Best Smart Watches For The Health Conscious
Not so long ago, smart watches were something only the techiest person would wear. But crammed with so many useful features for our health and beyond, smart watches are now as regular as your smart phone. In the month when we turn our attention towards making sure we’re the best version of ourselves that we can be, it’s extremely useful to have a tiny, unobtrusive device that lets us know what our heart rate is, how well we’re sleeping, and how we’re doing with our exercise regime.
That’s in addition to the many other things we can do on it – like check emails and messages quickly, make calls, or catch an Uber. The problem now is that there are so many on the market the choice can be overwhelming. To help you choose which smart watch to buy to make your health a priority, here’s our look at the best around right now.
Apple Watch SE 2
Perfect for Apple users who haven’t tried a smart watch before, the Apple Watch SE 2 is a more affordable Apple watch than the Apple Watch 8. It has a ton of health features – for example, it monitors your heart rate and lets you know if it’s too high, too low or irregular, you can track your menstrual cycle and get reminders about taking medication. It also gently encourages you to stay active with rings that you need to complete – especially useful for those who like to win challenges! You might find some things missing in the Apple Watch SE 2 compared to pricier models (like blood oxygen tracking and temperature tracking) but it has the same chipset and it’s a light, comfortable watch to wear – so just right for those people who aren’t used to wearing a smart watch. For £259, it’s an excellent starter smart watch, and the 18-hour battery life is ample for anyone just beginning their smart watch journey.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
To push the boat out a bit further, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro looks expensive, but even at £379 this watch is impressive value. It’s perfect for anyone who loves the great outdoors: the GPS route workout functions means you can plan out where you’ll be going before you set off, and your watch will guide you around your chosen route. Other health features include a heart rate monitor, blood pressure monitor, insights on body fat percentage (BIA) compared to skeletal muscle weight, step counts, calorie tracker, sleep tracker and more. With a whopping 80-hour battery life, there’s no need to worry about whether to charge your watch instead of tracking your sleep or monitoring your daily health, especially as it only takes an hour and 20 minutes from 0% to full charge.
Fitbit Sense
At just £170 the Fitbit Sense is affordable, practical and a health-focused watch. It has solid health features like heart rate monitor, activity modes for real-time stats during workouts, and menstrual health tracking. But be aware that some extra features are only usable if the wearer pays extra for Fitbit Premium. The subscription is free for six months, but after that it’s up to you. So what are these great features? The Fitbit Sense is one of very few smart watches that tracks your mood and stress levels, and offers meditations based on how you might be feeling. You can get an amazing six days of battery life out of this watch too. It looks chunky and not very pretty, but it does a great job of tracking all areas of your health.
Google Pixel Watch
This smart watch has Fitbit integration, which means it reports on your health in a manner that Fitbit users will recognise. The design of the Google Pixel Watch is also a boon – it’s been well thought out and made to look sleek with its curved, shiny screen. Priced at £320 it’s a good in between option. Just be aware that the watch face might seem a little small to seasoned smart watch users, and the battery life is limited to an unreliable 24 hours. But Fitbit users will like the familiarity of its health features in a proper smart watch. It’s Google’s first foray into the smart watch market, so keep a close eye out on their next generation – we reckon there’s better things to come.
Garmin Fenix 7
For those with cash to splash, the Garmin Fenix 7 is a robust smart watch that’s squarely aimed at sports lovers. It’s not pretty to every eye, but it’s extremely durable and can withstand a good dunking in the sea and extreme temperatures at either end of the scale. Perfect for serious sports people and athletes, the Garmin Fenix 7 offers accurate post workout analytics. It can tell you how efficient you’re being, how to create better workouts, and how long to rest in between workouts. With a one to two week battery life, wearers can set off on an expedition, go climbing, hiking, sailing, surfing, or run an ultra marathon, and not need to worry about their battery dying. If you want to push that boat right out, this watch is £545: not cheap, but it’s a premium smart watch.
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