Deciding on setting some new goals to improve your health? You are not alone. Every year there are new advances in “wearable tech” in the form of activity trackers and smartwatches, devices that help consumers stick to making new habits. While you may not use all the features available to you, we’ve seen that some features are geared to the lifestyle of young people, athletes and seniors.
If you are new to this technology, you’ll find there are a lot of brands that offer smartwatches. And during the holiday season, you’ll find there are a lot of discounts by many merchants. Here are some shopping tips if you are buying your first smartwatch.
Decide Which Health Features You Want
Smartwatches combine activity tracking plus access to features such as being able to call or text contacts, make mobile payments, stream music, receive notifications, check social media feeds, or check on news.
If you are shopping for a loved senior in your life, consider a new feature on the Apple Watch 4 & Apple Watch 5 series called Fall Detection. The feature is on by default if the person is over 65. To see how this feature works see this article.
If you really want to monitor your Blood Pressure, then consider Omron’s Heartguide ($499), a blood pressure monitor that sits on your wrist.
If you need to receive text and messages while you are being active the Apple Watch 3 and the Samsung Galaxy Active2 are good choices. It makes sense to have a smartwatch that includes all the features you want in one device.
Omron Heartguide
Apple Watch 3
Samsung Galaxy Active2
Determine Your Budget
Smartwatches start at $150 and can go up to $1,700 or more.
Fitbit’s Versa 2 ($149) is a great choice for a smart watch. Amazon’s Alexa is built-in and the watch receives emails and text when your phone is nearby. For those who like gold finishes, the Apple Watch 5 series come in around $799. A titanium case will cost more and an Apple Edition Watch with a ceramic case and a link bracelet will run $1,799. All Apple watches have sapphire crystal, a feature mostly found in luxury watches.
Garmin’s Fenix 6 Pro ($600) provides basic smartwatch capability with long battery life (14 days) and features for altitude and extreme sports.
Fitbit Versa 2
Apple Watch Edition -White Ceramic
Garmin Fenix 6 Pro
Decide on the Look
Do you prefer a round face or a square face? Do you prefer to have a watch that does not resemble a digital device? Movado’s Connect 2.0 ($550) offers the elegant look of Movado with smartwatch features. or women, smart fashion watches like Kate Spade’s New York Scallop provides a feminine look with modern features. Another look is the unisex Skagen’s Connected Falster 2.0.
Movado Connect 2.0
Kate Spade New York Scallop
Skagen Connected Falster 2.0
Make Sure it Works with Your Phone
If you are not with a big-time carrier like AT&T, Sprint, Verizon or T-Mobile, the chances of using all the features will be low. Many smartwatches are interoperable with both Android and iOS systems. However, to use the Apple Watch, one needs an iPhone 6 at a minimum.
Check with your carrier as they may offer great discounts. Besides Amazon, retailers offering discounts this holiday season include Target, Best Buy, and Walmart among others.
We hope these tips have been helpful as you begin some healthy new habits.
