I Wore This Smart Watch To Bed & Felt More Well Rested Than Ever

It seems like smartwatches get smarter every day. Right now, one of the brainiest of the bunch is the Google Pixel 2 — an upgrade to the OG Google Pixel that debuted in 2022. I’ve been using it to track my workouts, step count, and sleep, and it’s helping me feel more in tune with myself.

In fact, the watch is on my wrist at this very moment, and without even diving into the specs, I have to say one of my fave features is the simple fact it shows off my health stats — like my step count and heart rate — at all times on a big, shiny, readable screen.

The Pixel 2 gathers this info using three futuristic sensors on the back of the watch, where it touches your wrist, so you get the most accurate data available. It then provides need-to-know info, like a heart rate graph that reminds you to ~relax~ and a Daily Readiness Score.

The Google Pixel Watch 2 has hundreds of positive reviews on Amazon, with most landing in the five-star range. Personally, I was most excited to have a state-of-the-art step counter to encourage me to reach my 10,000 daily step goal, as well as an accurate heart rate tracker for my workouts.

As a light snoozer, I was also keen on wearing this watch to bed to learn more about my sleep patterns as a way to improve them. Here’s what it was like to test the Google Pixel Watch 2 and my honest review of the product.

Fast Facts

• Price: $349.99 on the Google Store
• Best for: Tracking workouts, heart rate, sleep
• My rating: 4.5/5
• What I like: Sleek interface, easy to use, stats are accurate
• What I don't like: Not compatible with iPhone

What To Know About The Google Pixel Watch 2

The Pixel 2 is the upgraded version of the original Pixel watch. It comes with features like a multi-path heart rate sensor, which means the watch adjusts its readings depending on how hard you’re working out.

It further tracks your health stats using Google AI and multiple pulse-point angles to accurately take your heart rate, monitor your sleep, and provide you with that all-important Daily Readiness Score (basically how recovered you are after sleeping or exercising).

It also offers a Safety Check feature that allows you to set a timer in certain situations, like if you’re jogging in the morning or taking public transit at night. If you don’t check in with the watch once the timer goes off, it’ll alert your go-to emergency contacts and share your location.

The Pixel 2 has 24 hours of battery life, so you can track your steps and sleep all day long. It’s also waterproof, so you can wear it while you sweat, do laps in the pool, or run in the rain.

If you’re already familiar with the Fitbit app, then using the Pixel 2 will be a piece of cake. It connects to Fitbit to show all your metrics within the app, including your workout data and how many miles you’ve walked. There are charts, too, that reveal your weekly Activity levels, how active you were each hour of the day, and how well you slept.

You can also log other health stats, like how much water you drink, how often you meditate, and your menstrual cycle. Beyond that, the Pixel 2 allows you to do all the usual smartwatch tricks, like sending and receiving texts, checking your calendar, glancing at the weather, and more.

My Experience

As a long-time Fitbit Inspire 3 user, I was worried the much larger 41-mm face on the Google Pixel 2 would feel clunky on my wrist. Instead, it sat comfortably and looked sleek. The silicone band has notches that make it easy to adjust — though I am intrigued by Google’s stretch bands — and the watch face is low-profile and lightweight enough that I mostly forgot I had it on.

Setting it up was also a breeze, even as a diehard iPhone user. I had a Google Pixel 8a phone to pair with it for testing purposes and connected the watch, downloaded the accompanying Fitbit app, and navigated through the phone as if I’d had an Android all my life. (Good to note if you’re thinking about making the switch.) You’ll need both the Google Watch app and the Fitbit app, as the two work together to track your health stats.

Once you get everything connected the watch immediately walks you through how to use it. There’s a crown button that takes you back to the watch face, a side button above it that brings you to recently used apps, a left-right swipe feature that launches the “tiles” or features on the watch, a swipe down option takes you to settings, and a swipe up shows your notifications.

It also has a verbal command feature that allows you to talk to your wrist. This is ideal if you want to start tracking a workout without pausing to fumble with buttons.

Right away I fell in love with how easy this watch is to use. All the most important info stays lit on the home screen like a real watch, so you don’t have to tap or swipe through to see your stats. The home screen has the time, date, heart rate, and how many steps you’ve taken — though this screen is customizable, too. You can choose from different display styles and colors, add or remove apps, and hide certain features, like the heart rate monitor.

For me, having all the data in view helped me feel more in touch with myself as I went about my day. If my heart rate was creeping up I took that as my cue to relax, and I also felt more aware of my step count since I didn’t have to go digging for it, which inspired me to go for more walks. Like other smartwatches, the Google Pixel 2 also reminds you to get up and move when you’ve been sitting for too long.

Another fun perk? When I was out on one of my hot girl walks, the watch could tell on its own. It chimed and asked if I wanted to track my walk, and of course, I said yes. Unlike an Apple watch, which encourages you to close your rings throughout the day, the Pixel 2 uses a singular ring to show how many more steps you need to take to reach your goal. IMO, this setup felt more manageable than tracking standing, steps, and workouts in three different measurements.

Again, you can use the voice command to track a workout, but I just swiped left on my watch to start the tracking manually. Once I pressed Go, the app monitored my heart rate and other fitness stats, like my high-heart-rate Zone Minutes, the peak of my workout, my max BPM (beats per minute), and my average BPM. After my workout, the watch congratulated me and sent all the data to the Fitbit app for safekeeping.

As I was working out — in this case, I was doing a dance cardio routine — it was nice to be able to glance down and see how hard I was working in real-time. It even inspired me to push a little harder and get a little sweatier to snag a few more Zone Minutes.

While any smartwatch will keep you up-to-date with your heart rate, the Google Pixel 2’s design laid it all out in a way that made the most sense to me compared to other watches I’ve tried in the past. For instance, check out this cool heart rate monitor that shows the highs and lows of the day:

For a final test, I wore the watch to sleep, and I was happy to see that I actually got a lot more rest than expected. In the morning I checked the Fitbit app’s colorful sleep chart to see data proving I dropped off to dream land pretty much immediately after getting into bed. In my mind, it usually feels like I lie awake longer than that, so this was a big relief.

The chart also revealed that I had quite a few REM cycles, or dream cycles, throughout the night. As someone who often wakes up at night for what feels like hours, seeing that I got quite a bit of rest made me feel more confident that I was actually ready to take on the day.

The next night wasn’t as restful, as I saw that I had a fairly long wake-up around 3 a.m., but it reminded me about a sleep doctor I recently spoke to who said waking up in the middle of the night is common, especially if you have a stressed lifestyle. (Hint: this is me.) The best way to prevent a wake-up, she said, is by resetting your internal clock.

Cut to me following her sleep tips, which include spending more time outside to take in the sunlight, adding more evening strolls into my routine, and remembering to take 10-minute de-stressing breaks throughout the day. I’m hoping this will help me see even fewer midnight wake-ups in the future.

My Takeaway

Real talk? I am so into this watch. I’ve fallen for its easy-to-use design, including how it displays all my health stats on a big, readable screen.

Since strapping it on my wrist, I’ve definitely been taking more steps, paying more attention during my workouts, and remembering to put myself first when it comes to sleep.

I’m also a big fan of the fact it uses the Fitbit app, which is so easy to navigate. (It doesn’t hurt that the app sends you encouraging email updates to congratulate you on reaching your step count, either.) Catch me wearing this baby all summer long.