Price Points: Smart watch fitness trackers

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been using apps on my phone (Strava and MapMyRun) to track my dog walks and other outdoor activities.

I was recently gifted a Fit Bit by my very thoughtful sister and my life has been transformed. Now, not only can I log my walkabouts, I can record and monitor data about my sleep, diet, heart rate, blood oxygen and stress levels.

Below, I’ve selected three different smart watch fitness trackers with a variety of features to suit all budgets.

Blackview X5 smart watch: £42.99, Amazon
• Heart rate detection
• Sleep monitoring
• 9 professional sports modes to help achieve your fitness goals by tracking steps, mileage and calories
• Long standby time; 7-10 days of normal use and 30 days of standby on a single charge
• Waterproof
Fitbit Sense 2, Lunar White: £269.99, Boots

The smartwatch designed to help you stress less, sleep better & live healthier. Get help identifying stress and get the tools to better manage it. Learn more about your sleep and how to improve your rest with detailed nighttime tracking and a unique Sleep Profile. Track key heart-health indicators so you can make more informed wellness decisions. Plus Sense 2 is packed with advanced activity tracking and smartwatch features and includes six months of Fitbit Premium Membership.

• Sleep profile
• All-day body-response tracking with cEDA sensor
• Option 2: All-day body-response tracking for stress
• Built-in GPS
• ECG app
• Health metrics like SpO2 and HRV
• 6-month Fitbit premium membership
Apple Watch Ultra: from £849.00, Apple
• 49mm titanium case
• Swimproof – water resistance 100m
• MIL-STD 810H certification
• Action button
• IP6X dust resistant
• Always-on retina display
• Blood oxygen app
• ECG app
• High and low heart rate notifications
• Irregular rhythm notification
• Temperature sensing
• Cycle tracking with retrospective ovulation estimates
• Emergency SOS
• International emergency calling
• Fall detection
• Crash detection
• 86-decibel siren to attract attention – can be heard up to 180 metres away
• Up to 36hrs of normal use, up to 60hrs on low power settings

shop smart watch fitness trackers

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Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Apple Watch Ultra
from £849.00

Fitbit Sense 2, Lunar White
£269.99

Blackview X5 smart watch
£42.99

Apple Watch Ultra
from £849.00

Fitbit Sense 2, Lunar White
£269.99

Blackview X5 smart watch
£42.99

Apple Watch Ultra
from £849.00

Fitbit Sense 2, Lunar White
£269.99

Blackview X5 smart watch
£42.99

Apple Watch Ultra
from £849.00

Fitbit Sense 2, Lunar White
£269.99

Blackview X5 smart watch
£42.99

Apple Watch Ultra
from £849.00

Fitbit Sense 2, Lunar White
£269.99

Blackview X5 smart watch
£42.99

Auction alert: The Private Collection of Malcolm Evans of Neath & Navenby: Clocks & Antiques

The sale of the Private Collection of Malcolm Evans of Neath & Navenby: Clocks & Antiques takes place on Saturday 27^th Aug 2022 from 10am.

Malcolm grew up in a miner’s cottage in Skewen, South Wales and studied for his A Levels by candlelight as his childhood home had no electricity. This deprivation lead to a contrary spirit of generosity as an adult and he loved his British Horological Society pals and sharing his knowledge and skills. His education at Neath Grammar School gave him a passion for science and subsequent medical training at Bristol University lead him to a career in surgery. This lead him to fixing precious things in his spare time and he was a keen horologist for the last 45 years of his life. He amassed a wonderful collection of clocks, watches, tools and antiques and a huge collection of books associated with his passion.

Although the sale contains a huge number of clocks, watches, spare parts and other horology items (of which – we confess – we know very little) there are many other interesting lots.

There’s a copy of the original Marvel comic where Spiderman made his début (shown above). It’s signed by the late Stan Lee and its estimate is an astronomical £30-35… THOUSAND. The original 1962 price was 12 cents – that’s a great return on investment in anyone’s book!

Stamford Auction Rooms’ buyer’s premium stands at 24% inc. VAT. You can bid via their website or via EasyLiveAuction. The latter charge a flat fee of £3.00 or 3% of the final hammer price.

Lot 143: A plywood wine carrier with strap handle to the top
Estimate: £20 – £30

Lot 190: Two Victorian glass domes, one circular the other oval
No base for circular example
Estimate: £40 – £60

Lot 196: A pair of antique boot trees together with pair of leather gentleman’s boots
Estimate: £50 – £80

Lot 205: Local Interest: A Victorian sampler by Ann Foster Stamford School
Aged 11 years, with a verse from the bible “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth”.
Estimate: £70 – £100

Lot 268: Amazing Fantasy No.15 published by Marvel Comics in August 1962
Featuring the first appearance of Spider-Man, signed by Stan Lee to the front cover
Estimate: £30,000 – £35,000

Lot 296: A group of Danish Cylinda Line designed pieces by Arne Jacobson
To include coffee pot, hot water pot, milk jug and sugar bowl together with a studio pottery lamp base, Royal Copenhagen bowl and Poole pottery bowl
Estimate: £30 – £50

Lot 300: A selection of mid-century Holmguard (sic) glassware
To include beakers, hors d’oeuvre dishes, and glasses
Estimate: £40 – £60

Lot 321: A vintage electric child’s organ
Possibly made by Magnus together with a push penny board
Estimate: £20 – £30

Lot 363: A vintage Dapol Doctor Who Dalek action figure play set in the original box
Estimate: £60 – £90

Lot 438: A 20^th Century Maclamp
Adjustable anglepoise desk lamp designed by Terence Conran for Habitat
Estimate: £30 – £50

Lot 458: Two wicker picnic baskets
One by Fortnum & Mason, together with a Victorian brass kettle and warming pan
Estimate: £30 – £50

Price Points: Recycled ocean plastic products

I read a shocking prediction a while ago; by 2050, there’ll be more plastic than fish (by weight) in the world’s oceans. Even though the claim can’t truly be verifiable, it’s still a massively worrying statistic.

Each time we’ve been to the beach recently, I’ve cleared up bits of plastic that have washed up on the tides. It’s mainly been colourful nylon rope that escaped overboard from boats. However, there’s also been no end of drinks bottles & lids, disposable cups and carrier bags. And what about all the microplastics that we can’t see?

Currently, salvaged and recycled ocean plastic is being turned into fashion & footwear, jewellery, eyewear, toys, furniture, homewares… and plastic bottles. So we’re slowly trying to ‘turn the tide’, so to speak. We’ve picked out three products that stood out to us.

Nomadix ultralight travel towel: £33.13, Amazon

We use post-consumer recycled materials to make revolutionary new products. Part of living with less means using what you already have. You never waste a thing. With so much plastic waste floating in our oceans and trashing our communities, we’ve committed to using post-consumer recycled materials for everything we make. And since our fibers are designed to dry quickly and resist bacteria that cause towel funk, you can wash less and save precious water. Through years of research and development into turning recycled plastics into durable and versatile fibers, developing responsible manufacturing practices, avoiding harmful dyes that waste and pollute our water, we protect the world we love.
Time for Oceans watches: £119.00 each, Triwa

The world’s first collection of colourful statement watches made completely from recycled ocean plastic, designed to highlight the critical health of the oceans and generate money for a continuous ocean clean-up.
Seaqual eco luxury mattress, king size (150x200cm): £349.00

The Seaqual Eco Luxury mattress is a quality, low carbon footprint mattress with a medium feel. Featuring a Seaqual fabric cover made from certified and traceable upcycled marine plastic. Seaqual have partnered with over 400 fishing boats who between them retrieve a ton of plastic a day out of the ocean, which is recycled into high quality, sustainable polyester fibres. The mattress features a 10cm low carbon eco foam base, this high density supportive base is completely recycled, preventing mattresses from going to landfill helping to create a cleaner more sustainable future. All the foam in the product can also be ultimately recycled.

shop recycled ocean plastic products

Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.

Seaqual eco luxury mattress, king size (150x200cm)
£349.00

‘Time for Oceans’ watches
£119.00 each