrated, and with the Galaxy Watch Active’s water intake functionality you can keep track of just how many glasses you’ve had of that sweet H2O.

Caffeine intake

Many of us need a little help to wake up in the morning, but moderation is the key. With the Galaxy Watch Active’s caffeine tracker, you may discover the cause of those 3pm (or 3am...) jitters.

Spotify partnership

Like I mentioned, one of the most frustrating things about a lot of smartwatches is the lack of flexibility about what apps you can and can’t download – particular around music. Being able to connect with Spotify is a massive win.

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