Best Wearable Devices for 2025: Optimize Health, Reduce Stress, and Stay Accountable
Thinking about upgrading or getting a new wearable? With the holidays approaching and a never-ending to-do list, let this be a little reminder that it’s OK to “Treat Yo Self.” A wearable can help you stay on top of your health, manage stress, and even offer peace of mind—especially if you’re juggling family care and personal wellness.
Over the next couple of months, we’ll be sharing recommendations because 2025 is all about investing in YOU. So go on, find a reliable, non-judgmental accountability partner like Go Long to keep you on track as you prioritize health, well-being, and living your best life!
Health and Fitness Tracking
Why it matters: Whether your focus is on everyday wellness, fitness goals, or simply managing stress, tracking your health stats can give you the insights you need to take care of yourself—on your terms. Choose a device that fits your lifestyle, whether you need basic health data or detailed fitness metrics.
Apple Watch: Comprehensive health tracking, including ECG, blood oxygen, heart rate, and menstrual cycle monitoring, integrated with the Apple Health app for an overview of your wellness. If you want workouts, you may have to play for Apple Plus.
Garmin: Ideal for active users with advanced fitness tracking for activities like running, cycling, and swimming. It includes hydration reminders, sleep monitoring, and stress tracking, though it may feel data-heavy for the casual user. For anyone who cares, I have used the Fenix 6S (currently on sale on Amazon) since its debut in 2019 and have no plans to upgrade for awhile.
Fitbit: Offers accessible health tracking with a straightforward interface, covering heart rate, sleep, and menstrual cycles. A great choice for everyday monitoring without complex metrics.
Oura Ring: Discreet, worn on the finger, and focused on sleep, recovery, and stress, though it lacks real-time activity tracking. Ideal for those prioritizing recovery and relaxation.
Whoop: Display-free, specialized in recovery and exertion tracking to help optimize training and prevent burnout. Subscription required for insights.
Safety Tracking Features
Why it matters: For those who enjoy solo activities or want added peace of mind, wearables with safety features can provide a sense of security. Features like fall detection and emergency alerts notify contacts in case of incidents, which is especially useful if your daily routine includes outdoor or independent workouts. It’s also helpful if you live on your own and/or if you have parents who live on their own.
Apple Watch: Offers fall detection and emergency SOS, which can notify contacts or emergency services in case of a hard fall. Great for those seeking peace of mind in everyday life. My mother uses this and I can tell you the alerts work.
Garmin: Includes incident detection and assistance on many models, which alert contacts if an accident occurs during activities like running or cycling. Primarily designed for sports use.
Fitbit: Currently lacks fall detection and emergency alert capabilities, so it may be less ideal if you prioritize built-in safety features.
Oura Ring and Whoop: These wearables do not offer safety features like fall detection, focusing instead on health and recovery data. Users interested in safety tracking may prefer a more traditional smartwatch.
Battery Life
Why it matters: Battery life is crucial if you want to track health and fitness continuously without constant recharging. Depending on the frequency and type of tracking you need, a long battery life can keep you connected to your wellness goals without extra hassle.
Apple Watch: Provides up to 18 hours, which may require daily charging if you use multiple features continuously. Something to consider for all-day monitoring.
Garmin: Known for excellent battery life, with some models lasting several days to even weeks, making it ideal for continuous health tracking.
Fitbit: Offers several days to a week of battery life, which is practical for consistent monitoring without daily recharges.
Oura Ring: Delivers up to seven days on a single charge, making it suitable for ongoing sleep and recovery tracking.
Whoop: Lasts around five days and includes an on-the-go charging option that lets you charge while wearing it, minimizing interruptions to data tracking.
It’s also important to remember that a company’s privacy policies are subject to change—this could mean updates like sharing certain health data with partners or using information for personalized ads.
Data Privacy and Menstrual Cycle Tracking
Why it matters: Tracking personal health information means protecting sensitive data, especially with features like menstrual cycle tracking. Each wearable brand has its own approach to data privacy, so knowing how they handle sensitive information is critical.
As someone who used to negotiate partnerships with tech, you want to understand how these companies share data with fitness partners and/or research organizations. Regularly reviewing each wearable’s current privacy practices can help ensure your data stays secure. By the way, I don’t consider anonymized data “safe”.
Apple Watch: Apple encrypts health data, including menstrual cycle tracking, on the device and in iCloud backups when two-factor authentication is enabled. This level of privacy can be reassuring, though policies could change to allow data-sharing within its growing health ecosystem.
Garmin: Garmin offers menstrual cycle tracking but doesn’t specify detailed encryption practices.
Fitbit: Provides menstrual tracking, though its privacy policy doesn’t specify data encryption. With Google’s acquisition of Fitbit, that could potentially allow greater use of Fitbit data within Google’s ad ecosystem, so keep that in mind.
Oura Ring: Tracks menstrual cycles, though encryption details aren’t specified.
Whoop: Does not offer menstrual cycle tracking, focusing instead on recovery data.
Final Thoughts: Choose Your Perfect Wearable and Wellness Partner
Selecting the right wearable is all about balancing what matters to you—whether it’s health tracking, safety, battery life, or data privacy. For a strong combination of health and safety, the Apple Watch is a solid choice, while Garmin is great for fitness enthusiasts. Fitbit offers simple, accessible health tracking, and Oura and Whoop prioritize recovery and stress. Take time to consider your priorities and choose the wearable that best supports your lifestyle.
And remember, having the right tools is just the start. For real accountability in your wellness journey, consider hiring Go Long as your private, text-based coaching partner. Go Long provides personalized support in your pocket, helping you stay on track with your health goals every day. Make 2025 the year you invest in yourself with the perfect wearable and the perfect wellness partner!
NOTE: Wearables are not a replacement for the medical-grade devices that healthcare providers use for diagnostic testing; they’re valuable tools but shouldn’t be relied on as the definitive source for medical insights. Always check with your medical team before relying on the data from a wearable device.
