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There are two main types of vibrating alarm watches. Whilst there are a small variety of mechanical watches that let out a low pitch buzz coupled with vibration, these are extremely rare and vintage.
In modern day, if you want a watch that vibrates you have 2 real choices, either a smartwatch or a digital watch with a vibrating alarm. In terms of practicality, a smartwatch will offer you a lot more things in everyday life such as easy payments, the ability to take calls and various other apps based on your interests. Digital watches on the other hand are typically more rugged and based around timekeeping. They also cost significantly less than smartwatches.
The article below outlines the best vibrating alarm watches and any questions you may have concerning their usefulness and functionality in everyday life.
Table of Contents
Do Vibrating Alarm Watches Work?
Yes, but it depends on the setting you are using them in. If you are using a vibrating timer watch at work, you will easily notice that your wrist is being alerted whilst your doing your desk job.
The main issue when a vibrating watch would not work is if you are both a heavy and inconsistent sleeper. If your body does not know a rough time estimate of when you should ideally wake up, it is possible that you will sleep through a vibrational alarm. However, when combined with a solid sleep schedule, a vibrating alarm should be enough to wake you up.
Which Smartwatch Has The Strongest Vibration?
Interestingly enough, there is no real correlation between the cost of smartwatches and how strong their vibration is. The same can be said for cost. Almost all smartwatches come equipped with a vibrating alarm function, however, some manufacturers seem to have decided on making a much stronger vibration than others. Apple smartwatches for example have a notoriously weak vibrate function.
The three best smartwatches with the strongest vibration alarm are:
These 3 smartwatches have very strong vibrational alarms – you are very unlikely to sleep through any of these models vibrations.
Reasons You May Need A Watch With A Vibration Alarm
Heavy Sleeper
If you are a heavy sleeper than you may find a conventional alarm clock either annoying or completely useless. On the other hand, vibrating alarm wristwatches offer a slightly different way of waking you up. You no longer have to rely on your ears or risk disturbing someone else in the bed with you. If you are wearing your watch on the hand furthest away from your husband or wife, then they shouldn’t really notice the alarm go off – especially in comparison to a sound alarm.
One key point to make is that if you are a heavy sleeper who is not on a set schedule – a vibrating alarm watch will not be of much use to you. Ideally, you should use a vibrational alarm watch in conjunction with a set sleep schedule. This way your body will be more conditioned to waking up when the alarm signals it, rather than just sleeping straight through it.
Discrete
Watches with silent alarms are a lot more discrete than something which everyone can hear. If you have a job that needs alarms such as being in a medical practice or law office, you may need several alerts per day. This is not to say that people are immediately going to become annoyed by the fact that you have a watch making a noise every few hours, but if you’re working with people every day, it is a little more considerate to get a watch that doesn’t make a noise.
This can be especially useful if you’re around customers or important clients. Some people may find it inconsiderate if an alarm goes off in the middle of a meeting. However, if the alarm is completely silent, they may not notice at all, or at the very least may just think somebody is messaging your phone.
Sound Sensitivity or Deafness
Some people are very sensitive to sound and can feel physical pain from loud noises. This makes a regular alarm pretty much useless. Others find sounds annoying and it can make them feel angry and irritable. If you identify in one of these groups, it is pretty much a no brainer to get a watch with a vibrating alarm, rather than something which irritates you.
Secondly, if you are deaf, a sound alarm can be 100% useless. This is something that simply does not work well for you. Vibrating watches are a great alternative since they do exactly the same job, but use a different sense to alert you.
The Best Vibrating Alarm Watches
Garmin Instinct
Although the Garmin instinct is reasonably expensive, it does have a lot more features than most smartwatches and is far superior to standard digital watches. If you just want a watch that wakes you up by vibrating alarm, then there are a lot of other choices which are much cheaper. However, if you’re going to wear your watch every day, it may as well be something you’re going to get use out of for multiple activities.
In terms of vibration alert strength, the Instinct is a true 10/10 and has the best chance of waking you up compared to almost any other watch.
Casio Vibration Alarm W735H-1AVCF – Budget Choice
If you’re looking for the best value vibrating alarm watch, look no further. As you will know, Casio is an extremely durable brand and makes quality watches. They are not the best watchmaker in the world and sometimes make bulky and ugly watches. However, their reputation speaks for itself. They are super durable and will last a long time.
As you will see in big letters above the LCD display, this is a vibrating timer watch and has multiple settings such as calendar and 2 time zones. Although this does not have the strongest vibration, it is certainly the best value for money vibrational watch and is suitable for even the smallest of budgets.
Amazfit T-Rex
The Amazfit T-Rex is great for those who are interested in getting a smartwatch for sports. Of course if your main purpose is simply a vibration alarm watch, there are much cheaper and more suitable options. However, if you are active, this budget smartwatch is considerably cheaper than branded smartwatches such as Garmin, Samsung and Suunto.
Another selling point is that along with the Garmin Instinct, the T-Rex is up there in terms of high intensity vibration. It has a huge amount of extra features which you may or may not use depending on your lifestyle, such as GPS, email, and the ability to be worn whilst swimming.
Timex Expedition XL
The expedition is the most rugged and best value for money in the series of Timex vibrating alarm watches. This Japanese brand is well known for making durable watches for sports such as hiking and running, rivaling Casio in terms of toughness.
In all honesty, the vibration strength in this watch is not too strong, so I would certainly not recommend it for waking you up. However, if you’re just using it for a timer throughout the day it is 100% fit for purpose. It is likely that this watch was designed with that in mind as the instruction manual lists this watch as having a hydration timer reminder, which is helpful for those who forget to drink enough water during the day.
Fitbit Versa 2
One of the best ever selling smartwatches is the Fitbit Versa. This watch is well renowned for its reasonable price, GPS, fitness trackers, sleep monitor and HRM. Overall, this is the ultimate fitness watch and is available in a variety of colors to make it look as feminine, or masculine as you choose.
The good thing about the Versa is that you’re able to change the vibration levels in the settings of this smartwatch. This makes it appropriate for those who want something to wake them up, as well as those who want small reminders during the day. Its strong and weak vibration setting allow for both tasks to be completed easily.
Samsung Galaxy 3
This unisex model is, unfortunately, one of the only choices for a women’s vibrating alarm watch. I am not really too sure why most of these watches are marketed towards men, but it is difficult to find a digital watch for women, with smartwatches being the only real choice.
Available in a variety of colors, the Samsung Galaxy 3 is clearly not just designed to be an alarm clock, it has a sleep tracker, fitness apps, the ability to make and receive phone calls, as well as Samsung pay which allows you to leave your wallet or purse at home. Overall this is an expensive choice for a vibrational alarm watch, but if you’re going to use the other functions it’s well worth the money.
