Huawei Band 8 : Scientific Review

Summary

The Huawei Band 8 offers strong heart rate tracking at an affordable price but falls short in sleep stage tracking. While it accurately detects sleep onset and wake times, it struggles with identifying short awake moments and the various sleep stages. Compared to other devices like Apple Watches and Fitbits, the Huawei Band 8 ranks lower in sleep tracking accuracy. Despite these drawbacks, it remains a solid option for fitness-focused users looking for budget-friendly heart rate monitoring, receiving an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Huawei Band 8 excels in heart rate tracking, delivering good accuracy compared to other devices.
• 😀 The sleep stage tracking on the Huawei Band 8 is unreliable, with poor detection of deep sleep, light sleep, REM, and awake time.
• 😀 The Huawei Band 8 performed poorly in sleep stage tracking when compared to an EEG device, with significant discrepancies in sleep stage detection.
• 😀 The sleep stage tracking was inconsistent between two different Huawei Band 8 devices tested, reinforcing concerns about its reliability.
• 😀 Sleep stage tracking results showed low agreement between the two Band 8 devices, with less than 50% agreement on deep and light sleep stages.
• 😀 The Huawei Band 8 falls behind in sleep stage tracking compared to top devices like Apple Watches and Fitbit models, which show better performance.
• 😀 The device is limited in the U.S. due to Huawei’s restrictions, lacking access to Google services and requiring users to install Huawei's own app store for full functionality.
• 😀 Despite its strong heart rate tracking, the Huawei Band 8 does not perform well in sleep stage tracking, making it less suitable for users who prioritize sleep data.
• 😀 Huawei Band 8 offers good heart rate monitoring on a budget, but the overall package is compromised by its poor sleep stage tracking.
• 😀 The reviewer gave the Huawei Band 8 a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars, citing the heart rate tracking as its strength but sleep stage tracking as its major weakness.
• 😀 Users should not rely on the Huawei Band 8 for sleep stage tracking but may find it useful for basic heart rate monitoring during workouts.

Q & A

What is the main strength of the Huawei Band 8 as highlighted in the review?

The main strength of the Huawei Band 8 is its heart rate tracking. It performs well during workouts, providing accurate readings that are praised for being consistent and reliable at a budget-friendly price.

How does the Huawei Band 8 perform in terms of sleep stage tracking?

The Huawei Band 8 performs poorly in sleep stage tracking. The review highlights significant discrepancies between the device's readings and those from an EEG device, showing low agreement in detecting different sleep stages like deep sleep, light sleep, and REM sleep.

What is the agreement percentage between the Huawei Band 8 and the EEG device for detecting sleep stages?

The agreement between the Huawei Band 8 and the EEG device is about 88% for detecting awake moments, but the actual sleep stages show much lower agreement, with deep sleep and light sleep tracking at only around 50%, and REM sleep at about 42%.

How does the Huawei Band 8 compare to other devices in terms of sleep stage tracking accuracy?

The Huawei Band 8 performs worse than many other devices like the Apple Watch, Fitbit, and Whoop Strap. When compared to other sleep trackers, it is closer to the performance of older Huawei devices and some Galaxy watches, but overall, it is not considered reliable for sleep stage tracking.

What issues were found in the sleep stage tracking when comparing two Huawei Band 8 devices?

When comparing two Huawei Band 8 devices, there was only about 52% agreement on deep sleep, 50% on light sleep, and just 42% on REM sleep. Additionally, the awake moments detected by the two devices did not align, further confirming the inconsistency in sleep tracking.

What is the reviewer’s overall rating for the Huawei Band 8, and why?

The reviewer gives the Huawei Band 8 a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. The Band 8's good heart rate tracking is appreciated, but its poor performance in sleep stage tracking and other functional limitations prevent it from receiving a higher rating.

What limitations did the reviewer face while testing the Huawei Band 8?

The reviewer faced limitations in their testing, such as only testing the Huawei Band 8 on themselves, which might affect the device's performance on different users. They also received a limited data export from Huawei, and future firmware updates might impact the results.

What concerns are raised about Huawei’s availability and functionality in the U.S.?

Huawei faces restrictions in the U.S., meaning the Band 8 does not have access to Google services. This can affect the overall functionality of the device, and users might need to install Huawei’s own app store. Additionally, acquiring the device in the U.S. could be more challenging.

Is the Huawei Band 8 suitable for someone primarily interested in sleep tracking?

No, the Huawei Band 8 is not suitable for someone whose primary interest is sleep tracking, as its performance in this area is poor. It is better suited for users looking to track heart rate during workouts, but it is not a reliable choice for accurate sleep stage tracking.

What alternatives does the reviewer suggest for users seeking better sleep tracking?

The reviewer suggests considering alternatives like the Apple Watch Series 7, 8, or Ultra, which offer much better sleep stage tracking. Other options mentioned include Fitbit, Whoop Strap, and the WETTING Sleep Analyzer, all of which provide better performance compared to the Huawei Band 8.