XBAND, the health tracker to wear with your own watch

Are you wearing a health-tracking device like a Woop, a Hume band, or an Oura ring? I am, and I’m not too happy with that strap with a health tracker on my right-hand wrist; hence, I chose a ring. However, XBAND has a solution with a health tracker tucked into the clasp of a rubber watch strap – how brilliant! 

These guys are just now launching on Kickstarter, and I have tested it next to my own Oura ring and Hume band. The Oura Ring is how I got into health-tracking devices, as I did not want to wear a Woop or similar black strap on my wrist (not the wrist with my watch), so a ring doing the same as those well-known health trackers seemed the perfect solution for me. While I was not too happy with the battery life of my Oura Ring (v3), I tried a Hume band, but I’m simply not too keen on that broad black strap (that holds no mechanical wristwatch). Then the folks at XBAND contacted me to see if I wanted to test their new device… We already published an announcement in early July, so here’s my personal experience with the XBAND.

What is it? It’s a health tracker that is entirely tucked away in a folding clasp. It comes with a sizable rubber strap, and it’s actually pretty easy to connect to any wristwatch with a lug width of 20mm. I took one of my watches and removed the strap and spring bars. Ready for that new rubber strap! I sized the rubber strap and attached the clasp with built-in sensors of the health tracker. After charging the health tracker (with the customs wireless charger), installing the software (easy peasy), I attached the strap to my watch. And this was super easy with a quick-release system like some of the major watch brands offer.

Since I’m certainly no expert in anything health or health trackers, I will refrain from judging the quality of the measured parameters or comparing them to my own devices. What I can say is that the XBAND app works very easily, and to me it looks as complete (or better) than what my Oura ring measures. The app tracks the following:

• Sleep Tracking – analyses sleep duration, sleep stages, overnight heart rate, and sleep consistency to generate a personalised Sleep Score each morning.
• Blood Oxygen (SpO?) – monitors blood oxygen levels throughout the day and helps users gain additional insight into overall wellness and recovery.
• Stress Monitoring & Mood Insights – using heart rate variability (HRV), physiological signals, and activity patterns, XBAND helps users understand how daily habits, work, exercise, and lifestyle affect stress levels.
• Glucose Trends – provides trend-based glucose insights throughout the day, helping users understand how meals, exercise, and lifestyle choices may affect energy levels.
• Blood Pressure Insights – track blood pressure changes during activity and recovery periods to better understand cardiovascular responses to exercise and daily stress.
• Women’s Health – dedicated wellness tracking features provide additional insights tailored to women’s health needs.

Again, I’m not going to review how things are measured or how the quality of measurement compares to professional devices! But from what I can see, it seems pretty comparable to most health trackers. Except you do not have to wear an additional strap without a wristwatch, and that, to me, seems like the unique selling point for the XBAND.

The verdict… For starters, when using the XBAND on one of my watches, it seems comparable to the health insights I get with the Oura Ring or Hume Band. So to me, I get more than enough information, and it’s all served in a clear way (something that does not go for all health trackers).

It’s a very good alternative for a Woop or Hume band, since you’re not wearing an additional strap on the wrist without your wristwatch. That to me is simply lovely. But there’s also a drawback or two… I know that not everyone wears their watch during the night, and for this device to be effective, you will need to wear it 24/7. Also, when you wear many watches (in rotation), it means you will have to change its strap every time. Changing the strap with the XBAND clasp is super easy, but it’s something you will have to do every time you want to wear another watch. Still, it beats those ugly Woop or Hume bands!

Pricing starts at USD $279 for the early birds. Check more details on the XBAND on the Kickstarter page.

Sponsored post: This article is sponsored by XBAND. However, it reflects the writer’s opinion and has been written in accordance with MONOCHROME’s editorial policy.