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 here are some universal features found in most of them today.
 

Smart Watches have often touchscreen displays that show weather updates and reminders of important appointments and events. Built-in GPS allows tailored notifications for your location and when paired with a Mobile Phone it can function as a convenient controller for media player apps by allowing play, pause, skip, volume controls and more.
 

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

Many Smart Watches allow voice dictated text messages saving the time and effort of typing on a small screen and can also be controlled with smart voice assistants like 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. As mentioned previously, most Smart Watches include a suite of Fitness features including assisting with goal setting and progress tracking, while counting calories burned across fitness apps that either come pre-installed or can be downloaded from 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 mostly more specialized and designed solely for Health and Fitness monitoring.

Fitness Trackers often cost less than Smart Watches and their in-built battery tends to run longer off a single charge due to many having black and white screens. They are great for Sport and Fitness 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 in general and the accuracy of the blood pressure readings from a Smart Watch are 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 if you’re interested in overall Fitness Tracking, but please consult your doctor before purchasing a product for the specific purpose of blood pressure monitoring.

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.

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, although this will come at the cost 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 this plan, consider a sweat resistant band that will stay on as it’s moved around. Many models have detachable Bands that can be swapped out for other designs.