Why (and How) to Wear Apple Watch on Your Ankle
The Apple Watch and other smartwatches are designed to be worn on the wrist. But why not wear it elsewhere? I’ve worn my Apple Watch on my ankle to keep it out of the way during weight training, and it’s also a common place for people who walk while working or who have a job or hobby that’s incompatible with wearing the watch all the time. So how do you do it, why can you do it, and is the data really that accurate? Here’s what you need to know.
How to wear Apple Watch on your ankle
Let’s get the “how” out of the way first. If you have small feet (and ankles), you can just wear a regular ankle bracelet. I find that with the sport loop (Velcro) I can loosen it all the way and barely have time to get it on my leg.
However, it is easier to detach one end of the bracelet from the watch. Wrap it around your ankle and then fasten the strap. You’ll still need a little bit of strap length to accommodate the velcro, but that’s fine by me (and it’s a lot easier than taking off your shoes).
However, there is an even easier way: buy yourself a very long strap that fits easily around your ankle . (You can also wear it on your bicep if you prefer.)
Why do people wear Apple Watch on their ankle?
There are two types of people in this world: those who hear about ankle straps and ask, “Why?” (or “doesn’t this look like an ankle monitor?” which no, it doesn’t ) and those who go “of course” because they either do it themselves or see the usefulness right away. Here are some of the most common reasons:
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For counting steps when your arms are not moving , such as if you walk on a treadmill while working or do most of your steps while pushing a stroller or cart.
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To keep your watch out of the way during activities like boxing (where you may be wearing bands or gloves) or kettlebell training (where the weight is often resting on your wrist).
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Observe rules not to wear watches at work – for example, surgeons or factory workers who need to keep their wrists unadorned.
Sure, you could solve some of these problems with another device like Whoop, but why pay for a subscription when you can just buy an ankle strap for the smartwatch you already own? For exercise, I’d say using a chest strap to monitor your heart rate is best, but I’m no smartwatch cop. You do what you like.
How well does the Apple Watch count steps when worn on the ankle?
To answer this question, I ran several tests. I walked on the treadmill for three minutes per test at 3 miles per hour (normal walking pace). I had an Apple Watch Series 10 on either my left wrist or left ankle, and for comparison, a Garmin Forerunner 265S on my right, connected to a chest strap.
I counted my steps the old fashioned way (“one, two, three…”) and learned that at this pace I usually take 105–110 steps per minute. Here’s what I got from my devices:
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I’m walking normally, arms swinging at my sides : 320 steps on Apple Watch, 322 on Garmin.
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Walking with your hands on the treadmill handlebars in front of you : 318 steps on Apple Watch, 0(!) on Garmin.
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Apple Watch on inner ankle : 326 steps on Apple Watch, 326 on Garmin (note: this position on the ankle was quite uncomfortable).
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Apple Watch on the outside of the ankle : 315 steps on Apple Watch, 308 on Garmin
The Apple Watch showed almost the same number of steps in all tests, wrist and ankle, which surprised me. I was also surprised that Garmin didn’t count any test results when my hands were on the handlebars.
While this is the result I got with the nice new Apple Watch Series 10, it’s possible that older models and other watch brands might not be as good at picking up steps while your hands aren’t moving, or that it might depend on what exactly you’re doing—typing, for example, rather than just resting.
How accurate is the Apple Watch for measuring heart rate when worn on the ankle?
When it came to heart rate, the story was a little different. The sensor seems to have a hard time making good contact with the skin when worn on a body part as uneven and moving as the ankle. I noticed this by accident – it was an issue during those kettlebell workouts I did before I got the chest strap – so I decided to check it out here as well.
And I did find that the ankle watch didn’t record my heart rate accurately. My tests were too short to provide conclusive results, but on my wrist, the watch’s heart rate varied normally, more or less matching the chest strap. On the ankle I tended to get flat readings, seemingly without any consistent connection to the chest strap. I wouldn’t recommend relying on heart rate data from an Apple Watch worn on the ankle, although frankly, anyone who cares about accuracy should already invest in a chest strap . The $25 Coospo does the job just fine.