by MARC SALTZMAN

What’s the only thing more convenient than carrying around your sleek, light-weight tech? How about wearing it on your wrist? That’s the premise and popularity behind smartwatches. From monitoring your heart rate, sleep habits and physical activity, to glancing at digital messages and social media updates, to simply waving your watch to buy something, smartwatches have evolved into invaluable always-on companions. And you can get them with several customizable watch faces to match your style or outfit.

Whether you’re leaning toward an Apple Watch, a Samsung Galaxy model, Fitbit, Garmin or something else, there are lots of advanced features to look for if it’s time for your first smartwatch or to upgrade. Not all watches o er the same features, so be sure to research what’s important to you. Here are several options to consider.

Virtually all smartwatches have basic pedometer-like features, which can count your steps and distances travelled on foot (and stairs climbed), show estimated calories burned and synchronize with a smartphone app to display colourful charts and graphs of your health data.

Some smartwatches can detect what workout you’re doing—from swimming to cycling—and accurately capture your exercise data. Many have GPS for precise location details.

On the health data front, products like Apple Watch Series 7 and Samsung Galaxy Watch4 include an embedded electrocardiogram that can detect unusually high or low heart rates or irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias), as well as monitor blood oxygen (via a pulse oximeter).

The Apple Watch has a fall detection feature, which can call emergency services and select phone numbers from your contacts if it senses a sudden tumble and you don’t confirm you’re OK.

Smartwatches are also great for analyzing sleep data, including if you woke up during the night, when and for how long, which can be shared with a health care provider.

It’s super convenient to receive a slight vibration on your wrist to notify you of a calendar appointment or a reminder you’ve set for yourself, or to receive a nudge to stand up and stretch your legs. Similarly, you can set alerts for incoming texts and emails, so you can glance down at your wrist to see the message or if someone tagged you in a photo on social media.

Walking or cycling around town? Some smartwatches have integrated maps to help you navigate. With an Apple Watch, for example, you need not even look at the screen for turn-by-turn instructions; it uses taps and sounds to let you know when to turn (and go left or right). Or raise your wrist and use your voice to ask Siri, your virtual assistant, something like, “Directions to the nearest gas station” or “Get directions home.”

When you get home, your smartwatch may even unlock your front door, if you have a smart lock.

Your smartwatch can be used for fun too, whether it’s tapping through games, listening to music on wireless earbuds (with songs stored in the watch or streamed) or flipping through photos.

App stores support many of the devices to customize the experience. Some smartwatches remind you to focus, breathe and meditate throughout the day, and can monitor stress levels and encourage you to take a mental health break.

Need help calculating a tip at a restaurant? Many smartwatches have a calculator or you can summon your virtual assistant to ask, “What’s an 18% tip on $200?” (The answer is $36.)

Your smartwatch can also be your wallet if you forget your credit card. Just tap your smartwatch after adding a credit card to your pay app.

If you want to track your physical activity and health data or need to see emails, phone calls and social media updates as they come in, as well as have a handy way to tackle myriad other tasks, a smartwatch may be just what you need.