In 2024, smartwatches are no longer just stylish accessories or fitness trackers—they have evolved into comprehensive health monitoring tools that offer advanced features designed to track and improve your well-being. Whether you’re aiming to stay active, monitor your heart health, or track sleep patterns, there’s a smartwatch that can help you achieve your health goals.
From advanced sensors that track a wide range of biometrics to AI-powered features for personalized health insights, the best smartwatches for health monitoring this year are truly revolutionary. In this article, we’ll take a look at the top smartwatches for health tracking in 2024, highlighting their standout features and how they can help you optimize your health.
1. Apple Watch Series 9
Overview: The Apple Watch Series 9 is widely regarded as one of the best smartwatches for health monitoring, thanks to its comprehensive health tracking features and seamless integration with the iPhone and Apple Health app.
Key Health Features:
- ECG Monitoring: The Series 9 includes an electrocardiogram (ECG) app that can monitor your heart’s rhythm and alert you to any irregularities, such as atrial fibrillation.
- Blood Oxygen Sensor: This sensor helps you track your blood oxygen levels, which is especially useful for assessing your respiratory health or monitoring your fitness performance.
- Activity and Fitness Tracking: With features like automatic workout detection, heart rate monitoring, and calorie tracking, it’s perfect for anyone looking to stay fit. The watch can also measure VO2 max, a key indicator of cardiovascular fitness.
- Sleep Tracking: The Apple Watch Series 9 provides advanced sleep tracking, helping you monitor your sleep quality and overall rest patterns, including tracking time spent in each sleep stage.
- Fall Detection: This feature detects hard falls and sends an alert to emergency contacts, which can be a lifesaver for individuals with mobility concerns or the elderly.
Why It’s Great for Health Monitoring: The Apple Watch Series 9 is designed with a focus on convenience, accuracy, and safety. With the integration of third-party apps, it can offer even more detailed insights into your health and wellness journey. Plus, its long battery life and continuous updates make it a top contender for health-conscious users.
2. Garmin Forerunner 965
Overview: Garmin’s Forerunner 965 is a premium smartwatch designed specifically for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. It combines powerful fitness and health tracking capabilities with long battery life and advanced data analysis tools.
Key Health Features:
- Advanced Heart Rate Monitoring: The Forerunner 965 includes an optical heart rate sensor and a heart rate variability (HRV) tracking system that provides insights into your cardiovascular health and stress levels.
- Body Battery Energy Monitoring: This feature tracks your energy levels throughout the day, helping you understand when to push harder and when to rest for optimal performance.
- Sleep and Stress Tracking: The Forerunner 965 offers in-depth sleep tracking, including monitoring of deep, light, and REM sleep. It also features a stress tracking system, guiding you through breathing exercises to manage stress.
- Pulse Ox and Respiration Tracking: The Pulse Ox sensor monitors your blood oxygen levels, and the respiration sensor helps track your breathing patterns during workouts or sleep.
- VO2 Max and Lactate Threshold: These advanced metrics provide a deeper understanding of your athletic performance, especially for endurance athletes.
Why It’s Great for Health Monitoring: Garmin is known for its sports-oriented wearables, and the Forerunner 965 is no exception. It delivers in-depth health and fitness tracking, catering to both amateur athletes and serious fitness enthusiasts. Its robust battery life (up to 14 days) ensures you can rely on it for long-term health monitoring without frequent recharges.
3. Fitbit Charge 6
Overview: Fitbit has long been a leader in the wearable fitness space, and the Fitbit Charge 6 continues to deliver excellent health tracking features at a competitive price point. While not technically a smartwatch, the Charge 6 is a fitness tracker with many advanced health features.
Key Health Features:
- ECG and EDA Scan: The Charge 6 includes an ECG app that can detect irregular heart rhythms, and an EDA (electrodermal activity) scan tool to monitor your body’s stress levels through sweat glands.
- 24/7 Heart Rate Monitoring: Continuous heart rate tracking is available, along with insights on your heart health and exercise zones.
- Sleep Tracking: Fitbit’s sleep tracking provides insights into the quality of your rest, including sleep stages and a Sleep Score to gauge how well you’re recovering overnight.
- Blood Oxygen Monitoring (SpO2): The Charge 6 includes an SpO2 sensor to measure blood oxygen levels, which is useful for tracking overall health and detecting issues like sleep apnea.
- Guided Breathing and Stress Management: Fitbit offers personalized breathing exercises and stress management features to help you reduce daily anxiety and maintain mental well-being.
Why It’s Great for Health Monitoring: The Fitbit Charge 6 is an excellent option for those looking for a fitness tracker with comprehensive health insights without the added cost of a full-fledged smartwatch. It’s ideal for users who want a simpler, more focused wearable for tracking fitness and overall health metrics.
4. Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
Overview: The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 offers a powerful health monitoring suite combined with a sleek design, ideal for those who need a smartwatch that looks stylish while delivering accurate health data.
Key Health Features:
- Advanced Sleep Tracking: Samsung’s sleep tracking technology provides detailed insights into your sleep stages, helping you understand your sleep quality and improve rest patterns.
- ECG and Blood Pressure Monitoring: Like the Apple Watch, the Galaxy Watch 6 offers ECG capabilities for heart health monitoring and the ability to check your blood pressure (in select regions).
- Body Composition Measurement: This feature measures body fat percentage, skeletal muscle, and body water levels, giving users deeper insights into their overall fitness and health.
- Blood Oxygen Monitoring: The Galaxy Watch 6 tracks your blood oxygen levels to monitor respiratory health and optimize workouts.
- Stress and Recovery Tracking: Samsung includes a stress tracker and guided breathing exercises to help users manage daily stress and maintain balance.
Why It’s Great for Health Monitoring: Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 6 offers a blend of sophisticated health tracking with a sleek, premium design. It works seamlessly with both Android and iOS devices, making it an excellent option for those seeking a smartwatch that doubles as a health assistant, all while looking good on your wrist.
5. WHOOP Strap 4.0
Overview: The WHOOP Strap 4.0 is not your typical smartwatch. Designed for serious athletes and fitness enthusiasts, this wearable focuses exclusively on health and performance tracking rather than traditional smartwatch features like notifications or apps.
Key Health Features:
- Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Monitoring: WHOOP measures your HRV, an important indicator of recovery, stress, and overall cardiovascular health.
- Sleep Tracking and Recovery Metrics: The WHOOP Strap 4.0 offers detailed sleep tracking and gives users a daily “Recovery Score” based on factors like heart rate, HRV, and sleep performance.
- Strain and Fitness Tracking: WHOOP tracks your activity and provides a “Strain Score” to help you understand the intensity of your workouts. It also calculates the optimal strain based on your recovery.
- Continuous Monitoring: Unlike traditional smartwatches, WHOOP is worn 24/7 to continuously monitor your body’s metrics, including respiratory rate, skin temperature, and more.
Why It’s Great for Health Monitoring: WHOOP stands out for its dedicated focus on health and performance. The subscription-based service offers personalized coaching and insights, making it ideal for athletes looking to optimize their training and recovery. It’s a great choice for those who want an advanced health tracking system without the distractions of a traditional smartwatch.
6. Oura Ring Generation 3
Overview: While not a traditional smartwatch, the Oura Ring Generation 3 is a highly advanced health tracker worn as a ring. It provides a wealth of data on your sleep, activity, and overall health without the bulk of a watch.
Key Health Features:
- Sleep Tracking: The Oura Ring is known for its precise sleep tracking, offering insights into sleep stages, restfulness, and overall sleep quality.
- Heart Rate Monitoring: The ring tracks your heart rate during both activity and sleep, providing insights into your cardiovascular health.
- Body Temperature Monitoring: The Oura Ring tracks your body temperature deviations, which can help detect illness or stress levels early.
- Activity and Recovery Tracking: It provides personalized activity goals based on your fitness level and tracks recovery, helping you maintain balance between exertion and rest.
Why It’s Great for Health Monitoring: The Oura Ring is an excellent option for those who want health insights without wearing a traditional smartwatch. Its sleek design makes it less intrusive, and it provides some of the most accurate sleep and recovery data on the market.
Conclusion
In 2024, health monitoring smartwatches and wearables have reached new levels of sophistication, offering advanced sensors and personalized insights into your well-being. Whether you’re looking for comprehensive heart health tracking, advanced sleep analysis, or stress management tools, these devices provide valuable information to help you maintain and improve your health.
The best smartwatch for health monitoring depends on your specific needs—whether you’re an athlete, someone with specific health concerns, or simply looking to stay active and healthy. Whatever your choice, these wearable gadgets will keep you connected to your health journey and help you achieve your wellness goals.
