Apple Watch users craving more fitness data points can look to the AURA Strap 2, a $149 smart band that adds BIA monitoring to the popular smartwatch.
The Apple Watch provides an assortment of health and fitness tracking features — from heart rate to blood-oxygen monitoring — but pairing the smartwatch with the Aura Strap 2 brings a slew of new metrics and data points. Though Apple's smartwatch is catered to health and fitness tracking, there are a few metrics the Apple Watch does not currently support. To keep the watch's form factor small and wearable, only certain health sensors can fit within the Apple Watch's casing. To expand the breadth of the Apple Watch's fitness and health features, users can connect the device to third-party trackers and sensors. To make use more convinient, the Aura Strap 2 has additional health sensors built into an Apple Watch band.
Apple is planning to add more sensors to its smartwatch in the coming years, but for now, third-party options are the only way to access additional health metrics. That's not to say there are not a slew of useful health features built into the Apple Watch today. From counting steps to taking an electorcardiogram, the Apple Watch offers health and fitness features right from the wearer's wrist. The smartwatch can measure the wearer's heart rate, blood oxygen level, and take an ECG to give them a glimpse of their cardiovascular health. However, there is more to health and fitness than just heart health. A key data point to achieving fitness goals is body composition, and that's the metric the Aura Strap 2 is designed to bring to the Apple Watch.
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When the Apple Watch was first released, there was a ton of hope for the ways that third-party companies could add features through watch bands. In the years since the original smartwatch came out, not much has happened in terms of third-party smart band technology. There was the Wristcam, a clunky Apple Watch band that brought two meagre cameras, but it never quite took off. Hopes for an Apple Watch band that held additional battery life never came to fruition, but third parties began development of additional health tech inside bands. Now, the Aura Strap 2 is a thinner and lighter version of the original Apple Watch band that brought body composition sensors to the popular smartwatch.
The Aura Strap 2 is an updated Apple Watch band that packs additional sensors and brings bioelectrical impedence analysis (BIA) to the smartwatch. The metric can determine how a person's body changes through exercise and evaluate the wearer's body composition. It provides data on the body's fat, muscle, and water content to give the user a more holistic view of their health and fitness. The Aura Strap 2 is similar in appearance to Apple's Sport Loop bands, but contains fitness sensors at the center of the loop. For users looking for more fitness features out of their Apple Watch, the Strap 2 is likely to be worth the additional bulk on the wrist.
Compared to other smart band tech for the Apple Watch, the Aura Strap 2 is inexpensive, priced at just $149. That's not a bad price for an accurate BIA sensor built right inside a smartwatch band, and Aura says the band is more accurate than the first generation. With 16 additional data points, the Aura Strap 2 is 95 percent accurate in comparison to a DEXA-scan — a dual-energy x-ray scan that that evaluates bone and muscle density. However, some of this data is connected to the Aura Plus subscription service, which costs $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year. For technology and fitness enthusiasts looking to get the most out of their Apple Watch, the Aura Strap 2 might be the best way to add additional data points to the smartwatch.
Brady Snyder is a journalism student at St. John's University specializing in Apple, wearables, and audio. Based in New York City, he reviews consumer technology, software, and services. Brady is well-versed in iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and macOS — but experiments with Android and Windows as needed. He believes that competition between technology companies facilitates progress, and cautions against sticking to one particular brand or device. Instead, Brady tests out any tech product or service he can get his hands on, and aids buyers in making an informed decision about what is best for their needs. He's currently flipping into the future with Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G, but the Apple Watch's incredible fitness features might have him coming back to the iPhone in no time. Brady's always searching for the best and most productive workflow with his technology, regardless of the platform he is currently using.