“Is my watch too big?” is a constant question on forums dedicated to smartwatches and fitness trackers of all kinds. (Some, but fewer, wonder if their watch is too small.) Personally, I don’t much care how a watch looks, but I’ve noticed that size can make a big difference in how accurately a watch functions. If your watch is too big, your numbers may be off.
How smartwatch size affects heart rate accuracy
Garmin Forerunner 265 (larger) in red, 265s (smaller) in pink. Chest strap for reference in black. Credit: Beth SkwareckiIf the sensor loses contact with your skin, or if too much light sneaks in, heart rate readings may be inaccurate. If a watch fits you well to start with, you can generally get an accurate heart rate by simply making sure the watch is snug during workouts.
No matter how you wear it, a big watch on a small wrist is likely to have a lot more difficulty than one that fits properly. Very small devices can have a similar problem: The device isn’t large enough or can’t be tightened enough to block light. This isn’t usually a problem with wristwatches, but it may explain why smart rings tend to be so poor at daytime heart rate tracking.
Now, is this a real-life concern, or just a theoretical quibble? I wasn’t sure, until I took the Forerunner 265 and 265S for a run at the same time. These are the same watch, with the same heart rate sensor, differing only in size. You can read about my results here, but the graph tells the story pretty well: The smaller 265S (42 mm) captured my heart rate more accurately than the 265 (46 mm).
Garmin Forerunner 265 $429.99 at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal $429.99 at Amazon Garmin Forerunner 265S $441.95 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $441.95 at Amazon SEE -1 MOREBut watches are big and seem to be getting bigger. A bigger screen means numbers, text, and icons are easier to read. This is great news if your vision isn’t the best anymore, or if you use the watch while exercising and want to be able to see what’s on your screen with a quick glance.
Companies should make smaller watches
And this brings me to something I need to rant about. Smartwatch and fitness watch companies know that watch size matters: They often offer two sizes for at least some of their models. The Apple Watch Series 12 comes in 42 or 46 millimeters, while the Garmin Forerunner 570 comes in 42 or 47 millimeters, to give a couple of examples.
Apple Watch Series 12 $389.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $389.99 at Amazon Garmin Forerunner 570 $549.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $549.99 at Amazon Garmin Forerunner 970 $749.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $749.99 at Amazon Apple Watch Ultra 4 $774.00 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $774.00 at Amazon SEE 1 MOREAs a woman reporting on tech, I can’t ignore the way gender plays into this. According to ANSUR II, a U.S. Army study, women have an average wrist size of 154 millimeters (about 6.1 inches), and men have an average wrist size of 176 mm (about 6.9 inches). My wrists are right around 6 inches, making me very average for a woman.
But as a person with six-inch wrists, I can’t wear a large watch without dealing with bouncing, rubbing, and potentially inaccurate data. I’m no twig; I’m perfectly average for my half of the population. But those larger watches just aren’t going to be as accurate for me as they are for the average man. I noticed a similar phenomenon when I tested the heart rate tracking in Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds: They barely worked for me, but did fine when I tried them on a man with larger ears.
How to know if your watch is too big
For my work reviewing and testing watches for Lifehacker, I’ve worn smartwatches ranging from around 40 millimeters (an older Apple Watch) up to 48 millimeters (a tie between the Kospet Tank and the Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro). I love a watch in the 40-42 millimeter range; I can tolerate one around 46 millimeters if it’s lightweight enough that it doesn’t bounce too much; and I really have a hard time with anything larger.
To judge visually, I find it helps to put a watch on your wrist, rest your arm on a table, and look directly down at it. If the lugs of the watch extend past your wrist, it’s too big. You want the watch to fit on your wrist, not overhang the sides.
And if you prefer a watch size that isn’t going to be the most accurate for heart rate, remember that you can always pair a chest strap to a watch that supports it, or to your phone if you don’t have a compatible watch. If you prefer a larger watch for more readable text or maps, or if you want a premium feature that doesn’t come in smaller sizes, a chest strap may be the way to get the best of both worlds.
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