Smart Watches: Are they worth it?

Have you thought about purchasing a Smart watch recently but you're not quite sure whether it is worth it? Below are just a few of the main benefits I get from my Smart watch (Apple Watch Series 2):

Notifications:

How many times during the day do you take your phone out of your pocket to check if you have any messages/instagram notifications/facebook notifications/emails? It is probably in the hundreds for some of us.

Smart watches notify you when you receive these, so you can have a quick glance and only need to take your phone out of your pocket or bag if it’s worthwhile. It simplifies your life and saves a lot of time throughout the day. You can even answer your phone using the watch.

Resting Heart Rate:

One of the greatest benefits of wearing a Smart watch is being able to keep track of your resting heart rate (rhr). Most adults have a rhr of 60-100 beats per minute (bpm). The fitter you are, the lower your rhr is likely to be. For example, athletes may have a rhr of 40-60bpm or lower. A lack of physical exercise will cause your rhr to be higher, forcing your heart to work harder than necessary.

The monitor is also a great way to keep track of your heart rate during and after exercise, particularly strenuous exercise.

Fitness Apps:

All Smart watches are capable of step counting and tell you how many calories you have burnt throughout the day. Smart watches will also notify you when you have reached your goals for the day. I find the Activity app on the Apple Watch very useful and highly accurate and I often refer to it throughout the day.

Smart watches are ideal for running, swimming (if they are water resistant!) and gym sessions, from my experience. Particularly if you don’t want to carry your phone with you but still want to keep track of your exercise. Just select the type of exercise and off you go!

There are hundreds of apps on the market designed for different sports, all of which you can sync with your smart phone.

Navigation:

Getting around an unknown city, or even your own city is much easier with a smart watch. Directions are sent to your wrist telling you when and where to turn next. Perhaps you are using Maps on your phone whilst driving and don’t want to look down at your phone, this is where Smart watches also come in handy, as they notify you when to take the next exit.

Another Smart watch app that I often refer to is the weather app. Having set it to my home screen, I only need to take a glance to see how warm (or rainy if in England) it is going to be.

Verdict:

Many people say that smart watches simply do everything a smartphone can, which is true. Remember that they’re not there to replace your phone, but to complement it and make your life easier. The above list is very brief and only covers a few of the benefits that I have noticed, however there are plenty more to be had.

After using a smart watch for approximately 7 months, it has certainly had a lot of wear and I often find that when I’m not wearing it, I miss the features. It also saves the battery life on my phone, from not using it so much. So if you’re wondering whether it’s worth it, I would say - definitely. Shop around, as there are so many watches on the market. Why not treat yourself or put it on your Christmas list!