Hi, all. The last couple of years I thought about getting an Apple Watch so I wouldn’t have to take my phone with me on my exercise in the neighborhood. And now it looks like I’ve got to change from Dexcom G6 to the G715 day pretty soon as well. I’ve just been using a polar exercise watch that I’ve used for years to track my miles and my weight training and stuff. But it is time that I get a new or used Apple Watch and I do not want to pay for the feature of being able to make phone calls, so I’m just looking to see what yawls experiences have been and see if you could recommend the model I should get. I am a Luddite and will not be getting a new iphone until I have to. And I am perfectly comfortable buying a used Apple Watch on swappa or some other site. But if the catch is worth the cost, I guess I would buy a new one. So if you could look into your crystal ball and your experiences, I’d sure appreciate specific Apple watches to look for. I’ve got the information from Dexcom about the list of all that work with Dexcom, but I’m just wondering if some are better than others. I have small wrists and I would love it to track my sleep data and my mileage and times when I’m running and walking and weight training. Also, if some easier to use than others, that would be nice to know. And maybe none of that really matters and I just picked for features or something. I’m just 100% ignorant and thought I would save myself time and ask y’all first and then investigate specific ones. Thank you in advance for anything you can advise me about. I sure appreciate it as always! Thank you! And I must say it will be a dream. Come true not to carry my phone all the time. If I had an emergency on my 4 mile to 6 mile route, I have peoples doors I would knock on, so I think I would be safe. Plus I plan well. Thank you.
I wouldn’t overthink it. You’ll want the smaller watchface. Then get a good deal on one from the last couple of years. I wouldn’t go back further than that because then the battery might not last.
They come up with new features every year but it’s mostly marketing. An Apple Watch from 2024 or later will do what you want.
Thanks so much, TTnyc! That makes the process easier for sure. I appreciate that!
A mild warning - you may be disappointed with the Apple Watch’s battery life as compared with other fitness trackers. Granted, my watch is older (the 7, I think?), but I have to charge it overnight so am not able to do the sleep tracking. I think if you could use Garmin for Dexcom needs, you’d be better off. My husband and daughter constantly flaunt its battery life to me! (I’m not sure if you can use Garmin w Dexcom, though)
Pretty sure you only get direct to watch with Apple Watch. Otherwise, I think you have to have a phone relay or a cellular connection on the watch/fitness tracker.
A newer one will have a longer battery life. You’ll probably still have to charge every day for maybe an hour or two. Series 10 supposedly only half an hour.
Also, I’ve found that to get a strong direct to watch connection you have to have the Dexcom on your abdomen. With arm placement, I lost the signal often but that might not be true for everyone.
@JessicaD My wife uses her Apple watch to monitor sleep etc, me not so much; I usually put my watch and phone on a charger overnight (keep the phone on so I can see how I’m doing when/if I wake up with either Trio or LoopFollow running). However, per the wife’s experience the Apple Watch seems to charge up pretty fast; in the time it takes my wife or I to shower, dry off, and brush teeth, it’s pretty much done. I haven’t switched to monitoring my sleep, but would be comfortable in doing so if the charge is that good.
I use a Garmin watch and I LOVE it - great for fitness tracking, looking at my CGM data, great battery life, etc. I have a watchface that is very customizable and pulls my Dexcom data from Dexcom Share, so I do need a connection to my phone (which is no problem since I always have it nearby).
You can, but all the Garmin watches require a Bluetooth connection to a phone to work the Dexcom widget. But Garmin has superior battery life.
The Apple Watch has a direct to watch Dexcom function, but it’s not perfectly stable.. it loses connection at times. If you have your phone nearby it will resort to phone connection.
It’s my experience that the Apple Watch display is often like this:
To see it I have to touch the spot.
The other thing is it doesn’t display in exercise recording.
I think Apple needs some diabetes technicians and engineers who also athletic on their team.
Thanks, everyone! Much to think about for sure. I am spoiled by my Polar watches for the last decade as far as charging. I wonder if other watches will ever be able to do this like apple watches? Maybe with type 2 users now using Dexcom, and there being more of them, we can have more options. I used to love getting the newest everything. Now I love the tried and true that fit my routine. Such is getting older I guess. I can’t thank y’all enough for taking time to share your experiences. I love hearing from real people. Thanks!
I agree! Thanks for the heads up! Could not have imagined. I will just activate the receiver and carry it. I am an apple user, but not huge fan. Anyway, I am sure glad to get all this great knowledge. And I love all my Polar watch does, so I just can;t have everything I desire. I will surely get over it 
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Yup,
I have an Apple Watch series 10; I charge it in the morning for about 20 minutes while I take a shower and for about 20 minutes before bedtime, and I use it the remaining 23 hours and the battery never gets particularly low (it’s now bedtime and it’s at 41%).
I had trouble in the past with the watch losing the connection to my Dexcom but it seems a lot better these days (though not perfect). I wear the Dexcom on the back of my arm (not always the same arm that the watch is on).
I also have an Apple Watch 10, and am much happier with it than I expected. I do love having my Dexcom reading on it, though I carry my phone anyway to bolus, etc with the Mobi… It takes about 40 mins to charge, and I just do it while I’m getting ready for bed and reading - seems easy. Nice for sleep info, and a few other things too. I got mine at Costco and seemed like a great deal but can’t remember now what I paid!
Thanks for sharing that! I love the different perspectives. Glad it works for you and costco was probably a great place to buy from!
I have the Apple Watch Series 10 and use the Dexcom G7 with Direct-to-watch connection. I love it. I, too, have a very small wrist, so make sure that you choose the smaller (42 mm) case. Once you have the watch, you can choose what “complications” you want to display on the face. You will not that on mine, I display (upper left and clockwise around) my calendar (no appointments today), the day, date, digital time, weather in the middle, notification of text messages (I apparently have one to read!), fitness (overshadowed here because I have the camera open), and blood glucose. The second shot shows what I see when I touch the blood glucose icon. This is soon after a meal, so the reading tells me I need to get away from the computer and go take a walk! I agree with others that to get the newest watch you can afford. You will benefit from updated features and a longer battery life. I, too, have found better connection when I wear my Dexcom on my abdomen. That also is where I wear my OmniPod, so I have few connection issues.
I love being able to look at my watch and to immediately see the important data for that moment. I also can track just the exercise I am getting, and you will find that the watch allows you to track many other aspects of your life as well. Good luck with your purchase.
Thanks so much SAFA1! The pictures and explanations are perfect. I appreciate you taking the time to chime in! Lots of good information. Also glad to know what size to get. Thanks!
I’m using Apple Watch Series 9, smaller sized case. It charges in about 30 minutes and the battery usually lasts all day even with 2+ hour Workouts. I also have a Garmin which I use to log Rouvy bike rides since Apple Watch doesn’t support Rouvy. I also use Loop which has a complication on the Apple watch. I can track BG, as well as bolus directly from the watch which I will do on outdoor runs. Of course, I also have to carry my iPhone (small SE 3rd Gen) for connectivity. I’m using Dexcom G6.
Thanks. I love hearing how people manage and use the apple watch. Very enlightening! Thanks.