What watch is best for monitoring AF In UK

[samuela5]

AF monitoring

[Paulbounce]

Hi Sam.

Apple but it's not cheap. Karda might work for you too.

Paul

[samuela5 in reply to Paulbounce]

Thank you Paul. I have a Kardia, the AF has changed in past year, from PAF to persistent! With no access to cardiologist I would like to monitor the changes, and try and get a telephone call.Best wishes

Samula

[Paulbounce in reply to samuela5]

I think Apple is best for you Sam. You can get a Fitbit cheaper but not half as good IMO. It depends on your budget but it maybe Apple is best for you. I don't know what you have to spend but you could always spread the cost on a credit card. Just a thought.

Paul

[G0dfather]

I bought a Kardiamobile a few months ago it was 90 quid I think. You press 4 fingers onto a device with small pads and it reads out the ECG results onto your mobile advising if it's AF of sinus rhythm of tachycardia etc. I would say it's a good piece of kit.

[Elli86]

Apple Watch is superb Samuela!

It’s not cheap like Paul says but worth every penny in my opinion 👍

[Threecats]

Another vote for Apple here, too!

[samuela5 in reply to Threecats]

Thank you I will research Apple.😀😀😀

[AussieHeart in reply to samuela5]

Found this link; wareable.com/apple/apple-wa... you need at least a version 4.

[Paulbounce]

If you buy one Sam go to a good seller. You'll buy one from eBay for peanuts but it will be a load of junk. Pay the extra and get the real deal. It's your heath you are talking about here.

Amazon might be better but check the feedback first. I would feel much more safe buying there.

Paul

[Paulbounce]

In fact Sam I can find a seller who I would recommend. He only sells second hand watches but is a really genuine guy. It will take me some time to 'track' him down on my emails. I'm not doing it tonight cos I need some kip. If you are interested let me know and I'll have a look tomorrow and can pass on his details. He's a really genuine bloke and gets a recommendation from me. They are second hand though - it will take me some time to find him so if you want to buy new (best idea) let me know. Otherwise I'm quite happy to see if I can find him.Paul

[Threecats]

Alternatively, I have bought a second hand iPhone from Music Magpie and been very pleased with it. Might be worth a look at the watches there, too maybe?

[Frances123 in reply to Threecats]

Sad to say I wouldn’t touch Music Magpie with a barge pole. Bought an iPhone from them a couple of years ago on behalf of a friend. It went wrong 2 months later and I took it to local shop for repair to be told it was a fake. Took it to Apple without telling them history and as soon as they looked at it said the same and showed me how to check. Went back to magpie with info from Apple and they refused to help in any way saying they only check it works and with 100s of phones they have to check all the time cannot check validity of being genuine etc and was down to sellers word. Threat of contravening contract etc didn’t work. Ended up with me buying a new iPhone to replace for friend as couldn’t tell them it was fake and was my fault. I learnt the hard way and would never buy from them again. x

[Threecats in reply to Frances123]

Goodness, sorry to hear that. I’ve had mine 3 years now and still going strong, 🤞my neighbour likewise, after I recommended the them to her. Looks like we were lucky, unless things have gone downhill with the company since.

[fairgo45]

If like me you like your watch battery to last 5 days or more and are an Android fan try the fitbit sense they will give you a 45 day try of it if you buy it from fitbit.com

[KentAndrew]

Another vote for the Apple Watch and iPhone combination. It’s more than just a watch, it tracks my heart, notifies my AFib, heart rate, fitness, steps etc.

I wear it around 23.5 hours per day and recharge it every morning whilst I am in the shower.

[samuela5 in reply to KentAndrew]

Thank you all for your replies. Samula

[CDreamer]

And another for Apple, had 3 Fitbits and they all fell apart within a few months. Had 3 Apple watches and they seem to be much sturdier and more reliable. Comparatively speaking they have now come down in price and much more in line with other smart phone prices. And don’t forget that they do so much more than just track your heart! I find the O2 sats quite interesting although I take some of the readings with a pinch of salt as they show odd spikes which I believe to be errors.

[beardy_chris]

I like the Withings ScanWatch.

It has a very good battery life and accurate AF detection, an ECG function, and a whole lot of other features. It is clinically validated and it also looks nice!

(I am a satisfied customer but not affiliated to Withings in any other way).

[dunestar in reply to beardy_chris]

I'm thinking of getting a Withings. Love the Apple watch but I don't have an iphone. Can you tell me whether the Withings will give you a constant heart rate reading? I want a watch which will tell me my heart rate when I'm walking. I couldn't get any info from the Withings website but did see that for AF etc it takes a heart rate at 5 minute intervals? What I need is a read out for normal heart rate when I'm walking.

[Crankymidlife in reply to dunestar]

I got a Withings Scanwatch this fall, when it became available in the US. I’m pretty happy with it- especially how infrequently it needs charging! It does track heart rate continuously if you click to tell it you are doing a workout (which can be walking).

[dunestar in reply to Crankymidlife]

Thanks so much. I'll definitely get one. 👍

[beardy_chris in reply to Crankymidlife]

Thanks - quite right!

[momist in reply to beardy_chris]

Glad you're happy with it beardy_chris I had the Withings MoveECG which I loved, until the crystal got all scratched up and the back would not go back on after too frequent battery change. The '12 month' battery never quite reached 4 months life, and after the third change the soft plastic case was ruined totally, just beyond warranty. Support from Withings was non-existent, and they had loads of complaints all over social media about that, not just about the MoveECG either.

Yes, it worked very well as an ECG device, and the concept was good, but poor materials and lack of support turned me off. I've heard the ScanWatch is better, being metal, but I hope the rechargeable battery has a long enough life for you. I doubt it can be replaced.

[beardy_chris in reply to momist]

I don't think we're talking about the same watch at all. The rechargeable battery lasts well over two weeks between charges - there's no need to take the back off at all. The crystal is at least as good as any other watch I've ever had. I'm sorry you had a bad experience but things would appear to be very different now.

[momist in reply to beardy_chris]

No, I'm aware they are different watches, but they're from the same manufacturer and I just couldn't trust them with my money again after that experience. I think the MoveECG was a cheap 'test the market' experiment for them and they soon realised they had to up their game a bit.

[beardy_chris in reply to momist]

...and they've upped their game a lot. I would describe it as a quality watch now and I'm quite demanding about watches. I now prefer it to the Fitbit Charge 2 I had previously - though I wasn't sure at first. I think the Scanwatch is a whole different beastie.

[fabjabfab]

Apple - hands down. Mine saved my life.

[cjbroon]

I used to use a fitbit but changed to a Samsung Galaxy Active 2 watch some time ago. Both were very good for monitoring your heart. The ECG on thd Samsung is very good. They've recently upgraded the the Samsung with a newer version which I'd expect is even better. Its a fair bit cheaper than the Apple as well. My son and daughter both have Apple watches and the Samsung does everything that the Apple does.

[Hidden in reply to cjbroon]

Is it FDA validated?

[Hidden]

Anything which is FDA validated which includes the Apple Watch and some Fitbits. The Kardia 6L is better than either imo (although it's a different kind of device) since it has 6 leads rather than 1 and hence can provide much more information for medical professionals.

[cjbroon in reply to Hidden]

Yes Samsung's ECG monitor on the watches is FDA validated

[Crankymidlife in reply to cjbroon]

So is Withings ECG

[cjbroon in reply to Hidden]

news.samsung.com/global/fda...

[Ashfield53]

Kardia 6L was recommended to my by a paramedic and it has worked well. The results have allowed my cardiologist to make a firm diagnosis when the standard hospital tests did not.

Richard

[momist]

Avoid any device which only has the little lights on the back to monitor your heart. What that is doing is detecting the miniscule colour change of the skin when the pulse of blood pressure swells the capillaries slightly. In arrhythmia, not all heart activity will produce a pulse.

You need to monitor the electrical activity coming from the heart, and this needs a minimum of two connections, one down each arm or one arm and one leg etc. This rules out most Fitbit types of heart monitor and many others. I have read somewhere that the Samsung ECG function needs a Samsung phone, not just any Android phone. (If anyone knows better from personal experience, please share!) Similarly, the Apple Watch needs an iPhone, or iPad.

The Withings should work with any Android phone, but I don't like the company or it's policies.

[Physalis in reply to momist]

Just in case you are wondering, the Apple watch continuously monitors your heart rate using the green light method. When you do an ECG though it takes the signal from a finger on your right hand across to your watch on the left side.

[Hylda2 in reply to Physalis]

The lights have died on my Apple Watch but it still monitors everything. Apple are looking into it for me. It’s a series 4

[Physalis in reply to Hylda2]

Fancy that! Actually, looking at my watch, it isn't flashing either.

[Hylda2 in reply to Physalis]

Odd isn’t it. Very nice gentleman from the watch division called Joseph talked my husband into completely resetting it. Then I had to send pdfs of two ecgs. Now he will ring next Tuesday to say what the specialist team have advised!

[JOY2THEWORLD49]

Hi Dr B Baron Heart Specialist's video says that ALL smart devices are NOT accurate.

He suggests buy a BP Monitpr either Omron from Chemist or Microfile also from Chemist and have your Dr check it but it is important to have the right size.

Best wises for 2022.

Excess sweating and having to stop for energy tells me that my heart is in rapid AF. Mine is persistent.

Heaps better on CCB Diltiazen 120mg a.m and only 2.5 Bisoprolol p.m

Waiting for new drug results for a 24hr monitor results from before Christmas week.

cheri JOY

[Physalis in reply to JOY2THEWORLD49]

Smart devices are not accurate for blood pressure. However, the Apple watch for one is very accurate for ECGs and heart rate monitoring.

I've got an Omron bp monitor but it is absolutely useless for heart rate. My hr could be 140 and it would show 75. As bad as the wrist monitor.

[JOY2THEWORLD49 in reply to Physalis]

My too big Omron monitor kept on giving error now and again. Perhaps I did have AF well before thhe stroke.

H/R up to 186! But at the time I took it and rested, lying down ..most was 101.

ECG is not always accurate I tend to have 'leads slipping!'.

A doctor said when I asked for ECG "it goes for such a small. amount of time". It showed!

The 24hr monitor is great because it is there and I forget it is there. It also monitors at exertion and at night.

My clinic has an ECG. Often not working though.

Take care. JOY

[TracyAdmin Partner]

Hi there, there are many devices available to record heart rate and detect AF, both the Apple Watch or the AliveCor Kardia Mobile are recognised by NICE. You may find our 'Which ECG is Right for You?' booklet helpful? To download visit : heartrhythmalliance.org/afa...

booklet