There are so many different ways to measure and track your health these days. Want a running program? Runna has got you covered. Want to track your sleep and readiness score? Start wearing an Oura Ring. Want to record your workouts? Your basic smart watch can do that, no problem.
But what if all of these features were combined into one, and you didn’t need to pay a subscription for them?
Friends, allow me to introduce you to the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 (from $649).
This bad boy is high tech. As an Apple Watch and Oura Ring user, I wasn’t sure how I’d go when I was given the opportunity to try out and review Samsung’s latest smart watch. But here we are, and let me tell you, I have lots of thoughts.
Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Design
Although the Samsung Galaxy Watch8’s watchface is big, it’s not bulky, which I like. It comes in three sizes, 40mm, 42mm and 46mm, so you can pick and choose depending on how big your wrist is. I really like how the watch face is circle rather than square — I think it makes it more wearable on a daily basis.
In terms of the watch band, there’s four different styles you can choose from. I opted for the sport band, which is the default. And let me tell you, this thing is comfy. Made from a soft rubber, it’s lightweight, and kind of feels like a soft hug around my wrist at all times. Comforting!
It took me a couple goes to master the art of swiping in a million different directions to reach things like my apps, notifications, device settings, activity and health scores, but once I got the hang of it, it provided easy access to everything I used regularly.
Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Sleep And Energy Tracking
The main gripe I have with my Apple Watch is that the battery hardly lasts a full day, so it’s never able to track my sleep as it’s always on charge overnight (bare in mind it’s also from 2021). I was really impressed when I found this was no issue for the Samsung Galaxy Watch8, which has a battery that lasts well over a day.
The sleep tracking is pretty comprehensive. It gives you a score based off how well you slept, with the contributing factors including sleep time, deep sleep, REM sleep, restfulness and sleep latency — and also compares you to the average for your age group. You can visualise the stages of your sleep cycle with a graph, and even measure your snoring if your phone is plugged into its charger overnight.
Have a shitty sleeping pattern? You can use the in-built Bed Time Guidance and Sleep Coaching to help you get to bed when your body needs it. It’s pretty wild.
In the morning, you’ll also be given an energy score. While it’s impacted by your sleep score, it’s not the same. How hard you pushed the day before, the amount of stress you’ve endured and also your recovery all contribute to the score that recommends how hard you should push in order not to overdo it.
I found myself being advised to rest more than I typically allow myself, because ya girl doesn’t know when to slow down. This helped remind myself to.
Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Fitness Tracking
The fitness tracker on the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 is pretty comprehensive, too. It tracks more than just how many calories you burn and your heart rate. Depending on the workout, you can keep swiping up to unlock more details, e.g. steps walked if you’re walking, lap time if you’re cycling.
It also automatically starts recording your walk or run for you if you’ve forgotten to start it on your watch. I noticed this when I was 10-minutes into my walk to work and realised I’d forgotten to start tracking my steps. Lo and behold, the Galaxy Watch8 had already started doing it for me.
If you’re a gymgoer, you can also create custom workout routines in the Samsung Health app to easily track all of your exercises. You can’t record the weights you’re using, so it falls short there, but you can just note it down elsewhere.
Samsung Galaxy Watch8 Running Coach
If you’re a runner — or you want to start — this feature is a gamechanger. You take a 12-minute test wherein you run for as long as you can, and the Galaxy Watch8 will create a three-to-five week running program based on your abilities.
It positioned me as a Level 2 runner, and set me a target of three kilometres in under 20 minutes and 45 seconds, which was a solid challenge. And my running program was more comprehensive than I thought. It integrated hill training, interval training and jogging across a three-week program for me that pushed me, but wasn’t impossible. It beats paying for a subscription app, that’s for sure.
There are a bunch of other features I haven’t even touched on like meditation, mindfulness, food tracking, period tracking, and more, but if I were to, this would be a whole ass thesis.
To cut it short, I’m really impressed — more than I thought I’d be.
The main downside? It’s only compatible with Samsung phones, so if you’re an Apple user and want to give it a go, you’re going to have to convert to a Samsung phone.
But hey, if you value in-depth health tracking and want a device that can basically do it all, the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 is that diva.
You can shop the Samsung Galaxy Watch8 on Samsung’s website.
Image credit: Alyssa Forato
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