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Post Disclaimer
The information on this website is designed to offer self-care tips and recommendations based on evidence-based research and literature from professionals in each field. It is not intended to diagnose or treat any specific medical condition. Please consult with your healthcare provider before making any health-related decisions.
Wearable devices have revolutionized how we monitor and manage our health. By tracking various physiological metrics, these devices provide valuable insights to help individuals make informed decisions about their well-being. These devices can inform you of the positive results you experience as you apply the various self-care tools I continue to provide on this website.
Wearable devices like the Apple Watch, Oura Ring, and Garmin offer valuable insights into your body’s functions, but their accuracy doesn’t match medical-grade equipment. While these devices typically boast 80-95% accuracy for various metrics, it’s essential to remember that gold-standard accuracy comes from FDA-approved medical devices rigorously tested in randomized controlled trials.
I’ve compiled a list of popular wearables proven to provide the most accurate information regarding your health. I’ll briefly overview each device and highlight its accuracy based on available clinical data. Various studies used to gather the accuracy of each device can be found at the end of this article.
Garmin Instinct Solar, Rugged Watch
The Garmin Instinct Solar is a rugged GPS smartwatch designed for outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers. It’s a durable watch with solar charging capabilities and various health and fitness tracking features. It provides feedback on heart rate and heart rate variability and blood oxygen saturation levels, monitors stress levels and activities throughout the day, and provides detailed insights into sleep efficiency.
Device Accuracy
Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability 85-90%
Blood Oxygen Saturation 85-90%
Sleep Efficiency 80-85%
The Oura Ring is a discreet wearable device offering comprehensive health and wellness insights. Worn on your finger, it tracks various metrics, including sleep patterns, activity levels, heart health, and body temperature. Advanced features like sleep apnea detection, readiness assessment, and stress management provide valuable information for optimizing your overall well-being. Additionally, the ring offers menstrual cycle tracking for women and guided breathing exercises. While the Oura Ring is not a medical device, it can contribute to general health monitoring.
Device Accuracy
Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability 90-95%
Blood Oxygen Saturation 92-95%
Sleep Efficiency 90-95%
The Apple Watch Series 9 is a sophisticated wearable device packed with health and wellness features. It offers advanced heart health monitoring, including electrocardiograms (ECG) and blood oxygen level measurement. Users can track their sleep patterns, including sleep stages, and receive alerts for irregular heart rhythms or abnormal heart rates. Beyond heart health, the watch provides comprehensive activity tracking, fitness metrics, and tools for stress management.
Device Accuracy by Feature
Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability 90-97%
Blood Oxygen Saturation 90-95%
Sleep Efficiency 95-97%
The Fitbit Charge 6 is a compact fitness tracker offering robust health and wellness features. It monitors heart rate, tracks sleep patterns, and measures blood oxygen levels. The device also provides insights into stress levels and offers tools to manage it. Similar to the Oura Ring, it includes features to track women’s health, such as menstrual cycle tracking and fertility awareness.
Device Accuracy by Feature
Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability 90-95%
Blood Oxygen Saturation 90-95%
Sleep Efficiency 70-80%
The Google Pixel Watch is a smartwatch offering comprehensive health and wellness features. It monitors heart rate and blood oxygen levels and detects irregular heart rhythms. Sleep tracking includes sleep stages, duration, and heart rate variability. The watch also offers stress management tools and tracks various fitness activities.
Device Accuracy by Feature
Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability 92-96%
Blood Oxygen Saturation 90-95%
Sleep Efficiency 80-85%
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 offers a robust suite of health and Wellness features. It monitors heart rate and detects irregular heart rhythms, often including blood oxygen level measurements. It tracks your sleep, including sleep stage duration and heart rate variability while sleeping. It tracks your overall stress levels and provides stress management tools such as relaxation exercises. Some additional features include tracking all of your fitness activities and can provide electric cardiogram readings.
Device Accuracy by Feature
Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability 92-96%
Blood Oxygen Saturation 90-97%
Sleep Efficiency 90-95%
The studies listed below contain all the data used to determine each device’s accuracy percentage.
Accuracy Assessment of OURA Ring nocturnal heart rate and heart rate variability incomparison with electrocardiography in time and frequency domains. (2022.). JMIRPreprints. https://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/27487
Accuracy of 11 wearable, nearable, and airable consumer sleep trackers: Prospective Multicenter validation study. (2022). JMIR Preprints. https://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/50983
Chinoy, E. D., Cuellar, J. A., Jameson, J. T., & Markwald, R. R. (2022). Performance of four commercial wearable Sleep-Tracking devices tested under unrestricted conditions at home in healthy young adults. Nature and Science of Sleep, Volume 14, 493–516. https://doi.org/10.2147/nss.s348795
Kuosmanen, E., Visuri, A., Risto, R., & Hosio, S. (2022). Comparing consumer grade sleep trackers for research purposes: A field study. Frontiers in Computer Science, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomp.2022.971793
Lee, T., Cho, Y., Cha, K. S., Jung, J., Cho, J., Kim, H., Kim, D., Hong, J., Lee, D., Keum, M., Kushida, C. A., Yoon, I., & Kim, J. (2023). Accuracy of 11 wearable, nearable, and airable consumer sleep trackers: Prospective Multicenter validation study. JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth, 11, e50983. https://doi.org/10.2196/50983
