New Philips Health Devices Take on Chronic Disease

Philips has a new collection of connected health monitoring devices available today, including a blood pressure monitor, smart scale, smartwatch, and a smart thermometer. Built around a free Philips HealthSuite Health App, which analyzes and collects the recorded health data, this ecosystem is aimed at those who are at risk for chronic disease and want to take steps towards healthier habits.

Each device is sold separately, from either Amazon or the Philips website.

I tried out a few of the devices. The $249.99 Philips Health Watch is equipped with an accelerometer, optical heart rate sensor, and an always-on round monochrome display. It continuously measures heart rate and automatically tracks a range of other health metrics, including active minutes, calories burned, steps, and sleep patterns.

The goal of the Health Watch (and the rest of these devices) is to help you identify and prevent lifestyle-induced chronic conditions. For example, it can measure how many minutes you spend inactive, and send you customizable vibrating alarms to remind you to stand up and move around when you sit too long. On top of that, it can tell you your resting heart rate, display heart rate zones and your resting respiration rate, and even automatically recognizes and tracks activities like biking, running, and walking. As for sleep tracking, it tracks the time you spend asleep, how efficiently you sleep, and how many times you wake.

Rated 1ATM, the Health Watch is water-resistant, so it’s splash- and rain-proof. The lithium-ion battery ensures up to four days of battery life; a fast charge option enables about 70 percent charge in about 30 minutes.

I only wore the Health Watch for a short while, but I found it comfortable, and its heart-rate reading capability was about on par with the Fitbit Blaze, an accurate fitness tracker I was wearing at the same time. The Philips Health Watch also has a unique user interface: you touch the watch case around the display to scroll through screens and tap to make selections.

The $99.99 Philips Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor, meanwhile, measures your diastolic and systolic blood pressure and instantly compares your results with the classifications for normal home blood pressure from the World Health Organization and International Society for Hypertension. It also reads your heart rate, which you can view on a large backlit monochrome screen. Up to two different users can use the same Blood Pressure Monitor to measure their blood pressure levels and heart rate, and track changes over time. There are no batteries required since it recharges via DC charger. Philips also has a wrist-worn blood pressure monitor for $89.99 that uses a USB cable to recharge.

The $99.99 Philips Body Analysis Scale calculates body mass index (BMI), estimates body fat, and measures weight. Similar to the Styr Wireless Scale, you can read weight results on a built-in backlit LCD display, but you need to refer to the Philips Health app to see the other metrics. It runs on four AAA batteries, and has a measurement range of 11 to 375 pounds. You can set the scale to give you results in kilograms, pounds, or stone. Up to eight different users can track their data.

Lastly, the $59.99 Philips Ear Thermometer quickly measures body temperature. Philips says it takes about two seconds. Like the Kinsa Smart Ear Thermometer, it uses a simple one-touch button, terminates in a probe tip, and has a built-in monochrome LCD display. A light ring surrounding the button shines red when the thermometer reads a temperature of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) or higher. The thermometer can also be used orally, rectally, under the arm, and on the forehead. You may want to thoroughly clean it after each use.

Unlike the Under Armour Healthbox, which bundled an activity tracker, wireless scale, and heart rate strap for $400, Philips’ smart health devices are available a la carte. Expect full reviews shortly.

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New Philips Health Devices Take on Chronic Disease