Years ago I bought a Pebble smartwatch. I didn’t back the Kickstarter, but a few friends did and I liked the product. I wore mine for almost two years before it started to die. I can be rough on gadgets, so it’s possible I banged it and caused my own damage. I tried a Fitbit (original) briefly, but really liked having time on my wrist.

I got a Pebble 2, which I really like, but I’m losing it. I got my son a Pebble 2 as well, but recently he fell and cracked the screen on his. He’s in college, but since I’ve had the use of his motorcycle, I decided to give him mine.

That means I need a new watch. Since the Pebble watches aren’t being updated and maintained anymore (no thanks to Fitbit), I wasn’t sure I wanted to get another one. I could, as they are still for sale at various places. I decided to look at other devices, perhaps some that might have better data options.

I put a few queries out to friends, but I’m not quite sure that I have a better choice. As I think about it, there are only a few things that I really use.

• Clock/time – Especially important as I end up speaking in different time zones
• Vibrating alarm – This is my alarm clock and allows me to wake up easily, without disturbing my wife.
• Waterproof – I do not want to take this off for a shower or when I swim. So, most Fitbits are out.
• Steps – I like step tracking. It’s a nice metric that I like to watch periodically.
• Heart rate – I don’t check this too often, but it’s a good metric that I do want to watch as I get older.

Some devices have these features (and many more), but many are also in the $200 range, which seems like a lot to me. Especially in this age of powerful, commodity hardware. The Pebble 2 did these things well, in a simple way.

I’m looking at reviews and comparing items based on recommendations, but more and more, it seems like another Pebble 2 might be the best choice. Maybe I should just buy 2, in anticipation of the future.