Type 1 Is an Apple Watch advisable?

[TRavenhall]

My 6 year old grandson was diagnosed type 1 in June this year, he has just had the Omnipod 5 fitted which comes with a hand held controller and he also had his phone which has his Dexcom 7 app on it. I was thinking, to make it easier for him, to get him an Apple Watch so that he doesn’t need to carry 2 devices around, would you recommend me getting the Apple Watch??

 

[Rachox]

I’m talking from a very different view point in that I’m a type 2 not on insulin. However I have just switched from a Libre to Dexcom because I wanted to have my readings on my Apple Watch. I use the Dexcom One +, an iPhone 14 Pro and and an Apple Watch 6 which all work well together. However the readout of glucose levels fail on my watch if it loses signal if I am away from my iPhone. I don’t know if this would be different if you got the Watch with its own data plan. So I don’t think this would solve your son’s situation, it may actually make it worse, as it would add another gadget to keep with him.

 

[EllieM]

I'm a dexcom user with a tandem pump and as dexcom have just told me that my 6 year old phone is about to become obsolete I've been investigatng the options.

Dexcom do indeed have a direct to watch facility for iphones and watches

What is Direct to Watch? | Dexcom

Direct to Watch connects the Dexcom G7 sensor directly to your Apple Watch* using Bluetooth. When Direct to Watch is active, your sensor sends CGM data right to your watch so you don’t need your phone† to see your glucose numbers.

www.dexcom.com

Dexcom Direct to Watch FAQs | Dexcom

Dexcom Direct to Watch connects the Dexcom G7 sensor directly to your Apple Watch* using Bluetooth. Get answers to all your questions on how it works.

www.dexcom.com

But you need to start each dexcom session on the phone so at the very least a parent would need to have an iphone.

(Disclaimer: this is just my understanding of the dexcom FAQs , I may have got it wrong.)

I am interested in this subject so would welcome input from others with experience of this system.

Tagging @Nicola M who knows about iphones and watches but is a libre user not a dexcom one.

 

[Nicola M]

I only ever used Libre on iPhone as I didn’t own an Apple Watch, although Apple doesn’t have a direct app for watches for the Libre.

From what I can see from @EllieM’s links the Direct to Apple Watch is the best option if you also want your son to be wearing a watch, it has to be started on a phone and then in settings select direct to Apple Watch and it’ll send the data to all devices no matter where any device is. As long as a parent with a compatible phone doesn’t mind starting the session on their iPhone I don’t see why he couldn’t also use an Apple Watch, it also gives that added protection of a parent being able to see his blood sugars at all times

 

[Taighnamona]

I use dexcom1+ with iPhone 13 and Iwatch. The readings on the watch are handy but it only works if the sensor is close to the phone. If I get too far away from my phone then I no longer get readings on either phone or watch until reconnection happens. If I leave home forgetting my phone then the watch doesn’t get readings on its own.

 

[Rachox]

Dexcom do indeed have a direct to watch facility for iphones and watches

Looks like the OP’s grandson may be ok with readings going direct from a Dexcom G7 as it has ‘direct to watch’ which the ONE + doesn’t have.