Samsung Galaxy Watch Review

Type Wrist

HRV Method PPG + BioActive Sensor

Price $280-450

Price Model One-Time

Battery Life 1-2 days

Water Resistant Yes

Buy on Amazon ↗

The Verdict

Best for Samsung phone users who want a full smartwatch with HRV capabilities. The BioActive sensor is capable, but HRV features aren't as refined as dedicated trackers. Battery life is the main limitation.

Pros

Full smartwatch functionality
BioActive sensor for multiple metrics
Good Samsung Health integration
Wear OS app ecosystem

Cons

Short battery life (1-2 days)
Best with Samsung phones
HRV features less mature than competitors
No dedicated HRV app export

BioActive Sensor

The Galaxy Watch uses Samsung's BioActive Sensor, which combines optical heart rate, electrical heart signal, and bioelectrical impedance. This enables ECG-like readings alongside standard PPG, potentially improving accuracy.

Sleep HRV Tracking

Samsung Health tracks HRV during sleep and presents it alongside sleep stages. The data is integrated into an overall sleep score. For deeper HRV analysis, you'll need to export data to third-party apps.