Are smartwatches really useful?

12 Tem 00:47

Smartwatches have a clear edge over traditional fitness trackers when it comes to convenience and constant wearability. For instance, step counting with a smartwatch is almost automatic, whereas a smartphone needs to stay in your pocket and may miss some movements. When it comes to heart rate monitoring, most smartwatches use photoplethysmography (PPG), which relies on skin contact for more accurate readings. However, even with a snug fit, pulse measurements from a smartwatch aren’t as precise as those from a professional heart monitor—especially during workouts or when you're on the move, where signal loss can occur. When comparing different methods, chest-strap heart monitors—favored by athletes—outperform wrist-based trackers in accuracy. Chest straps use electrocardiography (ECG) to measure heartbeats via electrical signals, nearly eliminating errors. For sleep tracking, smartwatches rely on motion and light sensors, while medical-grade devices use multiple data points like breathing patterns, body temperature, and even EEG to distinguish between deep and light sleep. So while smartwatches are great for general health tracking and as a starting point, they may fall short when precision and reliability are critical.