For sports, many gadgets have been invented, among which smart watches occupy a special place, combining the functions of a pedometer, heart rate monitor, blood pressure monitor, etc. Today we look at smart bracelets combined with a heart rate monitor and tonometer.
What are they needed for
Devices can be useful to a significant part of the population: athletes, people who carefully monitor their health. And just for those who love multifunctionality. After all, having bought only one device, in addition to tracking time, you can measure blood pressure and heart rate. Other functions often complement this list:
- counting calories burned;
- the number of steps taken for the selected period of time;
- sleep tracking.
Thanks to its great functionality, people have the opportunity to monitor their health much more effectively. After all, for example, it is difficult for elderly people to always measure indicators with an uncomfortable standard tonometer.
Pacemaking workouts, regular gym exercises require proper load balancing.
The bracelet, synchronized via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi with a mobile application, is worn on the hand, processes and transmits information about the body's work on the phone screen in the form of a diagram or graph.
Smart watches help control physical activity for people with a sedentary lifestyle (the cause of which is most often work).
The most advanced models have an even larger list of features:
- location determination;
- measurement of temperature and intensity of perspiration;
- monitoring respiratory rate;
- alarm clock.
Water-resistant watches predominate on the market because users prefer not to take the watch off during the day. For such devices, daily activities - showering, washing dishes, etc. - not an obstacle.
Operating principle
Smart Watch Operation measure pressure and heart rate, different from the operation of the tonometer. Here, the measurement is based on the accelerometer. He catches external changes by comparing the difference between normal and gravitational acceleration.
It calculates the nature of the propagation of a pulse wave, an electrocardiogram. Then the processing of the received data is performed. The result is displayed in the form of exact numbers.
Sometimes the application indicates age, gender, weight, height. This makes the calculation algorithm more perfect, respectively, the final indicators are more accurate. To "help" the program in the calculation, you must adhere to the following rules:
- A wristband with a heart rate monitor and tonometer should be worn on the wrist of the left hand. For more expensive models, this does not matter.
- Ideally, the measurement is carried out while the arm is at chest level.
- The procedure is undesirable after eating due to possible errors.
- The effect of any pacemaker on the body should be eliminated.
It takes about 30 seconds to measure. The indicators are accurate in 80% of cases.
Most modern bracelets work on the principle of mathematical modeling. They also have the ability to record indicators. This is very useful if a person visits a doctor often.
The bracelet very quickly determines the level of blood pressure. In addition, often there is a built-in sensor that recognizes arrhythmia. The material of the strap and the case itself does not cause an allergic reaction.
Measurement accuracy
When the bracelet "hangs", it does not hold firmly on the wrist, the sensor does not have constant contact with the arteries, therefore, incorrect information about physiological parameters will be issued.The error can reach an average of 13 mm Hg. Art., if we talk about pressure.
It is believed that smart watches always have a strong margin of error. But studies have shown that with proper use, both the tonometer and smart bracelet reveal exactly the same result. To get accurate data from the device, you need to securely attach it to your wrist.
Advantages and disadvantages of using
Models with a tonometer have a lot of advantages:
- effective health control anywhere - at home, at work, in the park, in transport;
- compactness, over time you can even stop feeling the presence of a bracelet on your hand;
- synchronization with a mobile application allows you to view reports and detailed information in your free time;
- the naturalness and hypoallergenicity of the materials used that do not irritate the skin;
- a large assortment and color choice, manufacturers are trying to attract an audience to their products, so they use a wide color palette;
- can work both on the battery and on batteries, depending on the specific model.
There is nothing ideal, therefore, during the operation of a smart watch, you can also find cons:
- mobile applications can take up a lot of space in the phone’s memory;
- lack of vibration mode on some models;
- sometimes far from ergonomic devices are found;
- relatively high cost.
How to choose
You need to understand that, having bought a similar device, you will almost always have to go with it. Therefore, the most important criteria are convenience and aesthetic qualities. Before buying, you must definitely check whether the wrist strap is suitable, and it will be convenient to go jogging with it. In this regard, the best option would be to buy in an electronic store, rather than an online order on the Internet.
In addition to these parameters, you should consider:
- Functionality. For some, a large set of functions is important, but for others it is quite basic. It is important to navigate according to your own needs. For example, it would be unreasonable to overpay for the alarm function, because most people already have it on their phone.
- Is it possible to synchronize the bracelet with a mobile program.
- The presence of a sound or vibration signal about the critical readings.
- The degree of moisture resistance should be high.
Top popular devices
It is better to study all the characteristics of the device in advance before purchasing. Next, we suggest viewing smart bracelets with a heart rate monitor and a tonometer.
- Jawbone UP24. A fitness bracelet from a company that is gaining popularity deserves attention because it has an original minimalist design. There is no screen - you can see everything you need in the mobile application. It looks like an ordinary bracelet, so it is suitable for those who do not want to look like a “hypochondriac”. The application has reminders, diaries. The advantage is long-term use without recharging (about 7 days). Of the minuses - low moisture resistance. Spray he can withstand, but not complete immersion. The approximate cost of 4 - 7 thousand rubles.
- Samsung Simband. It has high accuracy due to numerous sensors. It can record the results of an electrocardiogram, heart rate and blood pressure, temperature, and even the level of CO2 in the blood. Very compact and comfortable. Of the minuses, the impossibility of synchronizing with a smartphone and the lack of notifications about critical indicators can be noted. The bracelet has not yet gone into widespread production.
- Garmin Vivofit. In addition to blood pressure and heart rate sensors, there is a pedometer, stopwatch and timer. There is a backlight and a headphone jack. It supports not only standard OS: Android and iOS, but also Windows OS X. The device also has strong resistance to water and shock. Disadvantage: Calories cannot be calculated. Estimated cost: 7.5 thousand rubles.
- Skmei L28T. The device of this brand is suitable for those who first encounter such a technique.He comfortably holds his hand, synchronizes with a mobile phone, sending push notifications from the application. There is a vibrating alarm clock. Cons: not very high quality, fragile glass and a small amount of memory. Approximate cost: 1400 rubles.
- Eastor CK11S. In addition to measuring heart rate and pressure, the watch controls the heart rate during sleep. Messages and notifications appear on the display of the device itself. But the diagonal of this display is only 0.66 inches. Given that all the necessary information can be found in the application, a small screen is not a serious drawback. On the contrary, this makes the gadget compact and lightweight.
- X9 Plus Smart Band. There is standard functionality. On a relatively large display, you can see blood pressure and oxygen levels in the blood. The bracelet is well protected from dust and water - the immersion depth can reach 1 m. A large color choice for the straps, the device itself is available only in black. Disadvantage: to open all the capabilities of the bracelet, you need to connect to a smartphone.
- Smatrix v07. You can view the measurement data both on the device’s own screen and in the application on the smartphone. The amount of memory is 256 Kb. Great functionality and support for additional software. Cons: poor screen visibility in direct sunlight, high cost.
- Makibes QS80. Models with a tonometer and heart rate monitor from this brand outperform competitors with the same set of functions due to a combination of stylish design and affordable cost. Judging by the reviews about the gadget, many have problems with the synchronization of the smartphone.
- HerzBand Elegance. They look like a regular watch. But the rich feature set suggests otherwise. In addition, a sufficiently large display helps to easily read all the indicators. Minus - the device is not very comfortable to wear due to its shape.
- Prolike PLSW3000. They differ in a slightly curved and durable case. Touch controls and a small OLED display make it easy to measure pressure. Replaceable strap included. Practical and reliable device. Price: about 2500 rubles.