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Digital Trends
3 days ago
- Health
- Digital Trends
Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 4: which no-distraction wearable is best?
Over the past few weeks I've been wearing the Whoop 5.0 and the Oura Ring 4 to track my sleep and daily activity. Neither have screens, they don't deliver notifications from my phone, and there's no app support. The are both health trackers without the distractions that come with wearing one of the best smartwatches. If you're trying to choose which one to buy you'll likely want to know how similar they are, whether one will suit you better than the other, and which one does a better job keeping you informed and motivated? I found out. Recommended Videos Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 4: specs and features Oura Ring 4 Whoop 5.0/Whoop MG Dimensions 7.9mm wide, 2.88mm thick smart ring 34 x 24 x 10mm fitness band Weight 3.3 grams to 5.5 grams 28 grams for Whoop MG with band Durability 100m water resistance, titanium ring IP68 Sensors Heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, accelerometer Heart rate, blood oxygen, skin temperature, accelerometer, ECG (Whoop MG only), blood pressure monitoring (Whoop MG only) Battery life Five days 14 days Subscription Monthly Annually Price From $350 + $6 per month From $199 annually Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 4: design The Whoop 5.0 is a fitness band you wear on your wrist, while the Oura Ring 4 is a smart ring for your finger. This obvious difference makes the Whoop 5.0 easier to buy, as there's no sizing required. It can sometimes be hard to get exactly the right fit with a smart ring, and those who've never worn a ring before may find it takes a while to get used to the feeling. However, once you're used to it, the Oura Ring 4 is unobtrusive and fuss-free. The Whoop 5.0 is light and the special material used for the bands is really soft and flexible, making it very comfortable for 24-hour wear. However, it's not attractive, and the design belongs in the gym, making it the less stylish choice between the two. It's far more noticeable on your wrist due to the size and thickness of the main module. There's no hiding the Whoop band, and most people will notice and usually question what it is. Each is water resistant (the Oura Ring to 100 meters, and the Whoop has an IP68 dust and water resistance rating), but the Whoop is definitely going to stay looking its best for longer. The Oura Ring's placement on your finger means it comes into contact with more surfaces, and it really does get scratched easily despite being made of titanium. The Whoop 5.0's band is easily washed or changed, and the module itself is always suitably protected underneath it. I personally prefer a smart ring over a wrist-worn tracker. It's completely incognito yet still looks great, and it's comfortable enough I forget I'm wearing it. The Whoop 5.0's band is annoying if it gets wet, and I don't really like the way it looks on my wrist. However, this is my own preference, and you may feel differently. The good news is, both are well made and should prove durable long-term. Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 4: app and connectivity I've used the Oura Ring 4 and Whoop 5.0 connected to an Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max, but the app is available for Android too. Both apps have been completely reliable and take seconds to connect when syncing. The design of each gives some quick insight into who both wearables are aimed at. The Oura Ring 4's app is softer, friendlier, and less number-focused, while the Whoop's app is filled with information and more reliant on graphs and data. I love the Oura Ring 4's app. It's so well designed, surfacing key metrics so they're available at a glance, and uses colors to great effect when highlighting outliers in your data. The circles at the top of the screen can be tapped to show more information, but you don't really need to explore if you just want the basics, as your Readiness, Sleep, and Activity scores are easy to interpret. The Whoop app is very different. It's more information dense, and fills the main page with buttons and options, making it feel overwhelming at first. The problem is, when you dig into many of the options you notice a lot of repeated data. Both apps have an AI assistant, but Whoop's does provide a more useful summary, plus it brings it to the forefront more than the Oura app. There's also a lot more learning to do in the Whoop app, as interpreting its many graphs takes time. The Oura Ring 4's app suits the product really well, as it promotes a healthier lifestyle rather than pushing you to get out and exercise. You can hide the daily calorie count, if this is something you'd rather avoid, and quickly see how your stats have changed over time, all in a very friendly way. The Whoop app is less about lifestyle, and more about a deeper understanding of your performance. Its long-term data is dense but informative, and more likely to promote change than the Oura's app. Neither are medical devices so advice is quite general, but you'll get more from the Whoop if you're specifically looking for motivation. Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 4: health tracking Lets start with sleep tracking. The Oura Ring gives you a Sleep Score, while the Whoop app assigns a percentage to your sleep. Both are equally informative and easy to understand. It's much harder to find sleep details in the Whoop app than it is in the Oura app, which clearly provides your heart rate variability, resting heart rate, and blood oxygen levels. The Whoop app avoids these, concentrating on your consistency, efficiency, and sleep stress. The Oura Ring is far better at automatically recognizing workouts. It fully tracked a 40-minute walk, while the Whoop only captured 23 minutes of the same activity. It's likely to do with heart rate tracking, but both always return basically the same heart rate readings. Both show accurate maps when you track with GPS too. The major difference between the two is the massive amount of live activities able to be tracked by the Whoop. Oura has improved this area recently, but it's still not as comprehensive as the Whoop app. There's a Strength Trainer feature in the Whoop app some may enjoy, which opens up a variety of strength workouts. These are partially guided, but it's a complicated process to see examples of each exercise while you're trying to do them. The Oura app has guided breath work and relaxation techniques. After living with the two wearables, it's clear the Whoop is the better choice if you're really into fitness. From the sheer depth of data available and the way it's presented in graphs, to the option to choose a workout that will boost your Strain or Recovery, it has everything you need to hold yourself accountable and take on quality activities that suit your needs. Tracking exercise on the Oura Ring is acceptable, but it shouldn't be your main motivation in buying the smart ring. I haven't noticed any dramatic accuracy differences between the two, and felt each gave me a solid overview of my health and activity. Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 4: special features The Whoop 5.0 is packed with special features, while the Oura Ring relies on some key partnerships to provide extra value to wearers. I really like the Whoop's Healthspan and Pace of Aging feature, which is packed full of actionable data which (hopefully) should make a difference to your overall health over time. Oura is softer in its approach, showing a metric it calls Resilience along with your Cardiovascular Age as guidance on your physical well-being. The difference is, Oura's data is less informative, and it's harder to know where you should make changes. It's very obvious in Whoop's Healthspan feature, where you can identify whether you need to strength train more or sleep better for example. It's representative of the difference between Oura and Whoop in general, and understanding this will help you make an informed buying decision. Provided you pay for one of Whoop's higher tier subscriptions you'll get the Whoop MG and access to an electrocardiogram (ECG) feature, irregular heart rate alerts, and blood pressure monitoring. The Oura Ring does not have these features (mostly due to restrictions in the hardware), but it does include integrations with a wide variety of apps, including Natural Cycles, Clue, Headspace, Zero, and Strava. I also like Oura's Symptom Radar, which uses key data points to warn you if your body is working harder than usual, which may indicate an underlying condition such as sickness or stress. It's surprisingly effective. There's also a Rest Mode, where tracking continues but the Ring doesn't set and measure targets. Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 4: subscription cost comparison Whoop's overhauled subscription plans can make the Whoop appear quite good value, but when you closely examine what you get for your money, the base price plan is very limited. The Oura Ring has one subscription plan and you get everything, plus if you stop paying you can still see your basic Readiness, Sleep, and Activity scores. If you stop paying for Whoop, you won't see any data at all. We covered the features available in the different Whoop subscription plans in our review, but if you want the Healthplan and Pace of Aging you have to select Whoop Peak, and if you want the ECG and blood pressure, you have to select Whoop Life. The basic Whoop One plan is just basic health, sleep, and activity tracking. There's less to think about with the Oura Ring, as there's just one price. Oura Ring 4 Whoop 5.0 One Whoop Peak Whoop MG Life Hardware cost From $349 N/A N/A N/A One year subscription (total) $72 $199 $239 $359 Two year subscription (total) $144 $299 $399 $599 Whoop 5.0 vs Oura Ring 4: which one should you buy? Unlike choosing between some of the best smartphones, it's a surprisingly easy to choose between the Whoop 5.0 and the Oura Ring 4. If you're really into sport and fitness, the Whoop 5.0 will be the better choice, while if you're less focused on tracking hardcore activities and value good, clear design and stylish hardware, the Oura Ring 4 will be for you. Both meet battery life estimates provided by the manufacturer, with the Oura Ring 4 lasting around five days on a single charge, and the Whoop 5.0's battery lasting for 14 days. It's great to see how little difference there was between the two when examining the data, meaning you don't have to choose one because it appears more accurate than the other. However, if you want all the data, the Whoop's app is where you need to go, especially due to the multiple graphs and ways it presents everything for you. If you want to glance at the app and get just the information you need, the Oura Ring's app is superior to the Whoop app. I've enjoyed wearing the Whoop 5.0 more than I expected, mostly because the app has been reworked enough to appeal to more people, and the depth of data is interesting and useful. The Oura Ring 4's more lifestyle-orientated app suits me better though, and I far prefer wearing a smart ring than a fitness band. In a way, as we come to the end, this is best outcome for any comparison. Both products are great, and provided you know what you want from your new wearable and understand the differences, one is almost certainly going to speak to you more than the other. You're going to be pleased whichever you choose.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Eufy Smart Scale P3 review: Can a home scale actually track muscle mass?
This article contains affiliate links. The products or services listed have been selected independently by journalists after hands-on testing or sourcing expert opinions. We may earn a commission when you click a link, buy a product or subscribe to a service. What is the Eufy Smart Scale P3? The Eufy Smart Scale P3 is a feature-packed smart scale, named The Telegraph 's Best Buy bathroom scale, for its blend of affordability and high-spec health tracking. Priced in the mid-range (around £70, but often discounted for less), it stands out in a crowded market by offering 16 body composition metrics, including weight, body fat, muscle mass, heart rate and more, delivered through a smart, durable design with a large, colourful display. Unlike basic bathroom scales, the P3 syncs data via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to the EufyLife app and major platforms like Apple Health, Google Fit and Fitbit, making it easy to track progress over time. It supports unlimited user profiles and includes dedicated modes for babies, pets, pregnancy and athletes, plus a 'simple mode' for those with pacemakers who need to avoid the electrical signals used for tracking. Standout features include a motivational avatar that changes as you progress, highly accurate readings to 0.1lb/50g and a stable, anti-tip design. For anyone seeking a smart, reliable and user-friendly way to monitor health at home, the Eufy P3 is well worth a closer look. How we test bathroom scales I started by seeing how easy the scales were to set up and use straight out of the box, along with if there were any issues connecting them to Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and any apps. I then appraised how clear the display was and how user-friendly and accurate the scales were. I mostly did this both by weighing myself and a test item to see how similar or dissimilar the readings were, while also taking into consideration the maximum weight capacity for each. Since quite a number of these bathroom scales, particularly those of the smart kind, had a range of different features and controls, I considered these as well. Out of all the bathroom scales that I put to the test, Eufy's is the one that I have continued to use to keep track of my weight and health metrics, mainly thanks to the engaging app. Why you can trust Telegraph Recommended Our thorough, real-world tests will always help you find the best product. No manufacturer ever sees Telegraph Recommended reviews before publication and we don't accept payment in exchange for favourable reviews, nor do we allow brands to pay for placement in our articles. From running shoes to exercise bikes, all reviews are based on independent expert opinion and our hands-on testing. Visit our Who We Are page to learn more. Accuracy Score: 9/10 Comparing these scales to the nine others I tested, I was able to gauge how accurate Eufy's was when tracking a number of weight readings. Not only was this set reliable compared to the others, I found that even when I stepped on and off the scales several times in a row, they showed the exact same number, giving me confidence in terms of accuracy. At times there would be only 0.1 of a decimal difference when moving from one set of smart or digital scales to the other, which was a decent enough allowance to make. The body composition measurements are harder to measure accuracy on, where Eufy uses bioelectrical impedance analysis, which sends a small, safe electric current through your body and measures the resistance encountered. It then analyses this data alongside your height, weight, age and gender the estimate the 16 metrics, including body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone mass, visceral fat, water content and more. These results are then displayed in detail within the Eufy Life app, where you can track your progress over time, view trends and export reports. As with all smart scales, this is an estimation rather than dead-set medical information, but from what I know about my own body, I found them to be fairly accurate. You can enter the data into your fitness tracker to increase the accuracy of the information it shows you. Ease of use Score: 8/10 The scales are incredibly easy to use. Once you pop the batteries in the compartment on the rear side, you are ready to go. The scale does work without being connected to the accompanying app, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, but you won't be able to access all of the measurements without doing so. The process of taking the scales out of the box and setting up my own profile on the app took just a few minutes, meaning I was able to start tracking all of my desired metrics and data quickly. I also appreciated that the scales didn't wobble at all, feeling stable on tiled, hardwood and vinyl flooring thanks to the four textured rubber feet. My only real issue was the foot tapping controls. They are designed so that you are able to switch between the different measurement units and user profiles at the tap of your foot. Yet it wasn't that simple. Sometimes it took eight to ten taps for the scales to register that I was trying to utilise these controls. Because of this, I ended up relying solely on the app to switch between settings. This might not be too much of a deal-breaker, but if you don't have your phone and the app to hand, this could be quite frustrating. Display Score: 9/10 The display is large and clear, letting me see the different stats with ease. The numbers are bright and big enough that I didn't feel the need to lean down, like I have when using other bathroom scales in the past. When switching between the different measurements, the amounts were equally legible. I also liked that it wasn't just a monochrome display. Each user has their own individual avatar, shown in colour on the display, which you can tailor to look like you, your friends or family members – including babies and pets. Any achievements and celebrations of your weight tracking goals are also shown in colour, which I liked. I also appreciated that the display included battery, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi indicators to let you know when you might need to replace the batteries or if there are any connectivity issues. Capacity Score: 8/10 With a weight capacity of up to 200kg – or around 31 and a half stone – this set of bathroom scales has one of the highest capacities on the market. When putting bathroom scales to the test, the majority ranged somewhere between 150kg and 200kg, with most having a maximum weight of 180kg, making Eufy's a better option for heavier individuals. One slight negative was that you can't quickly weigh an inanimate object, like a suitcase or heavy parcel, as you are able to with mechanical scales or some other digital scales. This is because these scales are designed to measure body composition via an electrical current, which for obvious reasons, doesn't work on anything that isn't live. There is a way to get around it; set up baby mode, but instead of holding an infant, weigh yourself while holding a suitcase. The scales then weigh you without the suitcase and display the difference in the same way as it works with an actual child or pet in pet mode. Special features Score: 9/10 Part of what makes the Eufy Smart Scale P3 impressive is the number of special features it has. In addition to the usual metrics like weight, BMI and heart rate, the P3 also measures bone mass, skeletal muscle mass, water and protein levels, with 16 health measurements in total. This is one of the highest numbers of those on the market, particularly at this price point. It was the app that cemented the Eufy scales as a favourite for me. Features like progress graphs and a 3D virtual body model enable you to track your progress with ease and in a visual way, which I found helpful. The app has what it calls a 'smart coach,' giving you individualised recommendations to help you meet any fitness goals you have set, or spur you on to keep you motivated. Technical specifications Depending on your budget and how many health metrics you're looking for your scales to track, there are a number of devices and brands to choose from. From higher end options from the likes of Withings or Garmin to more affordable smart scales, one of the most comparable to the Euphy Smart Scale P3 is Renpho's Elis Solar 2 Smart Body Scale. But at less than half the price, how does it compare? Should you buy the Eufy Smart Scale P3? The Eufy Smart Scale is the best at-home smart scale I've found, tracking everything from weight to body fat, BMI, muscle mass and bone mass. But not everyone will need quite so much detail. Yes, if: No, if: You're on a budget Eufy Smart Scale FAQs How accurate is the Eufy Smart Scale P3? During testing I found this scale to be one of the most accurate, delivering accuracy up to 0.1lb/50g. Why does my Eufy scale show inconsistent weight? According to the brand, 'the accuracy of a scale during measurement can be affected by the user's standing position and posture. Scales are designed with four-point balance, meaning each sensor needs to be evenly loaded for the most precise reading. However, since it's difficult to control exactly where and how a user stands, slight variations can occur after just a few minutes. These discrepancies tend to be more noticeable in heavier individuals.' How do I calibrate my Eufy Smart Scale P3? To calibrate your scale, all you need to do is simply step on and off it. Can multiple users share one scale? Yes. An unlimited number of users can be created and used on the Eufy Smart Scale P3. What's the difference between Eufy P1, P2 and P3 models? As you might expect, there are a few differences between Eufy's three smart scale models. Because the P1 scales are no longer available to purchase here in the UK, I've put together a handy table to compare the two latest models.
Digital Trends
5 days ago
- Health
- Digital Trends
4 Whoop 5.0 features the Apple Watch Series 11 needs to steal
I've spent a few weeks with the Whoop 5.0, which is a return to the days when simple fitness bands ruled wearables, and distraction-free health tracking was the standard. Since then, smartwatches and smart rings have taken over, but is the change for the better? While the Whoop 5.0 has its quirks, and I personally get more value from the Apple Watch Series 10, I have identified several things Apple would be wise to imitate for the Apple Watch Series 11 and in WatchOS 12. The Strain metric The Whoop 5.0's app uses three key metrics to help you understand your current state and position for the day: Sleep, Recovery, and Strain. Strain is the most interesting of the three, as it's a different, but arguably more interesting way of assessing how hard you've worked. It takes in the data we're more familiar with, such as steps and heart rate, and presents it in an easy to understand, but unique way. Recommended Videos You're given a target Strain level and the Whoop keeps track of your activity during the day, and gives advice on how to reach it. It avoids the simplicity of step count or calorie burn, which some prefer not to know, as a way to understand how much you can push yourself. The Whoop app's advice doesn't just say 'take a walk,' or 'workout,' in its efforts to motivate you either. It goes deeper by saying you'd need a 40 minute walk to reach your goal, and often suggests alternative activities like cleaning the house. Apple Health is far more passive, and I rarely have any reason to open the app. Whoop's Strain metric encourages me to look at my stats more deeply, and then prompts me to get moving in ways which better suit my lifestyle. Yes, it's another number in a sea of other numbers, but the way Strain evolves during the day, affected by more than just steps, makes it even more motivational than Apple's already excellent and easy to visualize Rings. Whoop band material Apple's range of bands for the Apple Watch covers almost all tastes and environments, but it would do well to take a close look at the straps attached to the Whoop 5.0, as they're excellent. Whoop has three different types of strap — CoreKnit, SuperKnit, and SuperKnit Luxe — for the Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG. I've been wearing the SuperKnit Luxe, and it's soft, suitably stretchy, yet still grippy due to the way it's constructed. The do-it-all Apple Sport Loop band works in most situations, but for all its comfort, Whoop's SuperKnit material is a step above. The closest parallel in Apple's official range of bands of the Solo Loop, but it's still heavier and less flexible. For 24-hour wear, I'd love to see an Apple Watch band in a material similar to Whoop's SuperKnit. It's really that comfortable. Healthspan and Pace of Aging In addition to Strain, there's another data-driven Whoop feature I'd love to see in a future version of Apple Health and on the Apple Watch. It's called Healthspan, and it only unlocks after you've tracked sleep for 21 nights. It's also only available on the Whoop Peak and Life subscription plans, so you have to pay more to get it. However, it's one of the few pay features most will find informative and motivational. By using sleep, VO2 Max, type of workouts, Strain, and other factors it estimates your Whoop Age. If this is lower than your actual age, you're doing the right things, but if it's over then perhaps things need to change. It also calculates your Pace of Aging, helping understand your lifestyle's affect on your body. It's all accompanied by clear, informative graphs which show exactly where improvements can be made. Healthspan is probably the most unique and informative data-driven health feature available in the Whoop app, and by incorporating something similar into Apple Health, the Apple Watch could elevate itself beyond its primarily casual focus, yet still remain relevant to those who aren't into hardcore sport. I'm all for wearables explaining how my daily life impacts my long-term health, and Healthspan gets the balance between showing heavy stats and staying useful exactly right. Longer battery life I've worn the Whoop 5.0 for 21 days as I write this, and I've charged the battery once during this time. Whoop's own estimate of the battery returning 14 days on a single charge seems to be accurate, and very different from the two days battery life I get from the Apple Watch Series 10. Not having to think about regularly charging a battery is freeing, and a genuine benefit of a screen-less fitness tracker like the Whoop. Getting 14 days battery life from a complex smartwatch like the Apple Watch, with all the health tracking features active, is unlikely, but we are seeing advances in models like the OnePlus Watch 3. Its battery easily lasts four days on a single charge. I don't expect Apple to suddenly work out how to extend the battery life to match the Whoop, but getting closer to the OnePlus Watch 3 should be a priority for the Apple Watch Series 11. What's next for the Apple Watch? The Apple Watch Series 10 is my favorite smartwatch, but even I can see how it has only marginally advanced over the past couple of years. I've no doubt the Apple Watch Series 11 will continue to be one of the best smartwatches you can buy, but to take it to the next level and remain truly compelling, it needs something extra. I don't want direct copies of any Whoop features, and the Whoop itself is far from perfect, but spending some time with it did show me the joy of wearing a highly focused, distraction-free health tracker with some interesting ideas inside. The Apple Watch Series 11 is expected to launch later this year, likely alongside the Apple iPhone 17 series, while WatchOS 12 will be first revealed at WWDC 2025 in June. We've also explored some of the features the iPhone 17 will need to be compelling too.
Android Authority
25-05-2025
- Android Authority
I tested Garmin's newest Smart Wake feature, and I'm just as tired as ever
Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority I've been wearing Garmin's Vivoactive 6 for nearly a month, and I love the device's bright display, all-day health and fitness tracking, and improved recovery tools. However, one of its most intriguing new features hasn't quite delivered. In theory, Smart Wake should have me starting each day feeling a little more human, with promises to wake me at the optimal moment in my sleep cycle. In practice, I might as well be using a regular alarm. Would you use a Smart Wake alarm on your wearable? 0 votes Yes, definitely! NaN % No, I am not interested. NaN % Testing Smart Wake on the Vivoactive 6 Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority A perpetual night owl, I was eager to see if Garmin could revamp my morning routine. When I found out how simple setting a Smart Wake alarm was, I thought I was off to a good start. The Vivoactive 6 features a refreshed UI so navigation will be a little different if you're already a Garmin user, but the gist is that you set an alarm as usual and then enable the special treatment. Once I found the main activities page with a press of the top button, I tapped Clocks, Alarms, set up an alarm, and toggled on Smart Wake. This establishes a 30-minute window ahead of the set time during which the watch will trigger an alarm if it senses you're in a light sleep stage. The idea is that you will wake up more refreshed. With Smart Wake, the watch should trigger your alarm at the most ideal time, during your light sleep stage. But that didn't make a difference for me. To give the feature a fair shot, I kept everything else consistent, including my general bedtime. My wake time was identical every morning, and I made no changes to my sleep environment. I ran the test over a few weeks, hoping to notice a difference in how I felt each morning. What I got was a very punctual alarm that went off exactly at the end of the Smart Wake window every single time. Not once did it trigger early, suggesting that I was either never in light sleep or was simply too sleep-deprived to rouse. As for how I felt, groggy as ever. Kaitlyn Cimino / Android Authority To be fair, that might have less to do with Garmin and more to do with me consistently skimping on sleep. It's worth noting though that sleep stage tracking on wearables, even on devices as data-driven as Garmin's, isn't perfectly accurate. The Vivoactive 6 bases sleep stages on heart rate variability and movement data. While these can project a general sense of a user's sleep stages, it's still an estimation, not a medical-grade readout. They don't perfectly align with my Oura Ring 4, which is typically considered quite accurate. In other words, the watch might think I'm in deep sleep when I'm not, or vice versa, potentially missing opportunities for the Smart Wake to trigger. Rise and shine? More like rise and whine. Sleep stage tracking on wearables is an imperfect science, which limits these smart alarms. Smart Wake should be especially helpful for people constantly running on limited sleep. We need help dragging ourselves back to consciousness. But it seems that short, compressed sleep windows might not give Garmin enough time or variability to work its magic. This highlights a core tension in sleep tech: features designed for ideal conditions often fall flat in real-world use. Anyone trying to squeeze in six hours before a 5 a.m. workout may not see the benefit. Garmin's Smart Wake feature is promising on paper, but the Vivoactive 6 didn't deliver the transformative wake-up experience I was hoping for. I love the silent wrist-based alarm that helps me rise without waking my partner. I love the ability to set my alarm in bed when I'm already comfortably under the sheets and snooze it from the same spot in the morning if I'm not ready to face the day. My hope is that the smart aspect of Smart Wake continues to improve. For now, if your sleep is already on the edge, your watch might not save your day.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers think this dental floss could track cancer and tell if you're stressed. Here's how
Could flossing your teeth help you track your physical and mental health? Researchers at Boston's Tufts University say they've designed a floss pick system that could one day be used to track a wide range of conditions, including stress – and cancer. The device works by measuring cortisol, which is known as our stress hormone. 'We didn't want measurement to create an additional source of stress, so we thought, can we make a sensing device that becomes part of your day-to-day routine? Cortisol is a stress marker found in saliva, so flossing seemed like a natural fit to take a daily sample,' Sameer Sonkusale, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, explained in a statement. Sonkusale and his research team published their work on Friday in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. The specially designed floss looks just like a common floss pick that consumers can pick up at a pharmacy store. So, how does it work? The string picks up saliva through a narrow channel in the floss. It's drawn into the pick handle and an attached tab, where it spreads across electrical conductors that detect the cortisol. The cortisol is recognized using a technology called electropolymerized molecularly imprinted polymers, or eMIPs, for short. The university noted that it works kind of similarly to a plaster cast, leaving the 'memory' of the cortisol molecule in a polymer around it. Plastic and rubber are types of polymers. This cast could be used to detect cortisol and other molecules in saliva, the researchers said. It could even be used to monitor glucose for diabetes or markers for cancer. It could possibly detect multiple issues at once. 'Biosensors have typically been developed using antibodies or other receptors that pick up the molecule of interest. Once a marker is found, a lot of work has to go into bioengineering the receiving molecule attached to the sensor,' said Sonkusale. He noted that eMIP 'does not rely on a lot of investment in making antibodies or receptors. If you discover a new marker for stress or any other disease or condition, you can just create a polymer cast in a very short period of time.' Furthermore, the researchers say the sensors are accurate — and comparable to the best-performing sensors on the market. They're currently creating a startup to try and bring the product to market. However, Sonkusale noted that saliva markers can still have variations among individuals. 'For diagnostics, blood is still the gold standard,' he said. 'But once you are diagnosed and put on medication, if you need to track, say, a cardiovascular condition over time to see if your heart health is improving, then monitoring with the sensor can be easy and allows for timely interventions when needed.'
