The personal wearable health devices market has grown tremendously in recent years, blending style with science to put your health data literally at your fingertips. And these devices go beyond basic step counting; they monitor metrics like heart rate, blood oxygen levels, recovery, and sleep quality.

In this article, we’ll dive into the key specifics of some of the most popular personal wearable health devices. We’ll consider the difference between wearable health devices for personal use and those for clinical use. Finally, we’ll look at what you should do when your personal wearable health device gives you concerning news.

WHOOP

WHOOP is a popular choice among athletes and health enthusiasts alike. WHOOP aims to optimize user performance by tracking how the body responds to workouts and rest. WHOOP calculates “strain” based on heart rate data collected throughout the day, giving you a score that indicates how much stress your body experienced. The recovery metric combines data from sleep, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and respiratory rate to determine how well your body has recovered from previous activities. WHOOP is designed to be worn continuously.

Apple Watch

Apple has transformed the smartwatch industry with the Apple Watch, combining fitness features with daily utilities and sleek aesthetics. The Apple Watch remains one of the most popular choices if you are looking to balance fitness and everyday functionality. The Apple Watch covers a wide range of fitness tracking metrics, including heart rate monitoring, blood oxygen levels, and ECG capabilities. It also tracks steps and calories burned and offers activity rings to help keep you motivated.

Garmin

Garmin has carved out a niche in the fitness world, particularly among runners, cyclists, and outdoor enthusiasts. Known for its durable design and precise GPS tracking, Garmin devices focus heavily on endurance and performance rather than health data tracking. Garmin’s training readiness feature helps you optimize your workouts by analyzing factors like sleep, heart rate variability, and recent activity levels. The device also provides real-time VO2 max readings and other performance-oriented metrics. While Garmin watches are strong on performance metrics, they may feel too complex for casual fitness users.

Fitbit

Fitbit has been a leader in the wearable health devices market for years, offering a range of options that emphasize ease of use, accessibility, and general wellness. Fitbit is one of the pioneers in step-counting and daily activity tracking, including sleep quality tracking. Many Fitbit models now include stress management features, utilizing heart rate variability data to gauge stress levels.

Oura Ring

The Oura Ring takes a different approach to health tracking by focusing primarily on sleep, recovery, and overall wellness. Oura Ring sits comfortably on your finger, which may allow for more accurate readings. The Oura Ring’s strength is its in-depth sleep analysis. It measures sleep stages, body temperature, and heart rate variability, allowing the ring to assess overall stress levels and recovery. This gives it an edge in providing insights into how well your body is adapting to physical demands.

Choosing the Right Personal Wearable Health Device

When deciding on the device that’s right for you, consider your goals:

  • Are you an athlete or someone focused on maximizing athletic training? WHOOP and Garmin provide the most in-depth metrics for strain, recovery, and endurance.
  • Are you looking for a multi-purpose device? Apple Watch is an excellent all-rounder if you want a balance between fitness and health data tracking along with smartwatch functionality.
  • Just getting started? Fitbit is user-friendly, accessible, and budget-friendly, making it a good entry level choice among personal wearable health devices.
  • Focused on sleep? The Oura Ring is a great choice if you want to optimize sleep and understand recovery.

For an unbiased look at these and other personal wearable health devices, view one or more of these Consumer Reports product review videos.

When Your Wearable Sounds the Alarm

As personal wearable health devices continue to evolve, you can expect even more personalized insights, and improved accuracy. Many manufacturers are investing in artificial intelligence to interpret data in real-time, enabling their wearables to offer you direct and actionable feedback. Over time, these devices will likely play a more significant role in preventive health, identifying early signs of illness or injury before they develop into more serious conditions.

What do you do if the device you have today tells you that you have a health problem right now?

In a November 2023 article, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that 92 percent of smartwatch users use their devices to track, manage, and maintain their health. As the non-profit U.S.-based National Center for Health Research noted, personal use wearable devices may not supply the most accurate readings.

Contrast that with clinical wearable health devices. Your health care provider would prescribe a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to screen for type 2 diabetes or a Holter Monitor for arrhythmia, where each device sends data directly to the provider who monitors that data over time.

Clinical use devices are FDA approved. Personal wearable health devices often are ‘cleared’ for use by the FDA. When considering wearable health devices, the type of FDA approval may be important to you as it conveys a sense of the reliability of the data.

If your personal wearable health device flags a reading as concerning do the same as when a clinical wearable health device identifies concerning information. Contact your physician. Share what you have learned with your doctor, and look for guidance on next steps to take to safeguard your best health.

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