Backdropped from the brink of death twice! My one-of-a-kind partner that inflates a cuff on my wrist after cardiac arrest: A 1-year review of the HUAWEI WATCH D2
Introduction: Can you pay the ferryman of the River Styx with a smartwatch?
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Hello, this is Tsuka-chan.
This might be sudden, but have you ever had a 'thought I was going to die' experience? I have.
Actually, two years ago, I had heart failure and my heart stopped twice, so I physically almost went to 'the other side' once.
Shaking off the temptation of the flower garden calling, 'Hey, Tsuka-kun, come over here,' I returned to this world with a desperate backdrop.
For me, a 'returnee from the brink of death,' health management is no longer a hobby, but literally a 'lifeline.'
That is why I chose this HUAWEI WATCH D2 as the partner to entrust my life to.
It has been one year since I graduated from the Apple Watch and switched to this. Today, I will talk about its 'awesomeness' without any sugarcoating!
The reason I ditched the Apple Watch: I was tired of the nightly 'charging puzzle'
I used to be an Apple Watch user too. It is certainly stylish and convenient. But, the battery life is just too short!
The Apple Watch lasts at most a day and a half if you push it. I want to track my heart rate and sleep logs while I sleep, but I am forced to solve a pointless puzzle every day: 'Should I charge it before I sleep or after I wake up?' For someone like me who goes to dialysis and has unstable health, this 'fear of running out of battery' was a subtle source of stress.
What happened when I switched to this HUAWEI WATCH D2?
As shown in the image, the manufacturer claims about 6 days. In real-world use, it is common to have 30-40% battery left even after a week. (Depending on the frequency of blood pressure measurements and other features.)
It is at the level where I get amnesia wondering, 'Wait, when did I last charge this?' This sense of ease is the best supplement called 'peace of mind' for someone like me who carries a bomb in their heart.
The 'perverted' awesomeness of this watch: My wrist gets squeezed! A real blood pressure monitor
Now, this is the main point. You absolutely cannot talk about this watch without mentioning 'blood pressure measurement.'
The market is flooded with cheap smartwatches that claim 'you can measure blood pressure!', but most of them are toys that just display 'something like blood pressure' estimated by light sensors.
But this HUAWEI WATCH D2 is different. It is a 'real blood pressure monitor that has obtained medical device certification in Japan.'
⬆️⬆️ A 'cuff' is hidden inside the band ⬆️⬆️
Look at the image. It looks like a normal band at first glance, but a two-layer 'cuff' (air bag) is built into the inside. When you press the measurement button...
'Whirrrrrrr...!'
It makes a sound, and the band visibly inflates. That sensation of having your arm wrapped and 'squeezed' at the hospital is reproduced on your wrist. When I used it for the first time, I laughed out loud, saying, 'Wait, you inflate that much!?'
Packing this 'oscillometric method,' the same mechanism as a real blood pressure monitor, into this size is truly perverted technical prowess (a compliment). For a dialysis patient, blood pressure management is life. Being able to measure it accurately 24 hours a day, anywhere, is no longer just a watch; it is a 'personal physician living on your wrist.'
After using it for a year, I found it has too many health management functions
It is not just blood pressure. This thing monitors changes in my body with the persistence of a stalker.
1. Electrocardiogram (ECG) & 24-hour heart rate monitoring
For someone like me who has experienced heart failure, irregular heartbeats are the greatest enemy. It warns me immediately if there is an abnormality.
2. Blood oxygen level (SpO2)
It perfectly tracks my breathing condition while I sleep.
3. Sleep monitoring
I can visually review things like, 'I slept deeply because I was tired from dialysis yesterday.'
4. Skin temperature measurement
Not a thermometer, but skin temperature. What can you tell from skin temperature!?
When I feel 'maybe I have a fever?', I can get an estimate without having to take out a thermometer.
For women: Menstrual and ovulation rhythm
• Can track changes similar to basal body temperature
• Temperature tends to rise after ovulation
*However, this is for reference, not for medical use
All this data is summarized in a single report on the smartphone app.
If you show it to your doctor during a consultation, they are sure to praise you, saying, 'Oh, Tsuka-chan, you have some good data!' It is just a guide, though. From there, your doctor can make judgments and have you undergo formal examinations.
Pros and cons: I will be honest
It would be suspicious if I only wrote good things, so I will summarize my genuine evaluation after using it for a year.
◎ Pros
• Overwhelming battery performance: Freedom from the pain of charging.
• Reliability of blood pressure measurement: The one-of-a-kind experience of the cuff inflating and its accuracy.
• Peace of mind from medical device certification: Data with a basis, not just 'somehow.'
• Design: Surprisingly sleek, so it doesn't look out of place in business settings.
◎ Cons
• The band is a bit thick: Because it contains a cuff, it is thicker than a normal smartwatch. Tight shirt cuffs might be a bit snug.
• Silence during measurement: You cannot move your arm during blood pressure measurement, so you become a 'weird person standing still' for a little under a minute (lol).
• App installation: For Android (especially Chromebook users), you need to install the app from the official HUAWEI store, which takes a little bit of know-how.
🔲 This watch is 'perfect' for these people!
• Friends who have 'almost died once' or 'have health anxieties'
For people like me who have heart disease or are on dialysis, there is no better source of peace of mind than this.
• People who find it troublesome to measure blood pressure every day
You stop taking out that huge blood pressure monitor sitting on the desk, right? With this, it is just one button.
• People who are about to snap at the Apple Watch's 'daily charging'
I want you to experience the pleasure of being able to leave it alone for a week.
• 'Amateur' gadget lovers
The joy of getting advanced data without difficult settings is exceptional.
Conclusion: It is worth entrusting your life to
After two cardiac arrests, I keenly realized the importance of 'knowing your own body.'
This HUAWEI WATCH D2 is not just a convenient tool. When I am about to go to 'the other side' again, it might be the first to notice and hold me back; it is literally a lifeline.
To you who think, 'Aren't all smartwatches the same?'
Once you experience that sensation of the cuff inflating on your wrist, you won't be able to go back. Health is a treasure you only realize you have once you lose it. But with this watch, protecting that treasure becomes a little easier and more fun.
Come on, why don't you try extending your healthy life expectancy with a backdrop, along with this 'ultimate partner'?
(With love from Tsuka-chan: I will report back if I find any other interesting gadgets!)