Your Popular Smartwatch May Be Overestimating Calories Burned, Study Suggests
What Happened
Researchers at Florida International University (FIU) tested four popular smartwatches, including the Apple Watch Series 8, Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, Garmin Forerunner 955, and Fitbit Sense 2, against a clinical-grade metabolic analyzer used in laboratories. The study found that smartwatch calorie estimates were often inaccurate, with typical errors ranging from 15% to 25%. Apple performed best overall, while Garmin and Samsung tended to overestimate calorie burn the most.
Key Takeaways
Researchers found calorie estimates were often off by 15% to 25%, with accuracy worsening as body fat levels increased. Experts say smartwatch calorie counts should be treated as rough estimates, not precise figures for weight-loss planning.