I'm looking at Apple Watch, Garmin, and Xiaomi Band, but I can't figure out which one calculates burned calories more accurately. I do cardio and strength training three times a week. Which one should I pick so I don't overpay but still get reliable data?
I've used different trackers and here's what I noticed - they all count calories pretty much equally inaccurately :) The algorithms rely on heart rate, weight, and age, so there's always some margin of error. Apple Watch usually overestimates, Garmin is considered more reliable for sports, Xiaomi is cheap and does a decent job for basic tracking.
For your goals (cardio plus strength training three times a week) I'd go with Garmin or Apple Watch depending on your ecosystem - the first one has better data processing for sports, the second integrates more conveniently with iPhone. Xiaomi will work if budget is tight, but take those numbers as approximate. The main thing is the tracker helps you see trends rather than get exact calorie counts, so don't get hung up on the absolute numbers.
Accuracy isn't the main thing here - all trackers mess up pretty much the same way because they calculate based on heart rate and general parameters, not actual energy expenditure. What matters more is that with strength training, any bracelet will underestimate calories because it can't detect muscle work without cardio load. If you want decent data for your specific workout style, it's better to focus on convenience and features rather than worrying about calorie margin of error - there won't be any real difference. Xiaomi Band is cheap and works fine, Garmin is more accurate with workouts, Apple Watch is more convenient in its ecosystem - just pick based on your budget and what you actually need.
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