Healthcare Discovery Testing Labs · For wearable and home health device makers
Get your device tested by real people, across three age groups, with checks matched to what it claims.
The Healthcare Discovery Testing Labs Device Evaluation Program puts your device on the wrists, fingers and nightstands of testers in their 20s, their 40s and over 65 for six weeks, checks the claims we can verify, and publishes what we find for readers who are comparing devices before they buy.
The verdict is never for sale.
- Why submit
- How testing works
- What the fee covers
- Independence
- Tester privacy
- Tested badge
- Data licensing
- Referral partners
- FAQ
- Apply
Why manufacturers submit
Spec sheets and launch videos do not answer the questions buyers actually ask. Our evaluations do, in public, with the method shown.
Reviewed where buyers decide
Our wearable reviews are written for people comparing price, battery life, subscription cost and HSA or FSA eligibility before they buy. An evaluation puts your device in that comparison with real results behind it.
Real people, not a lab bench
Testers in three age groups wear the device through work, training, sleep and daily routines. You learn how it performs for a 25 year old athlete and for a 70 year old setting it up alone.
Claims checked against evidence
Every health claim is graded against published research using our HYPE Index, so readers can see which features are proven, which are promising and which are still marketing.
A result you can cite
A published evaluation, and the Tested badge if your device earns it, is a third party record you can point clinics, employers and benefits buyers to.
Good fits: smart rings, smartwatches, fitness bands, chest straps and patches, consumer continuous glucose monitors, blood pressure monitors, sleep devices and smart scales. Not a fit: devices that need a prescription to use, implantables, and anything a healthy adult cannot wear safely without clinical supervision.
How the evaluation works
Methodology version 1.0. Any change to this method is posted on this page before it applies to a device.
- Apply and intakeSend the form below. We confirm fit, the claims to test, units, sizes and timing, then sign a short evaluation agreement.
- Panel assignedAt least two testers per age group, with a range of skin tones and wrist or finger sizes, because optical sensors can read differently across skin tones and fits.
- Six weeks of daily wearEach tester wears the device day and night under their normal routine and logs setup, comfort, charging and anything that goes wrong.
- Checks matched to your deviceWe only check measures your device claims, and only against a reference we trust. The checks for your device are agreed in writing at intake. See the tables below.
- Scored and writtenResults are scored on the same rubric used for every device in the category and written up by our editorial team, with results shown by age group.
- Published with disclosureThe review goes live with a clear note that the device was supplied through this program. We update it after major firmware or hardware changes.
Three age groups, three different jobs to do
Active and training
- Heart rate during training
- Training load and recovery scores
- Sleep after late nights and travel
- Durability, water and sweat
Busy and tracking trends
- Sleep, stress and heart rate variability
- Accuracy at rest and while walking
- Whether insights change behavior
- Subscription value over time
Independent and safety minded
- Setup without help
- Screen and app readability
- All day comfort and charging routine
- Fall and irregular rhythm alerts, where offered
What we measure and how
Every device gets the core checks. Sensor checks depend on the type of device and on what it claims. Anything we have no reference for is reported as the tester experience, not as accuracy.
Core checks for every device
| Check | How we do it |
|---|---|
| Wear and comfort | Daily tester logs over six weeks, including fit, skin irritation and adhesion where it applies. |
| Battery and charging | Real battery life under each tester’s routine, compared with the claimed figure. |
| Setup and app | Time to first reading, readability, alerts, and whether data can be exported. |
| Cost of ownership | Device price plus any subscription over two years, and HSA or FSA eligibility. |
| Privacy | Data sharing defaults, account deletion and data export. |
| Evidence | Published studies on the device or its sensor, graded with the HYPE Index. |
Sensor checks by device type
| Device type | What we check |
|---|---|
| Smartwatches, fitness bands and smart rings | Heart rate against a chest strap reference at rest and while walking. Steps on counted walks of a known distance. Sleep and wake times against tester sleep diaries. Blood oxygen spot checks against a fingertip pulse oximeter, only when the device claims it. |
| Chest straps and heart rate patches | Heart rate against a second chest strap reference at rest and while walking. |
| Sleep trackers | Sleep and wake times against tester sleep diaries. This is not a sleep lab study, and we say so. |
| Skin and temperature trackers | Wear, comfort and how the trends are presented. We do not verify readings we have no reference for. |
| Blood pressure monitors | Readings against a validated upper arm cuff, when the device claims blood pressure. |
| Smart scales | Weight against a reference scale. Body composition figures are reported, not verified. |
| Consumer continuous glucose monitors | No glucose accuracy testing. We report wear, adhesion, app, alerts and cost, and cite the maker’s published accuracy data as the maker’s. |
We do not measure glucose for any device, and we never test a measure your device does not claim.
This is a structured hands on evaluation. It is not a clinical trial, a validation study or an FDA review, and every published result says so.
What the fee covers, and what it never buys
The evaluation takes real tester time, reference equipment and editorial work. The fee pays for that work. It is the same whether your device scores well or poorly.
The fee covers
- Tester recruitment and stipends across three age groups
- Reference checks for the measures agreed at intake
- Six weeks of coordination and data collection
- Analysis, scoring and editorial write up
- Photography and publication
- An update after a major firmware or hardware change within 12 months
The fee never buys
- A positive verdict or a higher score
- A preview of the review before it publishes
- Approval rights over wording
- Removal of a published review
- Placement above other devices in rankings or comparisons
- A Tested badge the device did not earn
Standard evaluation fee: $1,000 Waived for our 2026 founding cohort
Founding cohort devices go through the same six week evaluation, scoring and publication as every other device. Choose how you send units:
Provide units to keep
- Fee waived
- First in the testing queue
- Devices join our reference library for follow up retests and year over year comparisons
Loan units
- Fee waived
- Units returned after the six week test
- You cover return shipping
- Loan slots are limited
Either way: send enough units for testers in each age group, and every review discloses that the device was supplied by the manufacturer.
Once testing starts, results publish as found. When a fee applies, it is not refunded based on the result. You can flag factual errors such as a price, spec or firmware version after publication, and you can send a short written response that we publish beneath the review.
Disclosure and independence
Readers trust our reviews because nobody can buy the outcome. This program is built to keep it that way.
Every review is labeled
Each program review carries a disclosure at the top, before any rating, in line with the FTC Endorsement Guides and our published Disclosures.
No preview, no approval
Manufacturers never see a review before it goes live and have no input on scores or wording. We confirm specs and prices with you during intake, not after testing.
One rubric for everyone
Program devices are scored on the same rubric as devices we evaluate outside the program, and comparisons say which is which.
Tester health data stays private
Testers are volunteers sharing real health readings. We treat that data as theirs.
Written consent first
Every tester signs a written consent before testing and can stop at any time without giving a reason.
Kept off the site
Individual readings never appear on the site and are never given to the manufacturer without that tester’s separate written consent. We publish group results by age band only.
No names, limited retention
Testers are described by age band, not by name. Raw data is stored securely and deleted 12 months after publication, unless a tester agrees in writing to a follow up.
Not medical care
We do not interpret anyone’s health readings. If a device shows a worrying result, the tester is told to talk with their own clinician.
The Healthcare Discovery Labs Tested badge
Devices that meet the thresholds for their category, set out in writing at intake, can license the badge for packaging, product pages and sales materials.
- Earned only by meeting the category thresholds. It cannot be bought on its own.
- Tied to the exact model and firmware we tested.
- Licensed for 12 months, renewed with a retest after major changes.
- Must link to the published review wherever it appears.
- Cannot be used to suggest FDA clearance, a medical endorsement or clinical proof.
- We can withdraw it if a retest fails or the badge is misused.
Device data licensing
Clinics, employer wellness programs, benefits brokers and HSA or FSA administrators need clean, comparable device data. We license it.
What is included
- Specs, price and subscription cost
- HSA and FSA eligibility
- FDA and regulatory status
- Evidence grades
- Evaluation results by age group
How it is delivered
- Spreadsheet or data feed
- Refreshed quarterly
- Comparison views by category and use case
What it never includes
- Any tester’s personal or health data
- Paid changes: manufacturers can submit documented corrections, never buy a data point
Referral partnerships
Some readers want more than a device. They want a remote monitoring program, a continuous glucose monitor program or a home sleep test. We connect them, only when they ask.
Who we work with
Remote patient monitoring providers, CGM programs and home sleep testing providers that pass the same editorial standards as everything we cover.
How it works
Readers choose to be connected and choose the provider. We send only what they decide to share, to that one provider. Partners pay for qualified referrals as defined in a written agreement.
What does not change
Partner links are labeled. A referral agreement never changes a ranking, a review or a recommendation, and partner terms are reviewed by healthcare counsel before they start.
FAQ
Can we pay more for a better score?
No. Every manufacturer pays the same fee for the same category of work, and no fee changes a score, a verdict or a ranking.
Can we see the review before it goes live?
No. We confirm specs, prices and firmware with you during intake. After publication you can flag factual errors and send a short written response that we publish beneath the review.
What if our device scores poorly?
The review publishes as found. Many devices do well on some measures and poorly on others, and readers value that honesty. You can respond in writing, and we retest after major firmware updates.
How many units do we need to send?
Six units covers two testers in each age group. Fewer can work for an evaluation focused on one age group. For rings, send a size range that fits the panel.
How long does it take?
About ten weeks from units arriving to publication: six weeks of wear, then analysis, writing and editing.
Can you test a device before launch?
Yes, under an embargo agreed at intake. The review publishes at launch or on the agreed date.
Is this a clinical or FDA validation?
No. It is a structured hands on evaluation with reference checks where they apply, and every result says so. It does not replace clinical studies or regulatory review.
Can we use the results in our marketing?
Yes. You can quote the published review with a link to it, and use the Tested badge under its license if your device earns it.
What happens to the units afterward?
That depends on the path you choose. Units you provide to keep join our reference library for retests after firmware updates and year over year comparisons. Loaned units go back after the six week test, with return shipping at your cost.
Apply for an evaluation
It takes about three minutes. There is no commitment until we confirm fit and you sign the evaluation agreement.
Apply for an evaluation
Tell us about the device. We reply within two business days with fit and timing for your device. Fields marked * are required.
