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Can a cheap G-Shock-style watch count your steps and check your heart rate? I unboxed the SKMEI 1180 to see.
I love SKMEI watches: rugged, everyday, take-abuse watches that are a great value. The 1180 adds a pedometer and a finger-touch heart rate monitor. It’s no longer sold on Amazon. I couldn’t get the heart rate to read on my fingers, so the button goes to an affordable tracker that reads heart rate from your wrist all day.
- Rugged and well made for the money
- Pedometer seemed pretty accurate
- Step goal and history mode
- Lock the pedometer screen so you don’t lose steps
- Very bright backlight
- Exposed metal screws add an industrial look
- Much cheaper than a G-Shock
- The pedometer only counts while on its screen
- The heart rate didn’t read for me
- Plastic crystal isn’t very scratch resistant
- Big and chunky; the band droops
▶ Watch the full review on YouTube
Design
It’s very rugged looking, like a G-Shock. The soft rubber band pivots more than others and has a little stop, so it wants to droop down, because the watch is big. It’s about 15 mm thick and chunky, which is what you’d expect from a rugged watch.
The back has the CR2032 battery type printed right on it and a 5 ATM water resistance rating. The crystal is plastic, so it won’t be very scratch resistant. I like the bright white printing and the exposed metal screws, which give it a more industrial look than the all-plastic ones.
The pedometer
Press the mode button and you get to the pedometer screen with a little walking guy. You can set the number of steps for your daily goal, and it keeps showing the time.
It seemed pretty accurate, but here’s the catch: it has to stay on the pedometer screen to count. You can lock it there by holding the Up button for 3 seconds, so you won’t bump the mode button and lose your precious steps. Hold it again to unlock. If you don’t have a Fitbit or something like it, this could be an affordable alternative.
Memory mode and settings
The next screen is the memory or history mode, which remembers past days’ steps and calories. Like most sports watches, hold the mode button on the main screen to change settings: 12/24 hour, time, year, month and day.
The heart rate monitor
Put your fingers on the two metal terminals on the sides, and it goes into pulse-reading mode. Apply even pressure and a heart icon blinks as it detects your pulse. If it doesn’t detect anything in 10 seconds, it goes back to the main screen.
For me, I must be a vampire, because it never found a pulse. I’ll chalk that up to really dry fingers. It did detect the connection and go into pulse mode. When it works, it could be useful for checking how hard you’re pushing during a workout.
Backlight and verdict
The backlight is very bright and lights up the whole display, not just the numbers, so it’s very readable.
With a pedometer, a heart rate monitor and a rugged build, you’d think it would cost G-Shock money, but SKMEI watches are a lot of value for the price. If you want heart rate and steps tracked automatically without touching anything, a wrist-based tracker is the easier route.
FAQ
What battery does the SKMEI 1180 use?
A CR2032, printed right on the back.
Is the SKMEI 1180 waterproof?
It’s rated 5 ATM water resistant.
Does the pedometer count in the background?
No. It has to stay on the pedometer screen. Hold Up for 3 seconds to lock it there.
How does the heart rate monitor work?
Touch the two side terminals with even pressure. It didn’t read my pulse, possibly because my fingers were dry.
Is there a better option for heart rate?
A wrist-based tracker like the Fitbit Inspire 3 in the button reads heart rate automatically.
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