About Pace Hare
I'm Pavel Ryzhikh, and I write Pace Hare. It's about one narrow question: which watch, tracker or strap does the job for what you train for?
That means GPS and heart-rate accuracy, training metrics, battery with GPS running, and the app you'll live in. General smartwatch shopping belongs to Gadget Otter, our sister site. Pace Hare stays on sport function.
How I work
I don't test on my own wrist. I read people who do. DC Rainmaker and The5krunner publish field tests, and journals publish validation studies against ECG, lab VO2max and sleep labs. Every accuracy claim points to one of those, by name, with its limits: which model, how many people, what year.
Prices are UK prices. Each says which store I read it on, and on which day. If I couldn't read one honestly, the page says so and shows no figure.
What this site won't tell you
A tracker is not a medical device. Its readings are estimates for general fitness and wellness. It doesn't diagnose or treat anything, and nothing here is medical advice. If you have symptoms or concerns, talk to a clinician. If you have a heart condition, follow your care team's guidance on training zones rather than a watch reading.
The hare
The name comes from pacing: a pace hare, or pacemaker, runs at an agreed speed so others can hold it. The drawings are drawings. There are no photos on this site, and a picture on a product page shows the type of device, not that model.
Get in touch
Corrections are welcome at hello@pacehare.com.
Questions
Have you tested these products?
No. I don't wear or run with them, and I never say I did. A result on this site names who measured it, with a link.
Where does a score come from?
From published tests, peer-reviewed studies and the maker's own data, read against the same sport-function questions. The score is my reading of that evidence. It's a judgement, so you can disagree with it.
Why are some prices missing?
Some maker pages and shops refuse to answer my requests. Rather than guess, I say the price is not verified yet, and those products don't count as fitting a budget in the picker.
Do stores pay for placement?
No. Some links may earn a commission, and that doesn't change a score or an order. The affiliate disclosure explains it.