G-Shock has added a major new fitness feature to its surf-focused G-Lide watch. With the new G-Lide GBX-H5600, Casio is giving the series one of its biggest fitness-focused upgrades yet. The watch is reportedly the first G-Lide model to include a heart rate monitor, making it feel even closer to a rugged fitness tracker.
The heart rate sensor works with four activity modes: running, walking, gym workout, and interval timer. That means the watch can now give users more useful fitness data while they are moving, instead of just tracking basics like steps and distance.
G-Shock has also kept the 3-axis acceleration setup from previous GBX models, which helps with step and distance tracking. GPS comes via a connected smartphone, which should improve accuracy when you are tracking outdoor activities.
The new heart rate monitor also unlocks sleep tracking for the G-Lide line. Using Polar’s Nightly Recharge feature, the watch can look at how well your body recovers from training and daily stress while you sleep. Polar’s training algorithms are also used to turn heart rate and movement data into more personalised insights.
Outside of the fitness upgrade, this is still very much a G-Shock. The GBX-H5600 has shock resistance, 200m water resistance, world time, a stopwatch, alarms and a Super Illuminator backlight. It also has a 44.5mm case and comes in black or blue resin strap options.
The design has been updated as well, with a see-through bezel that shows off the black carbon fibre-reinforced resin case underneath. It is a small retro touch, but it does help the watch stand out from more standard fitness wearables.
Battery life is rated at up to 35 hours when using activity functions, while solar charging can keep basic watch functions running when the battery gets low.
The G-Lide GBX-H5600 is available now from G-Shock’s website, priced at $330. It is not a full smartwatch in the way something like the best smartwatches are, but it does make G-Shock’s ocean-focused line a lot more useful for fitness tracking.