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Can You Really Trust a Smartwatch to Track Your Health?

Published: Wednesday, July 2, 2025

The Truth About What’s On Your Wrist

From tracking steps to pinging notifications, today’s smartwatches claim to be mini wellness coaches. But how accurate are they really? Can a wrist gadget truly measure your heart rate, stress levels, or sleep quality?

 

Let’s unpack the tech behind health tracking and see how devices like The Trevit Smartwatch turn raw data into meaningful wellness insights. Spoiler: it’s more science than you think.

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Jump to section quickly:

  • How Smartwatches Monitor Your Health

  • How the Trevit Smartwatch Stands Out

  • What Is the MAI Vitality Score?

  • What You Can and Can’t Trust

  • How to Use Your Smartwatch the Smart Way
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How Smartwatches Monitor Your Health

Photo of The Trevit Smartwatch Showing PPG Sensors

Today’s wearables use a trio of components to track your health: sensors, movement tracking, and AI-powered algorithms.

  1. PPG Sensors: Measuring Your Pulse with Light
    Smartwatches use photoplethysmography (PPG), which is a fancy way of saying they shine light into your skin and measure how blood absorbs and reflects it.
    • Green light is used for heart rate monitoring because it’s absorbed by red blood cells.
    • Red/infrared light penetrates deeper and is better for SpO₂ (oxygen) readings.

      These signals help estimate not only your heart rate but also oxygen saturation, blood pressure trends, and even stress levels.
       
  2. Motion Sensors & Sleep Stages
    Built-in accelerometers monitor your body’s movements 24/7. During sleep:
    • Stillness = you’re likely asleep.
    • Micro-movements + heart rate changes = REM, light, or deep sleep stages.

      Together, motion and biometric data create a sleep profile more detailed than you’d expect from something on your wrist.
       
  3. Algorithms That Turn Signals into Insights
    Here’s where your watch gets smart. With advanced algorithms, wearables interpret:
  • Heart rate variability (HRV) to gauge stress
  • Pulse transit time to estimate blood pressure trends
  • Blood flow changes over time to model glucose estimates
  • Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) to assess workout intensity

    This combo of light, motion, and machine learning unlocks insights that were once only found in clinics.

Health Features: How They Work and How Reliable They Are

  • Heart Rate Monitoring
    Uses PPG light pulses to estimate beats per minute, accurate for rest and moderate activity, but motion may skew results slightly. Studies show wrist monitors are ~95% accurate in steady states. The Trevit Smartwatch’s dual-colour sensor enhances accuracy across skin tones.
     
  • Blood Oxygen (SpO₂)
    Red and infrared LEDs measure how much oxygen your red blood cells carry. It’s great for wellness tracking, though not a clinical tool.
     
  • Stress (HRV-Based)
    By analyzing the time between heartbeats, the watch estimates HRV. Lower HRV often means higher stress. It’s best used for trend tracking.
     
  • Blood Pressure & Glucose (Study Mode)
    These features combine PPG, motion, and timing data to estimate trends. They’re helpful for awareness, but not a substitute for medical devices.
     
  • Sleep Tracking
    Motion and heart rate changes help identify sleep stages. Stillness with low heart rate suggests deep sleep, while movement indicates lighter stages.
     
  • MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task)
    This metric estimates calorie burn and workout intensity by comparing heart rate to movement.

Photos of The Trevit Smartwatch showing heart rate monitoring and MAI Vitality Score

How the Trevit Smartwatch Stands Out

The Trevit Smartwatch isn’t just another fitness tracker. It’s designed to give you a holistic wellness overview:

  • Dual-colour 3-channel PPG sensor for more reliable readings
  • Tracks heart rate, blood oxygen, stress, blood pressure (study mode), blood glucose (study mode), and sleep cycles
  • One-tap access to a personalized MAI Vitality Score

What Is the MAI Vitality Score?

The MAI (Metabolic Activity Index) Vitality Score is your daily health snapshot. Think of it as a smart summary that bundles:

  • Resting heart rate
  • Sleep quality and duration
  • HRV and stress patterns
  • Activity levels and METs
  • Blood oxygen trends

You get a single score that reflects how your body’s doing physically, mentally, and metabolically. It’s not just for tracking... it’s for improving.

What You Can and Can’t Trust

Smartwatches aren’t medical devices, but they’re getting impressively close. Here's a quick breakdown:

Feature

Trust Level

Use It For

Heart Rate

✅ Very reliable

 

Everyday fitness, cardio zones

Blood Oxygen (SpO₂)

✅ Reliable

 

Wellness checks, altitude training

Stress (via HRV)

👍 Directional

 

Mood trends, relaxation reminders

Sleep Stages

👍 Directional

 

Habit tracking, sleep hygiene awareness

Blood Pressure / Glucose

🔎 Trend-based

 

Awareness, not diagnosis

 

Feature

Trust Level

Use It For

Heart Rate

✅ Very reliable

 

Everyday fitness, cardio zones

Blood Oxygen (SpO₂)

✅ Reliable

 

 

Wellness checks, altitude training

Stress (via HRV)

👍 Directional

 

 

Mood trends, relaxation reminders

Sleep Stages

👍 Directional

 

 

Habit tracking, sleep hygiene awareness

Blood Pressure / Glucose

🔎 Trend-based

 

Awareness, not diagnosis

 

How to Use Your Smartwatch the Smart Way

  • Morning: Check resting heart rate and oxygen levels
  • Midday: Use HRV/stress cues to take mindful breaks
  • Evening: Reflect on sleep quality and activity goals
  • Weekly: Review your MAI score to see improvements or red flags

Pro tip: Trends matter more than single numbers. You're looking for consistency and positive momentum, not perfection.

Final Thoughts: Wear the Data, Don’t Worry It

Smartwatches won’t replace doctors, but they will help you know your body better. If you're using a device like The Trevit Smartwatch, you're already ahead of the game measuring what matters, setting smarter health goals, and getting feedback that helps you grow.

 

So yes, you can trust your smartwatch. Just don’t forget: the real power lies in how you respond to the data.

SEE The Trevit Smartwatch

2" HD Touch Screen Display

Advanced Health & Fitness Monitoring

Smart Notifications for Calls, Messages & App Alerts

Versatile Compatibility with iOS & Android

GET The Trevit Smartwatch

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