6 Best Smartwatches For Diabetics That Keeps You Active

Smartwatches are nifty gadgets that help you to keep an eye on your health. Diabetics also take advantage of smartwatches to check their blood glucose levels. 

A diabetic smartwatch monitors your heart rate, SpO2 performance, and sleep patterns. All these things impact the blood glucose level. 

A few of these watches also detect falls and incidents and automatically contact emergency services. How cool is that!

So if you’re looking for the best smartwatches for diabetics, you’re in the right place. With five years of experience in the wearable industry, I have listed top-notch wearables in this guide. 

How Smartwatch Measures Blood Glucose Level?

Before looking for the best diabetes smartwatch, you must know how a smartwatch measures blood glucose levels. 

None of the smartwatches directly measure the blood glucose level, and you have to integrate it with third-party CGM systems like Dexcom, Medtronic, FreeStyle Libre, etc.

To connect a smartwatch with these CGM systems, you must install their app on your phone and integrate it with your smartwatch’s native app. 

For example, If you have Dexcom G6, you only need to install the Dexcom G6 app on your phone. Once the app is installed and set up, you must sync it with the Apple Health app. And then, your Apple Watch will automatically pick up the data and show it on your wrist. 

Best Smartwatches For Diabetes Patients

1- Apple Watch Series 8

Specs

The latest Apple Watch Series 8 is one of the best picks for diabetics. It’s equipped with advanced and premium features like ECG, SpO2, and HRV, making it best for fitness-conscious persons.

I love the advanced sleep tracking features in Apple Watch Series 8, which lets you know about your bedtime, sleep stages, and awake time. Using these metrics, one can improve their sleep habits easily. 

Medications reminder is another useful feature for diabetics, and it helps you to remind about medication time. 

For the elderly, it includes fall detection; whenever Apple Watch detects a fall, it sends an SOS message to emergency contact. Because of the built-in GPS, it also sends your current location in that SOS. 

Moreover, the Apple Watch Series 8 brings many workout apps if you’re a fitness enthusiast. You can track your running, cycling, hiking, swimming, and other workouts on the go.

The only downside of the Apple Watch Series 8 is its limited battery life. The watch lasts only 18 to 24 hours with continuous heart rate tracking.

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2- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

Specs:

For Android users, Galaxy Watch 5 provides a unique experience, and it helps you to track your daily goals and keep you active throughout the day. 

You can also easily integrate Galaxy Watch with the Dexcom app and see blood glucose reading on your wrist. 

Unlike the Apple Watch Series 8, the GW5 offers blood pressure monitoring, a helpful feature for diabetics. The watch also measures your Heart rate, SpO2, ECG, etc. 

The new and unique thing in Galaxy Watch 5 is the BIA sensor, which measures your overall body fat composition, metabolic rate, body water, etc. So you can keep an eye on your overall health. 

If you’re struggling with poor sleep habits, then don’t worry. The new sleep couch in Galaxy Watch tracks your sleep pattern and then suggests tips and a checklist to improve your sleep habits. 

Galaxy Watch 5 is jam-packed with smart features, and it can make calls, reply to emails and text messages, and allow you to make contactless payments. 

With over 90+ sports activities, you can track your performance for any sports activity and workout. 

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3- Garmin Forerunner 265

Specs:

The Garmin Forerunner 265 is good for tracking your outdoor activities and training. This Garmin Watch provides comprehensive data regarding your health, and activities. 

In a minute, you can connect Forerunner 265 with the Dexcom app and see your blood glucose level on your wrist; this is the best watch for diabetics.

The Forerunner 265 has primarily built for runners and to track outdoor activities. It has top-notch features like Pace Pro, body battery energy, Training readiness, etc. 

Based on your current health status, the Forerunner 265 suggest you daily workouts. This helps you to remain active and fit throughout your day. 

The extensive HIIT, strength, and CrossFit workouts help you monitor your every session’s performance. You can track your HRV, VO2 max performance, blood oxygen level, calories burn, and more during workouts. 

The 13 days of long-lasting battery allows users to track their performance for weeks. The Forerunner 265 also has Garmin pay features that enable you to make a contactless payment in stores. 

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4- TicWatch Pro 5

Specs:

If you’re looking for an inexpensive smartwatch with bundles of health and fitness tracking, look no further than the TicWatch Pro 5. 

It comes with an impressive 1.4″ high-resolution display so you can check the stats at a glimpse. The aluminum watch case makes it a more durable and robust watch. So, you can use TicWatch Pro 5 for outdoor purposes. 

Wear OS powers the TicWatch Pro 5, and you can easily connect it with CGM apps to measure your sugar level. 

This watch is a host of different health and fitness sensor. It monitors your heart rate, sleep data, SpO2, skin temperature, ECG, and more. 

Moreover, ABC sensors in TicWatch Pro 5 let you know about environmental conditions. With this watch, you can measure heights, altitudes, directions, and weather conditions. So during hiking and adventures, this watch helps you a lot. 

There are dozens of smart features available on TicWatch Pro 5. It can make calls, reply to text, shows notifications, and allows you to make payments via Google Pay. 

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5- Fitbit Sense 2

Specs:

Fitbit smartwatches remain on the top in the wearable industry. Their insane fitness tracking and affordable prices keep them apart from the rest of the smartwatches. 

The new Fitbit Sense 2 has a gorgeous look; its light weight makes it super comfortable on your wrist. That’s why you can wear this watch 24/7 without feeling any burden on your wrist. 

Fitbit Sense 2 measures your heart rate variability and alerts you when your HR is below or above the normal range. With advanced sleep tracking tools, It monitors your sleep stages, REM sleep, light sleep, and deep sleep. 

Fitbit Sense 2 offers dozens of sports modes, Cardio fitness scores, speed, distance, and more for athletes and active people. The Daily Readiness Score is another great feature that tells you when your body will be ready for the next workout. 

Thanks to built-in Alexa that lets you control your watch with a voice. You can also control smart home devices with simple voice commands. 

The Fitbit Sense 2 is packed with tons of smart features like; Google Maps, Google Wallet, call and texting features, a much more. 

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6- Fossil Gen 6

Specs:

The last smartwatch for diabetes patients is Fossil Gen 6. It’s powered by Wear OS by Google, so you can easily connect it with Dexcom to monitor blood glucose levels. 

Compared to the predecessor, Fossil Gen 6 comes with Snapdragon Wear 4100+, offering 30% faster performance. So you can navigate through menus and open apps very quickly. 

This smartwatch accurately measures your heart rate performance during workouts and at night. You can also check the current SpO2 level, the core wellness factor. 

Unlike the other smartwatches, the Fossil Gen 6 allows you to set sleep goals and effectively track thems. 

The built-in Spotify app lets you listen to music directly from your wrist. So you don’t need to bring your phone during workouts. 

Fossil Gen 6 has a built-in microphone and speaker, so you can make and answer phone calls directly from your watch. Moreover, it allows you to make contactless payments and use Google Maps. 

The limitation of Fossil Gen 6 is its battery life, which is only 24 hours. Plus, it doesn’t offer advanced health features like ECG and blood pressure monitoring.

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How Diabetics Can Take More Out Of Smartwatch?

Apart from just tracking blood glucose levels, you can monitor many other health metrics with a smartwatch that can help you know about your wellness. 

1- Check Blood Glucose Level From Your Wrist

Integrating your smartwatch with any CGM system like Dexcom will show you the real-time blood glucose level on your wrist. And it’s really helpful for a diabetic patient to constantly monitor their blood sugar level. 

Using real-time blood glucose readings, diabetics can decide when to take insulin, medicine, or food intake to balance the sugar level. 

Smartwatches also send alters in case of low or high blood glucose levels, so you can take necessary precautions to deal with the current situation. 

2- Sleep Tracking

Sleep is a crucial factor that impacts the sugar level in your blood. A smartwatch allows diabetics to keep an eye on their sleep habits, so they can effectively manage their sleep time to improve their sleep score. 

A few smartwatches, like Galaxy Watch 5, come with a sleep coach that gives tips and checklists to improve sleep habits. 

3- SpO2 Level

SpO2, or blood oxygen saturation level, is another feature in a smartwatch that tells about the overall wellness of the human body. Diabetics can use these features to know how their blood is absorbing oxygen. 

A SpO2 score below 95 indicates that your health is abnormal and needs some reset or energy to improve your blood oxygen level. 

4- Fitness Goals

For diabetic patients, it’s mandatory to keep their lifestyle active. The more you move, the more energy will be produced in your body, and your blood sugar level will remain normal. 

With a smartwatch, you can set your daily fitness goals, like how many steps you must take today and how many calories you burn. Once you have set the goals, the smartwatch will track them. 

A few smartwatches also suggest daily workouts based on your previous fitness data, so you can follow these exercises to keep yourself fit and active. 

Guide To Buy The Best Smartwatch For Diabetics

When buying the best smartwatch for diabetics, there are certain features you should prioritize to ensure you make the most informed decision.

1- Compatibility with Glucose Monitoring App

The smartwatch should be able to sync with a glucose monitoring app such as Dexcom. These apps continuously monitor blood glucose levels, providing real-time updates for better diabetes management.

2- Health and Fitness Tracking

Look for smartwatches that offer comprehensive health and fitness tracking, including heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and activity tracking. These features can help promote a healthier lifestyle, which is crucial for managing diabetes.

3- Battery Life

A longer battery life ensures continuous health tracking without frequent charging. Smartwatches with a battery life of several days are more convenient for continuous tracking.

4- Water Resistance

A water-resistant or swim-proof design allows the wearer to use the smartwatch during workouts or swimming, thus enhancing its utility.

5- Ease of Use

The smartwatch should have a user-friendly interface for easy navigation. Consider watches with touch screens and customizable watch faces for a more personalized experience.

6- Size and Comfort

Choose a smartwatch that fits comfortably on your wrist. Adjustable bands can ensure a better fit and lightweight designs can contribute to comfort for long-term wear.

Final Words

A diabetic smartwatch can bring a positive change in your lifestyle. Even though smartwatches are not medical instruments, these wearables are a great motivator to push yourself forward. 

None of the smartwatches can directly monitor the blood sugar level, and you need to integrate it with the Dexcom app to see the real-time stats on your watch.

Furthermore, a smartwatch has a lot of benefits for a diabetic patient, and it can monitor your sleep, blood pressure, activities, workouts, SpO2 level, and much more. 

You can choose any smartwatch from the above list according to your preferences and budget. 

FAQs