Seen an uptick in people wearing ankle monitors and walking around? You may have to look closer to check if it’s someone participating in the trend of wearing Apple Watches around their ankle. If this sounds like a strange choice to you, you’re right, it’s an unusual trend that doesn’t entirely make too much sense. Does the Apple Watch on your ankle still help with fitness tracking? Why wear an Apple Watch on your ankle in the first place when it works perfectly fine on your wrists?
While the Apple Watch ankle placement sounds unusual, it only sounds strange because it is unfamiliar. Users have come up with quite a few good reasons to wear their Apple Watch on their ankles.
Image: Apple Watch
What is This New Apple Watch Ankle Trend That Has Everyone In a Tizzy?
Wearing a smartwatch is a great way to track your health on a day-to-day or even hour-to-hour basis. It allows you to track your steps, keep your heart rate and heart rate in check, assess your pace while going on runs, and even keep your eye on your sleep quality. These elements can make a big difference to your overall health but smartwatches also provide other tools and functions that improve the quality of your life.
Despite all of these benefits, smartwatches can be undeniably clunky to wear every day. They get in the way of some exercises and they ruin a perfectly good outfit. Smart rings are an obvious alternative, but few are as good at tracking health stats the way an Apple Watch does.
Apple hasn’t gotten around to making a smart ring yet, so if you already own a smartwatch and still want to keep using it, putting it on a different part of your body ensures it doesn’t get in the way. This is the primary reason for the trend for the rise of people wearing their Apple Watches on their ankles.
Why Wear an Apple Watch on Your Ankle?
There are many reasons why the Apple Watch’s ankle placement works better for some people. The reasons may not make too much sense to you, but people have certainly found benefits to this alternative style.
- It’s easier to track steps on a treadmill desk when you walk as you work without swinging your arms
- An arm injury where you’re in a cast makes it hard to put the watch on when you don’t want you other arm to also be encumbered
- Some find the fit of the Apple Watch better on their ankles when it doesn’t feel comfortable on their narrow wrists
- People with tattoos on their wrists have reported flaws in their heart-rate tracking, which is something Apple has acknowledged
- The watch can get in the way when you want your hands free of obstructions, like rock climbing or engaging in another highly active sport like boxing
- Some people who have sensitive skin conditions find it easier to wear the Apple Watch on their ankles
- Those who wash their hands too frequently or need it free of contaminants, like medical professionals or chefs can benefit from relocating their watches
- If you want to wear a regular watch on your wrist but still don’t want to miss out on your step count
- It looks different and sets them apart from other users—it’s okay to try different things out
Does the Apple Watch Ankle Placement Effect Sensor Accuracy?
If step counting is your primary goal, then the trend of wearing your Apple Watch on your ankle is okay to indulge in. The Watch appears to capture steps just as efficiently as it would do on your wrist and in most cases, there is no evidence to suggest it does it more accurately on your leg. If you find yourself working at a treadmill desk setup then there is no harm in giving it a shot and seeing if you can spot a difference.
When it comes to heart monitoring, however, there is no real benefit to wearing the Apple Watch on your ankle. The watch sensors rely on the pulse and other bodily changes occurring close to the skin on your wrist to make their assessments. This is much harder to accomplish on your ankle, making the Apple Watch’s fitness tracking on your ankle inaccurate.
If you’re switching away from wearing the watch on your wrist because you want more accurate heart health data, then the ankle trend for your Apple Watch may not be your best bet. Some have taken to wearing the watch on their biceps, which may be a better option for you.
Can I Wear My Apple Watch on My Ankle?
If you want to wear your Apple Watch on your ankle for a TikTok trend or for your own personal reasons, there is nothing stopping you from doing so. There is no reason not to experiment with a different device you own, to find what works best for you.
Apple has not come right out to discourage users from doing so, which means there may be no direct harm in switching from your wrist to your ankle. There are extender straps available online from third-party businesses that even allow you to wear the Apple Watch the way you feel most comfortable.
Still, if you want to see the most accurate results, it is best to use the device as intended. Wearing the Apple Watch on your ankle may affect the sensor accuracy and there is also the possibility that you might damage the watch without intending to, as it may be exposed to different threats that you don’t foresee while moving around through your day.
Things to Consider Before Wearing Your Apple Watch on your Ankle
If you decide to participate in the trend and see how well it works for you, make sure you make an informed decision before you give it a shot. The Apple Watch’s ankle placement may give off the sense that you’re wearing an ankle monitor like one would after coming face to face with the law, so if that’s not the image you want to encourage, then it’s a trend best avoided.
You should also ensure it is carefully secured when you put it on. You’re more likely to notice if the watch slips off your wrist than your ankle, making it very easy to lose your watch without realizing it.
If you work at a desk and just want your steps counted as you do, it is easy enough to conduct small tests to compare how the Apple Watch—or any smartwatch really—tracks your data when worn in different ways. If you see a genuine benefit, you can continue to switch your watch to your ankle when required.
Apple Watches are great investments, but it is true that they are not perfect for everyone. If you want to rack up really accurate health data without having to resort to all this testing, you should invest in a chest strap heart monitor or even better, a smart ring. Samsung, Oura, Circular, and some other brands have some great alternatives for you to consider.
Wearing the Apple Watch on your ankle may become a long-term lifestyle choice if it works for you, but from the looks of it, it appears to be a passing online trend for the most part.
If you’ve spotted a new tech trend that you can’t wrap your head around, we’re here to tell you what the youngins are up to this time around. For more insights into the tech world and its many moving parts, subscribe to Technowize to stay up-to-date.