Anyone who comes across this question may find themselves a little perplexed. Smartwatches are made for wrists, after all. Why would anyone want to wear one on their ankle? Believe it or not, it’s a lot more common than most people realize.
The ankle is more dynamic than the wrist, in terms of pressure, impact, and even movement to a degree. Anyone who has ever experienced nasty blisters from wearing brand new shoes, tight on the hightops, would cringe at the idea of wrapping a smartwatch around the ankle.
The truth is, some people just can’t stand the idea of wearing something on their wrists. It either feels weird, restrictive, or otherwise uncomfortable.
For those who don’t wear so much as a bracelet on their wrists, does wearing a smartwatch on the ankle make sense?
Can You Wear a Smartwatch on Your Ankle?
You are more than welcome to wear a smartwatch on your ankle. Unfortunately, you will find that it doesn’t provide you with hardly any health benefits at all. Heart rate, blood-oxygen levels, and even the number of steps you take will all be inaccurate.
The reason behind that is smartwatches aren’t designed for anything other than use on the wrist. Even your running information, outside of GPS tracking, will likely be invalid information. While the watch can still track how far you’ve gone from point A to point B, it will have trouble catching your step counts.
There are other potential problems with wearing a smartwatch on your ankle as well.
- Data will lack accuracy
- The wrist strap may not fit your ankle
- It could potentially damage the smartwatch
- More exposure to water, mud, dirt, and debris
- Smartwatches won’t collect sleep data on your ankle
It’s difficult to say what good you could get out of a smartwatch placed on your ankle.
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Having said that, there are loads of people on forums saying they have great success using a Fitbit on their ankle when they want to track steps but their hands are stationary. Think of activities like pushing a stroller or shopping cart and still want to log those steps.
If it works for you and gives you the kind of data you are looking for, by all means. Fortunately, there is another option If you’re looking for more sophisticated tracking from the ankle.
Why Not Try An Ankle Fitness Tracker?
While there are ankle trackers, such as the Moov 3D Fitness Tracker, most of the ankle fitness trackers on the market are really smartwatches. However, they have bands on them (or bands you can purchase separately) that are designed for wearing on your ankle.
The Moko Sweatproof Ankle Strap, B-Great Ankle Band, Hook and Loop Ankle Band, Fitbit Breathable Ankle Band, and the Wanty Adjustable Ankle Band are just a few options. Amazon’s own Halo Band is designed for either wrist or ankle use.
If you aren’t in the market for a knock-off fitness tracker that you can wear on your ankle, you can always purchase a range of ankle bands that are compatible with various smartwatches.
All Things Considered
Odds are, you won’t get much out of your smartwatch when you wear it on your ankle and there is always the possibility that you will damage it.
If you really need to wear your smartwatch on your ankle, purchase an ankle band compatible with your watch and it should work enough to get you what you want.
