Smartwatches with fall detection: safety on your wrist

A few years ago it was still an innovation, but now the function is widespread: the automatic fall detection in the smartwatch. The safety feature is useful for all users should an accident occur. But fall detection can save lives, especially for older people or people with physical disabilities.

The way it works is similar for most smartwatch models: If the watch uses the acceleration sensors to detect a serious fall, it gives a signal and asks whether everything is OK. If the person does not react after a set period of 30 to 60 seconds or no further movements are detected, an emergency call is automatically made.

In the following table you can see smartwatch models from our test in different price ranges. All have fall detection. But if you’re only interested in function, you don’t have to go for the expensive top model, but you can opt for a cheaper alternative. In the table you will find a link to the test reports for each product. We will then go into fall detection in more detail.

How does fall detection work on smartwatches?

The SOS message can be sent in three ways: If the smartwatch does not have it itself Cellularthe paired cell phone must be within range and the emergency call will be made from there. Watches with eSIM functionality can also do this without a smartphone. In addition, some more expensive models have the option of transmitting an SOS signal via satellite radio.

With an automatic emergency call, the emergency services are usually notified by telephone. One pre-written voice message informs them of the fall and the coordinates are given or sent via text message. To do this, location sharing must be activated in the smartwatch app. Depending on the model, you can select additional options there.

The smartwatch often also allows saving own emergency contactsso that they are informed about the incident via a notification. If you have fallen but it is not an emergency, you can stop the SOS message by tapping the display. Especially when doing sports, the smartwatch may detect “serious falls” that aren’t serious falls at all.

The current smartwatches from almost all major manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung, Google and Xiaomi now have fall detection. However, older models from Huawei, Mobvoi or Amazfit from previous years may not yet have this function. In our smartwatch leaderboard we indicate whether fall detection is available or not.