Diesel On Full Guard 2.5 review

A bold style choice, but a solid watch

Image Credit: TechRadar

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Verdict

We have to applaud the way Fossil has updated its smartwatches with new tech.

The fact you can buy a smartwatch with the style of Michael Kors or the style of Diesel but have the same top-end features, like a waterproof design, NFC and a heart rate tracker, is genuinely impressive compared to how Wear OS watches worked back in 2017.

Although this may not be the very best smartwatch you can buy right now, it's trying to do something a little different while supplying those high-end features that the top watches from Samsung and Apple specialize in.

Who's this for?

We've said it before, and we'll say it again; the Diesel On Full Guard 2.5 is for a very particular person.

If you're after one of the largest, heaviest and most premium-looking smartwatches money can buy, this is likely up your street.

Should you buy it?

If you're looking for a smartwatch that can double as a dress piece and a fitness watch, the Diesel On Full Guard 2.5 isn't going to be that.

Instead it's much more designed for your everyday life in terms of getting your notifications to your wrist with a beautifully designed timepiece that reflects the Diesel style.

Performance and battery life aren't going to blow you away, but they're good enough that you won't find the Full Guard 2.5 to be unusable. 

We can't outright recommend the Diesel On Full Guard 2.5 to everyone, but if the design excites you this may be the best device to strap around your wrist for the foreseeable future.

First reviewed: February 2019

The competition

Unsure if the Diesel On Full Guard 2.5 is right for you? Here's a look at the main competition that you may want to consider.

Samsung Galaxy Watch

At the time of writing, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch is our favorite smartwatch money can buy, with its strong battery life, luscious design and plethora of features laid on top of the Tizen operating system. It may not be as impactful at first glance as the Diesel On Full Guard 2.5, but it’s certainly as useful.

Apple Watch 4

Apple Watch 4

You’ll only be able to use this one if you’re an iPhone user, but the Apple Watch 4 is undoubtedly the most impressive smartwatch we’ve seen from Apple so far. You’ll get a sleek design with lots of features on board, including an ECG monitor if you’re living in the US.

Diesel On Full Guard

Lacking a little in spec when compared to the newer generation, the Diesel On Full Guard is our recommendation if you want a similarly designed smartwatch to the Full Guard 2.5. All of that said, it seems to be a similar price to the Full Guard 2.5, so you may just want to opt for the more feature-rich newer watch instead.

Image Credit: TechRadar

James Peckham

James is Managing Editor for Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.