This Mama Loves her New Apple Watch

Who hasn’t jumped on the Apple Watch trend yet? As a special treat for presidents day, we treated ourselves to brand new Apple Watches, and holy moly I am completely obsessed. It is the perfect balance of durable and fashionable, and is great for on the go, at the gym, or at home. Plus it matches every outfit from athleisure to date night. It can be super simple if you just want it for the time and some notifications, or you can go all tech an integrate it for work. Seriously, everyone (re: every mom) needs to snag an Apple Watch. It is worth the investment.

So before we delve into how much I already love this watch, my favorite apps, and the accessories I’ve already snagged for it, let’s back up a minute and discuss something important. It is called an Apple Watch, not an iWatch. If you call it an iWatch, your iPhone will not autocorrect the lowercase i and capital W (like it does for iPhone) and you will feel stupid. Then you will feel even more stupid when you realize you’ve been calling it by the wrong name all this time. Trust me. Why is it the Apple Watch instead of the iWatch, when Apple tried so hard to brand the little “i” brand? I have no idea. But it is what it is, and it is an Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch, Straight From the Box

As always, Apple has the innovative packaging with branding on point. Long white box that slides open. Inner box that welcomes the new owner with sleek proudly made in California. Even the instructions are in an elongated booklet. Why? Because it’s different than everyone else. Branding sets a product apart, and makes it a memorable experience.

Syncing to an iPhone was instant. As soon as I typed the code in, the phone found the watch. It did take a few minutes to actually set up, but the install allowed us to still use the phone while it worked in the background. We did not try syncing to an android, but that’s because we are a split alliance family. Apple won today.

The Apple Watch comes with two band options, both in the same color, but different sizes. I ended up switching the band to the smaller size, which is as simple as taping a button and sliding off. Jonathan the default large band. Also unique, the strap tail tucks into the watch itself instead of flapping or sliding into a loop that moves. I have lost two of those loops on my Garmin Forerunner, ultimately causing the tail to curl up and rip the holes. A big pain in the peach.

Awesome Apps for Apple Watch

The Apple Watch comes with some watch exclusive apps (like Activity and Breathe, and a heart rate alert app), but all other watch compatible apps on your phone will automatically sync! I was pleasantly surprised to find apps like Pokémon Go, Audible, and my home security app (I can open my garage door or set my alarm right from my watch). Many apps would have never thought to be compatible, but they have a unique browsing experience.

These auto-sync apps are actually optimized great for the tiny screen- it’s not just the mobile app smaller, they are completely reformatted.

Pro Tip: go into notification settings on the Apple Watch app and turn off most of the notifications on the watch. Otherwise your wrist will be blowing up for everything, even when your phone is right there.

Health App

You will absolutely want to set up your Health app in your phone, and make sure that your Apple Watch is synched. This will allow your watch to synchronise your activities and compile pretty extensive sets of data. It figures out more than just your Move, Exercise, and Stand rings (hang tight for info on that).

Your Apple Watch can track so many wellness stats based on how your hand swings as you walk. It can learn to recognize your double support time (when walking, what percent of the time both feet are on the ground), your step length, and even if you favor one leg while you walk.

It also tracks details about your heart, like resting heart rate and variability. There is the option to turn on a notification if your heart begins to act abnormal, and this could actually save lives.

Activity (rings) App

Per the fitness goal set, Apple Watches encourage users to focus on three categories: Move, Exercise, and Stand.

The last (Stand) is easiest to understand, and the same or everyone. The goal is to stand for a minimum amount of time, at least once for twelve hours in a day.

The Move ring is based on calories burned through movement. This is not limited to movement from exercise. Remember that this calorie tracker is an estimate. Don’t use it for serious nutritional purposes, but only for a broad estimate. As you reach your Move goal, your Watch will give you a new suggestion, or you can manually edit your goal as well.

The final ring is Exercise, which is 30 minutes of dedicated movement. Sometimes your watch will pick up a minute or two throughout the day if you have an elevated heart rate. But ultimately you will need to intentionally seek this ring out/.

Be sure to check out the ring challenges, including a monthly challenge, by swiping twice to the right in your Rings app. The challenges are fun and will push you to try something new.

Camera Clicker

Have you ever had a hard time propping your phone up for a picture, and your arms just aren’t long enough for a selfie? The Apple Watch can be used to click your camera. Simply open the camera app on your watch, set the timer for 3 seconds, then look at yourself through the screen. When ready, tap the shutter. You can even check out your photos right from your watch, instead of jumping from your place to check your phone after using a timer.

Music Controls

Super simple but still convenient, if your watch is synced to your music streaming device you can control it from your watch. If you have an Amazon Echo, it might not be necessary. But it is incredibly convenient at the gym. You can leave your phone in your locker and (as long as you stay in range) control your playlist while working out.

Apple Watch Faces

One of my initial main reasons for wanting a smart watch instead of a regular is the ability to have a digital face. I can tell time on an analog clock, don’t worry. I just prefer the ability to look down and know what time it is without deciphering which hand is where. Maybe I’m lazy, maybe I’m a millennial. Whatever the reason, I wanted a digital face. Jonathan prefers analog. The Apple Watch accommodates us both.

Every watch face is highly customizable. You can choose what content goes in each widget, and even the color of the text. I’m all about purple, so I chose a lot of purple font. But it doesn’t stop there… spoiler alert: each of the face options remain available with a quick swipe. Which means you could customize them all and have multiple different home screens throughout the day without swapping settings. Plus, you can download new screens. Or use a picture from your gallery. On the flip side, if there is a screen that won’t get used, you’re able to remove it completely from the watch. Keep the watch faces that you will use, and ditch the rest.

The Activity face is my preferred evening face, which is when I’m usually at the gym. That gives me the time, and the progress on my rings, at a glance.

I kept the Siri face and Minnie Mouse (with a purple dress, obviously), but they don’t get seen much. I ditched the rest.

Choosing an Apple Watch

Like any Apple product, the most cost effective option is choosing a previous generation. We purchased the Series 3 GPS, which doesn’t contain cellular data. This saved a substantial amount of money, however in hindsight the cellular data means the ability to leave your phone home while running errands. It also means added safety when out running.

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There are many watches series on the market are 3, 4, and 5. Like I’ve said, I absolutely adore my 3, and the 38mm leaves nothing to be desired. A bigger screen is absolutely not necessary, and completely a preference. However, the Series 5 has operating system updates that are significantly improved from the 3 and 4. So while we went the economic route with the smaller Series 3, you may want to grab a Series 5. Anecdotal research says that the odd numbered series have the better updates, but there may not be any fact to that.

Consider the screen size and whether or not you want cellular data, then chose the watch in your budget.

Finally… the Apple Watch Accessories

A watch is an accessory, so how does it have accessories? Easy- the Apple Watch can be personalized or spruced up to give you its own style.

I snagged a bunch of watch replacement bands on Amazon, but a year later they are readily available in Target! Although the Series 3 only comes in black and white, the series 4 and 5 are available in a variety of colors, so watch replacement bands may not be necessary. Changing the watch bands is the easiest way to personalize. The solid colored silicone bands are awesome, but sometimes it takes away from a night on the town with a gym watch vibe. Thankfully there are exciting prints, leather, and metal bands available. There is no excuse for your watch not to match your outfit. As soon as I had the Apple Watch on my wrist I was hunting for accessories.

Shop: Slim Sport Band | Breathable Silicone Band | Dangle Chain | Chain Link

Initially we bought a protective case. There are so many different screen protectors, but a case will keep the sides from getting scratched or nicked as well. We found a cheap two pack, so we each got one! It didn’t interfere with the touch screen at all, but it did hold some sweat, so we quickly tossed it for a screen protector instead.

Shop: Bumper Case

Of course there are practical accessories as well, like charging docks. Completely optional, your watch can definitely charge on the kitchen counter. Or prop it as an alarm clock on your bedside stand!

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Do you have (and absolutely love) your Apple Watch? Let me know! And also let me know if you snag any of these great accessories!

(Originally Published 2/22/19 but Updated for new content on 1/20/21)