If you are looking for Fitbit or Garmin devices that can monitor your blood pressure or ECG, this guide is for you.
Blood Pressure Monitoring & ECG are two of the most in-demand features in smartwatches these days and consumers want them so that they could track their key health metrics.
Many of our readers also ask me about the Fitbit & Garmin smartwatches that come with Blood Pressure Monitoring and ECG. So, in this guide, I’m going to address this question and will tell you if Fitbit or Garmin smartwatches have any of these features. And if Yes, which smartwatches have them?
Read Also: The Best 5 Wearable Blood Sugar/Glucose Monitor Devices In 2024.
In this WearToTrack Guide, I’ll cover:
- Do Fitbit & Garmin smartwatches have Blood Pressure Monitoring?
- Do Fitbit & Garmin smartwatches have ECG?
- Can you use a smartwatch to detect heart issues?
- The difference between ECG Monitoring & Blood Pressure
- How do ECG Smartwatches work?
- How does Blood Pressure Monitoring work on Smartwatches?
- List of Garmin Watches with ECG Monitoring
- List of Fitbit Watches with ECG Monitoring
- And many more!
Blood Pressure Monitoring & ECG are two very advanced features that were not previously available on smartwatches.
Good news!
But the good news is that smartwatch companies including Fitbit & Garmin are gradually working on making these features available on their smartwatches.
In 2023, there are smartwatches available that come with at least one of these two life-saving features and I’ll tell you about them.
So, without any further ado, Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Can Fitbit & Garmin Smartwatches Monitor Blood Pressure?
Blood Pressure is considered a silent killer and it affects over 1.3 billion people worldwide. It’s the reason why it’s one of the most-demanded features in smartwatches and smartwatch companies are aware of it.
Currently, Blood pressure monitoring is not available on any major smartwatches including the ones by Fitbit & Garmin. The main reason behind it is that like heart-rate monitoring, Blood pressure monitoring is not easy.
The conventional method of taking blood pressure ratings revolves around squeezing. This method works well on large devices but smartwatch companies are not sure about the feasibility of it on smartwatches.
FDA has recently approved a wearable device by Omron that comes with an inflatable cuff inside that it uses to detect blood pressure.
Big smartwatch companies such as Fitbit, Samsung, and others don’t want to rely on conventional methods instead they want to use light sensors to detect blood pressure.
In April of 2021, Fitbit publicly announced that it was launching a study to look at how Fitbit devices can potentially measure blood pressure using Pulse Arrival Time (PAT).
PAT is basically the time which pulse of your blood takes to reach your wrist after your heart beats and Fitbit wants to explore if it can be used to track blood pressure.
It’s worth noting here that many modern Samsung smartwatches use a similar technique, known as Pulse Wave Analysis, to measure blood pressure and it’s available in many regions. In the US, the FDA hasn’t approved it yet but it’s expected that Samsung will get the approval soon.
At the time of writing this article, Garmin is publicly not working on Blood pressure monitoring for its smartwatches. However, the company does have separate blood pressure monitors which can be used with its smartwatches.
Can Fitbit & Garmin Smartwatches Do ECG?
ECG is another life-saving feature that is nowadays available on many smartwatches including Apple Watch, Samsung Watch, and others.
Fitbit Smartwatches such as Fitbit Sense, Fitbit Sense 2, and Fitbit Charge 5 also come with ECG features. Users with a Fitbit Premium subscription can use supported Fitbit devices to do ECG Test at home.
Garmin has also recently released its FDA-Cleared ECG App for its smartwatches and for now ECG feature is available only on Venu 2 Plus.
Like Fitbit, Garmin Smartwatches can also detect Atrial fibrillation (AFib). It’s possible that Garmin might launch this feature for its other smartwatches as well but for now, it’s only available on Garmin Venu 2 Plus.
Can Smartwatches Detect Heart Issues?
Many modern smartwatches these days come with the ECG Feature but the question is can they detect heart issues? The answer is not very simple so let’s get into details.
The heart is a very complex organ and it’s not very easy to detect heart issues. When it comes to detecting heart issues, ECG is a very useful test because it records your heart’s electrical activity which tells the doctors a lot about the health of your heart.
Many smartwatches these days come with FDA-approved ECG and studies show that ECG on smartwatches is almost as accurate as the one in a medical sitting. According to one study which was published by JAMA Cardiology shows the ECGs generated by Apple Watch 4 were 93% to 95% accurate at correctly identifying different types of a heart attacks.
Similarly, other smartwatches such as Samsung, Fitbit, and Garmin also have FDA-approved ECG Apps which can conduct ECG tests on your smartwatch and provide detailed results.
Also, many of these smartwatches come with AFib detection and it’s a condition where your heart beats too slowly, too fast, or in an irregular pattern.
The above facts show that Smartwatches can detect heart issues but it’s also a fact that these devices are not 100% accurate. You can surely rely on these smartwatches to get a basic idea of your heart health but you shouldn’t 100% rely on them. So, if you feel that something is not okay, you should contact your doctor and get it checked.
What’s The Difference Between ECG Monitoring & Blood Pressure Monitoring?
ECG Monitoring (Also known as EKG Monitoring) is a test that is conducted to test the electrical activity and rhythm of your heart. Once the ECG is conducted, it provides a graph that doctors can examine to detect various heart conditions including arrhythmias, coronary heart disease, heart attacks, and cardiomyopathy.
On the other hand, Blood Pressure of circulating blood against your blood vessels. In BP Monitoring, you can get three results: low bp, normal bp, and high BP.
If the Blood pressure is low, it means that your vital organs including your brain are not getting enough blood. It can cause dizziness, blurred vision, and fatigue so if you experience any of these issues, you should contact your doctor.
If the blood pressure is high, it means that your heart is working too hard and it can lead to heart stroke, brain problems, and other issues. So, High BP is not a good thing and if you have a high BP, you must contact and visit your doctor immediately.
Here is an article that I have written about Top 6 Google Fit Compatible Blood Pressure Monitors.
How Smartwatches Do ECG?
Most smartwatches these days come with a dedicated ECG Sensor which can track your heart rhythm and use it to do ECG.
So, when you want to do ECG, you will need to start the ECG App and put your finger on the crown or a specific button on your watch and wait for a certain period. Your smartwatch will gather the data and then send it to the algorithm which will do the ECG.
How Do Smartwatches Monitor Blood Pressure?
The Blood Pressure Monitoring on available smartwatches is done through the squeeze method. It usually involves an inflatable strap that is filled with air when you want to take a blood pressure reading and the sensors will collect the data.
When the process is completed, the strap deflates. Currently, only a handful of smartwatches use this feature and in the future, this method might be replaced by a more efficient method.
Another method that many smartwatch companies including Samsung reportedly working on includes the usage of light sensors. Samsung has actually released this feature for Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5.
In this method, the watch uses Pulse Wave Analysis (PWA) to detect your blood pressure. The feature is currently available in many major regions and in the US it’s waiting for FDA Approval.
It’s worth noting here that Fitbit is reportedly working on a similar technique and it’s possible that Fitbit might also launch a blood pressure monitoring feature soon for its smartwatches.
Which Garmin Watch Has ECG Monitoring?
Garmin was reportedly working on its ECG feature for the last couple of years but the company has finally launched ECG Monitoring on its new smartwatches.
The company has recently launched its FDA-approved ECG App for Garmin Venu 2 Plus. For now, it’s the only Garmin smartwatch that has ECG Monitoring. So, if you want to get a Garmin watch with ECG Monitoring, you should consider Garmin Venu 2 Plus.
Which Fitbit Smartwatches Have ECG Monitoring?
Like Garmin, Fitbit also offers ECG Monitoring but it’s only available on selected models because only a few models come with the required sensors to conduct ECG.
In 2023, only the following Fitbit smartwatches and fitness trackers have ECG Monitoring.
It’s important to note here that you will be required to get a Fitbit premium subscription to conduct ECG on your smartwatch. The company offers 6 months of free Fitbit premium membership with new smartwatches and after that, you will need to pay money to keep using this feature and other premium features.
So, Except For Fitbit & Garmin, What Is Then The Best Wearable Blood Pressure And ECG Monitoring Devices In 2023?
In 2023, we have many great devices available other than Fitbit & Garmin which can measure your blood pressure and ECG. In this section, I’ll share some of the best smartwatches which can monitor your blood pressure or do an ECG.
1. Omron HeartGuide Smartwatch
Let’s start with Omron HeartGuide which is currently one of the very few smartwatches that come with Blood Pressure Monitoring. The main highlight of the Omron HeartGuide is that it’s an FDA Approved Smartwatch which means that the watch has been tested by FDA and the authority has cleared it for medical use.
The Omron HeartGuide comes with inflate straps with the watch which inflates when it starts monitoring your heart rate. The blood pressure monitoring on Omron HeartGuide is pretty accurate as it uses the conventional method.
Along with blood pressure monitoring, Omron HeartGuide also has other features such as fitness tracking, and sleep tracking. However, it still lacks some key features such as ECG.
The major downside of Omron HeartGuide is its very high price tag. It’s priced at $499 but the good thing is that you can usually get it for $399 at a discount which makes its price somewhat competitive.
Overall, it’s a solid smartwatch and if you want a good smartwatch with accurate blood pressure monitoring, you can’t go wrong with Omron HeartGuide.
2. YHE BP Doctor Pro
YHE BP Doctor Pro is another very popular smartwatch that comes with blood pressure monitoring. The overall process of monitoring blood pressure on YHE BP Doctor Pro is similar to what you get at Omron HeartGuide.
YHE BP Doctor Pro also comes with an inflatable strap that inflates when it starts monitoring Blood pressure. Along with blood pressure monitoring, BP Doctor Pro comes with additional features such as sports tracking, sleep monitoring, heart-rate monitoring, heart-rate variability, and Blood Oxygen Sensor. However, it lacks ECG Feature.
The biggest plus of the YHE BP Doctor Pro is its price tag which is almost half of what you pay for Omron HeartGuide. You can get this smartwatch for around $260 which is a very competitive price tag. So, if you are looking for a blood pressure monitoring smartwatch under $300, YHE BP Doctor Pro is a solid option.
3. Apple Watch Series 8
Apple Watch Series 8 is one of the best ECG Smartwatches you can buy in 2023. It doesn’t come with blood pressure monitoring but it does have a very accurate ECG feature.
In Apple Watch 8, you get a dedicated ECG Feature that you can use to check the health of your heart. Also, it comes with AFib detection which can help you detect irregular heart rhythms.
Other features of the Apple Watch Series 8 includes workout monitoring, heart-rate tracking, sleep monitoring, stress monitoring, and a step counter. So, if you are an Apple Watch user and you want an accurate ECG Smartwatch, you should consider Apple Watch Series 8.
4. Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is an Android smartwatch that comes with a built-in ECG feature. It’s also FDA Approved and it’s considered one of the most accurate ECG Smartwatches you can buy in 2023.
Along with ECG Features, Galaxy Watch 5 has other advanced features such as BioActive Sensor which can measure your body mass. Also, it comes with other fitness features such as heart-rate monitoring, sleep tracking, fitness tracking, workout modes, stress monitoring, SPO2 Sensor, and a step counter.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 also comes with blood pressure monitoring and it’s available for all major regions except the USA. In the USA, the Blood pressure monitoring feature is currently not approved by FDA but it’s expected that it will be approved soon. For now, blood pressure monitoring is not available for USA Users.
So, if you are looking for a quality smartwatch with Blood pressure monitoring and ECG, you can’t go wrong with Samsung Galaxy Watch 5.
5. Asus VivoWatch SP
Asus VivoWatch SP is another smartwatch that comes with Blood pressure monitoring and ECG. In the watch, you get dedicated sensors that can help you monitor your blood pressure and conduct ECG.
Along with BP monitoring and ECG, you get other features such as workout tracking, sleep tracking, activity tracking, and HRV Score. Also, the battery life of VivoWatch SP is pretty decent and it claims to give up to 14 days of battery life on a single charge.
So, if you want a good health smartwatch with both ECG and blood pressure monitoring features, Asus VivoWatch SP is a great option.
6. Google Pixel Watch
Google Pixel Watch is a Wear OS Smartwatch and it’s one of the few smartwatches that comes with the ECG Feature. On Pixel Watch, you get the dedicated ECG Sensor which can accurately do ECG on your smartwatch. Also, it comes with an AFib detection feature and it allows you to share the results directly with your doctor.
On Pixel Watch, you also get other health and fitness features including sleep monitoring, a step counter, exercise monitoring with GPS, Fall detection, and Emergency SOS. It doesn’t come with blood pressure monitoring.
Overall, Google Pixel Watch is a decent smartwatch and if you want a Wear OS Smartwatch with ECG feature, Google Pixel Watch is a great option for you.
Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]
Does Fitbit Have A Watch That Monitors Blood Pressure?
Currently, none of the Fitbit smartwatches can monitor blood pressure. However, the company is reportedly working on its blood pressure monitoring feature and it’s expected to launch pretty soon.
Which Fitbit Is Best For Blood Pressure Monitoring?
Blood Pressure monitoring is currently not available for Fitbit Smartwatches.
Do Garmin Watches Have Blood Pressure Monitoring?
No, Garmin watches don’t have a blood pressure monitoring feature.
Does Fitbit Have Any Watches That Can Do ECG?
Yes, Selected Fitbit smartwatches and fitness trackers come with ECG Support. These smartwatches include Fitbit Sense, Fitbit Sense 2, and Fitbit Charge 5. Please note that you will also need a Fitbit premium subscription to use this feature.
Is There A Garmin Smartwatch That Can Monitor My ECG?
Yes, Garmin has recently launched its FDA-approved ECG App for Garmin Venu 2 Plus. Currently, Venu 2 Plus is the only Garmin smartwatch that can monitor ECG.
Which Fitness Smartwatch Is Best For Blood Pressure Monitoring?
These are some of the best smartwatches available that come with blood pressure monitoring.
- Omron HeartGuide
- YHE BP Doctor Pro
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
- Asus VivoWatch SP
Which Smartwatch Is Best For ECG And Blood Pressure Monitoring?
ECG & Blood Pressure monitoring are two advanced health features that are rarely available on smartwatches but there are some smartwatches that come with both ECG and blood pressure monitoring. These are the best smartwatches for ECG and Blood Pressure Monitoring.
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 5
- Asus VivoWatch SP
Can I Use Fitbit Or Garmin Smartwatch To Track My Heart Rate?
Yes, Fitbit and Garmin Smartwatches come with a dedicated heart-rate sensor that can accurately track your heart rate variability.
Which Smartwatch Has The Most Accurate Blood Pressure Monitor?
Currently, Omron HeartGuide Smartwatch is the most accurate blood pressure monitoring smartwatch available. It’s officially approved by FDA for medical use and it can track your blood pressure with great accuracy.
Can A Fitbit Detect Heart Problems?
Fitbit comes with FDA Approved ECG feature which you can use to conduct ECG tests on your smartwatch. You can share it with your doctors and they can analyze it to detect heart problems.
Fitbit smartwatches also come with AFib detection which is a plus. Considering these facts, it’s safe to say that Fitbit can detect heart problems but it’s not a replacement for a medical exam. So, if you feel any discomfort, you must visit your doctor.
Conclusion
ECG & Blood Pressure monitoring are two of the most requested features on smartwatches. ECG is currently available for selected models of Fitbit & Garmin but Blood pressure monitoring is not available on any of Fitbit or Garmin Smartwatches.
However, there are some smartwatches that come with ECG & Blood pressure monitoring and I’ve shared them with you.
I hope that you found this guide useful and if you have any questions for me, please let me know in the comments. Also, check this guide where I’ve shared the FDA-Approved Android ECG Smartwatches.
As a professional trainer and a gadget lover, I’ve spent a lot of money and time buying wearable activity trackers, smartwatches, and gadgets, and checking them out. My site is focused on helping you with your activity tracking and smart technology journey. I try to provide the most helpful updated content on this subject. Hopefully, you will love my blogs and be a regular around here.
