How I choose the wearables I recommend
Patients ask me every week which watch, ring, or cuff to buy. These are the questions I ask of every device before I recommend it.
From Dr. Kenny Civello, cardiologist and electrophysiologist
Most wearables mix two kinds of features. A few are FDA cleared and tested in real patients. Many more are wellness features with no medical review. I recommend devices for what the first kind can do, and I tell you which is which.
My seven questions
1. Is the feature FDA cleared?
- FDA cleared means the FDA reviewed that specific feature for that specific use.
- One device can have one cleared feature and ten wellness features.
- In every guide I mark which is which.
Why
Marketing often borrows the credibility of one cleared feature for everything else on the device. An FDA cleared ECG does not make the stress score or the sleep stages medical grade.
2. Has it been tested in real people?
- I look for published studies that compare the device with a medical test.
- Bigger studies and studies in people like my patients count for more.
- A press release is not a study.
Why
A feature can be cleared and still work less well in some people. Published data shows how often it is right and how often it misses.
3. Does it help you act?
- Can you save or share a recording as a PDF?
- Does an alert point to a clear next step?
- Can it connect to your medical record?
Why
A number that only lives in an app rarely changes care. A tracing I can read at your visit often does.
4. Will you actually wear it?
- Battery life, comfort in bed, and how often it needs charging.
- Simple enough to use without help.
- The best device is the one you keep wearing.
Why
A device in the drawer catches nothing. Many features, like AFib checks and sleep tracking, only work if you wear it day and night.
5. What does it really cost?
- I count the monthly subscription, not just the sticker price.
- I note which features stop working without it.
- I note HSA or FSA eligibility when the maker states it.
Why
Over two years, a subscription can cost more than the device. Some features you paid for disappear if you stop paying.
6. Does it work with your phone?
- Some health features only work with one brand of phone.
- I list compatibility for every pick.
Why
A cleared feature you cannot turn on with your phone does you no good.
7. What happens to your data?
- Who can see your data, and is it sold or shared?
- Can you download it or delete it?
- Health data from a consumer device is usually not protected the way your medical record is.
Why
Your heart rate, sleep, and location say a lot about you. You should know where they go before you buy.
What does not count
Popularity
A device is not better because more people own it.
Ads and sponsorships
No company pays for a spot in these guides.
Feature lists
Twenty wellness scores do not beat one feature that has been tested.
Promises
I review what a device can do today, not what the maker says is coming.
How the guides stay current
Wearables change fast. Every buyer's guide shows the date I last reviewed it.
When I update
When a new model, an FDA decision, or a major study changes my picks, and at least once a year.
Prices
Prices change often. I list them as of the review date. Check the maker's site before you buy.
Money and disclosures
I do not earn anything when you buy a device I recommend. Links go straight to the maker.
I have no disclosures. I have not received payment from any company for these recommendations.
More on wearables
My watch says I have AFibMy watch ECG says inconclusiveFind the right wearableBest smartwatch for catching AFibBest smart ring for sleepBest home blood pressure monitorBest personal ECG without a smartwatchBest wearable for an older parentBest wearable for athletesBest wearable without a screenThis page is general education for my patients. A wearable is not a diagnosis. Talk with your doctor about what your data means for you.