Wearable Smart Health Gadgets: What They Track and How They Help

Bright Concierge
Aug 1
6 min read

Updated: Aug 5

Disclaimer: A health device can be helpful, but it should not replace a doctor, medical test, or professional medical advice.

Wearable smart health gadgets are becoming more common, more accurate, more affordable, and more personalized. These devices can track health patterns over time to provide a clearer picture of health, support personal goals, and ensure safety.

While smartwatches are the most familiar option for health tracking and offer more advanced phone features, there are other great wearable health technologies available. Fitness bands, fitness rings, and emergency pendants can provide many of the same core health and safety features, but with fewer phone-related capabilities.

In this article, we’ll focus primarily on learning about the Apple Watch first before taking a closer look at other wearable health options.

What is there to know about smartwatches?

Who makes smartwatches?

Smartwatches made by Apple, Samsung, and Google are among the most popular tools for tracking health information and providing helpful feedback. When choosing a smartwatch, it is usually easiest to select one made by the same company as your phone.

The simplest pairings are:

iPhone with Apple Watch
Samsung phone with Samsung Galaxy Watch
Google Pixel phone with Google Pixel Watch

The Apple Watch is used as the primary example in this article. If you use an Android phone and want to learn more about the Samsung Galaxy Watch or Pixel Watch, email Bright Concierge so we can review options and features together.

What models does Apple offer?

Apple Watch is one of the most widely used smartwatches for health tracking and phone capabilities. It comes in three main types:

Apple Watch SE is the lower-cost, entry-level model.
Apple Watch Series models are the midrange option and include more health features.
Apple Watch Ultra models are the most expensive and are designed for more demanding outdoor use, with larger screens and strong batteries.

What health information can smartwatches track?

Smartwatches can track activity, including steps, workouts, and movement throughout the day.

All Apple watches can monitor resting and active heart rate and can notify the wearer of unusually high or low heart rates. Higher-end models may also include irregular heart rhythm notifications, hypertension notifications, and an ECG app that measures the heart’s electrical activity.

Apple Watch can also track sleep duration, sleep stages, and sleep score. The sleep score is a 0–100 rating based on sleep duration, bedtime consistency, and interruptions. Newer models may also provide notifications for sleep apnea, when breathing repeatedly stops or becomes limited during sleep.

Some higher-level models also include blood oxygen tracking and temperature sensing.

How do we view health data and get alerts?

Health information can be viewed on the watch itself or in the Apple Health app, which comes preinstalled on all iPhones. The watch and app work together, so data from the watch is automatically sent to the app.

Smartwatches learn what is normal for the wearer over time and may send an alert if there is a reading that is unusually high, low, or different from the usual pattern.

Are there safety features on smartwatches?

Smartwatches may include fall detection, Emergency SOS, emergency calling, and emergency contact notifications.

Fall detection is designed to recognize a hard fall and alert emergency services or chosen contacts. While helpful, it is not perfect. A watch may miss a real emergency or mistake an everyday moment for one.

Because of this, it is important to learn how to use the manual emergency features on your specific watch. If a fall is not detected, knowing how to activate SOS ourselves can help us call for help quickly. The exact button combination varies by brand and model.

If you would like to feel confident using your smartwatch’s manual emergency features, Bright Concierge can help provide peace of mind with a walk-through and printed instructions.

How does a smartwatch stay connected to the internet for calls and texts?

Most smartwatches use your phone’s internet connection, which means your phone needs to be nearby to make calls or texts from the watch.

A cellular smartwatch can make calls and send texts without your phone nearby because it has its own mobile connection. This usually costs extra each month and can often be added to an existing phone plan.

Some higher-end watches also offer satellite communication for emergencies when regular cell service is not available.

If you are not sure whether cellular or satellite service is right for you, we can help you decide. If it is, we can help coordinate it.

How much does a smartwatch cost?

A reliable smartwatch with good sensors, a speaker, a screen, and solid battery life usually start in the low-$200 range.

Premium models can cost close to $1,000, especially if they include larger screens, longer battery life, GPS, or outdoor-use features.

Very inexpensive watches may cost less, but they may also have weaker sensors, shorter battery life, shorter lifespans, or less reliable connections.

If you are buying an Apple product, it is best to purchase directly from Apple or from a trusted retailer such as Best Buy, Walmart, Target, or Costco. Prices are usually similar, but stores may offer sales, discounts, or bundled items.

What are some other wearable health technologies?

Other wearable technologies like a fitness band and fitness ring can track many of the same core health metrics, including steps, activity, sleep, heart rate, blood oxygen, and stress-related patterns. These options can be more comfortable to wear when sleeping and are best for people who want health tracking without advanced phone controls.

What is a fitness band?

A fitness band is smaller, thinner, and less noticeable than a smartwatch. Some fitness bands have very small screens, while others have no screen at all. Screen-free models send health information to the phone app, where the wearer can review the results later. Because they use less screen time, fitness bands often have better battery life. Some fitness bands start around $100. A popular fitness band is Fitbit by Google.

What is a fitness ring?

A fitness ring is a small ring with built-in health sensors. Because fitness rings are still newer than many other health trackers, they can be more expensive. One popular example is the Oura Ring. It charges on a stand rather than with a cable, and battery life averages about one week. The ring costs about $499, and many advanced features require a subscription.

Before buying any health device, check whether it requires a monthly or yearly subscription. Some companies place important tracking, reports, and advanced features behind a paywall, which means the device will still work but with limited features. It’s best to consider the full cost, including the device price, subscription fees, accessories, and replacement costs.

We can help you look for hidden fees.

What is an emergency pendant?

Emergency pendants are simple devices designed mainly to call for help via a button that connects the wearer to an emergency-monitoring service.

Before buying, ask which mobile carrier the device uses. If service is poor in the home or neighborhood, make sure the company can offer another carrier option. It is also wise to read independent reviews before buying an emergency pendant or voice-activated emergency device.

Traditional emergency pendants often cost a few hundred dollars up front, and monthly monitoring usually runs about $35 to $65, with extra fees sometimes added for fall detection or family notifications.

We can help you check carrier compatibility.

Wearable smart health gadgets in the form of a watch, band, or ring can track patterns over time. That information provides a clearer picture of overall wellness, supports personal goals, and improves safety. Emergency pendants, while not used for health tracking, can provide peace of mind, too.

If you would like help comparing Apple or Android smartwatches, fitness bands, rings, or emergency pendants, contact Bright Concierge here. We can help you sort through options and choose one that fits your preferences, needs, and budget.

When your smart health gadget arrives, we can help you set it up, connect it to your phone, and walk you through its manual emergency features. We can also show you how to read the data, understand alerts, and leave printed instructions if needed.

We’ll always be available if you have additional questions or issues with your device.