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The iconic spot for a fitness wearable is on your wrist, but you have so many other options. I sometimes wear a smartwatch on my arm if I’m testing multiple devices and run out of wrist space. A more normal reason would be that you want to wear a fitness tracker and a mechanical watch without rocking the two-watch look. Or perhaps you work a job that isn’t compatible with wristwatches (cooks and surgeons, I see you.) Fortunately, you have options.
Some are devices that are never worn on the wrist, like ring-based trackers. Others were designed for the wrist, but can be worn elsewhere with aftermarket bands or clips. Let’s review your options for rings, clips, bicep bands, ankle straps, and even clothing.
Buy an extra-long band for your arm or ankle
If you already have a smartwatch or fitness tracker, and just want a new place to wear it, consider an arm or ankle band. Most smartwatches can use a universal band type, so check the width in millimeters and search for an “arm band” or “ankle band” of that size. For example, here’s a 22-millimeter arm/ankle band, which will fit a Garmin Forerunner 265 or 570, or even the new Helio strap. This type of strap has a little metal pin on each end, and thankfully these days watch pins all have a little handle you can grab with your thumbnail so you don’t need a specialized tool to insert it.
If your device has a specialized connector, like the Apple Watch or Fitbit Charge 6, there are aftermarket arm/ankle bands as well. Just make sure you’re getting one that’s compatible with your model of device.
Once you have the strap installed, you can wear it on your upper arm (just above your bicep), or try to find a place for it on your ankle. Since the ankle doesn’t always have a nice, soft, flat spot for a watch to rest, it’s not a great location to capture your heart rate. But if your main concern is counting your steps, an ankle strap can usually do that just fine.
Pros
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Tracks steps
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Can usually pick up heart rate (depending on exactly how it sits against your skin—you may need to experiment with positioning)
Cons
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inconvenient to look at the watch or use any interactive features
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You may need to sit down to pause your workout
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Some models of wearables may not have an aftermarket band available
Try a fitness ring
I’m a longtime fan of the Oura ring (it’s a tough love, but love nonetheless) so this is the route I’ve taken. Wearing a watch 24/7 drives me nuts, but I can completely ignore a ring. If Oura isn’t your style, Ultrahuman and others provide alternatives.
Pros
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Easy to put on and take off
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Feels like it’s not there (if you are used to wearing rings)
Cons
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Can’t wear it while lifting weights
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No display to tell you how your workout is going
Clip it to your belt
Fitbit and other tracker brands used to sell models that counted your steps from a clip on your belt or bra. (I remember loving the bra clip on a now-defunct brand, Misfit.) You can still get an aftermarket clip for some devices, like the Fitbit Inspire. Just pop it out of its wristband, and into a clip like this one.
$7.99
Pros
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Counts steps well, no matter what your hands are doing.
Cons
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No access to heart rate data or else anything that requires the skin sensor.
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Might end up in the laundry if you forget to take it off your waistband.
Wear it in your clothes
Whoop’s tracker is normally worn on the wrist or bicep, but the company also has a “Body” line of clothes with little pockets you can slip the device into. The company sent me one of their bras back when the collection launched, and I was able to slip my Whoop device (minus its strap) into a little pocket in the band, under the left armpit. It was comfortable, stayed in place, and the data collection was good.
Their other offerings include shorts and underwear with a device pocket in the waistband, and even a swimsuit with the device pocket in approximately the same place as the bra. If you’re handy with a needle and thread, you could easily make your own versions of these items.
Pros
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No extra straps to keep track of
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You can definitely forget you’re wearing it
Cons
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The buttons and display aren’t accessible (which is why this works so well with Whoop, since Whoop has no buttons or display).
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You’ll need to plan ahead to have your Whoop-compatible undies on, and you’ll want to have duplicates to deal with the laundry cycle.
