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Best Smartwatches & Health Trackers in 2023 : Scientific Recommendations
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Best Smartwatches & Health Trackers in 2023 : Scientific Recommendations

Best Smart Watches and Health Trackers

In this video, the speaker shares their top picks for the best smartwatches and health trackers based on actual data. They discuss a range of different brands and models, including Garmin, Polar, Aura Ring, Whoop, Huawei, Fitbit, and Xiaomi.

Introduction

  • The speaker is a postdoctoral scientist specializing in biological data analysis.
  • They have tested over 80 smartwatches over the last two and a half years.
  • The recommendations are based on systematic and scientific measurements taken by the speaker.

General Health Tracking Devices

  • Two top contenders in this category are the Aura Ring and the Whoop Strap.
  • Both devices can track heart rate during workouts, do detailed sleep analysis, check daily activities, detect changes in health parameters that could indicate poor recovery or good day to do vigorous exercise.
  • The Aura Ring is a smart ring with many types of sensors designed to be worn all day while Whoop Strap is a health tracker that you can wear on many parts of your body but most people choose to wear it on either their wrist or their biceps.

Comparison between Aura Ring and Whoop Strap

  • Both devices can see if there's any changes compared to your normal baseline which might indicate something is different from your normal health status.
  • A plot shows that there was a clear correlation between the temperature measured by the Aura Ring and how sick the speaker was feeling.
  • For about two and a half years, blood samples were taken every three weeks or so. Each time white blood cells count was measured. Generally when infected with a virus for instance you expect the body to respond by increasing your white blood cell count.

Conclusion

The video provides an overview of some of the best smartwatches and health trackers available in today's market. It also highlights some key features of the Aura Ring and Whoop Strap, two of the best devices for general health tracking. The speaker emphasizes that their recommendations are based on systematic and scientific measurements taken over the last few years.

Health Tracking with the Oura Ring

In this section, the speaker discusses how the Oura Ring can track changes in cell counts and physical responses of the body's immune system. The speaker also compares the accuracy of heart rate tracking between the Oura Ring and an ECG chest strap.

Cell Counts and Physical Responses

  • The Oura Ring can track changes in cell counts and physical responses of the body's immune system.
  • Subjective scores of feeling sick were associated with a physical response of the body's immune system.
  • The newer generation (generation 3) of the Oura Ring has even more temperature sensors for improved tracking.

Health Tracking

  • The Oura Ring provides some of the best and most intuitive health tracking compared to other devices tested.
  • Resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and respiratory rate can change due to factors such as overtraining, alcohol usage, or late meals.
  • The accuracy of heart rate tracking was compared between the Oura Ring and an ECG chest strap, showing good agreement between both devices.

Sports Tracking

  • While lacking in sports tracking capabilities compared to other devices like Whoop Strap 4.0, the Oura Ring is still useful for general health tracking.
  • The speaker found that while Whoop Strap 4.0 performed similarly to Oura Ring 3 in detecting their COVID-19 infection, they prefered how data was presented in the app by Oura Ring.

Accuracy of Heart Rate Tracking Devices

In this section, the speaker discusses the accuracy of heart rate tracking devices during activities. The Whoop Strap 4.0 is shown to perform better than other devices in this regard.

Comparison of Heart Rate Tracking Devices

  • The Polar H10 EGD chest strap is used as a reference device for measuring the accuracy of other heart rate tracking devices.
  • Watches are ordered from worst to best based on their correlation with the reference device.
  • The Whoop Strap 4.0 performs significantly better than Aura Rings for tracking heart rate during cycling indoors.
  • For easy exercises like cycling indoors, the Whoop Strap is in the upper middle class of watches while Aura Rings are doing significantly worse.

Best Devices for Workout Heart Rate Tracking

In this section, the speaker discusses how different devices perform when it comes to workout heart rate tracking.

Comparison of Workout Heart Rate Tracking Devices

  • Huawei and Apple watches perform better than the Whoop Strap and Aura Ring for workout heart rate tracking.
  • If you're specifically interested in workout heart rate tracking, an Apple Watch or Huawei watch would be a better choice than a Whoop Strap or Aura Ring.

Affiliate Links and Honorable Mentions

In this section, the speaker provides affiliate links for purchasing health-tracking devices and mentions Fitbit as an honorable mention.

Health Tracking Device Recommendations

  • Fitbit produces many different watches that generally have similar performance for heart rate and sleep tracking.
  • Fitbits are generally less expensive than Whoop Straps and come with a monthly subscription to access all metrics and trends.
  • Many health tracking devices require a subscription to use, including Whoop and Aura Rings.

Best Watches for Sports Tracking

In this section, the speaker discusses the best watches for sports tracking, with an emphasis on heart rate tracking.

Best Watches for Sports Tracking

  • The speaker summarizes the most important results of their research into heart rate tracking while cycling outside.

Heart Rate Tracking During Exercise

In this section, the speaker discusses heart rate tracking during exercise and provides recommendations for the best devices to use.

Best Devices for Heart Rate Tracking During Exercise

  • Apple watches and some Huawei watches are the best devices for heart rate tracking during exercise.
  • The downside of the Apple watch is that it only works with iPhones and has limited battery life. Huawei watches have better battery life but may be cumbersome to use due to sanctions in the US.
  • Some Garmin devices, such as the Forerunner 255 and Instinct 2, are also decent heart rate trackers but not good enough for weightlifting.
  • For accurate heart rate tracking under most circumstances, using an ECG chest strap like the Polar H10 is recommended.

Weight Lifting Heart Rate Tracking

In this section, the speaker discusses heart rate tracking during weight lifting and provides recommendations for the best devices to use.

Best Devices for Weight Lifting Heart Rate Tracking

  • The best devices for weight lifting heart rate tracking are different Apple watches and some Huawei watches.
  • Watches with a correlation of around 0.95 or higher should be used for weightlifting. This is limited to a small group of Apple watches and Huawei watches.
  • Using an ECG chest strap is still recommended if accurate heart rate tracking is your main goal.

GPS Tracking Performance

In this section, the speaker discusses GPS tracking performance and provides recommendations for the best devices to use.

Best Devices for GPS Tracking Performance

  • Garmin devices are some of the best watches for GPS tracking performance.
  • The Garmin Forerunner 255 is a good example of a watch with accurate GPS tracking.
  • Garmin is very consistent in its GPS tracking, and the signals overlap well, indicating accuracy.

GPS Tracking Comparison

In this section, the speaker compares the GPS tracking performance of Garmin and Apple watches. The speaker uses Garmin Forerunner 255 as an example for Garmin watches and Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra for Apple watches.

Garmin vs. Apple Watch GPS Tracking

  • The Apple Watch Series 8 performed well in GPS tracking with consistent signals, but there was some deviation between signals.
  • The consistency improved later on, but the Garmin Forerunner 255 looked better in some areas.
  • The Apple Watch Ultra performed similarly to the Series 8 with accurate and quick signal acquisition, but there was still some deviation between signals.
  • Overall, the Garmin Forerunner 255 had a slight edge over both Apple watches in terms of GPS tracking.

Sports Tracking Conclusion

In this section, the speaker provides their overall conclusions for sports tracking based on their experience testing various devices.

Recommendations for Sports Tracker

  • The Garmin Forerunner 255 is recommended as an all-around decent sports tracker.
  • If heart rate tracking is a priority, one should go for an Apple or Huawei watch. However, keep in mind that the battery life of an Apple watch is limited and it can only be used with an iPhone. Huawei watches may also have limited access to Google services.

Sleep Tracking Comparison

In this section, the speaker discusses sleep tracking and focuses on two things: which device is the best sleep stage tracker and which device they personally find most useful and interpretable when it comes to sleep tracking.

Best Sleep Stage Tracker

  • Most modern smartwatches try to measure sleep stages, and the speaker shows an example of this tracking on an Apple Watch Ultra and an EEG device called To Dream 2.

Personal Recommendation for Sleep Tracking

  • The speaker did not provide any specific recommendations in this section.

Sleep Stage Tracking

In this section, the speaker discusses the quality of sleep stage tracking in different watches. They compare the performance of various watches with an EEG device and provide recommendations for good sleep trackers.

Top Performing Watches

  • The Apple Watch Ultra performs well in detecting deep sleep and REM sleep.
  • The Huawei Watch Fit 2 is a poor performer when it comes to sleep stage tracking.

Overall Results

  • There is great diversity in the quality of sleep stage tracking among different watches.
  • The best performing watches for sleep stage tracking are Apple Watches, followed by Fitbit devices, Google Pixel watch, Whoop strap, and Withings Sleep Analyzer.

Downsides of Apple Watches

  • Battery life is limited.
  • Cannot track naps.
  • Requires an iPhone to use.

Other Recommendations

  • Fitbit devices, Google Pixel watch, Whoop strap, and Withings Sleep Analyzer are good alternatives to Apple Watches for sleep stage tracking.
  • Avoid Huawei and Garmin watches for sleep stage tracking.

General Sleep Tracking

In this section, the speaker discusses other aspects of general sleep tracking beyond just sleep stages.

Importance of General Sleep Tracking

  • General sleep tracking can provide insights into overall quality of sleep beyond just monitoring specific stages.

Sleep Tracking Devices: Which One is Right for You?

In this video, the speaker discusses his experience with various sleep tracking devices and provides recommendations based on his testing. He also mentions some limitations in his testing.

Best Devices for General Sleep Tracking

  • The Aura Ring and Whoop Strap are recommended for general sleep tracking.
  • Both require a monthly fee.
  • Aura Ring is currently the speaker's top recommendation.
  • Garmin Forerunner 255 or Instinct 2 are good options for those on a medium-sized budget.
  • Older generation watches like Huawei Watch Fit or Garmin watches can be found at a good deal for those on a tight budget.

Speaker's Personal Recommendations

  • If money is no object and only one device is desired, the Whoop Strap is recommended.
  • If two devices can be combined, the Apple Watch Ultra and Aura Ring are recommended.
  • If on a budget but still have quite some money to spend, an Apple Watch SE instead of the Apple Watch Ultra could be considered.
  • For sports tracking, Garmin devices like Forerunner 255 or Instinct 2 are recommended.

Limitations in Testing

  • Results may not translate to everyone's specific situation due to differences in age, fitness level, and ethnicity.
  • Not all devices were tested; some firmware may have been updated since testing.
  • No discussion of devices that actively improve sleep environment while tracking sleep.
Video description

🔴 General Amazon link*: https://geni.us/thequantifiedscientist 🟢 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quantified_scientist/ 🟠 Shorts: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCcpARGzXNaC62UQWns2dh2Q 🔵 Newsletter: www.robterhorst.com 🟡 Twitter: @QuantifiedRob * Affiliate (paid) links support the channel by earning me a commission on any sale, and it doesn't cost you any more! My opinions are completely my own, and this content is not sponsored. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 👇 $30 off any new WHOOP membership, affiliate* (paid) link, supports the channel!👇 https://join.whoop.com/QuantifiedScientist ($30 off any new WHOOP membership) ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 👇Amazon Affiliate* (paid) links. Supports the channel, doesn't cost you any more!👇 ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬BEST WATCHES▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Whoop Strap 4.0: https://join.whoop.com/QuantifiedScientist ($30 off any new WHOOP membership) 👇Amazon general link (any purchase): https://geni.us/thequantifiedscientist Fitbit Sense 2: https://geni.us/Fitbit_Sense2 Fitbit Versa 4: https://geni.us/Fitbit_Versa4 Google Pixel Watch: https://geni.us/GooglePixelWatch Samsung Galaxy Watch 5: https://geni.us/SamsungWatch5 Huawei Watch Fit 2: https://geni.us/HuaweiWatchFit2 Huawei Watch GT3 Pro: https://geni.us/thequantifiedscientist Huawei Watch GT Runner: https://geni.us/HuaweiWatchGtRunner Huawei Watch GT 3: https://geni.us/Huawei_Watch_GT3 Apple Watch Ultra: https://geni.us/AppleWatch_Ultra Apple Watch 8: https://geni.us/AppleWatchSeries8 Apple Watch 7 41 mm: https://geni.us/AppleWatch7_41 Apple Watch 7 45 mm: https://geni.us/AppleWatch7 Apple Watch 6: https://geni.us/0gNGeO Apple Watch SE: https://geni.us/Apple_Watch_SE_44 Garmin Fenix 7: https://geni.us/Garmin_Fenix_7 Garmin Venu 2: https://geni.us/Garmin_Venu_2 Garmin Instinct 2: https://geni.us/Garmin_Instinct_2 Polar H10: https://geni.us/hnXc Polar OH1+: https://geni.us/D7bs5 Polar Verity Sense: https://geni.us/polarVeritySense ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 📸My Gear* (paid links, supports the channel and doesn’t cost you any more)📸 Camera body (main): https://geni.us/SonyA6600_body Camera lense (main): https://geni.us/SigmaContemporary Camera (B-roll): https://geni.us/CanonEosM50MarkII and https://geni.us/Sony_ZVE10 Light: https://geni.us/Godox_VL150 Softbox: https://geni.us/NiceFotoSoftbox Light stand: https://geni.us/WalimexLightstand ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:51 What Is This Video About? 01:21 Best Health Tracking Devices: Top Picks 02:21 Best Health Tracking Devices: Detecting Sickness Test 05:37 Best Health Tracking Devices: Oura Ring 3 Accuracy 05:37 Best Health Tracking Devices: Whoop Strap 4.0 Benefits 10:53 Best Health Tracking Devices: Fitbit Honorable Mention 11:46 Best Sports Tracking Devices: Heart Rate Test Cycling 13:42 Best Sports Tracking Devices: Heart Rate Test Weight Lifting 15:15 Best Sports Tracking Devices: My Top 2 GPS Picks 19:22 Best Sports Tracking Devices: Conclusions 19:48 Best Sleep Tracking Devices: What Is Sleep Tracking? 20:18 Best Sleep Tracking Devices: Sleep Stage Tracking 24:19 Best Sleep Tracking Devices: Other Sleep Metrics 26:01 Limitations 27:06 Overall Conclusions Intro: In this video I'll be sharing with you my top picks for the best smartwatches and health trackers based on actual data, and we'll be discussing a range of different brands and models, including Garmin, Polar, Oura Ring, Whoop, Huawei, Fitbit, and Xiaomi. I'll be covering a range of different features and capabilities, including sports tracking, heart rate tracking, general health tracking, GPS tracking, and battery life. Whether you are a fitness enthusiast, a health-conscious individual, or just someone who wants to track your steps and basic health trends, I’ve got you covered. I've based my recommendations on systematic and scientific measurements I've taken over the last few years, since I believe that all my recommendations should be backed by a lot of data. So sit back, relax, and let’s see if we can find the perfect smartwatch or health tracker for you. I’ve tested more than 80 smartwatches over the last two-and-a-half years, and I have always tried to share the performance of these watches based on unbiased data and systematic analyses. However, one thing that admittedly lacks in my reviews is a consideration of each person's individual needs, which might make certain aspects of a smartwatch more or less relevant. In this video I would therefore like to share my recommendations taking into account the different real-world use cases you might have, but of course still basing my recommendations on all the data I collected.