Smart Watches

Smart Watches are like a specialized Smart Phone that goes on the wrist. Smart Watches vary in their capabilities depending on the model, but they have some generally universal features today.

Smart Watches often have touchscreen displays that show weather updates and important appointment and event reminders. Built-in GPS allows tailored notifications for your location and when paired with a Mobile Phone it can be a convenient remote for Media Player apps containing play, pause, skip, volume and more controls.

Fitness Tracking has become a big selling point for Smart Watches which can now Monitor heart rate for effective cardio detection and count daily steps. Some can also monitor blood pressure, stress levels, menstrual cycles and sleeping patterns.

Many Smart Watches also allow voice dictated text messages and can also be controlled with smart voice assistants like the Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri and Samsung Bixby.

There is considerable overlap between the features found on a Smart Watch and a Fitness Tracker. Most Smart Watches include a suite of Fitness features including goal setting and progress tracking, while counting calories burned across fitness apps that either come pre-installed or can be downloaded via an app store.

A Fitness Tracker can also perform these functions and can also display texts and app notifications like a Smart Watch can, but they’re more specialized and designed for Health and Fitness monitoring.

Fitness Trackers often cost less than Smart Watches and their inbuilt battery tends to run longer off a single charge if they have monochrome black and white screens. They are great for Sport and Fitness activities but lack the power and versatility of a Smart Watch.

Whilst Smart Watches and Fitness Trackers can provide accurate heart rate monitoring, blood pressure results are harder to accurately measure and their accuracy is yet to be rigorously studied. Some of them need to be calibrated monthly using results from a more traditional blood pressure monitoring device.

Regular and accurate blood pressure readings are an important factor in understanding and maintaining good cardiovascular health. There are also many people who need to check their blood pressure on a regular daily basis. A Smart Watch is great for overall Fitness Tracking but please consult your doctor before purchasing a product for the specific purpose of blood pressure monitoring, and do not consider any ratings from a Smart Watch or Fitness Tracker as professional health advice.

To get the most out of a Smart Watch you will need to pair it with a compatible Smart Phone. Apple Watches only work with iPhones, whilst other smart watches will generally pair with Android Smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy series. Always check compatibility before buying as some Smart Watches and their apps will require more recent phones and software.

The battery life of a Smart Watch is generally around a day or two depending on use. Some incorporate an analogue watch face increasing battery life but this will remove the possibility of a touchscreen.

Check the watch band is comfortable and easy to secure on the wrist before buying. If exercising or keeping fit is in the plan consider a sweat resistant band that will stay on when moved around. Many models have detachable Bands that can be swapped out for other designs and materials.