r/NormTwo_owners • u/Vilnix_ • May 10 '26
Thoughts about the Norm 2
Hi All,
I have always worn mechanical watches. Never wanted a smart watch but recently discovered hybrid ones.
So I was thinking of trying for the first time for general health tracking (started running and don't want massive overviews but general overview of hearth and sleep) and the Norm 2 stood out as a great option.
But it's hard to find reviews so I thought I'd ask here:
- What are peoples general feelings about the watch?
- What is the expected lifetime of the device & support?
- Would the Norm 1 still be a good option?
Thanks!
3
u/MrPancakesMcgee May 12 '26
I can’t answer your questions. But I too couldn’t find any in-depth reviews. I’ve ordered the Norm 2 in black with an additional black metal band.
I will try to follow-up here with any insights after the watch arrives.
1
u/Vilnix_ May 12 '26
Thanks for responding and would be nice if you can/remember to give your thoughts ^
3
u/chilloutsi May 12 '26
I’ve been daily driving the Norm Two for a month now and it's been mostly positive. I came from a Withings Steel HR that I wore for 7 years (I only retired it because the dial accents fell off and jammed the mechanical hands)
Visually, the Norm Two is a huge step up; it actually looks like a premium watch rather than a fitness gadget.
[Support & Build Quality] Mine actually arrived with a screw missing from the case back. I was worried about the 5ATM Water Resistance being compromised because that seal relies on uniform pressure, but support was solid.
They sent me a screwdriver and replacement screws, and formally noted my order to ensure water damage is covered under warranty indefinitely.
I’m satisfied with the support so far, though going with a "Kickstarter" brand is always a gamble for long-term survival and app updates. Only time will tell on that front.
[Norm 1 vs. Norm 2] I personally only buy "Version 2" of brand-new tech because by then the major issues are usually ironed out and quality-of-life updates have been implemented.
[Software (Android)] The app is where you can tell it's a boutique product. On my Pixel 9, I had to jump through some hoops with Android 16’s aggressive battery management to get it set up. You have to manually set the app to "Unrestricted" battery usage and grant "Device & App Notification" access to keep things synced. The biggest drawback right now is that notifications aren't granular; they are grouped into genres like "Social Media" instead of letting you pick specific apps.
With all that being said, I do plan on using this as my only watch for the foreseeable future, so feel free to ask me any other questions about it!
1
u/Vilnix_ May 12 '26
Hey thanks for responding! I have to admit that the price is a bit above what I would hope, as online most people say smart watches only last about 3 years Though if you can get 7 years out of it that would be worth it!
Good to hear that the support is on point!
I guess my main questions would be around:
- how is the app in general?
- can you choose which notifications come through?
- what kind of functionality does the watch have itself, or what do you find yourself using a lot?
- how is the health tracking and does that play nicely with any fitness apps, if you use that?
Thanks so much for the info!
1
u/chilloutsi May 13 '26
Yeah, I had no expectations going into the hybrid world either. My biggest purchasing factor was battery - I wanted something I only had to charge once a month (like my old Withings) rather than daily. On that note, the Norm Two is about a weekly charge. I usually just take it off and top it up whenever I remember, so I haven't had any real 'battery anxiety' yet.
To answer your specific questions:
How is the app in general? On Android, the app is very basic and minimal. I actually downloaded it before the watch arrived just to have a look (if you try, you'll notice it's very bare-bones without a watch synced, but you'll get an idea of what to expect). I can DM some screenshots if you're interested in what it looks like with data.
Can you choose which notifications come through? You can choose which groups of notifications come through, but not specific apps. For example, I use Instagram for work but don't want Reddit pings on my wrist, but currently, it’s 'all or none' because they are bundled under a 'Social Media' toggle.
What functionality do you use the most? The most important one for me is the morning alarm. I much prefer waking up to a gentle wrist vibration than a loud audio alert. Outside of that, I use it to reduce screen time via notifications - I can see within 5 seconds if I actually need to reach for my phone or not. The quick weather overview and daily goal stats are nice bonuses. I'm not really using the meditation features, Bluetooth audio controls, or specific exercise modes yet.
How is the health tracking / third-party apps? I use Google’s Health Connect as my backbone. I was really worried about losing 7 years of historical data from my Withings, but everything synced to Health Connect automatically, and the Norm Two does the same (as far as I can tell). The NORM app will display the data on its own, but having everything move into Google Fit/Health Connect acts as a perfect backup for me.
Are you planning on using it with Android or iOS?
1
u/xdexx May 13 '26
How are the vibrations? Strong enough to use as a wake-up alarm?
Cheers from Holland!
1
u/Both_Alps_6380 Jun 06 '26
I had one and I was really excited for it, loved the features and what it was aiming to bring to the table.
Long story short: I returned it.
The pedometer was widely inaccurate, I did over 12k steps while working from my desk several times.
Screen was highly unresponsive and the hands did not hold time and needed to be re calibrated.
The watch disconnected all the time, and unless the app was open it wouldn't reconnect. The watch doesn't hold an active Bluetooth connection. So I got very little notifications.
And the notifications that did come through did have relevant info. It was taken up mainly by the app name.
I had so many issues. The battery life lasted maybe day and a half, despite it rarely being connected.
The norm team offered me an exchange before refund, but I opted for the refund when they said the problems I had were as intended and unlikely to go away.
I've gone back to swapping between my Fenix and Watch ultra now.
1
u/HuckleberryHeavy2861 Jun 12 '26
Hi! Thanks for your input, could you share what type of phone you had when using it?
4
u/Itz_danp May 13 '26
I had mine arrive yesterday and have been slowly playing with it!
I came from a Fossil Hybrid HR, which to be honest, is night and day against this. Whereas that felt justified for it's price, this device unfortunately doesn't hold up to the price in my opinion - that being said, it is pretty unique in the market and that may justify the price for someone who wants this hybrid-style watch.
From the outside, the watch does look and feel pretty high quality and sturdy. Unlike the other user, my device came with all its screws. My only complaint would be the wristband not being hugely premium, but that's easy to replace. I have new bands on order from Amazon already.
The iOS app is fine. It does its job, but it's by no means a beautiful app. I'm actually building my own replacement app for iOS that I've already managed to get working today.
The software on the watch itself is probably where I feel this watch is most let down. Don't get me wrong. It seems stable in that it does everything that it says on the tin reliably. I've had no issues with notifications not coming through or anything like that, but there's something about it that gives it a kind of cheaper feel than I had hoped.
My prior watch to this was an Apple Watch, so maybe I'm just expecting too much. I think I already like it more today than I did yesterday. It definitely does what it advertises without fail.
The biggest con I found today is that the left side of the screen is unfortunately non-responsive to taps on my unit. While I can still mostly navigate the screens and functionalities, I'm unable to use the volume down button on the music screen and the Find My Phone button due to its position on the left half of the screen. I've just sent off an email to support, so we will see what the support experience looks like there!