Fitness Trackers Without Nickel And For Sensitive Skin

Fitness Trackers Without Nickel And For Sensitive Skin

/ Buyers Guides, Fitness Tracker / By

During intensive exercise sessions, sweat is inevitable. Consequently, it accumulates around the wrist where the fitness trackers or activity bands are worn. Excessive Sweating can lead to chafing and rashes with prolonged accumulation.

Another factor in the activity trackers and smartwatches that can induce allergies is the trace amount of nickel present in the stainless steel. So there are only a selected number of fitness trackers without nickel. These are thus great for people with sensitive skin.

This article reviews only those fitness trackers that don’t have nickel and are great for sensitive skin.

MorePro V19 Health Tracker

MorePro has been around with its series of budget smartwatches and fitness trackers. One of the positives about the smartwatches and health trackers from MorePro is they are free from nickel and other heavy metals, which are reasons for skin rashes and infections. So, if your skin is sensitive to nickel, you can check out the latest V19 health tracker from MorePro.

Features of MorePro V19 Health Tracker

  • MorePro V19 comes with a 1.14 inches IPS (135 x 240) high-resolution and a high-definition custom color screen that gives you excellent visual satisfaction. The screen is pretty clear, and it is easily readable even in the sun with the proper brightness adjustment.
  • With MorePro V19, you can take care of your heart in a proper manner with accurate ECG monitoring and at the same time keep an eye on the risks of atrial fibrillation, which is a common kind of irregular rhythm.
  • You can also view the result on the app on your phone right away by putting your finger on the sensor for 30 seconds. This allows you to know your heart condition at any time with a professional and detailed cardioid curve. You can relax with good heart monitoring.
  • MorePro V19 also monitors your respiratory rate throughout the day
  • It also monitors the Saturation percentage of Oxygen in the blood (SpO2) from 12:00 midnight to 7 in the morning.
  • You can turn on the “Scientific Sleep” along with the “Blood Oxygen night monitoring” functions in the MorePro app on your smartphone. This can be helpful for senior citizens and people with altitude sickness, and hypoxia in the alpine region. You can also track your snoring habits.
  • Multidimensional indicators present indicate different physical activities, heart rate, breathing changes during sleep, monitoring and analysis of heart load, and wake-up vibration during low blood oxygen.
  • It also reminds snorers to change their sleep positions and postures, thus improving their sleep effectively and cutting down the risk of suffocation.
  • You can connect MorePro V19 to your phone’s GPS, and it will track your running, cycling, and walking with real-time status and route. It also counts your steps, calories burnt, and distance covered.
  • The V19 fitness tracker from MorePro is IP68 certified, making it waterproof and resistant to showers, sweat, and handwashing. It also has incoming calls and text notifications from your phone if you are away from your phone but at a reasonable distance.

Specifications for MorePro V19 Health Tracker

  • Colors Available – Blue and Purple
  • Battery Life – 3-7 days depending on usage
  • Weight – 60 gms
  • Compatibility – iOS 9 and above, Android 4.4 and above

Pros of MorePro V19 Health Tracker

  • Free of Nickel and thus suitable for sensitive skin
  • The wristband is comfortable, and the build quality is great
  • Lots of features like for health monitoring like heart rate and sleep analysis
  • Good value for money with decent battery life

Cons of MorePro V19 Health Tracker

  • The blood pressure monitor is not that great or accurate
  • No GPS present
  • The screen is not scratch resistant
  • Waterproofing is not great

Mi Band 6 Fitness tracker

Xiaomi, globally known as MI, is a trustworthy name and one of the fastest-growing smart wear brands globally. It is appreciated and loved for the price point and the quality of hardware it offers within that price point. MI Band has been the choice of people who wants to own a quality fitness band without burning a hole in their wallets. MI Band 6 is the latest version of the fitness band. It is free from allergy-inducing nickel, and the band’s quality is excellent.

Features of Mi Band 6 Fitness tracker

  • MI Band 6 comes with a gorgeous 1.56 inches AMOLED display with an amazing resolution of 152 x 486 pixels. With 332 PPI display, the maximum brightness goes up to 450 nits and is fully adjustable
  • It has a 6-axis sensor with clinical precision. These six axes include – a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope which are low-power consumers. It also measures heart rate via the PPG sensor present in it.
  • The battery life on MI Band 6 is insane. You can use it for 14 days or more with a charge. It takes only 2 hours to charge the fitness band completely, and it does so via a quick magnetic charger.
  • It can track all the fitness exercises and sports due to the 30 mode fitness detector present in the MI Band 6 fitness band. These include all the standard sports and some rare ones like Zumba, Pilates, Yoga, and street dance.
  • Detailed heart rate tracking that includes whole-day automatic heart rate, manual heart rate, heart rate curve, and resting heart rate tracking
  • MI Band 6 can also track your sleep with detailed analysis like Rapid Eye Movement (REM), naps, deep sleep, and light sleep. It also tracks SpO2 in the blood.
  • MI Band 6 is capable of tracking the menstrual cycle and ovulation phases. Thus Women’s health tracking is covered.
  • Other additional tracking includes monitoring stress and breathing exercise, PAI vitality index assessment, idle alerts, and the usual and accurate step counting with goal setting.
  • Apart from being a great health tracker, it can also act as a companion to your phone if you are not in the proximal distance with your phone. You will receive text and call notifications, alerts from different apps, calendars, stopwatch, music, timer, clock, alarm, Find phone, unlock your MI phone, and remote shutter for your camera along with weather tracking.

Specifications for MI Band 6 Fitness Tracker

  • Color Available – Black, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Olive, Ivory
  • Water Resistance – 50 meters (swimming proof)
  • Battery life – 14 days (claimed), can go to 19 days with limited use
  • Compatibility – iOS 10 and above, Android (almost all)

Pros: Specifications for MI Band 6 Fitness Tracker

  • Small, lightweight, and waterproof
  • Compatible with almost all the devices
  • Affordable fitness band with remarkable features
  • It comes with an AMOLED display which is simply great
  • Magnetic charger and excellent battery life

Cons: Specifications for MI Band 6 Fitness Tracker

  • Absence of NFC in the global version
  • Sleep tracking is not that accurate on MI Band 6
  • The glass is susceptible to scratches 

Fitbit Flex 2

While most of the Fitbit smartwatches and the fitness band have a small quality of nickel in them, Fitbit Flex 2 doesn’t as it is an activity tracker without a screen. Fitbit Flex 2 is a compelling activity tracker without the risk of skin infections and rashes with its minimalistic design and loads of features. At first glance, Fitbit Flex 2 looks pretty well designed, funky, and elegant. 

Features of Fitbit Flex 2

  • Fitbit Flex 2 offers all-day activity tracking that includes step counting, distance measurement, calorie counting, sedentary periods along active periods. It also logs the hourly activity of the user.
  • Fitbit Flex 2 does an excellent job of sleep tracking that assesses your quality of sleep and wakes you up gently with a silent alarm
  • There are multiple LEDs provided on the watch to indicate different purposes.
    • Purple LED indicates texts and app notifications
    • Blue LED flashes when there is an incoming call
    • Other colors remind you to move and let you know how close you are to your everyday personal goals.
  • Fitbit Flex 2 has an excellent SmartTrack feature that can recognize selected sports and fitness activities automatically and starts logging the stats in the exercise category of the Fitbit app on your smartphone
  • Sets a daily goal of 250 steps and reminds you to achieve it with gentle reminders
  • Fitbit Flex 2 can also detect swimming and is water-resistant up to 50 meters in depth. So, it is automatically synced with the app.
  • With continuous monitoring round the clock, the Fitbit Flex 2 last up to 5 days with a single charge
  • With Wireless BlueTooth technology, the stats and records are entered into the app that can run on over 200+ device models, including iOS, Android, and Windows.
  • It has a style quotient as many accessories are available to go with it.

Specifications for Fitbit Flex 2.0

  • Colors available – Black, Lavender, Magenta, Navy
  • Battery life – 5 days (rated)
  • Compatible with – iOS, Android, and Windows devices

Pros for Fitbit Flex 2.0

  • The absence of nickel makes it safe for users with sensitive skin
  • Lightweight, simple, and stylish
  • Water-resistant and customizable

Cons for Fitbit Flex 2.0

  • As a pendant, the performance and accuracy is compromised
  • Glitchy call reminders with Android devices

Oura Ring -Generation 3

Here is an exciting fitness tracker – Oura Ring -Generation 3. If you don’t want to wear a fitness tracker on your wrist because no matter what you wear, the irritation and rashes persist, how about wearing a classy ring on your finger? If yes, then Oura Ring might be just for you. It yells tech from all viewpoints without any potent cause for sensitivity or skin allergies. Let’s see its features.

Features of Oura Ring -Generation 3

  • The all-new Oura Ring (Generation 3) will monitor your heart health throughout the day. It will provide you with all the detailed insights you need to make the necessary decisions.
  • It tracks your normal daytime heart rate from morning to night tracks your workout heart rate separately with a post-exercise analysis to see how your body functions.
  • Oura Ring will tell you about the relaxed state of your body and mind by measuring restorative time, heart rate, and skin temperature.
  • Oura Ring comes with cutting-edge research-grade seven temperature sensors that measure the body temperature with clinical precision. It also detects the slightest changes in the body temperature.
  • Women’s health is specially focused. They can track their menstrual cycle and do the planning. Oura Ring senses the rise and fall in hormonal levels throughout the menstrual cycle.
  • The ring is designed with lots of emotions and thoughts. It adapts according to your need and responds to you in the most personalized way possible.
  • The days of manually starting the activity tracking on your fitness tracker are over. With Automatic activity detection, Oura Ring can detect over 30 popular activities and provide you with insights afterward.
  • Oura Ring 3 tracks all kinds of sleep patterns. It detects nap, deep sleep, light sleep, rest mode. Later, it compiles the data and brings out a detailed analysis of your sleeping pattern. It also measures the Saturation percentage of oxygen (SpO2) in the blood while you sleep.
  • Oura Ring comes with guided sessions (audio and video) for mindful breathing practice.
  • It also gives you vital tips to improve your lifestyle.

Specifications for Oura Ring Generation 3

  • Material – Durable Titanium with PVD Coating
  • Battery life – 4 to 7 days (dependent on usage)
  • Compatibility – Android and iOS
  • Water-resistance – 100 meters

Pros: Specifications for Oura Ring Generation 3

  • The material is non-allergenic, non-metallic with seamless inner molding
  • Charges fully in 20 to 80 minutes
  • Tons of data collection for insights

Cons: Specifications for Oura Ring Generation 3

  • Too much data, too less recommendations
  • It takes a while to adapt 
  • Expensive

Jabra Sports Pulse SE

Enough about smart wearables! Here is a smart hearable – Jabra Sports Pulse Sports Edition (SE) that is so much more than just a pair of earphones. These are biometric headphones, and it is on par with the latest GPS smartwatches.

Features: Jabra Sports Pulse SE

  • These wireless sports earbuds come with a crisp Dolby sound enhancement drive and biometric heart rate monitor inside it
  • The Jabra Sport Life app is nicely built and can be used to calibrate the Jabra Sports Pulse for an optimal fit and heart rate assessment along with integrated training management
  • The calibration is further reinforced with three sophisticated fitness tests
  • With IP55 certification, Jabra Sports Pulse SE can survive drops, dirt, extreme temperatures, and humidity
  • It is compatible with many third-party fitness applications running on both iOS and Android to keep you updated with the pace and distance alerts
  • You can control music and calls directly from the earbuds with the provided in-line control buttons
  • NFC is provided for easy pairing

Specifications for Jabra Sports Pulse Sports Edition (SE)

  • Colors Available – Black
  • Battery life – 5 hours of continuous usage
  • Compatibility- iOS, Android, Windows

Pros: Jabra Sports Pulse SE

  • Comfortable with a secure fit
  • Heart rate tracking is accurate
  • The companion app is amazing
  • You can use useful voice prompts

Cons of Jabra Sports Pulse SE

  • Battery life is pathetic
  • Expensive
  • The experience is not consistent across Android and iOS apps

Frequently Asked Questions

Do smartwatches contain nickel?

Yes, most of the popular smartwatch brands like Apple and Samsung mention explicitly on their website and product box that some of the external components of their watch contain nickel. Since most of the premium watches use stainless steel, they cannot take nickel completely out of the equation. Stainless steel is basically a non-corrosive metal alloy composed of iron (Fe), Nickel (Ni), and Chromium (Cr).
 
Nickel allergy is a common reason for a skin condition called dermatitis. To find out whether your skin is sensitive to nickel or not, you can see for flare-ups or rashes with the prolonged wearing of your smartwatch.
The medical way to determine the presence of nickel in your skin where you wear your smartwatch all the time is to go for a dimethylglyoxime test. Dimethylglyoxime is a dye. If the dye turns pink, this means there is nickel present in your skin. To further make sure whether you have a nickel allergy or not, you need to get a patch test.

How do I stop my smartwatch from getting a rash?

Your smartwatch is capable of giving you a rash. This can be due to the allergic reaction by your skin to the nickel or the strap material which is not completely inert. To stop this rash situation with your smartwatch, you can take the following measures –
● Make sure the strap material is inert or made up of non-allergenic material
● Sanitize the strap of your smartwatch after a sweaty activity
● Do not wear your smartwatch too tightly unless it is needed to take a reading of heart rate or SpO2.
● You can always use mild soap-free cleansers like Cetaphil or Aquanil to clean your watch
● Sweat-resistant plugs for smartwatches like Fitbit can be used to stop the accumulation of sweat at the wrist. It also acts as an anti-dust, thus preventing dust allergy as well
● You can cover your smart band or activity tracker with tape made up of hypoallergenic paper or simply invisible tape.
● Nickel guards are available that can be used as a barrier between your wrist and the nickel region. You can also use transparent nail polish as a blocker.

Does Fitbit contain nickel?

If you are someone who has sensitive skin or is prone to skin allergies, it is quite natural to wonder and question whether your Fitbit has nickel in it or not. Unfortunately, you won’t like the answer as all the Fitbit smartwatches and devices with screens contain small traces of nickel in them.
 Take Fitbit Inspire HR for example. According to the information provided in the product manual, anodized aluminum is used in the making of the buckle of the Inspire HR. The Anodized Aluminium contains traces of nickel to prevent it from corrosion and increase the overall durability of the watch.

But, it should not be a major concern unless you are extremely sensitive to nickel. This is because the amount of nickel in all Fitbit products meets the stringent Nickel directive issued by European Union. So, you are not vulnerable to nickel allergy if you don’t have unbelievably sensitive skin.

Is there a Fitbit that doesn’t emit radiation?

All Fitbit smartwatches use Bluetooth technology to connect to a smartphone to transfer all the data to their app on the phone. While they are absolutely capable of working alone without a phone, there is limited memory on board and the data has to be synced with their app from time to time.
 
The fact that they have a Bluetooth connection might be a concern as they will emit radiation as long as the Bluetooth is On and is transferring data. The issue arises when one has to keep the device connected to their phone all the time to enjoy all the features of Fitbit.
Bluetooth is a radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic radiation with high frequency and shorter wavelengths which make them powerful enough to penetrate the tissue of a human body. The sensors inside Fitbit devices generate minuscule electric currents which produce a weak electromagnetic field around the device all the time.
 
So, to answer the question, No there is not a single Fitbit device that doesn’t emit radiation. So, you must be careful on your side not to overuse the device and use it for the purpose it is made for. It is not necessary to wear it all the time.

Is Skagen nickel-free? 

Skagen watches are pretty stylish and it has a huge base of users who love and adore Skagen watches. However, when it comes to nickel content, the stainless steel versions of the Skagen watches have trace amount of nickel in them.
 
But, Skagen mentions these watches as “Nickel-safe” rather than “Nickel-free”. The European Union Directive allows 0.05 micrograms of nickel per square centimeter and under this limitation, products can claim them nickel-free apparently.
 
However, given its design and look, it is possible you are hell-bent to buy a Skagen watch. If this is the case then you can go for a Titanium case and mesh watch band which is hypoallergenic and Nickel-safe.

Are Fossil watches nickel-free? 

Fossil has been around as one of the popular watch brands since 1984. While they do have nickel in their watches, the amount of nickel is below the threshold amount directed by the European Union and thus it can be rendered as nickel-safe.
 
So, if your skin is not severely sensitive to nickel then Fossil watches are virtually nickel-free for you. One of the most famous nickel-free Fossil watches is from the famed Grant Collection. It is a stainless steel and leather chronograph with a band made up of leather.

Are Bulova watches nickel-free?

Bulova watches are made from different materials. While some of them have traces of nickel compliant with the European Union Standards, there are some models of Bulova watches that have no source of nickel in them at all.
 
 The Bulova 97B155 is one of those nickel-free that is simple yet classically refined timepieces. It is deemed to be hypoallergenic and is suitable for people with nickel allergy or sensitivity.