Blood oxygen monitoring is a common feature these days, if you are a passionate smartwatch enthusiast. It is especially helpful when you are at high altitudes. It can alert you to potential issues such as sleep apnea and other respiratory conditions that require medical attention. The SpO2 sensor is included in most fitness watches. Some models are better than others at helping you access that data or measuring it constantly. We rounded up some of the best watches with blood oxygen monitoring.

Get a breath of fresh air with these great SpO2-compatible watches

Garmin Forerunner 245 sitting on top of shoes

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The Forerunner 245 is an excellent choice if you prefer to run, bike, or swim. The pulse ox sensor on the wrist can be used to monitor blood oxygen saturation levels. The seven-day battery life of Sleep pulse ox means it can handle the demanding feature better than other brands.

This watch has the company's exclusive Body Battery feature, which is designed to track your energy levels throughout the day. The feature will help you figure out the best times for activity and rest. The Forerunner 245 continues to be one of the best watches you can buy because it has so many features.

You won't have more advanced features like mobile payments or onboard music storage, but this watch is made to focus on fitness. This is a running watch for first-time runners and more experienced runners. You can pay more for a music version of this watch if you think it is a must-have feature. The watch is a great way to experience everything that Garmin has to offer.

Fitbit Versa 3 Heart Rate

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The Versa 3 is one of the most trusted fitness trackers on the market, as it is one of the most trusted names in the world. As usual, you will enjoy flawless sleep tracking, but you can also use a built-in SpO2 sensor for blood oxygen tracking. When you install the SpO2 app on your device, your battery life will be cut in half. You will be able to see your most recent score on the face and nighttime averages on the app. Premium is required to see more than a week of SpO2 data.

We noted in our review how easy it is to transition from SpO2 to step count, to heart rate, to Active Zone Minutes, to floors climbed with just a few taps. Other watches make it harder to find data, while it makes all of your information accessible.

The unique squircle design of the Versa 3 is maintained with a modern twist and an improved band system that is much easier to use. It has a built-in microphone and speaker for calls, as well as a voice assistant.

There is a lot to offer for the price. It's not an advanced smartwatch with premium features, but it makes up for it in other areas. You can get the built-in SpO2 sensor on the previous models, but they don't have the tools like the speaker, built-inGPS, and Active Zone Minutes, so it's worth getting the latest version, which we consider one of the best running watches available

Garmin Venu 2 body battery

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The Venu 2 and 2S give you the excellent data and metrics you are used to, but with a beautiful AMOLED display for a more stylish design than the brand typically sells. It has the option to turn SpO2 tracking on all day or during sleep. It can absorb the blood oxygen battery hit better than any cheaper model thanks to the 11-day battery life.

The review of the Venu 2 shows how it gives you a premium fitness experience. The combination of buttons and touchscreen makes it easier to navigate than watches that only offer one or the other, the battery holds up to Garmin's claims, and you get in-depth health metrics like fitness age, sleep score, and body battery so you know exactly how your body is. You can get animated exercises for the gym to help improve your fitness.

The Venu 2 Plus adds a mic and speaker for answering calls or speaking to your voice assistant, but costs slightly more than the Venu 2. The 2S has a smaller battery but also a more comfortable fit for sleep tracking. The three models are expensive, but offer a good experience.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 SpO2 reading

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The lightweight design, the fast performance on the new Wear OS 3UI, and the new 3-in-1 BioActive sensor that tracks optical heart rate, electrical heart (ECG), and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis are some of the reasons why we love theGalaxy Watch 4. One of the most advanced health-tracking watches available, theSamsungGalaxy Watch 4 is able to measure anything from blood pressure to blood oxygen, while also offering some of the best performance of any watch.

If you want to track levels during sleep, you can take a manual SpO2 measurement. TheGalaxy Watch 4 can measure levels every minute for the most detailed results possible, unlike other watches that only provide averages. It only has 40 hours of battery life, and with SpO2 tracking, you will need daily charges.

While it is not the only one with blood oxygen tracking, theGalaxy Watch 4 has a lot of new perks over its predecessors. It will give you an advanced Sleep Score by measuring SpO2 and the sound of your snores. You can choose between the fitness focused 4 or the stylish 4 Classic with a rotating bezel.

SpO2 reading on Fitbit Sense

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The same limitations apply to the Fitbit Sense as they do to the Versa 3. If you want to see the readings on the Sense itself, you will need to install the watch face or pay for a premium. You will need to install the app and accept the 6 to 3 day battery life drop to see your blood oxygen trends. This is more valuable than spot checks, but you may not be able to take an instant reading like with other watches.

If it helps, the Fitbit Sense has excellent health data to go along with its readings. The electrocardiogram sensor is a new health feature. The sensor can help detect the irregular heartbeat. The EDA sensor is used to measure how your body responds to stress.

The goal is to provide you with a better understanding of your stress levels throughout the day while encouraging you to take care of your mental and physical health. A temperature sensor can show you how your body temperature changes while you sleep.

All the health tracking it provides makes it one of our favorites. Our review of the Sense praised the gorgeous display and battery life, as well as how the software of the device has been updated over the last year to make it a more well-rounded device.

Withings ScanWatch SpO2 reading

(Image credit: Withings)

You can never be sure how accurate the readings are on most watches. While most watches ask for FDA approval for the accuracy of their heart rate monitors, they don't do the same for their SpO2 sensors because they are more difficult to get right. The Withings ScanWatch is the only one that has SpO2 tracking FDA approval.

This isn't your traditional watch with proper apps, but that makes it last 30 days per charge with automatic heart rate monitoring. It has clinically verified oxygen saturation readings and combines them with other data for some of the best sleep tracking data and sleep apnea detection you can get from a device that isn't medical-grade. It can detect AFib and offer some standard workout tracking, though not quite at the level of a device like a tracker like a tracker like a tracker like a tracker like a tracker like a tracker like tracker like tracker like tracker like tracker like tracker like tracker like tracker like tracker like tracker like

If you can accept the tiny circular display and the fact that most of its data must be viewed on your phone, the ScanWatch is what you want.

Apple Watch Series 7 SpO2 reading

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The Apple Watch Series 7 made some significant improvements over its predecessor, including larger case sizes, slimmer bezels, and faster charging via the newusb-c. The Apple Watch Series 7 is the only premium watch you should buy, thanks to the performance speed, beautiful display, and class-leading health, according to our Apple Watch Series 7 review.

The Series 7 is especially convenient because it allows you to quickly and easily measure your blood oxygen levels or take an electrocardiogram by placing your finger on the crown. You can use the Blood Oxygen app to send SpO2 readings while you sleep. There is a Theater mode option where it dims the screen and disabling the SpO2 readings will keep people from looking at the screen.

The battery life is the issue here. It can last 1.5 days without SpO2, but will need daily charging. As Apple itself days, its sensor is considered a "wellness" sensor that is meant to be informative rather than accurate like the Withings ScanWatch.

Best smartwatches with blood oxygen monitoring: How to choose

You almost assume that blood oxygen monitoring will be there, because it is so commonplace in advanced watches. Beyond the physical presence of the sensor, it is equally important how the pulse ox works on your watch and how the software makes use of the data.

You can get a score or average of how well you are actually sleeping with the same approach taken by both Fitbit and Garmin. The difference is that you can manually take a SpO2 reading on a device, while the Fitbits mostly run behind the scenes. If you have trouble getting enough oxygen while sleeping, they will give you a general sense, and they have large batteries that will keep the pulse ox running.

Apple and SAMSUNG offer nightly pulse ox readings, with SAMSUNG offering the most health data and frequent SpO2 readings. You can accept a less smart watch and choose the Withings ScanWatch.