![]() ![]() And the same study found that the trackers were terrible when it came to actually recording the moment wearers fell asleep, with only 38% getting it right. The most accurate way to get a reading of how we’re sleeping is by having a polysomnography test, which measures things like brain waves and heart rate to get an overall picture of your sleep health.įitness trackers typically use sensors to measure our movement while we sleep, but some research says that their sleep tracking doesn’t measure up to the traditional methods – especially when it comes to measuring our sleep cycles, including deep, light and REM (rapid eye movement).Ī 2019 study by researchers from the Yale schools of nursing and medicine showed that when fitness trackers record sleep and wake up times, they are only 78% accurate. Factors that affect perfusion can include skin tone and outside temperature.” Sleep “Perfusion can also play a big role – and low perfusion will have a detrimental effect on OHR performance. Thomas explains why fitness trackers could be less accurate: “The surface of the wrist needs to be in close and constant contact with the receiver, which can be difficult if one has a smaller or harder service area here. They found that the chest-worn monitors were the most accurate and matched up with the ECG readings. The researchers used a sample of 50 people, and measured their heart rate with the fitness trackers as they walked and ran on the treadmill. “Optical heart rate is the least accurate of the two as external rhythms like your running cadence can interfere if they align too closely.”Ī 2017 study conducted by The Heart and Vascular Institute tested fitness trackers and chest-worn monitors against a standard ECG. “Some trackers use an ECG heart rate belt, which measures the heart rate using electrical waves, while others use an optical heart rate monitor which measures it by light,” explains Mari Thomas, founder of Maaree sports bras and former fitness tracker tester for TomTom. No study has been able to conclude that trackers are 100% accurate at step counting, so you might want to take this metric with a pinch of salt, too, but it’s usually more accurate than recorded calories and heart rate. ![]() A different study from 2017, published in peer-reviewed journal JMIR mHealth and uHealth, found that the accuracy on fitness trackers was negatively affected by walking aids, like a walking stick or shopping cart. So your watch might be able to count your steps on a hike but it won’t register your movements round the house. Most wearables use motion sensors to record how many steps we take, but studies have found that your pace can affect accuracy.Ī 2020 paper published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that lengthy, brisk strolls were calculated more accurately than shorter walks. ![]()
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