Watch, strap, ring, headband, implantable…health tech wearables are now coming in all forms, and they just keep getting better. In this sea of options, overwhelm is easy.

Every brand promises insight, optimization, and “peak performance”, but if you’ve ever found yourself three weeks into a subscription, staring at a dashboard you never check, you’re not alone.

The truth? There is no one wearable to rule them all. Your ideal wearable depends on your goals, your lifestyle, and what you’ll actually use.

Here’s my breakdown across the key wearable types, with no fluff, just the real-world pros and cons. While we’ve tested many more wearables in practice, these represent the most mainstream tracking tools that balance usability, data integrity, and accessibility for the majority of users.

Smart Rings: Small Size, Big Insights

If you’re after sleep, recovery, and general well-being, in the most low-profile format possible, rings win. They’re discreet, lightweight, and don’t mess with your sleep or outfit.

But we do not recommend them for tracking workouts. Even though they offer this function, they are not there for anyone serious about monitoring their training sessions.

I broke down the top smart rings in my previous Taylored Edge Blog Post and on our website blog: 👉 The Ultimate Smart Ring Showdown: ŌURA vs. Ultrahuman vs. Samsung Electronics Galaxy Ring

Quick Recap:

• Oura: Still the crowd favorite for overall balance and UI. Comfortable, sleek, and delivers solid insights. However, their customer service and subscription model still frustrate some users.
• Ultrahuman: Fast-catching up. Actionable data, great responsiveness, and an exciting ecosystem brewing. Slightly bulkier but lighter ring.
• Samsung Galaxy Ring: Great comfort and charging setup, but poor data reliability and no iPhone support.

If you’re mostly tracking sleep, overall wellness and recovery, rings are gold, but pair them with another device for movement metrics.

Watches: The All-Rounder, If You’re Willing to Wear It

Watches offer serious versatility, but bulk and wrist-based HR limitations can be drawbacks for some. While the Garmin Fenix and Forerunner series can be paired with a heart rate chest strap for more accurate training data, the watch itself can feel bulky, especially for sleep. Many users find it uncomfortable to wear overnight, not just due to its size but also the bright flashing lights during heart rate readings, which can be distracting in a dark room.

Garmin Fenix & Forerunner Series

There are many Garmin models on the market, but these two are leaders, in my opinion, when it comes to activity tracking and performance. You can find cheaper Garmin models that also offer activity tracking, often with more lifestyle functionality, similar to an Apple Watch, if that’s what you’re looking for.

• Built for endurance athletes, outdoor adventurers, and runners who want serious data.
• Tracks everything from VO2 Max to altitude to training load (Fenix), with the Forerunner series more tailored to runners and triathletes.
• Both series sync well with chest straps for more accurate HR data.
• Battery life: 7–18 days depending on model and usage. Offers some of the best battery life on the market, allowing for full-day and night tracking without needing to charge every day. Ideal for multi-day adventurers, athletes, and those who don’t want to constantly think about charging. Downside?
• Both can feel clunky for sleep. The size, wrist pressure, and flashing lights from the optical sensors often make them uncomfortable or disruptive overnight.

Apple Watch

• Beautiful UI, seamless with iPhone, and great for daily movement, notifications, and ECG.
• But…battery life is weak. You often have to choose between tracking sleep or daily activity, as there’s rarely enough battery to handle both without charging. Personally, I found the Apple Watch to be a great daytime device, perfect for movement, notifications, and ECG, but it needed to charge at night, which meant it rarely captured sleep data unless I made special adjustments.
• My business and life partner, Rachel Kelly, MSc(Hons) wears her Apple Watch primarily because it integrates into her iOS ecosystem and for basic run tracking, but never wears it for sleep. Her go-to wearable is still the Oura ring, but like me, also wears the UltraHuman Ring AIR for its unique data insights.

💡 Choose Garmin if performance and metrics are key. Go Apple Watch if lifestyle integration matters more.

Bands: The Coach on Your Wrist

WHOOP Strap

No screen. Just raw recovery and readiness intel. Whoop is great if you’re someone who trains regularly, wants to optimize recovery, and loves detailed strain analysis.

Pros:

• Continuous HRV, sleep, and recovery tracking.
• Excellent training load guidance.
• App has improved dramatically over the past year.
• No screen= No distractions
• Can be worn in different locations, on the wrist, bicep, or integrated into Whoop’s specialty clothing line for even more flexibility

Cons:

• Monthly subscription required.
• Less intuitive for beginners.
• It can be annoying to wear during certain workouts or sleep positions. I found mine caught on the sheet’s a lot.

💡 Best for: People who train hard and care about recovery science, not just daily step counts. This is a performance wearable.

EEG Headbands: The Mind-Body Link

Meditation wearables are less mainstream but wildly underrated for executive performance.

Muse Headband

• Real-time feedback on brain activity during meditation.
• Great for beginners learning to focus and stay present.
• Tracks deep rest, stress patterns, and recovery.

FocusCalm

• Similar concept but designed more around cognitive performance and stress management.
• Includes games and challenges for brain training.
• Slightly more user-friendly than Muse, but less meditative depth.

💡 Ideal if you’re working on stress management, executive performance, or meditation consistency.

CGMs: Glucose is the New HRV

The CGM provides the most powerful feedback of all wearables. Traditionally used as a medical device for people with diabetes, it’s now becoming a popular tool for high performers and health optimizers. More people are realizing blood sugar affects everything, energy, focus, cravings, and sleep, but what makes CGMs stand out is how quickly and personally the data connects. Our clients often say it’s the first time they can truly “see” how their body responds to specific foods or stressors. It’s intuitive to know whether or not you slept well, but teasing out the nuances of how your meals affect you? That’s where CGMs shine. They shed light not just on metabolic health but emotional health too, as our food choices influence mood, energy, motivation, and even self-regulation. Best of all, CGM data is uniquely personal, it’s tailored to your biology and it is fascinating to see how different individuals respond to the same food.

Want a deeper dive? We have a blog post on glucose tracking. Comment “GLUCOSE” below and I’ll send you the link.

Freestyle Libre by Abbott

• Slim sensor is affordable and now available over the counter in some regions.
• Strong companion app and real-time insights.
• Cheaper, and I personally enjoy the user interface more so than Dexcom, which is more clinical and feels clunky as a result.
• Each sensor lasts 14 days

Dexcom

• More accurate and responsive, ideal for clinical and performance settings.
• More expensive, but arguably best in class in its accuracy.
• Each sensor lasts 10 days

💡 Best for: Biohackers, energy optimizers, and anyone experimenting with diet, fasting, or performance nutrition.

Final Thoughts: One Device Won’t Do It All

I often get asked, “What’s the best wearable?” The honest answer? It depends on you. Some people thrive with one ring. Others (like me) layer a smart ring + Garmin Fenix + FocusCalm + occasional CGM cycles. The magic is in the stack, but only if each part adds value.

Start with:

• What am I trying to optimize? (Sleep, activity, stress, metabolic health, focus?)
• How often will I actually use this?
• Will this data change how I live?

If you’re overwhelmed, here’s one simple question to start with: What’s your ONE priority right now?

• Sleep: Go with a smart ring like Oura or Ultrahuman.
• General Wellness: Smart rings are great here, too, especially when paired with light movement tracking. Or Apple Watch, but keep in mind the limitations around battery life
• Executive Performance: EEG headbands like FocusCalm help train mental clarity and focus.
• Stress Management: Look to mindfulness tech (EEG) like FocusCalm/Muse or heart rate variability and resting heart rate via: Oura, Ultrahuman or Whoop.
• Athletic Performance: Garmin or Whoop, especially when paired with chest straps for accurate HR. The choice here depends on whether you want live data (Garmin) vs retrospective data (Whoop).
• Metabolic Health: CGMs like Freestyle Libre or Dexcom will show how food and stress impact your biology in real-time.

TL;DR

Pick one primary goal, then layer in other devices if and when needed. Not everything has to be tracked at once. If you’re using multiple devices, make sure they sync with a central health hub like Google Health, Apple Health, or another integrative platform. This ensures your data reflects a unified picture of your health, rather than fragmented insights that live in silos.

And don’t forget: protect your investment. If you go the smart ring route, get an OSleeve, they’re sleek, durable, and make a huge difference in lifespan (and skin comfort). Transparency note: OSleeve is a product we developed and are in the process of patenting. We made it for ourselves first because we found it essential when doing any type of bar work or strength training with a smart ring. It’s a needed investment if you want to avoid scratches, cracks, and discomfort, especially if you wear your ring 24/7.

What’s in Your Wearable Stack?

Drop a comment with your favorite setup, or the ones that didn’t work for you. There’s no one-size-fits-all, but by sharing real stories, we can all make smarter decisions.