Yes, fitness smartwatches can monitor blood oxygen levels. This feature is typically found in more advanced smartwatches and is known as SpO2 monitoring. It uses sensors on the watch's underside to emit and measure the light absorption through your skin, providing an estimate of how much oxygen is in your blood. This can be particularly useful for athletes, individuals at high altitudes, or people with certain health conditions. However, while helpful for giving general insights into your blood oxygen levels, the readings from smartwatches are not as accurate as those from medical-grade devices like pulse oximeters. As such, data from these watches should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis.
Best Fitness Smartwatches of March 2025
1
Rating is 5 out of 5
Fitbit Versa 4 Fitness Smartwatch with Daily Readiness, GPS, 24/7 Heart Rate, 40+ Exercise Modes, Sleep Tracking and more, Waterfall Blue/Platinum, One Size (S & L Bands Included)
-
Get inspired and stay accountable with Versa 4 + Premium - learn when to work out or recover, see real-time stats during exercise and find new ways to keep your routine fresh and fun.Operating temperature: -14° to 113°F. Radio transceiver: Bluetooth 5.0.Maximum operating altitude : 28,000 feet (8,534 m).
-
Built for better fitness results: Daily Readiness Score(1), built-in GPS and workout intensity map, Active Zone Minutes, all-day activity tracking and 24/7 heart rate, 40+ exercise modes and automatic exercise tracking, water resistant to 50 meters
-
Tools to measure and improve sleep quality: personalized Sleep Profile(1), daily sleep stages & Sleep Score, smart wake alarm and do not disturb mode. Compatibility-Apple iOS 15 or higher, Android OS 9 or higher
-
Maintain a healthy body and mind: daily Stress Management Score, reflection logging, SpO2(2), health metrics dashboard(3), guided breathing sessions, menstrual health tracking and mindfulness content
2
Rating is 4.9 out of 5
Garmin vívoactive 5, Health and Fitness GPS Smartwatch, AMOLED Display, Up to 11 Days of Battery, Black
-
Designed with a bright, colorful AMOLED display, get a more complete picture of your health, thanks to battery life of up to 11 days in smartwatch mode
-
Body Battery energy monitoring helps you understand when you’re charged up or need to rest, with even more personalized insights based on sleep, naps, stress levels, workouts and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
-
Get a sleep score and personalized sleep coaching for how much sleep you need — and get tips on how to improve plus key metrics such as HRV status to better understand your health (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
-
Find new ways to keep your body moving with more than 30 built-in indoor and GPS sports apps, including walking, running, cycling, HIIT, swimming, golf and more
-
Automatic nap detection and nap logging tracks your nap length during the day, providing personalized insights on how it affects your Body Battery energy monitoring and more (data presented is intended to be a close estimation of metrics tracked)
3
Rating is 4.8 out of 5
Smart Watch(Answer/Make Call), 2025 New Smartwatch for Men Women, 1.96" HD Fitness Watch with 110+ Sport Modes, Heart Rate, Sleep Monitor, Pedometer, IP68 Waterproof Activity Tracker for Android iOS
-
2025 New Smart Watch with Bluetooth Call/Intelligent Notifications: The smart watches for men adopts bluetooth 5.3 version for a faster and more stable connection. With a built-in premium microphone and hd speaker, allowing you to answer calls and interact with voice assistants directly from smartwatch. Meanwhile, you can receive message notifications and read them from your watch, such as Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Gmail, Whatsapp, Twitter etc. Just raise your wrist to view messages.
-
1.96" HD Big Screen and Unlimited Customization Dials: smart watches for women adopt 1.96”TFT HD color display screen (320*386 resolution) which making it easy to operate and sensitive, experience crystal-clear visuals like never before. 4 level brightness adjustable allows you to read time and data clearly even under the glare. 200+ Multiple trendsetting combinations to match your mood and outfit of the day. Even create and customize your own mens smart watch faces from your phone gallery.
-
24/7 Heart Rate Monitor and Sleep Tracker: Adopted high-performance optical sensors, Fitness tracker provides health monitoring features such as 24-hour continuity real-time Heart Rate, SpO2, and Sleep Monitoring(Deep/light sleep). It accurately monitors your heart rate in real time nd better understand your heart rate trends. Also, it provides a detailed analysis of your sleep quality and facilitating lifestyle adjustments by "GloryFit" continuously recording your sleep patterns.
-
All Day Activity and Practical Functions: During exercise, sport smart watch automatically records daily steps, distance counter，calories burned, active minutes. This fitness watch men has other useful features offered like remote camera, music control, weather forecast, sedentary reminder, GPS tracking, stopwatch, find phone, raise to wake, alarm clock, calculator, etc. It makes things on your wrist simple and easy, and will always work as your effective daily assissant.
4
Rating is 4.7 out of 5
Smart Watch, 1.85" HD Smartwatch for Men Women (Answer/Make Calls), Fitness Watch with Heart Rate/Sleep/IP68 Waterproof/120+ Sports Modes/Spo2 Monitor, Pedometer, Android Smart Watch for Android iOS
-
Bluetooth Call and Voice Assistant: Smart watch built-in microphone and HD speaker, you can make and receive calls directly from this smart watches for men. You can also use the built-in voice assistant to ask questions, control music playback and more
-
1.85'' HD Screen and DIY Dials: Android smart watch features a TFT HD color screen and curved 3D curved glass for superior picture quality and touch sensitivity. You can also choose from 100+ dials or personalize the dial with your favorite photos
-
24 Hour Health Monitoring: The built-in sensor of the smart watches for women has been upgraded, which is faster and more powerful in monitoring heart rate, blood oxygen and sleep, and provides a comprehensive sleep quality analysis (non-medical standard)
-
120+ Sports Modes: Active Fitness Tracker monitors over 120 activities including walking, running, cycling, swimming, yoga and more. Receive real-time stats directly on your wrist and record your stats in the "Da Fit" app
5
Rating is 4.6 out of 5
Smart Watch Health Fitness Tracker with 24/7 Heart Rate, Blood Oxygen Blood Pressure Sleep Monitor, 115 Sports Modes, Step Calorie Counter Pedometer IP68 Waterproof for Android and iPhone Women Men
-
【Health Metrics Monitoring】These fitness watches for women and men pack 24/7 heart rate, blood oxygen, blood pressure monitors and sleep tracker. You could check those real-time health metrics anytime, anywhere conveniently on your wrist and check the all-day data record in the App.The sleep tracker keeps track of time spent in different sleep stages including REM, light sleep,deep sleep,and the time when you wake up, helps you to get a better understanding of your sleep quality.
-
【115 sports modes & All-Day Activity Tracking】There are more than 115 sports modes tracking available in the activity trackers and smartwatches, covering almost all daily sports activities you can imagine, gives you new ways to train and advanced metrics for more information about your workout performance.The all-day activity tracking feature monitors your steps, distance, and calories burned all the day, so you can see how much progress you've made towards your fitness goals.
-
【Notifications for Calls and Messages】Getting notifications for incoming calls and texts right away from your wrist while on the go, allowing you to stay connected with family and friends with calls, texts, and email, so you never miss an important call or message. You could see the caller's name, reject the call, mute the ring-tone, and read the whole text messages directly from the smart watch for android phones and iphone.
-
【A Considerate Life Assistant】The fitness trackers for women and men provide you with more features including drinking water reminder, sedentary reminder,menstrual cycle reminder, real-time weather display, remote camera shooting, music control,timer,and do-not-disturb mode, making it a considerate life assistant.With the GPS connectivity, you could get a map of your workout route in the app for outdoor activity by connecting to your phone GPS.
6
Rating is 4.5 out of 5
Jacoosa Smart Watch, 1.85" HD Smartwatches for Men Women, 100 Days Standby Time, 110+ Sport Modes with Fitness Tracker Watch, IP68 Waterproof, Heart Rate/Sleep Monitor, Fitness Watch for Android/iOS
-
Bluetooth Call and Smart Notifications：Smart watches for men allows you to stay in touch with your family or friends anytime, anywhere, even when you're at the gym, outdoors, or doing other activities. You can also receive social media, Facebook, WhatsApp, and text message alerts on your wrist, so you'll never miss an important message or notification
-
1.85 Inch HD Screen and DIY Dials: Smart watch features a TFT HD color screen for superior picture quality and touch sensitivity. Men's watches have more than 100 unique online dials to choose from, and you can also customize your dial. It can be any photo, such as family, pets, etc
-
30 Days Standby Time and Multiple Features: Smartwatch has a built-in 1000 mAh high-capacity battery that ensures up to 8-14 days of use, and about 30 days of standby time with just 2 hours of charging. The sports watch also includes weather forecast, music control, camera control, alarm, stopwatch, find phone and many other useful features. Simply download “FitCloudPro” for free from the App Store or Google Play and enjoy your smart life
-
110+ Fitness Modes and IP68 Waterproof: The fitness tracker watch offers up to 110+ exercise modes covering running, cycling, fitness and other activities to meet different users' preferences. During exercise, it records real-time data such as heart rate, steps, calories burned, distance and activity time. This men's smartwatch is IP68 waterproof and can be worn during outdoor activities, rainy days and hand washing (Note: Please do not use it in shower, sauna, swimming, etc.)
7
Rating is 4.4 out of 5
Smart Watch(Answer/Make Call), 1.91" Smartwatch for Men Women, NEW Fitness Watch with 110+ Sport Modes, Fitness Activity Tracke with Pedometer/Sleep Monitor/Heart Rate/IP68 Waterproof, for Android iOS
-
Bluetooth Call and Message Reminder: The mens smart watch are equipped with the latest Bluetooth 5.3 chip, which increases the connection speed by 80%, and a highly stable connection with no delay. Answer and make calls right from your wrist, and easily sync multiple mobile contacts. It also supports multiple smart reminders, including incoming calls, Email, texts, SMS messages (Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Tiktok, Instagram, Gmail etc). You won't miss any important calls or notifications.
-
1.91" HD Big Screen and DIY Dials: Fitness tracker features a TFT HD color screen (320 * 380 touch screen）and curved 3D curved glass for superior picture quality and touch sensitivity. Watch for men have more than 100+ unique online watch faces to choose from, you can also customize your watch face. It can be any photo, such as your family, star, pets, etc. Meanwhile, 4 levels manually adjust the brightness, so you can clearly see the displayed time and exercise data even in direct sunlight.
-
24-Hour Health Activity Tracker: Smart watches for women track your Heart Rate, Blood Oxygen levels(SpO2) and Sleep patterns around the clock(deep sleep, light sleep, sleep quality analysis). And Your can track your period with menstrual cycle tracking and ovulation prediction as well. All data is presented in the "GloryFit" app, offering a comprehensive view of your health status. Watches women it is compatible with Android 5.0 and higher and iOS 9.0 and higher.
What is the role of blood oxygen monitoring in fitness tracking?
Blood oxygen monitoring, often referred to as SpO2 monitoring, plays an increasingly important role in fitness tracking for several reasons:
- Performance Optimization: Monitoring blood oxygen levels can provide insights into how efficiently your body uses oxygen during physical activities. This can help athletes optimize their training and performance by understanding the relationship between oxygen use and endurance.
- Altitude Acclimatization: For individuals training or engaging in activities at high altitudes, blood oxygen monitoring can be crucial. It helps track how well the body is acclimating to lower oxygen levels, ensuring that performance is optimized and potential altitude sickness is avoided.
- Recovery Assessment: Blood oxygen saturation can indicate how well the body is recovering post-exercise. Sufficient oxygen levels are necessary for muscle recovery and repair, so monitoring these levels can help individuals tailor their recovery processes.
- Health Monitoring: Regular monitoring of blood oxygen levels can alert users to potential health issues, such as sleep apnea or respiratory problems, which might affect their overall fitness and well-being.
- Sleep Quality Insight: Some fitness trackers include SpO2 monitoring during sleep to provide insights into oxygen levels and potential disruptions, helping users understand and improve sleep quality, which is crucial for overall health and fitness.
- Cardiovascular Fitness Indication: Regular blood oxygen readings can help assess cardiovascular and pulmonary health, as efficient oxygen exchange is vital for these systems. Over time, improving fitness often leads to more stable and healthy oxygen levels.
Incorporating blood oxygen monitoring into fitness tracking provides users with a more comprehensive understanding of their physiological responses to exercise and overall health status. This information can be used to make informed decisions about training regimens, recovery strategies, and health interventions.
What is the benefit of monitoring blood oxygen with a smartwatch?
Monitoring blood oxygen levels with a smartwatch offers several benefits:
- Health Awareness: Keeping track of your blood oxygen levels can provide valuable insights into your overall health. It helps you understand your body's ability to effectively distribute oxygen, which is crucial for maintaining energy levels and supporting vital functions.
- Early Detection of Health Issues: Consistently low blood oxygen levels can be an early indicator of potential health issues such as sleep apnea, respiratory problems, or cardiovascular concerns. Early detection allows for timely medical intervention.
- Fitness and Performance Tracking: For athletes and fitness enthusiasts, monitoring blood oxygen levels can help optimize workouts by understanding how your body responds to different levels of exertion. It aids in managing training intensity and recovery.
- Sleep Monitoring: Some smartwatches use blood oxygen data to provide insights into sleep quality. Variations in oxygen levels during sleep can indicate disturbances such as sleep apnea, helping users seek the necessary treatment.
- Altitude Acclimatization: For people spending time at high altitudes, such as hikers or mountaineers, monitoring blood oxygen can be crucial for avoiding altitude sickness. It helps in adjusting activity levels and recognizing when to descend to safer altitudes.
- Overall Wellness Monitoring: Many smartwatches integrate blood oxygen data with other health metrics, such as heart rate and activity levels, providing a comprehensive view of overall wellness.
While smartwatches are convenient, it's important to remember that they are not as accurate as medical-grade devices. Therefore, any concerning data should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
What is the future of blood oxygen monitoring in wearable technology?
The future of blood oxygen monitoring in wearable technology is likely to be marked by several key developments and trends:
- Improved Accuracy: As technology evolves, we can expect improvements in the accuracy and reliability of blood oxygen sensors in wearables. Advances in sensor design, algorithms, and machine learning could lead to more precise and consistent readings.
- Integration with Health Management: Blood oxygen monitoring will likely become more integrated into broader health management systems. This means wearables could provide insights not just on blood oxygen levels, but also on how these levels interact with other health metrics such as sleep, heart rate, and activity levels.
- Chronic Disease Management: Wearable devices may play a significant role in managing chronic conditions such as COPD or sleep apnea. Continuous monitoring could help patients and healthcare providers track disease progression and adjust treatment plans more dynamically.
- Personalized Health Insights: With the accumulation of long-term data, wearables could offer personalized health insights and trends over time, alerting users to deviations and potential issues proactively.
- Broader Health Applications: Beyond personal health monitoring, blood oxygen tracking could find applications in various fields, such as high-altitude sports training, assessing athletic performance, and aiding individuals who work or travel in high-altitude environments.
- Design and Comfort: Future wearables will likely focus on being more user-friendly, with designs that are less intrusive and more comfortable for continuous wear. This could involve flexible sensors and wearable patches that offer continuous monitoring without the need for bulky devices.
- Regulatory Approval and Medical Use: As technology matures, more wearable devices might gain regulatory approval for medical use. This could expand their role from consumer wellness gadgets to critical tools in telemedicine and remote patient monitoring.
- Enhanced Connectivity: With advances in IoT and 5G, wearable devices will be better able to integrate with other smart devices and health platforms, facilitating a more comprehensive health monitoring ecosystem.
Overall, the future of blood oxygen monitoring in wearables will likely see these devices becoming more sophisticated and integral to both personal health management and broader healthcare systems.
How do fitness smartwatches compare to hospital-grade oximeters?
Fitness smartwatches and hospital-grade oximeters are both used to measure blood oxygen levels (SpO2), but they differ significantly in terms of accuracy, intended use, and design.
- Accuracy:
Hospital-Grade Oximeters: These devices are designed for high accuracy and reliability, which is critical in medical settings. They are often subject to rigorous testing and calibration standards to ensure precise readings.
Fitness Smartwatches: While many modern smartwatches include SpO2 sensors, they are generally less accurate than hospital-grade oximeters. Factors such as motion, ambient light, and skin tone can affect their readings. However, they are often sufficient for non-critical, general wellness monitoring.
- Intended Use:
Hospital-Grade Oximeters: Primarily used in clinical settings for patients who require close monitoring of their oxygen levels, such as those with respiratory conditions, during surgery, or in intensive care units.
Fitness Smartwatches: Aimed at health-conscious consumers and athletes, these devices provide a variety of health metrics, with SpO2 being one of several features. They are intended for fitness and wellness purposes rather than diagnosing or monitoring medical conditions.
- Design and Usability:
Hospital-Grade Oximeters: Typically designed as finger clips with a dedicated purpose of measuring SpO2 and possibly pulse rate. They often require a somewhat stable environment to function optimally and may come with probes suitable for different body parts (e.g., earlobes, toes).
Fitness Smartwatches: Wearable on the wrist, offering the convenience of continuous, on-the-go tracking. They come with a wide range of additional features, such as heart rate monitoring, step counting, GPS, and more. However, their ease of use can come at the cost of reduced specificity and accuracy compared to dedicated medical devices.
- Regulatory Standards:
Hospital-Grade Oximeters: Classified as medical devices, they need to comply with strict regulatory standards to ensure safety and efficacy, like FDA approval or CE marking for medical devices.
Fitness Smartwatches: Generally considered consumer electronics and are not held to the same regulatory standards as medical devices. Their health metrics are often labeled as “for informational purposes only.”
In summary, while fitness smartwatches provide a convenient way to monitor general wellness, they are not a substitute for hospital-grade oximeters when precise medical-grade accuracy is required. For medical purposes, especially where critical decisions depend on the data, a hospital-grade oximeter is recommended.
