The Apple Watch and your heart are very nearly in sync

Not all wearables will monitor your heart rate accurately. But out of the many devices out there, the Apple Watch (the 2015 version, at least) is one of the better ones, according to a study featured in the peer-reviewed medical journal, JAMA Cardiology.

The research was conducted by Cleveland Clinic and compared four popular wearables on the market, the Apple Watch (2015), the Fitbit Charge HR, the Mio Alpha and the Basis Peak. Researchers took a sample size of 50 healthy participants and then measured their heart rate while walking, jogging and at rest. The heart rate readings of the four wearables were compared to the readings of a chest strap, and an electrocardiogram (EKG), which is considered the most accurate heart rate monitor. Compared to the EKG, the chest strap matched up 99 percent of the time, putting it ahead of wrist-worn wearables. The Apple Watch and Mio Alpha showed 91 percent accuracy on average, the Fitbit showed 84 percent and Basis Peak was about 83 percent accurate. This means that even the best wearables tested were wrong about 10 percent of the time, while others were off by about 20 percent.