The Best Wearable Device To Improve Your Health - Garmin vs Whoop vs Oura Ring Vs Polar vs Apple...

What is the best wearable or smart device to improve your health? Justin takes us through a break down of:
Suunto Baro 9
Coros Apex Pro
Apple Watch Series 6
Whoop Band
Garmin Fenix 6
Garmin Vivosmart 4
Polar Grit X
Oura Ring
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[@AdobadoFantastico]

Thanks, this was much more informative than the typical product reviews for these kinds of devices.

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Glad you found it helpful! Thanks for reaching out!

[@limpybiker]

Thanks for the comparison. Could you add chapters to be able to skip over some products? Thanks for also going into the apps

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Yeah we can get on that

[@PeakHumanLife]

Yeah, please do that. 3 weeks and you still didnt.

[@vDgzxcq]

Please do that, 3 months and you still didn't

[@Mediaroo1]

Yeah, please do that. 1 year and you still didnt. (sorry i had to adopt this one :D )

[@Godzilla-hh8ip]

I have a vivosmart and I love it. It is so light and less intrusive and I don’t see myself wearing a heavy bulky watch to sleep

[@CashMoneyMoore]

This was such a fantastic overview, thanks for putting your thoughts together. I was considering whether I wanted garmin's body battery or oura's readiness score. I think you answered it very well.

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Thanks for watching

[@Mediaroo1]

Which was your decicion and whats the outcome? Did you buy one of those? I struggle between oura ring and garmin fenix right now....

[@CashMoneyMoore]

@@Mediaroo1 I think garmin has really upped their game with their newest watches. They've added hrv and readiness scores to the 955, and hrv to the 255. Many of their newest watches will receive those features soon. If you just want one system, I would go with garmin. I bought the oura though and have tried many watches for training, which is great, but these days I might just get a Garmin

[@Mediaroo1]

@@CashMoneyMoore Thank you, i keep between "nice and small as a ring and maybe better in getting the values like heart rate" and "can do much more with a smart watch and maybe better recognition in fitness training in general" .... I've looked just a few videos and it seems that the oura ring is better in sleep tracking and the fenix better in workout recognition ... but i want both to be as accurate as possible..... but if you said you have bought the ring and would now go with the garmin, i trust you very much and look deeper into garmins fenix ...

[@CashMoneyMoore]

@@Mediaroo1 if you go the oura route, I would buy one used gen 2. The new gen 3's have a subscription for the advanced features, but oura gen 2 gives you very similar sleep data - and there's no monthly subscription

[@GoranBostedt]

Great video and very insightful, I learnt a lot from it. Many thanks for making this research and comparing all this devices. Just one question, what is your thoughts about Fitbit Charge 4 and 5. One thing that is good wit Fitbit devices is that you not only had to stand up every hour but in fact walk 250 steps every hour in order to achieve your goal. Isn’t that a better way to promote a not sedentary lifestyle? Keep up the good work.

[@ACaseyPodcast]

Love my polar vantage 2, they don’t do a Vortex so I presume it was the vantage series you were looking at

[@mrrishibhatia]

Can you please make a review on biostrap

[@migueljohnson432]

Well done! many thanks for this very informative video and the insights within, very helpful indeed. BR. Miguel

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Thanks

[@werewolfcathapa]

Awesome video. Thank you so much for the comparison, it was really helpful.

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Thanks for watching!

[@christianclarke1270]

Awesome video super insightful!

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Thanks for watching

[@davidtobin6563]

The Fitbit Sense has the only FDA approved ecg monitor for afib of any smartwatch. Shouldn't it be worth a look?

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

So much change on their end since google takeover, I think first they need to determine their direction. Also from a health improvement standpoint the ecg isn't a huge help.

[@davidtobin6563]

@@Feldmanphysicaltherapy My cardiologist would beg to differ as afib is a precursor to heart attacks.

[@valentinrafael9201]

@@davidtobin6563 There are other reasons to get worried way before being at the point where you are at risk of heart attack.

[@anthony19721]

What about the Withings watch? It does it all and last one month on a charge!

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

It'd be cool if you put in timestamps and if you anoted your vid with the names of the different devices, especially when you introduce them. When reviewing each one, a small lable/banner would be nice too. Thanks for your for addressing the health improvement monitoring. The #1 question I have: which one will track my health levels, especially heart rate and zones and then what software is easiest to use.

[@briellegreen9455]

This video was very useful as I am consider many of these devices. Thanks! Do you have a recommendation for what to pair with the oura? Considering how expensive the oura is buying a se one device for activity tracking feels excessive.

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

You shouldn’t need another device the Oura can do it all now

[@Lockhart2000]

Good stuff.

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Tha is for watching

[@torinsall]

I disagree with your comment on pulse ox being unimportant for most people...we are in a period where the average person is overweight and the obesity rate is higher than it has ever been...so sleep apnea rate is higher than ever in the past, as is morbid obesity with its risk of Pickwikian (low oxygen) Syndrome. Add in folks with heart problems (especially if living at higher altitudes such as Denver). Add in folks with lung diseases (ie copd/emphysema). Further, covid variants will likely be with us for awhile. So a lot of people will benefit from continuous oxygen monitoring. Most devices I have seen either offer nothing, or only monitor O2 while asleep, but in the current era, 24/7 O2 monitoring with data stored and reports printable, is something a lot of folks could use, to alert them of potential need to check with their doctors for further evaluation.

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately these devices are not meant for those conditions and aren’t sensitive enough for that.

[@torinsall]

@@Feldmanphysicaltherapy True they are not medical devices per se, but if folks are alerted to a possible problem, they can get actual medical testing before their heart attack or stroke from low O2 sats, instead of after the damage is done. Like doing a stool test...a positive test doesn't mean you have colon cancer, it just alerts you to the need to see your doctor for further testing.

[@formosaacool]

What are the results?

[@perspexsavant4787]

This was excellent!!!

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

thanks for watching!

[@molina-youtube]

Great content, pls. update 2022 and include Fitbit Luxe & 5 thx

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Will do our best

[@ryanmichael11]

Really Great video!! Thank you!! I am recovering from Covid, so I wanted to track respiratory & heart rate variability before going back to training, I have a few Garmin devices already for cycling, so I am used to Garmin Connect etc., I have just bought a Garmin venu sq, have you any advice on which of the metrics I should keep an eye on the most?? HRV? PulseOX? Respiratory?

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

If you pay attention to the body battery and base your training on how much “charge” you have left based on what you have left to do for the day that will be a big start. Also pay attention to the stress level it registers for different activities vs where you hear rate was. The pulse ox and respiratory rate will be relatively stable, but those metrics will help you guide your recovery

[@ryanmichael11]

@@Feldmanphysicaltherapy Great 👍 thanks so much for the quick & concise reply!! Will definitely subscribe & recommend your videos!

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

You bet any questions as you go through your journey reach out!

[@wtrey333]

Hey, right now i am deciding between Whoop and Garmin Fenix. My main concern is recovery/body strain/ and cardio activity tracking like running and rowing. If you had to pick one, which one would you pick for the data analytic side of things? WHoop with its body strain vs Garmin with Body battery. Which did you feel is more accurate? THanks in advance!

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

I would say you are better off with Garmin, I think the recovery and body strain via body battery is more accurate and more actionable. Also the data from the workout would be more accurate

[@wtrey333]

@@Feldmanphysicaltherapy thank you so much! I was reading more about it and a few of my friends have it as well. I think whoop is nice, its just too hyped up with social media. I see athletes post their strain score every day but i dont get anything out of it.

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

@@wtrey333 Garmin Fenix is top of the line, you can't go wrong with it. If I could afford it I would have one, or a TicWatch Pro 3.

[@jw131415]

Great video. Have you tried any of Fitbit’s products? How do they compare for general health tracking?

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

I have not tried any of them mostly because they just don't seem to get the same rating accuracy, so I didn't even bother

[@DaurenKurkenov]

Thx for video. Want to what is better garmin instinct solar or whoop? Didn't get after video which is better for me)

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Thanks for watching. Both are very different devices. If you are looking strictly for health I think you will get more out of the Garmin ecosystem regardless of device. For sports performance Whoop has some good features that just need some refining.

[@DaurenKurkenov]

Yeah I am looking for device that will help to improve my health. I am visiting gym 2-3 times per a week. But I am not a professional athlete:). So in this case Garmin is better? But which model will you recommend?

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Yeah garmin sounds right, which device then becomes up to your style

[@damiengrief]

Do you think the Oura and Garmin devices would be good as companions? I have a Forerunner watch to use to track my runs, but I find that it doesn't do very well tracking sleep and I have similar complaints to you about the body battery feature. And as someone who has trouble sleeping, the Oura Ring is appealing to me to fill those gaps.

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Yup that is exactly the system I am currently using

[@damiengrief]

@@Feldmanphysicaltherapy How has the battery life of the Oura Ring held up for you? I've seen a lot of complaints that after 10-12 months that the battery ends up only lasting a day or two (down from the original 5-7 days per charge).

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Oh man mine is 2 years old, gets 4-5 days. I just throw it on the charger when I’m in the shower, every few days.

[@petermeingast8164]

What type of stress scores do you get with your garmin? My body battery has been draining quicker while I am at work sitting down then when I am exercising....which I feel like cant be totally correct.

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Depends on how stressful your work is

[@mrrishibhatia]

A very insightful video. I need a fitness tracker that can track sleep accurately and provide training load as well after an excel use (CrossFit). I have heard polar does sleep tracking quite well. Do you have any recommendations.

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

I am really happy with my polar grit x. It is a great device and the sleep tracking is spot on!

[@mrrishibhatia]

I felt the Oura ring tracking (stages) were not accurate. Any thoughts.

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Interesting, mine felt like they were right on. The different stages part is definitely not a perfect science as of yet

[@agitlin17]

@@Feldmanphysicaltherapy I've seen other YT videos saying the Aura ring isn't accurate. I was surprised to not see comments about meausrement accuracy. You're videos are great -- would appreciate hearing your thoughts about accuracy.

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

@@agitlin17 thanks for watching. I have found the Oura ring to be very accurate for me. The accuracy does depend a lot on fit, so it’s hard to say why others may not find it to be accurate. I think with all these devices nothing will be perfect, but for me the ring seems to match closely how I feel and also how much or little I believe I have slept.

[@dawaby1]

i see not at all accurate in ever review and every few that recommend

[@eznycrealestate]

Awesome video! Definitely helped me make a decision on the ring!

[@adrianmoreno5375]

My problem with Oura is that is not suitable for lifting weights.

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

That can be a problem but if you record with another app or device you can import that into Oura via apple health

[@reyesespinosa7276]

Do you think the Apple Watch is more or less accurate counting calories?

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

I find the newer models are not bad, but it is hard to get a standard value for that to compare of off

[@MimiMimi-sl4fc]

I use Apple Watch and Oura Ring. Love the ring, not so much the watch. It’s a great watch but not my definitive one.

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

@@MimiMimi-sl4fc That's a great option

[@jennygump813h2]

Hi! Thank you so much for making this video, I'm sure It took so long to compile all of this information! I am looking into devices like you mentioned. I have chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia and some of my biggest struggles are pacing, sleep, and not knowing where the line is when I've done too much and will pay for it the next day. Do you think Oura would be the best for me for those things? Can it recognize things like gentle stretching?

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

I think for your case a garmin device with the body battery function might be best.

[@jennygump813h2]

@@Feldmanphysicaltherapy Thank you for your reply! :)

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Of course! Any questions let us know

[@Teddy_J]

Polar doesn't make the Vertix. Coros Vertix I think that's the Polar Grit X

[@ACaseyPodcast]

Polar Vantage he means

[@dawaby1]

every other reviewer disagree with his top choice the ring is not the best

[@emilybelle2083]

Do any of these vibrate to remind you to stand and walk if you've been sedentary for so long?

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

They do! All except for the whoop will have settings to enable that. The ring itself won’t vibrate but you will get an alert in your phone.

[@emilybelle2083]

Cool. I ended up buying the Fitbit charge 4 for the hubs (phone free runs since it has built in GPS) and the Garmin vivosmart 4 for me (I want to wear all of the time and it's the smallest. My activity almost always includes a phone in my pocket so don't need the GPS). Thanks for your reply

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

You’ll love the vivo smart 4 great device!

[@jameshall5314]

Your not very smart with garmin you need to read more into how it works

[@perspexsavant4787]

Question: I want to base my goals on what my own body can handle. Then, I want to see when I’m ready to push it a bit. I’m overweight and 61yrs old. How do I find a safe maximum heart. Is there a calculation? Tracking stress on my body and recovery from an yesterday’s work out would also be helpful. My weight lifting is not heavy weights. It’s more endurance focused cuz I’m trying to get my heart and lungs in shape. Out of the last 2 you reviewed, which would do better for me? I’m not much into deep diving into analytics. I would rather them just tell me. However, I can geek out if that’s all there is. Please help. I’m good geeking out with what Polar gives though. Ours sounds like what I’m looking for but I was born with long think fingers...do they have an extra large size? There again...so does Polar. I subscribed and gave you a like too

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Hi there! Thanks so much for watching and following along. I think you will do well with either product. I think you may do better with Polar, their devices have tests build in to help you calculate your heart rate zones, and once you do the test the app and device will automatically apply those zones to your various activities. Oura is great, but won't track your hear rate during activities. Hopefully that helps!

[@gudrune]

For max HR, AFAIK, it's sprints. Two to three sprints flat out, until you feel like tripping over yourself and dying. At least two sprints. They don't have to be very long. I don't think they're safe for anyone. For sure, don't attempt that without at least a few weeks of working out regularly. Alternatively, swing a heavy kettlebell for forty seconds every minute, and after like 5min, swing it until you can't handle it safely and again, you feel like dying. That should be a good proxy, without risking blowing up your knees. Alternatively, you don't actually really need HR zones. In training, there's low intensity, and there's high intensity. The middle intensity is for racing, it's a waste of time to train there (it's tiring but it won't make you progress). I do triathlons, do most of your training easy, like 80pc, and do intervals that hurt. And if you're overweight, most importantly, lift heavy. Lifting heavy and or kettlebells WILL train your cardiovascular system. I do a lot of 2x15 min EMOMs with a 20kg KB, they can be a cardio workout just as much as strength one.

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

@@gudrune Dude, seriously that's horrible advice for an overweight sedentary senior citizen. You could hurt someone if anybody is listening to you. Hopefully everyone recognizes words pulled you just pulled out of your ass.. Wind sprints, smh.

[@Impulsage]

Since I am using Garmin just wanted to leave my opinion: Sleep tracking is not too accurate, sometimes even chilling on the sofa can be measured as sleeping. Also the phases can be up to 50% deviating from devices like Oura Ring. The body battery feature is pretty accurate, but there is no value like HRV (from 0 to 100), that shows that you could be improving your fitness over time. I think the WHOOP strap does this and the advantage is that it does so during the night in deep sleep (only way to measure HRV without inconsistencies from thinking anything). So at least juding from reviews I have seen, Whoop should be more fitted to my needs and I will likely use this one extensively next.

[@wayne1516]

Algorithms are very hit or miss and the user has to be setting the correct sleep window too. It can be as high as 80% accuracy approximate with garmin to very low too. There isn't a one size fits all.

[@unitylove87]

Too bad the ring asks for too much personal info:requires quite a few permissions, including access to location details, camera (if you want a personalized profile picture), information on other apps, phone identity and accounts.

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

It uses all that information for tracking activities, almost all these devices will want access to all of that or more. It is all a personal decision what is worth it to you

[@AA-pr6xb]

Just wanted to say thank you for your work and expertise

[@Feldmanphysicaltherapy]

Thanks for watching