The new Withings Pulse O2 tracks steps, distances, elevation changes and calories burned. Sold as the Pulse Ox in Europe, it allows you to change the orientation of the display, and it's among the newer devices that can give you a heart-rate reading.
Click here: A gallery of the some of the latest trackers.
What sets the $120 Pulse O2 apart is its ability to give you a reading of your blood-oxygen saturation, or "SpO2." According to Withings:
"Also known as 'The Fifth Vital Sign,' the blood oxygen level is an estimation of your blood's oxygen saturation (SpO2). It is a way of assessing the overall efficiency of your respiratory function."
The maker says anyone — but particularly mountain climbers and athletes training at high altitudes, as well as people with asthma and other chronic respiratory problems — can benefit from preventive monitoring of their blood oxygen levels:
"When checking your heart rate, by placing your finger in the back on the Pulse Ox, a red LED and an infrared one are lit and shine through your fingertip. The ratio of red to infrared light that goes through the Pulse Ox's photo diode indicates the percentage of oxygenated vs. deoxygenated hemoglobin that your blood contains. … Your SpO2 is considered to be normal when it is above 95%. If it is around or under 92% your blood contains and abnormally low level of oxygen and we recommend you talk about it with your doctor."
Athletes training at high altitudes need to be alert for signs of hypoxia, in which the body doesn't get enough oxygen. The condition can lead to symptoms from lightheadedness and fatigue to low blood pressure and worse.
