Hybrid Training Tech: Which Award Picks Matter?

A gadget earns its place in your training bag by doing something useful, not simply by adding another dashboard. That is the practical lens for reading Men’s Health’s 2027 Tech Awards, an editor-tested selection spanning exercise equipment, entertainment and household devices.

The publication’s Reviews Team spent a year trying products. Contributors include Senior Gear Editor Ryan Brower, Fitness Editor Charles Thorp and Senior Editor Brett Williams. For athletes preparing for HYROX or hybrid racing, the most relevant selections concern workout recording, access to training information and equipment fit. This is a buying feature, not evidence of a fresh product launch or a breakthrough in race performance.

Which hybrid training tech serves a clear purpose?

Samsung’s Galaxy Watch9 receives the publication’s Android smartwatch award. Its dual-frequency GPS is intended to improve route tracking around buildings and trees, while Running Coach recommends sessions according to fitness level. Sleep coaching offers suggestions for nightly habits.

Once configured with a phone, the watch can record workouts independently. Phone-free calls are a separate proposition: those require the LTE model and an active cellular plan. For a hybrid athlete comparing watches, that distinction matters more than treating every version as interchangeable.

Oakley Meta Vanguard sunglasses take a different approach. They combine point-of-view photography and video with open-ear speakers for music. With a compatible Garmin watch or bike computer paired, users can request pace or heart-rate information aloud. Workout statistics can also be added to images and videos for sharing through Strava.

The practical distinction is straightforward: the Samsung offers workout recording, while the Oakley’s spoken training information depends on compatible equipment. Check that connection before buying for that particular feature.

What matters for gym sessions and pool training?

Anker’s Soundcore AeroFit 2 earns the adjustable-fit workout earbud award. Four hook positions allow fit adjustments, and the open-ear design leaves surrounding conversation audible. Men’s Health reports that the earbuds remain secure during sets, with IP55 dust and water resistance and playback of up to 8.5 hours per charge.

For athletes whose training includes swimming, Form Smart Swim 2 LT goggles display pace and elapsed time inside the lens. The editors describe a comfortable fit and a display that is straightforward to become accustomed to. Guided sessions and stroke coaching require Form Premium.

Neither selection needs to be presented as essential race kit. Their relevance is narrower: adjustable audio equipment for gym work, or visible pacing information for pool sessions. Buy for the activity you actually do, rather than the number of features on the product page.

• Name the task: choose between recording a run, hearing training information, listening during sets or checking swim pace.
• Check dependencies: Oakley’s spoken training metrics require compatible Garmin equipment; Samsung’s phone-free calling needs LTE and an active plan.
• Separate included features from extras: Form’s guided workouts and stroke coaching sit behind its Premium subscription.
• Trial equipment progressively: begin with walking before running with unfamiliar audio kit. For loaded gym movements, use a lighter familiar set while checking fit; stop the set to adjust slipping equipment rather than doing so mid-repetition.

Do editor awards establish a HYROX performance benefit?

No. The supplied feature describes product capabilities and editorial experiences, not HYROX-specific testing or measured improvements in race results. It does not establish that any of these devices will make you faster across a hybrid event.

That leaves a useful, more modest buying principle: select technology that answers a clear question or makes a familiar training task easier. A pace display, adjustable ear hook or independent workout recording function is a concrete feature you can assess. An assumption that more connected equipment means better preparation is not a conclusion supported by these awards.

Product details and editorial testing observations in this feature come from Men’s Health, whose 2027 Tech Awards cover a wider selection of sport, leisure and household technology.

This story is based on reporting from the original source.