Can You Wear an Apple Watch on Your Ankle? | Best Band For Your Ankle?
Do you remember the first time putting on your Apple Watch? Probably on your wrist, right? But there’s another spot you can wear the device that works great for workouts and other intense applications.
Think about it. What can you do if your job or workouts are likely to damage your Apple Watch? You may wonder if it is possible to wear the Apple Watch elsewhere instead, like on your ankle? Discover the answers below. Read to the end to find out which band we think is best for your ankle (and why).
If you prefer visual learning, click play on the video version below:
IS IT POSSIBLE TO WEAR YOUR APPLE WATCH ON YOUR ANKLE?
Yes, there is no reason you can’t wear your Apple Watch on your ankle. The only concern is that smart wearables, including the Apple Watch, might not be able to identify your activity as quickly and accurately as Apple focused their design to work with skin contact on top of the wrist.
According to Apple, if you want the best results, the back of your Apple Watch needs skin contact for certain features. These features include Wrist Detect, a Taptic Engine, and electrical and optical heart sensors. However, there are certain circumstances where you can't use your Apple Watch on your wrist.
Two examples of where this matters are kick-boxing and baseball. Both are great high-energy workouts, but gloves cover your wrist entirely. If you don't like taking off your Apple Watch because you will miss out on capturing fitness data, you can consider wearing it on your ankle instead.
A different kind of example is in healthcare (shoutout to all my nurses, doctors, and surgeons!). During operations, you are typically not permitted to wear anything on your wrist. Therefore, the ankle is your only option if you are looking to track certain vitals while on the job.
This is true in healthcare and in many other jobs where the watch might get in the way, such as working with heavy machinery. On the other hand, your ankle is usually far enough out of the way to work in various situations.
DOES YOUR APPLE WATCH WORK THE SAME ON YOUR ANKLE?
Many people consider the Apple Watch a worthwhile investment because its biometric features are some of the best amongst wearables. Apple designed it for your wrist not only because that’s where one typically wears a watch, but because it has a network of veins close to the skin. This makes it easy to track your vitals.
The fitness capabilities of your Apple Watch are made possible by several sensors and an accelerometer that measures your movement. Because the sensors are in the back of your watch, they must be in contact with your skin to work effectively.
These fitness sensors are meant for your wrist and may not work 100% accurately when worn on your ankle. If you're serious about wearing your watch around your ankle, you may want to invest in a watch band explicitly designed for your ankle.
The most important thing is that the sensors on the back of the watch are in full contact with your skin, which means your strap should hold the watch securely flat against the skin above the ankle.
Even then the sensors might not work perfectly, so keep that in mind.
IS WEARING THE APPLE WATCH ON YOUR ANKLE A BAD IDEA?
Wearing your Apple Watch on your ankle isn’t necessarily recommended but can be a good idea for specific situations or occupations.
Beyond reduced biometric readings, many of us on the Spartan Watches team have pointed out that wearing it on your ankle makes it harder to quickly answer calls or send a text to your friends or family. You also put it at a greater risk of damage by wearing it around your ankle, especially while you exercise.
That being said, when your options are limited, there’s no reason not to try them out and see if they work for you. If you haven’t purchased one yet, try to borrow one to see if ankle strapping works for you before you buy.
ARE YOUR STEPS STILL COUNTED WITH APPLE WATCH ON YOUR ANKLE?
Yes, as long as you are in motion, your steps will be tracked by your Apple Watch and saved on your device.
Your Apple Watch will track steps even on your ankle, which will still give you information about the number of steps you have completed the same way wearing it on your wrist would.
If your GPS has no signal or you’re not working out, your Apple Watch will estimate the number of steps you have taken using the accelerometer. The accelerometer can track most of your daily motions.
To improve the accuracy of your device, you need to calibrate the estimations on your Activity and Workout App. Doing so helps your Apple Watch know how your limb movements relate to your stride lengths when walking, running, or other physical activity.
This calibration will differ for your wrist and ankle, so make sure you do it separately when you wear it in different places.
HOW DOES APPLE RECOMMEND YOU WEAR THE WATCH?
Apple recommends the top of your wrist as the best position for your smartwatch.
However, there is no reason why your Apple Watch shouldn’t work on any other part of your body as long as it sits perfectly on your skin.
We recommend you wear something that has a comfortable fit, and it should keep the watch held against your skin as you move your wrist around.
HOW DO I STRAP MY APPLE WATCH TO MY ANKLE?
The band that comes with your Apple Watch might be too small to fit around your ankle. To wear your watch on your ankle, you will likely need to purchase an ankle band (more on this later). Most people prefer a hook-and-loop band because it’s incredibly comfortable and easy to adjust.
7 STEPS ON HOW TO WEAR AN APPLE WATCH ON YOUR ANKLE:
- Carefully remove the original band from your Apple Watch.
- Clean out the slots before sliding in your new band to prevent your Apple Watch release button from getting stuck.
- Attach your new band by sliding them into the slots on your Apple Watch.
- Strap your new band around your ankle or slide it up starting from your foot.
- Bring the watch up to your ankle and ensure the sensors have complete contact.
- Adjust the straps on your watch until it fits snugly onto your skin.
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Make sure your Apple Watch is securely strapped onto your ankle and begin your workout or daily activities.
Even if you decide to wear your watch on your ankle, you can still set it up and easily control your Apple Watch on your iPhone through the watch app. However, remember that changing the bands on your Apple Watch and wearing them on your ankle may affect the accuracy of its biometric readings.
WHICH APPLE WATCH BANDS ARE BEST FOR YOUR ANKLE?
If you want to buy an Apple watch band specifically for your ankle, there is an ankle band sold on Amazon you can try out, although many reviewers have said that it isn’t long enough for bigger ankle sizes. Because of this, the Nylon Sport Loop is a highly recommend band to wear on your ankle for two main reasons.
Reason #1 is because the Sport Loop was designed to fit snugly and comfortably on small or big ankles (many reports not even feeling it moments after they put it on).
Reason #2 is because of how easy it is to wash and prevent from smelling like sweat (which you fitness folks might be happy to know).
Compared to other bands, the innovative design of the Nylon Sport Loop is infinitely adjustable, so you can strap it snuggly around your ankle for increased accuracy in capturing your health data.
The material is breathable and soft. As a result, it doesn’t feel harsh against your skin while allowing for complete contact on your ankle.
If you’re a first-time customer at Spartan Watches, get a free Nylon Sport Loop with your first Apple Watch band purchase.
- Add any band you want to your cart.
- Add your free Nylon Sport Loop to your cart.
- Use code “BLOGBOGO“ at checkout.
Click this link to apply the code automatically.
Deep Navy Nylon Sport Loop for Apple Watch
Currently we have less than 290 Nylon Sport Loops left in stock. Your order will be shipped from our warehouse here in Jacksonville, FL. Shipping time is usually 2-5 days depending on where you live in the United States. This offer is available to you for a limited-time and will end earlier if we sell out.
IS THERE A WRONG WAY TO WEAR THE APPLE WATCH?
Wearing it wrong is somewhat subjective, but objectively speaking, some ways of wearing it will work to provide biometric readings, and others won’t.
As you now have read, there are several different activities where it is not convenient for you to wear an Apple Watch on your wrist. In these cases, you can wear an Apple Watch on your ankle as an alternative.
The biggest problem with this is the different anatomy of the ankle, which may lead to some inaccurate biometric readings. However, step counting should still work perfectly as long as you calibrate your strides with the Apple Watch strapped to your ankle.
That being said, if certain situations make it challenging to keep it on your wrist, wearing your Apple Watch on your ankle is the next best option.
Do people wear Apple Watch on ankle?
Yes, there are many Apple Watch owners who wear it on their ankle. Reasons you might wear an Apple Watch on your ankle instead of your wrist:
- Rock climbing
- Pushing a baby stroller or grocery cart
- Working as a massage therapist
- Using a walking pad while reading or working
- Walking while holding onto the treadmill
Under what other circumstances would you wear an Apple Watch on your ankle instead of your wrist? Let us know in the comments!
WARNING: Wearing your Apple Watch on your ankle does increase the chances of accidental damage to your screen. Because of this you will get a free Spartan Armor Protector for Apple Watch with your first purchase when you use code "ANKLEARMOR" at checkout. Make sure to add both this product and your band of choice to your cart for the code to work.
P.s. There is a limited supply of Spartan Armor Protector's. So you are aware, we may sell out and don't want you to hate us incase you can't get the free case to go with your new band. If there are any issues just let us know and we will help you.
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I’m a certified massage therapist and I can’t wear the watch on my wrist. Definitely goi g to try to wear it on my ankle. I can never see how many steps I take in a day because I take it off frequently and forget to put it back on.
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