The COVID-19 pandemic affected the world globally. There was a rise in the number of cases all over the world. Many signs indicate the presence of the infection. One of the signs is the low blood oxygen level.

The virus mainly attacks the lungs and causes difficulty breathing. The whole situation asks for continuous monitoring of oxygen levels.

Many smartwatches facilitate the detection of oxygen levels even before the pandemic. However, the monitoring is not accurate but gives a fair idea of health.

Its usefulness isn’t limited to the pandemic but is popular among sportspersons. The advent of the technology has made things easier. You just need to touch the finger to the sensor and watch on your wrist to give you the data.

These smartwatches not only track health but also give a smart and stylish look to the outfits. Gone are the days – when watches were only for time. You can do much more with them – increase your productivity and boost your health.

What is Blood Oxygen Saturation?

The fraction of oxygenated hemoglobin in the blood is known as blood oxygen saturation.

The amount of oxygen in the blood is crucial for body activities and metabolism. Haemoglobin in the blood is responsible for delivering oxygen to the whole body for carrying out metabolic activities.

Arterial blood has relatively more oxygen concentration than venous blood. The normal arterial blood concentration is 95-100%. If oxygen concentration falls below 90% – a person should visit a physician to know the cause.

Blood concentration below 80% is serious and leads to complications like brain damage. It also indicates heart and lung problems.

Symptoms of low blood saturation are dizziness, fast heart rate, heavy legs, chronic tiredness, headaches, angina, and abdominal discomfort.

You can check blood oxygen saturation from the physician’s clinic by the ABG method. In this method, the physician pricks a needle to get blood to analyze oxygen concentration – it is the most accurate method.

Reasons for Low Blood Oxygen Saturation

Here are reasons for low blood oxygen saturation

1. Low Air Quality

We get oxygen from the air we breathe in. Sometimes, air quality is poor and has less oxygen concentration. It happens due to increasing pollution.

2. High Altitude

Oxygen concentration decreases with an increase in altitude. People often feel difficulty breathing while climbing or hiking. It can be the reason for low blood oxygen saturation.

3. Lung and Heart Problems

The abnormality in lung and heart functionality is one of the main reasons for low blood saturation. Lungs don’t properly oxygenate the blood and the heart doesn’t pump blood to the organs.

4. Blockage in Blood Vessel

Sometimes, a blockage in the blood reason leads to low blood saturation. It doesn’t affect the whole body but a particular tissue.

How Pulse Oximeter Works

A pulse oximeter can be connected to a finger or earlobe. It has light-emitting diodes and a sensor. It emits two types of light: infrared and red light. The wavelength of red light is 660nm and the wavelength of infrared is 960 nm.

Absorption of light depends on the level of oxygenation of tissue hemoglobin. Oxygenated tissue absorbs more infrared and less red light. On the other hand, deoxygenated tissue absorbs more red and less infrared light.

It doesn’t directly measure oxygen levels. However, the results are based on the ability of oxygenated and deoxygenated tissue to absorb oxygen.

How Smartwatches Calculate the SpO2 Level

There are two ways to calculate oxygen saturation: transmitter and reflectance oximetry. Transmitter oximetry in pulse oximeters is a more reliable method to track oxygen concentration in blood.

Smartwatches use reflectance oximetry to detect oxygen levels. The light reflects from blood under the skin. The best part of using smartwatches or bands is they do not require thin sites for measurement.

Their smartwatches should not be for clinical assessments. These are not clinically approved and can’t serve as an alternative to medical assistance.

Smartwatches for Oxygen Level Detection

Detection of oxygen levels is crucial for mountaineers, sports athletes, and fitness enthusiasts. Monitoring oxygen levels through a pulse oximeter can be annoying sometimes. You can’t visit a physician’s clinic to monitor oxygen levels.

Here, smartwatches cover the gap by detecting the oxygen level. These smartwatches have built-in sensors and advanced technology to keep you updated on oxygen levels.

The smartwatches are easy to use. You just need to put your finger against the sensor and after a few seconds – you get an oxygen level. The results are either in the form of percentages or graphs.

The results of the smartwatches are not quite accurate or clinically approved. You should seek medical assistance for clinical assessments and evaluations.

Here are some of the best smartwatches you can choose for oxygen level detection.

1. Apple Watch Series 6

It has a Retina LTPO OLED display and a powerful processor. It has a sleek, stylish look and comes in different colors to suit your style. ISO standards approve water resistance.

Apple Watch Series 6 has many advanced features. It allows cellular activity, a GPS tracking system, and health and fitness activities.

It has built-in sensors to measure oxygen saturation. It helps to keep track of SpO2 level and give notification of your well-being.

It motivates them to achieve health goals and keep track of their status. These watches are best to keep track of your blood oxygen saturation level regularly.

2. Yamay Smartwatch

Yamay smartwatch is a Chinese smartwatch and is relatively affordable. It gives a premium and expensive look. It offers various features: fitness tracking, notifications, health monitoring, oxygen tracking, etc.

It comes with a cable, guide, and instruction manual. Yamay smartwatch works on both Android and iOS devices.

The smartwatch has a built-in oxygen sensor to monitor oxygen levels. The fitness tracker has 13 sports features: running, table tennis, skipping, cycling, etc.

It has an IPA 60 water resistance rating and 7 days of battery life with normal usage. You can use it as a camera shutter for a mobile phone to take beautiful pictures.

3. Fitbit Sense 2

Fitbit sense2 comes with a 1.58-inch screen. It claims a battery life of 6 days. The watch has a water resistance of 50mm. The GPS tracking system in the smartwatch enables you to go anywhere without worry.

Fitbit Sense works well on both Android and iOS devices. It gives a graphical representation of the data. It has features like Google Wallet to ease transactions.

It aids in the regulation of blood oxygen levels. It tracks oxygen consumption levels during nighttime and helps with sleep apnea.

Fitbit Sense is a great choice for style, comfort, fitness, and health tracking. The features of this watch are worth buying.

4. Garmin Vivoactive 4

Garmin vivoactive is a stylish smartwatch with a 1.3-inch touch screen. It is the best fit for fitness enthusiasts. It’s a light and comfortable watch with light straps and different color options.

Garmin vivoactive 4 tracks your energy level. The pulse oximeter sensor calculates the percentage of oxygen in the blood.

It tracks SpO2 during night and daytime with the help of a built-in oxygen sensor. It also gives a vo2 max reading that indicates oxygen consumption during high-intensity workouts.

It tracks the menstrual cycle and is best suited for the female wearer.  The options of flow, symptoms, and mood are helpful during periods.

5. Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 has a thick, heavy design. The large display makes it easy to visualize the screen. It has a display size of 1.3 inches and offers a battery life of up to 40 hours. It has good RAM and a fast processor.

It has skin temperature sensors to track the body temperature. It has an oxygen sensor to track the oxygen level of the body. It continuously monitors the oxygen level even during the day and night time.

It also monitors heart rate and becomes a fitness partner. The credibility increases with FDA approval for AFib detection.

6. Withings Scan Watch

The hybrid smartwatch is one of the best choices for monitoring blood oxygen saturation levels. It has a display size of 38/42mm. It offers an amazing battery life of up to 30 days. The smartwatch has a waterproof reading of 5 ATM.

It is medically approved to detect abnormal heartbeat and sleep apnea. Some other features of a smartwatch are breathing movements, menstrual cycle, and tracking respiratory rate.

One of the distinctive features of the smartwatch is FDA approval for oxygen level detection. There is always a concern related to the efficacy of smartwatches for monitoring oxygen saturation.

7. Garmin Venue 3

Garmin venue 3 has a stainless steel bezel which gives a stylish look. The display size of the watch is 1.3 inches. It has a water resistance rating of 5 ATM. It has onboard GPS and NFC.

It offers numerous health track activities and functionalities. The smartwatch has a pretty solid accuracy for its features. It tracks heart runs and also gives actionable information.

It gives continuous ECG and SpO2 app monitoring. It has the additional feature of recovery time. Intensive workouts demand some time to heal the body’s sores and pain.

Garmin Venue 3 can be your next choice to track continuous oxygen levels with long battery life to keep you going.

8. Masimo W1

Masimo W1 is also FDA-approved for oxygen saturation. It is a comfortable, lightweight watch for everyday use.

It gives health insights such as oxygen level, hydration index pulse rate, etc. It also monitors step count. You can track health data on the mobile app. It connects to the Masimo app on your phone and helps in data monitoring.

The smartwatch comes with a charging cable base and an instruction manual. You can charge the watch with the help of a charging base and use it for days.

You can track the SpO2 level anytime, anywhere. You can use it in the place of medical devices plus oximetry because it provides accuracy close to a pulse oximeter.

9. Realme Watch S

Realme watches S has an aluminum frame with 2.5 D curved glass and Gorilla glass protection. It comes with a 1.3-inch display screen. It has 600 Nits Max brightness and an ambient light sensor to control brightness.

The smartwatch comes with changeable colored straps and a magnetic charging pad. You can change straps according to occasion and style. It offers a battery life of 2 weeks and has Ip68 water resistance.

The smartwatch’s usefulness is due to different health-tracking features. It has health sensors to measure heart rate and oxygen (SpO2) level of the body. The oxygen sensor helps during exercise and high-intensity workouts.

It connects to the app on a mobile phone and you can observe the data on screen.

10. Fitbit Vera Lite Edition

Fitbit Vera lite edition has a 1.34-inch screen and comes in different colored silicone straps. The smartwatch is affordable and light wear.

It has a single button on the side – it is simple and easy to use. It gives you alerts and notifications of calls and messages.

It has built-in GPS and you can reach your destination without stress. The smartwatch has Bluetooth connectivity. It has a robust operating system and also connects to mobile phones.

It gives the option of fitness tracking, calories burned, and a SpO2 oxygen sensor. It tells about the cardio zone based on pulse rating.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can smartwatches with oxygen sensors be alternatives to pulse oximeters?

The oxygens sensors are not accurate and not approved for clinical conditions. These tell about oxygen saturation – the values are not always reliable. Smartwatches with oxygen sensors are effective for monitoring daily life activities but are not an alternative to pulse oximeters.

2. Should I consider buying a smartwatch if the SpO2 sensor is not FDA-approved?

For accurate reading, you should invest in pulse oximetry. The device is more accurate for the detection of blood oxygen saturation levels. You can buy a smartwatch for health features – SpO2 detection is one of them. Besides, there are reports of their accurate results.

3. Is there any smartwatch that is FDA-approved for measuring oxygen levels?

Yes, some smartwatches are FDA-approved for oxygen saturation. Masimo W1 and Withings scanwatch are FDA-approved. The approval gives trust to the customers and increases the brand’s reputation.

4. Can I measure oxygen saturation using an Apple watch?

Apple 6 smartwatch has an option of plus oximeter. The Apple smartwatch has built-in oxygen sensors. However, they have made it clear that it’s not for medical use. Overall, you can benefit from the feature to track daily life activities.