As someone who likes to think that they remain up to date on trends, it might surprising to hear that I have never owned a smartwatch in my life.
Considering how popular they have become for the modern-day lifestyle, I began to get a bit curious of the hype. While the likes of Apple, Fitbit and Samsung are a little out of my price range, Amazon has been offering a variety of budget alternatives.
Among its plethora of choices is the Ruimen Smartwatch that is currently a popular choice with over 10,000 reviews. Hailed as “just as good as” pricier brands on the market, this nifty little gadget has been praised for its functionality and price-tag.
What’s more, this smartwatch already retails at a rather affordable £49.99. However, it is currently on offer for just £29.99 for regular shoppers, while Prime members can bag it for £23.99 – marking a significant difference compared to the branded counterparts that can cost up to hundreds of pounds.
With its value for money and rave reviews, combined with my curiosity on the hype, I jumped into the foray of smartwatches for the first time to see how it would fit into my everyday life.
‘A companion for everyday life’
Like many other smartwatches on the market, the Ruimen model can do pretty much anything – with some reviews stating that it “does literally everything”.
Compatible with most iOS 9.0 and Android 6.0 smartphones, it can allow you to simply answer and take phone calls. It also allows you to keep up to date with all your notifications from apps such as Facebook, Whatsapp, messenger and more.
That’s not all, as it is perfect for fitness buffs with over 100 sports modes to choose from, allowing you to take out on any workout. It also offers a wide variety of health updates on your wrist that ranges from calorie and step counting to blood oxygen levels and sleep tracking.
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Meanwhile, there are also a variety of other functions for practicality such as weather updates, music, camera control and much more. One of the most popular smartwatches on Amazon, it currently averages a 4.2 out over five star rating.
‘All your lifestyle habits from your wrist’
When my Ruimen Smartwatch arrived, I’ll admit that I was pleasantly surprised to find myself agreeing with the reviews that praised its “stylish” design. Despite its budget price-tag, it certainly looked sleek enough to pass for the higher-end names.
There were lots of colours to choose from, but I opted for ‘starlight gold’ for versatility with all my outfits. The leather strap was buttery soft, which is good for me, as I am often put off watches over the feel – it also came with a free replacement black strap, which I considered a result.
Despite its affordable price-tag, I’m here to tell you that its 1.85-inch TFT high-definition full touch screen offers sharp and clear visuals. Not to mention that it was easy to navigate, which is ideal for beginners such as myself.
I initially thought I wouldn’t be as invested with all the details of my life, but I was soon checking how many steps I had done during the day, how much sleep I had gotten and how healthy my heart rate was. It can also check your emotional state, which I found to be quite a fun addition.
Where it really soared for me was as a fitness companion. As a regular gym-goer and runner, this smartwatch came in handy for keeping track of my burned calories and heart rate during my workouts and evening runs around the park.
You don’t just have access to your entire life’s habits via your wrist, as it connects to the Gloryfit app that can be downloaded for free. I found this particularly handy, as it provided me with feedback on my sleep schedule, fitness routines, advising me on where I was doing well, and what areas could potentially be improved.
Final thoughts
Quite frankly, I expected the Ruimen smartwatch to be something of a gimmick, but I soon found myself wearing it every single day.
While I can’t compare it to the likes of Apple, Samsung and even Fitbit, I can confirm that it is brilliant value for money and that it does what it says on the tin. It’s also easy to use and navigate, which makes it ideal for those who are novices like myself.
Since receiving the smartwatch about a week ago, I haven’t really left the house without it. It might sound silly, but it has helped me to keep better track of my overall health and wellbeing, making it the ideal fitness partner.
While I did prefer it for its fitness functions, I was also easily able to answer phone calls, which I could hear clearly. It’s also allowed me to keep up to date with everyday life basics such as messages, app notifications and even weather reminders – limiting the amount of time I am on my phone for such things.
It is worth noting that some users have found the Ruimen Smartwatch to be a ‘hit or a miss’, finding that it doesn’t synchronise consistently. While I didn’t find this to be an issue, I would say my main drawback would be on the design, as the magnetic charging port on the back can be quite flimsy when trying to connect.
All in all, for just £24, I found it to be a decent introduction to smartwatches, as it has now become my everyday companion. You can purchase the Ruimen Smartwatch on Amazon here.
Meanwhile, Wowcher offers a brilliant 71 percent off deal on the Apple Watch Series 2, dropping it from £299.99 to just £80. However, the deal does have “limited availability”, so you might want to be fast.
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