My Apple Watch Review
I never planned on getting an Apple watch. It was far from my radar up until the beginning of 2021. To be honest, I don’t think they are very stylish and I already have my phone so why do I need an Apple watch? I had a request for an honest review from a reader. Plus, now I tell everyone they need one and for a few simple reasons. First things first, SLEEP! I took one Masterclass on sleep and it really scared me. I am not getting enough and it is so important for my health. I decided to make it a focus again for 2021.
I got the Apple watch SE which is the newest model without the blood oxygen monitor. This one runs around $300. Mine does not connect to cellular. It connects to Wifi through my phone. I am not tech-savvy and it was pretty easy to set up and use right after charging.
There is a great sleep app that will connect to your iPhone while you sleep. For those of you who are asking, “when do you charge your watch?” There are many hours of the day I am sitting at my desk working, like right now. You can easily take it off and put it on the charger during this time so it is charged for your activity and sleep later in the day. There is a great reminder from the watch that you need to charge it and you need to charge it before bedtime. (I wish my iPhone did this before it was at 20%)
I get a reminder from the app on how to sleep better. If I burn a certain amount of calories during the day, I will sleep better at night. Also, my sleeping heart rate dip is better. I am still working on getting restful sleep at night. 6 hours has been one of my best records so far.
On the topic of sleep, I set a bedtime reminder and my watch reminds me what time I need to wind down. I head to bed at 10 pm, at 9:15 my phone goes into sleep mode which means do not disturb. I love this feature because I get texts from people abroad at strange hours which used to wake me, now I don’t have to worry about this. Plus, I am not looking at my watch or iPhone 45 minutes before bed which helps me sleep better. I have to swipe to turn it off and start checking messages if I am awake in the middle of the night. It is almost like a child lock for me to remind myself not to scroll late at night.
You can customize your watch face which I love. The apps you use the most can be on your face. I use activity and sleep daily. I also love that this face tells you when sunset is. As a photographer, this is always something I am checking. When I am working on projects at home especially in the Winter, I need to be concerned about lighting and the sunset times.
Fitness. I love the activity feature. I dance daily and I honestly had no idea how many calories I was burning per class. I am doing it at home in the bedroom with Henri so it isn’t the same as in the studio.
When I first got the apple watch I had to turn on the fitness start and stop to record a workout. This may be my only gripe about the apple watch so far… I turn it on right before I dance and it records my heartbeat and calories burned. When I take a walk in my neighborhood it does the same thing. If I forget to record the walk, it will now send me a reminder and ask if I want to record it.
You can challenge a friend/spouse/family member to compete to close your rings and monitor your activity. It is easy to set up and you get an alert when they finish a workout. If you need a workout buddy to keep you motivated, this is a great trick!
I do wear mine in the shower! I guess this is one of the drawbacks I had of other watches. I either forgot to take it off or forget to put it back on. There is also a feature on the watch to alert you when there is noise too loud which may cause sound damage. I never noticed this before but sometimes my shower gets that loud! It is a good reminder to have. I imagine once I get to travel again, this will come in handy on the streets of Paris. You can find more watch band options here.
I am trying to encourage my dad he needs the watch now. He lives alone and it would give me peace of mind knowing in case he falls or needs help, he can signal for assistance.
Readers with Apple Watches chimed in with their favorite features if I haven’t convinced you yet!
Pinging your phone when you can’t find it.
Cover it up with your hand to stop it from ringing.
The timer! Use it for cooking and laundry.
Stand reminder.
Close fitness rings. Keep you motivated.
Remote camera. No more handing your phone to strangers
Do not disturb. This is helpful during workouts.
Tracking activity and calories in the Health app. Motivation to work out more.
A flashlight as an overhead light.
Theater mode. Turn off while watching tv or a movie at home.
Heart rate monitor
Breathe reminders
You can see this blog post for more iPhone tips and tricks.
*This post includes affiliate links. I make a small commission off of items purchased through my links at no cost to you. Merci!
Hello!
I’m the owner of Infinity Loops. I’d love to send you a couple of our bands to review on your blog. I’m a USAF vet running my store from Texas and hope to hear from you soon! I have an affiliate program as well.
Phil
https://www.infinityloops.co
I agree. I just got the red series 6 with the oxygen thing and cellular, which is great to have. I really didn’t think that last feature was necessary, but now I’m glad to have it. If an unwanted call comes in on my phone, I can cancel it on the watch and I also can check for texts.
By the way, le petit Henri looks quite comfy on the couch.
Hi Patti,
I am so happy you are enjoying the watch! Henri is quite comfy with all the furniture these days. If he is well behaved I let him up. He hasn’t made it to the bed yet, but I hope he does soon!
Keep in touch xo
Rebecca