suggestions for RUGGED recording pulse oximeter

[car54]

In about a month I have some major landscaping to do, MY LAST HURRAH ! I'll do it before my body gets worse. It involves all hand work, digging, wheel barrowing fill out, wheelbarrowing gravel in and setting 6 x 6 timbers.

My problem is my lungs. I have copd, emphysema and asthma. I can work at a steady pace but once I go over that, I get extremely short of breath, coughing and gagging. Every time I go to my pulmonologist my O2 is good.

 I am looking for a rugged wrist pulse oximeter that can record while I am working so that I can show my doctor. I have a finger oximeter but it won't record if I am moving too much. I also have exercised induced high blood pressure and if that could be recorded it would be a bonus.

I would like something not grossly expensive

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks much, car54

[Sleeprider]

If you are financially able to delegate this chore, please do. Landscape labor is relatively inexpensive and available. It might cost less than the fitness watch. The Apple Watch 6 is excellent, provides, pulse, SpO2 and EKG but will cost $400. Garmin costs half as much and does a good tracking of activity and pulse rate, but no oxygen or EKG. A true pulse oximeter is not amenable to wearing during that kind of work.

[kappa]

There is a broad range of Garmin devices, some cheaper and some more expensive than the Apple watch. Many of these devices have SpO2 measurement, particlarly most recent models. Same for Fitbit and other brands.

Reading the Apple watch docs it will only do background measurement when you are not moving, and to take a regular spot measurement you should remain still with wrist flat and watch facing up. Similarly Garmin reduces the frequency of SpO2 measurement when you are active. I think that the reflective SpO2 measurements are much more sensitive/challenged by movement compared to transmission style finger sensors, which aren't designed for when you're moving about either.

I experimented with my Wellue SleepU sensor taped to my little finger on my non-dominant hand - it slides down the finger rather than being a cap over the finger tip, so it's fairly non-intrusive, and I can wear it under garden/rigging gloves. It periodically stops reporting SpO2 and pulse when I'm moving around and doing stuff in the garden, although it will continuously try to get a steady signal so if you pause for 30s or so it will probably get back in sync.

[car54]

So it looks like there is not a good product that works while you are actively moving, which is good to know.  I will use what I have and I'll just have to stop to take a reading.

Sleeprider, I will look into getting some laborer's for the grunt work. Your suggestion is appreciated.

Thanks for the replies, car54

[staceyburke]

I don’t do a lot of labor but I do wear a o2 monitor at night and once a month during the day. The cms 50f is around 100$ and records for 10+ hours (as long as I have used it). It has worked for me. Gives O2 and pluse rate only.

[Crimson Nape]

I'm basing this post on being the owner of 2 CMS-50s (both an E and I model) and a Wellue SleepU.  While not designed for exercise, the Wellue SleepU would seem to be one of the better choices.  The SleepU's electronics are attached to the wrist, reducing the heavy shock that the O2Ring version would endure.   The sensing probe attaches to the base of a digit and not on the end of a digit like the CMS-50 series.   The sensing probe's design also allows for a more positive connection than the fingertip sensor.  The Wellue models limit a maximum session time to 10-hours, but will start a new recording session if you run over this time limit.  For my experience with the Wellue,  it will basically hibernate during extreme motion, but will come back online when it senses its normalcy.

If you decide to purchase a Wellue, search the internet for discount coupons.  There is usually one or two that are active.

- Red