In recent years, smartwatches have become an increasingly popular device, especially for fitness enthusiasts, who often cannot do without them.
From all-day tracking of health and fitness to monitoring daily stress which often comes with guided breathing exercises, these wearables have become an integral part of healthcare goals. A survey conducted by Rakuten Insight in September 2022 revealed that around 45% of Indian respondents aged between 25 to 34 years owned a smartwatch.
To mark World Health Day, which is celebrated every year on 7 April, we look at 6 powerful smartwatches that can help you keep track of your health.
Apple Watch Series 6
With a Blood Oxygen sensor and an app to monitor oxygen levels in the blood, the Apple Watch Series 6 is still one of the most advanced smartwatches on the market with a myriad of health features. The watch comes with an always-on altimeter, an ECG app that can detect irregular heart rhythms, and a heart rate monitor that can track changes in heart rate. Furthermore, the Series 6 has features such as sleep tracking, automatic handwashing detection, and new workout types. It also has a Breathe app which can help users with breathing exercises.
Apple Watch Series 6 starts at ₹40,900 (Official website)
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 comes with a unique feature – a BioActive Sensor, to measure ECG, blood pressure, and body composition such as fat percentage, skeletal muscle, and body water. With the watch, you can count steps, check calories, and stay on the grid with GPS. It supports more than 90 exercises to provide an accurate report of your physical activity. It can measure how your body performs during a workout and check your heart rate level during recovery. The advanced index and interval training can provide expansive insights to runners and cyclists. The watch comes with a sleep tracker to detect and analyse sleep stages along with a sleep coaching feature.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 starts at ₹16,999 (Amazon)
Fitbit Versa 3
The Fitbit Versa 3 has a range of features to track your health and fitness. Its Daily Readiness Score function tells you if your body is ready for a challenging workout or if you need to focus on recovery. It tracks heart rate and notifies if it detects an irregular heart rhythm or signs of atrial fibrillation while sleeping. The battery can last more than six days and takes just 12 minutes to charge for the day. Along with SpO2 and heart rate tracking, this watch also comes with a feature to track menstrual health. Its stress management score feature tells you how your body is handling stress daily.
Fitbit Versa 3 starts at ₹18,899 (Amazon)
Playfit Slim
The Playfit Slim is a budget-friendly smartwatch which comes with a 1.28-inch round full-touch IPS LCD screen, IP67 water and sweat resistance, 24 exercise modes, a heart rate and fitness tracker, sleep and SPO2 monitor, Bluetooth notification, and more. It includes a 180mAh battery with a 7-day battery life and a 15-day standby time guarantee. Its advanced health tracking includes a 24-hour health monitor and overnight sleep tracking.
Playfit Slim starts at ₹2,999 (Official website)
Garmin Venu SQ
The Garmin Venu SQ is packed with features such as a heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, and stress monitoring capabilities. It allows tracking of your body's energy levels to help identify the best times to work out and rest. The Pulse Ox sensor2 analyses your blood oxygen saturation during the day and while you sleep. There are a range of trackers for stress, hydration, menstrual cycle, and respiration. Advanced sleep monitoring provides a breakdown of the complete sleep cycle including light, deep and REM sleep stages. The watch comes with pre-loaded workouts, built-in sports apps, and a personal running coach.
Garmin Venu SQ starts at ₹22,490 (Official website)
Amazfit GTS 2
The Amazfit GTS 2 is a sleek smartwatch with a 3D-curved Bezel-less design. It comes with music storage and playback as well as Amazon Alexa built-in. It has a high-precision biological tracking optimal sensor which promises all-round health protection. The PAI health system calculates your heart rate, exercise time, and other health information using an algorithm and provides customised health evaluation. Its range of features includes sleep tracking, stress monitoring, oxygen tracking, workout tracking and coaching. The typical battery life is about seven days and it has an automatic lock feature.
Amazfit GITS 2 starts at ₹12,999 (Official website)