Wearing to work

[jaynecobb]

Hey there

I'm a massage therapist so wearing the watch on my wrist while at work is not an option. I like a lot of the health options the watch is able to track. I'm curious if anyone else out there who can't wear their watch to work has any solutions. I've read about arm bands or wearing it on your ankle. I realize you would lose some features by doing so, but I'm curious what features would still work.(from a health tracking perspective)

And than perhaps just more generally, is it a pain to have to constantly be switching between the wrist and the band.

Or maybe there are other things people are doing I haven't read about yet.

Just curious. Appreciate the help
Cheers

 

[Solomani]

I did a Google Search for you..... so yes: (third party) Apple Watch armbands do exist, and they are sold.

Here is the first example that appeared on Google. For the record, Apple-compatible armbands have existed since the ancient days of the small iPods, because they were in demand by iPod owners that wanted to listen to music during gym workout.


https://tefeca.com/products/tefeca-...L7mc8vhoOfMNTcTGibgxOANekZ5VbH4waAll5EALw_wcB

 

[jaynecobb]

Hey Thank you for the quick response. I have seen bands like that out there. I think more specifically what I'm looking for is someone who has tried said bands. I have had many arm bands over the years to carry my iPhone/iPad while I run but none of those was measuring things in the way I imagine the iWatch does. (i.e. heart rate....time standing vs sitting)

So I am curious by using a band like this how accurate are the measurements?

Perhaps framing my question better gives you all a better idea of what I mean. I don't actually own a iWatch, even though I think they sound both handy and cool I just thought with my job it didn't make sense to buy something so expensive if 40 hours a week I had to take it off. These bands make me think perhaps there is a middle ground. I understand any measurements taken by the band on your bicep will not be as accurate as your wrist, but is it able to take any measurements at all from your arm?

As always appreciate those taking the time to response
Cheers

 

[mk313]

Hey Thank you for the quick response. I have seen bands like that out there. I think more specifically what I'm looking for is someone who has tried said bands. I have had many arm bands over the years to carry my iPhone/iPad while I run but none of those was measuring things in the way I imagine the iWatch does. (i.e. heart rate....time standing vs sitting)

So I am curious by using a band like this how accurate are the measurements?

Perhaps framing my question better gives you all a better idea of what I mean. I don't actually own a iWatch, even though I think they sound both handy and cool I just thought with my job it didn't make sense to buy something so expensive if 40 hours a week I had to take it off. These bands make me think perhaps there is a middle ground. I understand any measurements taken by the band on your bicep will not be as accurate as your wrist, but is it able to take any measurements at all from your arm?

As always appreciate those taking the time to response
Cheers

I own two of these bands but have not used them much. When the first one came out from 12 South (the action sleeve), someone did a really nice write up on here. You might be able to search for it, but IIRC, he really loved it & it did a nice job tracking his vitals (this was quite a while ago, so it’s possible that some of the newer measurements that have been added over the years might not work as well.

FWIW, 12 South built the first armband that I know of, but you had to pop the watch into & out of the case that was on the band. Several others have come out since then that work just like a regular watch band, you just connect the two ‘hinges’ and then strap it on your arm. Having one of each, I’d highly recommend the second approach if you plan to wear it as a watch at other times. It’s just a lot quicker & easier to change out (also not sure if the 12 South one would potentially scratch the watch over time).

 

[Solomani]

Hey Thank you for the quick response. I have seen bands like that out there. I think more specifically what I'm looking for is someone who has tried said bands. I have had many arm bands over the years to carry my iPhone/iPad while I run but none of those was measuring things in the way I imagine the iWatch does. (i.e. heart rate....time standing vs sitting)

So I am curious by using a band like this how accurate are the measurements?

Perhaps framing my question better gives you all a better idea of what I mean. I don't actually own a iWatch, even though I think they sound both handy and cool I just thought with my job it didn't make sense to buy something so expensive if 40 hours a week I had to take it off. These bands make me think perhaps there is a middle ground. I understand any measurements taken by the band on your bicep will not be as accurate as your wrist, but is it able to take any measurements at all from your arm?

As always appreciate those taking the time to response
Cheers

By wearing an armband, you cannot really measure heart rate (accurately), so that is one feature you will have to forego. Trust me. I take the pulses of my patients all the time. I wear a stethoscope as part of my job. And I work in a large COVID hospital. I know which parts of the body I can take accurate pulses, and where I cannot.

A device located along the upper arm around your biceps cannot accurately take a pulse unless it is situated directly on top of the brachial artery. And no armband is meant to wrap around that area (which is your elbow joint), because the brachial artery is anatomically right underneath the joint region where you flex your forearm. Also, most devices like AppleWatch take pulses (for heart rates) on a superficial level just beneath the skin, when there is a pulsatile artery present. That is ideal for the wrist, because the wrist has the radial artery as well as the ulnar artery. And nurses have been trained to palpate (e.g. feel the pulse) on the radial artery for over a century. The brachial artery, depending on the person, can be a few centimeters deep beneath the arm, especially if the person has layers of fat.

Other measurements? I don't see why they wouldn't work. For example, taking steps.... a pedometer will work whether you have it strapped on your wrist, or on your biceps, or even if you have it strapped on your belt.

 

[andyw715]

Just a note there are armband heart rate monitors that you wear on the upper forearm. I'm not sure how those sensors compare with the AW sensor.

Is that out of the way enough? For $20 it would be worth it to try it out and see how it compares (in HR measurement) to the wrist.

The Apple Watch has a 2 week return window.