Wahoo Elemnt Rival smartwatch owners just got some cool free updates to rival Garmin

New features include Sleep Beta, Target Plan, Lap Swimming Drill Mode, STYRD integration and more

Wahoo Elemnt Rival softwasre update
(Image credit: Wahoo)

Have you got a Wahoo Elemnt Rival? We've got some good news for you: one of the best triathlon watches have received a number of amazing features that'll make Garmin user green with envy. As part of the latest software update, new features like Sleep Beta, Target Plan, Lap Swimming Drill Mode, STYRD integration, and Colour Zones have been added to create what Wahoo calls a "seamless performance advantage whether training for a race or competing."

Sleep Beta allows you to keep track of your sleep using Elemnt Rival. Most fitness trackers and running watches monitor and analyse sleep by now, so it's time for Wahoo to add this functionality to its watch. This is a beta, and Wahoo recommends wearing the watch 24/7 to maximise and optimise your recovery and performance. Wahoo says it'll continue to improve this feature via software updates based on user feedback.

Using the Target Plan feature, you can quickly set a target pace, power, heart rate, or cadence and get on-watch feedback indicating how you are tracking against your target. Lap Swimming Drill Mode helps keep track of your distance and swim pace in the pool when using any other stroke besides freestyle.

Wahoo Elemnt Rival

Wahoo Elemnt Rival: not just a tool for pro-triathletes anymore

(Image credit: Wahoo)

The Elemnt Rival now also integrates with the STRYD Running Pod to show you more comprehensive running power data, both in the Elemnt Companion App and more in-depth analysis via STRYD. Finally, to improve user experience, training zones are now easier to identify at a glance with the colour-coordinated zones.

As you can see, Wahoo is trying to make the Elemnt Rival more appealing to athletes at all skill levels, not just die-hard triathletes, something we appreciate. In our review, we mentioned the watch isn't as feature-packed as the best Garmin watches, but it might still appeal to keen triathletes thanks to its seamless transition feature that allows for button-free switching between running, cycling and swimming. Now, not-so-keen triathletes could also enjoy the perks of the Elemnt Rival.

Matt Kollat
Section Editor | Active

Matt Kollat is a journalist and content creator who works for T3.com and its magazine counterpart as an Active Editor. His areas of expertise include wearables, drones, fitness equipment, nutrition and outdoor gear. He joined T3 in 2019. His byline appears in several publications, including Techradar and Fit&Well, and more. Matt also collaborated with other content creators (e.g. Garage Gym Reviews) and judged many awards, such as the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance's ESSNawards. When he isn't working out, running or cycling, you'll find him roaming the countryside and trying out new podcasting and content creation equipment.