People often ask for user guidance for wearing smartwatches on an accurate spot to get better fitness tracking.
Because the spot where you used to wear smartwatch matters a lot in terms of tracking accuracy. Today, we are going to answer one of these kinds of questions that sounds- Can I wear a smartwatch on my ankle?
In short, to get better step tracking users can wear a special type of smartwatch called Ankle Tracker on their ankle. Ankle trackers fit on the ankle during running, jogging, skipping, etc.
The main difference between smartwatches and ankle trackers is the sports-friendly design. Ankle trackers are small, thin tracking chips. Users insert the tracking chip into an ankle band and wear it on the ankle.
Why People Wear Smartwatches On Ankle
Have you felt odd after watching someone who wears a smartwatch on their ankle?
Well, that’s not an exception in style. Often we see users have a demand to put on the fitness tracker on the ankle.
The definition of Ankle Tracker: When some wear a fitness tracker or smartwatch on their ankle we call the device an ankle tracker. It is basically thin, small like a tracking chip, and fits on the ankle.
Related: What is the right way to wear a smartwatch? Tight or loose
Fitness Tracker users used to wear fitness trackers on their ankles for better step tracking. In addition, you can track steps without wearing a tracker on the wrist.
Like wrists, users can wear fitness trackers on the neck, ankle, and fingers (smart ring).
Advantages Of Wearing Smartwatches On Ankle
You can wear a smartwatch on your wrist. But the question is – Will a fitness tracker or smartwatch tracks steps, HR rate, blood pressure, etc. from anywhere on the user’s body?
Technically, a smartwatch or fitness tracker is not only a fashion or trend but is considered a helpful fitness wearable tracking gadget.
Therefore, a smartwatch’s position on the user’s body plays a vital role in terms of tracking accuracy.
What Are The Key Benefits Of Wearing Smartwatches on the ankle-
- Better Step Tracking
- Make Your Wrist Free & Comfortable
- Play Hustle-Free Outdoor Games
Better Step Tracking
For better step tracking, fitness trackers are built with MEMS inertial sensors that track your movements with inertia.
Thus, smart trackers track footsteps. However, there is a lot of controversy in tracking accuracy levels in wearable devices. The activity tracking sensors are not capable of distinguishing a few kinds of behavior perfectly.
Such as driving a car, riding on the accelerator, walking without moving hands, or standing but doing hand exercises often calculated as footsteps.
In that case, wearing a smartwatch on the ankle improves the accuracy as it’s near to the toe.
It gives prominent footsteps movements to the sensor.
Ankle monitors are basically used for step tracking that is pretty much more accurate than wrist trackers. However, health tracking like Heart rate, sleep, and Spo2 seem difficult in ankle trackers.
Make Your Wrist Free And Comfortable
At this point, we are talking about style and comfort. Few people don’t like wearing watches. They may not even like anything on their wrist.
In some cases, users want to wear classic analog watches but don’t prefer fancy smartwatches on their wrists.
Then, what is the solution? If they want activity tracking by following their own style.
Simple, wear the tracker on the ankle that will be hidden under the pants.
Several users have voted that ankle trackers are much more comfortable than Wrist fitness trackers.
Play Hustle-Free Outdoor Games
Although modern smartwatches for Fitness trackers offer durable gorilla glasses. Still, users feel discomfort about the safety of the display.
In some cases, the display gets scratched or even broken. This is a problem for users during outdoor games.
To prevent this problem, you can wear it on your ankle inside the socks.
Disadvantages Of Wearing Smartwatches On Ankle
Although Ankle is a preferable place to wear a fitness tracker, users face a few problems. Technically, the smartwatch has multiple smartwatch features but when you wear it on your ankle most features become inaccessible.
Inability To Access Most Smart Features
Wearing on the ankle users can’t access several features such as-
- Touch Operations
- Controls Over Notifications like social media, email, messages
- Receive or call some
- Reminder
- Stopwatch
- Weather update
- Wireless Google assistant or Alexa Control
- GPS
Focused On Only Step Tracking
On the ankle, users can access step tracking. Another activity tracking like Heart rate, blood pressure, calorie tracking, stress monitoring, SpO2, etc. is not easy to track from the ankle.
Hence, for better accuracy in the tracking activities, the wrist is the most preferred place to wear the fitness tracker.
When And Why We Should Avoid Wearing Trackers On Ankle
Brands make ankle trackers especially to put on the ankle. However, there are a few limitations when you should avoid wearing smart trackers on your ankle.
It’s better to avoid wearing a fitness tracker on the ankle in the following cases-
- Heart Rate Calculations
- Sleep Tracking
- Blood Pressure Tracking
- During Outdoor Games Like Football
Heart Rate Calculation
Pulse rate vibrations are found inside the wrist. We often see that doctors press a special portion of the wrist to check the heart rate.
Mount Sinai says the definitive guide to check pulse rate. The wrist is the spot where the pulse vibrates that is easy to detect.
Therefore, it is recommended to wear the tracker on the wrist while checking Heart rate.
Blood Pressure Reading
Previously, we have discussed the actual method to measure blood pressure accurately. Where we have shared checking blood pressure works well on the upper arm or wrist.
But anywhere in the legs is not a suitable spot to measure blood pressure readings.
Before taking a blood pressure monitor, users often ask about the accuracy of the blood pressure monitor.
Here, we always emphasize wearing a fitness tracker according to the user manual to get the readings accurate.
Related: Best Watch Omron That Measures Blood Pressure
Sleep Tracking
During sleep the more our body breathes properly and moves less the better the sleep quality is!
In this case, you can see one of our articles that shares whether we should wear a smartwatch during sleep!
We have shared the importance of checking sleep by maintaining a suitable frequency in the article linked above.
One of the passages tells us, that checking sleep frequently does not improve the sleep quality but causes irritation on the wrist, and puts an impact of magnetic waves on the user’s body.
During Outdoor Games Like Football
In America, people play several outdoor games where football is famous in South America. Therefore, we could expect lots of players and fans to track steps.
Doubtlessly, fitness trackers track performance in various kinds of sports. But you can not use ankle trackers in every type of outdoor game.
Here, you need to understand the tactical difference between running, jogging, cycling, and Football (soccer).
Either you or the gadget might get damaged during tackling, diving, shooting, or dribbling.
These are the best practices to keep data as accurate as possible from a step tracker.
How To Wear Ankle Trackers For Better Accuracy
Most fitness trackers are made to wear on the wrist. Then how should you wear an ankle tracker to get accurate tracking results?
See the following steps in the image to understand the method of wearing an ankle tracker for optimum accuracy –
Well, here is the process to wear ankle trackers –
- Put your leg on a chair
- Identify the sensor on the tracker
- Put on the tracker by touching the sensor on the inside of your leg
- Tighten the tracker as per your comfort
- Cover up the area with socks
Best Ankle Fitness Trackers
Fitbit Flex 2
With 3.53 ounces weight and 5.79 x 3.66 x 1.3 inches product dimension it is an excellent ankle tracker. 10 colors, anti-swig special design, and hypoallergenic material that is soft, and durable for outdoor games.
Fitbit Flex 2 comes with a replaceable wristband clear silicon ring. Fitbit Flex 2 is one of the most affordable ankle trackers under $20.
Related: High-Class Fitness Tracker Under $50
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Affordable | No display features |
| Multiple colors | |
| Flexible | |
| Light-Weighted |
Garmin Vivofit 4
In the list of Ankle Trackers, Garmin Vivofit 4 stands in the top 5 choices as it is available at less than $100 on Amazon and includes multiple technical advantages.
Such as Activity tracking, Heart rate monitoring, sleep monitoring, weather updates, reminders, alarm, lightweight, and thin. You are getting 88 X 88 pixels display resolution, 0.75-inch width, and 0.37-inch thickness in Garmin Vivofit 2.
With 1year battery life, Garmin Vivofit 4 works well as it has a silver oxide battery cell composition. Step tracking, planning exercises, swimming, and showering can be done using the ankle tracker.
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Step Tracking | Designed Only As Ankle Tracker |
| Design | |
| Smoothness | |
| No Charge Necessary |
In conclusion, users can put on a kind of smartwatch, called ankle trackers for more accuracy in step tracking. However, they have to sacrifice smart features like managing smartphone notifications, GPS, weather updates, display functions, etc.
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