HI Jason - I did a lot of research on smart watches preparing for last season. I landed on a kickstarter product called the
LooK Smartwatch. It's off of kickstarter and available on the website:
http://www.laipac.com/smartwatch.html
I opted for the blue/silver model shown below:
Other than this, I don't own a smart watch. My wife has an Apple watch. If you are an "Apple person" and not looking for a sport specific watch with a lot of outdoor features, go with the apple watch. It's size and function is much more compatible for everyday use. It's a great product, but it's not for me.
I was looking for "emergency capabilities" which ultimately landed me on the LooK. I have no vested interest in the LooK watch other than seeing support continue.
I have not put the watch through the ringer. Bummer about kickstarter, you never quite know when you'll receive the product. Mine arrived mid-March, 4 months delayed. This season will be the real test.
You'll find the tech specs on the website, but real quick it runs Android and is compatible with Android and iOS phones, if you want to connect a phone. It's cellular and satellite (GPS) enabled. My initial impressions:
- I was surprised at the size. I'm not a small person, but I don't have especially think wrists. The face of the Look practically covers my entire wrist. If desired, I'll attach a picture in a future post with the watch on my wrist. Other than that it looks great.
- Initial set up and connections were easy. The interface is reasonable to utilize on a 1.5 inch screen. I have not enabled / connected to my cellular plan, but intend to do so before year end.
- It's not the easiest keyboard to utilize given the size. I wouldn't want to type out entire messages on it.
- Battery life and function seems to be consistent with what's listed on the site. The disclaimer here is that the tests I've run are in a warm climate. We all understand how battery life deteriorates in cold weather.
- Heart rate monitor seems spot on. It's consistent with a chest strap monitor that I've used for 2+ years.
- The Guardian Angle / LocationNow features are what sold me on this watch. As mentioned, I've yet to field test this, but tests at home have been successful. The GPS and Cellular communication capabilities work with sensors in the watch to to "detect" a physical fall and send an SOS. From the web site:
Using combined G-sensors, the LooK Watch generates an emergency alert if a physical fall is detected. The emergency alert will then be sent to your pre-set personal emergency contact numbers and services with your GPS coordinates and incident location. Two-way calling then directly communicates you with your emergency contacts and reassures you that help is on the way. If it is a false alarm, the watch user simply needs to press the SOS button when prompted to do so, and the emergency alert will be cancelled.
My focus is use outside of the resort. While never a good idea to play in the back country alone, the reality of life is that I do. This is the best piece of mind I can find for myself and my family to keep track of where I am and where I've been. I have not determined if I will attempt to integrate this into any sort of rescue or emergency service. At this point my alerts go to family, with GPS data and they'd need to contact rescue (likely to find my body, but hopefully to save my life). Lastly, I'm not sure what happens when you're outside of cellular service. The GPS will continue to function and communicate data to the LocationNow platform, but I don't think I'll be able to get a call via the satellite.
Okay, this ended up being a longer post than anticipated. The website is pretty decent and has videos showing how to utilize different features. Enjoy!