I have a Fitbit Charge 2 I’ve used to track my steps, heart rate and stairs for several years now, and it does a great job with that. However, I have never understood why the more expensive smart watches and fitness trackers do not offer BP and blood oxygen level measurement options also.
I bought a set of ankle bands for my Fitbit and wear it there now (and get MUCH more accurate step counts than when wearing it on my wrist) and began a search for an affordable smart watch that measures BP and O2 levels.
Over the past six months, I have bought and tried out six different BP smart watches from Amazon and returned four of them because of their extremely inaccurate algorithms used to calculate BP. The worst one was always at least 16 mmHg off systolically and 8-10 mmHg off diastolically. Also, the accompanying apps were nothing to write home about.
I had just about given up when I found this watch, decided to give it a try, and I’m so glad I did! This is hands down THE most comfortable watch of any kind I have ever had on my wrist! It’s very lightweight and the band is so soft and pliable I forget I even have it on! I love the style and for once, the BP readings are well within the ballpark of what my actual cuff monitor shows. I don’t have an actual oxygen sat reader, but when I compared my result with the reading I got when I visited my physician’s office and, it was only off by 1%.
The mobile app which accompanies this watch, HeroBand III, it’s also commendable. It paired easily with my Galaxy Note 10+ and offers a wealth of information that’s easily understandable. I think it compares quite favorably to the Fitbit app regarding stat breakdowns.
The notification feature works perfectly with my texting program and offers a list of other apps to connect to. The one that is missing that I use regularly is FB Messenger. I hope it will be added in a future software update. The weather function and exercise timer work great, too!
Battery life on the watch is excellent. I last charged it on Tuesday morning, and two days later, the battery indicator shows there is a 90% charge left. I don’t sleep with my watch on, and turn it off when I remove it for the evening, which could be one reason why it’s just sipping it’s battery charge.
The only measurement that is off is the step counter. It is returning results of about 40% lower than what my Fitbit on my ankle says. I think this is just because it’s worn on the wrist, so I don’t really pay attention to that feature.
This is easily the best economy smart watch I’ve used to date. I like it so much, I have ordered a second one as a backup in case the current one ever fails or if this model is ever discontinued.
Genie - Research Bot
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