NORFOLK, Va. — Smart watches and fitness trackers have become quite popular over the last decade.
They track your steps, monitor your heart rate, and even let you make calls. Some have even become fashion statements with gold embellishments and interchangeable bands.
Whether you are an iPhone user or an Android user, or whether you want a fancy smartwatch or just want a simple fitness tracker, there are a number of companies, models and styles to choose from.
Michael Glenn bought a Fitbit, and it soon became more than just a watch to him.
“It literally gave me the wisdom to say I have a problem and then use that to help save my life,” he says.
On camping trip, in addition to chest and shoulder pain, his smartwatch was reporting that his heart rate was low.
When he got to the hospital, Doctor's confirmed the worst.
“When I came to, I was told you had one artery that was 100% blocked [and if I did not come to the hospital] it would have just stopped. I would have gone into complete heart failure,” he says.
Early detection attributed to the smart technology on his wrist.
“Now we're at the point where oh, wow, now there's a full health and safety feature set built into the stack here,” says Nicholas De Leon.
Nicholas De Leon is a Senior Reporter on the Electronics team with Consumer Reports. He has more than a decade of experience covering laptops, tablets, and wireless routers.
I asked him which devices are best for tracking your health.
“If you're concerned with heart rate or sleep tracking or taking an EKG, or things like that, that's where the smartwatch comes in,” he says.
Although if you are an athlete and care more about tracking your performance, De Leon says you will want to get the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Keep in mind, that will run you more than $750.
“If you're, you know, really more just concerned with getting your steps in or something like that Fitbit makes several trackers,” he says.
If you are planning to buy either a fitness tracker or a smartwatch for yourself or someone you love this year, De Leon says there are some things you should consider:
- Think about what you want the product for; medical, safety, performance, battery life
- Check the operating system of the phone you already have so your devices are compatible. While it is not necessary your devices are compatible, it is helpful. (It is also worth checking to see if the device you are buying is compatible across operating systems)
- See if an older version meets your needs because they are probably cheaper.
- Check to see what features the watch comes with because you may not even need them all
“I do feel like the Apple Watch is kind of the standard. Maybe not the default choice, but it is a usual choice, and it does very well on [Consumer Reports] ratings,” De Leon says.
Apple, Fitbit, Google, and Samsung all offer options, several of which are on sale right now.
If you have a consumer tip or a story you want the Problem Solvers to look into, email problemsolvers@wtkr.com.
