i stopped wearing my apple watch…

I’ve been wearing my Apple Watch every day for the last 3+ years and this week, I took it off. When I first got it, I thought it was great–I’m notoriously known for leaving my phone everywhere & hard to get a hold of. So, the watch was the perfect solution. People could get in touch with me easier, I didn’t have to worry about missing the school calling about the kids–everyone always had access to me. But everyone always having access to you is not a good thing. As the months/years went on, if I had my watch, I was stressed. If I didn’t, I was anxious. For some, the Apple Watch might be great, but for me, it just made an already stressed person even more stressed. I still love the idea of a fitness tracker, I just didn’t want the tiny phone on my wrist at all times anymore. So, I got the new Fitbit Luxe.

First, let me say that I paid for the Luxe myself–nor has anyone asked me to write a review. When I was thinking about what to get, I kept trying to find reviews from people like me–who want a more basic fitness tracker, but not a bulky silicone band on their wrist. Someone who wanted minimal smartphone features and more health & wellness. So, I saw the Fitbit Luxe, saw that it was sleek, small & was promising to be more like the kind of device I was looking for.

I’ve been wearing it for about 4 days now & I’m not going to lie, some parts of me are anxious without my Apple Watch. The biggest part is the heart rate/EKG features. Though the anxiety I feel over this frustrates me. Apple made me believe that I needed these monitors and features, so I’ve spent the last few years constantly freaking out about my heart rate & why wasn’t my HRV (heart rate variability) higher? However, I will tell you, I quickly realized Apple’s heart rate sensors aren’t all that they’re cracked up to be. Did you know the watch only checks your heart rate every 10 minutes? Most days, my resting heart rate was around 75, not dropping until the kids were in bed & I got a chance to sit down. So I would always worry about how high it said my HR was. One of the reasons I went back to Fitbit was that it claimed to monitor your HR continuously. So after 24 hours of wearing the Luxe, I had a completely different take on my heart health. It had my resting heart rate around 60–which is a big drop from 75. Fitbit claims my cardio fitness/heart health is very good to excellent for a woman my age & shape. That information made me feel a lot better, but the lack of EKG makes me nervous. Overall, my health is pretty good. My cardiologist always tell me my heart is in good shape. But when I had my daughter, I was diagnosed with postpartum preeclampsia and that was one of the scariest times in my life. Then, a few years after that, I was diagnosed with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome–even though I only suffer from frequent vertigo right now). Not to mention, my blood pressure has been slowly creeping up over the last year. So, even though my cardiologist says I’m fine, I still worry. And having the EKG gave me some piece of mind. So, the question is, do I take a more accurate portrayal of my heart health or a device that might not be as accurate, but has the ability to diagnose more?

For what the Luxe can actually do, it is very little compared to the Apple Watch. Apple, over the years, has made it so that the watch is basically an extension to your phone–meant to be always on you, awake or sleeping. On the Luxe, it has all the regular Fitbit fitness and activities. It has alarms/timers. It will notify me if someone messaged me or is trying to call. It will keep track of my menstrual cycle. It focuses more on stress management and mindfulness. Tell me the date and time. But, it’s not going to control my Spotify. The screen isn’t always on. It’s not going to tell me what the current weather is. It’s not going to let me make calls or make payments. It’s not going to work seamlessly with my iPhone, because Google now owns Fitbit and is a competitor. But it’s great as far as fitness accuracy goes. So, again, do I take the watch that is really great at the few things it can do, or take the jack-of-all-trades, but master of none watch?

I’ve only been wearing the Luxe for almost 4 days, so I will continue to try it out and see if it will permanently replace my Apple Watch. It’s hard seeing my Apple Watch on the charger and not putting it on every morning. It’s hard seeing my phone tell me I haven’t reached my fitness goals for the day. But it’s also a lot easier to breathe when I’m not always getting notifications of who’s trying to get in touch or telling me what I need to do. Most of the reviews I’ve read just told me how disappointing the Luxe is not closer to a smartwatch. But honestly, for me, that was the biggest selling point. If you have an Apple Watch and find you do get stressed from it, it might be time to step away. Each day, so far, has been getting easier. I’ll keep you posted.

Lissa

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