February is Heart Health Month, a great time to focus on what you’re doing to help improve your overall health and re-evaluate your choices. Have you already let that New Year’s Resolution to get in shape slide? You might want to re-think it because, according to the Government of Canada, heart disease affects 2.4 million Canadian adults and is the second-leading cause of death in the country.
There are many things you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease, including making overall healthier lifestyle choices. But there’s also tech that can help, mostly in terms of monitoring your heart health so you can take proactive measures if you notice that anything is amiss. Here, we have rounded up some devices that are making waves in this space.
Circular Ring 2 Smart Ring
The Circular Ring 2 isn’t out yet, but it will be later this year. What makes it stand out against other smart rings, including the Circular Ring Slim I reviewed last year, is that it adds ECG capabilities, including an FDA-cleared Afib detection algorithm (no word yet on Health Canada clearance). With this feature, achieved through enhanced sensors, you can take an ECG reading right from your finger. It can detect anomalies in your heart rhythm and rate so you can seek further assistance from a medical professional if you do. (Note that this isn’t a medical device). It can, of course, track plenty of other health metrics, too, from sleep to activities, breathing rate and more. It comes with a new wireless charging dock and can run for up to eight days per charge. With the new digital ring sizing kit, you can even find your proper size remotely using the app so you don’t need to order a physical sizing kit. The Kira AI smart assistant, meanwhile, is back in this model. It can analyze your stats and provide tips and insights relating to not only your heart rhythms, but your overall physical fitness, health, and wellness. The Circular Ring 2 will sell for US$380 once it’s available, likely before the end of March 2025.
Withings Body Segment Smart Scale
While a standard bathroom scale reports your weight in pounds or kilograms, some even figures like BMI, a smart scale takes this to another level. The data it provides isn’t just helpful as you proceed on a wellness journey. It can also be integral to heart health. I reviewed the Withings Body Segment Smart Scale and love all the data it provides beyond weight and BMI, including visceral fat, muscle and fat mass, EDA, and heart rate. Use the retractable handle and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to get more details, including a 3D diagram that shows how fat and muscle mass is distributed throughout your body. This data can be crucial to improving heart health as you determine not only how much fat you have, but where it’s being stored and how this might impact your body overall. Get it for about $500.
Google Pixel Watch 3 Smartwatch
Virtually every premium smartwatch, and even most mid-level and even entry-level models these days, can keep track of your heart rate, including zones during workouts and resting heart rate. But the Google Pixel Watch 3 takes it to another level with a feature called Loss of Pulse Detection. While it isn’t yet available in North America, this feature could be a literal lifesaver for those who suffer from heart disease or have concerns about their heart health. The feature can detect if the heart suddenly stops beating due to primary cardiac arrest, respiratory or circulatory failure, overdose, or poisoning and automatically place a call to emergency services or share an automated message with context and your location. That feature is only available in Europe right now but Google says it is working with regulatory bodies in other countries to bring it elsewhere as well. For now, you can enjoy all the other health and wellness features of the Pixel Watch 3, which includes features like Daily Readiness, which tracks recovery including resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and recent sleep; Cardio Load for tracking your heart’s exertion and intensity both during a workout and throughout the day; and Target Load which guides you to improve fitness while also balancing this with necessary recovery. It sells for $479.
Sennheiser Momentum Sport Headphones
I reviewed the Sennheiser Momentum Sport wireless earbuds last year, which have a unique feature that’s not so common in sports buds: they have an integrated photoplethysmography (PPG) heart rate sensor and body temperature sensor that can measure and output critical data to popular fitness apps and devices. This includes Apple Watch and Apple Health, Garmin Watch and Garmin Connect, Strava, and Peloton. It’s also the first non-Polar product that can leverage Polar’s biosensing capabilities and data analytics to offer real-time insights during training. While you’re out for a run, for example, the earbuds will tell you when you’re in a specific heart rate zone. This helps guide you to either increase the intensity to make it into zone 3 or 4, for example, or slow down and take it easier once you know you have been in a high zone for too long. For someone who is just as focused on hearth health as fitness and working out, these are a great option to consider. Get them in Canada for $400.
Aktiia Bracelet Blood Pressure Wearable
Blood pressure ties into your overall heart health. It measures the force of blood that moves through your vessels, which in turn tells you how well your heart is accomplishing getting blood to flow through the rest of your body. There are plenty of consumer blood pressure monitors, but most come in the form of armbands. The Aktiia Bracelet, which recently received Health Canada approval for sale in this country, is instead a wearable that you put around your wrist. Others can accomplish this too, like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7. But they still require that you use a cuff alongside it. Instead, the Aktiia device uses advanced optical sensors and proprietary algorithms to measure your blood pressure through Optical Blood Pressure Monitoring (OBPM) in the bracelet itself Basically, it analyzes subtle changes in the diameter of arteries with each heartbeat. It can take up to 50 automated readings per day, constantly keeping on top of your blood pressure and its fluctuations. All the data is viewable in the companion app, which you can show a doctor at the next visit. It sells for $335.
Peloton Bike
It’s one of those items everyone wants to get but struggle with deciding if it’s worth the investment. Of course, there are more affordable alternatives. But I tried a Peloton bike for the first time in a hotel gym last year and I fell in love. The bike itself is about $2,000, including delivery and set-up. But it’s a great way to have an all-in-one fitness station in your home. You will need a membership, but the classes aren’t just related to the bike. There are others that incorporate things like weight training, with your own set of dumbbells. A subscription is $55/mo., about the same cost of a gym membership. You can consider renting instead, which is $129/mo. for both the bike and membership. How does a Peloton bike relate to your heart health? Cardio is crucial, and for Canadians who endure inclement weather, having something at home that you can hop on for a quick ride every day eliminates that “it’s too cold outside” excuse. And after you spend so much on this bike, you’ll want to get your money’s worth! The bike comes with a 21.5-inch HD touchscreen along with a resistance knob for manual control during a workout or while doing your own custom ride. The screen displays metrics like heart rate, output, cadence, and resistance. You can also pair a separate heart rate monitor if desired.
Panasonic NN-CD87KS 4-in-1 Combination Oven with Air Fry
I didn’t realize how much I missed having a microwave until mine stopped working. For busy families, it’s the quickest way to cook a batch of frozen or even fresh broccoli as a healthy side dish versus a carb-heavy alternative, or reheat leftovers to both reduce food waste and that penchant for grabbing the phone to order Uber Eats. While I haven’t tried this combination oven with air fry, I do plan to add one to my kitchen soon, replacing a microwave that has run its course. Why? I love the fact that it is multiple small appliances in one, and notably has an air fryer function built-in. You can reheat items, convection cook, broil, microwave, but also air fry foods you might otherwise cook in lots of oil. This allows for dishes that are better for your cholesterol and overall heart health. It has 21 auto programs for one-touch cooking and a Genius Sensor to make cooking and reheating effortless. While it will take some getting used to the buttons, knob, and various functions or button press sequences, you’ll appreciate having a single small appliance to do it all. There is a newer version of this model coming out in the U.S., which was shown at CES 2025 (and is depicted here). It incorporates app control and other intelligent features. Unfortunately, there’s no plans to bring that specific model to Canada just yet, but you can still buy the version without app control for about $700.