Running is good for your health and can be an effective way to clear your head of the day’s stress. The great thing about running as a form of exercise is that you don’t need any equipment other than a pair of running shoes to do it. This is the purest type of workout.
On the other hand, just because you don’t need anything other than your running shoes doesn’t mean you can’t enhance the experience with some added tech. There are a ton of cool gadgets for running that track your progress and keep you motivated.
These are some of our favorite gadgets for running.
Activity Tracking Gadgets for Running
Activity trackers count your steps, miles covered, and much more. Some can track your heart rate, and sync to a phone app to map your run. Here are some of the best activity tracking gadgets for running.
Stay Connected With an Apple Watch
The Apple Watch is more than an activity tracker, it’s a device that can do just about anything you can do with your smartphone. However, it does play the activity tracker role as well as any other device. The newest version, the Apple Watch Series 7, has a blood oxygen level sensor in addition to tracking miles you have run.
Be Inspired by the FitBit Inspire 2
If you prefer something a little smaller and with features restricted only to fitness, then the FitBit Inspire 2 is a great option. With this device you can track:
- Steps
- Distance traveled
- Heart rate
Due to the small form and limited display, the battery life on this device is excellent. Fitbit has been making gadgets for running for a long time, so they know what they’re doing.
Music & Mapping With Garmin Forerunner 945
The Garmin Forerunner 945 features color maps and music playback via Spotify or Amazon Music. This smart fitness watch is designed with runners in mind. Built-in performance monitoring allows you to make workout adjustments based on the following factors:
- Heat
- Altitude
- Recovery time
Headphones & Earbuds For Music Streaming
Running is even more enjoyable when you’ve got a great playlist to keep you motivated. These headphones and earbuds are some of the best possible gadgets for running.
Stay Focused With Aeropex Headphones From Aftershokz
This first pair of headphones is a unique product. The Aeropex from Aftershokz are bone conduction headphones. Unlike traditional headphones or earbuds, these don’t cover your ears at all. Instead, they rest on your skull in front of your ears. The vibrations travel through the bone to the cochlea, bypassing the eardrum.
This is a great design if you do your running in areas with busy traffic, as you can listen to music without covering your ears. The Aeropex headphones allow you to clearly hear your music as well as the traffic around you. You may prefer to get lost in your music while at home, but the ability to have a better awareness of your surroundings is important while you’re out running in busy areas.
Jaybird Vista 2: High-Quality Audio
Truly wireless earbuds are becoming more popular by the day. Wireless earbuds eliminate all wires, which is much more comfortable for running. The Jaybird Vista 2 Bluetooth earbuds offer great sound quality with noise-canceling capabilities. Plus, they feature a robust IP68 rating against dust, water, and sweat. If you do lots of trail running or even some hiking when you’re not running, these earbuds will last through many outdoor adventures.
Jabra Elite Active 75T Lasts for Hours
Up next is another set of truly wireless earbuds. The Jabra Elite Active 75T earbuds feature active noise-canceling technology that you can toggle on and off based on your preference. They also feature an impressive 24-hours of battery life and are sweat and dustproof, so you can use them during your toughest and longest runs.
Running Shoe Tech
Even shoes are becoming high-tech these days. Here are some cool gadgets for running that rely solely on your shoes.
Bring Your Workout to the Next Level With Stryd
Stryd optimizes your run by measuring the intensity of your workouts, and it accounts for the elements in helping to find your ideal intensity. It’s a small disk that fastens directly to your shoe to make readings, so you don’t notice it’s there. This is a piece of smart tech for the more serious runner who wants to add efficiency to their workouts and push their limits.
Connect Your Favorite Shoes to Your Smartphone With Nurvv Run
Nurvv Run are smart insoles for your shoes. You simply insert them into your shoes just like any padded insoles. Nurvv, however, are loaded with sensors to measure every aspect of your run. They sync to your smartphone, smartwatch, or other activity trackers.
The Under Armor Hovr Connected Series Are Smart Shoes
Smart insoles and shoe clips are one thing, but how about a pair of running shoes with smart features and gadgets for running built right in? This is what you get with the Under Armor Hovr Connected Series running shoes. These shoes connect directly to the MapMyRun app on your smartphone to map out your run without the need for additional activity trackers.
The Hovr Connected Series has plenty of shoes to choose from. There is an entire collection of Hovr sneakers for men and many styles to choose from in women’s sizes.
The Final Mile
Running may be a pure form of exercise, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add modern tech. Smart activity trackers are nearing “must-have” status for serious runners who want to monitor their workouts.
And whether a casual or hardcore runner, everyone can appreciate a good set of headphones or wireless earbuds. The latest smart-technology-equipped gadgets for running and running shoes will help the tech-loving runner level-up their run.
