These smartwatches are the best for oxygen level and ECG monitoring

Bhubaneswar: Presently in the Indian market there are five smartwatches that offer an SpO2, or blood oxygen saturation, sensor and a couple of them also offer ECG monitoring.

The pandemic has created more awareness for blood oxygen level, or saturation levels of oxygen in the blood, than ever before.

Pulse oximeters were a rage during the pandemic they would be attached to the finger or earlobe to check oxygen levels.

The system in which oxygen level is measured it emits and then absorbs a light wave passing through blood vessels.

SpO2 refers to oxygen saturation – in simple terms, an estimation of the amount of oxygen in the blood – 94-100% is the ideal blood oxygenation level.

Now-a-days, smartwatches can also measure ECG (heart rate monitor electrocardiogram)

An ECG is a test that records the timing and strength of the electrical signals that make the heartbeat.

The ECG app checks these pulses to get your heart rate and see if the upper and lower chambers of your heart are in rhythm.

But, it is noteworthy that, none of these sensors is absolutely accurate but they a point of reference or an orange flag that something needs your attention.

Here is a list of smartwatches with blood oxygen level and ECG monitor:

Apple Watch 7: This watch is undoubtedly the best wearable for iPhone users. It’s also the most evolved smartwatch with a large ecosystem of Apps.  It offers both on-demand measurements that can be taken when the user is still and periodic SpO2 measurements when they are inactive including during sleep. The ECG sensor on the Apple Watch is also the most reliable. (Rs 41,900 onwards).

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4: Samsung’s hardware and design along with the Wear OS (from Google). This brings a lot more functionality and apps (think Google Maps) to your wrist. There is on-demand SpO2 tracking.  The watch also has ECG and blood pressure measurement capabilities that will be available in India after regulatory clearances (Rs 23,999 onwards) 

Fitbit Sense: Works equally well with iPhones and Android devices. The Sense can track your SpO2 readings in your sleep (it’s not on-demand). The ECG feature is on-demand though and it’s remarkably easy to run. It also has a skin temperature sensor. The Sense takes three nights to estimate the baseline temperature and then begins to measure variations with the skin temperature sensor (Rs 22,999).

Garmin Venu 2: Garmin is a favourite among fitness enthusiasts. The Venu 2 comes with an in-built Health Snapshot feature that logs a 2-minute session to record key health stats, including heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), Pulse Ox, respiration and stress, generating a report via the Garmin Connect app to monitor the statistics. Garmin promises an impressive battery life of 11 days in smartwatch mode, with up to 8 hours on GPS mode (Rs 41,990) 

OnePlus Harry Potter Limited Edition Watch: This is a no-brainer for Potterheads. This special edition watch features multiple Harry Potter customisations, including a lightning bolt – reminiscent of Harry Potter’s emblematic scar – inscribed on the power button. The vegan leather band is embossed with the instantly recognisable Hogwarts Crest. The UI offers Potter customisations that include fonts, animations and watch faces. It’s the same OnePlus watch that debuted a few months ago with a vibrant 1.39-inch AMOLED display and a SpO2 sensor that is very easy to use (Rs 16,999).

With Inputs From: Moneycontrol